There was a fifty- percent chance that I would die tonight, but I decided I wouldn't regret a thing if I did. My black boots thud hard against the grass and leaves as I look up to the Hale house, a burned out pit of its former glory.
"DEREK HALE. I need to talk to you." I yell his name, but then lower my voice for the rest, since werewolf hearing is impeccable. Derek is standing on the porch; arms crossed around his upper body and his eyes a piercing blue. He arched his brow in a way that suggested he was urging me on, to tell him what I needed and get it over with. I let my courage guide me up the stairs, watching out for the sections that were rotted, and I grab him by the collar of his leather jacket, cool between my fingers. Catching him off guards I slam my lips against his in a rough, yet chaste kiss. He's stunned for a moment and I turn quickly and head back to my jeep, pulling out of the driveway in a quick and reckless motion well over the speed limit.
Now for the hard part the part that would make or break everything. It was time to follow through with my plan as I stopped by my house only to leave a note for my father on the desk in my bedroom. It explained everything, the little things about werewolves and what was going to happen tonight, and that if I didn't come back that I was sorry and I love him. I also left a letter addressed to the Alpha, who would most likely come around looking for me later. I grabbed my duffel bag off the floor next to my desk. I had broken into the Argent's home earlier that week and taken an assortment of handguns, shotguns, and Aconite bullets. It was surprisingly easy, since I had seen where Chris Argent kept the spare house key.
It was time to go, as the sun was setting (always better to attack at night so there's less of a chance of involving innocent bystanders). Only I could do this, just me, alone. The Alpha pack was in town, and they told me they were going to kill everyone. They were going to take Derek into their pack. I had to do this to save my friends. I let out a heavy breath and thundered down the stairs duffel in tow and threw it in the back seat, hopping into my jeep and tearing out of the driveway before I had second thoughts. I was clad in all black, something resembling Lisbeth from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and I had determination in my eyes. I will save my family, if it's the last thing I do. Beacon Hills is mine, and they'll have to pry the territory from my cold dead hands.
I arrive at seven, in front of the old warehouse they claimed. I park sloppily near the entrance, alerting them of my arrival, quickly grabbing a shotgun and getting out of the car, the rest of the duffel slung over my arm. The years of lacrosse paid off, since it was damn heavy.
I walked in, straight through the front door, knowing well that they were already aware of my appearance, the sound of my heart as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I was focused though, my ADHD subsiding for the moment. I could only see this, my brain pushing out other distractions.
"So, the little boy came out to play. Where's the rest of your pack? Or did you come here to die all alone?" It was the voice of Elizabeth, the one who had threatened the peace of Beacon Hills. I cocked the shotgun and laughed. She appeared startled at the sounds.
"Do you think I didn't come prepared? Beacon Hills was never Derek Hale's territory, She-wolf, he may be the Alpha wolf, but this town is MINE." I fire off the shot, purposefully missing to prove my point that I wasn't afraid to shoot. She lunged in the moment and I fell to the ground, her weight on top of me, claws at my throat. A gunshot rang out and a whimper fell from my enemy's throat. A wolfsbane bullet to the heart and she was dead in an instant. She went down easier than I thought she would. The rest of the Alpha pack began to circle in, and I walked over to where the duffel had fallen during the scuffle with Elizabeth, disposing of the shotgun and picking up a bat. It was plated in silver and covered in wolfsbane. When I turned the wolf closest by, Ethan, was on me. His nails dragging against my cheek and the bat connected roughly with his flesh and he screeched.
"You wolves are Alphas. Is this all you've got?" I chuckled and their eyes flash even brighter red, Michael, the brother of Elizabeth and an Alpha with equal power lunges toward me. He's in full on wolf form, and tears a large chunk out of my jacket. I wince in pain from the scrape of teeth that manage to reach skin. I use that moment when he's distracted, blinded with his own rage, so much so that he's getting sloppy, to slide a knife I had hidden in my jacket straight into his ribcage, laced with a condensed Aconite.
That's when I notice the howling. Shit. It was Derek making that noise, meaning that he had probably seen the letter I left sooner than intended and was alerting the rest of the pack to come to sniff me out. To rush into a fight to save the weak cowardly human that always let them down. There were only three Alphas left. One of them was even injured, so I needed to speed this up and take them all out, to make sure that the blood was on my hands and not on theirs. I wanted to let them stay in their peaceful world for a little longer, to let them go without killing anyone long enough that maybe one day they could sleep at night without the terrors.
Ethan and his twin brother lunged at the same time. The alpha was a bit off due to the injury from early, but his brother did not miss. The cut of claws into soft flesh as my voice rung out in the almost silent warehouse. I slumped in a puddle of my own fluids, and forced myself to get up and finish this fight. I would end this tonight. My bat still in hand I lifted my body up and managed to stand, bracing my body for the next attack. That was when the pack arrived, my time was up it seemed. Derek lunged, throwing his entire weight into the Alpha twins as Scott, Jackson, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd follow suit, holding back the other Alphas and tearing them to shreds. Allison and Lydia ran over to my side and held me up as my legs began to give out. There was growling, and whining and it was all over. We won, but I did not make my goal. I did not keep the blood off their hands and I failed once again. They had come to my rescue but for what good?
I was held up between Lydia and Allison as we made our way to the jeep where they opened up the trunk and sat me down to examine my wounds. Derek came out of the warehouse just as Allison opened up the first aid kit and he made his way towards me, and God did he look pissed.
"STILES WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? GOING IN THERE ALONE WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE? YOU IDIOT." His eyes flashed Alpha red as I looked up from the ground my eyes had been fixed on while he yelled. He had his hands braced against the flooring of the jeep as he looked into my eyes, anger boiling inside of him, as he waited for me to explain.
" They were trying to take over Beacon hills. They wanted to kill my family and my friends and they wanted to suck you into their Alpha pack. What was I supposed to do Derek?" His expression softened as my voice, heavy with exhaustion, cracked on his name. "Was I supposed to let my friends cover their hands in blood while I sat back and twiddled my fucking thumbs? I may not be a werewolf, or even a hunter. I know I'm just a weak coward, but Derek, I just wanted to be useful for once, and not just for research. Okay? I wanted to fight and stand up for myself without having to rely on other people to save me every time. I might not be pack but this is my territory too. I'm sorry, but I just wanted you all to be able to sleep at night without waking up with night terrors. I know when you all have them so don't pretend you can sleep through the night after what we've had to do." I was gripping the fabric of my jeans, as Allison was sitting behind me, gently wrapped bandages around my midsection. I looked straight at Derek and his eyes had gone back to blue.
Derek sighed and had a moment of thought, and rubbed his hand over his face.
"Stiles, you're pack. This is your territory too. You did a good job, but you should have told us what was going on so we could help you. We don't just keep you around for research; we need you just as much as anyone else. You're not a coward either for god sake. You killed two fucking Alphas, injured one, and looked like you were about to kill the rest, while you yourself were injured. How the hell could you be a coward after that? You've helped us fight countless times before and no one has ever thought you were a coward." I was startled at his words, but then I just wrapped my arms around his neck, breathing in the musty woods smell that always clung to his skin and clothing.
"Thank you for saving me again, Derek, I'm sorry for being an idiot." I whisper into his neck as I stand up, wincing as the wound stretches. Scott was making a puppy dog face from a few feet away and Jackson looked like he just ate an orange peel. I did a halfhearted wave and made way to the front seat of my car, only to be stopped by Erica.
"Batman, you are in no condition to drive." She smirked predatorily at me and I laughed, a hearty boisterous laugh, realizing that I really was an idiot, and the whole pack looked shocked and maybe even faintly concerned.
"Lets all go back to my house and get pizza." I suggest with a smile. Everyone grins and gets into their cars. Derek lets Allison drive his camaro, and he gets in the jeep, and reaches for the keys.
"I can drive Derek, I'm not totally incapacitated." I mumble.
"No, Stiles. I am not letting you drive with an injury." He says gruffly as he manhandles the keys away from me and starts the engine, pulling out of the warehouse lot.
"So." I say after about five minutes of silent driving. Well, it could've been five seconds for all I know my brain now totally unable to calm down.
"So?" He looked at me and smirked, seeming to know where this conversation was going.
"Um. About earlier." I said stammering over my own words in a flush of awkward teenage feelings.
"You kissed me." He said with a chuckle " I should've suspected you were doing something reckless." He stared out the window into the black streets.
"So, um, wanna go out for coffee or something, sometime?" I stammer and he looks at me and smiles, a genuine feat, which is hardly shown.
"Or something?" I look over and see his smile has turned into a stupid seductive smirk.
"That is totally not what I meant pervert. Though, I mean, Adonis body, so I might be down for that." I laugh and he looks at me with a cocked eyebrow as we pull up to the house. He reaches over and undoes my seat belt, he hesitates for a moment, then looks into my eyes and a warm smooth weight is pressed against my lips.
"Let's just start with a date."