Run boy run. This world is not made for you.
Run boy run. They're trying to catch you.
They were catching up. The dark woods stretched far in front the boy as he pounded through the trees, panting harshly, his breath freezing in white clouds before him as he jumped over branches and pushed himself over muddy land. In the distance he heard a howl, but he didn't have the breath to return it. Instead he gritted his teeth, locked his arms and ran faster. His legs burned and his eyes watered, but he kept running. The night air was biting at his neck, and the sweat on his back felt frozen as it stabbed underneath his red hoodie. Behind him, he could hear them getting closer, their snarls and heavy feet closing the gap too fast. He wasn't going to make it.
Run boy run. Running is a victory.
Run boy run. Beauty lies behind the hills.
He heard the howl again, this time louder. Pressing his eyes shut and forcing his burning legs to move even faster, he let out an answering roar. It wasn't much but at this point there was nothing else he could do. His heart hammered painfully fast and the searing pain in his chest exploded. It was there telling him to slow down, to stop, to turn around and face them and accept that he was caught. For hours they had been hunting him down, circling him and trapping him within the woods. His pack had been lured away, sent running in the opposite direction so this little game of cat and mouse could begin. It was always Stiles that they wanted. Always.
Run boy run. The sun will be guiding you.
Run boy run. They're dying to stop you.
'Run, Stiles.' His mind felt like it was bleeding. The air roaring in his ears blocked out the sound of pursuit, the sound of rescue. He was lost and alone. For the first time in his life, no one was going to come and help him. If he gave up, that was it. No miracle was going to burst from the trees and save him. If he gave up, they'd catch him. They'd turn him. They'd make sure he didn't die and they'd tie him to their pack.
If he gave up, they'd catch him.
'Run, Stiles. Run.'
Run boy run. This race is a prophecy.
Run boy run. Break out from society.
He couldn't give up now. Not after spending so long out smarting them, tricking them into following false scents. Stiles was smarter than them, better than them in every way except one. He was never going to out run a pack of Alphas. He was human, and he was never going to out run them.
But he could try.
Tomorrow is another day.
And you won't have to hide away.
A shadow leaped out from the darkness just ahead of him, nearly sending Stiles flying in a new direction. But instead, he saw Scott sliding to a stop in front of him, only to take off running again by Stiles' side. If he wasn't already, Stiles would have started crying. He reached out his hand and grabbed Scott's shoulder. The boy was totally wolfed out, and he'd obviously left the others far behind him in the search for his best friend. Something let up in Stiles' chest and he thought that maybe he could do this. In fact, he was damn well sure he was going to do this.
You'll be a man, boy.
But for now it's time to run, it's time to run.
They ran together, the trees looming over them as they flew past, just shadows in the murky darkness of the forest.
The howl Stiles had heard before hadn't been Scott. It had been Derek and he clung to the shining hope that his pack was coming, that his Alpha would save him and that he wouldn't be caught.
'Please don't let them catch me.'
Run boy run. This ride is a journey to.
Run boy run. The secret inside of you.
Every couple of seconds, Scott would spin his head around, his eyes roaming lightning fast over Stiles to check he was still there. His yellow eyes were wide, not with fear but with adrenaline fuelled shock. He was running full pelt on all fours, barely keeping it together and his best friend, his human best friend, was keeping up with him, despite his red eyes and terrifyingly short breath, he was still running.
Run boy run. This race is a prophecy.
Run boy run. And disappear in the trees.
Suddenly, the whole air was filled with the sound of howling, such loud, achingly familiar howling and within seconds, Stiles and Scott were surrounded. Isaac and Boyd cut across their path, snarling and growling at the two sprinting boys, before falling back and making a baracade between them and their pursuers. Scott pushed Stiles in a new direction and they leaped over the top of a fallen tree, slamming onto the ground on the other side. With only a furious whine and a split second of making sure Stiles was alright, Scott threw himself back over the tree and joined the others.
Tomorrow is another day.
And you won't have to hide away.
Allison appeared moments after, throwing herself down next to Stiles, her bow loaded. She threw a crossbow at him, and a shotgun he knew was loaded to bursting with mountain ash. He was still the only person who could make that stuff actually work.
Every breath Stiles took was agony, but he hauled himself up and watched as Erica sprinted by, wolfed out and looking like she was on the brick of insanity. Her eyes were wild and burning with barely controlled fury.
Close behind her, Derek burst through the fog, his Alpha form and his human form shifting violently as he leapt into formation with the rest of the pack and threw his head back, letting out another howl. This time, the sound was so loud, and so angry that Stiles had to press his hands over his ears. The ground seemed to shake and for a moment, it stilled every other movement in the wood.
You'll be a man, boy.
But for now it's time to run, it's time to run.
Stiles watched as the blackness lit up with red, and the air once again thickened with the low answering challenge of the Alpha pack. One emerged from the shadows and stood, half shifted, his claws digging into the side of his thigh, drawing blood that dripped down his leg and pooled on the forest floor.
The pack was in a structured line. Scott and Isaac were on one side of Derek, and Stiles watched as they crouched slowly to the ground, their legs locking. Boyd and Erica covered the other side, and they followed suit. Boyd was slightly in front, his hand reached out to the side, shielding his mate. Stiles knew it was not for protection. Erica still had serious issues with patience and in her state right then, he knew that Boyd would be only too pleased to let her loose, but only when the time was right.
Stiles and Allison joined the back, positioning themselves to the left and right of Derek, Stiles with Erica and Boyd, Allison with Scott and Isaac. Far from defenceless, the two humans stood in stance, arms up and weapons pointing directly at the red eyes in the darkness before them.
Finally, Derek surged forwards, his teeth bared and his Alpha form fully shifted. The betas shot straight after him and Allison and Stiles snapped into action, curving round the outside and letting leash their wolfsbane coated arrows at every pair of red eyes they could see. They had been doing this two long to have to worry about shooting Derek.
Tomorrow is another day.
And you won't have to hide away.
You'll be a man, boy.
But for now it's time to run, it's time to run.
They fought as they always did. As a pack and as a team, wolf and human alike.
And the Alpha pack never stood a chance.