𝟐𝟏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒚𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒅

✯☾✯

𝑨𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅, Scott having dragged the unlikely group into the coach's office to discuss a plan.

"Derek's outside, waiting for Lydia." Scott informed the lot, he'd used his wolfy senses to figure out as much.

"Waiting to kill her?" Allison pressed, obviously concerned for her friend.

Lizzie stood in the corner of the room, looping as many medals that were hung on the wall as she could around her neck. Serious conversations were not particularly her strong suit, to say the least.

"If he thinks she's the kanima, then yes especially after what happened at the pool." Scott also looked fearful.

"It's not her." Stiles suddenly spoke. He refused to believe that the love his life was a scaly killing machine.

Scott sighed. "Stiles, she didn't pass the test, man. Nothing happened."

Said test was to slip a small dosage of kanima venom onto the crystal for Lydia to then eat and if nothing happened, she failed. Supposedly, kanima venom doesn't affect the actual kanima but does indeed paralyse everyone else.

"For what it's worth, I don't think it's Lydia either," Lizzie said, the medals around her neck jangling together as she turned. "It doesn't feel right. Like, we've missed something."

Scott stared at the pixie. "Put them back."

"But-"

"I don't wanna hear it. Put them back."

Lizzie did as she was told, briskly removing the medals before tuning back into the conversation.

"It doesn't matter, because Derek thinks it's her. So, either we can convince him that he's wrong, or we've got to figure out a way to protect her." Allison frowned, voice wavering.

"Well, I really don't think he's gonna do anything here. Not at school."

That gave them more time.

"What about after school? What if we can prove that Derek's wrong?" Allison brainstormed.

Stiles shook his head skeptically. "By three o'clock?"

"There could be something in the Bestiary." Allison shrugged.

"I don't think any of us can read that." Lizzie murmured.

"Actually, I think I know someone who might be able to translate it.." Allison said, her brown doe eyes wide and anxious.

"Uh, I can talk to Derek, maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove that it's not her? But, if anything happens, you guys let me handle it, okay?" Scott made eye contact with each of his friends, his protective side making its second appearance of the day.

"What does that mean?" Allison questioned her boyfriend.

"It means you can't heal like I do."

Lizzie raised her hand. "Technically, I could heal her and I-"

They weren't listening to her.

"No? Okay."

Whilst the couple argued, Lizzie watched as Allison whipped out a whole ass crossbow from her school bag, adamantly telling the group she could protect herself.

"I just don't want you getting hurt. Seriously, if anything goes wrong, you call me, okay? I-I don't care if your dad finds out. Call, text, scream, yell, whatever, I'll hear you and I'll find you as fast as I can. Lizzie, you go with her and Allison, make sure you look after her. We have until three"

Allison nodded, the sombre moment diminishing as Scott turned to leave. There was a beeping and an arrow, aimed straight at Scott, flew just past Lizzie's head. The wolf turned around just in time to catch it before he was impaled.

Stiles, who held Allison's crossbow in his hands, threw Scott an apologetic glance. "...Ah, sorry. Sensitive trigger on that."

Lizzie cocked her head to one side, inspecting the weapon with great interest. "Can i have a go?"

Allison blocked her view of it, ripping the crossbow out of Stiles' hands. "Absolutely not."

✯☾✯

Allison, holding onto Lizzie's hand, wrapped lightly on the door to the counsellor, Ms Marin's, room.

The door opened and the pair of friends were met with a dark haired woman. She grinned cheerfully.

"Hello, girls. What can i do for you?"

"You're really pretty." Lizzie blurted, earning a scolding squeeze from Allison's hand. It seemed to be a recurring thing for her that whenever she felt awkward or nervous, she'd just word-vomit compliments.

"Uh, hi. We we were wondering if you could help us with something." The hunter spoke hopefully.

Ms Morrel stepped aside so the girls could enter her quaint office. Allison dropped Lizzie's hand to reach inside her school bag and pull out a copy of one of the pages from the bestiary.

"Do you think you could translate this for us?" Allison handed the sheet of paper to the woman.

Morrel took it, studying it carefully. "Do you mind me asking where you got this? A book?"

"Yeah, a book about mythical cre-"

A hand was slapped over Lizzie's mouth before she finished her sentence.

Allison chuckled evasively. "She's got such a creative imagination. But, no. I- it's a family heirloom."

Marin smiled. "Interesting family. I'm pretty familiar with most Romance languages, but this is a little out of my reach..."

Allison sighed impatiently. "Can you give it a shot?"

Morrel looked uncertain. "All right, uhm, 'kanima'"

She sounded it out carefully. "Do I have that right?

Allison nodded, urging the councellor on.

"Like the wolf, its power is greatest at the moon's peak. Huh. Sounds like a Werewolf."

The comment was a joke but considering the pair of teenagers in front of the woman were delved far into the world of supernatural, it wasn't funny.

"Oh, there's some words here I don't recognize..."

"Just try." Allison's words came out like an order.

Lizzie furrowed her brows. "Take your time."

Morrel seemed confused and extremely pressurised. "Could I hold on to it for a bit?"

Allison bit her lip, tired of waiting. "Now is better, please."

"All right," Morell focused her attention back to the piece of paper. "Um, okay, Like the wolf, the kanima is a social creature. But, where the wolf seeks a pack, the kanima seeks a friend."

"Aw," Lizzie cooed. Maybe it just wanted someone to talk to.

Allison frowned. "A friend. What does that mean?"

"Maybe it's lonely?" The dark haired woman suggested, shrugging.

The huntress wracked her brains. What else would feel extreme lonliness like the kanima? What else would go to desperate lengths to fit in, to make friends, to feel seen?

"Like a teenager."

✯☾✯

"If we're doing a study group, why didn't we just stay in the library?" Lydia asked, batting Stiles' arm away from her as she walked. Jackson, Allison and Lizzie followed them closely behind. They'd been set the task to get Lydia out the school and somewhere as safe so Derek couldn't get to her. But also, they were meant to do it without Lydia catching on.

"Because we're meeting up with somebody else." Stiles spoke, alert and ready for anything to happen.

"Hmm, well, why don't they just meet us in the library?" The redhead quizzed.

Stiles frowned awkwardly. "Oh, that would have been a good idea. Too late."

Lydia, the girl too smart for her own good, sensed something was off. "Okay, hold on-"

"Lydia, shut up and walk." Jackson interjected, grabbing Lydia's arm tightly and beginning to pull her along with him. Lizzie tugged hard on the boy's backpack and Jackson let go of Lydia, the pixie replacing him next to her friend.

The group drove an unusually long and very awkward drive crammed into Stiles' infamous jeep. Lydia, Stiles, Lizzie, Allison and Scott had gotten closer, seemingly, which left Jackson who stuck out like a sore thumb.

The corroded breaks hissed and squeaked painfully. The teens scrambled out of the vehicle, adjusting themselves before starting up the driveway to the McCall house.

"If we're studying at Scott's house, then where's Scott?" Lydia asked, flagging up the missing member. Scott was supposed to be with but in order to get Lydia to safe place, someone needed to distract the alpha of their rival pack.

"Detention."

"Doctors."

Stiles and Lizzie both shouted two very different excuses at the same time. They glanced uncertainly at each other.

"Doctors."

"Detention."

Lydia eyed the pair suspiciously.

Stiles coughed, an attempt to cover up whatever that was. "He'll meet us here soon, I think."

He lowered his voice. "I hope."

Wits were kept about the group as Stiles ushered each of them into the house, obsessively locking the door the moment it was shut and peering out the window.

Lydia raised her eyebrows at the excessive need for safety precautions.

"Uh.." Stiles stumbled over his words. "There's been a few break-ins around the neighbourhood."

There was a snippet of deadly silence before Stiles darted forward, grabbing a chair and lodging it securely under the door handle.

Lydia's judgy expression emerged one again, gesturing to the door questioningly.

"And a murder." Stiles added, just to re-enforce his case. "It was bad."

Jackson sighed wearily, again questioning why he'd decided to come in the first place. He cleared his throat after a hinting look from Allison.

"Lydia, follow me. I need to talk to you for a minute." Jackson nodded his head, implying they go in a different room.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Seriously? What is going on with everyone?"

Stiles, Allison and Lizzie watched the pair of ex's leave soundlessly with anxious auras.

✯☾✯

The long wait for Scott to arrive was unnerving, they needed him here. Everyone was freaking out without him. No one knew where the hell Derek's pack were and if they were on their way to the McCall house or not.

Whilst Lydia and Jackson were still doing God knows what in another room, the other three teens were biding their time in the hallway. Allison and Stiles were pacing, every once in a while they'd stop to converse quietly or glance out the window.

Lizzie was sat on the floor, back resting against the wall, and was drawing unskilfully all along the back of her hand. She hadn't said much but, she'd occasionally look up to watch her friends. She doodled anything that came to mind across the small section of skin.

Hearts, flowers, smiley faces, cats, peoples names in bubble writing.

It was her way of distracting herself. She knew there was a fight coming, she could just tell.

Stiles stopped, pushing back one of the curtains for a hundredth time and squinting through the oncoming darkness outside.

"Shit." He mumbled, pulling the curtains closed.

"Shit."

Allison whirled around. "What? What is it?"

Stiles fished around in his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. "Call Scott," He threw Lizzie a fearful look.

Allison obeyed, the ringtone only lasting seconds before her boyfriend picked up.

"It's me." She spoke fast.

There was pause before the Argent girl continued.

"You need to get here now. Right now."

Lizzie stood from her slumped position, shakily making her way over to where Stiles was stood. Her finger brushed the fabric of the curtains to the side, barley moving it.

She blinked, her stomach leaping. They were lined up, positioned. Derek, Isaac, Erica and Boyd.

All fucking four of them.

They were just staring.

As time went on, the sky darkened and the lack of Scott's presence was causing the three teens to become agitated. What Jackson and Lydia were doing that was taking so long, Lizzie didn't know, she stood in the doorway between the hall and the sitting room.

Outside, Derek's pack only got closer and closer until they were right outside the house.

"Jeez." Stiles sighed nervously, turning to Allison. "What are you doing?"

"I think.." Allison stuttered, phone in one hand and crossbow in the other. "I think i have to call my dad."

Stiles looked alarmed. "No, but if he finds you here, you and Scott-"

"I know." Allison whispered, the thought of being apart from her boyfriend weakening her in the emotional aspect. "I know, but what are we supposed to do? They're not here to scare us, okay? They're here to kill Lydia."

"Lizzie," Allison hissed, trying to keep quiet. Lizzie looked up. "You okay?"

Lizzie stuck her thumbs up. She wasn't.

"All good here."

Stiles hummed to himself, a plan brewing.

"I got an idea- just shoot one of 'em."

Allison glared at him incredulously. "Are you serious?"

The pair drifted off into an incessant quarrel, Lizzie drowning them out as she fiddled with her hands.

Taking her by surprise, an arm wrapped around her waist, spinning her into the sitting room and pushing her back against the wall, a strong hand clamped firmly over her mouth.

Isaac was breathing heavily, his heart pounding. He slowly retracted his hand, moving to press one finger to his lips. Lizzie caught the sign and kept quiet.

The teens were pressed up against each other, slotted in the empty space where two walls met. Both as nervous as the other, eyes locked together, Isaac and Lizzie had to resist the dangerous urge to close the decreasing gap between them.

His scent clouded her senses. She remembered it perfectly: rain. A strange scent but one that Lizzie loved like no other. Vaguely, she remembered him mentioning he very much liked the rain. He preferred it.

It seemed like the curly haired was waiting for something. His que.

"Where the hell is Isaac?"

Stiles' voiced floated from the hallway just as Isaac took a step back from Lizzie and disappeared around the corner. There was a clatter and numerous yelps.

Lizzie pushed off the wall, collecting herself, remembering the very person they were protecting. She rushed through the sitting room and into the kitchen. The painful thing was that she had no idea of the redhead's whereabouts.

The back door swung open and the pixie spotted a flash of gorgeous blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. Erica grinned as the shorter girl attempted to run but caught her just in time, digging her claws into her arm.

"Where do you think your going, pretty girl?" The beta's voice came out low and seductive. Wow.

Lizzie winced, eyes wandering around the room. Luckily, she spotted a street light blinking outside the McCall's kitchen window.

"I'm really sorry." She murmured. Erica didn't have time to question anything as she was soon blinded by an excruciatingly bright light that overthrew her vision.

"Sorry!" Lizzie called over her shoulder before she was off again, darting towards the stairs. Flying up them at such a pace she managed to roll an ankle, Lizzie made it to the top. She surveyed the area. There was only one door shut, probably locked.

Mellissa's room.

Lizzie put two and two together, creeping quickly towards it. Twisting the doorknob, she waved her hands frantically when the door didn't open. Stifled, terrified sobs were coming from inside.

"Lydia?" Lizzie whispered as loud as she dared. "Lyds, lovely, it's me. I'm not going to hurt you."

A relieved gasp could be heard and then the click of a lock. The door opened just enough for Lizzie to acknowledge the distraught redhead through the crack. Lydia yanked her friend inside, immediately locking the door shut again.

She swaddled the brunette in a disheartened embrace, allowing Lizzie to lead the pair to crouch beside the bed, the place where Lydia was previously hiding. The redhead was shaking, quietly crying into Lizzie's sweater.

"We're gonna be okay." Lizzie stroked the back of the taller girl's head. Lydia had no idea what was going on. She knew something was not right. Even as Allison had ordered her to hide, she knew the real reason why was not what she was being lead to believe.

The antagonizing crashes and thumps reverberating through the household was worrying Lizzie. She needed to know if her friends were okay but she couldn't leave Lydia all alone.

She squinted through the darkness of the room, still holding tight to Lydia, eyes settling on the open window. The white washed rim was glinting in the moonlight. Glinting with some sort of substance. It was repulsively green. Goo-like.

Especially in the beaming lighting, it was alien. It reminded Lizzie of the slimy trails Jeremy, the pet bearded dragon she'd kept as a pet in the fifth grade, used to leave around it's cage.

"Lyds? Where's Jackson?" Lizzie asked in a hushed voice.

Lydia sniffled. "I- i don't know, h-he just left me."

For someone who didn't consider herself very smart, Lizzie was extremely proud of herself when she came to a conclusion. A conclusion that could save Lydia.

Lizzie started to move, untangling herself from Lydia's clutches, alarming the girl.

"W-where are you going?" Lydia pulled herself up straight. "Tell me your not going out there."

Lizzie bit her lip, trying to ignore the guilt. "J- just to check. I- need to- I. You have to stay here, promise?"

Lydia shook her head, reaching out to grab hold of Lizzie as she backed towards the door. "Lizzie, no. You could get hurt."

"I'm sorry." Lizzie squeezed here eyes shut as she flicked the door unlocked. "I'll come back. I am coming back. Whatever happens, stay here."

Doing her best to ignore the shouts, Lizzie slipped through the door, retracing her steps from earlier.

The front door was wide open when she reached it. Scott, who was annoyingly late, Stiles and Allison stood facing Derek and Boyd, Isaac and Erica laying unconscious and paralysed at the foot of them.

"Guys!" She yelled. The attention of the group was diverted to her for just a second before the sound of footsteps pattered above them.

Scott dragged Stiles and Allison from the veranda, Lizzie following close behind. They gazed up in sync, watching as the dreaded kanima bellowed a monstrously inhumane roar before it leapt off into the night.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lydia cried out, now suddenly stood in the doorway.

"Scott, i need to tell you something-" Lizzie began, still frantic and scared.

"It's Jackson." The wolf cut her off, he was still staring up at the empty space where the kanima was, eyes distant and dark.

a/n

sorry this took so long to come out (i've already started working in the next chapter), and sorry it's so short.

i found this chapter to be a little boring so it took me ages to finish.

if you have any thoughts or suggesting a then please feel free to let me know.

i've noticed both this book and my tiktok have  got loads of attention recently and holy shit-     

thank you so much! i'm so grateful who's done anything to boost this book and unbelievably thankful for those who take the time to read it.

happy v-day, lovelies! <3

thanks for reading