Hi, everyone. I randomly found and fell in love with this show and thought it would be fun trying to work a story around it. For the premise. The story takes place right after season 2. However, the ending is altered a bit. The danger is not from a pack of Alpha's, and Peter did not survive the final encounter with the kanima. I hope you enjoy my story. Feel free to review and critique, but please no flames.
Summary: The town of Beacon Hills seems to have seen it all. Narcissistic Alphas. Homicidal vengeance seekers. Humans more monstrous then those they claim to hunt. But little did they know a far greater threat was on the horizon. Something so devastating, it threatens to destroy the very town itself. After all that has passed, it seemed the worst was yet to come. Yet in the darkest hour, a certain broken werewolf may have finally found a small ray of light.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Teen Wolf. Several characters in this story will be my own invention. References to the show will be made, but the plot is entirely mine. The season two finale is completely switched up, and the third season premise never existed. Hope you have fun.
"This place is disgusting." The red head complained crinkling her nose in distaste. She stepped over a pile of rusting old pipes, mumbling a few harsher words. The girl walking a few steps ahead sighed. For a moment she regretted allowing the girl to come, but quickly pushed the thought aside. This was perhaps one of the most important, not to mention dangerous, meetings they had ever been to. If things turned sour, she would be grateful for the competent claws next to her. Of course, the chances of this going bad were beginning to escalate. The meeting hadn't even started and already they might be leaving a bad impression. With another sigh, she shot a glance at the girl.
"Ruby, please don't be so blunt. We are guests at the moment." She said softly. Not even invited ones at that. The thought flashed through her mind. She pushed it away, just in time to catch her companion pout. For a moment, she questioned her decision to bring her instead of Hana. All it took was remembering where they were to dispel the thought. The girl was a bit rough around the edges, but was an amazing fighter. Hana had nowhere near her skill level. Or her temper. Which was a prominent reason that Ruby was almost never an escort to peaceful meetings. She understood her faults. She was a fighter, not a diplomat. Preferred to leave the so called boring duties to her leader and sisters. The fact that she was even here spoke volumes to the amount of trouble this entire situation may have created. A dangerous storm was brewing, one even a pack of their caliber hadn't been able to weather. They were so weak from the last fight. Their numbers had dipped while the enemy's only continued to swell. In desperation, the group had been completely uprooted. Twice in the last year. The first night that they had gone into hiding, tried to regroup and think of a viable plan. They figured one out, one that would cause pain and suffering beyond belief, but would at least keep them alive. Even contain the situation. Before the plan could be implemented, they faced an even more devastating attack. Again they fled. They had been broken and beaten, several not wanting to even bother going on. There had been too much bloodshed, too much loss. The girl thanked her lucky stars for the randomness of her birth. It gave her access to resources that allowed the discovery of possible allies several states away. It gave them the one thing they really needed. Hope. Hope to avenge thier comrades. And stop the plague from spreading.
They would need all the help they could get, and practically invaded another pack's territory. Right now, the alpha just hoped the infringement wouldn't cause too many harsh feelings. She needed to be able to have a calm discussion. Lost in these thoughts, the brunette didn't notice at first. After a few moments of listening to her subordinate complain, the realization hit. Stopping, she held up a hand. Her companions halted.
"What's up Mel?" Ruby asked her Alpha.
"You guys smell that?" Mel asked, sniffing the air. The other two followed her lead. They took deep whiffs, trying to catch what their leader had found.
"Besides the mildew and rust?" Ruby took another sniff of the air, recoiling as she caught the scent of rat droppings. Such an unsanitary place. The girl was obviously spoiled by their upbringing.
"Oh, that's the problem." Sapphire said softly.
"Bingo." Mel answered, turning towards the quiet and more reserved member of the pack. Ruby looked at the other two, a scowl on her face as she tried to figure out what was missing.
"What's the problem?" She finally sighed in frustration. Mel looked around, scoping out the area. Hoping that she hadn't tracked wrong.
"Their scent is weak." The brunette explained. Turning to her comrade, she detailed the problem further. "From the smell, they haven't been here in a couple days. With that family of hunters around, I don't know if this means they changed lairs."
"You mean we might have come down into this filth for nothing?" Ruby huffed in annoyance. Before either of the two could answer, the sound of a heavy metal door being opened was heard above. Footsteps echoed down. Mel put her finger to her lips, shushing the others into complete silence. All three went into alert mode. There were three heading down the flight of stairs. Judging by the loud thud, one of them was rather large. The unmistakable click of heels gave away the second one as female. The last one also had heavy footsteps. But it was not from heft. It sounded more like he simply took strong deliberate steps, like an athlete used to watching their feet on the field. Voices began to drift down, confirming their hunches. The closer they seemed to get, the more Mel was surprised by their lack of notice. The footsteps and voices remained carefree, the female even laughing at a joke the smaller male told. They were practically in the same room, yet there was no change.
The apprehension flooded Mel's body and she gestured the other two to fall into hiding places. The lack of attention meant these must be young werewolves. Too inexperienced to even properly track in their own home. As the three emerged into the platform, the leader knew she had made the right call. There was no Alpha with them. He would have sensed them in an instant. His absence made this mission not only a bust, but a dangerous one. Three immature wolves startled by intruders would almost certainly attack. Especially the female. She should have found them an escape the moment they heard the first click of heels. And with no Alpha to command them to stand down. Mel sighed at the thought. Her pack would emerge from the tussle almost unscathed, but she doubted the Alpha would be keen on helping the ones that slaughtered his pack. They hid in the shadows, biding their time until they could escape.
"You should have seen his face!" Isaac laughed, Erica joining in. Boyd just rolled his eyes at yet another "amusing" story. He grabbed a book from one of the old tables and dropped into an ancient chair. He had just started to pick up from where he last stopped, when the sound of metal hitting the ground reached his ears. Looking up, the other two were bickering about something. Oblivious to the world around them. It was probably just one of the rats knocking over a can. Happened all the time. He was about to go back to his story when the voice reached his ears.
The three hid behind piles of junk, shadows encasing them. Ruby turned, attempting to get more comfortable. Her hip tapped a precariously balanced section of pipe, dropping it over the edge. She couldn't even try to catch it without leaving the shadows. They could do nothing but watch it fall. The pipe made a loud clanging noise as it hit the ground, and she couldn't stop the soft curse that escaped from her lips. Mel and Sapphire turned back and shot a glare at her. Holding their breath, they hoped it had been ignored. The female and small male continued their random argument, giving hope. It was quickly dashed when the large one stood up.
"Who's in here?" Boyd called out.
"You're hearing things. Just another rat." Erica laughed rolling her eyes. A glare from the male silenced her.
"Show yourselves!" He boomed. He repeated the command. The other two were about to laugh at his paranoia when the sound of feet hitting the ground reached them. Mel walked in front, the other two taking the rear. If things went bad, she didn't want them in the fray. All three held their hands up in surrender.
"Hey." She said in the friendliest tone she could manage. Boyd's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" He asked suspiciously. The other two eyed the newcomers. For a moment, Erica felt a twinge of jealousy in her gut. The girls were gorgeous. The girl on the left had vibrant red ringlets cascading down her shoulders, emerald eyes rested above perfect lips positioned in a cocky smirk. The one on the right had straight cobalt blue hair, with dark blue eyes staring at the floor. The girl in front had very short brown hair. Turquoise eyes shined brightly as she smiled at them.
"Sorry to intrude, we were just trying to get a quick word in with your Alpha." The moment the word left her lips, Mel realized it was a terrible mistake. All three hunched a bit, heart rate rose and the scent of their aggression spiked. Getting defensive at the mere mention of their leader. Definitely newbies.
"How do you know about the Alpha?" The smaller male hissed. Ruby snickered at the attempt of a threatening tone.
"How do you think?" She laughed, allowing her fangs to protrude slightly. Mel sighed and tried to calm the place down.
"Wow, everyone just relax." Turning towards the young werewolves. "We really just needed to speak with him, if that's all right."
"He's not here." Boyd admitted. Mel had already known that, but she was going to be as sickeningly sweet as possible to avoid a fight.
"So we did come to this shit hole for nothing." Ruby muttered sourly. Mel shot a glance at the girl.
"This shit hole is our home." Isaac said with a glare.
"I wouldn't be sound so proud admitting that." Ruby snickered.
"Ruby!" Mel barked, trying to cut the tension. Didn't work.
Erica growled, baring her fangs. Mel tried to stay calm, even as she heard the growls rumbling in her companions' chests. Ruby was ready to accept the challenge, and Sapphire always had her sisters' backs. Mel had feared this possibility from the moment she caught sight of the girl. Even if they had only peaceful intentions, what they were doing was considered trespassing. They had invaded this pack's sanctuary. Females felt their animal sides more strongly. It was why they were more pain tolerant, more aggressive, and far more territorial. The fact that she was still so new meant she hadn't learned to restrain herself yet. Mel took a step to the side, using her body as a barrier. This was a young pack, they didn't know how disrespectful they were being, and Mel had no intention of holding that against them. Another growl rumbled behind her. Ruby was in full on fight mode, eager to accept the challenge. She wasn't as willing as her leader to forget the acts of insolence. The alpha sighed. She had expected a bit of posturing and threats, but had overestimated the amount of discipline the alpha had instilled. All hopes of a peaceful retreat were dashed the moment the blond attacked. Mel couldn't believe the sloppy form she had. It announced her actions so loudly, might as well have just said what she was doing. She sidestepped the attack easily. As Erica passed, Mel grabbed the back of her neck and forced her to the ground. The breath left her body.
"I'm going to let you up now. Just promise you'll behave." Mel said softly, a frown on her face when the girl continued to growl. These wolves were so immature they were practically puppies. They would be no help in the upcoming battle without more training. Maybe more than could be crammed into the few short weeks they had. All thoughts were interrupted when the shadow flickered out of the corner of her eye. The smaller male leapt at her. His progress was halted when Ruby slammed into him, snarling. They fell to the floor, clawing at each other. The larger male had been watching the brawl. But when Mel saw his eyes turn, she knew he was going to join the fray. Sapphire was already in front of him. He body slammed her to the ground, fangs going for the throat. She had already bent her legs beneath his body. When she kicked out, his body went flying. Well that escalated quickly. The thought passed through Mel's mind before she roared in pain. Looking down, she saw Erica had managed to twist partially around and sunk sharp fangs into her hand.
Mel silently chastised herself for being so sloppy. She had been too worried about her pack. Allowed herself to be distracted by their fights. The pain in her hand was the punishment for such carelessness. She saw the gleam in the other girl's eye, and guessed the plan. Erica tried to fully turn, to tear away a chunk of flesh from the hand. But Mel was too quick. Planting her knee on the girl's back, she pinned her in place. With her other hand, she grabbed her chin. Claws sinking into the girl's jaw, she pried the mouth open. Quickly examining her hand, she was surprised by how deep the wound was. The fangs had been almost completely embedded. Mentally shrugging off the wound, she gripped the base of the girl's neck. Erica whimpered as her body locked up, memories flashing back to the Kanami. Mel was a bit alarmed by the scent of fear that exploded in the room. She lowered her face near the other girl's.
"It's ok. I just hit a pressure point to lock up your body. It's temporary. As soon as I let go you'll be back to normal." She said in her calmest tone. The disturbing scent must have frightened the blond's pack, their aggression spiking off the charts. The pungent scent of blood, everyone's, filled the air. The molecules in the air seemed to cackle, minute traces of electricity flooding the surroundings. She felt these changes half a second before she heard the roar.
"ENOUGH!" The voice bellowed, the figure appearing seemingly out of nowhere. His speed. The power radiating off him. The alpha was home. Mel warily looked up at the glowing eyes and protruded fangs. His order had calmed the two males. The brunette reciprocated by a low growl ordering her sisters to stand down. The three leapt back, away from their opponents. Mel stood in front of the other two. She could feel Ruby's blood pumping, still eager for the tumble. Things needed to calm down quickly. The male alpha crept closer, his movements predatory. She focused on keeping her heartbeat steady. She honestly wasn't used to being a werewolf's prey. The figure approached.
"Who are you, and why the hell are you in my home?" He questioned, snarling slightly. Mel took a deep breath and locked eyes with the beast.
"We needed to speak with you." She answered honestly.
"And what were you doing to my beta?"
"Things got a little out of hand, but this is a peaceful visit I swear." She prayed he could hear the sincerity in her voice. The pack looked on curiously at the newcomer's behavior. The brunette spoke softly, looking into their leader's eyes. But she was the only one. The other two tilted their faces down, eyes glued to the floor. Shoulders were hunched and hands folded neatly in front of them. Even the mouthy red head looked the picture of submission. Erica spit the blood still pooled in her mouth out. Pushing herself off the ground, she moved closer. A growl escaped her throat, aimed at the one that had pinned her.
"Erica, behave." The alpha ordered in a much calmed down voice. The female beta turned towards her leader, pouting like a child. For a moment, Mel pitied the staggering amounts of work the alpha still had to do. She was caught off guard when he transformed back. "Isaac, Boyd. Please get some chairs for our guests."
Mel could feel her betas squirming next to her. The two beta males had followed the order, and presented three seats for them. The chairs were old and somewhat dusty, but far more comfortable then she expected. The other alpha had pulled up his own chair and sat across from her. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to notice how handsome he was. Then she pushed it aside. They had urgent business to discuss and there was no time for distractions. His pack had taken seats around him. The males eyed them curiously, the female still pouting. Such a puppy.
"Feel free to speak whenever you like." He said. She could hear the feint mocking just below the surface. A sigh escaped her lips, torn between propriety and just wanting to launch into her panicked plea for help. Finally, she settled on being proper. Maybe it would buy her a few more seconds to think up a workable plan. She introduced her pack. Ruby and Sapphire gave a slight nod as their names were announced, but kept their eyes on the floor. His eyes flashed with recognition when she mentioned her last name. It was a prominent pack. Or had been. He introduced his own group. The female was Erica, the smaller of the two males was Isaac, and the large one was Boyd. His own name was Derek Hale. With pleasantries out of the way, it came time to get down to the topic at hand.
"To be honest, we have migrated a pretty good ways to get here." Mel started.
"Why?" Isaac chipped in, earning a short glare from his alpha. The other alpha sighed, hoping this hadn't all been a waste.
"We need your help." She admitted. Derek leaned in absentmindedly, curiosity peaked. He could sense the power of this girl, and that of her pack. What spooked them enough to cause them to invade another pack's territory? He leaned back and pondered the question. Despite the possible ramifications of the answer, it was a far more pleasant quandary than what he had been dealing with recently. Throwing glances at his pack, tiny twinges of doubt once again surfaced. Isaac had stayed. It had been for his sport and school, but Derek knew he was at least a part of the reason why the kid was still around. But the other two. The other pack had been a ruse by the Argents. Through sheer luck, and the fact one of the hunters was still following his precious code, they made it out alive. They came crawling back, practically on hands and knees. Bending over backwards to reestablish loyalties, but he was still weary. For the briefest of moments his thought pattern led him to think of his uncle. The first time in weeks. The final battle with the Kanima, when Gerard revealed his diabolical plan. It was over. Jackson had returned to relative normal, and the old man was on the cold cement dying. He revealed a tiny one shot pistol. With his last dying breath, he aimed at Derek and fired. The smell of wolfsbane was overwhelming and the howls of pain filled the room. Derek watched in horror as his uncle collapsed, but caught him in time to keep the man's head from slamming into the ground. He held his uncle, could feel the moister in his eyes. The smell was repulsive, some potent form of wolfsbane. Far stronger than the one he had been shot with. The scent of death reeked off his uncle, as the man grew limp.
"Why?" The question fell out of trembling lips. The man looked at him, and managed the weakest of smiles.
"Because you're family." He whispered, closing his eyes. He looked at the body in disbelief. The man's mind had been clouded with anger and vengeance. He was manipulative, had tried to kill him once. Had stolen his power and left him for dead at another point. In madness, he mercilessly slaughtered his own niece at a grab for power. It seemed he finally found redemption by sacrificing himself to save his last bit of flesh and blood.
Mel looked at the alpha curiously. There was the briefest flicker of pain and sorrow that passed through his eyes. He noticed her look and seemed to push whatever thoughts he had to the side. He cocked an eyebrow, trying to get her to continue. She took another deep breath. People hated bad news, and she was going to be giving the worst possible. She just hoped he wouldn't feel inclined to shoot the messenger.
"We have a problem."
"You already said that." Erica interrupted. She shrunk back in her chair at the frightening glare her leader gave. This seemed to be an important matter. Besides, they needed to learn manners. The world of werewolves was a surprisingly twisted and convoluted place. Filled with all sorts of social norms and rules. He had so much to teach them in little time, and had never thought they would meet another pack. So he allowed that part of their training to fall on the wayside. The way the betas of the other pack were acting reminded him how badly overdo the customs lessons really were. Mel leaned in slightly and looked him in the eye.
"Strix." The single word left her mouth. Erica and Isaac scoffed at the unusual name. Boyd remained stoic. The most perceptive of the three, he sensed his alpha's dread nanoseconds before the others. A chill ran through Derek's spine and the hair on the back of his head stood on end. It had been years since he had heard that word. Heart racing, he struggled to stop the fight or flight response bred by a millennia of survival instincts. His pack looked at him curiously, wondering why their leader's blood had suddenly run cold.
"I thought they were extinct. Are you sure?" He asked gruffly, feeling the fangs beginning to protrude. Just the natural reaction to thinking about your most hated natural enemy.
"Positive." She muttered softly.
"What's a Strix?" Erica asked curiously. An actual yip left her throat as Derek threw a murderous glare at her, eyes burning red. Mel reached out, and grabbed his hand. It was beyond forward, but she was a bit afraid the misguided instinct might be turned on the young beta. Better he try to take it out on someone that could match him in combat. The intensity of his eyes faded, and he looked back to the other alpha. She let go of his hand as soon as he returned to what she guessed as his normal.
"It's not her fault if she wasn't taught." She chastised softly. Years of playing mother wolf made her very sensitive to the care of novices. Teaching them and keeping them safe. He nodded, bringing himself back from the brink. Mel looked over at the other pack. "Maybe now would be a good time for them to learn."
"Be my guest." He answered, granting her permission. She took a deep breath, preparing to step into the role of teacher.
"It's a Roman word. As you now know there is a world out there that most humans have pushed into the realm of fantasy. Just boogeyman stories to tell their children. Afraid to admit that what goes bump in the night might actually be real. You've faced a few things before, but nothing like this. In the world of supernatural, the Strix is definitely one of the nastiest. They're a dangerous predator that has records dating back thousands of years. Almost every culture had some variation in their myths."
"Like us?" The blond questioned.
"Yes and no. Yeah, we are both viewed as monsters by the majority of societies. And we both tend to live in groups. But the fact we both have long histories and are social is about where the similarities end. They are monsters in the truest sense of the word. I'm not saying our hostilities towards each other are some good versus evil thing. Werewolves have been known to cross the line from hunter to murderer. But the fact is, you will never meet a good Strix. They feed on humans, but it's more than just that. They enjoy inflicting harm, relish causing misery. Supposedly the name comes from a man named Albus. He was a conscript in the Roman army back when Rome ruled the world." Young eyes looked on, curiosity burning brightly from their depths. A sad smile was on her lips as she began the tale.
Albus looked over the tools, selecting the least rust covered shovel. His unit was one of the lower ones. All sons of low class families. Their equipment always came from the scrapings left at the of the barrel. And that was why he now needed the shovel. Fabius, his cousin. The poor man had the misfortune to be one of the younger and smaller recruits. Meaning of course he got last pick of the weapons. The sword he had was a much abused piece of trash, breaking when struck by one particularly strong opponent. With a sigh, he threw the tool over his shoulder and went to retrieve the body. The field where the battle had taken place looked much different in the dark. By day it was a wide open space, perfect to send wave after wave of men to kill each other. By night, it looked far more sinister. What few stars scattered the sky made little headway in shining through the thick fog that had rolled in. It was unnerving, walking through the dark field alone. He must have jumped three feet in the air when the grass rustled. He laughed at his own fear when he realized it was just the wind. After a moment, a different sound drifted on the wind. After all he had been through, he recognized the sound instantly. The cries of a wounded man. Wanting to help, Albus tried to locate the man, but the night was too dark. The air too foggy. After walking for what seemed like hours, he noticed the figure. One of his fellow soldiers, younger even than his cousin. The boy whimpered for his mother, blood seeping between the fingers held against his stomach. Just as Albus began to move closer, goose bumps covered his skin. An unknown terror filled his body and he dived into a patch of tall grass. He watched as something emerged from the mist. The outline moved closer, and though a bit away, he could make out the features of a young woman. Maybe one of the many farmers' daughters was nearby and came to investigate the sounds like him. Maybe he should go and offer a hand, as someone so slight would never be able to carry the soldier. But something kept him frozen, watching as the girl seemed to glide closer. Their words were carried by the wind.
"Help please." The young man whimpered, reaching towards the girl. She crouched down next to him and made shushing noises.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." The voice was soft and tender. Albus tried to break his paralysis when he noticed the gleam coming from the girl's hands. He gasped as the girl, the thing's, fingernails turned into claws. Long and sharp, like daggers. He bit back a scream as he watched her plunge her hand into the soldier's stomach. The boy screamed as the creature ripped him open, licking the blood off her now stained nails.
Albus watched as the sun slowly rose, bit by bit revealing the horrifying scene. The creature, now long gone, had devastated the body. Strips of meat and flesh clung to bones, the frightened and pain filled look still etched on the young boy's face. Forever. He heard the voices drifting over him. Some comrades concerned that he hadn't come back yet had gone looking. They found him still frozen. They looked at the scene before them, and pulled their friend up.
"Albus, what did this? What in God's name did this?" One of the men asked, shaking him by the shoulders.
"Strix." Albus muttered. Back at home, he often went out into the woods to gather firewood. Many times he would watch as some large bird would swoop in and pick up some unsuspecting rodent. It would tear into the poor animal, much like the creature had done. That's all his fractured mind could think of, and the only word that fell from his lips. Strix.
"Those monsters love battle fields. Lots of wounded and dying to feast on. Plenty of easy meals to toy with. They enjoy prolonging the misery of the poor bastards." Mel wrapped up the story.
"Thanks for the history lesson, but that doesn't explain why you're here." Erica said.
"Wait, what do you mean feed on humans?" Isaac asked, completely interrupting his pack mate. The rest of the group seemed content to as well, and she once again crossed her arms and pouted. It was very unusual now days to be ignored.
"Strix get their nutrients from human blood." Mel explained.
"So like vampires?" Boyd chipped in. The brunette gave a small smile and nodded.
"Like Twilight?" Erica contributed.
"FUCKING DAMMIT!" The female alpha yelled, causing the others to jump. She turned to Sapphire. "Why do they always say twilight? Does no one read Stoker anymore? Is that literally the only reference people think of?"
"Guess so." The blue haired girl said with a slight smile. It took a lot to get her leader riled up, but this was one of her sore subjects. She absolutely hated the trouble that book had caused, and honestly the blue haired girl found the reactions fairly amusing. It was one of the only times she would let herself go. Mel remembered what she was doing and wanted to kick herself. Everything in her being wanted to just shrink away and disappear in the floor. But she couldn't. Such submissive signs were unbecoming of an alpha. Showed too much weakness.
"Sorry about that." She said sheepishly, allowing only her tone to display her contrition. And even that was subdued a bit. "That book has actually created so many nightmares for me." After a quick breath she launched back into her lecture. She explained about the creatures, detailing how they got new members, their habits, and their strengths. A slight look of fear passed through the younger pack's eyes. The creatures were cunning, strong, fast. Every bit as lethal as the kanima.
"So does holy water and sunlight kill it then?" Isaac ventured. He caught the slight snicker of his leader. Mel looked at him, the most serious gleam in her eye.
"Those things are a myth. Garlic, sunlight, holy water, silver. All those things were just old wives tales humans made up to make them feel safer. Only one thing hurts those bastards." She grew her nail, and gave a tiny nick to her arm. Holding it up, she showed them the tiny red droplets that fell from her already healing flesh. "This."
"What?" The question escaped from all three at the same moment.
"It's actually a rather strange sense of poetic justice. The creatures fill us with such terror that even the most restrained wolf kicks into just basic instinct. We are their only weakness. They require blood for sustenance, and in a bizarre twist our tainted blood is the perfect weapon. It's almost like an acid to them. Throw it on their skin and watch it burn. The more powerful the wolf, the stronger the acid. I can't tell you why, maybe God just has a rather strong sense of irony."
"So why do you need help?" Boyd couldn't help but muse. A slightly dark look passed across her face.
"Because it works the other way too. The stronger they are, the less the blood affects them. The more power they get, the stronger the wolf's blood has to be." Though she hated to dig into such a painful past, it was time to let them know the current danger. "Strix get stronger the older they get, the more people they feed off of. There was a small swarm around the area that we lived."
"What?" Derek broke his silence. Mel held up her hand for quiet, nowhere near finished with the distressing revelations.
"It was contained. My father had been hunting the things since before I was born. He took out a few every year, but could never find the creator. Still, the swarm kept a really low profile. They were scared of my father and he kept them in check. To make a long story short, some crap went down about six years ago and my mother was killed. And…Well…" For the first time she began to hesitate.
"Losing his mate weakened his power." Derek finished for her. She nodded, appreciated not having to say it.
"He was still strong mind you, just not as strong. He still hunted. They kept a low profile, so we didn't notice anything was wrong. We had no clue they were building an army. Sneaking across state lines to snatch people up. They were very careful. Until one night they attacked." A sarcastic laugh escaped her lips. "It takes about a year to get a new Strix. Only one in three attempts even makes it that far. It seemed impossible for them to have such an army. I already had my pack by then. But there were too many of them. We were too young." Derek was shocked by the amount of emotion flooding across the girl's face. She had been so calm and collected. But now her lip quivered slightly, and her eyebrow twitched. Subtle changes that most wouldn't notice. To his senses though, they were like a bomb going off next to him.
"What do you want?" Derek asked. The slightly soft tone surprised his pack. Mel looked him in the eye.
"I don't see what your feud has to do with us." Erica said, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. Turquoise eyes shifted to the girl.
"Everything." Mel answered, slight exhaustion creeping into her voice. "Almost since the beginning of time, we have been enemies. We hunt Strix to protect our territories, to keep innocents from being killed. But they hunt us as well. We are their weakness. The only thing that can stop them. And that frightens them. Makes them very efficient hunters. At their peak in ancient times they almost hunted us to extinction. My father only took over our territory after that swarm had slaughtered the small pack that had lived there. They weren't even a threat, but the Strix don't want us to exist. A werewolf will chose to stop the process rather than just killing the Strix. But a Strix will kill an infant without a second thought. That's why they are coming here."
"YOU BROUGHT THEM HERE?" Erica screeched accusingly. Another glare from her leader silenced her. Derek looked back at the newcomers. He had never dealt with the creatures, but plenty of family records let him understand they would have been in danger regardless of this new pack's movements.
"Strix, especially a strong swarm, seek out and hunt our kind. We would have been found eventually." He explained. Mel shot a grateful look at him, happy he knew not to blame them.
"We've been running for months, trying to shore up enough defenses to at least put up some resistance." She said, still slightly defensive. "Apparently they had been exterminating packs for well over two years. We were just their last target. We need your pack if there is any hope of stopping this. "
"What do you propose?" The question caught her off guard. Everything had been going wrong for so long; it surprised her that her subconscious had already expected this to end in failure. For the first time in months, the heavy burden seemed to lighten slightly.
"Well, we don't really have everything panned out yet. It might be helpful to have a bit of a brainstorming session." She said quickly. The two girls next to her perked up, staring at the girl. They hadn't heard that tone of voice from her in over a year. Gone was the usual weariness and despair. She sounded…almost happy.
"What, you came here without a plan. And now-"
"About how much time do we have?" Derek interrupted his female beta's attempt at bitching.
"We lost them changing states, but I think they may have a scout down here in as little as a month." Mel answered, ignoring the blond. She was very young, and very riled up about intruding females being in her home. The female alpha understood this, and that was why she did not seek retribution for the many instances of insubordination the girl had committed.
"That's not a lot of time for any serious power boost." Derek said thoughtfully. The two discussed the predicament, seemingly oblivious to their betas. Without a word, Sapphire began to dig through the small backpack she had placed on the floor. After a moment, she withdrew a small leather bound book. The pages seemed to fly as she looked, searching for something.
"Maybe some sort of coalition. Though I'm not sure exactly how that would work. I know neither of us would want to relinquish control of our packs. And that could possibly just make us weaker." Mel prompted, hoping he could fill in a few blanks.
"Why don't you guys mate?" Sapphire chipped in softly. So soft had the ears not belonged to werewolves, they would have missed it. The room went silent. All eyes were on her, except Ruby's. The redhead had her head down, shoulders shaking in silent laughs. The blue haired beta looked at her leader, and cocked an eyebrow at the look of shock. "Wasn't that the original plan?" Mel face palmed, shaking her head. Looking up, she saw the looks the other pack was giving her. Eyes went wide in panic and she frantically waved her hands in protest.
"No that's not what she meant!" She practically shouted. She shot a glare at the other girl for putting her in such a conundrum. "It was a plan we had thought up months ago. A plan that died with Denver." A trace of sadness had seeped back into her voice.
"But it's still a good plan. Maybe even better now." Sapphire pushed, not willing to abandon what may be their best hope. Maybe their only hope. She reached out, offering the book to Derek. He looked at her a moment before taking it. Without waiting for his reaction, she continued. "We know our blood can hurt or even kill them, but we have to be the stronger ones for it to work. Sure anyone of us could take out the servants, but what about any of those that aren't new? What about the father? Don't get me wrong, Denver was a great guy. You two would probably have made a formidable pair. But don't discount the candidate in front of you. He's practically a blessing. Mr. Hale here is a born wolf. An Alpha. Who knows the kind of power that type of bond would give you two?" Mel looked at the normally quiet girl. Every fiber of her being wanted to melt into the floor, away from the humiliation. Anger and embarrassment flooded through her mind. Those thoughts were quickly swept away as random memories of Sapphire took their place. The girl pouring through books until well after dawn. Refusing to sleep until her body collapsed from exhaustion. Arm broken and ribs cracked, but still dragging her sister away from the slaughterhouse. Ignoring her bodies limits to play nurse to the injured pack members. Mel knew if she was that adamant about the plan, putting her leader into such a scenario, it was only because she felt there was no other way. But they just couldn't do that. They couldn't barge in to another pack's territory and demand such a permanent bond.
"Sapphire, we can't just…." Her attempts at explanation were halted by the slamming of the book. She caught Ruby's slight cringe out of the corner of her eye, and was impressed she was able to hide her own. How the hell could a few pieces of paper and thin strips of leather make that noise? Forcing herself to look at the other alpha, regret instantly filled her heart. His eyes were hard as he looked back at her. She shouldn't have come here, or at least should have left the others at home. He had humored them in their plea, but Sapphire had pushed too far. Asking for something so powerful and risky while everyone was still sizing the other up. As her alpha, Mel was obliged to take responsibility. She only hoped an apology would be enough for his pound of flesh.
"Let's do this." Once more the room was silent, this time all eyes on the male alpha.
"Excuse me?" Mel squeaked, not quite sure she had heard right.
"I accept." Derek confirmed, handing the book back to Sapphire. Mel felt her jaw drop. Averting her eyes from the source of her shock, she noticed hers wasn't the only one. All three of his pack shared her look, while Ruby and Sapphire smiled. Erica was the first to break out of the trance.
"So what, are you guys gonna just screw right now on the floor?" Her voice was dripping with condescension.
"Of course not." He answered, not even bothering to look at her. His eyes stayed on the girl in front of him as he continued to speak. "Contrary to how humans use it, mating isn't some slang term for fucking. At least not to us. Mating is our equivalent of marriage. Just a lot more permanent."
"How the hell do you do that?" Isaac piped up, curiosity peaked.
"A pair consummates the relationship under the full moon." His alpha replied. Boyd noticed the look of confusion on his brother's face.
"It means to have sex." He whispered leaning in. Unnecessary precautions as the entire room heard anyway. Mel could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks, growing worse when one of the betas explained the definition of consummate.
"Wait, how in control are your betas?" Sapphire threw the question out, and Mel was more than grateful for the distraction. A thoughtful look crossed Derek's face.
"Isaac has it down, but the other two still need to be restrained." He said.
"The full moon's tomorrow. Nowhere near enough time to get them ready." Sapphire thought out loud.
"Tommorrow?" Mel felt her voice break. Sapphire looked at her.
"Yeah. The longer a pair is together, the stronger the bond and the power boost. You need to do this quickly. The scout could be here before the next full moon." She said to her leader, before turning back to Derek. She looked him in the eye as she spoke. They were to be family, so the formality could be dropped. "If this is where you usually restrain them, then you and Mel can't mate here. The pheromones would drive them crazy and just exacerbate their aggression. "
"They could do it at our house." Ruby jumped in. The room's eyes shifted to her. "It's really safe and secure. Hunters won't know to look for you there, so there's no chance of interruption. The stars shine a lot out there too, so you could get the full effects of the moon."
"We still have to deal with Boyd and Erica." Derek reminded them. Ruby waved him off, her own traces of submission gone. He was practically a brother now.
"Me and Sapphire can bring the rest of the pack to help watch them. Not counting Mel there's 5 of us. It'll be no problem." She said with a smile. Sapphire spoke again, and the three started making plans, with Isaac occasionally chipping in. Mel slumped her shoulders and looked at the floor. Very unbecoming behavior for an Alpha, but right now she couldn't give a damn. It was beyond mortifying having everyone calmly discussing plans for her sex life. Without her.
I tried to imitate the flow of the show, seriousness speckled with random hilarity. Hopefully my story does it justice. Thanks for taking the time out to read. Leave a comment if you like, and see you next time.