9
Tribunal
Chapter Fourteen
Note to readers: This chapter has not been beta tested but I have had numerous requests to update so I am releasing it early and in the rough form. Enjoy and know I will put up the edited version as soon as it becomes available.
The darkness pressed in all around Scott as he ran letting his feet fly across the dead leave, dirt, and rocks. Trees brushed past him in a blur as the almost full moon lit his path. His heart is racing and yet he pushed himself for even more speed bringing the shift with the ever increasing beat of his heart. There were just too many things to think about and as the thought struggled for dominance in his mind, Scott found that with each step onward he could push the thoughts to the back of his mind.
Scott understood that the pack master expected Scott to tell his mother about his secret life as a werewolf but even now, Scott can't bring himself to do it. He hasn't told anyone. Stiles figured out what Scott was even before Scott did, Allison's father forced Scott to change in front of Allison so he really didn't tell her, which actually did more harm than good. Allison, just thinking about her sent Scott's stomach in knots. He missed her, needed her, almost beyond the point of reason. Scott paused next to a large tree; he was in the thick of the forest, halfway from where he had come and halfway back to the human world. The night was full of sounds, and as he panted he realized that it was almost beautiful. Scott wondered if Allison would feel the same way or because she was a hunter, would she feel that the forest was full of threats that she must stand against? He could only guess as to what her father would teacher her. Still parents can be weird. Maybe Chris Argent would be able to put aside his legacy of bias and violence for the sake of his daughter but Scott doubted it.
Scott's mind turned back to his own parents. He spent the last few summers with his father, but those never seemed to work out. How many fights had he had with his dad? Thankfully, the old man finally conceded to let Scott live with his mother full time and stopped trying to push the silly father-son bonding that only led to the two of them knocking heads. The last time Scott had seen his dad was over a year ago and for once Scott actually missed him. Not that Scott thought his dad would be of any help, but still. So much was being asked of him, too much in fact. The pack master had no idea what his request would cost Scott.
Pushing off again, Scott raced on, feeling his muscles tense as he ran, moving faster than he ever had dreamed when he was human. The freedom of movement that he had never had due to his asthma was thrilling and one of the small things that Scott was thankful for after being bitten. Peter had done something horrible to him, but Scott was beginning to adjust. Still, Scott knew that telling his mother would be like admitting that there was no cure and that he was going to be stuck as a werewolf for the rest of his life and Scott can't bring himself to face that reality. There had to a cure, a way out of this nightmare.
The forest path gave way to gravel and the black asphalt of the city streets. Scott clung to the receding shadows. With the full moon on the horizon, his cover becomes less and less as he entered into suburbia. It is late and thankfully the cars on the road a few and far between. Scott pulled up his hoodie to cover his face and hide the change from prying eyes. All too quickly he found himself on the far side of the driveway looking up at Allison's house. The SUV and Allison's car are parked out front but it seems like the other hunters are no longer nearby. Scott can hear Allison's parents inside the house, but his attention is on Allison's window.
Scott's heart seemed to skip a beat as he looked up at Allison, keeping himself hidden in the shadows of their well landscaped property. It takes everything Scott has to keep his control and composure and not scale the drain pipe up onto the roof and next to her bedroom window. Allison looks so sad, and worn. Scott wanted nothing more than to comfort her, hold her in his arms, and keep her safe. Just being close to her forced Scott back to his human shape as his brown eyes searched what little he could see of her face in the window.
"Allison," Scott whispered.
In that same instant, Allison reached up and touched the small yellow pouch around her neck. Had she heard him? Scott doubted it. Maybe it was some sort of magic that Jen's little fetish was keeping Allison safe and unable to feel the pull of Scott's gaze the way he felt drawn to Allison despite what his better judgment kept telling him. Scott sat back undercover and forced his eyes to the ground at his feet. What was he doing here? If Allison's father found him, he was as good as dead both literally and figuratively. Scott could still remember how much it had hurt to be shot with one of the Argent's arrows, and that had just been in the arm.
Scott was certain he had ruined any chance that Allison's dad would ever trust him back at his work office. Even with the help of the other wolves, Scott was awash in guilt for loosing such control with Allison. What if he had hurt her? Or worse bitten her and infected her as well? Even knowing this, even with his guilt and shame, Scott could not bring himself to stay away from her. How many times had he tried to keep away from Allison? Every time he tried, something drove them back together, not that he regretted that, but how could he protect her? Despite everything he had told Terry, Scott still felt lost and without answers to his problems.
Scott pulled himself to his feet. With one last look at Allison's window, which now stood empty, he turned and slowly forced himself to walk away. The thick winter fog began to settle on the streets giving them an eerie felt as Scott made his way towards his house, but he had not gone fourteen feet when he heard the unmistakable click of the crossbow. Without thinking, Scott dropped to the ground as an arrow brushed past his shoulder. Turning his eyes glowed with a golden light but he kept his control as Allison's father stepped out of the fog, crossbow in hand.
"That was a warning shot," Chris said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just checking on her," Scott managed to say.
"I thought we agreed that you two would stay away from each other," Chris said. "Or are you not capable of even that?"
"I did stay away. She never saw me," Scott shot back. It was all he could do not to bare his teeth and growl at Chris. Holding onto his humanity was becoming more difficult with each accusation Chris laid at Scott's feet. The anger that flashed in Allison's father's eyes spoke volumes that Scott could not ignore. Still Scott knew that if he ran now or attacked, then all bets were off and there was no way he would ever win over Allison's father. Forcing his heart to slow, Scott made himself look as harmless as possible and yet, he refused to leave. Scott waited for Chris to make the next move.
Chris glared at Scott, his icy blue eyes watching for any movement, or aggression. All his life Chris had hunted people like Scott, now thanks to the events of the last few months his daughter's life was thoroughly enmeshed with the danger that Chris has fought so hard to keep away from his family. Sadly, Kate had been right. Allison was proving to be more adept at dealing with the horrors that this world had in store for her than Chris has ever thought possible. Part of her strength came from her love for this boy, despite what he was or maybe because of it. Despite every instinct of his hunter's training, Chris lowered his cross bow.
"What are we going to do about all this?" Chris asked with a sigh.
"I have no idea," Scott said.
"At least you're honest," Chris said. "And I can't kill you, despite what my sister once said."
"Um…thank you?" Scott looked at Chris, even more confused. "All I want to do is protect Allison, you know."
"I am well aware of that," Chris said. "That is one point we both agree on, but my head strong daughter won't like the fact that she has to be 'protected' if she is anything like my sister."
Scott kept his comments to himself. He hated that the Argent family had lost someone they cared about, but Kate had been crazy. She had wanted Allison to hunt Scott down and kill him. The fact that the Tribunal had sided with Scott and Derek against Kate and executed her in front of Chris had at least set Scott at ease even though Derek seemed as messed up about the whole situation as Chris was. Kate would have never stopped, Chris on the other hand could be reasoned with, which was why Scott had hope of at least getting Allison's father to begrudge them their relationship. Still, from what Scott was learning about the mate bond, there was no way he would ever be able to stay away from Allison, even if she changed her mind about their relationship. Just the thought of living through her rejection a second time seemed to at tear something deep inside Scott.
"I wish there was some way you could trust me," Scott said.
"I don't think I could trust anyone who dated my daughter," Chris said. "Your…condition, well it just makes things more complicated."
"I'm sorry," Scott said.
"It is not your fault, not really," Chris said. "You know your friend, Stiles; he told me what happened to you."
Scott nodded.
"You have dealt with your condition better than others I have known," Chris continued. "It just, she's my daughter. I didn't want her to have this life."
"I'd give my life to protect her," Scott said.
"You almost did, remember?" Chris said suppressing a smile. Chris had been there helping to save this boy only to want to kill him again. The irony was biting him in the butt.
"I'd do it again," Scott insisted.
Chris looked at him and held Scott's gaze. "I believe you, but that doesn't change things. Just being near you puts her in danger."
Scott nodded. "I love her." The statement was a clear declaration of how he felt but the message underneath begged at Chris to understand.
It was Chris's turn to sigh. What was he going to do with these kids? They were so close to being adults and now they had to deal with something that Chris had been trained his whole life to deal with and standing there in front of Scott, Chris found himself without answers, or at least without answers he could live with. Scott hadn't hurt anyone…yet, he had broken no laws, and defended Allison and his friends against one of the most insane werewolves that Chris had ever hunted. Hell, Chris wasn't even sure he could have stopped the pack even with the Tribunal hunters to back his own men up. The werewolves who had stood with the hunters had been a key factor to winning the battle, but what about the war? All his life the Argents had hunted the werewolves and the knowledge that this was their sworn duty. Now in less than a handful of nights, Chris had watched his sister executed for her own form of insanity and helped save not one but several werewolves.
Watching Scott face Chris with such conviction, without threatening to do anything crazy like steal away with Allison or force Chris with brute force to back down was impressive. Add to that this new information about pack bonds and mate bonds, Chris felt that he had more questions than answers. The only way for him to gather more information about these things and protect his daughter was to keep at least one wolf indebted to him so that he could gain information. Chris had already tried talking to the other Tribunal members but they were tight lipped when it came to their truce with the Red Paw Clan. Through his own research Chris already learned that this was not their original name. Not two generations prior they clan had been known as the Blood Paw Clan and was considered to be one of the brutal clans when it came to protecting their territory and members.
Still according to the hunter's records there was no explanation for the change and even though Chris had an idea where the werewolves were holing up, he wasn't sure. Chris knew he needed to get more information on the visiting clan, make certain that they would not hurt anyone. Already Chris had made plans to patrol the woods tomorrow night during the full moon. No more innocent humans would be hurt if he had anything to say about it. Scott at least was easy enough to track. Chris made his choice.
"Can I give you a ride home?" Chris offered.
Scott blinked. That was unexpected. But it made sense since the easiest way to make sure Scott left the Argent property was to hand deliver Scott to his mother. He needed to get home anyway and the pack master was right, Scott needed some space from Allison, at least until after the full moon.
"Sure," Scott said and followed Chris to his car. The drive was a short trip but sitting alone in a car with the man trained to kill him did not put Scott's mind at ease, but he was not about to back down now.
Back at the roadside inn, Stiles looked over at Jen and Maya. Jack's phone rang and he left the building to answer the call leaving Stiles with the alpha female and omega. Both women seemed a bit on edge, it was only then that Stiles caught the scent of antiseptic and the light traces of blood. Maya seemed to be ok, but Jen was moving oddly. It was hard to tell, but Stiles wondered if there were bandages under her the baggy sweat shirt and pants that she now wore.
"Speak up, youngin'. What's on your mind?" Jen asked.
"Are you ok?" Stiles asked.
"Nothing a couple of steaks and a good night's rest won't fix," Jen said calmly, but the look on Maya's face that flashed guilt, shame, and concern, all at the same time, told a different story.
Stiles' mind raced. The last he had heard was the Scott was going to meet the pack master. Prior to that at the vet's office, everyone seemed to be on edge regarding this new werewolf coming into town, including Maya who was supposed to be the pack master's wife.
"Is Scott all right?" Stiles asked.
"Whatever do you mean?" Jen asked.
Stiles frowned. "He was supposed to meet the pack master today."
"Oh Terry wouldn't hurt him," Maya said. But the way she said it made Stiles wonder who this Terry would hurt.
"Yeah," Stiles said trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Why is it that I find that so hard to believe?"
"Because you're a smart kid," Jen said. "All omegas are."
"But Terrance wouldn't hurt a kid," Maya said almost defensively.
"Yeah, and you don't go killing your own kind for the Tribunal," Jen shot back, making Maya flinch. Jen indicated with her chin towards the other side of the cabin that was opposite of the window near the parking lot where Stiles had been hiding earlier. "Go look out back."
Stiles looked at her with skepticism, but walked over to the other window. Even though it was night, the almost full moon lit up the forest behind the little cabin. The back woods were trashed. Deep claw marks and broken branches were all over the place. What looked to be several remain of a broken car looked to be stacked in a pile off to the side. With Stiles' enhanced night vision and new keener sense of smell, he could see and scent the blood stains that were dripped across the leaves on the forest floor.
"What the hell happened?" Stiles whispered.
"Terrance had a small temper tantrum," Jen said.
Maya let out a small growl. "It was more than that, and you know it."
Jen nodded. "I warned you though; the humans cannot watch your back like the pack can."
"I am not going to get into this again with you," Maya said. "Terrance and I have enough to deal with, without you butting in."
"And if I had not 'butted in' when he came to see you this morning, we would have had a mountain of corpses, including my husband."
Stiles watched as all the bravado that Maya had been gathering to argue with Jen, suddenly vanished. Maya's shoulders sagged and she dropped back on the side of the bed, looking somewhat defeated.
"I know," Maya said. "I'm sorry."
"It is who you are and I understand that," Jen said. "But you must be more careful."
"What exactly happened?" Stiles asked. "Are you sure Scott will be ok?"
"Maya is right, Scott is in no danger," Jen said. "But if any of you had been here this morning after we let the vet's, well, let's just say I could not have promised the same thing."
"He attacked you, didn't he?" Stiles asked.
Jen shook her head. "Not in the way you think. Remember, I'm an omega, so no wolf in the pack looks at me as a threat that they need to attack."
"But you're hurt," Stiles pointed out. He was certain now from the way she was moving or refusing to move off the bed.
"Ya, but not because I was attacked. Actually, I attacked Terrance," Jen said.
"You what?" Stiles could not believe it.
"Sadly it was the only way to get his attention. And even from an omega, being jumped by a werewolf is not something a pack master will ignore or not respond to."
"You're serious, but all the damage back there, that was all from one werewolf?" Stiles asked. "How did you survive?"
"Just because Terrance was angry and a bit out of control, does not mean that he had lost his humanity or his sense of being a pack master. After being bloodied a bit and a few broken bones, Terrance saw how hurt I was but that I was not going to let up until he calmed down, and well, he just stopped." Jen sounded so calm collected and matter of fact about the whole incident. If it wasn't for how Maya was reacting Stiles could almost have believed it was as simple as Jen made the whole situation out to be.
"Why didn't you try to stop him?" Stiles asked Maya.
Maya's lip curled as she suppressed a growl at the younger wolf.
"I did, but you don't fully understand what it is like between two mated wolves, especially an alpha pair like us. Add to that I was still recovering, well what little I was able to do, didn't work."
"I'm not sure I want to understand," Stiles said. All the events were sinking in. Stiles could feel his heart race and his mind put so many pieces together. He had been ignoring the fact that tomorrow night was the full moon, and that he, like Scott and Jackson was going to join the ranks of the werewolves of Beacon Hills. Stiles had seen first-hand the horrors Peter could unleash, and had a few close calls with Scott, but nothing compared to the damage that Jen was describing that the pack master could do and had done in the past. We really are monsters. Stiles thought. He felt scared and bitter about the whole situation. There had been times when Stiles had been jealous of Scott and his new abilities, now Stiles was just kicking himself.
"Don't look so grim," Jen said. "Things aren't all bad."
"Yeah, from what you are telling me, things are just going to get worse," Stiles said.
"Your first full moon won't be a picnic, but just like you did with Scott, we will there to help you. It won't be as bad as you think," Maya said.
"Wait, back up a second, you were saying something about omega wolves, what was that about?" Stiles asked. "What do you expect me to do?"
Stiles found that it was difficult to keep the panic out of his voice. Jen was an omega and she apparently had attacked the pack master. Stiles was particularly terrified of Bear, and this pack master kept that wolf in his place, so he had to be worse, right? After seeing the damage in the back, Stiles had no doubt about how quickly he would be torn in two if even thought about facing the pack master in a fight.
"You won't have to deal with Terrance, so stop looking like you are ready to bolt," Maya said. "That mess out back was the exception, not the rule. I don't try to get myself killed with any regularity."
Jen snorted. "As much as it pains me, she is right. Besides, you haven't been trained yet, but we will get into that more after the full moon."
"You still haven't told me anything. What do omegas do exactly?" Stiles demanded.
"Mostly we keep the pack calm, cool, and centered so they don't do anything stupid like Shift in public or attack any of the humans," Jen explained.
"Just exactly how the hell am I supposed to do that? Wave my hands and say some magic words?" Stiles shot back.
"No reason to get all uppity, youngin'," Jen snarled. "I told ya there would be training, but believe it or not a lot of what we do comes down to instinct. We want the pack to say calm and just…well know what to do to change people's minds without actually starting a fight. Well…usually," Jen added after being made aware of her wounds by shifting on the bed.
"You are one to talk," Stiles said. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Right now, keep an eye on Scott and Jackson. I know y'all have school tomorrow," Jen said.
"Well I already do that," Stiles said. "Not that I've done much."
"That is not what I heard," Maya said. "Besides most boys you're age are hot heads, and you need to keep yours clear to make sure they don't lose it."
"What cause they are betas?"
"Well, we aren't sure about Jackson, yet, but that would be my guess," Maya said.
"Great, just great," Stiles said. "What about Derek? Isn't he an alpha now?"
Maya nodded. "Yes, but we will deal with him. We will have something set up at your school shortly, but in the mean time you need to keep an eye on your friends."
"Jackson is not my friend," Stiles said.
"Well he is your pack mate now, so you are going to have to get used to dealing with him," Jen said.
"Whatever," Stiles said digging his hands in his pocket. He had been dealing with Jackson ever since that jerk figured out Scott's secret. Stiles let out a sigh and turned to Jen.
"You said things get better?" Stiles asked.
"Yup," Jen said and smiled. "I know for a fact that if I am right, and you are an omega like me, then the pack will pay your way through college."
Stiles was startled. "Say what?"
"You heard me," Jen said still smiling, even Maya was smiling. "Omegas are rare. We usually end up being the pack doctors and such. That means they like to keep us trained. I have two doctorates already and keep adding to my education when I can. It will be the same for you. You can technically choose any field you want to go into but there is a bit of a push for us to become doctors, therapists, counselors and such because of the role we play in the pack."
"Wow," Stiles said. His dad didn't have much in the way of money. Being sheriff of the town allowed them to live the middle class life style but that in no way promised Stiles that he would go to college without taking out massive amounts of students loans no matter how good his grades were. With Jackson and Scott on the lacrosse team, a sport's scholarship was also out of the question, though that might change after tomorrow night. Still, the idea that the pack would pay for not one but several degrees if Stiles was an omega was a good thing. But Stiles had to wonder at what price.
"First off how does the pack pay for something like that? And second, what do I owe the pack?" Stiles asked.
It was Maya's turn to smile. "The scholarship is actually through the Coalition of United Clans and all the clans pay into the college fund. Omegas get a full ride but we also make sure that our children have the same opportunity to go to college as human kids, we just filter them into schools where there is a strong clan and pack presence to help the college kids' deal with the stress of their dual nature and college course load."
"But who organizes this?" Stiles asked.
"My husband does a lot," Maya said proudly. "In every pack, once you are an adult, it is expected that you have a job and part of your earnings go to the pack leader."
"Wait like a tithe in church?" Stiles asked.
"Exactly," Jen said.
"Wait, why?" Stiles asked.
"It takes a lot of time to manage a pack and work with training those who don't have control, monitor your territory, and deal with other packs," Maya explained. "That is a full time job, and in return for the pack leader managing all of that and providing his pack with safety and security, they in turn pay a sort of salary to the pack leader."
"Take that up a notch and the same is true for the pack master," Jen added. "It is one of the perks of the job, but frankly, the money is not enough. The pack leader is the first one to be challenged and if it a challenge for leadership those fights are usually to the death."
"Dude," Stiles said. He never imagined that the pack could be so complicated. What little he had learned with Scott from Derek, had never even hinted at the networking that Maya and Jen were describing to him. Derek for all his supposed 'help' hadn't really been that helpful. But then, Stiles suspected that Derek never learned any of this either after his family had been killed. Peter was insane and wasn't going to share his power, let alone his clan's resources, that was obvious.
"Look, I know this is a lot to take in right now," Maya said.
Stiles shook his head. "No, this is good," Stiles said. "Are you going to tell the others?"
"In time," Jen said. "We have to get through the full moon first, but when your pack is better structured, part of the pack leader's job is to teach younger wolves and those who have been bitten the rules."
"Like after school classes?" Stiles asked.
"Sort of," Jen said with a slightly wicked smile which made Stiles nervous.
"Go home, Stiles," Maya said. "We will meet up with you and your friends tomorrow night.
"When?" Stiles managed to ask.
"After you get out of school, head back here," Jen said. "Don't worry, youngin' we got yar back."
Stiles looked back the women who had laid all this at his feet. Jen seemed confident in what she had told him, but Maya, well Maya just looked at Stiles as if she felt sorry for him. This wasn't the greatest vote of confidence but it would have to do. Stiles nodded and headed out the door. Finding his bike he rode home, dreading school tomorrow. There was still time to get some sleep and after what had happened during the fight at the Hale house, he was going to need his rest in order to deal with Scott and Jackson at school tomorrow. Stiles said a small silent prayer that those two would keep from killing each other, especially on the lacrosse field, since Stiles doubted he could talk them out of playing.