Grievances (Book Three Of Hale Wolves For Teen Wolf :))

Ch. 18: Riddled

Scott had called Derek and me to tell us about Stiles being missing, and I stood on the top of the hospital roof, walking closer to Derek when Scott and Isaac were running onto the roof.

"He's not here," I told them. "Not anymore."

"You mean the whole building?" Scott asked.

"Gone," I answered.

"I'll go tell Stilinski," Isaac said.

Scott turned to face him. "And see if you can find Allison. She's not answering her phone."

Isaac went to go do as told as Scott came to stand on the other side of me.

"Notice how strong the scent is up here?" Derek asked, and Scott nodded. "Ever hear of chemo signals?" Scott shook his head. "Chemical signals that communicate emotion. And just out sweat can give off anger, fear, disgust."

"Take a deep breath and tell me what you feel," I told Scott.

Scott closed his eyes, inhaling deeply before opening his eyes again. "Stress "

"And anxiety," Derek said.

"What was he doing up here?"

"I don't know," I said. "But there was definitely some kind of a struggle."

"With who?"

"Himself."

*

They'd found Stiles in a coyote den, and Aiden, Derek and I were jump starting his Jeep now.

The engine started then stopped, Aiden getting out of the Jeep as he walked toward us. "So, you guys think he was just sleepwalking or is there something more?"

"In this town, it's always something more," Derek said as he walked toward our car and me with the jumper cables

He started to hand them to me, and I took them as Aiden asked, "What if I told you I know something more? I kind of overheard.  . . Well, I listened in on Stiles talking to Scott. How he thinks he's the one that wrote that message in the chemistry room. The message telling Barrow to kill Kira."

"You think Stiles, skinny, defenseless Stiles is the Nogitsune?" I asked, practically mocking him in less words. "A powerful, dark spirit?"

"I'm not the only one thinking it. I'm just the only one saying it."

"This thing wants to possess someone, and it chooses Stiles?" I asked. "Why not take someone bigger, stronger? Someone with a little more . . . " I trailed off, thinking of the only place it could've jumped into Stiles, when Barrow tried to kill Kira at the power station. "Power."

I looked down, pressing the jumper cables together, making them spark.

Kira.

*

The next day, I was actually in the school building, but not for class, watching Kira try to call to Scott down the hall. "Hey, Scott!"

Scott didn't answer, just continued on.

"He's a little preoccupied," I said, looking down the hall to Scott as he walked away. I looked back at Kira. "But I can help you."

Kira turned to look at me. "Why would you want to help me?"

"Because I want you to tell me everything that happened at the power station with William Barrow," I answered. "Actually, I want you to show me."

*

Kira stood behind me as I walked through the power station, the fences, the lights barely even lighting the way.

"It was around here, I think," Kira said. "But everything looks kind of the same now."