chapter five

[ season 2 | episode 2 ]
[ shape shifted ]

SITTING ON THE BENCH JUST OUTSIDE OF THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, Marlowe thought about the past month. She learned that Scott McCall was a werewolf, was bit by a psycho alpha, recruited into said psycho's nephew's pack, roped into drama with Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall, and now sent to the principal's office.

She sat next to dumb, Stiles Stilinski, and dumber, Scott McCall. Perfect. Holding in a groan, she shouldered the former, still seething at his stupid plan. Lord, if her grandmother heard of this, she would lose her shit.

          A ball of anxiety formed in her stomach, overpowering the old feeling of hunger and anger, making her foot tap incessantly on the tile and teeth sink into her nails. She blew out a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut. The poor girl never really did well when it came to getting into trouble. She avoided it at all costs, especially after spending five years in the Barley household. Somehow, though, trouble always seemed to find her.

Smelling her anxiety, Scott nudged the girl. Her head swung forward, eyes wide and lips pursed, before she relaxed at his face. You okay? he mouthed, concern etched into the crease between his eyebrows and folds at the corners of his mouth, which was twisted into a frown. She nodded, knowing full well he could sense the lie as her heart skipped a beat.

          Instead of focusing on the knot in her stomach, she listened for either the sheriff or Jackson's voices. Her ears picked up Noah Stilinski's, her stomach filling with lead at his words. "Wait, so you're telling me that you knew Isaac's father was hitting him?"

          Anger pulsed in her veins, making the lead bubble up and beg to be released. Jackson knew? He knew and he never told anyone, never offered help. Hell, he knew and he still picked on his teammate for being so submissive. Holding her hands in a clenched fist, she felt the tip of claws pierce her skin. Alpha. Beta. Omega. Alpha. Beta. Omega. Alpha Beta Omega Alpha Beta Omega AlphaBetaOmegaAlphaBetaOmegaAlphaBeta—

"Hitting him? He was kicking the crap out of him." Taking a deep, steady breath, she focused on the twinge of pain that her claws brought, letting it anchor her to her humanity. Jackass Shittemore definitely deserved the nickname.

She heard a deep sigh. "Did you ever say anything to anyone? A teacher, parents, anyone?"

"Nope. It's not my problem."

With her mouth gaping, she felt an overwhelming urge to beat the shit out of Jackson fill her entire body. The boy definitely deserved it. Isaac could've been rescued from that situation years ago if he'd just told someone what he was hearing. Told someone that his classmate was being abused.

A scoff. "No, no, of course not." Noah Stilinski took a pause before continuing on; "You know, it's funny that the kids getting beaten up are always the ones who least deserve it."

The statement settled into her bones, making her thoughts run. She didn't think she deserved the abuse, nobody ever truly did, but she did constantly blame herself. Or say that she did, in fact, deserve it. Whenever she acted out or disobeyed, she could hear Helena's squeaky screech whispering in her ear, You should've died. You're worthless. You deserve all the pain. Feel it, Marlowe.

"Yeah." Jackson paused, noticing the implication of the words. "Wait, what?"

"I think we're done here."

As soon as the door swung open, Stiles brought a magazine to his face, sliding down in his chair and burying his nose in it. The sheriff wasn't stupid, the town chose him as sheriff for a reason, but simply stared at his son in what looked like despair. Scott and Marley stared up at him, tight smiles on their lips.

Noah nodded his head. "Hi, Scott. Marlowe." She didn't question how he knew her name, nor did she linger on the small fact, and nodded back instead.

Sitting to her left, Scott hummed in response while she actually replied. "Hey, Mr. Stilinski." The two officers leave without another glance, Stilinski looking somewhat disappointed and the other looking annoyed.

None of them notice the door opening again, another figure stepping out. "Boys. Miss." Looking at the man, the first thing she noticed was the black, formal suit, eyes trailing up to find Gerard Argent's face smiling down on her. "Come on in."

Okay, one, what the hell happened to their old principal, and, two, why the hell was the Argent patron taking his place?

          The office felt stuffy, particles of dust floating around and two arm chairs sitting just behind the wooden desk. Looking around, Marley noticed a desk with a printer and plastic chair, a small bookshelf in the corner, and a small corner-indent with two more doors. She didn't really like the profession yet cluttered style of it.

          Gerard Argent stood before the three teenagers, his hands folded at his waist. "Take a seat. Oh, you can pull one up from that corner table."

          Before she could make a move, Scott pulled the chair up himself, offering the cushioned arm-chair to her. With a tight-lipped grin and respectful nod, she took it. He put his chair in between her and Stiles, squished against the two bigger chairs.

          "Scott McCall." Gerard's untimely words made her jump, her eyes wide and quickly moving to him. He sat in his chair with a yellow file in his hands. "Academically not the most accomplished but I see you have become quite the star athlete." The teen-wolf squirmed at the attention.

          "Mr. Stilinski." Marley's head swiveled to him, irises taking in his slumped figure and reddened cheeks. "Oh, perfect grades but little to no extracurriculares. Maybe you should try lacrosse." A snort brought all of the attention onto her, rose blossoming along her neck, face, and chest. Mumbling an apology, she shrunk back into her seat.

          "Oh, actually I'm already—" Stiles began to sit up before Gerard's eyes cutting to her basically silenced him.

          His smile showed a row of small, off-white teeth. "Last but not least, Marlowe St. Claire. I see you're also on the lacrosse team and hold up pretty good grades. And, if I remember correctly, you've got a lot of publicity in the neighboring towns. With the mauling and house-fire." Her stomach clenched, jaw squeezing. "Quite a bit of trauma for such a young, talented girl."

          "Oh, uh, thanks." It was hesitant, nearing a rejection, but seemed to please the man.

          Stiles shifted again. "Like I was—"

          "Hold on." Mr. Argent's finger shot up, eyes moving back to the Latino between the two. "McCall. You're the Scott that was dating my granddaughter."

          Tension thickened, almost palpable between the quartet. She knew the topic of Scott and Allison dating was probably a tender one, especially because they were still dating without permission. Almost in sync, all of the classmates gulped.

"We were dating but not anymore. Nor dating, not seeing any of each other, or doing anything with each other... At all." His eyes squeezed shut for a moment while he was probably cursing himself out mentally. Hell, Marley knew she would. He'd basically done the number one don't do of lying. Don't over-explain.

"Relax, Scott, you look like you're about to crack a cyanide pill with your teeth." Quite the weird analogy for a completely average and normal principal.

Scott shifted, barely glancing at her before continuing. "Just a hard breakup."

"Oh, that's too bad. You seem like a pretty nice kid to me. Now, listen, guys. Yes, I am the principal, but I really don't want you to think of me as the enemy." Mr. Argent folded his hands in his lap, a perfect facade of genuinity and concern masking his face. It took her a moment to recognize the man who'd chopped a lone wolf in half last night.

Stiles, before anyone could stop him, made his usual retort. "Heh, is that so?" She desperately wanted to face palm in that moment.

"However," here's when the punishment began, "because it is my first day, I do need to support my teachers. So, unfortunately, someone is going to have to take the fall and stay behind for detention." Deciding that she wouldn't go down for something that the Stilinski boy did, she pointed her eyes towards him, Scott following her lead. Soon enough, six eyes were trained on the boy fidgeting with his nails.

Stiles looked up, eyebrows raised and mouth set in a frown. He turned his head to Gerard, Scott, and finally Marlowe, surprised to find everybody staring back. His mouth gaped, closing and opening every few seconds. Yeah, the chances of him getting out of this one seemed very, very slim.

After a few more seconds, Gerard dismissed Marley and Scott, keeping the culprit behind for a few more questions. They got up, put the plastic chair back, and left the office simultaneously. And as soon as they walked out of the yellow, wooden door, Scott's hand wrapped around her wrist, sending a shock through her entire body like lightning, and pulled her towards the small staircase.

They ran towards the exit, backpacks slamming against their backs and legs taking long strides. Scott got to the blue doors first and shoved one open, getting enough time to meet eyes with Isaac and watch him be driven away in the back of a police car.

          Emerging from the cursed school building, she nearly scream as Mar watched a member of her pack leave the parking lot. The lead in her stomach bubbled up, rising into her throat and turning into bile. She clutched at her abdomen, nausea making her curl over. Running over to the bushes, she let it out, seeing nothing but small pieces of granola and stomach acid.

          Scott lurched, stuck between turning away and comforting her. After thinking about her rough exterior, he decided to back up and look away from her.

          A deep burn took over her throat, the acid tearing away at her esophagus; it left her with cold tears and a raspy wheeze, the pain bringing her to the edge of humanity. "Thank you," she rasped.

"Um, for what?" At her incredulous look, he scratched the back of his neck and stammered a bit. "I mean, you're welcome, I guess. But uh—" She rolled her eyes, swallowing a sarcastic retort.

Straightening out, Marley wiped some spit from her chin. "For just leaving me alone. Most people would've tried to help."

          "Oh, um—" He was interrupted by a jet black car pulling up, the window rolling down to reveal a somewhat annoyed Derek Hale. One hand rested lazily on the steering wheel, a leather jacket adorning his arm, and a pair of sunglasses shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.

"Get in. Both of you." She didn't even hesitate, running down the steps and hopping into the passenger seat.

It took her a moment to realize Scott wasn't right behind her. "Are you serious?" He pointed to the fading cop car. "You did that. That's your fault."

Sucking in a sharp breath, her eyes flitted between her alpha and her classmate. She didn't like arguments, she didn't like disagreements, and she didn't like choosing sides. Derek's head hung low, irises averted. "I know that. Now get in the car, and help me."

"No, I got a better idea. I'm gonna call a lawyer," Scott yelled, descending the steps. "Because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon goes up."

"Not when they do a real search of the house." Uncertainty hung in the air between the three of them, Derek fighting to convince Scott, Scott not wanting to trust the guy who bit the kid, and Marley just drowning in her sheer anxiety.

"What do you mean?"

The alpha was quiet for a couple seconds, each one making her nerves multiply. "Whatever Jackson said to the cops... what's in the house is worse." How much worse could it get? Almost as if he could read her thoughts, he said, "A lot worse."

Swinging the door open, she stepped out to let herself climb into the back seat. Because his car was so small, there were only two doors, meaning she'd have to climb over the passenger seat to reach the back. Both boys sent her a weird look before the realization slowly donned on them. She rolled her eyes.

Scott clambered in after her, mumbling a string of insults under his breath. Immediately after the door shut, Derek sped towards the road, his jerky movements sending glaciers of panic through her. She understood that experienced drivers didn't exactly need to be so cautious but lord did it terrify her. Gripping onto her Oh-Shit handle, she tried swallowing the lump in her throat.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Scott finally decided to speak. "Why Isaac? What was so special about him?"

Her stomach flipped as the car curved around another sharp turn. "It doesn't matter."

          The tension in the car felt almost palpable, and Marley nearly choked on the thick air. Her hand tightened around the handle, both feet tapping incessantly on the soft floorboards. Tonight would be her first full moon, meaning Derek probably wouldn't want to take her to get Isaac. She just didn't know what he'd do with her.

          "Can you at least tell me why you're doing it?"

          She took note of the way Derek's fists turned white as they gripped the steering wheel even more fiercely, his long eyelashes fluttering as he narrowed his eyes. A wave of annoyance flushed through her body, no doubt a side effect of his emotions.

The car increased it's speed by another ten miles per hour. "No, Scott. Now stop asking questions."

          Scott groaned, his fingernails sharpening into small claws before he realized what he was doing. The full moon hadn't even come out yet and he was still slightly affected. "Why can't you—"

          "No."

          "But if you—" He tried again, a growl hiding behind his words.

          "No."

          Rolling his eyes and lightly banging his head on the headrest, he turned more towards the Hale survivor. "Please, just—"

          Both passengers flew forward as Derek slammed on the brake, Scott nearly hitting his nose on the dashboard and Marley's heart leaping into her throat. "I said no! All your doing is pissing me off, Scott."

          If it weren't for the whole brake and Isaac ordeal, she might've found their back and forth interaction humorous; almost like something from a cheesy television show. Mumbling a small "fuck," she placed a palm gingerly on her chest. She could feel her heart racing beneath her flesh, the organ pounding against its captor: the bones of her rib cage.

          It took a couple more minutes for them to pull up in front of the boarded up house, her mind comparing the new image to what she saw just last night. It looked like years had gone by, not just mere hours. Holy shit, she thought.

The trio walked inside, careful not to disturb too much of it; the last anyone needed was their fingerprints all over a crime scene. Derek passed Scott and Marley flashlights before quietly shutting the door behind them. Both teenagers flicked it on, wincing at the bright light.

"If Isaac didn't kill his father, who did?" Scott looked back at the two, his mouth slightly agape.

Studying the scene around them, Derek answered with a simple "We don't know yet." He ushered them forward, sealing their fates by stepping further into the shell of a house.

Scott ducked under some hangers. "Well then how do you know he's telling the truth?"

She wanted to roll her eyes, wanted to scream at him and curl into herself, but kept her composure instead. The boys winced as she whirled around, her flashlight shining perfectly into their eyes. "Because I was with him. Isaac did not kill his father, stop acting like he did."

"And I trust my senses." Continuing to walk, they both listened to the alpha. "It's a combination of them." She saw where this was going. "Not just your... sense of smell." The last three words held a double meaning, making Scott stop in his tracks and look back at Derek.

"You saw the lacrosse thing today." Derek confirmed the suspicion quietly while Marlowe hid a smug smirk. She knew Scott made a complete fool of himself that morning. "Did it look that bad?"

Her alpha placed a hand on his shoulder, getting ready to say something else, but she beat him to it.!"Oh, it looked worse." The retort was coupled by a snort, making both boys stare at her.

          Eventually, they came upon a door. It looked, and seemed, perfectly normal. It was the usual white door with a normal looking door knob. Except Derek stopped at it, opened it, and they stared down at a not normal and very creepy basement. "You wanna learn? Start now."

          "Okay, tone down the creepy please," she said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

          Peering down, she took note of the boxes, stench of dust, and mess. Though Mr. Lahey kept the rest of the house pretty organized, it seemed like he threw all caution to the wind when it came to the creepy basement.

          With their flashlights pointing directly into the space, Scott took a tentative step forward. A part of her wanted to scream that he was being stupid and that he should watch a few horror films. Never, ever, step into the creepy basement. That was like, the number one mistake all horror film protagonists made. They stepped into the creepy basement.

          "What's down there?" he asked, his feet soft on the wooden steps. Oh nothing, just an axe murderer waiting to chop us up.

          She was ushered behind him by Derek, the older wolf using more force than necessary. "A motive." Despite it being two words, they sent a chill down her spine, forcing her to stand pin-straight. What she saw last night made her sick to her stomach so, if this was worse than that, how sick would she feel later? And how much worse could it truly be?

          Nobody sensed her hesitation as they went down, their focus still on the basement. "Well, what am I looking for?"

          "Follow your senses." She looked back to give him a glare but met darkness instead. A darkness that seemed to swallow him, leaving her staring into a void. It took a lot of self-control to stop the sarcastic comment from leaving her lips.

          As soon as she began walking, she realized what mistake she'd made. Apparently there was another step and she didn't realize it, meaning she was sent straight into the ground. Her chin smacked against the concrete floor, her werewolf healing quickly repairing the damage. Despite it being fully healed, it still hurt like a bitch. Scott turned, his claws out and teeth bared, but met the poor sight of Marley sprawled out. Biting back a bark of laughter, he offered a hand.

          "You okay?" Ignoring his help, she pulled herself up and tried to shake away the embarrassment running through her.

          Sending a nasty glare, she frowned. "Fine." Shoving past him, she ignored the shame and fire bubbling in her stomach. "C'mon, let's keep going."

They looked through some of the belongings, eyes skimming every possible motive. "What happened down here?" Scott ruffled a plastic sheet, the wobbly sound making Marley jump.

Of course, Derek, being the cheery man he was, decided to answer with another creepy, horror film answer. "The kind of thing that leaves an impression." It sent another wave of chills along her body, making her shiver and grimace.

"Derek, could you maybe stop it with the terrifying comments? We get that you're dark and broody but I really don't wanna be the main character in a scary movie." She gulped, looking straight at the shattered mirror. The shards reminded her of the glass that had nearly blinded Isaac last night and she began to wonder how bad it truly got.

Scott bent down, his hand tracing what looked like claw marks. Both teenagers focused on the cooler in front of them, sickening realization hitting them both. Please no. Please no, no, no.

If her assumption was correct, then Isaac went through so much more than she ever did with the Barley's. With short, careful steps, they found themselves in front of the white box, hands reaching for the open lock. Scott took it in his hand, sparing her a glance. Suddenly, a light made them both jump and glare at Derek.

"Holy fu—"

He interrupted her. "Open it."

          Scott's hand tightened around the lock, pulling it from the cooler. With Marley's help, he lifted the lid up and let Derek shine the light onto it. Her throat tightened, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Claw marks covered the entire thing, some light and others bloodied.

          "Did— Did Isaac's father—" She couldn't even finish, her voice caught in her throat and covered by a big lump. Derek nodded, pity flashing in his eyes as he looked at his beta.

          "So this is why he said yes to you!" She shrunk back at Scott's raising voice, her arms holding her abdomen and back slouching. She could feel the argument between them growing, the tension in the air thickening and full moon making everyone's emotions heighten.

          Derek scoffed. "Everyone wants power."

          Even though she wanted so desperately to side with her alpha, and every nerve in her body begged for it, she disagreed. She never wanted power, just a normal life.

         "If we help you, then you have to stop." It took a lot not to correct his grammar. "You can't just go around turning people into werewolves." That was another point she kind of sided with Scott on. At the rate Derek was going, half the town would be wolves within the next three months.

          "I can if they're willing."

          Scott looked between her and him, his eyes sharpening and featured twisting into anger. Tonight wouldn't be a good night to get angry; the full moon was out and all three of them were feeling it. She was just surprised she hadn't tried to murder anyone yet. "Did you tell Isaac about the Argents? About being hunted?"

          The question intrigued her, piquing her interest. Did her pack mate know about the dangers of being supernatural? Did he understand that he might never live a normal life again? "Yes. And he still asked."

          "Then he's an idiot!" Anger surged through her, making her claws scrape through her denim and canines grow. Scott didn't get it. He'd never been abused, never known what it's like to have absolutely no power. No worth. He didn't—

          A loud voice interrupted her pure rage, calming the emotions rising in her small body. "And you're the idiot dating Argent's daughter!" At that, Scott swung his head up, his crooked jaw looking even more uneven with the action. "Yeah, I know your little secret. And if I know, how long do you think it's gonna take for them to find out?" That was true. The Argents were smart and cunning, definitely smart enough to find out about a teenaged girls secret love affair.

          "You saw what happens to an Omega. With me, you learn how to use all of your senses. With me, you learn control." Derek lifted Scott's forearm, revealing five growing claws. He was losing control. "Even on a full moon."

          Instead of taking up the offer, he jerked his hand away. "If I'm with you, I lose her." And if you're alone, you lose your lif—

          Again, Derek's voice interrupted her inner monologue. "You're gonna lose her anyway. You know that."

          Marley knew that part was definitely true. She had faith in the teen wolf but not that much. He could barely protect her from himself on the full moon, what would he do against the people who inevitably come after them? The enemies he'd make, the creatures who wanted all Argents dead. The only thing he'd be doing for her was putting her in even more danger.

          As Derek and her both began retreating into the dark, Scott called out. "Wait! I'm not part of your pack but I want him out. He's my responsibility, too." She suppressed a large urge to roll her eyes.

          "Why? Because he's one of us?" Derek sounded almost humored at the idea of it. Almost like the thought of Scott having the urge to protect him was laughable.

          Instead of focusing on the meaning hidden behind the words, the McCall boy looked at the two and tightened his lips. "Because he's innocent."

She shifted, something close to disbelief etched across her face. "Really? Innocent? Just hours ago you were hellbent on the idea that Isaac Lahey murdered his own father." Unbeknownst to her, the anger she felt wasn't her true emotion, it was the full moon sending shockwaves of passion and fury into her veins. It fueled her, filling her body with a toxicity that burned.

Her blood bubbled beneath her flesh, her chest rising and falling. She never noticed the dark room begin to glow because of her golden eyes as she continued, taking a step forward. "Y'know, you rave about how much stronger we are in a pack and then you shun Derek for wanting one? Why can't you just swallow your pride? We are trying to help—"

"Marlowe!" Derek's yell sent a shiver into her, ice freezing all of the bubbling anger. Why were her claws out? Why was she so close to Scott? Her breathing was labored, both shame and confusion crawling down her throat.

          She watched her claws crawl back under her fingernails, saw the dim golden glow fade, and felt her canines become less and less sharp. "Scott, oh my God, I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

          "No, it's— it's oka—"

Shrinking away from the boy she could've mauled, Marley followed Derek as he left the house. Once they were in the car, it was dead silent. With her hands still trembling and thoughts whispering various insults, she took to twiddling her thumbs and staring out the window.

          Finally, Derek opened his mouth to speak. She fully expected him to immediately start reprimanding her but was surprised at the soft tone of his voice and calm rhythm. "You shouldn't feel so bad." Swinging her head towards him, all she could manage was the shock lining her face. "I wouldn't have let you hurt him. And you were under influence of the full moon. That wasn't you in there."

          "But what if it was?" It was soft, a faint whisper against the silent tension inside the car. As soon as she let the words out, a crushing worry took over her entire soul, trapping it in a vice-like grip. What if that person really was her? The anger and hatred must've come from somewhere in her pent up emotions, so perhaps that was just her letting her true self free for a moment. Maybe she really was a monster.

"No, it wasn't. You haven't learned control yet, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Look, I'll chain you up when we get to the station and you'll be fine. I promise, Mar." His words did little to ease her crazed nerves. She still felt awful but something about her being safe and away from hurting anyone else made some of the awful-ness go away.

The rest of the ride was silent, Derek focusing on both of his betas and Marley trying not to tear herself down. She'd realized a while ago that she was her biggest enemy— her biggest critique.

Ushering her into the dusty station, he pulled a bundle of chains from somewhere in the darkness. If anyone else saw this out of context they'd either call the cops and run. There were two terrible explanations for the situation; neither of which coming close to the reality.

Cuffs encircled her wrists and ankles, the tightness making her feel a bit claustrophobic. With as much strength as she could muster while still trying to control her wolf, she pulled at the metal. No budge.

           Fear slid into every pore on her body, the situation truly dawning on her. She began to tug even harder on the restraints, chest heaving and mind racing. The glow of her eyes came, as did her fangs and claws, and she eventually lost herself under the influence of the moon, completely unaware of the battle happening not to far away at the sheriff's station. Oblivious to all that happened around her. Just drunk off the moon's sheer intensity.

word count: 4818

author's note

yo yo yo

hope y'all enjoyed this lil update!!
i'm currently finishing up chapter eight
so i have quite a bit prewritten. (i'm
trying to have at least three at all times and
trying to upload a chapter every week haha)

tell me what you though :')

also, i just took a the 100 plot and
i am literally so excited to write that!!!