STILES OR THE NOGITSUNE...

That was the question swirling around in my mind like a broken record player.

Stop thinking about it, I told myself, just think about the plan. The plan, right. Where were we with that? Oh, yeah. We hadn't even started, I was too thrown by trying to decipher who was stood in front of me.

This was going to be much harder than I thought.

I heard the rattling of handcuffs beside me and I turned my head to see the Sheriff stood with them in his hands.

The plan...

Stiles' jittery movements were quintessentially him but it was so hard. I longed for it to be him but I knew deep down there was no logical way for it to be him. Why would the Nogitsune hand over the reigns to Stiles again when he'd fought to take over his mind and body?

It was like I said, I'd lost too much to rely on hope.

"You want to handcuff me?" He said, his voice quivering with anxiety.

The Sheriff left my side and he walked down the three steps into the loft, "If my son is still here, if there's still a part of him standing here in front of me, then he'll put these on willingly and he'll come with me, because he knows I'm here to protect him from himself and from others."

I followed him slowly, a few steps behind but still close. I had to be cautious. While the Nogitsune was powerful I still had the Sheriff to protect. I'd be damned if I let him hurt Stiles' father. If there was any way we managed to save Stiles and he found out he'd unknowingly hurt his dad ...

Like I said, I'd put myself in danger before I let the Sheriff get hurt.

"Alex, you know me." Stiles begged, "You trust me ... right?"

I looked at him hesitantly through my lashes. The way his voice shook tugged at my heart. It was almost as if he was forcing me to let my guard down and I had to remind myself of the strong possibility that this was all just a game ... another trick.

"I trust Stiles." I responded, shocked at how strong my voice remained, "And I know that Stiles would comply."

He gave me that look — the one that fucking tore me apart. It was the hurt that ripped through his eyes, the look that spoke louder than words. It was one that said, it hurts that you don't trust me, but slowly he lifted his hands to allow the Sheriff to cuff him.

I watched with baited breath the entire time. I didn't dare blink. My whole body was tense and I was on edge. I had visions of the Nogitsune grabbing the Sheriff and hurting him. I almost wanted to take the cuffs out of his hands and put them on Stiles myself.

When he dropped his head — his chin touching his chest — something edged me forwards. Maybe it was intuition but Stiles hiding his face? No, that wasn't something he would do.

I took a step towards the Sheriff, my hand itching to reach up and guide the Sheriff away — to take his hands off the cuffs.

The sound of them locking echoed so harshly throughout the loft.

Once they were firmly fixed in place he rose his head again. He'd only moved a millimetre but I knew ... I fucking knew it wasn't him and even though I'd told myself not to rely on hope there was a small part of me that was beyond heartbroken.

The way his brow arched upwards and he looked at us through his lashes forced chills to run down my spine. The last time I'd seen him, he'd twisted a sword buried deep within my stomach ... all for a little pain he so desperately wanted to take from me.

His face — void of any and all emotion — was one I would never forget. I was confident he would haunt my nightmares for a very long time. I hoped that if we ever saved Stiles I wouldn't look at him and think of the Nogitsune.

I held my arm out protectively over the Sheriff and together we took a step backwards.

"You're not my son." The Sheriff said.

He held our gaze and shook his head silently before he snapped the cuffs without even flinching.

It was a startling reminder of just how strong he was...

A series of footsteps echoed behind the Sheriff and I but neither of us looked back. Derek let slip a low, threatening, growl as he stood beside me but that's all it was ... a threat.

He looked at us — at me — almost comically. As if he was amused by us. I clenched my jaw tightly as fear quickly morphed into anger. I was once again reminded of my hatred for him. I wanted nothing more than to hurt him ... to kill him but knowing whatever I did to him, I did to Stiles was the only thing that deterred me. He constantly had something over us, he always one upped us.

Like we'd planned if this happened, Allison fired the taser gun at the Nogitsune from my far right. The sound of the electricity thrummed through the loft and as the wires launched towards him. I wasn't sure whether I was surprised by the fact that he caught the wires in his hand or whether I half expected it. The thousands of bolts of electricity were nothing to him as he pulled on the wires until he forced the device out of Allison's hands without batting an eyelid.

My breath lodged in my throat as I felt Derek tense beside me and as a growl reverberated through the loft I almost wanted to reach out and pull him back but I couldn't. Derek went next, swinging his arm towards Him but he caught it and twisted it behind Derek before forcing him forwards.

I flinched when the sound of Derek's head colliding with the metal table echoed through the loft. I edged forwards, desperate to call out his name but I forced myself to bite my tongue and watch as he tossed Derek through the air so effortlessly, his back slamming against one of the pillars.

He once again reminded us of how strong he truly was.

Derek's painful coughs echoed through the loft but the sound of a gun cocking overpowered it. The hairs on the back of my neck rose and I turned my head to see Chris aiming at Stiles with a stoic face.

The tension in the room shifted suddenly as the Nogitsune looked at Chris in surprise. Whatever he had expected, it clearly wasn't this.

The Sheriff rose his hand in surrender while looking at Chris, "Argent, listen to me me. Don't do this."

"Why not?" Chris responded, "I've done it before. Werewolves, berserkers ... I can easily add a nogitsune to the list."

The Sheriff evened the playing field by raising his own gun to Argent's head. Once again, I looked over to the Nogitsune to see him raise his brows in surprise, amusement written clearly on his face. He was enjoying this all too well.

"You're not going to shoot my son." The Sheriff said.

"You said it yourself, Sheriff. That's not your son." Chris responded.

"Stiles is still in there somewhere." I said harshly, glaring at Chris, "If we hurt him we hurt Stiles."

The Sheriff didn't turn back to me but he nodded in agreement with my words and he ordered firmly, "Put it down." Though when he didn't move a muscle he repeated, "Put it down."

"Dad, he's going to shoot me." There it was again — the raw emotion in his voice. It was chilling how easily he could shift from something so evil to ... to Stiles, "He's going to kill me, Dad."

I looked at him through hatred, "Shut up."

His pleading gaze met mine and I swear I saw tears, "Alex, please. You're not gonna let him shoot me are you?"

"Don't listen." Chris said simply.

A low growl escaped my lips. I could feel my anger starting to rise and everyone was contributing to it. Just seeing Chris with a gun pointed at Stiles' head was enough to send me into overdrive.

Chris Argent hadn't changed. He was still the heartless hunter I'd known since I had moved to San Francisco.

"Put it down." The Sheriff snapped. "Now! Do it!"

"Pull the trigger." He said.

"Listen to me you put the gun down now!" Sheriff shouted, "Put it down!"

"Shoot me."

"Put the gun down now!"

"Chris!" I yelled over Allison as she too called out for her dad, "Chris, put it down!"

"Shoot me!" The Nogitsune shouted.

"Put the gun down!"

"Shoot me!"

"Argent, you put it down!"

I closed my eyes as the strife turned into chaos. My mind was buzzing in an uncomfortable way as they continued to shout. Their voices reached a frequency no human could hear and it practically pierced my skull.

This was exactly what he wanted right from the start. This game wasn't about hurting anyone or playing a trick on us. It was about getting us to turn on one another, to create enough strife for him to feed off.

Chaos, pain and strife ... that was what he thrived off.

"Stop!" I yelled.

"Put it down! Put it down!"

"Stop it!"

Again, I was ignored. Everything I said fell upon deaf ears. Everyone was shouting but they weren't paying attention to what one another said.

The light suddenly shifted in the loft, the golden glow disappearing and morphing into darkness... the same darkness I'd grown to hate.

Our time was up.

I reached for the Sheriff's gun blindly and I pulled it out of his hands, raising it in the air and pulling the trigger twice.

Two bullets collided with the high rise ceiling above us and everyone turned to me, silence finally seeping into the loft.

"Stop." I said quieter this time, "We're giving him exactly what he wants. This is what he thrives off, chaos and strife."

"Not exactly." The Nogitsune said, "I was kind of hoping Scott would be here but I'm glad you all have your guns out... because you're not here to kill me." He turned his back to me — to us all — and he faced the large window and we watched as the Oni appeared through the glass, morphing from the shadows into human form with their swords raised and ready to fight.

"You're here to protect me." The Nogitsune said, stepping back through us all to take refuge.

I handed the Sheriff his gun back while looking at the Nogitsune, "That sounds about right." I snapped, "You're stronger than any of us but you get us to do your dirty work for you."

He met my gaze and his lip curved upwards into a sadistic grin, "Think of it as you protecting Stiles." He said to me, "Because god knows he'll need all the protection he can get once he finds out about you and a certain werewolf twin."

"You shut your mouth right now." I snapped, feeling my claws elongate from my nail beds. Nothing had happened between Aiden and I, nothing that Stiles didn't already know.

He grinned at me, his eyes glimmering in a sadistic nature. He knew he'd pushed my buttons and I hated him for doing so. He grabbed my shoulders roughly and turned me to face the Oni, "Don't use your anger on me." He said quietly in my ear, his breath tickling my neck, "Use it against them."

He pushed me forwards — towards the army of five and I clenched my jaw while feeling my body shift. Immediately, Chris and Derek began firing at the Oni, their weapons backfiring somewhat as Derek, Allison and I closed the gap around the Nogitsune. We caged him in, protecting him in a circle.

The Oni charged to us and I dipped to the right immediately to deflect the sword flying towards me. I hit it's arm away, pushing the sword back before I kicked it in its stomach. The creature took one step back before it swung for me again.

I just had to keep my guard high. The last time I'd fought against these I'd ended up with their sword routed deep within my stomach because I'd grown distracted. It was difficult to concentrate on my defence constantly. The Oni hardly gave me any opportunity to attack, their robotic movements were too fast and sharp.

When Derek grunted beside me in pain I really had to fight to keep my gaze on the Oni. I was so desperate to look and see if he was okay but I knew the second I took my eyes off my opponent I risked getting hurt.

I took a risk and lurched forwards though the second I did the Oni disappeared in front of me. I lunged into black smoke as it lingered some few seconds before disappearing.

"What?" I mumbled in confusion, panting for breath while turning around to see that they had all gone. My heart was beating furiously in my chest but the adrenaline pumping through my legs was enough for me to shift back into my human self.

"Where did they go?" The Sheriff asked us.

We just looked around, turning in circles like a dog trying to chase its tail — as just as confused as the other.

Derek groaned quietly to my right and I turned to him quickly, dropping to my knees beside him as he bent over his knee.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

He nodded stiffly and I saw an open slash wound over the blade of his shoulder. His white shirt had ripped and stained red with his blood but the wound didn't look too bad, nor did it look too deep.

"He's gone." Allison said, "They're both gone."

Her words made me lift my eyes again and I looked around to find that she was right. The Nogitsune had disappeared, and with him Stiles.

Footsteps echoed through the loft, the sound growing louder and louder and I looked to the open door to see Scott and Kira appear, both out of breath. Their eyes were wide and frantic as they looked around.

The Sheriff and Chris lowered their guns when they registered it was Scott and not the Oni.

"What happened?" Scott asked us.

"They disappeared." Allison responded, equally out of breath as the rest of us, "They literally vanished."

I glanced upwards from my kneeled position and met Scott's gaze as he walked into the loft, "And so did Stiles."

A heavy air coated us like a thick blanket though it was one I recognised clearly. It was the same air that the Nogitsune left in its wake though this time it mixed heavily with disappointment.

Once again, the Nogitsune and Stiles had slipped through our grasp and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it.

__________________

Kira had stopped at Scott's house after our altercation with the Oni meaning me crashing there too would be slightly awkward. I was in no mood to third wheel. I knew Scott had feelings for our new fox friend and I knew sometimes no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't turn off my supernatural hearing.

I had planned on going to visit Isaac in the hospital. Melissa said he was doing much better and that he had practically healed now but it'd still been while since I'd seen him last. I missed him, truthfully. I missed his witty remarks and charming grin that annoyed me when he liked to tease me. I'd been surprised by the text Allison had sent me not half an hour after she left the loft to inform me Isaac was at her apartment — all healed.

It threw that plan out of the window ... and the idea of possibly crashing at Allisons place too. I couldn't stand in Stiles and I's bedroom without shivering in discomfort. When I looked around the empty space, all I could feel was the Nogitsune. The still standing threat of the chess board sat on the desk and I closed my eyes knowing I couldn't stay here.

This thing was ruining everything for me and I grabbed a duffel bag and shoved some clothes into it with unshed tears burning in my eyes before I trudged down the stairs and out of the house. I drove until I pulled up outside a house I knew well and I parked up on the street before knocking on the front door.

Natalie Martian answered with soft surprise ardoning her ageing features and she stepped aside to let me in almost immediately. It was no secret within Beacon Hills that the Sheriff had been going through a whole lot with Stiles and that I was too, by association. So, when Natalie placed her hand on my shoulder softly and told me that her daughter was upstairs in her room without asking any questions I was eternally grateful.

If she had any burning questions she held them at bay.

Lydia and I talked for awhile but she fell asleep eventually, leaving me awake staring at her ceiling until the sun started to rise again.

In the mood I had fallen into, I would've been more than content with lying in her bed all day and ignoring the world. I was ready for it, my body was ready for it. I needed the break but Lydia wasn't willing to allow me to have it. She had errands to run and she said occupying my mind would help me to relax and not think about Stiles.

Little did she know, he was all I could think about.

I'd been surprised when Aiden was waiting for us when I followed Lydia out of her front door. He was leaning against her new car casually, his legs crossed and a hand deep in his trouser pockets while his other held his phone in his hand. I didn't think he and Lydia were a thing until he mentioned that Lydia had called him in for moral support.

The soft smile he offered me did nothing but twist my stomach. He was a reminder of my healing feelings for him and of Stiles at the same time. Every time I thought of Aiden and I my mind travelled to Stiles and my body succumbed to intense guilt.

Immediately my mind cast back to what the Nogitsune had said to me last night about Aiden and I. I swallowed deeply while reaching for the door handle for Lydia's passenger seat and I watched as the smile fell from Aiden's face.

Guilt, again...

"Are you okay?" Aiden said, slipping his hand over the door I tried to open. Lydia had already climbed in, the car engine roaring to life.

I glanced at Aiden and the vast amounts of concern swirling in his deep magnetic eyes. Despite he and Stiles both having brown eyes, I'd never compared them before. Stiles' eyes were, well... they were what I fell in love with first. I fell in love with the soft chocolate colour that possessed every emotion in the dictionary, but more specifically that loving look he gave me... the one that made me feel like I was the only other person on this planet, the one that made me feel so special.

Aiden's hazel gaze was full of mystery and temptation and depending on who you were depended on the expression he allowed you to see. He was an exceptionally closed off person — unlike Stiles who could be read like an open book — and he only rarely allowed a person to see his angered stare.

So it was on rare occasions, like this, when he looked at me with such care and attentiveness that almost made my sky high walls crumble. My body recognised that Aiden was a safe space, especially when he looked at me like that. He'd seen me on some of my worst day ... and some of my best.

I don't know what it was about him but just one glance into his eyes made me want to spill every thought contained in the small space of my tired brain.

"No." I mumbled, "I'm not."

Aiden's face twisted in pain — sympathy — and he placed his hand on my shoulder for a lingering moment before he wrapped it around me and pulled me into an embrace. This was what the Nogitsune meant when he made me the Queen. I was heavily guarded — more so than Derek. While the twins were on our side now, they wouldn't do half as much for Derek as they would for me. Scott was my brother, Isaac — while he hadn't been on the chess board — was my best friend, Peter was my father... the list was endless, as were the reasons as to why I was so protected.

In the Nogitsune's eyes, I was practically untouchable. That was why he'd been so elated when he'd managed to twist that sword so deeply into my stomach... because for once, I was vulnerable. For once, he had the pristine opportunity to absolutely torture Stiles with his doings. I was the Queen because to Stiles I was like a Queen ... his Queen.

I just wanted to know what he meant by how he'd need all the protection he could get once he found out about Aiden and I. Was he twisting lies? Falsifying words? Or was he just saying it to create a little more chaos?

As Lydia drove she tried to elicit conversation out of me. She and Aiden tried their best but I had nothing in me to humour them. The little energy I did have was preserved for holding on to my sanity ... stopping me from completely loosing it, because god knows, I was only one step away from falling off that cliff.

After a while, they stopped trying and I stared out the window with my chin in the palm of my hand and my forehead resting against the cool glass. We had no idea where we were going and I wasn't sure if Lydia did either given she'd just made her third right turn in a row.

From the backseat Aiden sighed, "You at least going to tell me where we're going?"

"I need to check on something." Lydia said to him.

He picked up a scrap piece of paper, "Who is Malia Tate?"

Lydia reached back and snatched it from his hands before correcting him on his mispronunciation of her name, "It's Mah-leah." She said, "And you don't need to worry about it."

"What are you doing with Malia?" I asked her quietly, looking over at her.

"It's nothing." She responded with a small smile.

I turned away from her with pursed lips as Aiden said, "Well, I'm actually a little worried we're totally lost."

"Why do you think that?" Lydia hummed.

"Because you just made your fourth right and four rights make a circle." I said to her.

"I did not." She defended before she backtracked, "Did I? It's a brand-new car. The GPS was fine before."

I frowned and looked at her again. Aiden had sat forward slightly so he could look at her, his head now poking between the two front seats, "Maybe the GPS would work better if it was on." He suggested.

Lydia's eyes widened though and she looked to the screen in her car, "What?" She muttered before she flicked between the radio and the GPS. I sat up straight in my seat, my own eyes widened somewhat as her soft demeanour shifted to one of panic. All of a sudden, I had a feeling we weren't running an errand and that made the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

"Lydia. You okay?" Aiden asked her casually. His words held no deep meaning behind them like they had done when he'd asked me that same question twenty minutes ago.

"I need to stop." Lydia panicked, "I need to pull over right now."

"It's okay." I tried to reassure her quickly.

"Lydia." Aiden said, his voice raising as we pulled into a parking lot at a fast pace. She twisted the wheel sharply to avoid the cars and headed to the back of the lot, where no cars stood. It was deserted, but even I could make out something lying on the ground ... someone.

"Lydia, stop!" Aiden yelled.

She slammed her breaks on, lurching us forward until our seatbelts caught us. Our backs slammed into our seats and for a second, the only audible sound was Lydia's heavy breathing.

I unclipped my seatbelt at the same time as Aiden and the two of us got out, Lydia following suit a few moments later. We began to jog forwards slightly but Aiden held his arm out to keep me behind him as we slowed to a short stop, the three of us staring at the person on the floor. It didn't take me long to recognise who that person was ... and when it did, my heart stopped beating.

"Oh, my, god." I mumbled slowly, "Stiles!"

I ran forwards but Aiden grabbed my wrist quickly, pulling me back, "Alex, stop."

I turned back and pulled on my arm, my eyes focusing on Aiden but when they did I realised they were blurry with unshed tears. I hadn't even realised tears had sprang to my eyes until I felt the cool wind against my now wet cheeks, "Aiden, get off me." I begged him, "It's Stiles."

He looked conflicted as he said, "It could be a trap. It could be him."

"Him or not, it's Stiles' body." I responded before I wretched my hand from his grasp and ran forwards. My knees hit the pavement harshly as I collapsed next to him.

I'd never seen Stiles so pale before but even unconscious it didn't look like him. He didn't look peaceful, somehow he still had this menacing look about him and I wondered if that were to do with his crazy hair that was all over the place. I looked down to his body, my hands shaking and I released a cry when I saw the large slash wound in his stomach.

Aiden was at my side after that, picking Stiles' body up and hauling him into the backseat of Lydia's car. I crammed in the back with him, his head leaning against my chest while I held him tightly to me. I prayed that he didn't wake up. The thought of him against us in this car ... it didn't bare thinking about, not when all my thoughts could conjure ended up in my death.

I just held him and closed my eyes, telling myself that this was Stiles. It was Stiles and he needed me. The almost icy cold touch of his skin brought goosebumps to my arms and I tried not to panic at how pale his skin was. The colour brought memories to the forefront of my mind, one night long ago after the Kanima and before the Darach where'd he'd told me about the night Matt had shot me.

He spoke about how the paralysis had worn off just in time for him to see me before the paramedics had taken me to the hospital. At first, he'd been frozen in time. He said he didn't even recognise me. There was hardly and white material left of my dress, it had stained red and the rich colour contrasted heavily against my paling skin. Stiles had said there was no colour to me anymore, that he'd thought I was dead and if it hadn't of been for Melissa beckoning him over he would've continued to assume that.

The Sheriff had guided him over just before they'd lifted me into the back of the ambulance. The paramedics were practically breathing for me and Melissa's scrub top had stained due to her pressing it against my wound. There had been blood — my blood — all over my hands, on my arms, my legs, it had smeared up my throat and even onto my sweating forehead.

He'd taken my hand, uncaring of the blood staining it and he squeezed it tightly though he'd been shocked when I squeezed back albeit faintly. He told me of how he pushed my hair back before pressing a short kiss to my forehead, said how he looked at me through his tears and just before he let go of my hand I opened my eyes, looked at him and told him that I would be okay.

The memory had stuck with me ever since then. I had no record that, of course. Looking back at that night everything was a blur and for that I was somewhat grateful. I could imagine, however, how Stiles felt that night was something similar to how I was feeling now... how I had been feeling for the past two weeks. The same disparity, the same helpless feeling that overpowered you and made you freeze.

When the car door I was leaning partially against was ripped open I looked up to see Aiden, Scott and Deaton crammed in front of me. Scott and Aiden dragged Stiles out of the car and carried him up into the house while Deaton helped me out. My trembling legs collapsed underneath me, however, and Melissa McCall caught me. She and Deaton aided me up and into the McCall household while Lydia followed us and I wondered when a phone call had been made to Scott and by who.

"The couch, put him on the couch." Scott guided Aiden as we ventured into the house. I watched them place him — ever so gently — on to the sofa and I watched Stiles' head roll back limply. The action alone elicited a quiet sob to tumble passed my lips.

Melissa consciously rubbed my arm in comfort while saying, "Guys, this is crazy. He needs to be in the hospital."

Scott pried his eyes away from Stiles, but I couldn't. He looked back to his mom and said, "Mom, remember what happened last time he went to the hospital?"

Deaton crouched in front of Stiles, examining the large gash wound that laid horizontally across his stomach, "It doesn't look like he's bleeding." He said to us all, "I think he might even be healing."

"You mean healing like we heal?" Aiden asked.

"That's good, right?" Scott said.

I shook my head. No, that was not good... not for us anyways.

"For him, yes." Deaton nodded before he took the words right out of my mouth, "Us? I'm not so sure."

"He's still the Nogitsune." I barley managed to say. My voice had reached on octave higher than usual as I cried and I wiped my cheeks furiously before pressing my hand over my mouth to stop the loud sound of the harsh sobs that wracked my shoulders.

"I'm calling the Sheriff." Melissa stated, fishing for her phone from her back pocket.

I heard the rustling of something behind me and before I knew it, Aiden was standing in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. Melissa, who still stood to my side, helped Aiden guide me downwards slowly and carefully. I was aware of how much my knees were trembling as they did so and it wasn't long before I collapsed, my bum hitting a soft chair underneath me.

Melissa's eyes bore into the side of my head but I could not — for the life of me — bring myself to look away from Stiles ... or rather him.

Aiden sighed as he looked away from me, "Well, if we're not going to kill him, why aren't we at least tying him down with really big chains?" He posed.

Deaton walked to the dining table and he retrieved a small briefcase, unlocking it and pulling out a vial of something, "I might have something more effective." He responded.

He looked to Scott and Aiden and I watched as they hesitantly stepped forward towards the Nogitsune, grabbing his face. Aiden pried his jaw open while Lydia sank back to be by my side. From my position, I could barely see what they were doing. I could only see theirs and Deaton's movements, their backs to us.

I did however notice the moment they all jumped back and he sprang to life once more.

He grabbed Aiden by the throat, squeezing harshly as he sat forward to do so and my friend tried to pull back, grabbing the wrist of the Nogitsune while saying, "Get him off me! Get him off me!"

Adrenaline consumed me secondary to an overwhelming sense of fear. The hormone seeped into my bloodstream, initiating the fight of the fight or flight response.

Scott barely moved, too shocked to do anything but I quickly shoved him out of the way, gripping the Nogitsune's hand with both of my own and prying him away from Aiden's throat. Aiden's short grunts forced me to apply more pressure to the Nogitsune's arm though I was surprised when he reached for me, also, and pulled my left hand off of his. He took it in his own and squeezed with all of his power.

My lips parted in pain but my voice had diminished as I held his stone cold glare. In this form, his were were black — menacing orbs that had been plucked from hell itself.

When the sickening crack of my bones crushing in my hand reverberated throughout the house, a twisted, sadistic, grin fell upon his lips. He didn't ease up though, no. He only squeezed harder, even as Scott tried to rive him off of me.

Just as Scott had managed to break me away from the altercation, the sickening smile fell from His lips. He released his grip on Aiden's throat, the both of us stumbling back while I cradled my severely broken hand to my chest. A groan fell from his lips as he focused his attention on to his hand as it shook wildly and staggered breaths fell from his mouth.

"Kanima venom. Nice touch." He spoke as his hand dropped to his side finally. His body fell limp again.

"Not so fun now is it?" I bit, narrowing my eyes at him.

He quipped back just as sharply, "Are those tears in your eyes?" He mocked me, For him ... for me?"

The urge to wrap my hands around his neck while he was so helpless and squeeze the life out of him was intense. If it weren't for the fact he was using Stiles' body as a host, holding Stiles' mind hostage, I would've done it long ago.

The feeling of my fingers curling by my side — of the hand he hadn't crushed — scared me. It was Aiden who pulled me out of my pit of rage. His large hand slipped over my shoulder and he turned my body to face him, looking at my hand and taking it, "Does it hurt?" He asked me.

I shook my head 'no' while holding his gaze. In the short few seconds since it had happened, I could already feel my bones beginning to fuse back together under my skin. I wiggled my fingers slowly to assure him I was fine.

"What about you?" I asked him.

He shook his head dismissively, "Fine."

"See what I mean?" A voice broke us apart. His voice. The both of us turned to see the Nogitsune staring at us, his brow arched, "Running to his aid again."

The urge returned in full force and I lunged forward before I could even think twice about it. For a second, every little way I could inflict pain upon him crashed through my mind. It wasn't until I was standing in front of him, my hands resting on the sofa either side of his head, staring head on into that cold, cold glare did I realise there was nothing I could do to him and he knew it.

The way his lips curved into that vile smirk, the way his eyes shone in sheer satisfaction — his gaze wrathful and malicious. He was pure evil and I absolutely loathed him.

He knew exactly how to torture me.

"What are you gonna do, huh?" He posed to me. It wasn't even question, more threat than anything else, "What could you possibly do to me?"

I narrowed my eyes until I was looking at him through thin slits.

"Nothing." He whispered, answering his question.

I was sure my gaze was burning. I felt like I were two seconds from setting alight with the sheer amount of rage that consumed me.

My fist clenched again and I hadn't realised I'd moved until I felt the strong connection of my fist and his jaw rappel through my arm and into my shoulder. His head swung to the side, face slack for some few seconds while behind me an outcry followed.

The satisfaction was just not enough however, that one punch did nothing but spur me on and as a woman at the end of her tether I grabbed his throat and I squeezed harshly.

"Alex!" Scott shouted then, his hands wrapping round my upper arm.

I commanded the Nogitsune's gaze and when I had it I watched his eyes soften, "Alex, stop." He choked out, "You're hurting me."

He almost sounded like Stiles.

I dug my fingers in even more, my claws itching to elongate, "I am fucking sick of you thinking you can walk all over us, sick of you thinking you're untouchable. Well, guess what? You're not." I seethed, "I vowed that I would kill you and rest assured I will. I will drive you out of his body one way or another and I will watch as you burn ... and I'll take great satisfaction in doing so."

His manic coughs and panic-driven gasps were nothing to me but when he started to turn blue in the face I was pulled back off of him by none other than Aiden.

I kept my gaze on Him the entire time. I watched as he gasped deeply for air before he gained enough composure to meet my fire-like gaze again and say, "You're hurting him, you know? Not me."

The guilt card again.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I'm sure Stiles will thank me for it."

His sharp change in tactic threw me for a loop when he looked over my shoulder and chuckled comically, "It couldn't be any more obvious." He said, eyes locked on Aiden, though I wasn't entirely sure what he was referring to.

Aiden roared at him threateningly in response.

He hummed, "You know how they say that twins get a feeling when the other one's in pain? You didn't lose that talent, too, did you?" He asked and not only did Aiden tense beside me, I did too. The thought of something happening to Ethan was soul destroying right now, "Oh, I hope not. You're going to need it."

Aiden met my gaze fleetingly before looking at Scott in silence. None of us knew what to say but the pounding of our hearts assured we were worried.

"Okay, I'll give a little hint. Ethan's at the school."

I pushed on his shoulder immediately and met his gaze, "Go."

He nodded once at me before he turned and left. The Nogitsune followed him with his eyes as he walked to the door, laughing humourlessly as he left.

"Oh, I hope he gets there in time." He said, "I like the twins. Short tempers. Homicidal compulsions. They're a lot more fun than you bakemono trying to save the world every day."

I felt Melissa's presence by me as I stared hatefully at the Nogitsune, seeing the way the red marks against his throat were already starting to fade.

"Doc, you brought something to paralyze his body. You got anything for his mouth?" Melissa asked Deaton.

"Yes, I do." The man responded, ripping off a piece of tape before smoothing it over his lips.

Somehow, though, that only made his gaze much more intense and like a caged animal he screamed deeply before erupting into a fit of chuckles.

A chill crept over me and I felt the sudden need to walk away, to get out of his eye-line... out of his presence.

My shoes echoed throughout the McCall household as I did just that. My strides deep and movements fast as the urge to be away from him — to have his eyes off my person — became so intense it was almost suffocating.

I didn't stop until I was on the path, far away from him but even there I still felt like he was watching me. He still haunted me and that sheer notion alone was enough to force tears to rise to my eyes once more.

I didn't know how much more I could take of this...

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A/N; I couldn't not let her have a piece of the Nogitsune. We all know he deserves it...