𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 - ᴛᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴏʟꜰ

iv.

𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗𝗡'𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙 the nagging thoughts about the Kanima. Why did it spare her and Stiles while brutally ending the life of the mechanic? It lingered in her mind like an unsolved riddle.

Derek, suspecting Jackson to be the Kanima, sent Erica to fetch him. Seated together, Derek and Harley awaited Erica's return. As she descended the stairs, Derek cut to the chase. "What happened to you the night of the full moon?"

Jackson's response was swift. "What? Nothing, nothing happened."

Harley, shooting a skeptical glance at him, chimed in, "You're lying."

Caught off guard, Jackson stammered, "No wait, no wait I can... I can prove it."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "You taped yourself." Isaac burst into laughter.

Trying to maintain composure, Harley asked, "You taped yourself? Seriously?"

"Yes, it was the full moon, and while you were whining in a corner about your parents, I was preparing for the so-called gift. The big bad alpha promised me. And what do I get? Nothing," Jackson grumbled.

"Want proof? Let me get the video," he suggested.

"No. No, I have a better idea," Derek interjected, holding a glass containing Kanima venom. "You know Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake," he remarked with a smile. "And everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom," he added, bringing the glass to his mouth while Isaac held it open.

As Jackson lay paralyzed on the floor, Derek stated, "You're still a snake, Jackson."

"Just not the one we were looking for," Harley concluded. The revelation left an eerie silence hanging in the room, pondering the mysteries that surrounded them.

...

In the dimly lit subway, Erica, Isaac, and Harley found themselves in an unexpected moment of camaraderie. Seated together, Isaac broke the silence, "So what was the thing Jackson said about your parents? You got a shitty family too? That's why you're living with Derek?"