Chapter Thirty-Six: In Court
Derek easily got through the rest of his finals and got his paper turned in despite what was going on with Stiles and then he was rushing through town towards the court house only to find Peter and Talia waiting outside for him. "What's going on? Where's Stiles and Isaac?" he demanded when he got close to his mother and uncle.
"They are just getting situated after I talked everything over with them, what needed to be said and things to stay away from. Isaac is relatively calm and Stiles is pissed about this. You need to be ready to be in the same room with Varack and you cannot touch him. I know you Derek and you're going to want to but your mother is here to make sure that doesn't happen."
Derek rolled his eyes, "It's not me you're going to have to worry about, Ricky tore into Varack last time and Stiles is pissed about what Varack did to Isaac and that the other omega is struggling because of it. You have someone here to keep them under control?"
Just then someone started walking up the stairs and Derek turned to see Sherriff John Stilinski and he smiled before he hugged the other man, "Sherriff, how's it going?"
"Just here to help out with my son, plus I was involved with finding Stiles after Varack kidnapped him," John replied as he slapped Derek's shoulder companionably before he noticed the young girl standing just behind John.
"Ravyn? Is that you?" Derek asked as he reached out and took her hand gently.
Garrick's sister nodded, "Peter Hale called me and asked if I would come and help keep my brother calm and though I thought that was a strange request I figured he had a reason so here I am."
Derek nodded and the group of them turned and walked into the courthouse. Talia took Derek's arm in companionable silence but he could feel the alpha's power in her touch, and then he knew why. Varack's lawyer knew all about what to do to screw with wolf mates, because Varack was standing right there in the hall and Derek's wolf growled deep within his chest making Talia tighten her grip and hiss into his ear so low that not even other wolves could hear her, "Calm yourself Derek, you cannot give them what they want. They want you to lose control, to be deemed unfit to determine Varack's fate. Be calm."
Derek took several deep breaths as his mother spoke, her alpha voice quieting his wolf even though he was an alpha as well, she was his alpha, which made her more powerful than he would ever be. He was busy trying to calm down when he heard a deep snarl just behind him and turned just in time to see Ravyn step in front of Garrick who was trying to lunge towards Varack. Derek moved as well to touch his beta but Talia wouldn't allow it. He turned back and snarled at his mother, "My mate needs me Mother!" the last word was almost a slur instead of respectful and loving.
"Knock it off Derek, if you appear possessed by the desperate need to protect your mate, someone is going to find a way to force you both out and then what will Stiles do if his needs your presence?"
Derek took a deep breath and calmed himself quickly though he listened as Ravyn spoke to her brother, "Garrick, your mate needs you calm and collected. He needs you here with him and if you do something stupid and get kicked out."
Garrick finished the sentence, "Stiles would be alone," though Derek barely recognized his mate's voice because it was laden with anger and a desperate need to contain the rage. Derek looked over his shoulder as his mother kept walking and saw Garrick's bright blue eyes fading into his normal sky blue and the claws shifting out of sight before Ravyn and he started moving down the hall again. They walked into the court room and Talia led Derek to the first row of chairs that were separated from the judge's table, the two tables and sets of chairs, one was filled with Varack and his lawyer and the other held a nervous Isaac and pissed off Stiles. Derek watched as his mate resolutely kept his eyes on the judge's bench instead of looking back like he wanted to. Derek could scent the anger and resentment his omega was feeling as well as a good dose of fear. Isaac was nervous but he was containing it well, and Derek was glad to see Boyd and Erica were there as well, undoubtedly at Peter's request since they were there when Varack was trying to rape Isaac. The other omega wouldn't be in any real position to talk about what happened to him during Heat because as far as Stiles told Derek and Ricky's omega's had a hard time distinguishing anything during the worst of the Heat.
Ricky and Ravyn moved to sit next to Derek and Talia but apparently Peter couched the girls because they were sitting between Derek and Ricky and the alpha started to growl again but Talia just glared him down about it. Derek settled because he figured that Peter and Talia knew what they were doing even if he didn't like it.
They were called to order soon after and Varack spent a good portion of the proceedings looking like a whipped puppy and Derek desperately wanted to punch him before he shifted and ripped out the guy's throat. Finally it was time to call Stiles to the stand and he walked to the chair resolutely. He tried very hard not to look towards Derek and Ricky but couldn't help it so Derek sent his lover some love vibes through their nascent bond and watched as he settled once more.
"Mr. Stilinski, please describe to us what happened when you were kidnapped," Peter said gently.
Stiles nodded and started, "He took me from outside the Beacon Hills Sherriff station, I was working with my father since I had been kicked out of school without a valid reason."
"Objection, the expulsion is not a part of this trial," Varack's attorney said.
Judge looked to Peter who spoke evenly, "Well actually, Mr. Varack's actions against Mr. Stilinski was only the first offense against the underage youth. It has bearing on this case against the man who acted out multiple times to hurt not one but two omegas in our community."
"Denied," the judge said simple and motioned for Stiles to continue.
"He took me someplace and hit me a couple of times and told me he was going to take me against my will. He was going to rape me and he said it was his right because he was an alpha and I am an omega. My mates found me, saved me from Varack's assault thankfully just in time because I was hurting so badly that I couldn't fight back. My father, the Sherriff here in town has photographic evidence of the damage I sustained during the attack and the time it took to heal."
The judge nodded and Peter stepped up and handed the medical documents over to him. He looked them over and as the trial continued on there seemed to be absolutely no reason for anyone to believe what the man had been doing to Stiles, and later when Isaac was called forward, Derek watched his uncle be kind and quiet in speech, he wondered if Peter was doing it because he understood that Isaac was still sensitive but it also pissed off Derek that he could be so kind now to the omega that was here but not be loving about Derek's relationship with Ricky and Stiles. It was just what Peter was, he guessed.
Finally after all the reports were given everyone was sent away for a fifteen-minute recess and Derek rushed out the doors and was soon followed by Garrick and Stiles who both leaped at Derek. The alpha pressed his nose in between Ricky and Stiles' heads and he just hugged them tightly.
"That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, not kill that son-of-a-bitch!" Ricky was growling into Derek's neck. Derek nodded into his beta and pressed a small kiss to the side of Stiles' head before he backed off a tiny bit and looked over at his mother and uncle.
"What do you think is going to happen?" he asked his uncle.
Peter shrugged in his irreverent fashion, "We will know when he calls us back. I know that there is no reason to side with Varack after what everyone has said so if he does, this alpha behavior is going to be something you are going to have to fight much harder than you already are."
"Thanks Uncle Peter," Derek sniped.
Derek watched as Isaac tucked himself into Boyd's chest and smiled at his beta and was pleased when Erica touched the omega gently on the shoulder without being overly pushy. He was glad the other mates were working through everything, no matter how long it took. Isaac needed all the friends and support he could get.
Peter motioned to someone out of Derek's vision and then they were heading back into the courtroom. Derek and Ricky sat next to each other this time, moving into their seats before Talia and Ravyn had the chance to separate them and Stiles resumed his seat in front of the half partition. The judge rejoined the group and sat down and looked out over the room with haughty power.
"You have given me much to think on and after a quick appraisal of the proof as well and the statements given here today, the verdict stands against Mr. Varack. He used his alpha role against someone who needed to be protected but also had a mate already. The Claiming and Mating laws are the highest of werewolf society and the action he took showed a blatant disregard for those laws. Varack will serve out his complete sentence and he will not be permitted to retain a position among students in any werewolf community and feel lucky we are not determined as well to place you an a sex offender list for humans."
Derek looked over and saw Varack stare at the judge in shock before he stood and spoke all the while his lawyer was trying to stop him, "Do you understand that this omega has taken two mates, he is an abomination of the Claiming you are so desperate to protect. He deserves to be taken by one alpha who's strong enough to keep an omega away from his slutty Beta!"
All three mates growled under their breath but thanks to Talia, Peter and Ravyn they retained their seats while the judge spoke. "I have spoken privately with Talia Hale who substantiated the Mating mark of each Mr. Hale and Mr. Oseric on Mr. Stilinski and I have seen picture evidence of the marks as well, offered by the young Stilinski's doctors. I have no reason to question something that happened without outside influences but I must take action against someone who would harm others for whom he is responsible for, alpha Varack that is you. You would do well to remember your place does not give you or any other alpha the right to harm another wolf or human."
With that, Varack was remanded back into custody and Stiles shot out of his seat happily and hugged Isaac tightly to him, "You did great buddy!" Derek's omega said in a comforting tone which looked funny since Isaac was a little taller than Stiles not that the other omega ever stood tall enough to show off his height, but he was getting better under the care of his mates and the contact he had with Stiles.
The judge nodded and they all stood in respect as the older wolf left the room and everyone started to file out of the room. Derek reached out and quickly took Stiles and Ricky's hands into his, feeling the warmth seeping in through their skin contact as well as the bond. They slowly moved out of the room and finally found themselves outside and immediately swarmed by journalists and a camera crew. Derek held back his immediate response to hide Stiles behind him and growl them away but the omega immediately smiled towards the camera and looked to the woman asking questions, "So alpha Varack will remain in jail, what does this do for your constant struggle against the old ideas of alpha rights and omega roles?" she asked.
Derek leaned over to Ricky as Stiles was preparing to answer, "How do they know he's been struggling with this?"
Ricky snorted in humor and shrugged as Stiles answered finally, "I am pleased that the judge can see past the alpha stereotype and realize that omegas deserve to have the same rights to choose. I hope to continue to seek to teach others about the realities of omegas in the werewolf communities and maybe we can all stop thinking of each other in single aspects of Caste personalities."
"What do you mean by that?" the reporter asked.
"Alphas are supposed to always be strong and never need anyone, they are cold and possessive and demanding. Betas are only there to fill in the ranks and play guard dog for the alphas and omegas and I think we all know that omegas are supposed to be simpering submissive creatures who don't know how to fight their own battles."
"Well you have indeed dispelled much of that stereotype," the reporter said with a chuckle, causing Stiles to laugh before Derek tugged on him and they started walking away. Stiles was bouncing around next to Derek, full of delirious joy until they all got to the cars in the lot and Talia pulled the group's attention to her quickly.
"I wish to make a request since I know my son and his mates are troubled about who they should be seeing for the holidays. I would like to offer an alternative."
"And that would be?" Derek asked, his parents' house was farther away as well.
"The Beacon Hill's Hale house," she said.
"What?" Derek demanded. His parents and family hadn't been back to the Hale house since the fire and the rebuild, and his father's death. Derek knew he would probably inherit it but he didn't think his parents would ever go back there before it was filled with the presence of another family first. "Mom, you don't have to do that."
"Its time to move on from the past Derek, for all of us."
Derek moved away from his mates and hugged his mother, tucking her into his neck. He breathed in her scent and knew she was worried about going back to the Hale house but she really wanted to do this so he turned to Garrick who was looking at his sister in hopeful uncertainty and she was shrugging. Stiles was hopping up and down happily, dragging his dad into a hug and looked to Talia, "Can we invite Scott and his mom and Allison? Please, they are a part of our family."
Talia smiled, "Of course, please be aware that so many alphas in one place might cause some tension but I would never exclude your friends Stiles."
Stiles gave a fist bump to the air and they all walked back to their cars to leave the courthouse.