𝚍𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏 [1]

the kanima

—

"I can't stay up any longer, I need something to hold on to." Stiles panted, again, adjusting the man on his shoulder.

By now, Austin had given up on trying to stay away from the lizard and decided to get as close as his body would let him to the edge of the pool. His body was growing tired, and while he didn't mind holding Ryder up, that didn't mean that he could do it forever.

He was glad that she was making it a lot easier for him than Derek was for Stiles.

The creature had been circling the pool for a few minutes now, but it barely even came in Ryder and Austin's direction. Austin had no clue why, but he was perfectly fine with it.

His body felt drained, he was growing tired. Ryder hadn't said a word in at least ten minutes, and he was bringing to grow worried for the girl. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she clung to both him and the edge of the pool.

He's shocked by her suddenly being pulled from his arms.

His initial thought is that she was taken by the lizard. A breath of relief is being let out as he spots Romona hugging her daughter.

A hand come in his vision, he wastes not time in allowing the woman to pull him out of the pool.

Ryder's head snaps in the direction of a screech.

She hurriedly pulls Austin and Romona next to her, not wanting the two to get hurt in the fight happening between Scott and the lizard.

They watched for a few as the McCall fought, the two rolling around each other. The lizard eventually got the upper hand, wrapping its tail around Scott's leg, flinging him into a mirror, successfully shattering it.

"He's scared of his own reflection." Austin whispered, watching as Scott picked up the broken mirror to defend himself.

"I'd be too, if i looked like that."

"No, he's— Scott!" The McCall huffed in acknowledgment, not wanted to glance away, "He's scared of his own reflection!"

Angling the mirror, Scott allowed the creature to look at itself. It wasn't long before the animal was jumping off the walls and leaving everyone to stare in shock.

•••

"Oh, thank goodness." Aaron let out a breath of relief as he watched his wife and daughter exit the school. He pulled the two into a hug, not caring that the youngest of them was still soaking wet. "You scared the crap out of me."

His eyes traveled to the teen who stood there awkwardly, grasping his arm and pulling him into the hug. Aaron let out a noise of surprise, hesitating to wrap his arms around them, not really knowing if it was okay. He eventually relaxed into the embrace, his wet arm wrapping around Romona's back.

"Do you know how hard it is to lie about things to your mother, kid?" Aaron asked, pulling away as he stared into Austin's eyes.

Austin chuckles, "I have an idea."

"She's sitting your car." He pointed, "Wouldn't stop rambling about how she got Bobby's number. I have no clue who that is."

Ryder snorted at his words, sending her a mom a look that said she'd tell her later.

"If you're lucky enough, I doubt she'll even ask why you showed up thirty minutes after the game ended."

Austin took that as his cue to leave. Not wanting to possibly embarrass her in front of her parents, he simply pulled Ryder into a hug, whispering a soft goodbye into her ear, leaning a small kiss to the side of her head.

Ryder watched him go, a slight sparkle in her eye, that her parents didn't fail to notice.

"It's called a kanima."

"You knew?!" Ryder practically shouted. The sparkle was long gone as she glared at Derek.

"You knew the whole time." Stiles repeated.

"No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection." The Hale tried to defend himself.

"It doesn't know what it is."

"Or who." Derek added on to Scott's words.

"I know—"

Stiles cut the girl off, unaware of the exaggerated middle finger he was receiving from behind him, for interrupting her for the thousandth time, "What else do you know?"

"Just stories, rumors." Derek vaguely answered.

"But it's like us?"

Romona shook her head, deciding to take over, "It is a shape shifter, but it is worse, like a—"

"An abomination."

Scott sighed, "Derek? We need to work together on this. All of us."

Ryder looked away when he turned to her.

"Maybe even tell the Argents."

Derek frowned, "You trust them?"

"Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem. While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it's killing people and we still don't even know anything about it."

Romona and Aaron watched as the boy rambled. There wasn't much they could do, as Aaron is human and Romona was on the brink of retirement.

Meanwhile, their daughter had become something major, she hadn't mastered her abilities yet, but once she did, if she wanted, she could probably take on the kanima by herself.

While she clearly wanted nothing to do with Scott, or Derek, or literally anyone else, she could be saving a lot of lives if she helped.

"I know one thing, when I find it? I'm gonna kill it!"

Once Derek finished, he stormed away, leaving Ryder and her family in the presence of Scott and Stiles.

Scott was prepared to her down on his knees and beg them for help. He knew it was a long shot, knowing full well that Ryder wasn't a fan of them. But if he could convince her parents, who were a lot more likely than her, then maybe all would be well.

"Ryder—"

"No."

"Please." Scott said, "You said it yourself—"

"I didn't say anything."

Stiles sighs softly, "Ryder, come on. You're the only other person left."

"So, I'm your last choice?"

"Of course not." Scott cut in, a way of telling Stiles to let him do the talking.

"The Argents are hunters, they hunt Scott, it's what they do. You don't have to get involved in everything. Not everything concerns you." She said, keeping her voice calm.

"It concerns me if people are dying because of it!"

"Isaac's dad was an asshole! He deserved that shit. If you aren't at risk for a gruesome death, then you shouldn't worry about it."

"Ry—"

As soon as she head her mothers voice, she knew she would have to fall back on everything she said to the teen. She truly did not want to interfere and her herself killed, but she knew that her mother had a huge heart, and if she herself couldn't help, then Ryder would be the next option.

"I'm not taking anything back." She immediately cut the woman off, before she even had the chance to talk.

"I am not asking you to." Romona said, placing her hands on the girls cheeks, her thumbs caressing her skin, "But I want you to help them."

"Mom—"

"Ryder. I am being serious." Romona sternly whispered, "After this, we can be completely done with them. But I do not want you to carry such guilt when you find out that someone was killed by this thing."

—
A/N: i'm thinking of turning this into a multiple book thing. i think that after either this season or season 3A, i'll move the rest to another book.