Things We Never Saw Coming

Lexington

Sunday, 11pm

         “You sure you don’t want me to stay and help you clear up?” Isaac bounced nervously on his heels, watching Stiles wipe down the counter of the bar. Derek had been forced to duck out of work early for some unknown reason that probably had to do with his argument with Erica, and had undoubtedly instructed his Betas to keep an eye on Stiles.

         “I’m fine, Isaac,” Stiles assured him for the tenth time. “There’s seriously no need to worry about me. I’ll be alright here on my own. Now go home and get some sleep—you’ve had one crazy night.”

         Isaac smirked a little and nodded. “I’ll see you later, Stiles,” he said, strolling lazily to the door. “You should really convince Derek to let you come over for Lasagna Night with the pack some time, okay?”

         Stiles snorted with laughter at the thought of all the werewolves eating lasagna on the full moon and nodded. “I’ll bug him about it when I get home. Night, Isaac.” He watched the door click shut behind him and sighed. It had been one crazy night—another fight had broken out in the club, Isaac had nearly broken something when a very enthusiastic and drunk crowd of girls had mobbed him when he came out of the bathroom, and Derek had left mysteriously before his shift was over without explaining what was wrong. Stiles worried over Derek’s disappearance the most—he’d barely spoken with Derek since the previous night when he’d confessed his past with Kate.

         Something scraped across the tiled floor of the club, making Stiles’ head jerk up at the sound. He looked around, but the club was empty. “Hello?” he called warily, straining his eyes as he squinted into the dark corners of the room.

         Something hissed, and Stiles’ eyes latched onto the slowly oscillating head of a reptile. He covered his mouth to stop himself from shouting as his heart leapt into his throat. The thing was easily the size of a human, with deep emerald scales and a long, narrow tail that traced the ground behind it with slow, precise movements. Its yellow eyes watched Stiles with hungry curiosity, and it took a slow step into the light.

         Stiles didn’t wait for further invitation. He vaulted over the counter of the bar and hurled himself down the hallway. He could hear the creature shattering glasses as it leapt towards where he’d been a moment before, its keening scream echoing in his ears. He slid into the storage room and slammed the door shut, pulling the latch down and locking the door. He heard the creature hit the door, and felt the vibrations in his bones as it tried to break through.

         Stiles ran to the corner where he kept his bag, digging through it with trembling hands. His fingers latched around the object he sought, and he cautiously pulled out a small black gun. His father had given it to him when the murders had begun—should the need arise, he wanted his son to be safe. Stiles had laughed off his father’s request to carry a gun with him, but he was reassured by the cold metal against his fingertips now. He loaded the gun and held it pointed at the door while he pulled out his phone with his free hand.

         The phone only rang twice before Derek picked up. “Pizza’s getting cold,” he said, his voice light and cheerful. “Where are you?”

         “I’m at the club,” Stiles hissed, shocked at how uneven his voice sounded. “Derek, there’s something in here with me… it’s not human, it’s like a giant lizard thing. I locked myself in the storage room, but I don’t know how long the door’s going to last.” The creature hit the door again, and Stiles could see the metal starting to distort. “I’m scared, Derek, okay? I don’t know what else to do.”

         “I’m coming,” Derek said, his voice dropping into a growl. “Just stay where you are, got it? I’ll be there soon.”

         Stiles dropped his phone back in his bag and held the gun with both hands. The pounding seemed to have stopped, but that didn’t mean the thing was gone. Stiles moved slowly towards the door, hoping to hear it moving around in the hall. Instead, he heard a slow, heavy rattling sound in the ceiling. He looked up and saw the creature watching him through the openings of the air vent. He held his breath, pointed his gun at the ceiling, and fired.