Chapter Two:
Derek Hale was kind of annoyed with his life at the moment.
First of all, he had to deal with the impending threat that was the Alpha Pack- who, still hadn't shown any signs of making a move!
Secondly, he had to deal with his recently resurrected Uncle Peter- a man who killed his sister and who Derek had set fire to and ripped the throat out of. Good times.
And now…well- now things were just plain crazy. In the span of a couple weeks- three people- completely unrelated to each other had killed themselves for no apparent reason! Three!
Reports had even said they'd been totally happy just hours before their suicides. And they were proven to be suicides- on man walking straight in front of a cement-truck seemingly out of no-where- and another stabbing herself in broad daylight- right in front of witnesses too! It had to be something supernatural- Derek knew that.
What was really bad, though- was that all his supernatural information was in his family's books- objects a certain loud-mouthed brat had stolen months ago.
So that brought him to the part where he was at his family's old, burnt-down home- pacing by the sitting Isaac and Peter and waiting for Stiles Stilinski- arguably the most infuriating person on earth- to deliver the goods.
Derek heard the familiar rumbling of the Jeep making its way up the road towards his house- he estimated the time of arrival at about three minutes.
…four as it turned out- but he was close dammit!
"Hey guys! Nice summer?" the boy asked as he hopped out of his vehicle- his beta friend- Scott, trailing behind him- both of them carrying piles of old, heavy books.
Stiles, Derek noticed, had grown his hair out since last time he'd seen him- the buzz making way for something not quite as long as Derek's own hair- but strongly heading in that direction. The style made the kid look older- less Stiles like and more like a regular teenager- if not for the plaid- Derek would've hardly recognised him.
"Sooo…not a nice summer then?" Stiles asked- breaking Derek out of his thoughts and snapping him to attention.
Derek just rolled his eyes, ignoring the boy and went over to collect the stack of books from his hands- just as Isaac took Scott's pile.
"Welp then…..see ya guys!" Stiles said awkwardly- scratching the back of his head and again drawing attention to his new hair-style.
Scott and Isaac looked regretfully at each other- like they'd rather hang around each other a bit more. Derek knew Isaac had grown a sort of admiration and friendship for Scott when they worked together earlier that year- But that didn't mean Scott was any closer to joining his, now tiny, pack.
Scott and Stiles started walking back towards the jeep- after saying awkward goodbyes- but, suddenly, Stiles froze- a look of pure shock horror on his features. Derek, and presumably the rest of the wolves present- heard his heart stutter for a moment- and then speed up drastically- the scent of panic wafting on him in thick waves.
"Stiles?" Scott asked hesitantly, moving over to place a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Stiles ignored him- and instead just stood there - panic slowly overtaking the look of horror on his mole-splattered face.
"Mum?" Stiles called- looking towards a line of trees on the outskirts of his house, his voice rough with what Derek presumed to be emotion.
"Stiles. What-" Scott was starting to say- a worried expression on his face and a hand on his best-friend's shoulder- but Stiles interrupted him with a shout.
"Mum!" he screamed- more of a call than an exclamation- and then Stiles started forward towards the line of trees he'd been looking in horror at.
Why was Stiles acting like this?
Scott- though, seemed to have enough sense to stop his friend from moving any further- instead catching him by the shoulders and holding the boy in place- standing in the driveway of the old Hale-House.
"Stiles- what's wrong?" Scott asked- holding his friend back as he continued to struggle towards the line of trees.
"It's my mum Scott! You gotta let me go! I have to help her!" Stiles yelled desperately- protesting against his restraints. What was he on about?
"Your mum? Stiles…Your mum's been dead for three years…" Scott's voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke, but regardless all the wolves present heard him- and none were shocked at the revelation. They'd always heard Stiles talk of his dad- the Sheriff, but never of a mother before- not once.
"What? Scott! Let me go! Can't you hear her?!" Stiles was screaming now- thrashing in Scott's hands as he kicked gravel up with his feet. Isaac, Derek and Peter just stood helplessly, inching closer- but not knowing what to do to help the boys.
"She's screaming for me! I gotta save her!" Stiles was screaming- a crazed look in his eyes- and Scott looked thoroughly disturbed.
"Stiles. There's no screaming. Your mum's dead." Scott repeated to his friend in a concerned voice.
"I know that! I can't let her die again Scott! Let me go! What kind of friend are you!? Why are you doing this!? You gotta let me go she's going to die!" Stiles was full on screaming at the top of his lungs- tears welling up as he thrashed and thrashed.
Peter came over to stand by Derek's side.
"I think I know what's causing this." He told his nephew- aware that Scott and Isaac could hear aswell.
"You do?" Derek asked- still looking at the disturbing image of Stiles pleading and thrashing in his friend's arms- trying to get loose and run to the trees.
"Yes- and I know how to fix it." His uncle said- moving over to stand calmly in front of Stiles.
Stiles, though, was completely ignoring Peter, still looking towards the forest and struggling against Scott.
"Stiles- I'll get Scott to let you go…if you just do one thing for me." Peter said calmly, and Derek wondered what he was getting at.
Stiles' head snapped up- his eyes boring into Peter's and his expression one of both questioning and desperation.
"If you keep perfectly still- for ten seconds- Scott will let you go and I promise nothing bad will happen- okay?" Peter said- using a voice one might use on a cornered animal.
"I don't trust you!" Stiles spat- and with that he went straight back to his struggling, ignoring Peter once more.
Scott was looking at Peter in desperation- obviously pleading him for help with the situation- instead he must have thought of an idea himself, considering what he said next…
"Trust me Stiles. You trust me right? Peter's telling the truth." Scott said- and that made Stiles stop. He could obviously trust Scott- his best friend's word. Peter wasn't telling the truth though- Derek could hear his heartbeat- and so could Scott…but Stiles didn't have to know that.
"I trust Scott." Stiles said, nodding and then he went perfectly still. Scott looked guilty, then looked at Peter and nodded- giving him consent to go ahead with whatever plan he had formed.
"Good boy." Peter said- reaching up a clawed hand to the back of the boy's neck, and plunging in. Stiles' eyes immediately rolled back and his legs buckled, his body falling to the ground… unconscious.