I woke up, lifting my face out of my pillow. I could tell by the way I felt that my hair was a mess. I looked down at my pillow, seeing stuffing pouring out of the end. I pulled my hands out from under my pillow and held them up in front of me. My claws were out.

My face screwed up in confusion as I pushed my body off my mattress and sat. I pulled the covers back and revealed a shredded sheet. My clothes looked just as bad, but they had dirt on them. Then I looked at my room. My bedroom window was shattered and glass covered the floor.

Trailing from the window to the bed was a large set of animal tracks. I recognized them instantly and sighed. A throat cleared and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked in the direction of the sound, finding Aaron sitting in the corner of the room. "Some party," he said.

"There wasn't a party."

"No duh."

Parts of last night were starting to come back to me. "Ugh. The bathroom."

"I shut the valve off." He stood. "I'm afraid you'll need a pail, though."

I knew he wasn't happy. "Thanks."

"What happened?" He pointed at the floor. "Those are not wolf tracks."

"I know. They're tiger."

"Really? I had no idea." He resorts to sarcasm when he's mad or annoyed. He sighed, sounding more sympathetic. "Does Dad know?"

"This just happened. I barely know." I stood and walked to my dresser. "I don't know what's wrong with me. But I'm starting to think it has more to do with Peter than Kate."

"Why?"

"Because…" I sighed, thinking. "I think Lydia's scream caused me to shift."

"So you heard it, too." It was more a statement. But it peaked my curiosity. "Wait. You think she caused you to shift."

"Yes," I sighed with annoyance. "Now, what about the scream? Who else heard it?"

"Anyone with ears," he scoffed. "Supernatural ones especially."

"How do you know about it?"

He held up my new phone. "Scott and Stiles have been trying to call you all night. And when they couldn't get you, they called me."

"That's when you found this," I gestured to the room.

"Yep."

"Did you tell them?"

"What? Did I say, 'My cousin can't come to the phone right now because she's a tiger running around town and I have no idea where. Can I take a message?'? No. Crazy. No one knows about this."

"Good. It needs to stay that way. Ben can know because I'm down lying to him. But no one else. Got it?"

He nodded. "Of course." I turned back to my dresser. "One more thing?" I looked at him as he shoved his cell phone in my face. I sighed and pushed it back so I could see the image clearly. What he was showing me was a black and white picture of a white blur walking through a parking lot.

A shiver went up my spin. "Is that…?"

"Yep. That would be you."

"Where did you get this?"

"Stiles. Along with the cops looking for Lydia, they were swamped with calls of a large, white mountain lion roaming the streets. Some even described it as having black strips. But, thankfully, it wasn't there top priority."

"This is what I was afraid of."

"I know. Fresh meat for the Argents," he quipped. I glared at him. "Sorry," he scoffed and backed up. "I don't get it, Kit-"

"Sara," I corrected.

He sighed. "Sara – whatever. I don't understand what's happening to you. But I wish I did." He was quite for about ten seconds. "What now? Find Lydia? Lie to your friends about this?"

"I already found Lydia. And Yes, no one can know. How many times do I need to say this?"

"What do you mean you found her?"

"When I was the tiger, I found her. I…had to, I need to. Another reason why I think I'm connected to her somehow. And the only thing that connects us is Peter."

"Are you sure it's not the Nemeton trying to bring you back?" he sat on the bed.

"No, I'm not. That's where I went first. Then I had the drive to find her."

"So it told you to find her?"

"Maybe. I don't know." I looked at him. "Now, are you going to leave so I can change, or do you want to stay?" He stood and left without a word. I sighed as soon as he was gone. I ripped off my old shirt and put on a new one, then put my hair up. A drop of something black hit the bed and I froze.

I stared down at it. Then another drop hit the bed. That's when I realized it was coming from me. I put my hand to my nose, then pulled back and looked at my fingers. Black liquid laced my finger tips. I knew there was only one thing this could mean. The body produces this stuff when it's rejecting the bite, among other things.

But I knew this wasn't me rejecting something. It was someone else. I could feel it. A part of me felt glad that my old abilities were working, while the other half missed my small time of being human. But I'm me again. Though, I couldn't help but wonder, what else happened while I didn't have my powers?

But I knew for a fact, this was fresh meat. A new person was given supernatural abilities and their body doesn't want it. Which means I have one person to blame for this: Derek.

I stood outside the school, my butt leaning into the side of my car. I was parked right behind Derek's. He walked out of the school, looking around before landing on me. I've only been here less than a minute. He paused, then casually looked away as he walked down the steps and in my direction.

"How'd you find me?"

"Oh, you know." I crossed my arms. "Followed the over welling scent of power and testosterone." He stopped a foot in front of me and sighed. He knows what I'm about to say. I had to force myself to not get mad at the fact that he was disappointed I found out. "Who'd you bite?"

He looked at me. "I take it your powers are back."

"You could say that. Answer the question. Who is he and why is he rejecting the bite."

"How'd you know?" he looked confused.

I sighed. "Who, when, and why." I looked off into the distance, refusing to make eye contact. I sensed his mood change.

"Jackson, a few nights ago."

"Jackson? Are you crazy?"

"It doesn't matter. He obviously didn't take to the bite."

I rolled my eyes. "Derek, we both know that the bite turns or kills. Is Jackson dead?" It was rhetorical and he knew it. He looked away, forcing air out his nose to show that I've made him mad. Which just made me mad. "Then – obviously – the bite did take."

"Then what is he?" he asked, looking at me.

"I don't know." I got closer to him, getting up in his face. "You bit him when I was out of commission. Meaning, I have no idea what he is. For once, I'm just as clueless as you." He held the stare a few seconds longer. Then he turned and walked around to the driver's door of his car. He reached for the handle as I sighed. "Wait."

He froze, not looking at me. I walked u to his car, so I was parallel with him, and looked over the roof. "It's my job to keep track of and protect Betas, and you know that. I'm mad I wasn't kept in the loop. You said you wanted to help me. Well…how can there be anything for you to help with if I don't even know what needs to be done? I have no idea what Jackson is, so I don't know how to help him."

He looked at me. "You really think he'd accept your help?"

I sighed. "You're not getting my point-"

"No, I got the point. You want me to let you dictate who I turn and when?"

"What? No-"

"And, even if I did do that, you still wouldn't have known because you're human," he said. And there it was. I had a feeling that might be at the heart of this. He wasn't keeping his distance because Ben might find out I'm still seeing him. No, he was keeping his distance because I was human. Even though he said that didn't matter.

Something twinged in my gut the second those words left his mouth. I felt my face drop and got the sudden urge to leave. I saw the realization of what he said hit his face just as I turned and walked away. I walked to the driver's side of my car, ignoring him calling after me.

I had the door open an inch when his hand forced it closed. I huffed. "Let. Go." I spun on my heel and looked at him. I felt my eyes burn as I desperately tried to keep it held back. "Don't think I'm any more intimidated by you because you're an Alpha. I've kicked your butt once and I won't hesitate to do it again."

Hurt flashed across his face. "Are…are you afraid of me?"

I looked down. "A lot has happened, okay? I'm still processing." He stepped forward, making the motions like he wanted to hug me. I instinctively stepped back, putting my hands up to stop him. He stopped, looking more hurt and concerned. "And this is not helping, okay?"

He stepped back. "Okay," his voice was faint and I barely heard it.

"I've told you before…I'm not cut out for this. This supernatural stuff isn't for me. I didn't choose it but I'm stuck with it. What Kate did was traumatic enough, and then loosing what I didn't want in the first place? I didn't know if I should be sad or glad. I honestly didn't. And then, before I can make up my mind, they're back. Again, here I am. Stuck. With this stuff, I didn't want it. But I'm not right, something's off and I don't know what. And then there's Lydia, and this - with Jackson - and my cousin's back in town so now I have him to worry about-"

I was interrupted by Derek's lips on mine. As it turns out, it was exactly what I needed. I felt the tension in my shoulders leave as I let myself be overtaken by his kiss. Thirty seconds ago, I didn't even want him touching me. Little did I know, I should've let him.

The kiss ended when we were both satisfied. He pulled back and looked at me, his hand still holding my chin up. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should've taken your feelings into consideration. But dwelling on the past isn't something I like to do. As you know, it hasn't been very good. But I promise I'll do better."

"You're not just saying that?"

He removed his hand and straightened with a smile. "Yes. I'm sure." He looked around, and then back down at me. "But…there is one more thing you should know."

"What?"

"I love you."

His words stopped my heart for a few beats and my mouth slightly dropped open. A few seconds had passed before I realized that I should say something. I cleared my throat. "Are you sure?"

He chuckled. "Why do you have to ask?"

"Because…the last person who told me that…" - I looked him in the eyes - "he didn't mean it."

His face turned serious and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'm not that guy."

"I know," I smiled. "Because I love you, too."

I spent hours cleaning my room, taking breaks to talk to Scott and Stiles on the phone. They've both been looking for Lydia since school got out. Actually, since she went missing. But, thankfully, they're used to me disappearing without a word. So Stiles didn't grill me too hard, this time.

Ben boarded up my window and made an appointment for someone to come fix the bathroom sink. And, Aaron wasn't joking about needing a pail. There was at least three inches of water in some places. Thankfully we had a shop vac, so I could just suck it all up.

As the sun began to set, I tried to wrap up what I was doing. I wanted to head out after dark and help the others fins Lydia. But I had to get my room fixed first, in case someone were to come over. I don't need to answer any questions right now.

While I'm very happy about mine and Derek's new relationship status, and it took a weight off my shoulders I didn't know I had, it also put one on. Now that our relationship is moving forward, the amount of stuff I keep from him has to be very low. But that's not me. Lying is what I do. It's how I survive.

I sighed the problem away like I'm famous for doing and then went to put the broom away. I locked it away in it's closet and then headed back to my room. I was the only one home right now. Ben's been down at the police station helping out in any way he can. He's at a desk, because he's still healing. But he needed to help. He was starting to go crazy.

I walked past the living room. My bedroom door was practically in the living room. And the TV was mounted on the wall adjoining my room. So I heard everything. The faint echoes of a scream filled my ears. Somehow I knew that I wasn't really hearing it, that it was in my head.

"Lydia," her name crossed my lips and instantly I felt it. I was changing, shifting. I doubled back from my door, knowing what was about to happen. I ran to the double glass doors serving as our back door, my vision turning green. I flung them open just as the light encircled me. I fell to my knees on the patio, and before I even hit the ground…I was a tiger. And I was running.

I ran around the pool, jumped over the wooden fence and crashed into the pile of leaves on the other side. The leaves flew over me as I made to keep going, not wasting a second. I didn't need to see her, or have her scent, or hear her. Somehow I knew exactly where she was.

I got to my top speed of about forty miles an hour, running until I reached the place. When I finally stopped, I was deep in the woods. And so was she. Lydia was standing about twenty feet from me. I walked up to her, somehow knowing what I was doing. It was the strangest feeling. I knew what I was doing and yet I didn't.

I stopped about three feet from her. She was naked. Her hair was matted and her arms her at her side. Her eyes appeared to be glossed over, as if no one was home. But I 'knew' she was. She just needed someone to let her out. The first time I heard her scream, it was a genuine cry for help. Not just because she was frightened or didn't know what was happening. No. She was screaming for supernatural help. And the Nemeton sent me.

I opened my mouth and roared as loud as I could, feeling the significance of it as I did. The force of my roar was so strong her hair blew back and she closed her eyes. She didn't look frightened, but relieved. After all the air had left my lungs, she continued to stand there with her eyes closed.

I, too, felt good. I felt free and in control of my own body. I turned back to human, feeling good that I could tell myself to do that. I stood, fully clothed. She opened her eyes and blinked. She glanced around at the woods and then looked at me questioningly.

"Who…are you?" she asked timidly.

"Sara Grant. I've been helping the police look for you," I replied. She slowly nodded, processing. I could see her wheels turning. "I'm also a friend of Scott's. Come on. Why don't we get you home?"