PROLOGUE
At eleven o'clock at night, the full moon was up. The weather was pleasant, crisp and cool. Other times, Beacon Hills could be frigid and chilly depending on the season. On this particular evening, sixteen year old Stiles Stilinsky raced his jeep down the deserted stretch of road, where a family of raccoons had gathered acorns and pinecones and housed them inside a hollow tree for the upcoming winter. He followed two familiar Alphas darting down side of the path, Scott McCall and Derek Hale, and debated decision of bringing Chris Argent and his daughter Allison along for the ride; especially, since the werewolf hunter had a bone to pick with Derek Hale for biting his late wife, Victoria. However, personal grudges were set to the side since everyone had one common goal: to eliminate the town's new Alpha threat.
Ever since the triangular, spiral symbol appeared a few months back, Alpha packs have been invading the town of Beacon Hills murdering and attacking innocent bystanders. The sheriff's department had attributed these rash incidences of mysterious killings to the work of wild animals or to the possibility of a serial murderer on the loose. In either case, pressure from the mayor to have the police force take action had made Stiles's father work overtime around the town. Only the chestnut eyed, young man and his friends knew the truth; lycanthropes were busy at work in terrorizing the town. Thus, it was their job to stop them.
"It looks like it's cutting across a shortcut in the woods," noted Allison. At her side, she placed her bow and shaft of arrows as she watched her boyfriend and Derek Hale sprint in the same direction after the huge beast.
"It's heading back into the downtown area of town," commented Chris. He inserted the silver bullet cartridge into his gun. "Step on the gas. We're cutting it off."
"Whoa…whoa!" Stiles protested eyeing his pistol. "How do I know you won't use that on Scott or Derek? I mean we're not exactly going hangout and rent movies from Redbox anytime soon."
The werewolf hunter slammed the cartridge in and removed the safety. "You don't."
"Dad!" Allison's mouth dropped.
Chris Argent curled his mouth. "Derek Hale bit your mother resulting in her death. I won't ever forgive him for that!"
"Well that's the pot calling the kettle black," replied Stiles. "Remember, your wife tried to suffocate Scott with wolfsbane. I pretty much say you're even."
Anger appeared on the hunter's face. "You do know Stiles that aiding and abetting a werewolf is grounds for eliminating an accomplice according to our code?"
Stiles nervously swallowed. "You do know that murdering a werewolf's best friend is going to get an Argent hunter's ass kicked to the curb?"
Chris raised his gun and cocked it. "Care to test that theory?"
"ENOUGH!" Allison screamed. "Both of you!" Her frustration shot through the pair. "This is stupid! There are no more sides. Grandpa made sure of that, remember?"
The dark haired beauty reminded them of the incident months ago when leader Gerard Argent corrupted the hunter organization by manipulating everyone with the hope of gaining immortality. Chris's father proved to be not above murdering innocents including sacrificing his own granddaughter to achieve his goals. Luckily, her boyfriend Scott stopped the former leader of Argent by contaminating his medication with white oak ash after attempting to get bitten by Derek Hale. Since then, the former hunter had mysteriously disappeared leaving disorganized Argent without any true leadership.
"Look! They're turning the corner into that group of stores!"
Stiles ignored Chris Argent's harsh comments, sped after the pair of werewolves, and noticed their Alpha target head down an alley. Slowing down his jeep, the brown haired teen parked next to the curb as Chris and Allison jumped out of the vehicle and ran after it.
"Wait for me!" The sixteen year old clucked. Putting on the parking brake, he got out and followed them. "What am I doing? I don't have any weapons!" He stopped for a moment to catch his breath before realizing his true role. "Oh yeah, I'm the reckless dude who tries to get himself killed! Crap!" He raced after Allison and her father.
From the light of the full moon, the Alpha in full bestial form climbed up the drainage pipe, made its way up the top of the roof where it roared at its enemies. Stiles saw from his vantage point Derek and Scott using each corner of the four walls of the two adjacent buildings to supernaturally leap up to where the beast was hiding. Chris aimed his gun at the target while Allison pointed her bow and arrow at the werewolf.
"Careful you'll hit Scott or Derek," advised the young man.
Chris remained expressionless. "Does it matter?"
His daughter gave him a disapproving look. "Dad!"
"I'm kidding." The werewolf hunter managed to crack a smile. Stiles knew better.
Feral growls and loud roars echoed through the air leaving the trio to assume the worse occurring on top of the roof of the buildings. Staring at the edge of the tall structure, the group saw a black mass leap toward the other side.
"There it is!" Allison declared.
Another dark haired creature jumped after across followed by another after it. The group below immediately identified the pair as Derek and Scott.
"It's heading toward the other side!" Chris announced. "Come on!"
They ran toward the end of the alleyway until they came to chain linked fence. Easily scaling the barrier, Chris and Allison made their way around the other side and sprinted around the corner into the next group of buildings. Stiles struggled for bit due to part of his hoodie getting stuck on the edge of the metal before managing to leap down to the alley. Shaking his head, he jogged down the corner and tried to catch up with everyone else.
"Note to self," he puffed. "Start working out. No more morning doughnuts for me."
Loud crashing sounds of wooden crates, metal trashcans, and broken concrete resonated through the various corners of the alleyways. Bloodcurdling growls could be heard all around the brown haired teen causing the goosebumps to form on his skin. Stiles finally made to the edge of the wall of one of the tall buildings to see the Alpha cornered by the lupine forms of Scott and Derek. The beast roared before lunging at the duo.
Derek attacked first. Canine fangs, dark sprouted hair, and red eyes growled at the beast as the older werewolf dodged the oncoming strike of a sharp claw by the creature. Twisting his body at an angle, Derek Hale managed to elude the razor talon of the Alpha by a few inches. Yet, the Alpha proved to be clever strategist and instead struck a second blow squarely into the green eyed lycanthrope's chest tossing the pack leader against the brick wall. A sickening crack vibrated through the dark alley witnessed by Stiles as his werewolf ally collapsed to the ground.
Moving in for the kill, the Alpha went after Derek. At this point, Scott struck and leaped on to the Alpha's back, dug his claws into the beast's shoulders, and hung on. The feral werewolf howled with pain as its sixteen year old assailant latched on with incredible strength. Lowering itself on all fours, it raced toward a nearby dumpster in attempt to buck Scott off. Tossing and writhing madly, the beta wolf held on to his opponent until the creature rolled on its back crushing Scott under its weight. The sudden pressure of the dumpster combined with the added heaviness of his enemy forced the sixteen year old to release his claws from the Alpha. Dazed from being crushed by the metallic container, the teen could not get his bearings allowing the Alpha to strike as it pummeled the young man unconscious inside the dumpster.
Unconscious from the brutal assault, an unmoving Scott was left helpless as the beast raised its sharp claws to finish him off. A single gunshot echoed. The creature howled at the pain as blood dripped from its wrist from the wound caused by a single silver bullet. Shifting its head, it saw Chris Argent aiming his pistol while his daughter Allison directed her bow at the beast. It roared as Allison fired her arrow but this time the Alpha was prepared. Catching the shaft, the werewolf broke the arrow in two before leaping out of the dumpster to attack the pair. Chris fired two rounds from his gun but the creature to elude the oncoming bullets by hopping side to side from the each adjacent wall of the buildings. Sharp teeth headed their way as Chris grabbed his daughter and hit the ground hard.
"Stiles! Run!" Chris yelled to the chestnut eyed teen.
Stiles Stilinsky did not have to think twice about the hunter's suggestion. Turning on his heels, his Converse squeaked as he raced back to his jeep. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Alpha leap over the Argent duo into the open street and focused its red eyes on the brown haired teen. Adrenaline flowed through his system as Stiles opened his car door, turn on the ignition, and see the high beams blind the black hulking beast sprinting his way. Standing on its hind legs with its claws extended in darkness and its lupine snout baring its sharp teeth, it roared one more time before attacking the jeep. Stiles stomped on the gas.
Black fur slammed against the metal fender as the beast dug its talons into the hood of Stiles jeep. His heart beat rapidly into his chest as he sped the jeep carrying the Alpha with it and crashed into the first building in front of him. An explosion of sounds surrounding the brown haired teen as splintering woods, brick, and broken glass shattered everywhere. Stiles felt the restraints of his seat belt yanking him back as his airbag deployed cushioning his face as he released his foot off the gas pedal. Pain throbbed in his head from the small block of wood striking his temple while a wave of nausea seemed to gurgle from his stomach. Stalled for a moment, the teen unbuckled his safety belt and stumbled out of his damaged jeep.
Crushed broken glass emitted from the bottom of his Converse shoes as a dusty haze blocked his sight of vision. Lifting his eyes, he saw Chris and Allison running toward him and raising their weapons at him. Still dazed from the car crash, Stiles extended his hand for help.
"Stiles! Get down!" Allison shouted.
Turning his head, Stiles saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring at him from the dark, dusty cloud. Torn metal vibrated from the demolished building as he saw his jeep moved being slowly pushed forward by the black, hairy mass trapped in front of the vehicle's fender. Chestnuts eyes widened as he crouched to the ground while the surviving Alpha attempted another assault.
Chris fired two shots into the chest of the moving werewolf. Allison followed her father's lead. Drawing her bow, she shot two arrows into the beast's shoulders. The Alpha howled in pain but remained to determine to fight. Weakened, Stiles crawled away as the werewolf got closer. Sharp talons prepared to strike down the teen before the figure of conscious beta wolf jumped on to the monster's back and raked its claws across the Alpha's spine. Scott McCall held the beast back allowing Stiles some time to make his escape.
Stumbling to his feet, Stiles noticed another large figure dart past him. A bruised Derek Hale displayed his talons and buried his claws into the heart of the creature. The sharp teeth of the Alpha howled in anguish signaling Chris Argent to finish him off. Gripping the trigger, he pulled. The last silver bullet struck the lycanthrope's head while Allison fired another arrow into the neck of their enemy. Finishing the best off was Derek who ripped out the Alpha's heart and crushed the bloody organ in his hand. Blood dripped from the creature who crumbled to the ground lifeless and reverting back to its human naked form.
Slowly Scott and Derek transformed back into their human form and stared at the naked, bleeding stranger lying dead on the ground. Chris, Allison and even Stiles joined them to observe the mysterious man who had attacked them earlier.
"A friend of yours?" Chris sneered at Derek.
The green eyed man scowled. "No. He's nobody that I know of."
"How do I know that you're telling truth, Derek?" The werewolf hunter scoffed.
"You don't," replied the pack leader with a brooding tone.
"Look, Mr. Argent, Derek is telling the truth," Scott explained. "This guy is one of many Alphas and their packs coming to Beacon Hills. There are many of more coming and we have to be prepared. Strength in numbers."
"Scott's right, Dad," added Allison. "I know we don't trust each other after everything that has happened but we need to work together if more of these Alpha packs are coming to invade the town."
"But Allison, Derek killed you mother," said the Argent hunter. "How can you forgive him for that?"
"He bit my mother," corrected the dark haired beauty. "Mom committed suicide because she didn't want to be turned into a werewolf. You told me everything, remember?"
"If you want to get technical," Stiles interrupted. "Your wife tried to kill your daughter's boyfriend. Your daughter tried to kill Derek. You father tried to kill everyone by turning into a werewolf. Derek's uncle who did try to kill us returned from the dead and now is sort of helping us. Scott went all double agent by double crossing everyone. Yup, we're a bunch of liars, thieves, and double crossers. I'd say we're all in good company."
All eyes turned to Stiles with contempt. The brown haired lad shrank.
"I still don't trust them, Allison," Chris argued.
The dark haired teen girl folded her arms. "Well we don't have a choice anymore, Dad. The Argent council doesn't trust you after Gerard betrayed them and we have Alphas coming out of our ears." She pointed to the dead body. "I mean this one murdered a family last week. How many more people have to die because we can't stop our own infighting to see that there is an even bigger threat out there?"
"She's right," Derek clucked. "With more Alphas and their packs coming, we'll be too preoccupied with our feud to stop them from murdering this town. We have to work together. For now, I call for a truce."
The green eyed man extended his hand to the werewolf hunter.
After a minute, the hesitant hunter accepted it. "Fine. Truce, for now." Gripping Derek's wrist, he yanked him hard. "Once this Alpha threat is over, Derek Hale. Believe me, I will come after you!"
Derek shot him an angry look. "Agreed."
Nervously, Scott stepped in. "I think..we should get rid of the body. By now, the sheriff's department has been called."
Flashing lights could be seen in the distance. Stiles panicked. "Oh crap! My dad's already here! Quick grab the body! I'll deal with my father."
"But what about the car wreck?" Allison asked glancing at the smashed building where Stiles ran his jeep through. "Won't they get suspicious?"
"Don't worry about it." Stiles groaned. "I'll think of something."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Sheriff Stilinsky screeched. He could feel the vein his neck ready to pop. "$100,000 WORTH OF DAMAGES AND I'M NOT EVEN INCLUDING YOUR JEEP!"
Stiles sat in front of the breakfast table the next morning with his bowl of cereal. He did not feel like eating.
"What the hell were you doing at eleven o'clock at night?" His father grilled him. "Don't you have homework on a school night?"
"You know me," Stiles joked. "Doing the usual rebellious experimentation of alcohol and drugs."
"Stiles! Shut it!" Sherriff Stilinski spat. From the look on his father's face, the town's law enforcement officer was less than amused. "We did a breathalyzer and found no alcohol in your system. Oh and you forget the drug excuse, I doubt that you would not be dumb enough to mess with any illegal substances."
"I could be," suggested the brown haired teen. "I mean I could be a junkie. I'm the classic textbook case. Rebellious teen coming from a single parent home and raised with no mother who feels the need to lash out by getting involved with illegal activities. See, I'm ready to go on Dr. Phil or Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."
"Stiles! Knock it off!" His father shouted. "I don't care what you were doing last night but the fact is your reckless driving destroyed family business! Luckily, the owners are not pressing charges but I worked out a deal with them to repay the damage."
The chestnut eyed teen raised his eyebrows. "What sort of deal?"
Sherriff Stilinksy folded his arms. "Staring tomorrow, you have a part time job with Cooper and Sia Morgenstern who owned that deli/gift shop you destroyed last night. You are to spend this whole year working for free for them in order to repair for
Jamming his hands into his hoodie pocket, the brown haired teen frowned.
"Don't give me that face!" His father curled his lips. "In addition, I'm not repairing your jeep. Since you wrecked your car, it will be your job to fix it."
"But how am I going to get around town without any wheels?" Stiles asked.
Placing a small rectangular item on the table, Sheriff Stilkinski smirked.
"What's this?" His son wondered.
"It's called a bus pass," smiled the law enforcement officer. "Use it."
Stiles scoffed. "You expect me to take the bus to school and to work? Are you kidding me?"
"Welcome to your punishment," his father laughed. Zipping up his jacket, Sheriff Stilinski entered the garage to his car.
Flustered, Stiles ran after him. "You know, this is child negligence and child abuse. I should call CPS to have me taken away."
"Good," replied his father getting into his police car. "Maybe your new foster parents can pay for all the damages that you've done."
Slipping into the driver's seat, Sheriff Stilinski turned on the ignition and drove off. Stiles returned to the table, swallowed his cereal, grabbed his backpack, and raced out the door to catch the next bus to school.