Authors Note: A review over on archiveofour own echoed what I had been thinking for awhile. In that this story has now veered away from the canon established in the 'When you Howl' verse. So as a result this will possibly become the start of an alternate canon verse of stories. So sort of win, right?
Derek never saw the tranquillizerdart loaded with a modified version of Wolfsbane
Derek woke up, and immediately wrinkled his nose at the smell of ash. His wolf whimpered inside knowing exactly where he was. They were at the old house. He was strung up by his arms with Wolfsbane laced ropes and electricity coursing through his system. He felt like he was dying and all he could do was pray that Stiles was okay. He wasn't left to wonder who exactly had taken him for too long when he heard the all too familiar throaty rasp, "Hey Der-Bear. I thought we should hook up once again."
He closed his eyes and hissed as she licked his abs. He needed to think about Stiles and what he brought into his life. Stiles was everything good in the world and more importantly - his mate. He could recover from psycho-hunter if he stayed alive - he knew that Stiles would help reassure him of that. "You should have let me go Kate. Didn't you get enough?"
Kate laughed throatily and years ago that would have had him panting in lust - now he just wanted to curl up and protect himself. Unfortunately that was a little hard to do as he was tied up with electricity thrumming through his system. He could feel Stiles tugging on the bond. He was torn - part of him wanted to close the bond so as to make sure that Stiles didn't feel any pain. The other part of him wanted Stiles to find him so that he could just curl up around him in their bed - safe from the world.
"Oh we have so much to discuss ..." Kate continued to ramble on.
Derek listened briefly to her but he wondered why when he was younger he didn't see the air of insanity hanging off her like he could now. It was sad what they say but experiences count for a lot. You could see the insanity in her eyes and the glint of danger that made even his wolf want to back off.
He growled, "Discuss what? You killed my whole family."
She stood up showing off her lean frame but it did nothing for him - she wasn't Stiles. He saw her frown at the lack of reaction on his part. He felt a vindictive that as she couldn't really expect him to want to be with her after she had been responsible for killing his whole family.
"Well for one sweet-cheeks where is the Alpha?"
Derek sighed, "I wish I knew ... I'm trying to track him."
She listened to what he said and that started her laughter off once again as it absorbed. "Ahh baby you should know better than anyone that the lone wolf doesn't survive."
Derek bit back his first instinct which was to deny her statement. He had Stiles and Stiles was everything to him. Still he couldn't let her find out about Stiles as she would try to harm him, and that could not be allowed. He would sooner use his claws to slit his own throat than be responsible for Stiles being hurt. "You left me no choice you killed my pack."
Kate shrugged, "And yet I left you your sister."
Derek wanted to snort as he was sure in her crazy mind that that was enough. He felt Stiles' panic, and then it morphed into determination and a promise of violence. He had no clue what was happening. He felt the message through their bond, "Stay alive ... we're coming."
Derek had to wonder who was coming. He knew that Stiles had friends and powers at his disposal.
Stiles was cleverer than that though. If dear Uncle Peter wanted his nephew to be part of his pack then Crazy-Alpha-pants would him find his mate. It was counter-productive for Stiles to fight him right now when they both wanted the same thing – A dead Kate Argent. Stiles wasn't relaxed and was looking for any sign that would suggest that Peter was going to betray him. He wouldn't hesitate to blast the Alpha into next week if he tried to be Uncle Bad touch.
Stiles was not the weak little lamb in this story.
Meanwhile Scott was wondering just what was going on. School had been weird. Scott could not quite get a grip on his senses. It sucked as it was Lacrosse practice and Stiles had cut and run complaining about feeling ill. He was sure that was more to that story but before Scott could call him on the lie he was gone. It didn't matter Allison was waiting and there was Lacrosse practice. He could find out what was making Stiles all squirrelly later.
Jackson was being an epic douchebag and as it was the night of the full moon he was finding it harder and harder to reign in his wolf. He knew that Derek and Stiles would be giving him so much shit for his lack of control. Scott wasn't dumb he knew that he couldn't reveal their secrets - there were too many Hunters milling around.
Jackson was up in his grill, "Come on McCall is that all you got?"
Scott's focus narrowed but he was still distracted by the moon and Allison, and where Stiles had run off too. It was for that reason he was sure that he ended up on his ass when Jackson tackled him. He was mad that he had missed the play and it didn't help that he had Jackson all up in his face smirking at him.
Allison must have sensed that he was about to do something stupid as she called out to him from the bleachers. It was nothing much just an empty platitude to get back up but it helped get his feelings under control and that was why he loved her.
Jackson was not one to stop though, "Ahh you missing your little boyfriend? It seems your girl isn't enough?"
Scott growled and waited for the coach to call the next play. It didn't help. He could feel a presence on the edge of the field - he was sure it was the Alpha screwing with him. He wouldn't help the Alpha - he was crazy and tried to make him kill his friends.
The strange feeling disappeared but Scott couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He was so relieved to know that the practice was over. He headed to the showers - wanting to get back to some sort of normality. He wasn't sure that he would ever have a true normal but something approaching it would be good.
The team cleared out pretty quickly and to his annoyance the only two left in the changing rooms were him and Jackson. He had to wonder how this was his life?
Jackson wasn't subtle, "I will find your secret McCall!"
Scott hissed, "You're mad."
"Mad?" Jackson asked and even Scott could hear the question. "No. You did something to get so good, and when I found out what you will go back to the loser that you are!"
Scott wanted to laugh as there were so many things that he hated about being a werewolf but he did like the natural athleticism. "You should be careful what you wish for."
Sometimes the old adages are true.
Stiles did not like Peter at all. He was doing his level best not to kill him. He was his grandfather's grandson in this respect. He was taught to protect those who needed it, but also never to leave a potential enemy alive who could go for your back. The only thing saving Peter right now was that he could be useful and he was Derek's last surviving family member.
Peter was looking at him like he was something exotic. "What?"
Peter smirked, "You really exquisite and my nephew can't possibly appreciate you the way you deserve."
Ahh, and now Stiles night was complete - one of the psycho villains was making a play for his ass. He wondered why he was a painfully virgin and had no one interested in him and then nearly every werewolf wanted his ass. Did that make him wolf-bait instead of jailbait? No he wouldn't go there as his father had been ridiculously patient and understanding of the whole affair.
He smiled icily, "Hey let's focus on the task: Kate has Derek!"
Peter's eyes went cold again at the name of the psychotic hunter. That in a nutshell lay the simplicity of Stiles plan for now. He was going to throw his psycho at the psycho holding Derek and then get him and Derek out of there in the ensuing chaos. It was a good plan; simple some may say. Stiles liked to think that it still had merit.
"Oh I will rip her throat for the crimes against our pack." Peter promised silkily.
Stiles personally could understand where Peter was coming from. Kate was responsible for the death of nearly everyone Peter had loved. Peter had been trapped in a coma, locked in his body, and in what must have been excruciating pain considering how quickly wolves healed0. Stiles wasn't inhuman - he could understand the route of psychopathy and it was all Kate. All he could promise Peter was, "I won't stop you. I just want Derek to be okay."
Peter cocked his head to the side, "And if I was challenge Derek for you?"
Stiles didn't flinch - the thing was if Peter tried it - he would rip all of his lovely Alpha teeth from his gums. He wouldn't last long as a toothless Alpha Werewolf, and the last time Stiles checked the dentists hadn't got round to making dentures - that strong. He stood stock still and focussed on giving nothing away, "Well I would let Derek handle the challenge like the traditions dictate."
"How much do you know about our lore?" Peter asked intrigued by how much was instinctive on the boy's part and how much was read. It didn't matter either way as it was impressive but showed that his future mate was a scholar as well.
Stiles shrugged and offered a simple response, "I get by, it is hell trying to work out what is truth and what is crap."
"Oh a smart boy like you would figure it out."
Stiles shuddered inside but outwardly he hissed, "Hey considering you were talking about my ass earlier you might want to sound less like a pedo-wolf."
"I'm not that much older than Derek Stiles and your father accepted him well enough."
Stiles was pissed as he was smart enough to figure out that he must have been listening in to the conversation had between him, his Dad, his Grandfather and Derek. "Whatever let's stay focussed - Crazy Kate has my mate."
Peter rolled his eyes, "If my good for nothing beta would come to me like I want then I would be strong enough to track him down."
Stiles rolled his eyes as the good for nothing Beta he was referring to was Scott. He knew his best friend well enough to know that there was no way that he would accept all that Peter was demanding - like killing people. "Yeah well you should have thought of that before you bit a hormonal teen."
Peter frowned, "My strength will over power his resolve."
Stiles knew that he should be worried about the fact that psycho wolf wanted his ass, and that his mate was captured in some freaky Hunter hideout but that statement was just too funny. "Do you know teens? Like at all?"
Peter didn't look amused and growled, "Your point?"
Stiles smirked, "Well for one teen's are terrible at following orders. We're too stubborn and think we know everything. Plus ... Look I'm already annoying you ... I'd make a terrible mate."
Peter frowned as he considered what the teen said. It was true that he should have thought more carefully about whom he bit but he was too damaged to think beyond the need to expand the pack. He did think though that his mate was being wilfully blind, "You are hunting down betas. You are looking after the pack so of course you would make a good Alpha's mate."
Stiles wanted to grin, and snark about how he felt much more validated from a crazy Alpha. He was smarter than that though and wanted to get Peter focussed on something other than his ass. "Right I need a laptop."
Peter sighed, "Keep up. If you try and signal for help I will kill them not you."
Stiles should be offended that Peter thought he was some damsel-in-distress. He wasn't - as it paid to be underestimated by the enemy. "I'm not stupid."
He followed Peter to an unused parking lot on the edge of town. So he got the answer of where he was hiding out. The laptop was in the back of the car and he recoiled seeing how it was being stored. You could clearly see that the woman was dead.
"What the ever-loving fuck Peter. You cannot keep going around murdering people."
Peter was confused. Of course he could. His nurse was not a good woman and he'd healed so he didn't need her anymore. She'd treated him like a dog using the moon and the goddamn whistle as a way to exert control over him. He was no one's puppet he was an Alpha. "I got better."
Stiles figured it was pointless trying to reason with a crazy person. He was hoping that the rental car Kate was using a GPS system. It was probably the most efficient way to find her. If not he would his blood, and the bond with Derek to find them. He was only reluctant to do that immediately because he didn't Peter to know just how powerful he was.
"What is your plan?"
Stiles rolled his eyes, "To find her car ... and hopefully where she is hiding using its GPS."
Peter said nothing but as he just resumed pacing and left Stiles alone he was counting it as a win. He pulled up the car records - thanking god that there was only one car hire place in town. He needed this sorted and pulled up the GPS log for her car. He pulled up the map location and hissed. "That sick twisted bitch!"
Peter stopped frowning and pacing, "What?"
Stiles was really angry and the air was starting to crackle with suppressed magic. "She has him in your family's basement."
Peter growled being reminded of that heinous night. He had to shake off the licks of flames that he still saw in the corners of his eyes. "Now we kill her?"
Stiles wanted to roll his eyes, the guy was like a broken record but in this instant he didn't care. It was useful to him and he needed the distraction that Peter could bring. "I won't stop you but I'm focussing on Derek."
Peter gave him a disappointed look but Stiles did not care. He wanted to find Derek and woe betides anyone who got in his way. He delved into himself for the bond, and hoped that Derek could hear his message, "Stay alive ... we're coming."
