I N S T I N C T | Jackson Whittemore

33: under control

Under Control
Chapter Thirty Three

Jackson sat up, looking over at a sleeping Annie next to him. She was so beautiful, writhed up from his movements, scrunching her nose in distaste as he peeled himself from her.

Last night was easily the best night of his life. He got to connect with Annie on a new level, he got to connect with his love, on a new level. He finally told her, and she said it back. He stood to his full height in the small van, and silently opened the back door, jumping out to stretch and get some fresh air, but having no intent on leaving.

Jackson looked up at the moon, reminiscing on the past night, when something clicked inside of him. He felt a painful shiver run up his spine, and then a torturous spike in his neck. His hand shot for the body part, and gasped when he get something other than skin beneath his touch... scales.

He pulled his hand to his eyesight, examining the bone crushing claws erupting from his cuticles. His teeth felt like each one was being pried from his mouth individually, and shook his head violently as a set of canines replaced his molars.

He fell to the dirt in agony, calling out in pain. Scales bursted across his body, and he listened as the van's door opened, and Annie's heartbeat followed. He turned to tell her to leave, when everything went black.

Annie watched in horror as Jackson morphed into the Kanima. He looked to be in so much pain, when suddenly, he stood completely still. His tail swirled around his legs, and his entire body was covered in scales. What stood in front of her was no longer Jackson... it was the Kanima.

Annie held her breath, clutching her jacket closer to her body as Stiles came around from his temporary sleeping spot on a nearby rock, stumbling backwards when he saw the site, "Oh, my god."

Annie stared at the Kanima, taking a risk and stepping forward with her hands out, "Jackson, please--"

At the sound of his name, the Kanima retreated towards the cliff, swinging its tail and cutting a long slice across Annie's forearm. She cringed in pain, but continued to watch as Jackson jumped from the cliff and started climbing down the steep cutoff, sprinting towards the populated city below.

Annie turned to Stiles, who was already knocking on Allison's car window where Scott was sleeping, sighing and looking from Annie back to the couple, "You might want to see this."

Allison and Scott sprinted from the car, over to Annie who was holding her bleeding arm and looking into the empty van. Annie shook her head, "It's my fault... It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault," Scott shook his head. "Whoever is controlling the Kanima, they did this. Not Jackson."

Annie leaned into Allison's embrace, sighing, "I have to tell my dad," she couldn't believe the words coming from her mouth. Annie shook her head, repeating, "I have to tell him, Scott. He might kill someone."

"Okay," Scott nodded. "Tell him everything."

Stiles tucked in his lips, sighing, "Scott, I gotta tell mine, too."

Scott looked out at the moon, "... This is all my fault."

Allison moved from her cousin to her boyfriend, placing her hand in his, "It's not. But we have to tell them. We're just a bunch of teenagers. We can't handle this."

Scott nodded, "You're right."

"How you gonna make your dad believe all this?" Annie turned to Stiles, still clutching her bleeding arm.

Stiles shook his head, "I don't know."

Scott turned to Stiles, Annie, and Allison, his eyes glowing their fluorescent yellow, "He'll believe me."

* * *

Annie and Allison both walked into Allison's house, deciding it might be easier to wait until morning to tell their parents everything. The events after tonight left them both speechless, so when they entered Allison's room and saw a figure sitting at her bed, the only sounds were gasps of fright.

Annie quickly flipped the light on, and grasped her heart when she saw who the intruder was, "You scared the hell outta us," she threw a shoe at Lydia.

"I've been sitting here for hours, waiting for you two," Lydia fumed, dodging the shoe.

Allison, unamused by her friend being at her house at 3:00 AM, shook her head, "We can't hang out right now, Lydia."

Lydia sighed, "I don't need anyone to hang out with. I need someone to talk to."

Annie pinched the bridge of her nose, "I-I understand that it's important, but if it can just wait --"

"Why is everyone always telling me to wait? Why can't anyone have 'right now' available?" Lydia complained.

"Because you can't have everything right now!" Annie yelled, but immediately shrunk back, realizing what time it was. She whisper-yelled instead, "You know what I need? I need someone to translate five pages of archaic Latin. Obviously, that's not gonna happen anytime soon."

Lydia shrugged, "I know Archaic Latin."

Allison raised her eyebrows, "You know Archaic Latin?"

Lydia sighed, "I got bored with Classical Latin."

"Just how smart are you," Annie scoffed, a smile growing on her face.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Just show me the pages."

* * *

Stiles and Scott walked into the Sheriff's Station, ready to come clean to Stiles's father. It was going to be rocky and confusing, but he thinks his dad will be able to take it... hopefully.

Regardless of how well he might take it, they were telling him. The dynamic duo walked up to the front desk, and Stiles pointed towards the back of the department, gloom written all over his face along with Scott's, "Could you buzz us in? I gotta see my dad."

Scott and Stiles waited for the buzzing of the door, and when it finally chirped, they pulled it open. The two walked slowly down the green-painted hallway, and into the doorway of his father's office, where they stopped to be met with a sight that made their eyes go wide.

Jackson sat in one of the chairs, a Beacon Hills Police Department jacket hanging over his shoulders with a bastard smirk plastered across his face. He wasn't in control, his emotions were no longer his. The Kanima had taken over.

"Scott, Stiles. Perfect timing," Sheriff Stilinski said in a sing-song voice. His pitch immediately falling, "Have you met Jackson's father, Mr. David Whittemore? Esquire."

Jackson turned to them, smirking, "That means lawyer."

* * *

Allison and Annie had wide eyes as Lydia read them the passage. The cousin looked over at Annie, then back to Lydia, "Are you sure? Ms. Morrell said that word means 'friend.' 'The Kanima seeks a friend.'"

Lydia shrugged, standing up, "She was wrong, it means 'Master.'"

"The Kanima seeks a Master..." Annie repeated, unable to comprehend the words.

"Why? Is that important?" Lydia asked, flopping down on Allison's bed and looking at her nails.

"Yeah," Annie said aloud. Then whispered to only herself and Allison, "Someone's not protecting him," she paused...

"Someone's controlling him."
_______________________________

Author's Note: short update. Shoot me.

PEW PEW!

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