A bad feeling washed over me as I trudged over to the playing field of Beacon Hill high.

The space was washed in floodlights, highlighting the dark forest behind it. The bleachers were half full and I chose a seat further back toward the left.

The players were either sat on the bench or stretching along the sidelines. Beacon hills was wearing maroon and I soon spotted Liam standing off to the side speaking to another boy.

"What do you think you're doing, Mason?" Liam asked his friend.

Mason grinned. "What? Me? I'm being totally agreeable!"

Liam deadpanned. "You think he's hot, don't you?"

"No! No, not at all. No way!" Mason quietened down. "Maybe. Yeah, maybe a little."

"He wants to destroy me." Liam reminded him.

"I think you could definitely take him. And then...give him to me!"

The two boys laughed between themselves. I smirked, weirdos.

One of the opposing team members called out. "Liam! Think fast!"

He shot the ball in Liam's direction but Liam caught it with ease. I sat up, was this the guy who didn't like Liam? They were from a school called Devenford prep, sounded snotty.

The game soon started, and Devenford scored first. They got the ball again in the second play and Liam ran at the person holding the ball but got shoulder blocked by two guys, knocking him over. He groaned for a moment before he got up sharpish and threw off his helmet, shuddering in anger. Liam lunged but got held back by his teammates.

I guess they weren't kidding when they called him an IED. Not that I could say anything. The game continued and I went on my phone, thinking to call my sister to make sure the kids were okay.

It rang and rang and rang, but of course no answer.

With a grunt, I stood, needing the toilet. I tried to direct myself to the locker rooms, they weren't hard to find.

After using the bathroom, I came out to see someone on the floor.

He was unconscious and dressed in a big jacket with a cross on it, a first aider? What the hell?

"What the hell did you do to me?" A voice suddenly said and I backed up into the shadows, seeing it was that guy who threw the ball at Liam earlier. He was crawling on the floor, and a girl stood over him.

"You were cut with a poisoned blade, it was laced with wolfsbane."

The boy struggled and grunted in pain as she whipped something around the air. "That won't kill you, but this will." She produced a wire and it caught red as it heated up.

My eyes widened and I felt frozen to the spot as she yanked it around the boys neck.

"Why are you doing this?" He gasped.

She kicked him so he'd stop struggling. "Because you're worth a lot of money, Brett."

He started to choke and struggles and I needed to act otherwise this kid would die.

Then suddenly, footsteps echoed the hall and she looked round before removing the wire from Brett's neck and slinked into the darkness.

Brett passed out, he wasn't moving.

Scott came in after checking the people outside, to see Brett on the floor. The boy gasped in pain and suddenly the girl burst from the dark and wrapped her cord around Scott's neck. "He said we shouldn't even try, but now I've got you. I got an Alpha." She laughed.

Scott grabbed the wire and growled, his eyes red and angry as he turned toward her.

I stepped forward but suddenly there was something cold pressing against my neck, it stank of something horrible. Probably wolfsbane.

"You stay right there, you must be a Beta," a girl whispered into my ear and I struggled away but she pressed the blade closer to my neck. "You're pretty small so this shouldn't be hard. One slash and you're dead, I don't know how much you're worth but if you're hanging around Scott McCall you gotta be worth something."

This was not fucking happening. I wasn't about to get killed in this fucking locker room. I felt my eyes glow as my anger rose and I growled at her, my teeth jabbing at my lips.

Scott turned to me with his Alpha gaze and it gave me the drive to yank the blade away from the girl, slamming her into the lockers. She fainted and I looked at Scott to see the girl who assaulted him was also on the ground.

Scott's friend, Stiles, slid into the room. His eyes widened.

"You need to call your dad," Scott told him.

Stiles nodded absently but stared at me. Then Scott turned to look at me, also.

"You're the werewolf Liam told us about," Scott started. "Tomoe?"

I rubbed my arm, shaking as the adrenaline hit. "Sorry, but what the hell is happening? Why did she attack me? Why did she say I'm worth a lot of money?"

Scott ran his hands through his hair. "You moved in at a really bad time."

"You think," I laughed, though I was shaking so much I felt my teeth vibrate.

"We've got a lot to catch you up on, then," Stiles said and pulled out his phone.

"I don't want to be involved!"

Scott and Stiles shared another look, they did that a lot.

"You might not have a choice anymore, they think you're with us now, and if you're on the list it'll just make it harder without people backing you." Scott gave me a sympathetic look.

"Speaking of, when were you turned?" Stiles interjected.

I bit my lip and felt it pinch. "I don't like to talk about it."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell us how it happened just how long have you been a werewolf?" Scott asked.

"A couple months," I muttered.

"So you're not used to the change yet?"

I couldn't do anything more than shake my head quietly.

Stiles rubbed his eyes. "Great, not only did you bite an IED Scott, we've picked up a stray who can't control himself either!"

"Hey! I didn't ask for this! I didn't want this! I should never have moved to this fucking town!" I snapped back.

"Do we seriously have a second IED on our hands?" Stiles muttered in disbelief.

"Try getting almost killed in a boys locker room, not knowing why or who was trying to do it."

"What about your Alpha," Stiles questioned. "You belong to a pack, don't you?"

I swallowed, feeling my heart skip over a beat. It hurt my chest. "That was no pack." I shrank into myself. "It—he bit me and tried to get me to join but I ran away."

"You ran away? Oh great," Stiles exclaimed. "He's going to come looking for you—"

Scott nudged his friend and put an hand on my arm. I flinched initially, not seeing it coming but somehow it felt comforting. "We want to help you, Tomoe. Meet us tomorrow, what grade are you?"

I shook my head. "I'm 16, but I'm homeschooled."

"Oh," Scott said and thought for a moment. "Then meet us on campus at lunch tomorrow, at 12:30, does that work for you?"

I grunted, feeling frustrated. "I guess, yeah." But, why were they so forthcoming, did they expect something from me in return? "But why are you helping me? We're not pack or friends, we just met."

"I don't want anybody else to die, too many people have died already."

I raised an eyebrow. "You got a god complex or something?"

Scott looked surprised. "No-no! I just want to prevent people getting hurt where I can."

"I just wanted to come here for a fresh start, I don't need drama, I've got enough in my life already."

Stiles stepped forward. "Well if you want to still have a life after this, it's better to stick with us."

My eyes narrowed. I hated that he sounded right.

"Plus the full moon is coming up, do you have somewhere to stay during your change?" Scott asked.

Old, haunting memories hit me and I shook as I cursed silently. I couldn't shift uncontrollably in a house with kids, I wouldn't do that to them. My head shook.

"We're going up to our friends lake house for the moon, come with us."

I thought about being able to stay out overnight, then again it was a Friday night so the kids had Saturday free from school. Maybe it would be okay.

"Okay fine."

It beat my past option.

"Great," Scott said with a smile. "Give me your number and we can meet tomorrow."

Stiles stepped forward. "One more thing."

"What?"

"Don't tell Liam we're going to the lake house for the shift," Scott said, wincing.

I frowned. "Why?"

"It's his first one and he doesn't trust me very much yet."

"Right," I drawled, this was all so complicated.

After getting Scott's number, I excused myself and almost ran the whole way home. Once I got onto Aya's street I slowed and opened my text chat with Liam.

Tomoe: sorry I didn't stick around, ur fall looked nasty hope ur ok. Scott and Stiles want me with you guys at lunch tomrw

No time was wasted before I got a reply.

Liam: it's okay, it doesn't hurt now. Does that mean you're on the list?

Touma: idk, I'd better fucking not be.