"Sup, lovebirds!" 

A sudden familiar voice is heard, causing them to look away quickly and look to the door where Alissa McCall had walked in, followed by Luke Stilinski.

Alissa McCall was the daughter of Scott and Blythe McCall. Scott and Blythe were high school sweethearts, of course, after Allison had passed. Blythe had been his and Stiles' childhood best friend and she helped him get over Allison's death and move on. Scott had never thought he would love again after Allison, but Blythe helped him heal, and eventually, they fell in love. Together, they had Alissa, a spirited and fearless young girl who had inherited her father's werewolf abilities and her mother's kind heart. 

She was a great combination of the two, like her dad she was brave and kind and like her mom she was creative and empathetic. Alissa's charm and friendly nature allowed her to easily befriend most people and her loyalty and courage were a welcome addition to any group. She had a knack for helping others, often being the one to bring a smile to someone's face when they were having a bad day. She was definitely the life of the party type of person of the group. She was very outgoing, confident and energetic, often jumping headfirst into situations without thinking, a trait that often got her into trouble. But despite her wild nature, she was fiercely loyal and protective of her friends and family.

Alissa was the artist of the group, always creating beautiful and expressive artwork. She had a love of painting, drawing, and writing. She had a natural talent for the arts and had a way of bringing her imagination to life on paper. She was a talented artist and a good friend. Her creativity and enthusiasm were contagious, and she was always ready to try something new. She was adventurous, like her parents, but also a bit mischievous and a risk-taker. She loved to explore and try new things, often dragging her friends along for the ride. She was named after Allison, Scott's first love and a dear friend/important member of the McCall Pack as a way to honor her. Her middle name was Wrenley, named after Blythe's mother.

Luke Stilinski was the son of Lydia and Stiles Stilinski. He is one of the smartest kids in his class and is a member of the debate team. It might come off as a shock to most people since he's somewhat of a jock too, but he's great on the debate team and loves it. He's got an analytical mind and a gift for arguing, but he's also compassionate and understanding. He's a caring friend and always ready to lend a hand, but he can also be a little sassy and sarcastic. Luke is a natural leader, confident and capable, but he's also a loyal and protective friend. 

Luke has a sharp wit and quick thinking, traits he inherited from his father. He's also inherited his mother's intelligence and a bit of her supernatural abilities. He has a knack for sensing the supernatural and is able to use his intuition to get out of tricky situations. Luke is always there to support his friends and help them when they're in trouble. His loyalty and intelligence make him a valuable member of the group. Luke was named after a main character in Star Wars which took a lot of convincing from Stiles to get Lydia to agree with. 

Luke was the most athletic of the group and was the goalie for their school's lacrosse team. He was also a big fan of Star Wars (thanks to his dad) and a huge gamer, playing online games with his friends whenever he could. He was always up for an adventure and was often the one coming up with crazy ideas for the group to do. He had a knack for making even the dullest activity fun. He was also an avid reader, often disappearing into books for hours. He had a passion for stories and the worlds they created. He was a romantic at heart and loved nothing more than a good love story.

Despite Alissa and Luke not living in Beacon Hills, they lived nearby or even right on the edge of Beacon Hills. Their parents would have preferred not to live in Beacon Hills forever so they had decided to move, but still close enough where their kids could go to school and hang out with their friends, who lived in Beacon Hills. 

"Did we interrupt something?" Alissa asked, teasingly raising an eyebrow as her gaze flickered between the two. She grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tease her friends.

Imara and Eli exchanges a quick glance, both feeling a tad flustered by Alissa's playful teasing. Imara cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "Uh, no, not at all," She manages, forcing a smile. "We were just...Hanging out."

Eli nods in agreement, though a faint blush lingered on his cheeks. "Yeah, just catching up." He added, trying to sound casual.

Alissa chuckles, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sure, sure." She said, not believing what they were saying.

"Alissa, Luke, what are you guys doing here?" Imara asked, glancing between the two curiously. 

They were both dressed in their usual attire. Alissa always had a bright, colorful style, with her hair usually tied up in a messy bun or left loose in wild curls. She was wearing a paint-splattered apron over her clothes, evidence of her latest artistic endeavors. Luke, on the other hand, had a more casual and sporty look, with a Lacrosse team jacket and a laid-back demeanor. They were a bit of an unlikely duo, but they balanced each other out perfectly. Just like with Eli and Imara, add the two with them and the group was complete.

"We heard you guys were grounded, and we thought you could use some company." Alissa replied, smiling brightly at the two as she plopped down on one of the bean bag chairs.

"How'd you hear about that?" Eli asked curiously, arching a brow at the girl.

"Having werewolf hearing helps," Alissa quips, grinning at him. "I overheard my parents talking about it. So I met up with Luke. Oh! Get this, I also overheard them talking about meeting up with Aunt Lydia, Aunt Malia, Uncle Stiles, and your parents in the woods to look for some tree stump or something." She added, glancing over at Imara, who looked at her with surprise and confusion.

"Huh, weird." Imara murmured, her brows furrowing.

"Yeah, my parents were already gone when I left," Luke chimes in. "They've been acting a little weird though..." He pauses before adding, "More weird than they usually are, I guess. They've been talking about stuff, keeping stuff from me...You know, normal parent stuff." He mutters, rolling his eyes. "But I overheard something about whatever Bardo is."

"Oh, I know what that is." Alissa realizes. "I think. But I'm pretty sure it's like a realm between life and death, like a liminal space where souls go to rest or get judged or something," she says thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "My dad mentioned it once when he was explaining some werewolf lore to me. It's connected to all sorts of supernatural stuff."

Imara sits up straighter, clearly intrigued. "Why would they be looking for a tree stump related to Bardo? That sounds pretty creepy."

Luke shrugs, equally puzzled. "I have no idea. But if they're out there now, it must be important." He stands with a grin. "I say we follow them."

"Follow them? Luke, that's a horrible idea. Besides, I'm grounded. I'm not even supposed to be here." Imara sighed heavily though she had to admit she was interested. She was curious as to what they were looking for and why.

"Wait, I think I know what they're looking for." Eli realizes. He had been quiet the whole time, realizing what they were talking about. "You guys know how I sleep walk, right?"

"Yep." Luke replied as he nodded.

"It's weird, dude." Alissa commented, looking at Eli weirdly. 

Imara chuckles, giving Eli a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, it freaked me out the first time I saw you do it."

Eli takes a deep breath, glancing at the group. "Well, the last time I sleepwalked, I ended up near this weird tree stump in the woods. I'm pretty sure it's called the nemeton or something."

"Wait, I remember my dad telling me about that," Imara murmurs, recalling the tale he told her when she was a child. "The nemeton was some tree stump where all sorts of magical stuff happened. Like sacrifices or portals or something. It's super powerful." She pauses, frowning slightly. "If it's still around, and they're looking for it...Then I think you might be right, Luke. They must be up to something. Something important."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Alissa asks, standing up with a smirk. "Let's go find out what it is. We're not gonna stay here while the grownups have all the fun, are we?"

Luke grins and nods. "She's right. Come on, Immy, you can't leave us hanging. Let's go."

Imara hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. She was torn. On one hand, she knew she should stay. She was grounded. But on the other hand, she couldn't resist the temptation. She wanted to know what was going on. She wanted to help. Besides, it wasn't like she was going alone. She would have her friends with her. She could trust them, and she knew they would have her back. "You guys do realize it's like we're walking into the lion's den? They're our parents, we could be grounded forever if they find out. And they'll definitely find out."

"I know. But we're not gonna let them keep us in the dark, are we?" Alissa asks. "I know they're our parents and just wanna keep us safe and blah blah blah." She rolls her eyes. "But don't you wanna know what's going on? We're old enough to help and you have to admit our parents have been acting shady lately, they got something going on they're not telling us. This could be our chance to figure out what's going on. You with us, Immy?"

"Yeah, come on, Immy. When are we ever gonna get a chance again to go find a magical tree stump?" Luke asked, smirking at her. He and Alissa clearly were not going to back down.

Eli smiles a little, nudging her with his elbow before he stands. "I think it's worth a shot, Mars. Besides, we could use a little adventure. It's been boring lately. But we all would understand if you don't wanna go. I would stay back with you." He offered and that sweet offer made her heart flutter. Along with that tender and gentle smile of his. 

Imara took a deep breath, glancing at her friends, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement. She couldn't deny that a part of her craved the adventure, the chance to uncover what their parents were up to. "Alright," She agrees, finally giving in. "But we have to be super careful. If they catch us, we're probably gonna be in a lot of trouble."

"Yes!" Alissa cheers, pumping her fist in the air. "I knew you'd come around, Immy. This is gonna be epic."

Luke grins, letting out a whoop of excitement. "Awesome. Let's get moving before we miss our chance." He turned to leave the tree house with Alissa, opening the door for her and let her out first before he followed her.

Eli chuckles, looking at Imara with a fond smile. "Come on, Immy. You ready?" He offered his hand down to her to help her up since she was still sitting down.

"Yeah, let's go." Imara took his hand, letting him help her up. Their eyes met again, and for a moment, they simply stared at each other, both lost in their own thoughts. Imara felt her heart racing again, a warm sensation spreading through her. She was so close to him, close enough to feel his breath against her cheek, to see his beautiful brown eyes more clearly than ever. He seemed to lean in closer to her, and she instinctively leaned towards him, her body drawn to his like a magnet.

"Guys, come on!" Alissa calls from below, breaking the spell between them. "We're burning daylight here!"

Imara quickly steps back, clearing her throat as her cheeks flushed. "We should uh-we should go," She stammered, quickly brushing off the moment. She grabbed her can of soda, drinking the rest of it (which wasn't much) and then put the empty can in her bag to throw away later. She also grabs the sour gummy worms to put in her bag as well before she went to the door. She then quickly left the tree house, her face burning and heart pounding. 

Eli snaps out of his daze and clears his throat. "Yeah, let's do this." He muttered and turned off the lantern before he followed her out of the tree house. 

He wasn't sure what that moment was was, but he couldn't deny the strange pull he felt towards Imara. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he followed her out of the tree house. They had a mission to focus on, and he couldn't afford to get distracted. They had to find out what their parents were up to, and hopefully, they could do it without getting caught. He can worry about his weird feelings for Imara later. With one last look back at the tree house, he turned and caught up with his friends, determined to find the truth. 

A/N any ship name ideas for imara & eli?? i love them so much