Derek Hale closely watched the commotion before him. He was hidden behind a cluster of trees with Scott and Boyd flanking him on either side, not too far from the hostile pack that has encroached on their territory. The wolf's nostrils flared with the scent of the burning wood from the bonfire that had Derek scowling in annoyance. Were they that stupid to light a fire in the middle of the forest? Didn't they know it could be seen from miles off? Apparently not.
"What are they standing around for?" Scott calls out from a few feet away, peering out from behind one of the trees to stare at the wolves in the clearing gesturing to one another and talking in harsh voices.
"Shut up!" Derek hisses out flashing his alpha eyes, "We're outnumbered, do you want them to notice us!?"
"No!" Scott snaps in a hushed whisper, glaring and flashing his golden beta eyes.
Derek just rolls his eyes at Scott's antics, 100% done with this shit. "Boyd text the rest of the pack, and tell them to get into position, now." Boyd just nods and sends a flurry of texts with surprisingly quick fingers. In a matter of minutes Derek could sense the rest of his pack arrive and start moving themselves into place. They have the other pack surrounded.
There was a snap of breaking branches and the sound of footsteps accompanying the sound of pained moaning that had Derek on high alert, his claws slipping out. Derek continued to watch as a tall lean wolf came into view dragging a bundle tied up in a burlap sack and laying it at the feet of the two bickering wolves.
From where Derek stood he could clearly see that the bundle contained the outline of an adolescent boy. Scenting the air, shock slide down Derek's spine at the faint scent he can smell coming from the clearing, from the bundle. Grasping the tree he was leaning against, his nails gauged deep lines into the bark, his eyes flashing and staying bright red, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest.
"Derek?" Scott whispered, eyeing Derek worriedly. But he received no answer from Derek; it took all of Derek's self-control to stop himself from leaping into the clearing to get closer to the source of that smell.
Derek continued to watch as the two wolves stopped arguing, and one of them, presumably the alpha, bends over to untie the wiggling sack. Derek felt another wave of anger and a flicker of something else he didn't want to think about. Boyd's voice forces Derek out of his rivalry and back to the matter at hand/
"A human sacrifice!" Boyd whispers out urgently, crouching down where Derek was, "Deaton said the animals killed in the preserve had markings. Look at the boy's shoulder. That pack is the cult we've been tracking!"
Derek snarls under his breath at the sight of the branded mark on the boys shoulder. So it is. Derek watched intently for a few more minutes before the wind picked up, blowing embers from the fire across the ground, leafs floating on the wind and with it that same dizzying scent. Derek instinctively closes his eyes and breathes it in deeply. He could smell the wood burning, the anxious foot falls of the forest animals, even the cloying scent of fear and excitement coming off the wolves. But above all, he smells that scent that's wafting from the boy smelling like Vanilla, that fresh earthly smell after rain, like… like home.
With a jolt, Derek rears back eyes snapping wide. He couldn't believe it, this couldn't be happening! But it was, that boy, who was about to be sacrificed was his mate! There was no doubt in Derek's mind what that scent and his reaction meant.
"Get ready." Derek growled out, the words slightly slurred from talking around his fangs, "Boyd-" Derek was interrupted by a shrill scream that echoed through the forest. Whipping back around Derek watched with dawning horror, fear curling in his chest, as the alpha of that pack dragged the boy up with a hand around the back of his neck and slammed him down face first into the dirt, claws digging in leaving the boy to writhe around in pain and cry out.
Derek's legs automatically started forward before he could even process what he was doing.
"ENOUGH!" Derek roars as he reveals himself from behind the bushes with Boyd and Scott following In his wake, shifted, and effectively drawing everyone's attention to them. The Wolves whipped their heads around, the alpha dropping the boy and turning to face them. The boy whimpers and scrambles to his hands and knees as best he could with his bound hands to move away but was only shoved down again by one of the other wolves, feet on his back pining him in place.
The alpha turned to look at them incredulously, surprise lighting up his face. "Oh? You must be the pack I sniffed out around here huh? Well I've come to stake my claim; looks like a nice naïve little town. Good for my tastes."
A wolf with a death wish, Derek's favourite kind.
"This is my territory. Leave. " Derek snarls.
The alpha just smirks, "I have you outnumbered, and my pack can handle you easily enough. We'll wipe the floor with you and then I can carry on with my business. You have no idea what you're messing with!"
With that the alpha launches himself at Derek, his pack following his lead. With a snarl of anger that tapers into a loud howl, the rest of Derek's pack comes crashing into the clearing just as Derek clashes with the alpha, claws mercilessly tearing into each other's flesh as they fight for dominance.
The alpha lunges at Derek, swiping his claws in a large arc forcing Derek to jerk backwards to avoid the onslaught. Crouching down, Derek holds his arms by his sides, claws ready as the alpha lunges at Derek once more. Shoving his body forward Derek goes for the alpha's throat with his claws. His claws catch on the alpha shoulders, and with a pained snarl the alpha claws at Derek and punches him square in the chest, sending him flying into a nearby tree with a resounding thud.
Derek growls in rage, as he slowly gets back to his feet. There goes another one of his leather jackets. Baring his fangs Derek snarls, "This is your last warning. Leave. Or I will rip your throat out. With. My. Teeth."
The alpha hesitates but clearly whatever he was worried about passes because a second letter he bares his fangs and runs towards Derek lunging for his throat.
"The boy! He's trying to escape!" A frantic shout rings out, stunning the alpha to a stop.
The alpha whirled around at the call from one of his betas. "Capture him! We need him!" The alpha orders angrily, rousing his beta's into action. Several cursed shouts goes up into the air as the betas struggle to get away from the fighting and get to the boy.
Taking opportunity of the distraction Derek pushes his larger body forwards, and pounces on the unsuspecting alpha, catching him off guard and shoving him down into the dirt, pining his biceps down with his claws as Derek's other hand wraps around the alpha throat and pulls.
With a grunt of disgust Derek gets up, eyes flickering through the mass of fighting bodies looking for the boy. With a start Derek notices the two betas from before charging out of the clearing. Derek darts forward, the betas were fast and he knew it would be a matter of seconds before they reached the boy and Derek knew he wouldn't be able to evade them.
Without thought Derek grabbed the first beta, dragging him into the ground and smacking his head into the dirt until he was rendered unconscious. Launching himself back up Derek made it to the other beta just as the beta smacked the boy over the head, sending the boy sprawling forward into an unconscious haze. Derek quickly reaches out and grasped unto the falling form and pulling him firmly towards him.
Derek could hear the others fighting, vicious snarls and the sound of breaking bones echoing through the forest but all he could think about was the boy cradled safely in his arms.