The pale light of the gibbous moon filtered through the tree top.
The woods were void of noise which was never a good sign for stiles. He voiced this opinion.
"Umm….Scott!"
Scott shushed him harshly before turning to sniff the air. Never being one to just shush (which was probably going to get him killed one day) Stiles tried again.
"Isn't it weird that we're in these vast woods in California where there are bears, and coyotes, and owls, and deer, and kanima but besides our breathing, it's completely silent?"
"There's someone here!"
Stiles gave a heavy eye roll that he swore he could hear in the dead silence.
"Well that's comforting!"
"Shut it, Stiles, I'm trying to concentrate."
Stiles opened his mouth to give a smartass retort but a twig snapped to his left and any smartassness he'd had packed up its shit and left.
Scott had Stiles' back against a tree in seconds.
"Stiles, if I tell you to run, book it toward the road that way and don't stop until you see people! Understood?"
"I can't leave you here, Scott; especially when there's something out there!"
"Don't you mean someone?"
Stiles grabbed Scott and pulled him toward him.
"Scott, PLEASE tell me you're really good and throwing your voice and making it sound like a burly biker!"
Scott gave a soft snort.
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
Stiles whined low in his throat, sending Scott into protection mode.
"Who's out there and what do you want?"
Only silence greeted them. The hammering of a heart beat caught Scotts ear before it vanished.
"I can hear another heart beat." Stiles withered against the tree.
"Well, we've ruled out ghost, vampires, the Grinch, and Davy jones. Good to know."
Chuckling that was low and dangerous cascaded through the once silent filled spaces and made every hair on stiles entire body stand on end.
"I like the skinny one, he's funny."
Scott made a feral sound low in his throat before crouching in front of stiles with fangs bared.
"Show yourself, coward!"
Again a chuckle sounded that seemed to come for nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Stiles whined before bending down and grabbing the biggest stick and putting a death grip on it.
"You smell like a beta, little wolf, but you protect like an Alpha… How interesting. Who do you belong to?"
Scott opened his mouth to speak but stiles piped up before he could.
"Um, this is 2012 and while I'm sure that Scotts Hispanic roots may have meant he could have been enslaved in the 1800's, he can't legally belong to anyone right now."
"STILES! He was asking who my Alpha is!"
"OH… well this is awkward!" Scott rolled his eyes.
"I don't belong to anyone! I stand alone."
Silence greeted his statement and for too many seconds, the only thing that could be heard was their labored breathing.
"Huh…Maybe we Sca- SCOTT!"
Scott wheeled around just in time to see Stiles feet disappear into the leaves. He jumped with all of his might but it wasn't nearly high enough!
"STILES!"
A blood chilling scream wrapped itself around Scott's throat and refused to let go. He backed up before running at full speed toward the oak and climbing it like his life depended on it.
When he was half way up, a mass was hurled toward him, knocking them both to the ground.
Scott knew the scent instantly. But, more importantly, he could hear a heartbeat. He gathered stiles into his arms and surveyed his body. He could smell blood but couldn't see it.
"Stiles, you gotta tell me where you're bleeding!" Stiles winced hard at the sudden movement of being in Scotts arms.
"Arm." Scott reached to grab the nearest arm to his free hand when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and the need to expose his throat to the presence of an Alpha became almost all consuming.
"You're welcome." He whispered harshly, his lips lightly brushing Scotts ear before his presence vanished all together.
"What in the fuck does he mean you're welcome?" Stiles spat from the ground before resting his head on Scott's chest.
"I have a feeling we're going to find out!"