chapter sixty-seven
❝ i want to hold you high and steal your pain away❞
strange frequencies

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━

"Because I never said anything about Donovan."

Theo Raeken's words seemed to run through Kennedy's mind, over and over again. Stiles's expression faltered as he slowly moved Kennedy behind him. "What are you talking about?" He said, but his voice failed. Stiles's mind was racing, but the one thought that seemed to trump over the others was how he needed to protect Kennedy.

"I know what happened to Donovan," Theo said cooly. Kennedy felt her chest become heavy as she watched Theo's eyes land on her. "I know everything,"

Suddenly, Stiles stormed forwards, grabbing Theo's collar. Kennedy's eyes widened in surprise as her boyfriend shoved Theo into the metal cage. "You don't know anything." He hissed. Kennedy didn't expect Stiles to do something like this.

"Stiles," Kennedy said with worry, stepping forwards.

Theo snarled, whipping Stiles around and shoving him into the fence. "I was there. I was at the library." He snapped. Kennedy came walking closer, standing in between them. "Malia found the book. She was texting us to see where you two were. She said she left you at the library. I told her I was close." Kennedy looked over at Stiles, feeling sick to her stomach. "When I got there, I heard the scaffolding come down."

Stiles shoved him back. "Then you know what happened." He snapped.

Kennedy looked at Theo as he spoke. "I know your girlfriend tore him apart. Ripped him to shreds."

"She didn't do anything!" Stiles shouted. His volume caused Kennedy to flinch. He wrapped an arm around Kennedy's torso, shoving the girl's body behind him. "It was me! He was going to kill her, and I pulled the pin, and the scaffolding tore him up."

Theo scoffed, "You know that's not true," He muttered. Kennedy crossed her arms, looking at Theo.

"Did you see him?" She asked quietly. Theo looked over at her, but Stiles simply moved in front of her again. It was as if she was a fragile art piece and Stiles was willing to protect her from the slightest possibility of harm.

"Just the body," Theo replied. "I watched you come out. I was gonna say something, but then I saw the cop car. And the body was gone. I don't know who took him. I only saw what you saw, and I didn't say anything because you didn't." Sirens wailing in the distance caused the three teens to look back. "That's not an ambulance, is it?"

Kennedy shrugged, "No," She said simply.

"We should get out of here," Theo told them.

Stiles looked over, looking at the body of the Chimera. "We can't just leave him."

Theo shrugged, "Fine. All right, let's take him."

Kennedy shook her head, "I've done a lot of things, but not harbor a body," She countered.

"Someone's stealing the bodies anyway, right?" Theo said, looking at the couple. "Here's our chance to find out who." The Stilinski looked down at the body. "Stiles, come on. We gotta do something."

Stiles looked over, "You killed him."

"In self-defense. He was going to kill you, your girlfriend, and me." Said Theo. Kennedy crossed her arms, hugging herself. "If we stay, we're either going to have to tell the truth or we're going to need a pretty convincing story." Stiles looked over at Kennedy. She looked terrified, almost as bad as the night Donovan died. "It's your choice. I'm not going to ask you to lie to your dad."

Stiles clenched his jaw, "Don't worry. I've had plenty of practice." He whispered before pulling Kennedy close to him again.

༺❀༻

Kennedy looked away as Stiles pulled off the cover of the body, revealing him to Scott. Scott looked down, "Do you know him?" Asked Theo.

Scott looked at the boy on the table. "His name's Josh. He was a junior." He said softly, Kennedy looked down in despair. trying to fight back tears as Stiles put the fabric back over Josh. "Which one did it? The one with the cane?"

Stiles looked over at Theo. Kennedy could feel Theo's arm graze hers as he looked at the McCall. "Yeah."

"What are we going to do with him?" Asked Stiles. "We can't just set the alarm and leave. That's how Tracy disappeared." He explained. Kennedy looked over at Scott. The McCall was surprised at how jumpy she was. Kennedy was no stranger to death, so why did this one seem so different? "All right, someone's got to stay here with him."

"I'll do it." Theo blurts. Stiles looked over in surprise. Scott looked up, and Kennedy inched closer to Stiles. "It's not like I had a big Saturday night planned."

Scott's phone begins to vibrate, leading him to pull it out of his pocket. Kennedy's chest sank as she saw Scott's expression change. "What is it?" She asked, worried.

"Another one. Another chimera."

༺❀༻

Kennedy looked between the three boys and the bathroom door. They now stood with Liam in Scott's room. Hayden Romero, a frenemy of Liam's, was a chimera. "Hayden? It's Scott." He said, "I know that you're scared, but we just... We want to help."

"I can hear her heart beating," Kennedy said, causing the three to look back at her. "She's really freaked out."

Liam shrugs his shoulders. "She was okay when we got here. I went to text you for two seconds and she locked herself in."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Liam said.

"She's definitely a Chimera?" Asked Scott.

Liam looked over, "She said she heard a voice saying, Your condition improves."

Stiles started walking forwards, "Okay, that's unsettling." He muttered, knocking on the door. "Hayden. This is Stiles. Your sister works for my dad down at the station. Look, just open the door, okay? You can trust us."

The three boys all look at each other, before turning their bodies to look at Kennedy. The Hale looks between them. "What?" She asked, confused.

"You're a girl, and you out of all of us probably understand how she feels the best," Scott explained. Kennedy looked at Liam and Stiles, who both slowly nodded in agreement.

Kennedy sighed, walking over to the door. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to think of what to say. "Hi, Hayden. I'm Kennedy. You might remember me from a few weeks ago when I helped you after Tracy Stewart hurt you," She explained. Kennedy sighed, "I know this is super scary, super confusing. Trust me when I say I've been through something similar." Liam looked at Stiles, impressed by how well Kennedy was handling this. "All we want is to tell you the truth, Hayden. And it will be way better face-to-face." She said. Kennedy looked at the doorknob, "Listen, either you're gonna unlock the door or Scott is going to have to break it open. And I hate invading a girl's privacy," Kennedy said with an apologetic smile, not that Hayden could see it. "It's okay if you don't want to talk, or if you're not ready to believe us. But I have to know that you're okay in there,"

There was a long moment of silence. Kennedy could hear Hayden's heartbeat. Finally, the door cracked open. Kennedy looked behind herself, before turning back towards the door. She slowly pushed against the white door, letting it creak open. The boys' eyes all widen as they see Hayden, standing there in fear with yellow eyes and claws. Kennedy had a calm expression like she expected this. "I believe you,"

༺❀༻

Kennedy closed the front door of the Stilinski house as she followed her boyfriend inside. Her eyes focused on the boy as he quietly placed his keys on the kitchen counter, walking towards the fridge where he pulled out some leftovers Noah had left for them. "You want something to eat?" He asked Kennedy, looking over. There was a quiet tension that had settled between the two after their recent encounter with Theo.

"Sure," Was all Kennedy could really say. She walked further into the house, reaching down to take off her heels. "My feet are killing me,"

Stiles looked at her for a moment as she put food in the microwave. She was trying to be normal, but that was an almost impossible task. "Ken, what are we going to do?" He asked her. His voice seemed to be hoarse, which caught Kennedy's attention over everything else. "How are we going to fix this?"

The Hale quickly walked to where Stiles stood, "Hey," She cooed, Her hands reached up to Stiles's face, leading him to look down at her. Without shoes, their height difference was more prominent, not that six inches was a large height difference. Kennedy's eyes searched Stiles's glossy ones. He had been trying to hold everything together, and he hadn't given himself a chance to let his own emotions out. Kennedy's fingers ran through Stiles's hair, "We will get through this together. We always do, okay?" Her voice was soft and calming and embraced Stiles's soul with warmth. Stiles's face crumbled as he leaned into Kennedy's body, wrapping her up in a hug. Kennedy's arms wrapped around his torso, her chin resting on his shoulder. Her hand rubbed up and down Stiles's back. Stiles sobbed into Kennedy's hair. He had never felt so guilty about something in his life, and Stiles had a lot to feel guilty about.

For a few moments, the two stood in silence. Stiles just held Kennedy as his own sobs quieted, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Suddenly, the microwave beeped, causing him to jump. Stiles sniffed, wiping his face. "I'm not really hungry anymore," He confessed. Kennedy smiled, reaching up and wiping Stiles's cheek with her thumb.

"I'll put the food back in the fridge, alright? Just get ready for bed," She said softly. Stiles slowly nodded, walking around Kennedy's figure. He came to a pause, turning around at the entrance of the hallway. He watched Kennedy grab the food from the microwave, cursing under her breath at the heat. In a moment of silence, he smiled, a feeling waving over him as he once again knew this was the person he loved over everyone else. This was the one and only person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. How often does someone find that at such a young age?

Stiles wandered to his room, quickly changing into pajamas. The boy was already in bed, swallowing himself in blankets when Kennedy walked in. She leaned against the doorframe, giggling softly. Stiles playfully glared, wrapping the blankets around himself tighter. Kennedy opened Stiles's closet, tugging off her clothes as she pulled on one of Stiles's old shirts. "I haven't worn that shirt since sophomore year," He says. Kennedy looked down, reading I support single moms on the front of his shirt.

Kennedy looked up with a grin, "Well, maybe you should wear it more often," She chirped, walking around to his bed. Stiles scooted over, lifting up the blankets enough for Kennedy to slip underneath the covers with him. His arm stretched over her torso, pulling her closer. Kennedy looked up at Stiles. "I love you," She said, smiling up at the boy she had fallen so deeply in love with.

"I love you," Stiles whispered, kissing her nose. The two then situated into comfortable positions. Kennedy's head rested on his chest, while his arms wrapped around her. Stiles's fingers trailed up and down Kennedy's back as he stared at the ceiling in thought. Kennedy needed to be safe. From Chimera's, from Dread Doctors, from Sloane, and even from Theo. Stiles just didn't know if he could protect her all on his own, and that's possibly what scared him the most.

༺❀༻

༺❀༻

Scott McCall placed a familiar map on the table. Stiles and Kennedy both stared down at it. "We're back to telluric currents?" Stiles asked sarcastically.

"If the Dread Doctors didn't like coming into Eichen House because of them, maybe we can use them to protect Hayden," Scott explained.

Stiles shrugged, "Okay, so, besides Eichen, where's the strongest convergence?" He asked.

Kennedy looked at the map in thought, "I think we're standing on it." She says finally.

"You want to hide her in the high school? For how long?" Stiles asked, looking at Scott.

The Alpha leaned closer so nobody else could hear them. "If we have to, all night." He said honestly. Kennedy sighed, looking at the map. "Liam convinced Hayden not to say anything to her sister yet. She's working a double tonight, and she thinks Hayden's staying at Kennedy's."

Stiles furrowed his brow, "But it's just a school though." He told the McCall, "You know, it's not exactly a fortress."

"Lydia's got an idea for that. Remember how Valack quoted Tesla?"

"Frequency and vibration," Kennedy said, remembering it.

"She thinks he wasn't saying that just to sound smart. She thinks maybe it was a clue." Scott explained.

Stiles looked at his girlfriend for a moment, "To do what?" He asked, clearly confused.

"Disrupt their frequency," Scott replied. Kennedy tilted her head to the side, "Parrish took three cell phone jammers from the station. He thinks he can broaden their range of frequency. It's a long shot, but it's the best we've got right now."

Kennedy nods in thought, "Okay, for once this doesn't sound like a bad plan," She said. "And, uh, me and Stiles will go watch the body?"

Scott looked at Kennedy. "Actually, I was hoping you'd stay at the school, help Hayden." He said slowly.

Kennedy rose her brows, "Oh, right." She explained awkwardly. She didn't trust Theo alone with Stiles, and she didn't trust herself alone with Chimera's. "Then I'll just go with Stiles to the Animal Clinic and then pick Malia up myself. My cars there anyways," She shrugged.

Stiles nods, "Yeah, that works." He mumbled before grabbing Kennedy's wrist, tugging her along.

༺❀༻

"And we hope that Theo isn't murdered and he still has the body?"

Stiles looked over at Kennedy as she finished her question. "I wouldn't mind if he was," He mumbled. Kennedy rolled her eyes, looking out the window. "Ken, I'm joking."

"Stiles, remember when my eyes...they...flickered?" Kennedy's voice was small as she spoke. Stiles's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What if, the next time I turn completely, they're not red?"

The Stilinski thought for a moment, "But that's now how being an Alpha works. The only way you could stop being an Alpha is if you give up your powers. You didn't do that," He explained. Kennedy looked down in thought.

"Unless I did when I killed him." She said sadly. Stiles looked at Kennedy, watching as she pushed her auburn hair behind her ear as she stared out the window.

The couple pulled into the parking lot of the Animal Clinic, Kennedy brushing off her beige and blue floral skirt as she followed her boyfriend inside. She felt a wave of an indescribable feeling, like someone else was there. Kennedy spun around, looking for a sign of someone, anyone. There was nobody there.

Theo ran over when Stiles and Kennedy walked in. He had to pretend as if Kennedy's mom wasn't there moments ago. "What's going on?"

Stiles looks around the clinic, "Whoever's stealing the bodies probably isn't going to do it while we're standing guard over one of them."

"So you've got a better idea?" Asked Theo. Stiles looks at Kennedy, who nods. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out his phone, and places it on a shelf. Kennedy pulls out her phone, seeing the live footage herself.

Kennedy hands her phone to Stiles, "I'll be back in a few hours. Don't kill each other." Kennedy said. She gave Stiles a quick kiss, before walking across the street to her car.

Theo rose a brow as he leaned against the Jeep. "She cares about you," He deadpanned. Stiles sighed as he watched Kennedy climb into the red car, starting the engine.

"I know," He whispered.

"You're a lucky man, Stiles. Some people would kill to have a girl like her." Theo said as he walked around to climb into the passenger side of the blue Jeep.

Stiles tilted his head, nodding. "Yeah. I know."

༺❀༻

Kennedy and Malia stood next to each other as Jordan Parrish opened up the trunk of a van. There were three cell phone jammers. Malia scrunched her face as she picked one up. "We're betting our lives on these?" She asked, unsure. She turned toward Jordan in confusion.

"I think we're betting Hayden's life on them." Said Lydia. She wore a gray fluffy jacket over her blue dress, something Kennedy bought her.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad I brought my gun," Jordan said as he picked up a cell phone jammer, handing it to Lydia while Kennedy grabbed one herself.

Kennedy placed a jammer in the library, Malia placed one in the hall, and Jordan and Lydia placed one in the locker room. Hayden, Liam, and Scott stayed in the locker room. Malia and Kennedy stayed together in the hallway.

"What if your mom comes?" Malia asked.

Kennedy crossed her arms over her shoulder, rubbing her hands over her leather jacket. "I don't know." She said quietly.

"And how exactly are Stiles and Theo going to tell us if a dragon came to eat them and the body?"

Kennedy looked over at her sister. "Oh my god," She mumbled. "I left my phone with them."

Malia nods, "And we can't use our phones anyways," She countered. Kennedy ran her hand through her hair.

"Maybe whatever is going after the bodies will leave them alone. It..it won't care about them as long as they don't try to fight it." Kennedy rambled. "That's a thing, right?" Malia shrugged, unsure.

Meanwhile, Theo looked over at Stiles. "You know, I saw his teeth." He said. "Donovan. He was a Wendigo, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," Stiles replied.

"That's the cannibal one, right?"

Stiles tilted his head back. "Native American. The myth says that if you ate human flesh, your punishment was to turn into a creature that constantly craved it." He explained, remembering Kennedy reading about it back when Sean Walcott was killed.

"That's a pretty judgmental myth."

"Well, I didn't make it up." Stiles snapped back.

Theo looked over, "What if it was the only way to survive?" He inquired. "I mean, you ever hear of the Donner party? I'm pretty sure they didn't turn into Wendigos."

Stiles shrugged, "Well, they didn't live in Beacon Hills." He mumbled.

The Raeken scoffed. "Good point." He muttered. Theo looked over at Stiles. The boy who helped his girlfriend kill Donovan. "So what's the punishment for killing a Chimera?"

"You spend five hours in the car with Theo Raeken," Stiles muttered. Theo chuckled. Stiles sighed. "Look, I know what her punishment is," Stiles said. "And I know mine." Theo looked at Stiles in curiosity. "I'm gonna lose my best friend." He whispered, tapping the wheel. "I'm gonna lose Scott."

Theo rose a brow. "And what about Kennedy?" He asked quietly.

Stiles pursed his lips together, and Theo could tell the boy wasn't happy with the answer. "She's going to lose being an Alpha." He said finally. Theo rose a brow, wondering what that meant for Sloane's plans.

Back in the school, Malia and Kennedy paced the halls back and forth. That is, until the sound of an engine starting cut them off. "Parrish? Where's he going?" Malia mumbled.

"Maybe to get some pizza?" Kennedy asked sheepishly. The two girls took steps forwards. Suddenly, the cracking of the foundation causes Kennedy to look down just in time to watch what seemed like a bear trap come up from the ground, snapping around Malia's leg. Malia screams out in pain, and Kennedy stumbles backward in shock. Malia falls to the ground, and Kennedy covers her mouth in both shock and horror when two more bear traps snap up around Malia's arms. "Malia!" She shouts.

Then, in slow motion, Kennedy watches as a long spike sticks through Malia's throat. Kennedy's mouth opens in horror. She turns her head, watching the doors open. The Dread Doctors. "K," Malia breathed out. Kennedy looked down. "Run," She croaked.

Kennedy looked back at the door, hearing the sounds of the Dread Doctors. She stumbled backwards, running down the hall. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, trying to tune out the sounds of Malia's screams. Kennedy turned down the hall, stopping when she saw Lydia.

The Martin laid in a pool of her own blood, choking. "Lydia," Kennedy whispered, kneeling down. The redhead opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Kennedy looked down in confusion, realizing that Lydia couldn't speak. She had no tongue.

"Oh, Kenny," A voice called. Kennedy snapped her head back. It was Sloane. Kennedy stumbled up, knowing she had to get to Liam and Hayden. She stumbled to her feet, running down the hall.

Liam and Hayden looked around the corner, hiding. "Hayden, did you hear that?"

"They're here, aren't they?" Hayden whispered, "They're in the school."

Liam slowly walked out, facing the door. "Scott?" He called out. He waited for a reply, but there was nothing. "Malia?"

The door slammed open, Kennedy sliding along the tile floor. Both Liam and Hayden jump back as Kennedy groaned in pain. She looked up, her auburn hair spilling around her. "They're here."

Liam snapped his head at the door, seeing a Dread Doctor in front of them. Kennedy sprang to her feet, her and Liam standing in front of Hayden protectively. Kennedy looked over the Doctor's shoulder, seeing two more walking in. Kennedy cursed under her breath, watching as a fourth figure walked in.

Sloane Valet.

The Dread Doctor with the cane looked at the cell phone jammer, swinging it off the shelf with ease. Kennedy and the two younger teens backed up against a locker. There was no way Kennedy could fight them without Scott or Malia. The Dread Doctor looked back at the three teenagers. "We are on a frequency you can't possibly imagine." He said. He raised his cane in the air, before slamming it through the jammer.

Sloane walked in front, tilting her head to the side. "So we meet again. Bunny,"

"Stop calling me that," Kennedy said cooly. Sloane pouted, almost offended. "Just stay away,"

The Valet pouted, "You know I can't do that, Kenny." She said, her eyes switching between Hayden and Liam. "Besides, the Dread Doctors like you," Sloane said, looking back at her daughter. Kennedy frowned in confusion. "They've always wanted to see a true Chimera in action."

Before Kennedy could ask further questions, Sloanes' hands grabbed her daughter's head. Kennedy's eyes switch to a stark white, and the girl screams in pain as her mom's eyes change as well. Liam and Hayden stumble back, unsure what was going on.

Kennedy stood in the middle of the rain. She looked around in confusion. "Yeah, because you're Scott McCall! You're the true Alpha!" Kennedy whipped her head around at the voice. It was Stiles. "Guess what? All of us can't be true Alphas. Some of us have to make mistakes." Kennedy ran closer to the sounds of the argument. "Some of us have to get our hands a little bloody sometimes. Some of us are human!"

Kennedy saw three figures. She couldn't tell who was who. Her mind couldn't even tell who was talking. "So, she had to kill him?" Scott's voice echoed in Kennedy's ears.

"Scott, he was going to kill my dad."

"But the way that it happened," Scott trailed, "There's a point when it's, it's not self-defense anymore!"

"What are you even talking about? She didn't have a choice, Scott!"

Kennedy felt a slash through her hand. Kennedy looks down, screaming in pain as she is sucked out of whatever nightmare she's in. Kennedy shoots up, Malia grabbing her shoulder. Kennedy looked around, seeing Lydia, Scott, and Mason in the room surrounding her. Kennedy looked over at Lydia. "You...you were," She trailed off, turning to look at Malia. Her sister sat next to her, not injured, and certainly not on the brink of death. Kennedy let out a sigh of relief, pulling Malia into a hug. "I thought you were gone,"

"Yeah, so did we," Malia said as she rubbed Kennedy's back. The sisters pulled away from each other, and Kennedy looked around the locker room in confusion. Her hand had a cut on it, probably from Malia's claw.

She looked for any sign of Liam or Hayden, but they weren't there. "My mom took them, didn't she?" She asked quietly, looking over at the group. Scott clenched his jaw, nodding slowly. Kennedy's shoulders slouched, and the girl sighed as she realized her mom had used her, again.