Gasoline • Martin.

11

Nate was quick to warn his dad about his discovery, or better yet the sighting of the predator, omitting all the details of what happened that day. He was ordered to go follow the Kanima while the reinforcements arrived. Which didn't take much.

All tires screeched as they halted and the hunters got out firing their guns at the creature. It did some good as the creature went down. Chris Argent scanned his surroundings for any more threats and turn to his son, nodding his head. They walked around, taking different sides of the Kanima and searched for any intruder.

Hissing brought them back to reality and the Argents turned around just as the Kanima stood up. Chris went to shoot but he was out of bullets, just as Nate was. The creature took their distraction to kick Nate on the chest and sent him to the ground, smacking his head against the ground. His vision blurred so he couldn't see where the Kanima went to next.

He could see blurs in front of the car lights but nothing much. He blinked trying to focus his eyesight but things were not working in his favor. After a minute he was back to normal and sitting in the back of his dad's car with his grandfather, his clack SUV forgotten at the previous spot.

Apparently while they were knocked out and in route, something happened in one of the gay clubs of Beacon Hills. Chris Argent entered his car and informed them about the situations. "Seven paralyzed. The rumor is drugs. Probably hallucinogens, since witnesses say they saw a demonic monster on the dance floor."

"Now, who could believe something like that?" Gerard mocked. "You know what I'm having trouble believing? How you just stood there while that thing circled you and did nothing. You want to explain that to me?" Oh, so grandpa and Jackson were standing in front of the lights.

"Intuition." Was Gerard's only response. "Then you know what it is," Chris stated. "I have a suspicion and if I'm right, it plays by certain rules. Rules that don't bend easily." The older Argent took his pills and swallowed them quickly. "Do we need to put hold on Derek to figure this thing out?" Chris asked.

Nate was dying to tell them what he knew but he was certain they were going to ask a lot of questions and he didn't want to deal with that. "Not necessarily. Tonight's the first time you had a glimpse of him since Kate died, am I right?"

"Unfortunately," Chris replied bitterly. "And the only other tie we have to him is Isaac Lahey," Gerard said. "What are you thinking, grandpa?" Nate piped in, wanting to feel included in whatever plans they have going. "That if this thing bothers Derek enough to bring him out of his little hole, then we might have an opportunity."

Nate went through his words in his head and to recent discoveries made, it did have sense Derek was bothered by Jackson's new night creature form. "What did I teach you is the best way to eliminate a threat?" Nate didn't know who Gerard was talking to, assuming it was his father, so he keep quiet even when he knew the answer. Fortunately for him, Chris answered.

"Get someone to do it for you."

•••

"I need you to keep an even closer eye on Allison and Scott McCall," Gerard said as soon as Nate entered his office. Nate furrowed his eyebrows at that. This is still going on? Nate nodded, nonetheless, not wanting to anger his grandfather. "They may know something about Jackson Whittmore and his sudden disappearance from school."

Nate gulped at the name. He was feeling guilty for hiding the information to his grandfather, his mentor, but he had to. He just needed a little more time to figure everything out. "Okay, I'll get closer to them one way or another. Not that I need to with you installing cameras all around school."

Gerard nodded, signaling Nate that the conversation was over and he was allowed to go now. The raven haired boy did as he was told and picked his back pack and exited the office. He walked the hallways of Beacon Hills High School with an objective in mind, one that wasn't completed.

For some reason, neither Scoot nor Allison, not even Stiles Stilinski were at school at that moment, and that was worrisome. He, however, found his mother being a substitute teachers in one of the classes and told him they were in her class just time before. He nodded and left the company of Victoria Argent and to his next class.

The rest of his day was pretty boring and uneventful. Classes to attend, people to ignore and loathe and waiting to get home to do something productive. It wasn't until he got home and started working on his homework that things for him changed.

The doorbell rang, making him groan. He was the only person home at the moment and that gave him peace and quiet. Except for this intruder ringing his doorbell. He threw his pencil on top of his notebook and pushed himself up the bed and down the stairs. He was ready to scare away the person when he noticed who it was.

Lydia Martin.

"Lydia. What are you doing here?" He asked as he opened the door fully, allowing her to come inside. "Is Allison here? I need to talk to her." Nate shook his head in denial. "I'm sorry. She's not back yet."

It seemed that Lydia's mood dropped even more after that. Something was up with her but Nate didn't want to intrude. "I didn't see her all day at school and now she's not here. What is going on." Her voice was a whisper, impossible to hear if you weren't paying attention.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one that's being evaded. I haven't seen her since breakfast this morning." Lydia forced a smile at his words, before continuing sulking. "You're welcome to wait up in her room until she gets home, if you want."

Lydia nodded shyly and went up the stairs. Nate contemplated stopping her and asking what's wrong but he decided not to. Sure, they had talked before and were acquaintances but they were not friends. He was sure she wanted a friend to talk to, not some boy who was meddling in her life.

He walked upstairs and back to his room, shutting the door behind him and getting back to work, paying close attention when his sister got back home. Which she did, about an hour later. He didn't want to interrupt their girl talk, which was important, considering how Lydia looked, so he just went back to reading one of his books.