Jackson

The first shift was painful and I felt weaker than usual, I thought this was supposed to make me stronger!

"You're body will adjust" is all he can say before turning and walking away from me. The new Alpha is taking to his power well but Derek Hale will never be a people person even with his own pack.

Once I've changed back and wiped the sweat from my forehead I slowly moved back to his dilapidated burnt house. I find him looking over Peter's charred body which he moved into the sitting room, his face is neutral. It will be hard to read him which may be a problem unless he's the barking orders type then it will be easy to know what he wants.

"Do you want to move the body?" I asked cautiously.

He doesn't even look at me just picks the former Alpha up like he's last weeks trash and moves to the back of the house. The creak of the back door opening tells me he's disposing of it himself and when he returns empty handed his only explanation is "lets see is barbequed flesh attracts the mountain lions."

I can smell the decay lingering the room but it doesn't seem to bother Derek as he moves to sit in a blackened armchair. I stand awkwardly not sure what to do but thankfully he speaks again. "Jackson why do you think I bit you?"

I'm confused by the question but answer "because I asked you to I helped you and I deserved the gift."

He snorted making my anger spike but he barely registered it "no I bit you because I need a pack and you conveniently showed up on my doorstep." His harsh correction makes me glower at him "but you're the only one stupid enough to come near me so I've got a little task for you."

"What do you mean I was the only one stupid en-"

"Exactly as it sounds" he snapped "did you not wonder why everyone else ran the moment they realised I was the new Alpha?" I remained silent knowing that he would answer without prompt "because an Alpha is useless without a pack and in that moment I could have changed, took control of Scott and changed everyone in that opening."

I nodded in understanding "so you want to build a pack?" I asked.

Derek chuckled "give the boy a medal there's hope for him yet."

Anger boiled in my gut as I gritted my teeth and I actually snarled at him like a real wolf, I'd be lying if I wasn't slightly proud of it. Derek didn't try and stop me as my heartbreak increased another shift threatening to take over.

Eventually Derek's hand appeared in front on my slightly blurred vision and he smacked me in the forehead with his flat palm. The force sent a shock through my system and caused me to fall back flat on my ass. "Calm down hothead" his voice sounded muffled and distance as blood continued to pump in my ears. After a few stifling moments of silent waiting I managed to get to my feet. Derek was standing by me but held no look of concern or even interest "feel better?" he drawled.

I nodded curtly not wanting an argument with the older teen before I spoke "so if you want a pack why aren't you out there now?"

"Were you born to ask dumb questions?" Derek said with a roll of his eyes. "I can't be out there now because the Argent's will be patrolling the town and I'm still wanted for murder." He moved to one of the grimy windows and looking out of it absentmindedly "that's why I need you to do something for me."

"Oh yeah and what's that?" I asked scathingly.

"Well since I need to see where McCall's loyalties lie I need you to pick someone up for me."

I raised an eyebrow "and who would that be?"

He gave me a small smirk that set me on edge "his only true ally of course."

Stiles

I couldn't sleep and it was…nearly 3 in the morning.

Not that I was really trying all that much, my dad was out patrolling and since we hadn't felt out if Derek was a possible threat I was more content on waiting for the front door to creak open downstairs.

I rolled over again on my mattress my constant state of restlessness really starting to hack me off. I sat up in bed realising that this plight was pointless so I threw myself from bed and moved towards my bedroom door.

After a trip to the bathroom I shuffled downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. As I mulled over the drink thinking about all the developments since Peter's death a horrible flashback hit me.

"You would be equals, maybe more…."

Peter's question was still haunting me and the fact that he was told me that I was lying to myself wasn't helping. Sure I had thought about it when Scott first got bitten but after everything that happened I honestly thought that being human was good enough for me.

But then again Peter might have been lying it's not like I have an inner lie detector like werewolves. Maybe he was lying about me lying and ergo trying to convince me to change my mind so that he could change me and then it would have meant more wolves for his freaky Brady Bunch.

After contemplating this theory for a moment my thoughts were interrupted by a noise upstairs. I looked up at the ceiling stupidly as if I expected to see right through it to the source of the suspicious thud.

I slowly got to my feet setting my glass down on the table and moving towards the staircase. I listened hard for more movement but heard nothing so I moved up the stair with caution but trying to remember if I left anything teetering on the edge of my desk.

Once I hit the landing I noticed that my bedroom door was slightly ajar but I remembered closing it properly. My heart leapt in my chest making it hard to breathe as fear took hold. What if someone had broke in and was hiding in my room? My phone was in there and I couldn't risk running downstairs for the home phone because they might hear me and attack.

I stood on the landing not knowing what to do when pain suddenly exploding in the back of my head. My hand came up to cover the spot out of instinct as I whipped round to see what had caused it. The movement made the room spin and as I stumbled over my feet I felt something wet trickle onto my fingers resting on my head. I brought them down to my line of sight and saw scarlet liquid sliding down my fingers to my palm. I looked up just as a closed fist collided with my jaw and I fell into the wall.

As I slide down the edges of my vision blurring a figure stood over me and as I fell into blackness I recognised who it was.

Jackson.