Secrets

Before you know it

"Do we really need to go back, I mean, what's another week?" Stiles stammered, he and his sister's stares burned at the school with anticipation, almost expecting something to just burst out the doors and attack. Stiles hadn't even taken his hands off the wheel of his beloved blue jeep that was being held together with duct tape and breaking down almost constantly.

"No, no more missing out on things." Emma spoke quietly under the gusts of wind swirling outside, not sounding confident in her response. Her eyes were stuck to the front of the school, eyeing up the red bricks and the slightly littered path leading towards the familiar doors. She was taken back to three weeks ago, when she had been walking out of those very doors before being kidnapped by Kate Argent for collateral to try and capture her then boyfriend, Liam Dunbar. The beta of true alpha, Scott McCall.

Emma pulled her gaze away from the school and down towards her knees, shutting her eyes shut and discretely shaking her head

"It will be fine" she sighed, unsure whether she was trying to reassure Stiles, or herself.

"Emma-" Stiles started.

"We'll go in, see our friends, catch up on at least a week's worth of missed work, then we can leave. It will be fine." Emma repeated, gripping her bag before turning to face Stiles for the first time, who responded with a look of concern, before switching to more of an 'okay, I'll go along with your fake agility' expression.

Just before Stiles uttered his response, the pack emerged from behind a corner and started heading towards the car.

"Alright, I'm good if you're good." He grabbed his backpack and hurried to join Emma, already exiting the truck.

Emma ran at Mason, greeting him with a tight hug, while accidentally meeting eyes awkwardly with Liam.
"Hey, Liam."
He replied with a half smile and small nod, before looking down at his untied shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.
She couldn't blame him, because even though she believed breaking up was the best thing to do, to avoid anything like 'the Kate situation' happening again, maybe it was a mistake, after all, he did come save her.
No, Emma stopped her running thoughts, she had already thought about this, over and over again. Nobody should ever be willing to die for her, not when that was an almost daily possibility in their lives.

"We were waiting for you guys round the side for like, 20 minutes." Lydia joined "come on, we don't want late arrival added to the list of reasons why we should spend eternity in detention."

The group walked into school, all checking up on eachother, and exchanging a very miniscule number of giggles before going their separate ways to their classes. Mason, Liam and Emma one way, and Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Malia the other.

Just as Emma was starting to fall asleep to the sound of what seemed like an excessive explanation of the circulatory system, the bell jumped her from her seat.

"You good?" Mason questioned, half concerned, half laughing.

"Oh, yeah, I think I just need to go home and take a nap." Emma huffed, dragging herself off the seat.

"Well I'm pretty sure you still have a few more hours before you can do that." Mason smiled, nodding his head at the clock at the front of the room.

Emma quickly raised her head to it, only to drop it just as fast when she realized he was right. She let out an exasperated groan.
"Alright, Mason, save me a seat with the others, I'm taking a toilet break."

Emma stared at herself in the square mirror against the depressing blue tiles of the girls bathroom; skin pale, and large bags beneath her heavy black eyeshadow.
She sighed, remembering the sleepless nights she's been having, it's been that way for a while, but worse as of late. She hasn't gone a night without at least one nightmare since she was attacked by Scott a year ago, before he could control his shift. She placed her hand lightly against her stomach, thinking of the large scar it gave her.

Emma bowed her head over the sink as she patted cold tap water against her neck and rested her eyes shut. She let out a long breath, reminding herself that things were okay. Enjoy this peace, enjoy this silence, it will be gone before you know it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the grasp of two cold hands on her neck, reaching from behind.
She flung her head up and eyes open in surprise, only to cause the mystery claws to dig slightly in the sides of her neck.
She let out a painful yelp before being shoved into one of the stalls, finally being turned onto her back as her attacker moved his hands to cover the entirety of her throat, grip hardening.
She didn't recognise him, but he looked like any other student, well, minus the purple eyes and sharp teeth. His teeth were different to the ones she'd seen on Scott or the Hale's, every single one of his top teeth pointed down in an uneven pattern.

Emma squirmed beneath him, legs kicking, hands grabbing his, but standing no chance against the strength of whatever he was. Her head spun as she choked and tried to scream out, but only managed to cough and sputter.
But just as she felt her limbs start to weaken, the unknown beast that was once pinning her down, now lay beside her, unconscious.

As much as she wanted to see who had just saved her, she didn't yet even want to attempt to raise her head. So, assuming it must've been Scott, or another member of the pack, she let her body rest momentarily on the cold tile, eyes closed as she let out continuous heavy breaths of relief.