Twenty-Nine

"LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS!"

The storm seemed to be rolling in a lot more quickly than Sierra originally thought. Traffic was starting to get backed up the closer they got to town and the clouds only grew darker. Cell towers were getting knocked out. Thunder rumbled overhead as Sierra finally got hold of Malia, who was stuck with her adoptive dad to remove a giant tree from the middle of the road.

By the time Sierra informed Stiles of Malia's whereabouts and they changed course, Malia had lifted the stump out of harms way when they pulled up.

The werecoyote matched Sierra's excitement for the Senior Scribe, tucking her newly cut hair behind her ear. However, Malia was also filled with nerves. The past few months she worked hard with Sierra through summer school. Only a week ago, her final exam took place. The test remained the deciding factor if she would be a senior with the rest of her friends. The results were supposed to come out that night, but she hadn't heard anything yet.

Sierra sensed her frustration and anxiety as soon as Stiles honked the Jeep's horn. Malia grinned at the sight of them, hurrying over with Mr. Tate in tow behind her. "Sorry we're late," Sierra apologized, leaning between the seats.

"No, you're okay," Malia assured before glancing back at her dad. "I'm riding with them to school, so I'll see you at home later."

Mr. Tate nodded, giving her a side hug. "Okay, I hope you all have fun tonight." His eyes flickered between his daughter and Sierra. "Take care of each other, okay?"

Sierra promised him, "We always do. Have a good night, Mr. Tate!"

The man offered her a small wave and stepped away, heading back to his own car. Malia climbed inside the Jeep, pushing Sierra into the middle. Her eyebrows furrowed when she felt everyone's eyes on her and she looked up to see the boys looking at her expectantly. "What?"

"Did you find out yet?" Stiles asked Malia, completely turned in his seat to face her properly. Scott mimicked him while Liam only looked confused.

"Find out about what?"

Malia tried to not seem discouraged. "They're gonna email me."

"Is this about summer school?" Liam asked a different question. One earbud stayed in his ear, keeping him calm against the full moon.

"You told him?" Malia flicked her gaze to Sierra, who quickly held up her hands in defense.

"Wasn't me, Mal. You told me not to tell anyone other than Lydia."

Malia's eyes then narrowed at Stiles. He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Um, about that--"

"No," Liam disagreed, attempting to help Stiles out. However, his ramble only dug a deeper hole. "He only said that you had to go to summer school 'cause the principal said your test scores weren't good enough and you might have to repeat junior year."

Sierra looked at her boyfriend knowingly, while Malia groaned and laid back against the seat. "So you told him everything?"

"I should've left him chained to the tree."

*^*^*^*^*

Even after arriving at the hospital, Liam still preferred staying with Scott and Sierra. However, the duo stood firm in making him wait for his dad. Sierra allowed Scott to take Liam to the proper floor, nudging the younger boy not-so-subtly to talk with Scott about the full moon.

Liam hesitated to listen, following Scott back towards the elevator after finding out his father was helping out in surgery. "He's not going to be done for hours," Liam complained to Scott. "So I'm either hanging out here or I could still go with you guys..."

Scott knew Liam didn't want him or Sierra to leave the hospital. He might've eavesdropped on Liam's conversation with his best friend but Scott recognized all on his own that Liam still held a fear about losing control. But the fact that Liam had managed the night thus far told Scott Liam would be perfectly fine on his own.

Scott pushed the elevator button before turning towards his beta. "Show me your hands," he instructed calmly.

Liam bowed his head in shame, lifting out his hands from his pockets to reveal bloody palms. He sighed, remembering Sierra's words to him at the preserve. She was right; Scott knew about his struggles.

"Okay," Liam admitted, "so, I'm still having trouble."

Scott offered him a small, assuring smile. "No. You're still learning." He watched Liam advert his eyes, leading him to ask, "What do you to stay focused on not changing?"

Liam pulled out the earbuds from his shirt to answer Scott's question before he let out a frustrated sigh. "Sierra helped me create a playlist but it's not working."

"It's working enough," Scott encouraged him. "Listen, Derek told me that you were one of the strongest that he'd ever seen at your age. Now, coming from him? That means a lot."

The elevator dinged, Scott creating more space between them as he stepped back. "Maybe that means things are gonna be harder for you for awhile," he started, holding the elevator open with his arm.

"But it also means something else, doesn't it?"

Liam cinched his brows, confused as to what Scott was referring. "That I'm really strong?"

Scott grinned proudly at him. "Hell yeah."

Without another word, Scott smiled at him one more time before letting the elevator doors close.

By the time he arrived back on the first floor, his phone still hadn't brightened with any updates from Kira. He expressed his concern to Stiles, who appeared in front of him as soon as the doors reopened, probably to urge him along.

"You reminded her about tonight though, right?" Stiles double-checked his best friend's actions, walking alongside Scott towards where he left Malia and Sierra.

Scott scrunched up his nose, trying to remember exactly the last time he talked with his girlfriend. "I think so? She only texted me once this week--"

Stiles stopped him from going on and mimicked his confused expression. "Once? How'd you guys leave things when she left for New York?"

Kira left a week after the county fair ended, traveling with her parents back to her former home. The entire summer for her was spent trying to catch up with her relatives, barely leaving her time to breathe. She messaged Scott when she could, leading him to answer, "They were good. Yeah, I just said, Don't worry about anything. Just go and have fun."

The boys rounded the corner as Stiles winced, not agreeing with Scott's choice of words. "No," he couldn't believe his ears. "You told her to go have fun?"

"Why?" Scott didn't like the way Stiles glanced at him, the grip on his cellphone tightening. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong with it," Stiles said first, not wanting to make him worry. But Scott narrowed his eyes, leading Stiles to sigh. "It's just--I don't know. That can be interpreted a lot of different ways."

Scott didn't understand. "Like what?"

Stiles faced him, stopping beside Sierra, who was focused on her phone while she leaned against the hospital's front desk. Malia stood next to her, resting her cheek against her palm in boredom. "Well, like, don't worry, we're not exclusive. Go have fun...with other guys."

"No," Scott disagreed instantly, holding up his hand to stop Stiles from talking. "No way."

Stiles pursed his lips and turned towards Sierra. "Babe--" She raised her head at his voice, away from her phone screen. "If you were going away and I told you, Don't worry, go have fun. What would you think I was talking about?"

"You mean like bowling?" she asked him curiously, innocently tilting her head.

"I think he means sex with other guys," Malia piped up, straightening her back and crossing her arms.

Sierra made a face while Stiles knowingly looked back at Scott, who sighed. "Okay, now you got me slightly worried," Scott confessed, watching Stiles step closer to Sierra to wrap an arm around her shoulder. "But all you did was show me Sierra is the most loyal in relationships compared to the rest of us."

Sierra grinned, "I'll wear that crown proudly." Stiles smiled down at her, pressing a sweet kiss to her temple while Scott playfully rolled his eyes.

"You know, sometimes you two make me sick."

"If you hate us so much, we can make Lydia the captain of our ship," Sierra teased him, wiggling her eyebrows as she kept an arm resting against Stiles's torso.

Scott narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try us," Stiles stuck out his tongue, Scott returning the gesture immediately.

However, another gurney wheeled by, capturing the teenagers' attention. Since they arrived, more people had shown up in ambulances than normal cars. The wheels in Scott's brain turned quickly once he remembered the harsh storm, leading him to question his mom before she ran off with another patient. "Where's all this coming from?"

"A jackknifed tractor-trailer on one-fifteen," Melissa rushed out. "It caused a major pile up."

Scott worriedly cast his eyes to his friends. They all knew the only road that led back into Beacon Hills from the airport. And that just happened to be one fifteen.

"Kira's never gonna make it," Scott spoke, his lips tugged downwards into a frown.

However, Sierra already had a plan forming before the news settled. "No, she's going to make it," she declared, making the three look at her.

"How?" Malia questioned realistically. "She's stuck in traffic and it's pouring outside. It's not like she can walk to the school."

"She might have to get wet, but she won't have to walk," Sierra said vaguely, Scott's ears perking with interest. Noticing his stare, she continued. "Scotty, you have a motorbike. AKA you have the ability to drive through the traffic to find her and get her back to the school."

Stiles glanced at the watch on his wrist, the one Sierra gifted to him for their anniversary. "Are you sure he can make it?" he asked and then lifted his gaze to see Scott pull out his keys.

"I can if I leave right now," Scott agreed with Sierra's idea. He started to head to the doors, walking backwards to finish talking with them. "We'll be there by midnight. Just go ahead to the school--Lydia's probably already there."

"Scott," Stiles warned but the werewolf shook his head. Having one friend not attend the scribe was bad enough, but now there was a chance his best friend wouldn't be there either. Stiles didn't like the plan; he wanted everyone to stick to his vision.

"Don't worry, we'll make it," Scott assured him seriously.

"Just trust me."

*^*^*^*^*

It was supposed to be a simple check-in.

Noah instructed Deputy Parrish to drive by, acknowledge the noise complaint and see if he could solve the issue. He wasn't supposed to be gone for hours. He wasn't supposed to get attacked.

Noah wasn't supposed to find Parrish in the abandoned house, half-conscious with blood soaking through his uniform.

As soon as the sheriff found his deputy, he regretted the decision to send him out in the first place. The past six months he safely stuck Jordan behind the desk, only allowed out to direct traffic, for his protection. Parrish didn't know what kind of supernatural creature he was yet--even though Lydia tried to help as often as possible. And until he found out, Noah didn't want him in harm's way.

Melissa helped Noah bring Parrish inside the hospital, gently laying him down on an examination table. Neither adult knew much about Parrish's abilities, except that the man survived being set on fire. And when Melissa eyed the smoke wafting from the deep claw marks on Parrish's chest, she asked, "He's not on fire...is he?"

Noah's lips parted, him honestly not really knowing how to respond. "Not that I know of."

"Maybe it's part of his healing process," Melissa thought aloud. She had known about the supernatural world since the kanima situation, but still felt clueless at times. Her son was an alpha werewolf; she held no experience for whatever Parrish happened to be. "Could we call Jemma?"

Before Noah could add his opinions, Parrish sprang up from the table. His chest burned, quick gasps for breath escaped his lips while his brown eyes gleamed a hypnotic orange. He whirled around, his brows furrowed once he noticed the gun pointed in his direction.

Noah and Melissa kept their distance, watching the deputy in concern. Noah only held his weapon for safety. However, as Parrish slowly gained a sense of where he was and the people with him, he calmed down. His eyes flickered back to normal with a simple blink and he let out a deep breath.

Melissa helped Noah lower the gun, assuring him, "It's okay. It's okay. Are you alright, Deputy?"

From the pain still enveloping his chest, Parrish looked down. Memories attacked him the moment he raised his hand, tracing the deep wound.

A werewolf. At least, Parrish thought it was a werewolf. He remembered the tall, built man, rage behind his glaring eyes. But the one piece that stuck out the most were his claws. Long and dangerously sharp, they glowed. The moment the man attacked Parrish, it felt like all life was being sucked out of him. And he couldn't fight him off.

"Scott," he finally stated, lifting his gaze to the worried eyes of Melissa and Noah. "Sierra. We need to find them. Now."

But the adults needed more information. If they could help Parrish solve the problem without calling in their kids, they would do it in a heartbeat. Scott, Sierra and Stiles deserved to have a normal school year--especially because they were seniors.

Parrish rushed out how different the talons acted and how the werewolf was hellbent on finding Scott and Sierra. Apparently, he had heard stories regarding the powerful duo, including how they defeated an entire alpha pack without physically killing any of them. He wanted to challenge them with his own strength and see for himself if the teenagers were really as strong as other werewolves thought.

"Which got me thinking about what this guy can do," Parrish explained the thoughts running through his mind. "The rule is you have to kill an Alpha to steal their power, right?"

"But it's different for Scott," Melissa pointed out, Noah nodding his head from beside her.

"It's impossible to steal a True Alpha's power. And harming Sierra does nothing," Noah agreed. "With her newfound abilities from Mexico, mountain ash doesn't even affect her anymore. Claws wouldn't do any damage. You can't steal either of their power."

Parrish pursed his lips before he sighed heavily. He finally looked up at the two and stated, "I think this guy can."

And little did they know, a young beta heard every word to their conversation. Ears perked from outside the morgue, Liam realized the danger Scott and Sierra were about to come across. He needed to find them before it was too late.

*^*^*^*^*

"I've got nothing from Scott or Kira."

Sierra reported, raising her gaze from her phone. She stood next to Stiles and Malia underneath the protective, white veranda that kept the rain from soaking them to the bone. Sierra tried to not shiver from the goosebumps that raised on her arms and hugged her jean jacket closer to her body. Regretting wearing sandals and a short, black romper, Sierra's legs bounced from the cold.

"Nothing from Lydia either," Malia piped up, eyeing her own phone to not see any new messages. She let out a small sigh from a lack of emails too. "And I still don't know if I passed."

"Don't worry," Sierra assured, resting a hand on Malia's shoulder. "I know you passed that test, Mal. You practically memorized all of the flashcards I made to study." Malia didn't seem to believe her words, leading Sierra to turn towards Stiles. "Right?"

He didn't reply, leaning against one of the white posts. His whiskey eyes stayed trained on other students running in, laughing with their friends and enjoying themselves despite the harsh change in weather.

"Stiles?"

Malia raised an eyebrow from seeing Stiles lost in thought and glanced at Sierra. "Is he alright?"

"Let me talk with him," Sierra said quietly, instead of directly answering her. "Why don't you head on inside? You know, try to find Lyd. I'm sure she's already in the library."

Malia nodded, casting one more concerned look at Stiles before walking away to give the couple come space. Sierra waited a moment before speaking with him, trying to understand exactly what he was overthinking about.

She didn't read his mind. After all, she made a promise to only act within telepathy if there was a prominent cause or sudden dangerous situation. And thinking back to their previous conversations and acknowledging the worrisome aura building around Stiles, Sierra put the pieces together.

She mimicked his stance, moving to lean against the same pole he did. Peeking around the corner to see his face, she spoke up. "So, how ya doing, bub?"

"I'm fine," Stiles said vaguely, though his eyes still didn't drift from the student-filled courtyard.

Sierra let out a sigh, "No, you're not."

Stiles processed her words, pursing his lips as he turned towards her, away from the rain. Sierra stood in front of him, grasping his fingers lightly. "It's just my anxiety," he brushed it off, not wanting her to worry about him. "Nothing new, ya know? Just the same constant state of anxiousness."

"Yet something is telling me this is about something entirely different," Sierra stated knowingly. She gently nudged him, "Come on, you can tell me. Why is tonight so important to you?"

"It's not," Stiles shook his head, adjusting his weight between his feet. Sierra cinched her eyebrows from how quickly he replied, and he sighed. "Well...I don't know. Maybe it is."

Sierra listened patiently as he revealed a conversation he held with his father the other day. "I was gonna talk about it earlier with you at the ice cream parlor, but I...I didn't," Stiles didn't look her in eye, choosing to focus on her hands grasped in his. "My dad was telling me about his high school friends, but the thing is...he doesn't talk to them anymore. None of them. Not a single one."

Sierra's face softened, watching Stiles reveal his frustration. "You know, these were some of his best friends and he just says he lost touch with them," Stiles couldn't wrap his head around the outcome. "So, of course, I start thinking about things, like I always do--"

"Obsessively," Sierra commented, making him nod.

"Yeah," Stiles breathed out. "And, and so I'm thinking, what if..." He hesitated to reveal his fears, but knew out of everyone, Sierra would have the best advice. Stiles lifted his eyes and asked, "What if Scott is our best friend now...you know, but he's not our best friend for life?"

Sierra felt him tighten his grip on her hand, fearful of her response. "Stiles, as much as I hate to say it, that just happens sometimes."

"Only because we let it happen," Stiles argued quietly, desperate for her to see where he was coming from. "You know, that's what I'm saying. How come when we graduate we're just expected to go our separate ways? If I've already found the best people in my life--if I've already found you and Scott-- why aren't I not trying to stay with you, you know?"

"You're already making an effort to stay with us," Sierra reminded him, a smile etched on her lips from his words. "Remember? You've been working hard on helping us stick together. That's the plan; the dream."

"The vision," Stiles corrected her with a nod. "And don't mock the vision--"

Sierra stepped towards him, placing her hands on his hips as she assured, "Stiles, I love the vision. Especially if I am a part of it."

Stiles smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "You've always been a part of it," he expressed truthfully. He leaned away so he could properly lift the promise ring around her neck with his free hand. "I'm not sure if you're aware of my feelings," Stiles teased, making her giggle under her breath, "but I'm quite fond of you."

Sierra blushed, but didn't interrupt him as he continued. "And I gave you this ring because I want you in my life for a very long time. I hope you wear it because you feel the same way."

"You know I do," she replied honestly, before she finally realized the point he had been trying to make. "So that's why you wanted everyone here tonight? Because you don't want to lose all your friends after senior year."

"And I'm hoping they don't want to lose me either," Stiles admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, I'm just one person," Sierra started, moving her arms to wrap around his neck, "but I'm pretty sure I can speak for everyone when I say, we don't want to lose you, Stiles. Especially me and Scott." She gazed into the whiskey eyes she adored so much and teased, "We've both agreed it takes too long to break in a new best friend."

Stiles stifled a laugh, but leaned closer so their noses bumped against each other. "Is that right?"

"Mhm."

Stiles closed his eyes, wanting to finally kiss her. Their lips brushed, barely touching before Sierra abruptly pulled away.

"You know what? I think we should find Mal," she stated randomly, stepping back. "She's probably missing us."

Stiles's jaw dropped open at her sudden stunt, noticing the playful glint in her eye. A smirk evident on her mouth, Sierra turned away from him and daringly moved off the veranda. Despite the rain pouring, Stiles quickly copied her movements. A squeal escaped Sierra as he hugged her from behind.

A giant grin brightening up his face, Stiles laughed and lifted her up off the ground. Twirling, they both embraced the feeling of their clothes sticking to their skin. When he finally let her feet touch the grass, Stiles spun her around in his arms to face him before happily connecting their lips together.

Neither minded the cold raindrops, or the rumbling of thunder.

They focused on each other, Stiles letting his body lean back against the post they stood next to before. He kept one hand behind her pierced ear, his thumb brushing her cheek, while the other held onto her waist.

Love flooded Sierra's senses, her abilities naturally connecting to Stiles as he held onto her. However, before the beautiful memories could flicker through her mind and make her light up like she always did when kissing Stiles, she stopped.

Her smile faded while her ears perked, her body falling rigid in alarm.

Stiles immediately noticed, tilting his head back to look at her worriedly. "String bean?"

"Someone's coming," she answered, her face hardening. "Someone fast."

Before Stiles fully comprehended her statement, Sierra whirled around. Pressing her palm firmly against the intruder's chest, she slammed them down onto the concrete. Stiles jumped back, clearly startled as he exclaimed, "Oh my God!"

"Liam?" Sierra's eyes widened from seeing the sophomore panting underneath her grip. She quickly retracted her hand. "What the hell, little bro?"

"Seriously, dude," Stiles huffed, resting his hands on his hips. "We were kind of in the middle of something."

Sierra rolled her eyes at Stiles's words before she took in Liam's appearance. Obviously soaked from running in the rain, Liam looked beyond worried. His pupils were dilated and his breaths came out in small pants.

She didn't like the feeling that ran up her spine. "Liam?"

"Scott's in trouble."

*^*^*^*^*

"You fall in love more than once. It will happen again. And it'll be just as amazing and as extraordinary as the first time."

When Scott first heard those words from his mother, to be completely truthful, he didn't believe them. And how could he? His first love was ripped away from him before he could blink. He remembered the way she felt in his arms, hearing her heart beat slowly fading away. Allison's death destroyed Scott--after all, she was supposed to be in his life forever, even if just as a friend. And he never pictured himself with anyone else.

But then, he met Kira. A shy, adorably awkward girl who could also kick anyone's ass if she wanted to. Scott never expected to fall in love with her, yet there he was sheltered from the rain completely smitten as Kira stood in front of him.

His back pressed against the cement wall as she kissed him, her hand gently brushing into his damp hair. His fingers slipped under her shirt and his arms wrapped around her waist to bring her closer.

Scott knew Kira wasn't Allison, but he didn't want her to be. The former huntress would always hold a place in his heart, and Scott realized now that she had been placed in his life for a reason. Allison taught him how to love. She taught him trust meant everything and communication was key. Without Allison, Scott would've never been able to date Kira. He learned from his past mistakes, enabling him to treat Kira like a queen. It's what she deserved.

Reuniting after all summer, Scott knew in his heart he made the right decision. Her lips felt electric against his and he quickly forgot how he was supposed to be meeting his best friends inside the school. He just wanted to show Kira how much he missed her while she was in New York.

Yet when a low growl entered his ears, Scott realized his plans were about to change. The couple froze, Kira pulling away from him with concern etched across her face. Scott turned his head towards the sound, immediately becoming alert from the sudden presence of a huge, burly werewolf he didn't recognize.

He charged before either could fully comprehend the situation, his eyes gleaming cobalt blue and his claws razor sharp.

With one swipe, his fist collided with Scott's chest. The harsh impact made Scott collapse while Kira quickly undid her belt. In a swift movement it latched into her silver katana, the pieces binding together. But the man didn't even react, easily blocking her swings and knocking her to the ground through the back.

He snarled from seeing the two teenagers fallen, barring his fangs from the adrenaline flowing through his veins. "True Alpha?!" he barked in disbelief as Scott scrambled back to his feet. "Where's your power, Scott?"

Scott allowed his eyes to flicker red and his claws to sprout from his fingertips. "Who are you?" he demanded, getting a better glimpse of the man from him stepping into the low light.

He looked deranged, his skin both deathly pale and sickly grey with black veins etched around his neck. "A devoted fan," he called himself, circling Scott. "Where's the girl who took down Deucalion? Or the man who broke the Argents? I came for both of you." His eyes glanced over Kira in disgust. "That doesn't look like Sierra."

Scott didn't reply, the sheer shock of the werewolf knowing about him and Sierra evident on his face. After all, if he knew about he duo, who else did? And did this mean more people were going to come after them, like when the deadpool was running?

However, Scott quickly snapped out of his trance as the man then screamed, holding out his arms to reveal just how long and deadly his claws were. "Come on!"

Scott shot back up on his feet and roared, the sound echoing throughout the small, open tunnel. He dragged his claws against the man's chest before spinning abruptly, sending a swift kick to the jaw. The man cried out at the snap of the bone, stumbling only for a moment.

He wasn't ready to surrender in the fight against a True Alpha.

He dodged the punch swung his way, catching Scott's leg mid-kick before it could bruise his ribs. His other hand shot out, latching around Scott's throat and digging into his skin. Yet he wasn't done there.

Shoving Scott backwards, the man slammed him back against the wall and let him crumble to his knees.

Seeing this, Kira let out a warrior cry and strongly stabbed her katana towards him. However, it was a if he could anticipate her strikes and blocked every single swing. He caught her forearm with his talons, and immediately jabbed his elbow into her cheek to send her back to the cement.

With a fierce snarl, he then turned back to Scott. "And I didn't come just to claim your status," he spit, lifting up his hands.

Bewildered, Scott looked up at him wide eyes--unable to believe the sight before him. As if a switch had been flicked, the man's claws glowed transparently blue. No fighter, not Deucalion nor any other werewolf that Scott had ever met, could make their talons spark like the man did.

He smirked, leaving Scott to scramble in attempt to create more distance. Fortunately, just before the man could release a deadly swing to the senior, a figure appeared from the shadows.

Scott didn't recognize this new werewolf either as he dropped to the cement with golden eyes narrowed towards the burly attacker. Scott barely caught a glimpse of his brown hair before he sprinted forward. However, the bigger man's sinister grin grew, slithering across his face.

The younger werewolf jumped towards the cement wall, propelling himself off of it with his foot to lunge towards the Hulk. His claws, though not as long as the older man's, still managed to drag alongside his chest. The man cried out, all the while Scott and Kira looked on the fight with confusion.

Then luck seemed to turn against the teenager as the gigantic man shoved him roughly into a large puddle. Water flew everywhere, the wind completely knocked from the new kid. This allowed the man to once again look back at Scott, now that the other pest looked to be taken care of.

Scott, even though he was back on his feet, narrowly missed all the attacks, having no other option but to fight defensively. Before he could even blink, once more the man grabbed hold of his neck. Scott struggled to break free, choking in the man's grip.

The long talons glowed iridescent once more and Scott only screamed as they harshly pierced his flesh. His whole body fell limp, the man growling in delight from the sudden power surging through the claws. The life seemed to be draining from Scott's eyes, the leering red flickering back to the normal brown.

Now on his knees, Scott groaned--unable to defend himself. Despite his slight vision, he was able to see Sierra sprinting towards him, Stiles and Liam right on her heels. Liam instantly transformed from seeing Scott weakened, the unknown teenager and Kira also raising back to their feet.

Sierra knew she couldn't send a blast towards the massive attacker, as Scott would only be more injured in the blow. But she couldn't just stand there and watch her best friend die in front of her.

She closed her eyes and twitched her fingers together, focusing on manipulating the energy in the air. And since the man seemed to focus on the fallen True Alpha, he didn't notice the red tendrils swaying through the air and into Scott. Offering him a small boost of strength, Sierra let her best friend prevail like he always did.

Scott felt the electricity ignite his powers, and the added force from having his pack back him up. Them being there--especially Sierra-- made him stronger.

His hand suddenly latched around the man's arm that was digging into his torso. His seering eyes narrowed red again and another growl escaped his lips as he defiantly raised back to his feet. Scott snapped the man's wrist, causing him to collapse instantly from the shattering pain.

And then Scott ripped the talons from the man's hand, the claws clattering to the cement. The man looked up at Scott in fear, the agonizing pain worsened. His face only became more strained when he finally realized Sierra had arrived by Scott's side.

Scott stood tall, and beyond angry at the man who attacked him and Kira. "I don't know who you are or what you thought you were gonna do, but I'll give you a choice," Scott declared, his voice sharp. "You can stay, and we'll break something else...or you can run."

Sierra stepped up next to him, matching his stern expression as she folded her arms over her chest. Stiles spoke up in the moment of silence, knowing the rage his best friends could bring if the attacker made a wrong move. "I'd run."

Then with a simple growl under his breath, the man disappeared into the heavy rain--still cradling his damaged hand.

Watching him leave, Sierra turned her concern to her best friend. "Scott, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Scott assured her with a small smile. He rested his hand over the one she had placed on his shoulder and added, "Especially because you all came when you did."

Sierra went to reply, but cut herself off from finally noticing the other stranger. "Um, who is that?"

Scott followed her gaze, Stiles now moving closer to Sierra's side as they all turned towards the boy. Now back in human form, he seemed quite handsome with a strong jaw and hazel-blue eyes.

Wearing a simple dark jacket and jeans, he stepped forward into the light. Sierra found something familiar in his tiny grin as he let out a soft chuckle.

"You guys don't remember me, do you?" he asked them, the trio only exchanging confused glances until he continued, resting his hands in his pockets. "I guess I look a little different since the fourth grade."

Those words clicked instantly for Scott, and a name tumbled from his lips.

"Theo?"