Chapter Twenty Six
March 14th, 2011

The teens hunkered down at the lunch table, talking quietly amongst themselves, as Danny sent a quick update to Derek; they wanted to let him know the meltdown was imminent.

Allison and Lydia took a seat at the other end of the table the pack was sitting at. The teens all shamelessly listened in on the argument they were having about Lydia ditching Allison at the Winter Formal. Lydia just didn't understand the problem, as she didn't see how Scott being missing was a big deal worth stressing over.

Allison hissed, "Well, that 'not such a big deal' turned out to be my own mother trying to kill him in one of the empty conference rooms. Maybe if you'd been with me like a friend should have been, my mother wouldn't have attacked me for trying to rescue him."

Lydia shrugged. "You're both at school, so clearly you're both fine, so I fail to see the problem."

The pack all gasped at her lack of concern as Allison seethed. "How can I be fine! My mother tried to kill my boyfriend. She's currently sitting in a holding cell next to my aunt."

Scott sat down and interrupted Lydia before she could reply, and he asked, "So when are they letting your mom go?"

Allison asked coldly, "Excuse me?"

Scott failed to notice her tone, and he said, "Well, I told them she wasn't involved in my asthma attack, so they should be letting her go."

"Scott," Allison snapped. "I had to rescue you; she was trying to kill you. She attacked me for trying to stop her. I can't believe you."

She stood and stormed out of the cafeteria, and Scott ran after her, abandoning his lunch. Lydia's eyes narrowed as she saw Jackson and his friends quietly follow them out. She went to follow but got waylaid by the captain of the basketball team.

She led the group out to the lacrosse field. She could hear Derek waiting for them in the trees on the edge of the field.

Danny led the teens to the trees so he could hug his boyfriend, and they watched as Scott approached Allison and he asked her, "What's wrong?"

Allison screamed, "You want my mother to get away with murder, Scott. How can you think that's ok?"

"She's your mom," Scott said, sounding confused. "Why would you want her in jail?"

Allison's eyes flashed gold as she roared, "Because she tried to kill you, and when I rescued you, she stuck a hunting knife in my back. She put the knife in my fucking spine, Scott!"

Scott took a step back, and he asked, "What did you do?"

Allison rolled her eyes, and she said, "I did what I had to do to survive. She stabbed me, Scott. I was bleeding out and paralyzed. If not for the help from a local alpha, I would have died."

Scott sounded panicked as he said, "You have to kill him, you have to kill him so you can be human again! You have to."

Allison laughed. "Tell me you don't believe that fairytale nonsense."

Derek approached, and he said, "I told you at the time, McCall, that it was a myth. That means it's a fairytale, and it doesn't do anything except make a beta into an alpha… On the slim chance the beta survives the alpha fighting back, that is."

Scott glared at Derek. "You turned her! How could you!"

Derek raised an eyebrow, and he flashed his electric blue eyes. "How could I turn her, Scott? I'm a beta. Just like you."

Scott almost manically said, "You have to kill the alpha. You still have a chance to be human."

Allison stepped back, and she said, "Besides the fact that the so-called cure wouldn't actually work, why would I want to be human again? Becoming a wolf saved me, Scott. I would have bled out in that room trying to save your life."

Scott stubbornly shook his head. "No, nothing was happening. I had an asthma attack."

Derek frowned when he realized his heart didn't blip with the lie. "Wow, you actually believe that. What did you do? Tell yourself enough that you believe it's the truth?"

Allison gaped at Scott. "You need to talk to the sheriff. Admit the truth; that my mother was trying to kill you. If you don't, you'll be charged with obstructing a police investigation and making a false statement. They have video footage of the attack, Scott. Proof beyond a doubt that my mother was trying to kill you."

Derek nodded. "You already have a warning for making a false statement. Remember? That time when you told the deputies that I killed the school janitor?"

Scott jutted his chin out and said, "You did it. I know you did."

Allison screamed, "Enough!" She couldn't believe what Scott was saying, that he believed his own lies. She glared at Scott and said, "You need to find a pack, Scott, before the full moon this weekend."

Scott grinned. "I'll join yours, with you."

Allison shook her head. "You've already been told by my alpha that it's not an option for you, Scott."

Derek sighed as he stood there beside Allison, offering support. He said resignedly, "Mrs. McCall has been trying to get you into a meeting with Alpha Ito, but you keep dodging her. Do you know what happens to wolves without a pack, Scott? They go omega, and that's where feral wolves come from. They are packless wolves who refuse to get themselves under control."

Derek shook his head. He was done with the conversation; it was like talking to a brick wall for all the good it was doing. He headed back to the trees after giving Allison's shoulder a squeeze in support.

Scott glared at the beta as he left the field. When he was finally out of sight, he said, "You shouldn't have taken the bite. It's not worth it."

Allison gaped at Scott, and she asked incredulously, "You would prefer that I died?"

Scott muttered derisively, "Better than being a werewolf."

Allison frowned. "Everyone said you had chronic asthma before the winter break. That you spent most winters in the ER with severe asthma attacks. Being a werewolf obviously cured that, so what's really the problem, Scott?"

Scott roared, "I didn't ask for this. I don't want it."

Allison shrugged. "I was told all the negatives when I was asked. I still wanted it. I still asked for it. And you know what, Scott, knowing what I know now, after the bite; my answer wouldn't change. Can you accept me as I am?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't think I can, not if you're in a pack with Derek. He's dangerous and a killer. That's what blue eyes mean, that he's killed."

Allison asked, "How do you know that?"

Scott shook his head. "It's not important."

Stiles and Jackson approached from the treeline, and Stiles said, "I rather think it is. Especially since you have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, McCall. So spill, where did you hear that nonsense from."

Scott huffed. "My boss told me. He warned me to stay away from Derek, that he's dangerous."

"Deaton," Stiles snarled. "When exactly did he tell you that, Scott?"

Scott shrugged. "After the thing at the school, when Derek kidnapped him."

Jackson snorted. "And you didn't think to question why Derek would kidnap him, why Derek would think he was the alpha?"

Privately Jackson whined, 'Please can I scratch him? We can just leave him here for a few hours to think about his epic levels of stupidity.'

Stiles hid his face in Jackson's shoulder as he tried to stop himself from laughing. 'Bastard. You've got to stop making me laugh when I am trying to be serious. No, you can't scratch him. He would go whining to anyone who would listen that we left him paralyzed in the field.'

Allison held up her hand to stop Scott in his tracks. "I'm done. Until you find an alpha and learn what it means to be a wolf and accept your place in a pack, we're done. Oh, and if you tell anyone that I am a werewolf, you won't like the consequences. You owe me for saving your life. Consider the secrecy as your repayment."

Scott pleaded, "But I love you. I'll always love you. Why can't you understand that?"

Allison held up her hand, "No, Scott. I mean it. We're done. You stay away from me, and you tell absolutely no one that I took the bite."

Scott sneered. "And If I tell?"

Allison growled in her most menacing voice, "I. Will. End. You!" She stormed off and said, "Don't follow me, don't talk to me, just stay away from me."

Stiles moved to follow her, and he turned with a hissed warning, "Find a pack, Scott. Before it's too late."

Stiles and Jackson caught up to Allison quickly, and as they bracketed her between them, she murmured, "How did I miss it? How did I miss just how delusional he is?"

Stiles shrugged. "I missed it too. We've been friends for years. I should have seen it when he made me choose between him and Jackson. Real friends don't force ultimatums."

Jackson asked, "So what's our plan for after school today? I wouldn't mind going on another shopping trip."

Erica bounced beside them. "Yes, please. You said you would give me a makeover."

Stiles groaned. "More torture!"

Allison giggled. "It's not that bad. Plus, I want to get a cool leather coat like yours."

Danny grinned when his phone beeped. "Derek said he'll come too, and he'll bring Peter and Deucalion. All three of them are eager to check out Dixie's shop."

Cora grinned. "Uncle Peter also wants to visit the shop you got the corset vests from."

Jackson chuckled. "That will be an interesting image; the Beacon County DA in a corset."

Stiles asked, "He's heard back?"

Jackson shook his head from his place on the other side of Allison. "Not yet, but it's common knowledge that Dad was being trained by the DA in Santa Cruz to replace Talia. The only other guy applying for the job is Hank Bowman, and the few times he met Peter in court, he nearly pissed himself in fear. I looked up his record and found out he also never won against Talia Hale. That's why David was selected after Talia died."

They all separated to go to their afternoon classes, and Allison was with Stiles in their first class. Stiles asked, "What are you going to do about Lydia?"

Allison snorted in derision. "Nothing. She clearly doesn't actually care about me. She just liked the status that came with my mother being a buyer for some boutique in San Francisco."

Stiles looked sad as he said, "Sorry."

Allison smacked him across the chest with her hand as she said firmly, "You have nothing to apologize for. If she'd come with me like I asked when I couldn't find Scott, I wouldn't have been alone, and Mom wouldn't have been able to attack me as easily."

Stiles nodded. "She didn't sound at all sympathetic when you confronted her at lunch."

Allison snorted. "She wasn't."

Stiles whispered, "Honestly, she smelled bored; that's what that orangey smell is."

Allison took a deep breath, and she wondered. "Was the friendship even real?"

Stiles shrugged. "I am the wrong person to ask. Jackson and Danny know her far better than I do."

Alison asked, "Wouldn't you have to learn about her to fake a crush?"

Stiles shook his head. "Not really. I learned enough to pull off acting like I had a crush, but nothing really substantial. I forgot to ask earlier, are you guys mostly packed?"

Allison nodded. "Just a few boxes to go. We'll get those packed tonight. I tried to stretch my hearing to see if I could find the people watching us, but they are staying pretty quiet."

Stiles whispered, "We've rented a truck, and we can start moving everything tonight, as long as it gets cloudy enough."

Allison grinned. "Sounds good. We should probably pay attention to the rest of the class. Especially since Ms. Bowler is glaring at us for talking."

Stiles grinned. "She's glaring because she knows I could test out of the class, but I refuse to."

That afternoon the pack spent several hours shopping. The two alphas, Chris, Noah, and Sam Mahealani, joined the teens. Peter picked up several corset vests for his expansive lawyer wardrobe, and they all spent over an hour with Dixie choosing pants and coats for their patrol uniforms, as well as new jackets for everyday wear.

Jackson handed Stiles a red leather jacket. It was similar to the coat he wore for patrols, with the hood and pockets, but it was just waist length. Stiles was impressed by how comfortable it was to wear, and the hood was nice and warm.

The girls got matching jackets that had loads of buckles and zips. They went well with the dress Cora had worn to the Winter Formal.

Stiles snarked, "You girls just want to dethrone Lydia."

Erica curtsied, and she snarked back, "It's about time someone did. The only reason she ruled as long as she did, was because she was dating the lacrosse and swim team captain."

Allison asked quietly, "Are you sure it's not too much change?"

Peter sighed. "Honestly, when we said that, we were worried about specific hunters, like Kate and Victoria. They are both in holding cells, and Gerard is going to be gunning for anyone who even looks at a Hale. So don't stress too much, just try to keep the antics to what you can pass off as Cora's LA influence."

Cora scowled, and she yelled, "Oi! I'm not that bad."

Peter raised an eyebrow at the goth-punk look she was sporting and said, "Really? Your mother would've shit bricks if she saw you in that outfit."

Cora snorted. "She would've shit bricks if she found out I'd run to Deucalion, forgoing all the packs she told me to run to in an emergency. Three of those packs were taken out by Kate after us."

Peter nodded. "There is no way Kate would have targeted Deucalion."

Deucalion grinned. "She's still scared of me after I threatened her when she tried to attack me after her father blinded me. Although I am starting to wish I had killed her back then."

Stiles snarked as he walked past with several items to add to the counter. "Hindsight's a bitch. Right, I have one more stop after this one. Peter, you said you'd introduce me to your tattoo artist friend?"

Peter nodded. "I did. Do you want to see if they are amenable to using altered inks?"

Stiles shook his head. "No, I want to buy a tattoo gun and some ink supplies for experiments."

Peter nodded. "We don't need to visit them. I have an account with his supplier. I'll order what you need tonight, and it'll probably be delivered before the weekend."

Stiles grinned. "Thanks, Alpha. Derek knows where to find the address details and my spare credit card."

As they exited the mall with arms full of purchases, Stiles grinned when he saw the clouds coming in. "We can start moving the Argents tonight. It'll be a good practice run before we move Erica's family."

As they walked to the car, Chris asked Noah, "Is anyone on the street likely to move if we offer to buy the house?"

Noah nodded. "I know of two going up for sale. One is at the end of the row we are on, and one is across the road. We are putting in an offer for the house on the end so we can expand the basement."

"Why don't we buy the one at the end," Chris suggested. "And you buy the one across the road for pack visitors, or maybe even the Mahealanis? Is it hard for you to expand the basement? It would be good to put in an indoor shooting range."

Noah grinned. "That would be an excellent idea, much easier than trying to explain to the range why I am training several teens to shoot."

Chris chuckled. "I'd offer the use of the one I use, but they line the building with mountain ash."

Noah pulled Chris to the cruiser when they left the mall, and Chris threw his keys to Allison when he realized that Noah wanted to talk on the drive home. Noah let the other vehicles get ahead and murmured, "Thanks. I wanted to make sure you were ok with uprooting your life like this for the pack. It's hard to do with all the ears around."

Chris nodded. "You know I was never happy with the hunting side of my family. It's why I ended up with Argent Arms."

Noah rolled his eyes, and he sarcastically said, "Yes, so instead of killing innocents, you make money so your family can."

Chris chuckled at the sass and said, "Well, that's what they assume I do. When I first took over, I split the company; Argent Arms supplies hunters with weapons, always traceable and registered. I also refuse to sell anything that gives them too big an advantage by claiming supplier issues. I created Lowell Arms, which is where I funneled all the legitimate law enforcement and private security sales."

As they waited at a red light, Noah gave Chris a funny look and said, "We buy from Lowell Arms, I think most of the precincts and sheriff's offices in California do."

Chris nodded. "I turned what was a small arms company into one of the biggest law enforcement suppliers in the country. I did all of it under my father's nose, and he has no idea. The best part is, the face of the company is an alpha friend of mine who lives in Washington; Connor James. He has his betas set up as sales reps who go around the country selling the weapons."

Noah grinned. "Nice work. So, are you planning to move it to Beacon Hills?"

Chris shook his head. "No, I want to work more on my weaponsmithing experiments, and the custom weapons business I've been building under the Lowell Arms umbrella."

Noah murmured, "We might need to expand Stiles' workshop then."

"Workshop?" Chris asked. "What workshop? I didn't see one while we were in the Batcave."

Noah pulled into the drive and said, "Follow me, I'll take you through while everyone is putting their shopping away."

He led Chris down through the basement to the workshop tucked down one of the hallways. Chris looked around in awe and asked, "No forge?"

Noah opened a door in the back of the room, and Chris explored the room Stiles had set up for metalwork. Chris turned in stunned amazement. "This is incredible."

He picked up a curved piece of metal from the bench, and he asked, "What's this?"

Noah examined it. "Oh, they must be experimenting on the claw caps for Jackson. Something Claudia had noted in her journal before she died."

Chris weighed the metal in his hand, considering it from several angles, before he said quietly, "This isn't the right weight for silver. What is it?"

Noah pointed at the ingots on the shelf and said, "It's mithril. Claudia had ordered several pounds of it through Baron before she died. She seemed to know Stiles would need it at some point."

"You know," Chris said as he felt the metal on the shelf reverently. "There is enough for several knives here. They would be good for the human members of the pack to have, in case of an emergency."

Stiles agreed as he entered. "There is, but neither me or my Dad knows how to make knives, or swords, or anything sharp and pointy. I would make them out of mithril in a heartbeat, especially with the rune clusters Mom left me in her journal. She had one specifically for knives that would return them to the owner, and another that would make it so the knife couldn't be used to harm the one it's bonded to."

Chris nodded. "I can make them if you don't mind sharing your forge."

Stiles shrugged. "I don't mind. You'll probably have an audience, though. I know Danny and Derek are both eager to learn how to do basic metalwork. We all had fun making the mithril amulets, cufflinks, and collar pins for the formal."

Chris asked incredulously, "You wore mithril to a school dance?"

Stiles grinned his most shit-eating grin, and he nodded. "Why not? They really added to the statement we were making. Right now, though, it's time to go spying on your neighbors."