Once in a Lifetime

15

Scott's eyebrows raised in surprise. "That guy wanted to be a cop?"

Tabitha pursed her lips. "Well, perhaps he'll change his mind now that he's getting the full law enforcement experience."

They left the station and Roscoe's engine started to sputter. Tabitha sighed, irritated, as Stiles kept trying to turn the key. He noticed Scott looking at him in concern. "It's anxiety."

"What is?" Scott questioned. "The chemosignals?"

Stiles nodded sarcastically. "Oh, I'm well aware of how you all monitor my emotional state. I'm sure you've been monitoring Tabi's as well."

"You okay?" Scott asked and Stiles nodded. "All right."

Stiles pulled up a picture on his phone. "I got this from Braeden a few hours ago. That's the first real bit of information we've gotten on the Desert Wolf in months."

"The Desert Wolf did this?" Scott asked.

"Yeah," Stiles confirmed. "And I'm the one who's been pulling on this thread."

Tabitha let out a sigh. "You're curious. It's who you are. And I love you for it."

"Maybe you two should stop," Scott suggested.

Tabitha shook her head. "He can't, Scott. It's not up to us." She turned to Stiles. "Try the ignition."

Stiles did so and the engine purred.

They drove to the scene of a murder and caught the eye of the sheriff. "Boys. Tabitha. Scott, you saw this kid, Donovan. He... He wasn't like you, right?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't think so. Unless he knows how to hide his scent."

The sheriff sighed as he pursed his lips. "Well, human or otherwise, this kid might have just murdered his lawyer and mortally wounded two officers. We've got an APB out on him, but you think you can find him faster?"

"I can try."

Sheriff Stilinski nodded and handed Scott a walkie talkie. "All right. Keep it on channel two."

Tabitha chose to stay back with Stiles who asked, "Dad, what if it wasn't Donovan?"

The sheriff raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you've already got a theory?"

Tabitha noticed Theo standing above everything on a bridge support.

Stiles, who'd also noticed Theo, nodded. "Yeah, I think I do."

They heard screaming moments later from the radio and the sheriff said, "Scott, is that you?"

"Yeah, I found Donovan. He's completely freaked out. He keeps saying some name."

"What name?"

"Theo," Stiles whispered.

"Tracy. He keeps saying Tracy."

"Tracy who?" Sheriff Stilinski wondered.

"Stewart. Tracy Stewart," Lydia and Tabitha told him.

The next day at school, the pack was standing between the buses as Lydia explained Tracy's situation. "Tracy wasn't just having trouble sleeping. It was a real disorder. It was night terrors."

"Well, now she's the night terror," Stiles said. "Especially since no one can find her."

"Okay, I know we're all tired and miserable..." Scott began, looking at his friends before catching Mason's eye. "Except for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mason apologized. "This is all just mind-blowing." His eyes trailed down the line of teens before focusing on Kira. "You're a kitsune. I don't even know what that is."