Derek felt himself break. Peter flung him hard into the tree and he looked up from his new spot in the dirt. Isaac, Scott, and Erica were facing off with Boyd who seemed to be waiting to see who the winner was going to be before doing something he might regret. Erica glared at him like she didn't recognize the werewolf in front of her, the former pack member that flipped on a dime when Peter offered him a spot in his pack with an Alpha that knew what he was doing.

Derek growled at Peter and his eyes flashed red, matching Peter's own to an exact shade of crimson. Two Alphas were battling it out and the members of the packs were hesitant to get involved. "Where's Stiles?," Derek asked, getting up to his feet.

"The human? Surely your thoughts aren't focused on him at a time like this."

"I already killed Argent and broke his hold over Jackson. I know he doesn't have Stiles. Where is he?"

Peter laughed as Erica and Isaac attacked Boyd while Scott was the decoy. Boyd collapsed to the ground once Isaac injected him with some of the Kanima's venom. Peter was looking a lot less capable of defeating against all of them which made Derek growl with superiority. "You don't know what he is, do you? My poor nephew. You were never properly prepared for leadership."

"I won't ask again," Derek said, feeling whatever had been broken snap back into place, good as new.

"I knew he would make your pack more of a threat to me. I offered him the bite and a place in my own pack but he refused."

"Stiles is smart," Scott said, the betas taking up a position around Peter to block any chance of escape. Derek had trained his pack well and even Scott, in the few times he had managed to come to the trainings, seemed to be embracing his new life.

"Stiles was smart." They all listened for a fluctuation in his heart beat but when none appeared Derek lost it, his body transforming uncontrollably. He leapt forward and dug his teeth into Peter, ripping at flesh while his pack sought their own vengeance on him. When he was in pieces Derek's fury changed to extreme sadness and his concentration faltered, reversing the transformation.

"He still could have been lying. Stiles is really good at first aid."

"We have to find him," Derek said, slipping into the jeans that he had somehow managed to avoid shredding. His shirt was in pieces along the ground and they didn't have time to worry about it. "You two, take Boyd back to the station and get this mess cleaned up and surrounded with Wolfsbane like I showed you. We're going to find Stiles."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," Scott said, fear as evident on his face as the dopey look he usually held there. "Try calling him again."

Scott did as instructed but it was no use, the phone was turned off. "It isn't working. Try his house...it's the only other logical place we haven't checked." Derek was speeding down the road but his nostrils flared before they reached the turnoff. The scent was familiar because he knew it very well; it belonged to Stiles. He parked the car and took off running with Scott on his flank.

"Derek, I smell blood." He was quiet coming upon the clearing. He fell to his knees when he sensed what he already knew. His eyes watched for any signs of life but there were none. Stiles was dead.

"We have to do CPR. Maybe it isn't too late?"

Derek shook his head but kept silent. As a werewolf he was able to sense a lot of things, most prominent was his sense for the dead. Stiles, who had once been so full of life and energy, was now lifeless on the ground in front of them. "Scott, he's been dead for hours. There isn't anything we can do."

Derek choked on the words and he felt empty inside. He had lost something by losing Stiles, he could tell it easily without much thought because at the moment he wasn't capable of thinking of all that much. He had lost someone very important and the blame was on him. He had allowed Peter to live, giving in to his manipulations in order to have extra backup. He knew Peter would end up betraying him but he did nothing to stop it. He let Peter live a second time and by giving him that gift he sealed Stiles' fate.

"Derek? Boyd is asking for you."

Derek slammed the newspaper on the table. The article was two days old and talking about how Stiles Stilinski was still missing. The Sheriff's Department had issued a reward for any solid leads that would help them locate the Sheriff's son because they didn't know the truth. They didn't know that Derek was responsible for Stiles' death.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I let Peter manipulate me. You have to believe that I didn't know he had Stiles or was going to hurt him."

Derek wanted to blame Boyd but he couldn't. He knew Boyd was just a scared werewolf and he made a decision based on who seemed more likely to survive. Which was stupid because Boyd had been the only one of his pack that had switched sides. "Shut up."

"Derek, you can't keep me chained up like this. It isn't...I deserve punishment for my part, I know that. I don't deserve this." Derek walked to the chains and cut the restraints with his claws. Boyd stayed crouched on the floor, cautious about what this meant.

"You're free to leave. You're free to stay. Either way, you have to make the decision on whether or not you can live with your part in everything. Just like the rest of us." Derek walked away and Isaac and Erica were suddenly by his side.

"We have to go to school."

"Go. Keep your eyes out for Allison. I still don't trust her sudden forgiveness even if Scott thinks it is some kind of miracle."

They nodded and left, pulling Boyd with them. Derek sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall. It was easier to ignore his part if he didn't have to see Scott or hear about the search for Stiles' body. No one would find anything, they had made sure of it. Stiles was buried deep in the forest and the area was covered with a ring of vinegar and wormwood to hide the scent. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to find his way back to it if he wanted to torture himself by being there.

He leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to have a dream where Stiles was alright and safe, still alive and still mouthing off. Maybe the distraction would help, he prayed, before drifting off to sleep.

A/N - I hope you enjoyed Chapter One! Chapter Two is going to be far more interesting.