Chapter 10
Big Bad Wolf

Michael looked up from where he was sitting on the bed. He could hear two heartbeats. He still couldn't explain what was going on with him. He shouldn't have healed so quickly. He shouldn't be able to hear or smell the things that he could hear and smell. He closed his eyes and waited until the door opened. He knew that Derek was back, and he figured that the other person was the Sheriff. He could also hear someone else moving around outside. He could hear them getting into a car and leaving.

Michael opened his eyes slowly, only to see that Derek was right in front of him. Somehow, he kept himself from jumping despite his fear.

"You're going to tell the Sheriff everything that you know about what is going on. Understood?"

Michael gave a small nod before slowly opening his mouth to begin...

He was exhausted. It was hard making ends meet when it was just him working to take care of things. Their parents had left them a house that was fully paid for; but Michael was still just a kid himself. He had wanted to go to college but had taken a couple of years off to refresh his mind. Then his parents had died and he had been thrown into the world of working every day to take care of a teenager.

Max wasn't doing the best at school. The kids were cruel and they would tease him about not having parents, not having new clothes, not having new games or a cell phone. The pain of the taunting and the loss of his parents had caused him to slip. Michael was always worried that he might get into something bad. Sure, they lived in a nice little town...but there was still evil hiding in the shadows.

Michael had just come home from a long night shift. The car had broken down and he needed the extra money to get it fixed. He was contemplating selling some of their parents jewlrey but he knew that Max didn't want to. He didn't want to upset Max by selling things. The kid had a hard enough time as it was.

Max should have been home by then...but he wasn't. He called the school but Max hadn't shown up that day. It was so unlike Max. He called the police but his brother needed to be missing for twenty four hours before he could file a report. The next day he was heading down to the police office when he was jumped by a group of guys wearing ski masks. They put a pillow case over his head and drove off. When the covering was removed, he found that he was inside of a dark room with his brother tied to a chair and gagged. All of the men either had on masks or were hidden in the shadows.

"Michael...we heard about your skills with certain things. You're going to help us send a message. If you don't..."

A knife was pressed against his brother's neck. He could hear his brother scream in fear through the gag in his mouth. Michael faught against the hands that held him, trying to get to his brother.

"Maxxy! Leave him alone! I'll do whatever you want!"

He was kept in a dirty cell for three days before he was told of the plan. He followed a group to Beacon Hills High School and disconnected the fire alarms without causing any other alarms to be set off. He then taught everyone how to easily disconnect the sprinklers. He was led outside then and his crying brother was pushed into his arms. The two ran. Michael got Max a train ticket to go spend time with distant relatives. Then Michael had done the only thing he could think of. His guilt forced him to turn himself in...

"I never saw their faces. I never heard any names."

Derek looked from Michael to the Sheriff.

"He's telling the truth. He dosn't know anything."

"Are you sure my brother is okay? Somehow they knew that I was being moved when no one had been told."

Derek turned back to Michael and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I promise, Max is okay."

Michael could only nod his head before bitting on his thumb nail. He only cared about his brother. Everything...it was all for Maxxy.

"But now there is something that I have to tell you Michael. It's about how you healed so quickly."

Michael looked up from the spot on the cot that he had been looking at. He tilted his head slightly to the side as he watched Derek, a gesture that told the alpha that the younger man was listening.

"We needed any answers that we could get and you were still in critical condition. There was another fire, this time at the Middle School. A teacher died."

Michael looked away with a wince. He felt that this was his fault. Without an alarm system or sprinklers...a fire could rip through a building quickly without anyone really knowing.

"We had no choice but to either force you to heal or let you die quicker. I'm a werewolf Michael. I'm the alpha. Alpha's are able to bite humans and turn them into werewolves. Sometimes the bite kills, other it causes the human to turn. We had no choice but to risk it with you. You survived. You're a werewolf now."

Michael laughed lightly. "You're joking right? Werewolves don't exist."

Derek gave a sad smile. "You can hear things better now than you could before. You can smell things as well. You healed from major injuries pratically over night."

"Stem cell research or something..."

Derek shook his head slowly before slowly pulling himself into his beta form. His red eyes looked directly into Michael's. "We exist. You are a werewolf now."

Well...Michael really couldn't argue with the proof right in front of him. He found that the idea didn't really scare him, but made him feel better. He wasn't human anymore, but a werewolf. He could hear, smell, and probably see better than a normal human could. Apparently he would be able to shift like Derek had. There was probably increased strength that came with it as well...and there was obviously better healing. He would be better able to protect Maxxy now that he was a werewolf; he was sure of it.

He leaned back a bit and closed his eyes before thinking about the image of a knife against his brother's throat. His anger built and when he opened their eyes they were glowing the same blue that Derek's wolf eyes had once been.

"Then I vow here and now that I'll do everything in my power to help you find the people who have been starting the fires and bring them to justice. Nobody threatens Maxxy, Nobody!"

A grin broke out on Derek's face. "I think I'm gonna like you."

The Sheriff took a few steps forward now and rested a hand on Michael's shoulder. The new wolf had compleatly forgotten that he was there.

"At least one fo the men was a wolf, son. I have no juridsiction over such things. You can help Derek take that wolf down...but no killing the humans involved. They'll serve their time in prison. Got it?" He looked back over at Derek, ensuring that the alpha knew that the humans were not their problem as well.

"Got it." Both wolves spoke in unison and the Sheriff nodded.

"Good, now lets get you out of here."

Michael nodded and stood. It would be nice to be out of the dank dark cellar. It gave him the creeps.

Stiles was depressed. Not only had Danny gotten the bite when he hadn't...but Derek had pushed him away. What the hell was up with that? Derek had made it sound like he felt the same way about him. Derek had made it seem like he cared so deeply about Stiles that he couldn't risk losing him.

Stiles was depressed, and when he was depressed...it was time for a giant sundae. He had gone to the local Ice Cream Parlor and devoured the largest Banana Split that they had, and then proceeded to devour a plate of loaded chili waffle fries complete with bits of bacon and globs of sour cream. It was his comfort food.

But even the food couldn't dull the ache in his heart. He had suffered from a massive crush on Derek since he had first seen the hot wolf. Then when he had first seen him in his beta form...that had just grown. Ever since Derek had become alpha, he had seen a nicer side to Derek. He had watched as the alpha apoligized to Scott and told him that killing the alpha wasn't a cure. There was no cure...but the condition could be managed. He apologized, for lying to him...but he had no other choice; it was either use Scott or let more people die. After that, Scott had become friends with Derek, and Jackson, and everything was just so great.

He had truly come to love the alpha, and now he had gone and blown it. Derek would probably never want to see him again.

He slowly made his way out of the parlor and made it to his jeep. He dialed Derek's number, not really knowing what he would say. It went straight to voice mail.

"Hey, Derek...it's Stiles. I um...Hey! What the...Hey!"

Stiles struggled as he was pulled away from his car by guys in ski masks and towards a van.

"DEREK! HELP!"

He felt pain explode in the back of his head and the world turned dark. The last sound on the voice mail was that of a van door slamming closed and tires squeeling as the vehical raced away.

Two for one Saturday. Two new chapters, one lovely day!