"I'm the one from the dust, growing up in a little town

Livin' life in a flood, everybody trying not to drown

You and I been up all night, so I faded, not gonna lie

Waking up The Wolf inside, tearing at me like a samurai"

The Jungle by Zayde Wølf

Not everyone grows up the same. Some grow up human and completely ignorant of anything else that could possibly exist. Some humans know about other things. Some grow up as other things. Some of the other things are born while some are turned. Some of the other things are barely even known about to other things. Some have to guess as to what the other things are. The ones who have to guess are the ones whose lives suck. But there is nothing wrong with a little guessing game. At least most of the time.

The other things include were-creatures, banshees, wendigos, kanimas, vampires, druids, kitsune, oni, sirens, succubi, incubi, ravenmockers, fae, djinn, balams, skinwalkers, and much, much more. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, knowing they're all out there. Knowing what makes them all tick brings everything down to a deeper level in hell.

To bring everything even further down, they're all living among everyone else playing games with each other and humans. Such games include 'How close can we get to exposing our secret without exposing our secret?' and 'How many humans can we kill in a month?'. It's like a game of Assassin or Mafia gone wrong.

The town of Beacon Hills had a meager population of roughly 30,000. It wasn't terribly small but smaller than many others. It could almost be considered a town in which everyone knows or has heard of everyone. The keyword is almost. Everyone had heard of such families like the Hale's and the Stilinski's. The latter because John Stilinski was the Sheriff and the former because they're a large, affluential family. But other popular families included the Whittemore's and the Martin's: the wealthy ones that got around.

The last families were sometimes considered the lucky ones, the ones who weren't prominent and weren't always watched. They would include the Lahey's, the McCall's, and my family, the Todd's. I found it a miracle that my family wasn't well known in Beacon Hills, especially since we were friends with the Hale's. Other than that, we made it a point to stay out of other people's business as much as possible.

As far as I could tell, we had always been friends with the Hale family. I didn't fully understand why, but we were until they perished in a fire years ago. The Hale family was also a well-known werewolf pack, not simply known in Beacon Hills. My mom, brother, and I, on the other hand, were kitsune, also known as fox-spirits. That's the reason I never understood since wolves and foxes do not get along. I had always been under the impression that our families were friends simply because we are supernatural creatures and should stick together.

I'd known about me being a kitsune ever since I learned what a kitsune was, and the same went for the Hale's being werewolves. They even signed me up for mixed martial arts classes and gymnastics when I was a kid. Same with my brother. I loved it, but it still seemed a little over-the-top for a child. I didn't know the Hale's incredibly well though since most of them died when I was about ten. My parents had made it a point for me to be knowledgeable on the supernatural matters, but it stopped when the Hale's died, along with my big brother, Riichi, who had just turned eleven a few days beforehand.

I didn't come into my powers until I was fourteen. I earned my first tail at sixteen when I unlocked my healing capabilities after being attacked by a werewolf. It was excruciatingly painful, but I persevered. Not to mention, I believe that werewolf was Peter Hale since I heard rumors in the supernatural community that it was him as the alpha werewolf terrorizing Beacon Hills. I don't know with absolute surety though because my parents don't tell me everything. In fact, they tended not to tell me anything even in the present, in which case I spent most of my time eavesdropping, which is difficult to do when kitsune aren't blessed with super hearing like other creatures.

I knew I probably should have helped in the fight against Peter Hale, like finding and aiding his nephew, Derek Hale, when I heard about him being in town or talking to Scott McCall since he and his buddy Stiles Stilinski had been at the forefront of the strange occurrences. I guess I've just been biding my time and enjoying the semi-normal life I have; although, I knew it would never truly be normal.

The past few weeks have been hectic. And just that morning I found out that Lydia Martin was missing after being in the hospital for a few days. Apparently, she ran into the woods after screaming, and she's completely naked. She would have one hell of a time when she made it back to school.

That wasn't the only crazy thing; I hadn't heard from my friend Isaac all weekend.

I didn't see Isaac until Chemistry. The moment I saw the adorable, tall brunet in his usual spot, I rushed over to him and sat down. "Where have you been?" I asked urgently, not bothering to hide my concern. "I haven't heard from you since Friday. I figured you wouldn't go to the dance, but a text or something would've been nice."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Isaac replied in a slightly quiet voice while making himself look smaller.

I frowned at his behavior. Sure, he's usually quiet, but his placated demeanor was normally lessened with me. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked him, concerned. He didn't say anything. That could only mean one thing: his father, again. "Look at me."

Isaac slowly turned his head toward me. Then I noticed the black eye. "Oh, Izzy," I muttered, placing a hand on his arm and gently rubbing it. "What happened?"

He shook his head and looked forward again, letting me keep my hand on his forearm. "It's nothing," he said. We both knew it wasn't nothing, but instead of replying, I let it go, knowing he wasn't going to say anything about it no matter what I did.

I changed the subject. "How was lacrosse this morning?"

Isaac shrugged. "Same as always." There was something definitely up. Regarding his dad, I could completely understand, but there was something else. With the issue being only his dad, Isaac would try and move on, not stick to nonchalant one-liners.

"We both know you're bullshitting me," I told him, my voice and face deadpan.

He sighed and gave me his usual puppy-dog eyes: his standard move to get me to listen to him. "I'm just really tired. There was a grave robbery last night, so the police were asking questions this morning. There isn't anything to worry about." The bell then rang as the last students trickled in.

"All right, I'm holding you to that, Apollo. Do you want help covering the black eye?" I asked quietly. He nodded, trying not to smile at the nickname, and Mr. Harris then began handing out the pop quiz. If only Stiles could shut up for one quiz, but that seemed to be too much to ask.

At lunch, when no one was in the hall, I covered Isaac's eye with a little concealer. It helped to have a similar skin tone. That was as far as our physical similarities went as he looked like he was chiseled from marble, aside from the black eye. I was as gentle as I could be with the bruised skin. If only I could kiss it and make it go away, but I stuck with covering it. When done, the coverup was by no means perfect but at least far less noticeable. "Thanks," he muttered with a small smile when I was done.

"No problem." I returned the smile which made him brighten up a little more. I laced my arm around his and began pulling him down the hall towards the cafeteria. "Now, come on, let's go get some lunch. I'm starving and I know sure as hell you are, too."

For the rest of the day, Isaac was quiet, almost too quiet. I didn't know why, and I didn't want to pry. When Isaac got pushed too far, he shut everyone out, and I didn't want that to happen. I stayed with him silently, letting him know discreetly that I'm there for him. He spaced out often and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Every time I looked at him, his head would tilt to the sides a little. It was like he was contemplating something. Whatever it was, I hoped he figured it out soon because I wanted it to go back to normal. Or at least as normal as it could be where Isaac was concerned.

After school, I walked with Isaac out of the building. "Remember, if you need anything, if you want to talk about anything, I'm here," I told him as we stopped next to my car.

"I know," Isaac replied as he nodded. "And thank you."

"Anything. I mean it. I don't care if it's two in the morning." I placed a quick kiss on his cheek and climbed into the driver's seat, ready to go home.

The next day, Isaac seemed better, perfectly fine, even. His black eye seemed to have healed. He was no longer jumpy and was more relaxed than usual. I didn't want to disrupt that, so I didn't mention it. Isaac was more talkative than he had been in a long time which was fine by me since I was actually able to hear him say more than two sentences in one go of a conversation. He seemed better, cheery, maybe even excited. Less like a kicked puppy and more like one that just got a treat.

But sometimes throughout the day, when neither of us was talking, when we were sitting silently together eating or in class, I noticed him spacing out. I watched him gaze out the window or tilt his head while staring off into space. It was strange and became more common as the day passed by slowly, especially him randomly snapping his head in certain directions like he heard something. But I never asked about it. He seemed happier. And a happy Isaac is significantly better than any other Isaac.

At the end of the school day, Isaac went to lacrosse practice, and I went home, tired and alone, not wanting to do anything but sleep. The moment I shut the door to my room, I knew something was off. I could feel the tension in the air. The temperature was a few degrees warmer; someone was in the room with me. I slowly pulled a dai-kunai out of my bag, tossed my bag onto the ground next to my desk, and pulled off my beanie, acting at least semi-normally.

"You know, when I was asked to find you, I didn't think you'd be a kitsune," a deep voice said. I felt the air shift behind me and I moved, grabbing the figure and pinning them to the wall, my knife at their throat, the sharp point against the artery.

The man was incredibly handsome, with a chiseled jaw, dark styled hair, leather jacket, and stubble: the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. "Who are you?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Awe, I'm hurt that you don't remember me, Sparky," the man replied. I practically stopped breathing. I hadn't been called that in years. Not since my brother was alive.

"Derek?" I whispered incredulously as I backed away, letting him go.

"Yeah, it's been a while, little fox." He leaned on the wall with a relaxed smirk, not phased by having just had a knife at his throat. "Not so little anymore. I see you still like your red." Smothered emotions threatened to spill. My brother would've been the same age as Derek's little sister Cora, just a year older than me. Only Riichi and Derek had ever insisted on giving me nauseating nicknames.

"What are you doing here? In my room? Especially being all creepy-like?" I drabbled on, setting my knife on top of my computer.

Derek shrugged. "Being creepy is my specialty."

I chuckled a little, remembering everything I've heard about him since he's been back to town. "I've noticed. But seriously, what do you want?"

The older man tilted his head, his expression tinted with amusement. In some ways, he was the exact same person I remembered from before the fire, just older and even more handsome. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had a crush on him when we were younger. "Well, the other day, I offered the bite to someone," he explained. "It took him a little longer than some people take to answer the simple yes or no question. Then he said yes as long as I ask his best friend the same thing. I didn't realize it was the young kitsune I knew as a kid."

Now everything makes sense. I raised an eyebrow at him, a complete look of disdain. "So that's why Isaac was acting really weird? You offered him the chance to become a werewolf? And he said yes?"

"Yeah," Derek said nonchalantly as if it wasn't a big deal.

My shoulders drooped a little, and I leaned my head back. The last thing I wanted was for Isaac, sweet, innocent Isaac, to be dragged into the freak show that was the supernatural community. "Why?"

"Why not?" he countered with a shrug. I let out a frustrated sigh while rolling my eyes. Derek was just as difficult as he used to be. Why couldn't it be Cora standing in front of me? I thought to myself. She was cool. "Look on the bright side. You can finally tell him that you're a kitsune without being worried that he's going to think you're insane."

"And I can help you teach him control when you're not around?" I supplied, knowing that his "bright side" story wasn't fully everything.

"Well. . . " he trailed off, nodding his head to the side. "What do you say?"

"I'll help you." Albeit, reluctantly. I wasn't going to let Isaac go through the process alone. Derek grinned, showing off his perfectly polished teeth. He's pretty clean-cut for a man with nowhere to live. "How many are in your pack? Is Scott McCall?"

Derek ignored how she knew Scott was a werewolf. "Scott is being. . . difficult," he replied, tentatively. "So is Jackson, so concretely, just Isaac."

Jackson? No wonder why he was being stranger than usual lately. Predominantly, he had been cockier, if that was even possible. With two being difficult though, it wasn't a full pack. "You want more, don't you?"

Derek shrugged again. "Of course I do. What's a pack with only one beta? Unless you want to join?" He walked slowly closer to me but not close enough to invade my personal space. "I must say, it will be strange having a kitsune in a pack of werewolves but probably not unheard of in other parts of the world." Some parts of the world were weird. Like New York. New York always seemed to have something strange going on.

I shook my head. No matter how close Riichi and Cora had been, kitsune weren't typically social creatures outside of family units and the occasional small group of friends. "I'm not joining your pack, Derek. I'm sure the resident werewolf hunters of Beacon Hills won't care about the specifics if they find out about me. I work better alone. . . but I can do with some allies. I'll help you train Isaac and whatever other betas you ensnare."

"You make it sound like I'm forcing them," the werewolf pointed out. "It's a better process if they want it, just ask Scott." Derek grabbed my desk chair and sat down, facing me after picking up one of the picture frames from the desk. "Do you know of anyone who might say yes?"

I thought about it, not really sure if I wanted to drag any poor innocents into the supernatural mess, but I'd never really thought of the bite as anything other than a fairly good thing. Enhanced reflexes, super senses, healing capabilities unparalleled by most other creatures. All you had to do was obey natural laws and not kill anyone, and most hunters would leave you alone. Unless they were psychopathic like Kate Argent. Turning my gaze back to him, I spoke, a clear picture in mind of a good candidate. "Well, there is this one girl I know, but you might want to wait until after the full moon tomorrow."

"Brilliant." Derek waved the picture around with a grin. "You two are cute. You know, he wouldn't shut up about you."

I went back to glaring at him as I ripped the frame from his grasp and held it against my stomach. "Get out before I change my mind."

"I still need the name."

"Erica Reyes."

With that, Derek left the same way he came in, through the window. I slumped down in my desk chair and leaned my elbows on the desk as I held the picture frame up to look at the photo it held. It depicted Isaac and me on his last birthday when I first realized I had a small crush on him. He sat on my living room couch while I stood behind it with my arms wrapped around him. We were both grinning from ear to ear. Not really so small of a crush.

Maybe him being a werewolf wouldn't be too bad? He'd finally be free from his father's tyranny, just like I always wanted for him. It'd be nice to see a spark in his eyes.

When I got up after the night of talking to Derek freaking Hale, the first thing I wanted to do was talk to Isaac, but I knew that wasn't going to happen until lunchtime because of morning lacrosse practice, and I don't want to bring up anything about the supernatural in between passing periods or during class. That was until I heard that Isaac had been arrested at practice for supposedly murdering his father.

I got called down to the principal's office and was told to wait outside while Jackson sat in there talking to the police. Nothing huge was happening, just me internally freaking out over Isaac's safety and the fact that Isaac wouldn't hurt a fly because he was too scared of the repercussions. I had my phone out, and I played Solitaire to try and calm my nerves, but in hindsight, I should have realized that playing a frustrating card game wouldn't help in the slightest. Picking at my beanie seemed to help more.

Then Tweedledee and Tweedledum had to sit next to me. Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall. Tweedledum being Scott considering I tutored him in freshman year. The only thing that made me feel better was that they didn't seem to be happy about having me sitting next to them. You could practically smell the frustration and nervousness stemming from both of them. With another person clearly able to hear them, they couldn't conspire or talk too openly, not like it seemed to stop them before. I had heard plenty of their conversations in passing.

It would have been silent between us three, but Stilinski's leg didn't want to sit still.

"Stiles." My harsh tone made both him and Scott snap their heads towards me. I kept my gaze focused on my phone screen. "If you don't stop your leg from bouncing, I will break it." The sound of tapping slowly came to a stop as Stiles realized I wasn't kidding or at least didn't want to test whether or not I would follow through with my threat. I wasn't in the mood for anything except knowing what Jackson was telling the Sheriff.

Scott is the only one who can tell me what is being said, I thought dismally. Kitsune didn't have super hearing like werewolves. Well, that I knew of. My mom hadn't gotten the power, and she had never mentioned it. I sighed in defeat and looked up at the two cute doofuses next to me. "Scott, don't ask anything right now, just tell me what Jackson is saying," I demanded. It took Scott a second to process what I said before he turned his head towards the window behind us.

"Jackson knew Isaac was being beaten by his dad and didn't tell anyone," Scott relayed.

"How do you-" Stiles began, but I cut him off with a sharp glare.

A moment later, out swaggered Jackson followed by the Sheriff. Stiles freaked out and opened a magazine to cover his face while his father just stared at him before saying, "Hi, Scott." I knew then who Stiles had gotten his sarcasm from. Scott nodded in recognition, and Stilinski turned his attention to me. "Miss Todd?"

I nodded and stood, walking behind him into the principal's office. Time to get this over with. I sat down in a chair and looked up at the officer. "You are Isaac's girlfriend, correct?" Mr. Stilinski started.

"What, no, we're just friends," I replied quickly. One of his only friends, I thought. Although, I wouldn't have minded the other title.

"Right, sorry. Were you aware that Isaac's father was abusing him?" the Sheriff asked. Nodding hesitantly, I wanted to punch myself. The deep-seated feeling of guilt that I hid away whenever I noticed an injury on Isaac surfaced. "And you didn't tell anyone?"

I took a deep breath before speaking, not meeting his gaze. "He always told me to stay out of it. When I would bring up any bruise or cut I saw, he would shut me out or tell me nothing happened. It took me a while to realize it was because of his dad. Isaac was always scared of saying anything about it, so I just provided him comfort and support if he needed it. I also had no proof. Isaac would've denied it and said the bruises were from lacrosse, had I told anyone. And I'm sure you'd met Mr. Lahey. He was great at lying."

I heard the Sheriff sigh and watched his feet walk closer to me. Stilinski squatted down in front of me, making me look at him. His gaze was comforting and full of patience, like a father's should be. "Can you tell me about Isaac?" he asked.

"Isaac is quiet and shy, practically scared of his own shadow ever since his brother died. He's pretty stubborn but level-headed and caring. He tried his hardest to stay out of trouble and make his dad proud. He couldn't hurt anyone. It didn't matter what Mr. Lahey had done to him. Isaac never spoke any ill about his dad, no matter what happened. Sheriff, do you really think that sounds like someone who would kill his own father?" Even as a newly transformed werewolf.

The Sheriff obviously didn't want to answer my question, but he did. "I don't know. No one really knows what someone is capable of doing unless it actually happens." That thought didn't sit well with me. I know Isaac wouldn't kill his father. Too many years of psychological conditioning brought that about. But someone or something obviously did. "I promise we're going through with a whole investigation, and hopefully, it'll all be cleared up soon."

"Can he have visitors?" I asked, wringing my hands.

Mr. Stilinski shook his head and offered a small, reassuring smile. "No, I'm sorry. He's a minor, so only family can see him." Except he had no more family.

Later that night, I sat in my room doing my homework, listening to my mom clean downstairs. I could barely focus on my work with the thought of Isaac sitting alone in a cold jail cell all night winding through my mind, let alone my mom being a neat freak. Isaac deserved better than being alone. He deserved the world. I wished I could give it to him.

Then I heard a car pull up outside. Usually hearing a car wouldn't pique my interest, but I could tell that it was right outside my house. As I stood to see who it was, I noticed someone climb onto my roof. When the figure lifted his head, I recognized him as Derek. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I immediately hurried over to my window and opened it. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Get dressed, you're coming with me," Derek stated with no emotion.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why? Where are you taking me?"

"You're helping me bust Isaac out of jail," the alpha werewolf explained. "Or did the little part about him being a newly transformed werewolf and tonight being the full moon slip your mind?"

My eyes opened wide. The moon! I had forgotten about the moon. I was so focused on him being in jail without anyone to help him through it. "Oh, shit, right." Derek didn't say anything, but he looked at me like I was an idiot. "I'll be down in a minute." He nodded, and I waited until he was off my roof to change out of my pajamas.

Once I slipped on my beanie and shoes from my closet and put my twin dai-kunai in my jacket pockets, I slipped quietly out of my window and jumped off of my roof. The vehicle Derek had arrived in wasn't the car I had expected to see. Stiles Stilinski sat in the driver's seat of his jeep, drumming his hands on the steering wheel as I ran over to Derek leaning on the passenger door.

"You're with Stiles?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. Derek growled in annoyance as he opened the door. Stiles looked apprehensive at the sight of me as I climbed into the back of his jeep. Derek got into the car and shut the door.

"Why'd you want me to get her?" Stiles asked.

"Drive," Derek commanded with no explanation.

Stiles abided Derek's order, but that didn't stop him from talking. "Seriously though, what's she have to do with any of this?"

"You do realize that I'm sitting behind you, right?" I pointed out, leaning forward.

The human scoffed and said, "Oh, I'm well aware, thank you. But considering I know very little about you or how you fit into any of this and you threatened me earlier today, I think I trust Derek more, which is saying something. So Derek, care for an explanation?"

"She's a friend," Derek stated simply.

"Of Isaac's, I know-" Stiles was cut off.

"Of mine." Those two simple words got Stiles to shut up faster than chloroform works in Hollywood movies. The face Stiles was making was priceless as he continued driving. It was like he couldn't fathom the thought of Derek having a friend. Not like we really were actual friends anyway. Stiles glanced at me through the rearview mirror with an incredulous look on his face multiple times as he drove us to the police station.

No other words were said as Stiles pulled over in front of the building. It took Stiles a second to say anything. "Okay, the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office. The problem is getting passed the front desk."

"I'll distract her," Derek told us and went to open the door when Stiles freaked out.

"Woah, woah, woah," Stiles repeated as he grabbed Derek's arm. "You? You're not going in there." Derek looked from Stiles to the hand on his shoulder with a look that told Stiles to take it away. Stiles quickly removed his hand lest Derek kills him. "I'm taking my hand off."

"I was exonerated," Derek told him.

"You're still a person of interest."

"An innocent person."

"An-you? Yeah, right!" Stiles exclaimed before he got serious or at least semi-serious. "Okay, fine. What's your plan?"

"To distract her," Derek said like Stiles was a five-year-old, which honestly wasn't that hard to imagine.

Stiles didn't buy into it. "Uh, huh. How? By punching her in the face?" Stiles asked with a little sound effect at the end.

Derek mock laughed. "By talking to her."

"Okay, give me a sample. What are you going to open with?" Derek didn't reply, instead choosing to stare at the son of the sheriff. "Dead silence. That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?"

Derek cocked his head, pretending to think before he looked back at Stiles. "Thinking about punching you in the face."

Stiles never looked so offended. "As much as I love this banter," I cut in, leaning fully forward from the back to get their attention, "we need to get this show on the road. Isaac can wolf out at any moment if he hasn't already, and we need to hurry and get him out. Also, Stiles, Derek is something called 'incredibly attractive.' You should try it sometime."

"Sara, go with Stiles to find Isaac," Derek told me, not letting Stiles retaliate. "I'll find you once I'm away from the guard." Then we all got out of the jeep, though I could tell Stiles didn't like the plan. We walked inside and Derek sauntered slowly towards the front desk, looking kind of like a lost puppy while Stiles and I watched.

The female officer walked out of the backroom, not looking at Derek as she spoke. "Good evening, how can I help you?" she asked. Her voice trailed off once she looked up at the beautiful wonder that is Derek Hale.

Derek flashed his perfect smile. "Hi," Derek said.

"Hi," she replied, completely lost for words. Stiles looked sickened at the encounter which brought a satisfied smirk to my face.

"Uh, I had a question," Derek continued. "Uh, sorry, I'm a little thrown. I wasn't expecting someone. . ."

"Like me?" the officer supplied as Stiles and I slowly walked forward and passed the desk.

"Well, I was gonna say 'someone incredibly beautiful', but yeah, I guess that'd be the same thing." I followed Stiles to his father's office. We didn't pass any officers on the way there, thankfully, but we did, however, run into a problem while in the office. As Stiles put in the code for the lockbox, he pulled off the door of the compartment, it basically falling off, and there was nothing in it.

"Hunters," I muttered, realizing they're already here and going for Isaac. That wasn't good.

"Come on," Stiles said, grabbing my forearm while turning around.

"Don't touch me."

"Sorry." He dropped his hand as if I had burned him. Stiles and I left the room and hurried down the hall towards the cells.

Once we went around a corner, we spotted a deputy and Stiles began stuttering, but I was staring at the broken arrow shaft in his leg. Stiles noticed it, too, and started to back away, when the hunter grabbed him, covering his mouth and holding a needle filled with a dark liquid threateningly by his neck. Wolfsbane. While incredibly deadly to werewolves, it wasn't a picnic for humans either.

I stood there, stunned as the hunter made eye contact with me. I didn't know what to do, so I followed the hunter as he dragged a struggling Stiles down the hall. I spotted a fire alarm on the wall and pulled it as I passed by it. The alarm blared and caused the hunter to quicken his pace to the cell area and drop Stiles on the floor to ready the needle, but it was too late. I noticed the broken cell door and so did the other two.

A wolfed-out Isaac came out of nowhere and attacked the hunter, causing Stiles and I to back away quickly. Isaac tossed the hunter against the wall, and the man went to stab him with the needle, but Isaac grabbed his arm, began twisting it, and growled. The hunter dropped the needle, and Isaac slammed the hunter's head against the wall. I hoped the hunter hadn't died from the hit, but it didn't seem likely.

Derek walked in and stomped his foot on the needle, breaking the glass that was keeping the poison contained. Isaac looked at the alpha and then turned to Stiles who was cowering away. Oh, no, I've never been in an actual fight, I thought, my hands moving subconsciously towards my kunai, I don't want to attack him. But thankfully I didn't have to. The moment Isaac took a step in Stiles's direction, Derek growled at him, making Isaac whimper and back away, dropping to the ground and hiding behind his arm.

When Isaac lifted his head, his wolf features were gone. Derek had forced him to change back. I rushed over to Isaac, placing a hand on his upper back and rubbing it gently to help calm him. I ignored Derek and Stiles and watched as Isaac shook in fear and anger. "It's okay, Izzy, it's okay. Everything will be alright," I said quietly. Then I turned around to speak to Derek. "We need to get him out of here, Derek. This placated nature won't last very long."

Derek walked over and we lifted Isaac off the ground, each under one of his arms. "Wait, what about me and the hunter?" Stiles asked as Derek and I started leaving.

"Stay here," Derek told him, which undoubtedly didn't leave Stiles feeling too secure. We then carried Isaac out of the building, skillfully avoiding any cops.

"Where are we taking him?" I asked as we stepped into the darkness of an alley.

"I've been staying at the abandoned train station. He'll be safe there."

I stayed with Derek and Isaac all night. It was long and painful. Physically for Isaac and Derek, mentally for me. Derek made sure I was kept out of harm's way but still provided my familiar, calming voice for something that Isaac could try and focus on. Derek, on the other hand, was physically restraining Isaac at times, such as when chaining Isaac up to the bars in the train car. That sight wasn't good for my psyche.

The night lasted longer than I liked, filled with agonizing screams and angry growls. Around four in the morning, Isaac passed out, probably from exerting too much energy. Derek stood over me after the silence began and said, "You should get some sleep." He held out a blanket.

I took it with a grateful smile. "Thank you," I said quietly, wrapping the cloth around me.

"It's no problem," Derek replied. "I should be thanking you. It could've been worse, but you calmed him, even if it didn't seem like much. It's a better start than some have on their first full moon. Although I suggest you go home, I know that's not going to happen."

I held the blanket tight around me, getting what little comfort I could from it. "Not until I know for sure that Isaac is alright."

"He's fine, and if he knew how tired you look, he'd be beating himself up about it. Get some sleep." Derek walked out of the cart. I cast a solemn look at Isaac's sleeping figure and curled up into a ball with the blanket wrapped tightly around me. My eyes fluttered closed as I let the exhaustion take over.

When I woke up, everything was quiet. I would say eerily quiet, but that's because I was in an abandoned building. I sat up and stretched, cracking my knuckles and sore neck and shoulders. "Hey, sleeping beauty," I heard a familiar voice say. I snap my head towards the source and see Isaac standing down the aisle of the cart.

I broke into a smile at the sight of the tall brunet. "Izzy!" I exclaimed, and I stood and rushed over to him, attacking him with a hug. His arms wrapped around me hesitantly. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What are you doing here? You should be at school, having a normal life or something." Same old Isaac, always worried about what other people would think.

We pulled out of the hug. "I think that ship sailed a while ago, and I wanted to make sure you were all right," I explained as I fixed my beanie and jacket.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had hurt you." The sad look in Isaac's blue eyes made my heart ache.

A small smile sprung onto my face. "I'm fine, and Derek wouldn't have let that happen anyway."

"Uh, speaking of Derek, when I woke up, he said that you have something to talk to me about." That statement made my heart figuratively stop. Seriously, Derek? I thought. Way to throw me under the bus. I was going to put off the talk for as long as I could. "What did he mean by that? Did you say yes to the bite?" Isaac looked excited at the idea.

I cleared my throat, feeling completely uncomfortable with this situation. "Not. . . exactly," I trailed off.

His eyebrows furrowed and his nose scrunched up. He would never not be cute when confused. "What do you mean, 'not exactly?'"

Burn in Hell, Derek. "Well, even if I wanted to accept the offer of the werewolf bite, I can't." Isaac just looked even more confused. "Can you shift just your eyes?"

"I haven't exactly tried. I've only been a werewolf for so long." Isaac awkwardly chuckled.

Right. I scratch the back of my neck. "Of course. Close your eyes. Um, focus on just your eyes, try to make them change." Isaac closed his eyes at my words, probably questioning why it was supposed to help, but still taking the time since I was trying to teach him something. "Imagine them changing from blue to yellow. It shouldn't take much willpower, but still, make sure your heart rate stays level. It's okay if you don't get it on the first try, but this is the only way I can fully explain why I can't accept the bite."

When Isaac opened his eyes, they were yellow but flickered back to his beautiful blue. Before he said anything, I spoke up. "It's alright that they didn't stay. It'll take a little bit to fully learn how to control any aspect of shifting."

"I saw it," Isaac said quietly. "I saw what you were trying to show me." He raised his hands and gestured to my general body as a whole. "The-the aura, or whatever it's called, around you. I didn't get a good look at it, but I saw it. What is it?"

I sighed and looked down, kicking the ground lightly, part me hoping he didn't see it. "It's my spirit. I'm a kitsune. I haven't learned to conceal my aura yet, but I will in time."

"What's a kitsune?"

"A fox-spirit, traditionally of Japanese origin. My mom is a kitsune, too. We're similar to werewolves with accelerated healing and enhanced speed and reflexes. We can change the color of our eyes like werewolves, but that's about as far as our shapeshifting abilities for a kitsune with human heritage or if in human form. Full kitsune are foxes that can shapeshift into humans once they reach a certain age."

"You've always been one?" That statement made me feel guilty about not telling him.

I ducked my head down, not wanting to look him in the eye. "Yeah. . . I always wanted to tell you, but it's not exactly something you can just come out and say without sounding certifiably insane."

Isaac reached out and placed his hand on my arm so I'd look up at him. "You don't have to explain yourself. I understand why you didn't tell me. It's just-learning that your best friend for years is already something other than human, especially one that you've never heard about, it's a little nerve-racking. Especially after the night I just had. It's like I just stepped into a damn comic book or something."

"That's completely understandable," I told him with a laugh. A werewolf's first shift was always the hardest, especially when they weren't born into the world.

"Does this mean that you're going to help Derek? With teaching me and finding others to bring into the pack?"

I smiled at him being openly curious with undertones of excitement. "I've already given him a name for his next recruit, and yes, I'm going to try my best to teach you and other new members of the pack. Or at least you."

"Well, I look forward to learning."

"Good. I have a quick question though. What's with the leather jacket? You auditioning for a stage production of Grease?"

Heyo! Welcome to my story! As stated in the description, it is multi-pairing because that is way more realistic for teenagers than getting with one person and staying with them forever, and I'm saying that as someone who married their high-school sweetheart. It's just not common. Anyway, I hope you like the story. Please review! I love getting feedback!

Oh, and btw, I have a Spotify playlist for this because at the beginning of each chapter there will be lyrics, so if anyone's interested look up "Playing With Fire" on Spotify. My username on there is nahtoyou with Boba Fett as my profile pic.