Nothing Personal

Over the course of the week

The sound of batting rackets and clicks of tennis balls bouncing off the court floor echoed in the exclusive area as Madison approached the tall fence quickly. She was odd from the rest of the members who bore solid, pastel colors versus her bright green tank top and sleek black shorts with a bright yellow waistband. Her bright eyes spotted Tabitha's bright, white fashionable attire leaping up to smack down an invading tennis ball that almost reached the barrier line but her quick reflexes intercepted it and sent it flying back to an older blond who barely caught it. It rolled away only to be stopped by the chain link fence and return back to the court where the blond picked it up and bounced it off of her pink racket.

"Hello Aubrey," the brunette pitched, her emerald eyes –the ones Tabitha had inherited, among other things –caught Madison's peering face behind the chain links from under the short brimmed visor adorning the crown of her head. Tabitha paid Madison no attention as her eyes stayed attentive to the direction of the tennis ball, leaning forward, anticipating its arrival, and Madison had to bite her tongue to hold back a giggle. Tabitha reminded her too much of a Labrador retriever!

Madison's perfect golden curls bounced over her shoulders until she swept it all back with a swipe from the back of her hand. Her banes were held back by a thin, comb headband that added some volume to the front of her hair. Her face was fresh and untouched by any make-up, clear and soft but much paler compared to Tabitha who –if she wasn't sweaty profusely and red with exhaustion –would be as golden as Madison's tainted strands. Tabby's cheeks were cherry red and enflamed as she was constantly moved from left to right to defend her side of the court. Her hair was loosely tied back into a short, bouncy pony tail that whipped with each movement. Her head was vulnerable to the reigning sun as she had discarded a visor that Madison noticed laid under the bleachers. Her banes were too short to tie back though and stuck to the side of her face, often sliding over her eyes.

It was Tabitha's dedication and focus that Madison admired and valued greatly. She was sure made a good choice as a Beta.

"Hello Mrs. Reed," Madison politely replied back, feeling the fence with the palms of her hands.

"Please," Mrs. Reed excused Aubrey with a dismissive wave, "how many times have I told you? Call me Tori. Mrs. Reed sounds too old."

And too married, Tabitha bit back a retort, as she focused on the oncoming ball, hitting it back with a loud smack! Her parents had yet to agree on a divorce settlement and were still legally marriage even when separated by two cities.

The squeal of tennis shoes riding over the pavement rang through Madison's ears as she witnessed Tabitha slide forward, stepping out with her right foot to maintain balance, and assault another trespassing ball, giving it enough momentum to fly past her mother's ear and directly hit the fence, starting a resting player who eyed the wall behind him, looking for the source of the sound, but the ball had already reflected back into Tori's side of the court. She plucked the rolling ball off the ground and kept it in her tight grasp.

"I think that's enough tennis practice for today," she announced, stepping to the side to snatch a clean towel from the rack by the entrance. She dabbed her forehead and sat down on the bleachers while soothing out her strictly pressed blouse with the country club's logo printed on the left breast.

Tabitha joined her side, grabbing a large water bottle from her opened duffle bag and took a long swig before dropping it back into the bag alongside with the rest of her laundry.

A pair of men eyed them as they passed the courts, mumbling something about the stock markets, while eyeing the women's golden, vibrant legs. Madison only shook her head, dismayed by their carless, pig behavior.

Tori was an attractive woman for her late age of forty four, barely looking a day over thirty five and fairly fit, under the ideal weight of 130 pounds, including her womanly curves, with an impressive height of 5'9, something Tabitha failed to inherit in her genetics unlike the rest of her looming brothers. Other than the height gap, Tori and her daughter seemed almost replicas of each other. Same light brown hair, big exquisite emerald eyes, sharp cheek bones and an angular face, sleek brows, and long noses. Their hairstyle was fairly similar, too, except Tori had her hair tied neatly in a bun instead of a loose pony tail.

Personality wise the two seemed to mime each other, too, but as soon as the two were put in a room together, there was a shift and like a catalyst, the two changed dramatically. Tabitha –usually loud and unfiltered –would quiet down to a murmur and speak only when necessary as Tori's bold personality increased enough that she would talk for her daughter's silence, too, along with her mindless chatter. There was a shift in leadership roles and Tori –once the matriarch of the family –willingly passed her duties as the responsible one to her teenage daughter who took the role with ease. This was obvious as the stress level of her chaotic life was reflected into the strength the wrist and violent speed of the ball she struck. It was evident in her body language that –even if she wasn't comfortable –was usually the one in control as Tori seemed to step back away from the line of fire.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay sweetheart?" Tori told her daughter, pulling her close to a hug. That was as much affection as the two ever got. Madison knew that and could see it well as the women's posture was tense and rigid in the loose embrace. It may be because Tabitha bonded closer to her tough brothers than her distant mother who was often away on business trips during the first few but crucial years of Tabitha's childhood.

She was disappointed but not surprised Tabitha didn't turn out to be the dainty, squeamish girl she had envisioned when she pictured her only daughter.

Out of a family of mainly boys, she dreamed of a little girl she could take shopping, dressing up and showing off to her friends on tea outings, seeing as Tabitha –even as a baby –was a beautiful specimen Tori desired to mold into a blossoming southern belle like herself. It didn't turn out that way unfortunately as Tabitha constantly faced brutality from her brothers and had to prove to them she wasn't going to take the abuse lying down. Tori realized very quickly Tabitha wanted to be accepted by her brothers more than she cared for her mother's presence.

It was when Tori announced her wish to divorce Richard was when Tabitha was pushed to really connect with her mother and after sixteen years, it was a difficult start. Unlike with Richard, Tabitha and Tori never really had any common hobbies. It was Tori who cleared the air when she suggested she and Tabby play tennis over at the Holden Country Club, a sport Tori knew her daughter excelled at. After all, when she realized the price of being so far away from her children on her constant trips, Tori made sure to attend all their tournaments and really saw the potential her only daughter possessed at only twelve years old. Who really needed a beauty queen anyways when you had a future Olympic medalist? Tori often thought optimistically.

"You better get going before it gets too dark," Tori excused Tabitha. "You and Aubrey have that run, don't you? It's Thursday," she said, remembering that's when Tabitha and her friends head out to the wilderness for their off-course run to build endurance. She frowned as she worried about the recent animal attacks. "You'll be safe, okay? Those animal attacks are coming more constant and I don't want you to get hurt. Have your cell on you at all times! Call me immediately if something happens!"

Tabitha nodded and heaved up her purple duffle bag, plucking her running shoes from the top of her clothes and nodding at Madison, a motion Madison knew well meant she'd be back quickly after changing out of her tennis attire.

"Aubrey," Tori directed at Madison with strict eyes. Madison gulped as she recognized the eyes as a mother's, protective and fierce, like a Mountain lion ready to take on a pack of wolves to defend her cubs. She recalled those same eyes when she was four, when her mother packed her inside the cabinet, but instead of a cat, her mother's dark eyes reminded her of a grizzly bear. There is nothing more dangerous than a female grizzly bear protecting her cubs. Unfortunately even bears fall prey to heartless hunters. "I want you to be extra safe. I'm sure Frank and Trevor are equally worried about you when you go on these runs," Madison nodded along with Tori's words.

Indeed, her fathers were worried but they didn't realize Madison was the most dangerous thing in forest, therefore she didn't need to worry about a thing, but to keep up the act, she pretended to carry mace with her.

"Start considering different routes, please," Tori suggested as she zipped up her tennis racket in its expensive looking case. "I get worried sick that you are out there. What if something happened to you? We wouldn't find out right away. We won't find you immediately and it would take a while until we could gather a search party and even then it might be too late because every minute counts-"

"Tori," Madison stopped her rambling. "We're going to be fine. Richard has taught Tabby everything he knows about self-defense, enough that she could probably fit in with the Navy Seals." Tori let out a shaky breath, knowing her husband enforced his military upbringing into their children, too, but didn't feel any better. Madison felt compelled to tell her the truth, how Tabitha could be a killing machine, and how almost any human wouldn't be able to touch her without getting killed themselves but she knew better. "I'm also a black belt in three different forms of martial arts, too. I can probably take on some creep. We're also going to be in a big group, so that will probably deter any big animal."

Also the fact they're animals pretty much themselves will give them an advantage as other wild animals tend to distance themselves from packs.

"All right but please start thinking of different place," Tori persisted. "Somewhere open where someone could see you and help you."

Madison nodded again but kept her mouth shut as she spotted Tabitha jet out of the changing rooms still in her tennis uniform. A disgruntled expression adorned her face as Tabitha recognized it as a physical expression of her annoyance. Her bright Puma tennis shoes scraped against the concrete as she rushed to Madison's side.

"I'm ready to go," Tabitha rushed as she adjusted her hair into a new, tighter pony tail. Her hair seemed greasy as she hadn't had time to wash out the sweat but as long as she was around people she knew wouldn't care about her appearance, she didn't mind.

Madison shot her a questioned look.

"I'll change later, okay? It doesn't require much effort." Tabitha snapped. Her grip on her racket's neck tightened and Madison grinned humorously at the thought Tabitha would even consider smacking her with it. "See you later, mom," Tabitha said without another hug as she veered around the court and joined Madison's side. Tabitha pushed Madison farther away, desperate to gain distance. Sometimes I wonder who the real Alpha is, Madison thought to herself as the pressure on her back from Tabby's palm pressed uncomfortably on her lower arch of her spine.

Tori and the young pair separated in opposite directions as Tori headed to the main building while the young girls set off to the parking lot where Madison's glossy white BMW coupe rested up front.

"So why didn't you change?" Madison curiously asked. Tabitha rolled her eyes.

"Chatty Cathy was in there," Tabitha explained, looking over her shoulder. "I had to get the hell out of there before she ambushed me again."

Madison laughed out loud. She knew too well about Catherine, or Kate she insisted to be called (ironic enough,) but was 'fondly' named "Chatty Cathy" by the witty Tabitha, staying very true to the name. Kate was always 'friendly,' to put it politely, coming from the lowest form of middle class, and insisted on acquainting herself with the highest members of the country club, mostly from her social hungry mother. It wasn't so much of Kate's persistence that bothered Tabitha but her lack of mutual hobbies. With Cathy it was all about clothes and fashion –some she didn't even have –while Tabitha always focused on athletics and politics. (Odd for a young girl but living with a Colonel did that, combing her through all the government tactics.)

Chatty Cathy never had enough courage to confront Madison. She knew it was because Kate's human instincts warned her of Madison's dangerous self and subconsciously shied away from her. Lately, she has gotten then same vibes from Tabitha but instead of being weary, grown more curious about the girl's change, much to Madison's dismay. She didn't want to kill anyone but if Kate got too close, well, she'd have to do what was necessary to protect her identity.

Madison pulled out her car keys from her own duffle bag, smaller than Tabitha's, hung over her bare shoulders, from the front pocket and popped open the small trunk which Tabitha slid her bag into, along with Madison's. She pushed it down, locking it into place, before prying open the passenger side door and slid into the tan leather of the luxurious interior. Madison was already in the driver's seat, pushing the start button underneath her wheel and started to back out, eyes away from the rearview camera screen built into the dashboard and instead manually glanced back using the back window.

"We should go visit Lydia before we leave for the trail," Madison suggested as she pulled into the exit, flipping on her left turn signal before jetting out into the lively highway. She merged into the middle lane, locked in between an equally expensive Jaguar and an outdated Toyota Camry.

"Okay…" Tabitha complied while texting away on her keyboard before pushing it back into the extraordinarily large phone. Her fingers tapped away at the screen for a moment before setting it down in her lap. Her eyes grazed the busy highway and sighed. "Are you sure it's safe if both of us go in? Won't that start up early suspicion?"

Madison shook her head. "It'll be all right. We just shouldn't be in the same room at the same time. You can check on her like you always do and I'll hide in the cafeteria."

"What if the guys are there? I usually go late at night close to curfew because I know they most likely will be on their way home. Right now it's barely five o'clock."

"Make an excuse," Madison suggested blatantly.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "I know. I already have one prepared. I can say my brother was rushed in due to a football injury, a bad tackle with a possible concussion, and stumbled upon them coincidentally one on my way to his hospital room, after I got lost. What I mean is that I promised them I would keep my distance to avoid trouble. Won't they get a little defensive if I get too close to Lydia if I'm there?"

"Just introduce yourself after explaining why you're at the hospital and ask what happened, act like a curious bystander. It'll work. They'll believe it."

Madison pushed the BMW faster until the needle jittered over the 80 mark on her speedometer. Tabitha didn't seem to notice and watched the cars pass by absent mindedly. This lit Madison's concern like a math. Tabitha wasn't the inattentive kind of girl and constantly criticized Madison on her peddle-happy driving habits. Tabitha was eerily silent and it unnerved her.

"Okay Tab," Madison insisted, "what's the matter?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I think my dad is getting suspicious. He started questioning me about why I have been gone constantly and began to do bed-checks since last Saturday. He's restricting my freedom by setting an early curfew and questioning his trust in me. I'm scared to tell him the truth, Aubrey. What if he doesn't believe? What do I tell him then? And what if he does, will he accept me or will he kick me out of the house?"

"Don't," Madison warned. "Don't tell him the truth. It's too dangerous."

Secretly Madison felt optimistic. She knew if tensions rose inside the Reed household, Richard would most likely drive his daughter out of the house, to pressure her to tell the truth, but in doing so, Madison could convince Tabitha to stay at her house where she'll be closer to her and get her to participate more directly. She grew more excited with the idea of having Tabitha move in with her.

At the Hospital

Lydia sat up, bewildered and confused, as Stiles and Scott hounded around her, catering to her every whim. Usually she would enjoy this and bask in the attention but she was disappointed Jackson wasn't with the duo and she instantly fell into a mild depression, leaning against her pillow. Stiles stood at her side, asking her if she needed anything. Just to get him off her case, she sent him to get another pillow as she "complained" that the one she had wasn't fluffy enough. Stiles made a mad dash out of the hospital yelling for a nurse to locate the storage room probably.

"What do you remember, Lydia?" Scott interrogated, pressing a hand on her knee she jerked back, fearful of the intense look in his eyes. Lydia Martin wasn't easily intimidated, being on top of the social High school hierarchy but something in his eyes frightened her. They were too dark, too demanding, and too wild. It reminded her of the look in the man's face before he… phased, transformed, or shifted, whatever word, she couldn't decide, either way the memory haunted her in her sleep and emotionally scarred her.

"I don't know," Lydia hesitated. Scott's dark eyes glared at her, not intentionally but out of frustration. She collapsed under the pressure of his eyes. "You're just like him, the man that attacked me?"

"No!" Scott objected. "Peter was psychotic! I'm like him, yes, as a werewolf, but I'm nothing like him."

"He bit me," Lydia slowly stated as her mind connected the obvious dots. Her hand jumped to her side as she rubbed her sore ribs before slowly lifting up her shirt to look for a scar that the pain could have resided from. "Does that make me like him too?"

Down two halls Stiles drifted farther away, desperately looking for a closet, weary of asking a nurse as he worried sending a nurse would interrupt Scott's crucial time with Lydia to get important information. As his honey brown eyes scanned anxiously around the area, a white figure caught his attention. It wasn't a doctor and it wasn't a nurse –especially since many of the nurses wore more colorful scrubs than just simple white. Her light brown hair was tied back but her banes skimmed over her eyes, her stunning green eyes. A very familiar and scary pair of emerald orbs.

Her legs were mainly exposed under a skimpy but professional looking white pleated skirt as she showcased perfect golden legs. He gulped. Her feet tapped against the hospital floor, quiet but quick as he tuned in to her delicate foot falls. As he realized she was coming closer, he darted too an opened room and pressed himself behind the thick door, holding in his breath while covering his mouth with his hand

He could hear her pass but he didn't see her abruptly stop, sniff the air, and snap her head towards his direction. Her eyes narrowed at the door, knowing full well he was behind it. What surprised her was that his scent was so fresh in her mind that she could tie his face to the faint hint of jade with an overwhelming, toxic mixture most commonly known as Axe. She resisted gagging in disgust.

Stiles' heart beat increased as he contemplated whether he should check of not.

Deciding to humor herself as she spotted Madison nod from the far corridor, motioning that she'd take over, Tabitha leapt into the supply closet and slammed the door, surprising Stiles who jumped in the air as the loud crash of the door shocked his whole body into a wave of violent trembles. He gaped at her amused face and stumbled over words only to be cut off by her hand.

"So is the entire humanity this stupid or just you?" She taunted, taking a confident step forward until her body pressed up against his. Her breasts –tightly compacted under a sports bra underneath flimsy, thin fabric that composed her sleeveless blouse –pressed up against his chest, also separated by thin fabric. His mind went into overdrive as his natural male urges acknowledged her assets but his natural prey instinct began to kick in as he recognized her as a very dangerous predator. His arms snapped to his sides like magnets as he froze with fear, not the best reaction in the situation but the lack of space in the supply closet didn't give him many options to choose from. He hoped to God that she wouldn't kill him in such a densely populated area. If she did, the irony of being in a hospital overwhelmed him.

"You know, you are kind of cute…" She thought out loud, noticing how vivid and deep his honey brown orbs were under the dim light over them. She ran a gentle finger down his soft cheek and he shivered violently, anxious and scared of her unpredictable behavior. He didn't say it out loud but she was beautiful, too. Her eyes were uniquely green and possessed a natural defined facial structure that many girls tried to replicate but resulted in failure. He gulped. Her hand dropped back to her side as she smirked. His eyes descended to her lips subconsciously as she raised a brow, amused by his male tendencies. He clenched his jaw to remind himself she would rather kill him than kiss him.

"That's not important right now," he bravely announced but shut his mouth as he saw her brow twitch in an unknown expression. "Why are you here?" He felt himself tighten up as she moved closer to him, until it came to the point where she actually leaned on him. Her legs snaked around his as she rested her knee in between his legs. He gulped knowing if she raised it higher, even without force or momentum the probability of him producing off spring would slim to none. He let out a shaky breath as she pressed her palm against the wall next to his head. Her eyes captured his in a trap and he couldn't get out of her hypnotizing gaze.

Tabitha wanted to test herself. This boy was different, she realized, but didn't know how. She leaned in closer, tilting her head until her lips were perpendicular to his. She couldn't resist a grin as she heard his heart beat pound against his rib cage. To be sure she removed her hand from the wall and placed it over his chest. Out of a reflex he flung his hand from his hip and grabbed her wrist to throw it off but found that his fingers paused and instead entangled themselves in her own, which were much more slender than his.

Suddenly the taste of cherry assaulted his taste buds as her soft lips skimmed his own before descending to his neck where she felt his furious vein bulge, swimming in a rapid flow of warm blood. She returned to her original target and planted a lip pluck on his salty lips before receding back to her spot, taking a huge step back. She had an enormous grin on her lips as she felt her lips tingles.

Where those fireworks? She thought amazed. She looked up at Stiles who stared at her blankly, mindlessly before sliding onto the floor in a loud thud. His eyes rolled back until his lids blanketed over his wide pupils. She gaped.

"I'm not sure if I should feel insulted or flattered," she thought out loud. "I just made a guy faint."

She kneeled down and cupped his chin, turning his head in different directions for letting go and letting his head rolled to the left. With a heavy sigh, she contemplated whether she should leave him here to be discovered knowing his werewolf companion could find him using a scent trail but then realized Scott might not even be here and could take a while before reaching the location when he realized his buddy was missing.

She let out a growl. "Looks like I'm going to have to implicate myself tonight," she mumbled. "Sorry Aubrey."

She pulled him up, and even with her natural strength and addition werewolf advantage, she had a trouble heaving him up and reaching his arm over her shoulders. He may have been human but he still had four or five good inches above her, making it awkward for her. When she finally manipulated his body to a comfortable position, she opened the door and dragged him out. His converse slid across the floor squeaking, catching the attention of an off-duty nurse. She rushed over and offered additional support and she heaved his other arm around her own shoulder, distributing the weight that had suppressed Tabitha's shoulders.

"I don't know what happened," Tabitha explained as another nurse wheeled in a gurney which Stiles was slid onto. "I saw him rush into a supply closet and when I check inside to see what he was doing, he was out cold on the floor."

"Thanks sweetheart," the nurse dismissed her with a wave. "We'll take it from here."

"Okay…" Tabitha complied and watched them wheel Stiles away. She pressed her finger tips to her lips again, a faint tingling sensation still on the surface. She smiled reminiscently. He may not have kissed her back but he sure gave her something to remember him by. She found herself smitten.

As she turned around, a force propelled her onto the floor, dirtying her skirt as it slid across the dusty floor. A sneer graced her face and she glared at the unsuspecting presence that began apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry," Allison shot off, extending her hand out to help the girl up but Tabitha –always independent and self-reliant –slapped it away, making Allison wince as she cradled her hand from the burn of the slap. She glared back at Tabitha, insulted by the stranger's rudeness but looked away from Tabitha's fierce glare and bared teeth. To Allison, Tabitha looked perfectly human –a beautiful human, a polished one, even with a sneer –with a nasty temper. She didn't suspect Tabitha as a werewolf, even despite the velocity of her hand that shot out to slap hers aside. The sting still resided on her skin and she rubbed it soothingly.

"Whatever," Tabitha excused her rudely, flicking her wrists in dismissal. Tabitha pushed herself off the ground and walked roughly past Allison, bumping shoulders which sent Allison stumbling to the wall which she grabbed for balance and support. Allison turned her head to watch Tabitha angrily storm out of the corridor. Allison felt guilty she had ruined the stranger's outfit but consoled herself by reminding herself if places were reversed, Allison would've let it slide easily unlike the snob.

Tabitha steamed silently as she stormed passed startled bystanders who stepped eagerly out of her path of destruction. She passed Madison who pushed off the counter she was waiting at to follow her Beta. She reached her in a matter of seconds as Tabitha flew down another flight of stairs towards the back exit door, Madison right on her tail.

As soon as the heavy exit door pried open, the cool air assaulted Tabitha's skin and she felt the wind abuse the hems of her skirt as it flittered in the air like a delicate butterfly being pulled into the wind. The cool air refreshed her sweaty face and she sighed, releasing hot oxygen out into the twilight, watching it materialize like fog for a second before it faded away like mist. Her arms rose with goose bumps as she let them hang loosely at her side.

"So do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Nothing," Tabitha dismissed. "I just got rammed by some klutz and she got my outfit dirty. Can we go now? I want to get out of this," she motioned to her white attire, "and run off my steam. It's been half an hour already."

Sensing Tabitha was close to a shift, Madison nodded and guided her around the building, narrowly missing Jackson who bolted out from his Porsche parked five spots down from Madison's BMW. He didn't seem to even recognize them in the darkening evening as he flew down the pavement. Tabitha shot him an disgruntled look while Madison forced her into the passenger side before popping open the trunk and zipping open her duffle bag, plucking out a small pair of black shorts and a loose tee, completed by a bright pink sweatshirt . She re-zipped Tabitha's bag and closed the trunk before dropping the handful of clothes into Tabitha's lap and slamming her door. She rushed to her side and started the ignition quickly, bolting out of her spot and into the cover of the night before anyone could track them.

"So," Tabitha began, "how was Lydia?"

"She's awake," Madison explained.

Tabitha raised a brow. "And…?"

Madison grinned mischievously. "And…?" Madison mocked. She rolled her tongue over her teeth. "She and I had a quick chat. Something happened with Stiles that had Scott rushing out of the room, giving us enough time to get something straight."

Tabitha blushed and looked away trying to avoid Madison's knowing eyes but she was too late and the fake blonde smirked. "What happened to Stiles, Tabby?" Tabitha shook her head. "Did you lose control and attack him?" She suggested. Tabitha spun her head around and glared at her.

"No! It didn't happen like that."

Madison was skeptical. "Uh-huh," she replied. "So you did attack him?"

"No! I didn't attack him! He fainted!"

"From what," Madison exclaimed, concerned Tabitha revealed herself to him.

Tabitha sighed in embarrassment. "I kissed him."

Madison choked on air. "In God's name, you did what? What for? What brought this on? I thought you didn't like him. You didn't seem interested in him when we saw him at practice on Tuesday!"

"I don't know!" Tabitha yelled, exasperated. "I'm not," Tabitha tried to convince her but the lie sounded bitter on his tongue. "He's cute, sure, but I wouldn't go for him…" Uncertainty laced her words. "I just wanted to tease him and it went too far and I kissed him. It was only a peck but he just fainted and I had to carry his ass to the nurse and made up a believable lie and she took over."

Madison growled. "Tabitha, promise me you won't ever do that again."

Tabitha rolled her eyes like a chastised child and hissed. "Yes, Aubrey," she forced out.

Madison couldn't let this happen, not again, or else it would get in the way of her mission and she knew Tabitha was like a cat, playing with her prey before killing it. She knew Tabitha's 'teasing' could get out of hand and someone could end up seriously hurt, more than likely the unfortunate 'toy.' If Stiles was killed, all hell would break loose. She needed to be in control. She couldn't let Tabitha screw it up.

"I mean it, Tabby. Keep your distance. Let's hope I can convince Stiles that it was all a dream brought on by recent events." Madison narrowed her eyes at her. "You could have jeopardized my whole plot. We need Stiles alive." But as she said this, she realized she could pawn him as she planned to pawn Scott, use both of them to distract each other. Maybe Tabby was on to something. Madison's frown flipped and a thoughtful grin sprawled itself on her lips.