Chapter Fourteen: The Code

They found the abandoned car on the side of the road a few hours into the chase…It smelt both heavily of the hunters and of Stiles- so it was pretty obvious who had been inside.

The scent was much easier to trace now that they weren't moving at law-breaking speeds, but it had also become sharper with Stiles' fear and…panic? They sprinted as fast as they could, Jackson and Peter (who everyone still couldn't believe was there) staying behind to guide the humans while Scott, Derek and Isaac purged on ahead.

They could feel when they were getting close, the strength of the scents and the sound of heartbeats being the tell-tale signs.

At this, Derek was filled with relief. He'd been going crazy having to watch and the only alive person who could have comforted him was the one being tortured. He had feared that, if the hunters had their way…he'd never get a chance to prove to Stiles, to show the boy that he didn't actually hate him- that he acted like he did for completely different reasons. He just wanted the chance to tell him.

But the fear was still present even now, when he was so close,- still tugging on him to move faster, closer- to make sure Stiles was safe.

Scott seemed to feel the same way, almost doubling his pace as soon as he heard the sound of the heartbeats, which Derek, being an Alpha, had heard a lot sooner.

Isaac just followed -a look of determination and fury on his young face.

When they broke out of the trees, and into a clearing- they knew by both sight and smell- that they'd reached their destination.

Stiles was in Amanda's arms, gun pointed at his temple and hand around his pale throat, shirtless and bruised- he looked even worse than he had on screen.

All three werewolves' hearts stuttered at the sight.

Derek growled and stepped forward.

"Not so fast doggy." Leon warned, holding his own gun up and pointing it at Derek.

Derek rolled his eyes at the threat of a simple bullet and stepped forward again, momentarily forgetting that these were hunters he was dealing with.

Leon fired- right into the Alpha's kneecap and Derek went down with a howl, feeling the tell-tale pain of a wolfsbane bullet and knowing how dire the situation had become.

Both Scott and Isaac moved towards Derek, trying to help their fallen Alpha.

"Stop." Leon warned, pointing the gun at them.

"What do you want? You've already lost." Derek said from the ground, voice laced in pain, his words reminding Stiles of exactly what he had said before.

"Take our actions as…premature avenging for our own deaths." Amanda spat and squeezed Stiles' neck a bit tighter.

Stiles didn't really care though- preferring to look down at Derek, who obviously was starting to feel the effects of the Wolfsbane, sweat on his brow and pain in his red eyes. This wasn't going well…and God help him if Derek died because of him…

"Oh so you know you're gonna die then." Came Lydia's voice at the same time Leon got an arrow through his wrist- the wrist holding his gun. Stiles would have jumped for joy, had he not had a gun pointed at his head.

"Hi guys! Forget about us?" said Allison, badassery lacing her voice as she stepped into the clearing, bow in hand, the others trailing behind her, each with their own weapons. Now the shit was going to go down.

Leon seemed to think so too, and pulled the arrow out of his right hand and reached for the gun with his left, trying to get up on his feet.

"Not so fast." Peter growled, stomping a foot down on the man's injured hand, and kicking the gun away with the other. Peter was probably just glad he was finally getting some action in all of this.

"Stop." Amanda screeched- hysteria lacing her words. She was cracking, everyone could see. She was like a cornered animal- with nowhere to turn.

"I-I'll shoot him you bastards!" she said, holding her gun up to Stiles head.

Allison rolled her eyes- which Stiles felt was a bit of an offensive reaction to the threat of his death- and shot the hand holding the offending weapon, her dad having taught her the muscles to shoot that would enable zero chance of pulling a trigger.

Amanda then screamed in pain clutching her bleeding hand to her chest and momentarily forgetting about Stiles, who, as soon as he was let go by the red-headed huntress, ran straight over to Derek.

"Hmm…you know I thought this would be a little harder- but you guys are kind of pathetic." Peter said and slashed his claws against Leon's neck, effectively killing the man.

"Sorry Derek- I know you wanted to do that…but you seem unable. I hope you'll forgive me." He remarked, looking down at his handiwork and smiling gleefully.

Amanda looked terrified.

"Sherriff I hope you won't charge me?"

The Sherriff glared down at the dead body in distaste, "Wouldn't dream of it." He said.

Amanda grew pale as the rest of the pack turned on her, advancing.

"Chris please." She pleaded, looking up at Mr Argent, who was pointing a gun at her. "The code! I'm human! Please don't let them kill me!" She sobbed, tears rolling down her face. And Stiles couldn't help but feel a little happy about the bitch's pain.

"The code." Chris said, smiling, "We hunt those who hunt us." His smile held no warmth as she seemed to realise what he was implying.

"No!" She screeched- but it was too late- Mr Argent had pulled the trigger, effectively silencing the woman forever.

"A little help over here would be nice!" Stiles yelled, from over Derek's writhing body, "I mean vengeance is sweet and all- but dying Alpha!"

"Shit." The Sheriff said, going over to sit by his son.

Chris collected one of the bullets, gathering the product on the inside, and the pulled out a lighter.

"Hold him down." He told the Sheriff and Scott and pressed the burning herbs into the man's leg.

Derek writhed, the pain suddenly multiplying from a knife, to a thousand all over his body, it calmed though, leaving him with a vague empty and weak feeling.

"Stiles?" he asked, as soon as he could muster the strength to talk, looking up at the boy with half-lidded eyes, clouded with exhaustion.

"Hey, I'm right here big guy. We won- it's over." Stiles said, from his point above Derek's head.

"You okay?" he asked Derek, concern crossing his features and making Derek's heart lift in how good everything had just become- how safe everyone was.

"I'm great." Derek replied, with a soft smile and an open face.

"Great." Stiles breathed, and proceeded to pass out on Derek's chest .