# Episode 1: The Hunger in the Dark
The lights inside the theater dimmed once again.
Klaus leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the enormous screen. Hayley sat beside him while Elijah and Rebekah remained close. Across the aisle, the Mystic Falls group and the former students of the Salvatore School waited in silence.
The Author's voice came through the speakers.
"When Hope Mikaelson entered Malivore, she expected to disappear. She did not expect to fall into another world."
The screen brightened.
Rain poured over a dark road surrounded by trees.
A wooden sign stood near the entrance to the forest.
**BEACON HILLS PRESERVE**
Black liquid suddenly spread across the road.
It rose into the air before Hope Mikaelson was thrown from it.
She struck the wet pavement and rolled until her shoulder collided with a guardrail. The darkness vanished behind her, leaving Hope alone in the rain.
For several seconds, she could not breathe.
Then she rolled onto her side and coughed black liquid from her lungs.
"Landon?" she called.
Her voice disappeared into the forest.
Hope forced herself to stand. Mud and black slime covered her clothes, while several cuts ran along her arms. Most were already beginning to heal, but exhaustion caused her legs to shake.
She searched for anything familiar.
There was no Salvatore School.
No Mystic Falls.
Nothing.
Headlights appeared around the bend.
Hope lifted one hand to shield her eyes as a sheriff's vehicle stopped nearby. The driver's door opened, and a tall man in uniform stepped into the rain.
"Stay where you are," he ordered.
Hope looked down at herself. "I'm not exactly planning to run."
The sheriff approached carefully.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know how you ended up in the middle of a road?"
"I know how it started. The ending is confusing."
His eyes narrowed.
Hope sighed. "That sounded suspicious."
"A little."
The sheriff removed his jacket and handed it to her. "What's your name?"
"Hope Mikaelson."
"I'm Sheriff Stilinski. Are you hurt, Hope?"
"I'll live."
"That wasn't my question."
Before Hope could answer, a howl came from somewhere deep within the preserve.
The sheriff turned toward the forest.
Hope watched his hand move closer to the weapon at his side.
"What are you looking for out there?" she asked.
"Someone."
"Someone alive?"
The sheriff did not answer.
He opened the passenger door. "Get in."
Hope considered refusing, but another wave of dizziness moved through her.
She pulled the sheriff's jacket around herself and climbed into the vehicle.
***
"At least someone found her quickly," Caroline said.
Klaus stared at the screen. "A human sheriff found her before her family could."
"Her family didn't remember she existed," Landon answered quietly.
Klaus turned toward him.
Hayley placed a hand against Klaus's arm. "Not now."
Rebekah looked at the wet road. "She must have been terrified."
"She wouldn't let anyone see it," Elijah said.
"She never does," Josie whispered.
The scene on the screen changed.
***
The Beacon Hills Sheriff's Station was filled with deputies preparing to search the preserve.
Hope sat inside an interview room with a blanket around her shoulders while Sheriff Stilinski attempted to find a record of her.
He found nothing.
No birth certificate.
No school enrollment.
No driver's license.
It was as if Hope Mikaelson had never existed.
Hope stared at the calendar hanging on the wall.
The year printed across it was wrong.
"That can't be right."
The sheriff looked over his shoulder. "What can't?"
"The date."
"It's Monday."
"I mean the year."
Sheriff Stilinski slowly lowered the papers in his hand. "What year do you believe it is?"
Hope did not answer.
"I need a phone."
The sheriff placed one on the table.
Hope called the Salvatore School.
The number was not in service.
She tried Alaric, Landon, Lizzie, Josie, Freya, and Rebekah. None of their numbers worked.
Finally, she called the compound in New Orleans.
A stranger answered.
Hope hung up without speaking.
"Is there anyone I can contact?" the sheriff asked.
"No."
"What about your parents?"
"They're dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Most people are."
Sheriff Stilinski studied her. "Do you have other family?"
"Yes."
"Would they be looking for you?"
"They don't know me yet."
He remained silent.
Hope rested her forehead against her hands. "I know how insane that sounds."
"I stopped deciding what was insane a long time ago."
The door suddenly opened.
An eighteen-year-old boy with messy brown hair entered carrying coffee and a paper bag.
"Dad, you left before dinner, so I brought—"
He noticed Hope.
His eyes moved over the blanket, the sheriff's jacket, and the black stains left on the floor.
"Did the preserve start returning people?"
"Stiles," the sheriff warned.
The boy raised one hand. "That was insensitive. I heard it after I said it."
Hope looked at him. "You're Stiles?"
"Yes."
"Is that your first name?"
"It's the name you can pronounce."
Despite everything, Hope almost smiled.
Stiles noticed.
Sheriff Stilinski took the coffee from him. "Why are you here?"
"Because you haven't eaten."
"You heard the call on my police scanner."
"That may have inspired the timing."
"What call?" Hope asked.
"Someone found half a body in the preserve," Stiles answered.
The sheriff shut his eyes.
"What?" Stiles asked. "She was found there. She was going to hear about it."
Hope glanced toward the search map covering the wall. "Only half?"
"The upper half," Stiles explained.
His father stared at him.
"I'll stop talking."
A woman wearing hospital scrubs entered the room.
"You must be Hope," she said. "I'm Melissa McCall."
Melissa examined Hope while Stiles remained in the doorway. The cuts on Hope's arms had almost completely disappeared.
Melissa noticed but did not immediately question it.
"You're dehydrated and exhausted," she said. "But I don't see any serious injuries."
"I told him I was fine."
"You also appeared in the middle of a road without shoes."
"That part wasn't planned."
Sheriff Stilinski looked toward Melissa. "Social services can't send anyone until tomorrow."
"She's eighteen," Melissa reminded him.
"She also has nowhere to stay."
"I can stay here," Hope offered.
"No," the sheriff said.
"I've slept in worse places."
Something in her voice silenced them.
Stiles looked at his father. "We have a spare room."
Sheriff Stilinski's expression changed.
"So you remember that room exists?" he asked quietly.
Stiles looked down. "I remember."
Hope glanced between them.
She understood that whatever room they were discussing belonged to someone they had lost.
"I don't want to intrude."
"You won't," Stiles said.
His answer came quickly, but there was nothing careless in his expression.
Sheriff Stilinski released a tired breath. "One night. We'll figure everything else out tomorrow."
Hope nodded.
"Thank you."
***
"I like him," Rebekah announced.
Klaus frowned. "You have known him for less than five minutes."
"He helped Hope."
"He looked at her for too long."
"He looked at her face," Hayley said.
"That was long enough."
Damon covered a laugh with a cough.
Landon remained quiet.
Lizzie leaned closer to Josie. "Stiles likes her."
"You say that whenever a boy looks at someone."
"No, I say it when I'm right."
Josie looked at the screen, where Stiles held the station door open for Hope.
"I think Hope likes him too."
Klaus heard her.
"There will be no liking."
Hayley sighed. "Niklaus."
***
The Stilinski house was quiet when they arrived.
After showering, Hope changed into a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt that Stiles had left outside the bathroom.
She found him in the kitchen pouring cereal into two bowls.
"It's almost one in the morning," Hope stated.
"Cereal doesn't have a schedule."
"You do this often?"
"I eat when I'm nervous."
Hope sat across from him. "You must spend a lot of money on cereal."
Stiles smiled and pushed the second bowl toward her.
"Where are you from?"
"New Orleans."
"That explains the accent."
"I don't have an accent."
"Everyone has an accent."
"You talk too quickly."
"That's not an accent. That's efficiency."
Hope took a bite of cereal.
A police radio sat on the counter. Sheriff Stilinski had switched it off, but Hope noticed Stiles glancing toward it.
"You're planning to search the woods," she said.
Stiles nearly dropped his spoon. "No."
"You looked at the search map six times."
"I like maps."
"You were listening outside the interview room."
"The walls are thin."
"You brought hiking shoes."
Stiles looked down at his feet.
Both shoes matched this time.
"I'm improving."
The sound of a bicycle stopping outside reached them.
Stiles stood.
Hope crossed her arms. "Who is that?"
"Scott."
"Melissa's son?"
"My best friend."
"The responsible one?"
"Responsibility is relative."
Stiles grabbed his jacket.
Hope rose from her chair. "I'm coming."
"No."
"I landed near that preserve. Whatever brought me here might still be there."
"My father will kill me if you get hurt."
"I'm harder to hurt than I look."
Stiles studied her.
Hope lifted one eyebrow.
"Fine," he said. "But if Dad catches us, you forced me."
"I can make that believable."
Scott was waiting beside Stiles's Jeep.
He looked from Stiles to Hope. "Why is she coming?"
"She threatened me."
Hope climbed into the back. "Drive."
Scott stared at her for a second. "I like her."
"Everyone does," Stiles muttered before starting the Jeep.
***
They entered the preserve nearly a mile from the official search area.
Scott carried a flashlight while Stiles held a copy of the map he had seen at the station. Hope walked between them.
"So you really don't know how you arrived here?" Scott asked.
"I know I went into something."
"What kind of something?"
"The kind that shouldn't have thrown me across time."
Scott stopped walking. "Across time?"
Stiles turned. "You believe her?"
"You brought us out here to find half a dead body."
"That is completely different."
A branch snapped in the distance.
Hope raised one hand, silencing them.
Something moved between the trees.
It was too large to be a deer.
"Maybe we should go back," Scott whispered.
Stiles looked at him. "You haven't even found the body."
"That was before something started following us."
Flashlights appeared on the hill behind them.
"Sheriff's department!" a deputy shouted.
Stiles cursed.
Scott ran downhill while Hope and Stiles moved toward a cluster of trees.
Sheriff Stilinski stepped directly into their path.
Stiles froze.
His father looked from him to Hope and then back again.
"I don't know which part of this I'm angrier about."
"Before you decide," Stiles began, "we can explain."
"You are going home."
"That explanation was going to be extremely convincing."
The sheriff pointed toward a deputy's vehicle.
Hope looked downhill. "Scott is still out there."
"Deputies will find him."
"We shouldn't leave him alone."
Sheriff Stilinski's expression hardened. "Neither of you should be here."
A deep howl moved through the forest.
The sound vibrated through the ground.
Stiles suddenly doubled over.
Hope caught him before he fell.
"Stiles?"
His heartbeat stopped.
One second passed.
Then it started again with enough force to make his entire body jerk.
Stiles opened his eyes.
For the briefest moment, his irises became molten gold while darkness spread across the whites of his eyes.
Then they returned to normal.
Hope stared at him.
"What happened?" Sheriff Stilinski demanded.
"Nothing," Stiles said quickly.
"You nearly collapsed."
"I stood up too fast."
"You were already standing."
Hope placed her fingers against Stiles's wrist.
His pulse was fast but strong.
She had seen supernatural changes before. This did not resemble the beginning of a werewolf transformation.
There was no fever. No broken bones. No scent of blood.
Only the strange color that had filled his eyes.
"I'm all right," Stiles insisted.
Sheriff Stilinski ordered a deputy to drive them home.
As they were led away, another howl tore through the preserve.
Far below them, Scott ran between the trees.
He tripped over a root and fell onto his hands.
His inhaler disappeared into the leaves.
Scott searched for it until a growl came from behind him.
He slowly turned.
A massive creature stood between the trees.
Its eyes glowed red.
Scott scrambled backward, but the creature struck him before he could stand.
Claws tore through his jacket.
Teeth sank into his side.
Scott screamed.
The creature released him and vanished into the darkness.
***
Melissa covered her mouth.
"Scott."
Alaric leaned forward. "That bite turned him."
Klaus glanced toward him. "And what happened to the sheriff's son?"
"His eyes changed when the creature howled," Bonnie said.
Freya frowned. "But he wasn't bitten."
"Perhaps the wolf affected him from a distance," Caroline suggested.
"No," Bonnie replied. "It awakened something."
The Author's voice entered the room.
"Stiles Stilinski was not bitten that night."
Klaus looked toward the ceiling. "Then what is he?"
"You will see."
***
Stiles was pacing in his bedroom when something struck his window.
He jumped and turned.
Scott was outside, barely holding himself against the roof.
Stiles opened the window.
"What happened?"
Scott climbed inside and collapsed.
Blood covered his shirt.
Hope entered seconds later. "I heard something fall."
She saw Scott and shut the door.
"There was an animal," Scott gasped. "It bit me."
Stiles pulled his shirt aside.
A deep bite covered Scott's side.
Hope crouched next to him. "How long ago?"
"Maybe twenty minutes."
Stiles grabbed his phone. "I'm calling my dad."
"No," Scott said. "He'll tell my mom."
"You're bleeding on my floor."
"He'll also ask why I was in the preserve."
"You may die."
Hope placed her palm above the wound.
The bleeding had already slowed. Torn skin moved together in front of them.
Stiles lowered the phone.
Scott stared at his side. "That isn't possible."
"Neither is anything that happened to me tonight," Hope replied.
The wound sealed completely.
Scott touched the new skin.
"What bit me?"
"A werewolf," Hope answered.
Both boys looked at her.
"Werewolves are real?" Scott asked.
"Yes."
Stiles pointed at her. "You answered that too quickly."
Hope looked toward the locked bedroom door.
Then she lifted one hand.
Every book on Stiles's desk rose into the air.
Scott's mouth fell open.
Stiles stared at them. "You're a witch."
"Technically."
"What does technically mean?"
"It means the explanation is long."
The books settled back onto the desk.
Scott was still staring at his healed side.
"If I was bitten by a werewolf, does that make me one?"
"In my world, no," Hope said. "The curse is inherited and triggered by taking a life. This world clearly works differently."
Stiles dragged both hands over his face. "Great. Local werewolves have regional rules."
A piece of broken glass near the window cut his palm.
He hissed and looked down.
The cut closed immediately.
No blood remained.
All three of them went silent.
Scott pointed toward Stiles's hand. "Were you bitten too?"
"No."
Hope took his wrist and examined his palm. "There's no wound."
Stiles looked at her. "My eyes changed in the woods."
"What color?" Scott asked.
"Gold and black."
Scott glanced at Hope. "Is that a werewolf thing?"
"No."
Stiles swallowed. "Then what am I?"
Hope did not have an answer.
***
Scott returned home shortly before sunrise.
Hope went to the spare room, but sleep would not come.
Stiles lay across the hall, staring at the ceiling.
His body felt wrong.
He could hear his father moving downstairs. Beneath the footsteps, Stiles heard something else.
Words.
*I almost lost him again.*
Stiles sat up.
His father was not speaking.
*I should have known he'd go into those woods.*
"Dad?" Stiles called.
The thoughts stopped.
A moment later, Sheriff Stilinski opened the bedroom door. "What?"
"Were you talking?"
"No."
Stiles stared at him.
Fear and exhaustion appeared around his father like colors painted through the air. Stiles did not see them with his eyes, but he understood them as clearly as if they had been spoken.
"You should sleep," the sheriff said.
Stiles nodded slowly.
After his father left, Stiles lay down.
Darkness took him almost immediately.
He dreamed of Hope.
She was falling through an endless black pit while voices whispered around her. Stiles saw shadowy faces trapped beneath the surface.
Hope tried to reach them, but every hand passed through hers.
"No one remembers me," she whispered.
Stiles moved toward her.
He did not know how he was walking inside someone else's nightmare. He only knew he could not leave her there.
"Hope."
She spun around.
Her eyes widened when she saw him.
"You aren't supposed to be here."
"Story of my life."
The darkness moved toward them.
Stiles took her hand.
The entire dream shattered.
He awoke in his bedroom with Hope's name on his lips.
A terrible emptiness opened beneath his ribs.
It did not feel like hunger for food. It felt as though something inside him had awakened and immediately begun starving.
***
Stiles barely touched breakfast.
Hope watched him push eggs around his plate.
"You should eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"That isn't true."
"I'm not hungry for this."
The words left his mouth before he understood them.
Hope lowered her fork.
Stiles looked toward his father.
Sheriff Stilinski was reading a report and had not noticed.
"What does that mean?" Hope whispered.
"I have no idea."
His father turned a page.
Stiles heard another thought.
*The lab found animal hairs, but nothing matches.*
Stiles looked at him. "What animal hair did the lab find?"
The sheriff froze.
"I didn't say anything about animal hair."
Stiles's face went pale.
Hope stepped in immediately. "You mentioned it last night."
"No, I didn't."
"You did at the station."
Sheriff Stilinski studied both of them.
His phone rang before he could continue questioning them.
He left the kitchen to answer it.
Stiles leaned toward Hope. "I heard him think."
"You read his mind?"
"It wasn't intentional."
"What did it sound like?"
"Like his voice was inside my head."
Hope reached across the table.
Before she touched him, Stiles pulled away.
The emptiness beneath his ribs had reacted to her hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"You're doing the lying thing again."
"I'll explain when I have an explanation."
Hope did not believe him, but the sheriff returned before she could push.
He placed temporary enrollment papers in front of her.
"The principal agreed to let you attend while I work on locating your records."
"You enrolled her already?" Stiles asked.
"I don't want her alone while we're investigating."
Stiles smiled. "So you want me to watch her."
"I want her to watch you."
Hope took the papers. "That sounds more reasonable."
Stiles looked betrayed. "Whose side are you on?"
"I met you three days ago. I haven't selected one."
***
Beacon Hills High was louder than Stiles had ever realized.
Every conversation reached him at once.
Some were spoken.
Others were not.
*Did I finish the assignment?*
*Why is Lydia looking over here?*
*Who's the girl with Stilinski?*
*He looks different today.*
Stiles stopped in the middle of the hallway.
Students moved around him while fragments of thoughts struck from every direction.
Hope noticed and took his arm.
"Look at me."
"It's too loud."
"Concentrate on one voice."
"I can't tell which ones are real."
"Mine is."
Stiles met her eyes.
The whispers slowly moved into the background.
Hope's hand remained around his arm.
The emptiness inside him eased slightly.
Not enough to disappear, but enough for him to breathe.
A student blocked their path while staring at Hope.
Stiles became irritated.
"Move."
The word left his mouth with a low vibration.
The student's eyes went blank.
He immediately stepped aside and remained completely still.
Hope stopped.
"What did you do?"
"I told him to move."
"You did more than that."
Stiles looked at the student. "Forget this happened."
The boy blinked.
He walked away without looking back.
Stiles stared after him. "I didn't mean to do that."
Hope's expression became serious. "Be careful what you say until we know what's happening."
"That seems difficult for me."
Scott hurried toward them.
The bite on his side was gone, and he no longer needed his inhaler. He could hear conversations through walls and read writing from across the hallway.
"I think I'm losing my mind," Scott said.
Stiles pointed at himself. "There's a line."
The front doors opened.
A girl with dark hair entered carrying registration papers.
Scott stopped talking.
The girl glanced around before approaching them.
"Do you know where the main office is?"
Scott immediately stepped forward. "I can show you."
The girl smiled. "Thanks. I'm Allison."
"Scott."
Stiles watched them walk away.
"He's gone."
"He only told her his name," Hope said.
"That was enough."
A ball suddenly flew from the other side of the hallway.
Stiles caught it without looking.
Jackson Whittemore lowered his hand.
"How did you do that?"
"Reflexes."
"You don't have reflexes."
Stiles threw the ball back. It struck Jackson's palm hard enough to make him wince.
Lydia Martin stood beside him, watching Stiles with new interest.
Her attention moved to Hope.
"You're the girl staying with him."
"Hope."
"Lydia."
Stiles felt something shift in the air around her. Curiosity carried a strange warmth. Jackson's jealousy appeared sharper and colder.
The emotions pressed against his skin.
Lydia looked at him longer than usual.
"You look different," she said.
Stiles took a step back.
Hope noticed the discomfort crossing his face.
Lydia turned toward Hope. "I'm having a party tonight. You should come."
"You've never invited me to one of your parties," Stiles said.
"I wasn't inviting you."
"We're currently sharing transportation."
Lydia smiled. "Then I suppose you can come too."
Jackson rolled his eyes and pulled her away.
Stiles watched them leave.
The warmth surrounding Lydia remained on his skin for several seconds.
The emptiness beneath his ribs answered it.
He felt sick.
Hope moved closer. "What happened?"
"I think people's emotions are touching me."
"That is a sentence I never expected to hear."
"I can tell what they want. I can almost taste it."
Hope's concern deepened.
Stiles pressed one hand against his stomach.
"And whatever is inside me wants more."
***
Bonnie sat forward. "Telepathy, emotional awareness, and influence."
"He compelled that student," Elena said.
"Without eye contact," Damon added. "Impressive."
"Dangerous," Alaric corrected.
Freya watched Stiles pull away from Hope. "He is frightened of touching her."
"Good," Klaus stated.
Hayley frowned. "He's frightened because something inside him reacted to her."
"That does not improve matters."
"What is he?" Rebekah demanded, staring toward the ceiling.
The Author remained silent.
"Apparently, we have to wait," Kol said.
"I have never been fond of waiting," Klaus replied.
***
Lacrosse practice began after school.
Scott's new reflexes transformed him from an average player into the strongest athlete on the field.
He dodged Jackson, caught every pass, and fired the ball into the goal before anyone could stop him.
Coach Finstock stared at Scott as if he had discovered gold.
"Again!"
Scott repeated the play.
The ball tore through the net.
Allison cheered from the bleachers.
Scott smiled at her.
Stiles stood near the bench, barely paying attention.
The hunger had grown steadily throughout the day.
Every emotion in the crowd pulled at him. Attraction, excitement, jealousy, and desire wrapped around his body like invisible threads.
He could take them.
He did not know how he knew that.
He only knew that if he reached out, the hunger would stop.
Stiles clenched his hands and refused.
Hope came down from the bleachers.
"You're pale."
"I'm always pale."
"Your hands are shaking."
"I'm cold."
"It's warm outside."
Stiles attempted to stand.
His knees gave out.
Hope caught him.
The moment their bodies touched, warmth moved from her into him.
Hope gasped.
Stiles immediately pushed her away.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I took something."
Hope examined her hand. The tips of her fingers had turned cold.
Stiles's shaking stopped for several seconds.
"You pulled energy from me," she said.
"I didn't mean to."
He sounded horrified.
"I know."
A shadow fell across them.
The dark-haired man from the preserve stood nearby.
Scott noticed him and walked over.
"You were in the woods," Scott said.
The stranger looked at the bite beneath Scott's shirt.
"Yes."
"Did you bite me?"
"No."
Scott frowned. "Then who did?"
"The Alpha."
Stiles raised one hand. "We're using that word again."
The stranger looked at him.
His expression changed.
"You weren't bitten."
"No."
"But you heard the howl."
Stiles stood carefully. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It woke you."
Hope stepped between them. "What woke him?"
The stranger's eyes moved over Stiles.
"Something that was already there."
"You know what he is?" Scott asked.
"No," the man answered. "But he isn't a werewolf."
Stiles released a humorless laugh. "That's the first good news I've received."
The stranger turned away.
"What's your name?" Hope called.
"Derek."
"Derek what?"
"Hale."
Then he walked toward the parking lot.
Scott started after him, but Hope stopped him.
"He isn't going to answer anything else."
Stiles pressed one hand against his chest.
The hunger was returning.
Hope saw it in his face.
"We need to figure this out before the party."
"I'm not going."
"You were arguing about the invitation twenty minutes ago."
"That was before I nearly ate your hand."
"You didn't eat anything."
"Your fingers went cold."
"And you stopped."
Stiles looked away. "What happens when I don't?"
***
They searched Stiles's room for answers.
Scott sat at the computer researching local werewolf stories while Hope looked through every supernatural reference she could find online.
Stiles paced beside the bed.
Scott read from the screen. "An Alpha's bite can turn a human into a werewolf. The first transformation is usually triggered by the full moon."
"The full moon is tonight," Stiles said.
Scott looked out the window. "Of course it is."
Hope found an old digitized manuscript.
Its title had been translated from Latin.
She read several lines before her expression changed.
Stiles noticed.
"What?"
"I might have found something."
"Why do you look like you don't want to say it?"
Hope closed the laptop halfway.
"Your symptoms match a creature that can absorb life-force. Enhanced strength, speed, healing, mental influence, awareness of emotions, and the ability to enter dreams."
Stiles stopped pacing.
"You knew I entered your dream?"
"I remembered you being there."
Scott glanced between them. "You entered her dream?"
"Apparently."
"What creature?" Stiles asked.
Hope hesitated.
"Say it."
"An incubus."
Silence filled the room.
Scott slowly lowered his laptop.
Stiles stared at Hope. "As in…"
"Yes."
"The thing from all the uncomfortable medieval stories?"
"Most of those stories were written by people who considered everything they feared demonic."
"That doesn't answer the important question."
Hope reopened the manuscript.
"An incubus survives by absorbing life-force released through sexual intimacy. Strong emotion and mutual desire open the connection, but physical closeness allows the actual transfer."
Scott stood. "I'm going to give you privacy."
"Sit down," Stiles ordered.
The command entered his voice again.
Scott immediately sat.
Stiles's eyes widened. "Sorry."
Scott shook his head as if waking. "Stop doing that."
"I don't know how."
Hope continued reading.
"The energy becomes nourishment. It fuels the body and strengthens every ability."
"And if I don't do it?" Stiles asked.
Hope became quiet.
"What happens?"
"You weaken."
"I'm already weakening."
"If deprivation continues, your abilities will fail. Then your body begins shutting down."
Scott stared at her. "Are you saying he could die?"
Hope nodded.
Stiles sat on the edge of his bed.
He looked sick.
"I'm eighteen, and apparently I have to feed on sexual energy or die."
"You do not have to take it from anyone without permission," Hope said.
"What if I lose control?"
"Then we learn how to stop you before that happens."
"You saw what my voice did."
"Yes."
"How can anyone consent if I can change what they want?"
Hope closed the manuscript and moved in front of him.
"Then you never use that power to feed. You ask clearly. You accept no as the final answer, and you leave if you cannot control yourself."
Stiles met her eyes.
"And if no one says yes?"
"We find another answer before you die."
"You say that as if there has to be one."
"There is always another answer."
Scott looked between them.
"What about a kiss?"
Hope glanced toward the screen.
"A mutually desired kiss could provide a small amount of energy. It would not sustain him for long, especially once his abilities become stronger."
Stiles stood. "No."
Hope frowned. "No?"
"I'm not asking someone to kiss me so I don't die."
Scott raised one hand. "That sounds less strange than the alternative."
"Not helping."
Hope took the laptop. "For now, stop using your abilities. It will slow the hunger."
"And Scott?"
They looked toward the moon rising outside.
Scott's eyes briefly flashed gold.
Hope sighed. "We need to keep him away from people."
Scott's phone vibrated.
Allison had sent him a message asking if he was still coming to the party.
Stiles looked at him. "You're going anyway, aren't you?"
Scott shoved the phone into his pocket. "Maybe."
Hope stared at both boys.
"This is going to be a disaster."
***
Lydia's house was crowded when they arrived.
Everyone in their graduating group was eighteen, but the sheriff's warning about alcohol had done nothing to stop several guests from bringing it.
Scott immediately found Allison.
Stiles remained beside Hope.
He had wanted to stay home, but they could not leave Scott alone during the full moon. Hope also refused to let Stiles remain by himself while his condition worsened.
Music shook the walls.
Emotions struck Stiles from every direction.
The party was filled with attraction. Desire moved between couples, flared during touches, and lingered in every private corner.
To Stiles, it looked like light beneath people's skin.
His hunger reached for it.
Stiles backed into the wall.
Hope took his face between her hands.
"Look at me."
He immediately pulled away. "Don't touch me."
"You're barely standing."
"I'm not taking anything else from you."
"You stopped the moment you realized what was happening."
"That doesn't make it acceptable."
"It means you have control."
Stiles shook his head.
Across the room, Lydia smiled at him.
Her interest struck like a wave.
Several other people turned toward him.
Stiles's supernatural aura was beginning to spread without his permission. People who had ignored him for years were suddenly watching him.
Hope saw their expressions.
"We're leaving."
"What about Scott?"
"We'll find him after I get you somewhere quiet."
She guided Stiles through the back door.
They reached an empty section of the garden.
Stiles leaned against a tree, struggling to breathe.
Hope pressed two fingers against his neck.
His pulse was weak.
"Stiles."
"I'm fine."
"No, you aren't."
Darkness was beginning to move around the edges of his eyes.
The energy he had taken from Hope earlier had already burned away.
"You need to feed."
"I'm not compelling someone."
"I didn't tell you to."
Hope stepped closer.
Stiles understood what she intended.
"No."
"You said no before I asked."
"Because I know what you're going to offer."
"A kiss."
"I might hurt you."
"You won't."
"You can't know that."
"I'm stronger than you think."
"That isn't the point."
Hope held his gaze. "This is my choice."
Stiles shook his head again. "What if it isn't? What if that aura thing is changing what you want?"
"It isn't."
"How do you know?"
"Because I wanted to kiss you before I knew what you were."
Stiles stopped breathing.
Hope's cheeks became warm, but she did not look away.
"I'm not offering anything more," she continued. "A kiss. Enough to keep you standing while we help Scott."
Stiles stared at her.
"If I tell you to stop, you stop," Hope said.
"I'll stop."
"If I touch your shoulder twice, you move away."
"I understand."
"And you never do this without someone's clear permission."
"Never."
Hope placed one hand against his cheek.
Stiles waited.
"May I kiss you?" he asked.
"Yes."
He leaned forward slowly, giving her every opportunity to change her mind.
Hope closed the distance.
Their lips met.
For the first few seconds, nothing happened.
Then Hope's heart sped up.
Warmth opened between them.
Stiles felt a thread of energy move into him. The terrible emptiness beneath his ribs seized it.
His body tried to pull harder.
Hope's knees weakened.
Stiles immediately wrapped one arm around her waist, keeping her upright.
The energy flooding him grew stronger. His heartbeat steadied, the darkness left his vision, and every exhausted part of him came alive.
Hope touched his shoulder twice.
Stiles broke the kiss immediately.
He moved several feet away even though his entire body demanded that he return.
Hope gripped the tree for support.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded, breathing deeply.
"What did I take?"
"Life-force."
"How much?"
"Not enough to hurt me."
"You almost fell."
"I was surprised."
Stiles's eyes had changed.
The whites had become black while his irises glowed molten gold.
Hope stared at them.
Stiles turned away. "They're doing the thing again, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"Do I look terrifying?"
"A little."
"Good terrifying or bad terrifying?"
"Stiles."
"Right. Serious moment."
Hope stepped toward him.
He moved back.
"I won't touch you again," she said.
"It isn't you."
"I know."
"I wanted more."
"But you stopped."
"Because you told me to."
"You stopped immediately."
Hope's words finally made him look at her.
"You kept your promise," she said.
The gold faded from his eyes.
Stiles looked at her lips before quickly looking away.
"Did you only kiss me because I was dying?"
"No."
That answer frightened him more than the hunger.
***
Every person in the theater began speaking at once.
Klaus surged from his chair.
"He fed from her!"
Hayley caught his arm. "She chose to kiss him."
"She nearly collapsed."
"And he stopped the second she told him to."
"I will tear him limb from—"
"He cannot hear you," Rebekah reminded him.
"That will not save him."
Landon stared at the dark screen surrounding Hope and Stiles.
Pain crossed his face, but he remained silent.
Josie touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"She was clear about what she wanted," Landon said. "I'm not going to blame her for choosing something just because it hurts me."
Across the aisle, Bonnie looked toward the ceiling.
"Was Hope influenced?"
"No," the Author answered. "Stiles's aura drew the attention of the people inside the party, but it did not alter Hope's decision. She chose with a clear mind."
"What exactly is he?" Freya asked.
"An Ultimate Incubus."
Klaus's expression became murderous.
The Author continued before he could speak.
"Stiles was born an Incubus. The blood remained dormant throughout his childhood. The Alpha's howl and the supernatural violence inside the preserve awakened it."
"So he was never human?" Caroline asked.
"He was human in every way that mattered. His supernatural body had not developed."
"And now?" Alaric questioned.
"Now his survival depends upon life-force. Without regular nourishment, his powers will weaken, his body will fail, and he will eventually die."
Hayley looked at Hope. "Her energy restored him quickly."
"Hope is an exceptionally powerful source. He stopped before taking enough to injure her."
"And his other abilities?" Bonnie asked.
"They will emerge with time. Strength, speed, regeneration, mental influence, dreams, illusions, energy manipulation, resistance, and forms even he cannot imagine."
Klaus sat down slowly.
"Then my daughter is standing beside an immortal predator who must feed through intimacy."
Hayley met his eyes. "She's also standing beside a frightened eighteen-year-old who asked permission and stopped when she told him to."
Klaus looked at Stiles again.
This time, he did not respond.
***
Inside the party, Scott stumbled away from Allison.
His body burned.
Every sound became painfully clear while his heartbeat pounded in his ears. His fingers changed first. Claws pushed from beneath his nails.
"Allison, I have to go."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sick."
"Let me help."
"You can't."
Scott ran before she could follow.
Stiles felt his fear from outside.
His head snapped toward the house.
"Scott."
Hope heard the back door slam.
They ran around the house in time to see Scott disappear toward the preserve.
"Of course he went to the forest," Stiles groaned.
Hope caught his wrist before he could follow.
"How do you feel?"
"Better."
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes, but I can control it."
"If that changes, tell me."
"I will."
They followed Scott.
Stiles found his trail without needing tracks. Scott's fear burned through the forest like a signal.
They discovered him near an abandoned structure.
Scott was on his knees, gripping his head. Dark hair spread along the sides of his face while his eyes glowed gold.
"Stay back!" he shouted.
Stiles stepped forward.
Scott looked at him.
For one second, the wolf took control.
Scott charged.
Hope threw up a barrier, but Scott crashed through it.
Stiles caught him by both shoulders.
The impact drove them into the ground.
Scott snarled and tried to bite him.
"Scott, stop!"
Power filled Stiles's voice.
Scott froze.
His gold eyes went blank.
The wolf's energy pushed against Stiles. Instinct took over, and he began pulling it into himself.
Scott weakened.
His claws retracted as strength drained from his body.
"Stiles!" Hope shouted. "Release him!"
Stiles let go immediately.
Scott fell to the ground, gasping.
Stiles crawled away from him.
"I did it again."
"You stopped," Hope reminded him.
"I hurt him."
Scott raised his head. "I was trying to bite your face. I think we're even."
A shape moved across the roof.
Derek Hale dropped into the clearing.
He looked at Scott and then at Stiles.
"What did you do to him?"
"I don't know."
"You suppressed the transformation."
Hope helped Scott sit up. "By draining his energy."
Derek looked more closely at Stiles. "Your eyes."
Stiles realized they had turned black and gold again.
"I'm an Incubus."
Derek's expression remained blank.
"That explanation usually gets more of a reaction," Stiles said.
A sharp sound cut through the trees.
Derek tackled Scott as an arrow passed over them.
More figures appeared at the edge of the clearing.
Hunters.
One raised a crossbow toward Scott.
Hope threw out her hand. The weapon flew from the hunter's grip and struck a tree.
Another fired at her.
Dark energy burst from Stiles's palm.
It formed a shield between Hope and the arrow. The arrow disintegrated against it.
Everyone stared at him.
Stiles looked down at his hand. "I didn't know I could do that."
"Move!" Derek shouted.
They ran as the hunters spread through the woods.
Derek led them through a narrow path before stopping near an underground maintenance tunnel.
Scott leaned against the wall. His face had returned to normal.
"Who were they?"
"People who kill creatures like us," Derek answered.
Stiles glanced toward him. "I'm not including myself in that sentence yet."
"They will."
"Did the Alpha bite Scott because of them?" Hope asked.
"No. The Alpha is building a pack."
Scott touched his healed side. "Why choose me?"
"Maybe it saw something useful."
"And Stiles?" Hope asked.
Derek looked at him. "The howl awakened him because his nature was already waiting beneath the surface. The Alpha probably doesn't know what it released."
Stiles pressed one hand against the wall.
"So Scott was chosen, and I was supernatural collateral damage."
Derek's expression darkened. "Nothing in Beacon Hills happens by accident for long."
He left through the opposite end of the tunnel.
Scott watched him go. "He really enjoys disappearing before answering questions."
"I noticed," Hope said.
Stiles looked toward the entrance.
He could still feel the hunters outside. Their fear and excitement pressed against him.
Beneath it, he recognized one emotion he had felt at the party.
It belonged to Allison.
"She's nearby."
Scott immediately stood. "Allison?"
"Her father picked her up. I felt her when the hunters arrived."
Scott went pale. "Her father is one of them?"
Stiles nodded.
Scott sank back against the wall.
"My girlfriend's father hunts werewolves."
"You spoke to her for one day," Stiles said.
Scott glared at him.
"Future girlfriend," Stiles corrected.
***
Sheriff Stilinski was waiting when Hope and Stiles returned.
He stood in the kitchen with his arms crossed.
"Why is there dirt on both of you?"
Stiles looked down at his ruined clothes. "Outdoor party."
"Try again."
Hope stepped forward. "We went near the preserve."
The sheriff closed his eyes. "I gave you one rule."
"There were several," Stiles pointed out.
His father glared at him.
"Not helping," Hope whispered.
Sheriff Stilinski looked at his son. Fear moved beneath his anger, and Stiles could see it clearly.
"You disappeared in those woods once already," the sheriff said. "Do you understand what I thought when you didn't answer your phone?"
"I'm sorry."
"I cannot protect you if you keep lying to me."
Stiles's throat tightened.
Part of him wanted to tell his father everything. He wanted to explain Scott's bite, Hope's magic, and the hunger twisting inside him.
Then he remembered the hunters.
"I know," Stiles said. "I'll do better."
His father's expression showed that he did not believe him.
"Go upstairs."
Stiles obeyed.
Hope followed him into his room and shut the door.
He sat at his desk.
"Are you hungry again?" she asked.
"A little."
"How long do you think the energy will last?"
"I don't know."
Hope sat on the edge of the bed.
"The manuscript said stronger sources provide more nourishment."
Stiles's expression hardened. "You aren't becoming my food supply."
"I didn't say that."
"You were thinking it."
Hope froze.
"I heard it," he admitted.
Her voice became quiet. "Stay out of my head."
"I'm trying."
"I was thinking that my energy may have lasted longer because of what I am. That doesn't mean I'm offering to become your only source."
"Good."
Hope crossed her arms. "You sounded offended."
"I don't want you to feel responsible for keeping me alive."
"I already feel responsible for everyone."
"That doesn't make it healthy."
Hope stared at him.
"You've known me for three days," she reminded him.
"And I already know that you throw yourself between other people and danger."
"So do you."
"Yes, but I'm self-aware enough to admit it's a problem."
Hope smiled despite herself.
Stiles became serious.
"Thank you for helping me."
"You don't need to thank me."
"I took energy from you."
"I gave it."
"You trusted me to stop."
"And you did."
Stiles looked away. "I wanted to kiss you before I needed it."
Hope's heartbeat sped up.
He heard it.
"I wanted to kiss you too," she admitted.
Stiles met her eyes.
Neither moved closer.
This time, there was no hunger forcing a decision.
Hope stood and touched his hand.
A thread of warmth attempted to open between them.
Stiles closed it.
Nothing left her body.
Hope looked down at their joined hands.
"You controlled it."
"I think so."
"That's a start."
Stiles smiled.
"A very confusing start."
***
That night, Hope dreamed of Malivore again.
She stood alone in the endless darkness while forgotten voices whispered beneath her feet.
Her family appeared in the distance.
Klaus stood beside Hayley, but neither recognized her.
Hope tried to reach them.
The ground pulled her down.
A hand suddenly closed around hers.
Stiles appeared beside her.
"You're here again," Hope said.
"I think I'm asleep."
"You are."
"That makes two of us."
Malivore rose around them.
Stiles placed himself between Hope and the darkness.
"You can't fight this," she warned him.
"Probably not."
"Then why are you standing there?"
"Because you shouldn't have to stand alone."
The darkness struck.
Stiles lifted one hand.
A wall of golden energy spread around them.
Hope stared as Malivore recoiled from the light.
"How did you do that?"
"I was hoping you knew."
The dream began breaking apart.
Before Stiles disappeared, he pushed a small amount of energy through their joined hands.
Warmth returned to Hope's body.
She woke in the spare room feeling rested for the first time since arriving in Beacon Hills.
Across the hallway, Stiles opened his eyes.
He felt slightly weaker.
He had returned some of what he had taken.
Stiles smiled when he realized it.
His eyes changed in the mirror, black surrounding molten gold.
There were no claws.
No fangs.
Nothing belonging to a wolf.
Only the eyes of an Incubus whose true power had finally begun to wake.
On the other side of town, Scott stood before his bathroom mirror.
Gold eyes stared back at him.
A howl moved through Beacon Hills.
The Alpha was calling.
Scott heard it.
Stiles heard it too.
But only one of them belonged to the wolf.
***
The theater screen faded to black.
The words appeared slowly.
**END OF EPISODE ONE**
Hayley released the breath she had been holding.
"He gave some of the energy back."
"Energy transfer," Bonnie said. "He isn't limited to taking it."
Freya nodded. "That means feeding does not have to make him cruel."
"His choices will determine that," Elijah added.
Klaus remained focused on the image of Hope and Stiles holding hands inside the dream.
"He entered her mind without permission."
"He didn't know he was doing it," Hayley replied.
"He kissed her."
"She kissed him too."
"He fed from her."
"She chose to help him."
Klaus turned toward his daughter's empty seat as if remembering that Hope was not there to argue for herself.
Landon watched the black screen.
"She trusted him because he asked," he said. "And when she told him to stop, he did."
Klaus regarded him coldly. "You are remarkably calm about this."
"No, I'm not," Landon admitted. "But Hope spent too much of her life having other people make decisions for her. I won't do that now."
Hayley gave him a small, grateful smile.
The Author spoke one final time.
"Scott McCall entered the preserve as a human and left with the bite of an Alpha. Stiles Stilinski returned home without a scratch, never realizing that the same supernatural interference had awakened the Incubus born inside him."
The screen briefly displayed three images.
Scott's golden werewolf eyes.
Stiles's black-and-gold Incubus eyes.
Hope standing between them.
"One was bitten. One was awakened. And Hope Mikaelson had become part of a world that would never be the same again."
The screen went dark.