Wonder

NEW ROOM MATE?

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you?" Ariel was startled from her daydream as Stiles Stilinski sat in front of her, slamming his tray on the lunch table for emphasis.

Ariel had been quiet all day, refusing to partake in his interrogation of her skipping brother or questions about the incident last night. She wasn't dressed in her normal graphic t shirt, jeans and smile, but in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. Her face was bare, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Stiles was sure there was something wrong, but neither McCall sibling would tell him anything.

"You didn't even get tater tots." Stiles sent a pointed look at the empty table in front of Ariel. "Even Barb is starting to think something is up." A fleeting glance in the direction of the lunch line showed an uncharacteristically happy Barb, serving helpings of meat loaf with a grin.

Ariel shrugged. "Just not hungry."

"You're always hungry." Stiles narrowed his eyes.

"Just go away, Stilinski." Ariels voice was harsh but he didn't even bat an eye.

"No thanks, this is my favorite table." He responded cheekily. When he saw the momentary flicker of amusement on Ariels face, he gained some hope. Stiles reached out, placing a hand on Ariels shoulder comfortingly. She immediately flinched away, pulling out of his grasp.

"God damn it, Stiles." She pulled a bottle of perfume out of her backpack, quickly spritzing it all over herself. Stiles stared at her, dumbfounded. In a way he thought was stealthily, he smelled himself. "You smell fine, that's not what this is about." Ariel looked around the cafeteria, paranoid. Deeming the coast as clear, she turned back to stiles. "Come on."

Ariel jumped up from the table, leaving Stiles no choice but to look longingly back at his untouched lunch and follow behind her. She slowed to a stop by the boys locker room, checking the halls before slipping inside. Stiles stayed close behind, his patience wearing thin.

When she grabbed a random practice shirt and threw it over his shoulders, he was unable to keep his frustration silent. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's so he can't smell you." Ariel sighed, moving to sit cross legged on a bench. Grumpily, stiles pulled the smelly shirt on all the way and sat in front of her. "There are so many different scents in here he won't be able to detect it."

"Who is he? What is going on?" The entire day stiles's questions had been going unanswered and he was about to rip what little hair he had out.

"My mate."

"The alpha?" Ariel winced at how loud Stiles's voice rang.

"Yes! Talk a bit lower, damn."

"Why the sudden precautions? Why do you look homeless? Why have you been so quiet today? What happened? Why-" Ariel quieted the boy by slamming the palm of her hand over his mouth.

"Okay, if I tell you, will you shut up?" Stiles nodded slowly. "Last week or so, this guy Todd harassed me at a coffee shop, trying to get me to go out with him. And last night this guy Chad got a little too handsy." Stiles's eyes widened in realization and he shook Ariels hand off of his mouth.

"The two boys who were killed." Ariel nodded.

"Derek told me mates get crazy possessive but normally after they get claimed. This means the alpha is completely batshit."

"So that's why you've been being so distant?" Stiles shook his head. "I don't flirt with you, I'm your best friend. He wouldn't go after me."

"But that's the thing, Stiles, he would. From what Derek told me, mates aren't the happy little fairytales werewolf stories make them out to be." Ariel purses her lips. "It's a vice, a curse because even if you love each other, it gets out of hand. Mates kill children of other sexes if they get too close to their partner. And with this crazy ass alpha, I don't want to take any chances."