17
Mysterious Stranger in Beacon Hills - 3
THE TRUTH
Stiles was glad it was Saturday night because he didn't know if he would be able to fall asleep at all, his heart was racing and he was afraid. News of what was going to happen this week was too much to wrap his head around. He was sitting staring at his computer but not really doing anything when his father passed his room.
"Hey are you ok?" his dad asked.
"Huh, yeah just a lot on my mind with the big game coming up and exams."
"Well I'm sure you'll do fine, don't stress yourself over it. Look I'm on my way to work so I'll see tomorrow."
"Ok have a good night dad" Stiles said and then his dad left. Stiles opened his window and climbed into bed to try to get some sleep, which he didn't think was possible but he fell asleep at some point because he was woken up by somebody's lips gently kissing his back, slowly going from his lower back up his spine. He rolled over smiling and looked up to see Derek's face and before he could say anything Derek was on top of him, kissing him.
For the longest time they just laid there kissing, Stiles running his hands up and down Derek's back, feeling the muscles, feeling the stubble on Derek's face scraping the skin around his mouth.
"What kept you" Stiles asked when they finally broke apart and Derek started kissing his face and neck and nibbling on his ears.
"Peter and I split up and circled around the town to see if we saw or smelled any sign of this pack and to see if we could figure out where this mysterious man might be hiding out."
"And did you find out anything?" Stiles asked.
"No nothing" Derek said as he kissed his way along Stiles' face, working his way from his left ear to his right.
"Derek I'm frightened" Stiles said suddenly and Derek stopped, and looked at him and he could tell Stiles wasn't kidding when he saw his eyes were watery.
Derek got off the bed and pulled Stiles up with him "hey I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your dad" he said as he pulled Stiles close and hugged him tight.
"You would protect my dad?" Stiles asked a bit surprised.
"Of course I would, he's your father and all you have is each other."
"I appreciate that and I'm sure my dad would as well if he knew about any of this but I don't want you worried about us I want you to concentrate on the fight, we are all worried. I mean Scott, Erica & Boyd I know are worried about their families and I'm pretty sure Isaac is worried about his uncle."
"Stiles you're talking like the entire town is going to be at this fight, if it evens comes to that."
"What do you mean?"
"Peter and I talked and we plan to make regular trips as much as possible to check to see if this group is here and hopefully fight them ourselves."
"You can't do that Derek, you were just as worried about the six of you being able to handle this pack, even with the help of this stranger, and now you're telling me you and Peter are going tackle them yourselves are you crazy?"
Derek sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Stiles onto his lap
"Listen to me we are planning to take one or two of them on at a time and reduce their numbers to the point that if a big fight does take place we will be more evenly matched or maybe even have an advantage. Hey come on, have a little more confidence in us and our abilities."
"Feel a little better now?" Derek asked as he started to gently kiss Stiles' neck.
"A little" Stiles said and then Derek's other hand grabbed his crotch and started massaging it.
"I see what you mean you do feel a bit….stiff, does this help?" Derek asked with a chuckle.
"Oh….yea…..that helps" Stiles said breathlessly as he wrapped his arms around Derek and started kissing him.
Stiles stopped and got up off of Derek's lap "strip….now" he said.
"Yes sir" Derek said with a smile and soon they were both naked and in bed.
The days seems to be flying by, each day at lunch they all sat together talking about what was coming and when it was coming. They met up with Derek and Peter when they could to practice and every night since Saturday, Derek would climb into Stiles' bedroom and they would help each other relieve tension. Stiles knew the others could smell Derek on him, especially since Saturday night Derek had been 'filling' Stiles with his 'scent' on a nightly basis.
"Isaac?" Karl called out from his office when he heard somebody come in the house.
"Yes it's me" Isaac answered as he started to head upstairs, when he got to the second floor Karl came out of his office looking worried.
"Is everything ok, how come you're home so early?"
"Oh the team gets out early so we can have one final practice and then we get to come home and rest before the game tonight" Isaac explained.
"Oh ok I was worried you might be sick or something."
"No I'm fine I'm just going up to shower and take a nap."
"Ok, what time do you need to be up and do you want to eat dinner before the game?"
"I have to be back at school by six, the game's at seven. As for dinner I'm not hungry and I don't want to eat anything too heavy so maybe just a sandwich, are you coming to the game?"
"Of course I am but I have a business call I have to make at six so I'll be there after that."
Isaac was dead asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when somebody was calling his name and shaking his shoulder, he opened his eyes to see Karl standing there smiling.
"It's five o'clock" he said.
"Oh ok thanks" Isaac said as he got up. When he came downstairs Karl was waiting in the kitchen, a sandwich made and waiting for him.
"Thanks" Isaac said as he sat down to eat while Karl ate with him. They didn't talk much but when Isaac could he would look at Karl and he was happy and at times like this he thought of talking to Karl about adoption so he would be his father but feared it was too soon for that and he was not sure if Karl wanted the same thing.
The game had just begun an Isaac was sitting on the bench with Stiles when he turned around and saw Karl sitting at the top of the bleachers next to Stiles' dad, Karl smiled and waved and Isaac did the same. When he was out on the field playing he would glance over to see Karl watching and cheering him on which is something his father rarely did, if he even showed up for games.
It was a close but exciting game and the home team ended up winning and there was a huge celebration on the field. The losing team wasted time in getting back on their bus and leaving and shortly after that a group of people started walking onto the field from the opposite end and as more people noticed them the quieter it got until those that were left were standing around were looking at these people wondering who they were. Scott and Stiles looked at each other and then the others, they knew this was it; this was that pack they were warned about. Stiles turned around to see if his father was still there and unfortunately he was, he was standing up with Isaac's uncle watching from the bleachers but then Stiles saw something that made him feel more at ease, Derek and Peter and he nudged Scott who turned a saw them coming as well. Scott took off his gloves and started to walk towards the strangers, who had stopped at mid-field. Erica, Boyd and Isaac did the same, but Isaac was nervous. He had always known that at some point Karl would find out what he was either by him telling him or by accident but he had hoped it wouldn't be this soon and in a situation like this.
"McCall what are you all doing?" the coach asked but before he could answer Derek had walked past the coach and growled at him. They all backed away to the bleachers, everybody watching in stunned silence. Isaac just couldn't bring himself to look at his uncle so he just kept walking with the others. For the longest time they stood looking at each other, nobody saying anything and Derek was the only one that was in his werewolf form. Soon all of them changed and they were all growling at each other getting ready to fight. Those watching gasped, some people screamed and ran away, Stiles' dad ran down the bleachers to grab Stiles to get him out of there but Stiles refused to leave. Just as they were about fight there was a sound that echoed and caused people to cover their ears and look around to see Karl dragging his finger nails across the aluminum bench and then to Isaac's surprise Karl lit a cigarette and calmly walked down the bleachers.
"Now that I have your attention" he said as people cleared out of his way as he made his way onto the field.
"I had hoped you were smarter than this Devin but clearly I was wrong" Karl said addressing what appeared to be the alpha male. Isaac was stunned and confused and he could see his fellow werewolves were as well.
"Do I know you?" Devin said.
"No but I thought your one pack member might have told you about me. I'm disappointed ginger, and after all I did for you" Karl said looking at a red headed werewolf standing in the background. Devin and his mate both turned to look at him and then they looked back at Karl.
"His name is Tim and he did mention something about us not coming here otherwise it would be the death of us all" Devin said looking Karl up and down like he was a bug that needed to squashed.
"Are we to believe that you are the one that told him this?"
"Yes it was I who gave him the warning message" Karl said.
"And this is the threat that is to be the death of us all, a bunch of high school kids?" the alpha female said as they all burst out laughing.
Karl turned at looked Peter, Derek and the others and winked while the others laughed and he looked at Isaac and smiled.
"What is your name?" Karl asked the female.
"Jennifer, not that it's any business of yours" she said sarcastically.
"Nice to meet you Jennifer, my name is Karl."
"I don't care."
"I know but I just thought it would be nice to know the name of the man who was responsible for the current state of your pack.
"Oh didn't ginger, oh excuse me Tim, tell you? I guess not, I'm the one who reduced your pack by almost half" Karl said and they were no longer amused. Karl had finished his cigarette and then just stood there calmly, folding his hands behind his back. When he did that Scott looked at Karl's hands and noticed they were different and he turned to look at Isaac who then looked at noticed them as well and his eyes got big.
Karl's hands had changed, his fingers were elongated and his finger nails had changed to very menacing looking black claws.
Devin stepped forward until he was right in front of Karl and towering over him, Isaac growled but Karl didn't flinch he just looked up at Devin.
"What don't you believe me?"
"You're awfully small to talking so big" Devin said in a growl.
"Do you really want to do this hear, now in front of all of these people?"
"Well some of them look like they will make nice additions since we need to rebuild our numbers" Devin said looking at those that were still standing there.
"You really shouldn't have said that" Karl said and when Devin turned back around he was shocked by what he saw, as were all the others.
Karl's mouth was slightly protruding, almost like a snout and he had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth with very long fangs, his eyes were completely black and his skin a dark gray color. Before anybody knew what happened, Karl jammed his hand into Devin's chest.
"All this time I thought you were a heartless prick, apparently I was wrong" Karl said before pulling his hand out, with Devin's heart still in his hand.
Jennifer screamed and then dove at Karl but he was too fast and moved out of the way just as Derek tackled her and they started fighting, at the same time Peter and the others charged and soon all anybody could hear was the growling and snarling of werewolves fighting on the field.
"Stiles?" the sheriff asked quietly, staring at what was happening in front of him.
"Yea dad?"
"Are they?"
"Yes dad, they're werewolves."
"That's what I thought."
"Listen Stiles in case our guys don't make it, I want you to know that I love you and I'm very proud of you" his father said and Stiles looked at his dad.
"Well if we're going to confess like it's the end, then I want you to know dad that I love you to and I wouldn't want anybody else for a dad but you and I've been seeing Derek."
"I know he wasn't always very quiet climbing through your window" his father said and he couldn't help but laugh at the look on his son's face. They hugged each other and turned their attention back to the fight when they were distracted by a group of girls that suddenly screamed; they turned and saw werewolves heading in their direction. People started running but Stiles and his dad were both frozen with fear and then suddenly the two charging werewolves stopped and after a split second, blood gushed from their necks. Stiles turned to look and saw Karl standing there, licking blood off the claws of his left hand and then he vanished. The sheriff grabbed Stiles arms firmly and backed them both up, away from the fighting.
Derek was still battling Jennifer, the alpha female, she was proving to be a skilled fighter but then Erica showed up and to Derek's surprise she was able to hold her own against Jennifer and he figured it was a she wolf thing because Erica seemed to be able counter Jennifer's moves and she was getting in more hits than Derek was.
It didn't take Erica long to get the upper hand and as soon as she had an advantage she grabbed Jennifer's head and twisted it, snapping her neck. Any remaining pack members that were left took off running.
Karl and the others gathered together in the middle of the field and they were looking a small group of werewolves that had been there but they never changed and never moved they had just remained where they were watching.
One of them stepped forward, a young girl that looked like she was high school aged as well, "thank you" was all she said and then they did something surprising, they gathered up the dead pack members and carried them off.
"Wow that was nice, I was wondering what we were going to do with the bodies" said Boyd.
Derek felt a hand gently touch his shoulder and he turned to see Stiles and he smiled at him as he slid his arm around Stiles' waist and pulled him against his side and Stiles put his arm around Derek's waist as well.
"Well that explains that" Isaac said suddenly looking at Derek and Stiles with a slight smile on his face.
"Explains what?" Derek asked.
"Why Stiles has smelled like you all week" Isaac said. Stiles blushed, Derek just looked at Isaac as he and the others laughed. Isaac suddenly felt something next to him and he turned to see Karl standing there looking at him, he was back to his normal looking self and there was a sadness to his face.
"Are you alright?" Isaac asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing. Why don't we go home and I'll explain everything" Karl said and Isaac agreed.
"You are all welcome to join us if you like" Karl added to the others and they all looked at each other and agreed.
When they got to Karl's they all drifted to the kitchen because it was not the biggest room where they could all sit comfortably. Karl went to the fridge and Isaac started taking out all the cold cuts and leftovers and putting everything out "please help yourselves to anything you like" Karl said as he sat down at the table next to Isaac.
"I'm sorry I kept this from you but I wasn't sure how to tell you or how you would handle it with all you've already been through but please know I never had any intention of keeping it from you" Karl said making sure he looked Isaac in the eye so he knew he was not lying.
"You're not the only one that was keeping a secret" Isaac said.
"No but the difference is, is that I knew what you were the second you walked into that conference room at the school."
"How did you know?"
"When you get to be my age you sense those that are different and I could smell you."
Isaac looked at him, confused as did everybody else.
"Stiles and his dad are human so they can't smell as well as the rest of us, and you are all so used to being around each other you don't smell it either but I smell that you were a werewolf."
"What are you exactly?" Peter asked and when Karl looked around the table, everybody was looking at him and he knew they all wanted to know the answer but he turned to Isaac because that was who he cared about most and was worried about.
"Are you sure you're ready to hear this?" he asked and Isaac shook his head yes so when Karl started to explain he mostly looked at Isaac because that was who he owed the explanation to the most.
"When I was forty I was traveling on business well into Eastern Europe. At the time, the stories of vampires and werewolves were still very popular, especially in certain parts of the area. In those times, people locked themselves in their homes when the sun set and never went into the woods."
"In those times, when was this, how old are you?" Isaac asked.
"I'll get to that, please let me finish. Anyway I was on a business trip and coming from London, I didn't really believe those stories myself so one night I couldn't sleep and went for a walk. I was staying in a small village for the night and since I was not familiar with the area I made sure not to wonder too far away but I ended up walking too far and found myself in the woods and I was hearing noises I never heard before. I turned and started to make my way back when out of nowhere somebody tackled me and knocked me down. I remember him lying on top of me and feeling a searing pain in my neck. I tried to push him off but it was like being pinned under a stone slab, he wouldn't budge and I felt myself getting weak and I remember thinking that the stories I heard about vampires were true and I thought I was dead as he continued to drain me but then there was a noise that caused him to stop and he turned and looked into the trees. I turned my head as well but couldn't see anything but I heard something coming, it sounded big and loud. The vampire hissed and I remember something big and hairy charging from the trees and tackling the vampire knocking him off of me and I was rolled onto my side from the impact and saw the vampire fighting with what I would later realize was a werewolf."
Karl had gone from looking at Isaac when he started talking to staring off and he when he realized this he looked back at Isaac again and then at the others at the table, he had to chuckle as he had a very captive audience.
"Soon I felt the ground vibrate underneath me and more werewolves came charging out of the woods, one of them stopped and looked at me and it bit me. When the others arrived the vampire was outnumbered and took off, the werewolves chasing after him."
"What did you do, how did you survive this?" Erica asked.
"I was weak and I knew I was dying, or at least I thought I was at the time, so I dragged myself further into the woods away from the trail because I knew people would be traveling along it once the sun came up. I dragged myself until I found a large fallen tree and crawled under it, I don't know how long I was there but when I woke up I felt strange, like my body was tingling, full of energy I wanted to go back to the inn I was staying at but was afraid of how they would react because I didn't know what they knew, I didn't know if I looked different and I didn't know how long I had been out there, so I waited until dark again and snuck into the room I was staying in and gathered my things and snuck out again."
"What did you do?" Stiles asked in awe and Karl smiled.
"I went into hiding and eventually found an abandoned house in the woods and stayed there until I could figure out what to do, what I was."
"So what are you exactly?" Isaac finally asked.
"I'm a hybrid; that is the best way to describe it in modern terms. I'm half vampire and half werewolf and as far as I know I am the only one of my kind."
"What did you do, I mean obviously you went on with life but how?" Isaac asked.
"Well the next night after I found that abandoned house I started to make my way back home. The further I got away from that area I was able to start staying in inn's again and when I returned to London I came back on the day of a funeral, my own. It seemed word reached my wife and family that I had died so going home was out of the question. So I got out of there before anybody recognized me and returned to where it all started. I had to find somebody who could tell me what I was and hopefully tell me how to survive. Eventually I found a vampire who didn't run away from me, his name was Victor and I told him what happened to me and he was fascinated by my story and he helped me understand what I was and how to survive. I could survive on blood like a vampire but I could also eat like a normal person because of the werewolf in me as well and I spent about fifty years with him traveling and learning."
"Did you ever run into werewolves again?" Scott asked.
"Yes I actually come across a pack of them one night out with Victor, they encircled us ready to attack but something stopped them, they realized there was something different about me and they just stared at me. That was the first time I changed into what you saw tonight. The idea of being attacked triggered it, even Victor was surprised by my appearance, although not as surprised as I was of course."
"And they left you alone?" Derek asked.
"Yes because they could tell I was not something to fight, they sensed I was stronger and more lethal so they left us alone."
"Whatever happened to Victor?" Boyd asked.
"The last time I saw him he was living quite comfortably in the English countryside, he has a large home and territory. Because of his age he is able to easily scare off any vampires that try to move into his territory."
"So how old is he and how old are you?"
"Victor was born three years after Queen Elizabeth the first, he was born in fifteen thirty-six and I was born in seventeen sixty-seven."
There were no more questions just stunned looks of everybody at the table.
"I'm not sure what is harder to believe, that there are vampires or that you're two hundred forty-five years old" Stiles said.
"You do realize Stiles that you and your dad are the only human sitting at a table with werewolves, a werewolf/vampire hybrid and you're going to question the existence of vampires?" Karl said and after a few moments of silence they all burst out laughing.
"Are we even related?" Isaac asked looking sad and it broke Karl's heart so he took Isaac's hands in his and made Isaac look at him.
"Yes we are I didn't lie about that, just not as closely as I told you. Like I said I stayed with Victor for about fifty years which was more than enough time to be able to return to London which is what I did and I found my kids and grandkids, of course I didn't reveal myself to them but I watched over them and I've been doing that ever since and you Isaac are a descendant of mine, as are you two" Karl said suddenly turning to look at Peter and Derek and they looked at each other than they looked at Karl.
"Wait, I'm related to them?" Isaac said.
"Distantly related but yes you have common ancestry" Karl said.
"So what happens now?" Isaac asked.
"How about we eat" Karl said and everybody got up and started making plates and talking and for the next few hours they all sat around talking, and laughing and Isaac stuck to Karl the entire time. When it got close to midnight everybody was tired and they all got up to leave. The sheriff started walking home and he turned when he realized Stiles wasn't with him and saw him talking with Derek, "come on you two" he said and they both looked at him, Derek more shocked than Stiles.
"I know about you and Stiles Derek and I don't want you waking me up again climbing into his bedroom window so let's go" he said and they just followed him home.
After seeing them all to the door, Karl returned to the kitchen where Isaac was still sitting playing with his fingers.
Karl sat down and looked at Isaac "something still on your mind" he asked.
Isaac never looked up; he just continued to sit there staring at his fingers as he played with them. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something but then seemed to changed his mind.
"Isaac I told you that you could ask me anything and you can also tell me anything as well."
"Were you serious about traveling with you this summer" Isaac asked, even thought that really wasn't what he really wanted to ask.
"Of course I was, I really do have business planned and we are definitely going and now that you know everything would you like to meet Victor?"
Isaac's head shot up and smiled.
"Are you serious, we can see Victor?"
"Absolutely and I think you'll like him, when you meet him you would never know he was a vampire. He goes out during the day, he has beds in his house, a swimming pool, and it's all very normal looking. Now why do you ask me what you really want to ask me" Karl said leaning in closer to Isaac.
Isaac was surprised both by Karl suddenly leaning in close and by the fact that Karl seemed to know that was something more important on his mind.
"Earlier I was thinking or more like wondering if you would….." Isaac couldn't get it out, he couldn't say it and he got choked up but once again Karl seemed to know what he was already thinking.
"You wanted to talk to me about adoption" Karl said and Isaac again looked at him, his eyes welled up with tears. Karl just smiled at him, "that business call I had tonight, that was to my lawyer who is on the east coast right now, he is going to start the adoption process when he gets back to his office here on Monday" Karl said and Isaac just looked at him smiling despite the tears running down his face. They both stood up and hugged each other.
"Hey, it's completely up to you, but do you think any of your friends would want to go with us?"
"Oh I don't know I don't know if they can afford a trip like that."
"Well Derek is old enough but I'll have to talk to the parents of the others. I'm sure if I point it out as an educational trip."
"Do you really think the sheriff is going to allow Stiles to go on a trip like that if Derek goes?" Isaac asked.
"Oh I see your point; well it can't hurt to try."