This story takes place shortly after Season 2. Kanima gone. Gerard Defeated. Jackson being sent off to London. Assuming that both High School Lacrosse State Championships and College final exams take place in late April or Early May, it would be between 2 weeks and a month between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of this story. The flower moon is the first full moon in May, making the date of the Flower Moon in 2011 May 17th. Thanks for taking the time to read! –V

The Alpha Spark

Chapter 1: Flower Moon

"We've made up our minds."

"We're leaving."

The echo of his former Betas' words haunted the recesses of Derek Hale's mind. His time as an Alpha wolf had been a profound failure. Scott refused to join his pack, Erica and Boyd had left and been subsequently captured, and the uncle he'd killed to become an Alpha in the first place had been resurrected.

He now stood beside Dr. Deaton as another Beta drove away from Beacon Hills forever.

"You're sure your contact in London will be able to help Jackson during the full moon?"

Deaton nodded, gazing down the road that led away from the animal clinic where they stood. "Jackson has displayed an extraordinary amount of control since his Kanima side became dormant. I have no doubt that he'll thrive in London."

It wasn't as though he would miss the arrogant Beta, but now Derek had lost three potential packmates.

"Are you prepared for the next full moon?"

Derek stopped short. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The veterinarian looked grim. "Your family comes from a line of wolves with the ability to transform into evolved forms - with that spark that makes them an Alpha. With Talia and your sister Laura it was a full wolf. With your uncle it was a beast."

Derek stared at the floor. He had the spark, but he hadn't achieved anything like that yet.

"It may come with time, but I must warn you. Certain full moons affect evolved wolves differently, and the upcoming flower moon is no exception."

The Alpha clenched his fist. He had tried, but each time he transformed it was the same. Incomplete. Fragmentary. Something was missing, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Well, it's a good thing I don't have to worry about that then, isn't it."

"All the same–" Deaton rested a hand on the Alpha's shoulder. "–Be careful."

Derek nodded and left for his loft. The Alpha pack had Erica and Boyd, and he needed to find them.

–

Two days later Stiles sat at the dinner table drumming his fingers nervously. It was another full moon, and Boyd and Erica were still missing.

"Stiles, would you cut that out?" His father grimaced. "You're going to wear a hole in the table."

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Dad." He paused for five seconds and then went right back to tapping.

"STILES."

Stiles stared at his hand and laughed nervously. "Right, I'll stop now."

"I don't know what's got you acting so antsy tonight, but if you want, why don't you put it to good use and tidy up a bit."

"Wha?" He looked at his father like he had sprouted a second head. "You want me - to clean?"

"Oh, don't give me that. You pull your own around here."

"Yeah, but - tidy up?" Stiles puzzled. "It's not like someone's coming over." His dad avoided eye contact. "Wait, is someone coming over?"

The sheriff shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Now, I wanted it to be a surprise, but your sister's coming."

"WHAT? As in - tonight?!"

"Yes, Stiles, tonight."

"No, no, she can't come tonight." It was a full moon. Bad things happened on full moons.

"And why is that?" His dad stared humorlessly.

"W-well, you know." He looked out the window and stared at the darkening clouds. "There's a storm coming. It's - dangerous."

"Give it a rest, Stiles. Your sister is twenty-two years old. She knows how to drive in a bit of rain."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're right." He scrambled upward from the table. "I - uh - I just gotta make a call."

He ran to his room and dialed his sister's number as fast as he could manage.

–

A young woman with light brown hair and silvery eyes drove up the mountain road, cursing to herself as she turned up the windshield wipers.

The phone resting on the console of SUV buzzed loudly, and she lifted it to her ear.

"Sorry, Dad, I can't talk. The rain is really coming down."

"Daria, this isn't Dad."

"Stiles?" She slowed to an almost crawl as the mountain began to slope downward. "Can't this wait?"

"Daria, I know you're coming into town, but I really think you should wait until tomorrow. If the rain doesn't kill you, heh, something else might."

"Stiles, I love you. Calm down." His overprotectiveness was endearing, but at the moment it was hindering her focus. "Look, this rain is getting crazy. I'll park on the shoulder and wait it out if it gets to be too much."

"Okay, Dar j-st - caref-"

"Stiles, you're breaking up."

"W- j- - -f-."

"I'm hanging up now. Goodbye!" She'd missed her brother and was glad she'd see him soon, but Stiles was a bit much sometimes. Daria shook her head and shifted her focus back on the road.

The decline leveled out, and she increased her speed. This might not take as long as she thought.

The moment she'd dared to have a solitary complacent thought she spotted two glowing orbs of red peer up at her from the shoulder of the road. Blinking, she saw a mass of black fur rise. In a panic she tried to steer away from the mystery creature, but her tires hydroplaned and she hit it full force as the car sailed into the shoulder of the road.

"No!" She slammed her brakes and froze. "Oh no, no, no."

Daria threw the car in park and pulled the emergency brake before leaping out into the torrent. Thankfully the gravelly embankment kept her from slipping as she cautiously approached the creature.

Daria crept beside the mass of black fur, trying to ascertain if there were any injuries.

"A wolf in California," she gasped, awestruck. "And I hit you with my car," she added with a wail. "I'm a monster."

She checked each of the wolf's limbs tenderly, and it whimpered at her touch.

"Easy," she breathed, checking his front paw. "I just have to see how badly you're hurt."

After Daria was certain there were no external injuries she noticed the wolf inhaling in a strained, choppy cadence.

She found his heartbeat and knit her brows together. "I need to find someone who can help you."

She ran to the car and lifted her phone from the console, but there was no signal.

"Shoot! This can't be happening."

She fell back at the wolf's side. "I can't leave you out here alone. But - what can I do?"

Determination bubbled up in her chest, and Daria raced to the SUV, wrenching open the trunk and throwing suitcases and boxes in the passenger seat and floor. Then she lowered the middle row of seats and laid out nearly every towel she had.

Returning to the wolf, she knelt beside him. "How do I lift you? Come on, buddy, I need you to get up. I need to find someone who can help you."

The wolf groaned and lifted its head, and she could have sworn that for an instant his eyes flashed red.

"What the…" Her jaw dropped before shaking her head briskly. "Your eyes." It must have been some kind of reflectivity from the car headlights.

The wolf growled but quickly began to collapse again.

"No, no, no, don't fall." She ran her fingers behind the wolf's ears, and he leaned into her touch. "There you go. Now, come on. There's an animal clinic in town that can help. My friend works there. I just need to get you there. Please, let me help you."

She rambled on about her mentor, Dr. Deaton, knowing full well that the wolf couldn't understand her words, but to her astonishment the wolf got up on all fours and unsteadily made its way toward her trunk.

"Thank God," she exhaled. "Thank you, God."

Daria tried to lift him into the trunk, but he was too heavy. "Gah, you must weigh almost 200 pounds." She grunted, using one of her knees for balance. "Come… on!"

With a desperate screeching grunt she heaved him into the trunk and lay beside him, catching her breath for several seconds.

"Okay," she panted, reaching to the front of the car to turn off the ignition.

She closed the trunk and fell back on the floor beside the wolf.

"Let's just wait a minute, so I can catch my breath. And as soon as the rain dies down I'll drive you to the clinic."

The wolf made no effort to move, although his breathing seemed to come with less effort than it had out in the rain.

After Daria had sufficiently caught her breath she grabbed a towel and gently patted the wolf's fur. Then she grabbed another and wrapped it around her wet clothes and hair.

"The rain's still coming down pretty hard. Let's just wait a little longer."

The wolf seemed so docile, but she knew this wasn't regular wolf behavior.

"You haven't attacked, or challenged me, or anything. Wolves are dominant beings. If you've been domesticated, I'm worried animal control might put you down."

The wolf reacted with a low growl, and for a moment she imagined he really could understand.

"Don't worry. Deaton would never do that. I've only met him a few times, but we emailed a lot when I needed help with school. He'd find a way to save you."

The wolf relaxed, and Daria marveled. Then, to her further surprise, he nuzzled into her chest.

"Oh, lord," she whispered, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes she scooted down so her back wouldn't be at such an awkward angle.

"Just a few more minutes," she said, wrapping her arms around the furry beast between the patter of constant rain. "Then we'll go."

Her eyes drooped, and her heart slowed. Just a few more minutes.

–

Derek woke the following morning to the sound of a female screaming, and memories of the previous night came rushing back to his consciousness.

He'd been running a perimeter with Isaac, but when the rain began to pour something had happened. The surrounding wolfsbane permeated the air far beyond its normal reach. It suffocated him. And he'd transformed into a wolf, like his mother and sister. He'd stumbled toward the road just in time to be hit by a car.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" The woman shrieked, brandishing a flashlight for dear life. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAR!?"

"It's not what you think." He searched his mind for a plausible explanation, but none came.

"You're naked! There's a naked man in my car. No, no, no, no, no." She drew in several rapid breaths and tried to avert her eyes.

It could have been worse, he reasoned. At least the towel was still covering his–

"WHERE IS HE?" She suddenly glared with venom in her eyes.

"Where is who?"

"The WOLF!" She screeched. "Okay, so you're some sick pervert who sneaks into people's cars, but so help me God, if something happened to him, I will kill you. WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"If you'll just let me explain…"

He brought forward a hand to reassure her, but she mistook the movement as a hostile act and flung the flashlight at him, knocking him squarely in the forehead.

His eyes flickered red, and her silver eyes widened with recognition.

"Y-you – he… oh no." A high pitched whine escaped from the back of her throat. "I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die from a naked man-wolf."

He almost rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl's light brown tresses fell in front of her face as she lowered her face and breathed into her knees for several seconds. Then, taking a full breath, she lifted her head bravely.

"Look. You can keep the towel that's around your… man parts. I don't ever want it back."

He stared at her incredulously.

"But can you please leave now? I can't… I can't wrap my head around this."

"Then let me help you understand." It was unlike him to even consider telling her more, but she'd helped him get through the night. "I owe you that much."

Her expression shifted then, and it was as if she was finally looking at him for the first time. Her heartbeat fluttered and her cheeks reddened ever so slightly before she turned away. "Okay. But… could you please put on some clothes first?"

"I can do that." He coughed into to fist to hide his grin at the girl's change in demeanor.

She turned away as he extricated himself from the trunk, and his smirk grew.

"Wait here. I'll be back in five minutes."

The young woman whipped around to face him, but he'd already vanished.

–

Daria parked at a rest stop two miles down the road, and the mysterious man found her there ten minutes later as she beat the dirt and fur out of her remaining towels. She acknowledged his presence with a nod before proceeding to beat the dust out of one particularly musty towel.

"I thought I told you to wait."

She simply glared. "Look, I don't know what kind of powers you have, but mine don't include superhuman bladder control. So forgive me for wanting to relieve myself and freshen up."

Daria put on a brave face, but the handsome wolf man still made her nervous. But at least she could face him without having to pee.

He took a step toward her, and her breath hitched.

"You're afraid of me. That's good."

Her heart sped up much faster than was healthy. So much for bravery.

"Last night was a full moon," she started, trying to ignore the flurry of emotions fluttering around in her brain.

"Yes," he said without blinking.

"How can I even say what you are without sounding completely ridiculous?"

"Don't say it then. You already know what I am."

Werewolf. She shivered involuntarily at the mere thought of it, but then she remembered the circumstances that led her to him in the first place, and her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry for hitting you with my car."

"If you hadn't, things would have been worse."

She gulped. "Would you have died?"

"Probably not," he admitted, "but it would have taken longer to recover."

"How?" she pressed. "Is it like this every full moon?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"You said you would answer them."

He appraised her then, and she suddenly felt like she was the one who had lost her clothes.

"What's your name?"

She blinked several times. "Daria." She focused on his eyes and got lost in the grays and greens for longer than she meant to. "What's yours?"

"Derek."

The name seemed to set off a long forgotten light bulb in her mind, and her face faltered. "I know you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're Derek Hale. I was a grade below you in school."

Derek visibly scoffed. "One grade below me? You're kidding."

She bristled at the comment. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You look a little younger than that."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Thank you for helping me understand how normal you are, Derek. How very typical you are." She threw a towel she didn't realize she'd been holding into the trunk and slammed it closed.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

She growled. "How old did you think I was?"

His eyes widened. "Twenty."

Daria's gaze narrowed. "Liar. You thought I was in high school, didn't you."

"I knew you weren't in high school."

"And how did you know that?"

"I would have seen you."

"Are you kidding me?" Her face fell, slightly disgusted. "You really are a creep, aren't you… Hanging out at the high school, getting in strange women's cars."

His glare could have cut through ice. "Who's misjudging now?"

"How do you know so much about the student body at Beacon Hills High School then?" she huffed.

This time he was the one to growl. It resonated through his body, and Daria trembled as he stepped closer. She backed into the trunk and could back no further, but he continued to close the gap between them until there was barely an inch left.

"How about you finish answering my question first. How do you know me?"

Her breath stuttered. "Y-you used to play basketball. I liked watching the games. But then one day you stopped playing. I never really saw you after that."

A veil of grief passed over his face, and she instantly felt guilty for her earlier remarks.

"I'm sorry for insinuating that you were an… unsavory deviant." She turned away, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes any longer. "And I know I practically forced you into my car."

He said nothing, though he did finally take a step back.

"Why did you get in my car?"

Several seconds passed before Derek replied. "You mentioned Dr. Deaton. He's a friend… to my kind."

"Oh." This revelation shocked her. "So there's… a lot more of you here?"

"Not many."

Realization dawned on her. "But there's another one at the high school, and that's why you keep watch."

He nodded.

She felt like an idiot. "I'm sorry for making assumptions."

"I'm sorry for thinking you were eighteen."

"Eighteen!" She choked. "Do I really look that young?"

A soft smile crept up the sides of his lips. "When you're forty and still look like you're twenty-five, you won't mind it so much."

She glared. "You say that, but I swear to God, if one more person says they think Stiles is my older brother, I'm gonna–"

"What did you say?" he cut her off suddenly. "Your brother is Stiles?" He grabbed her arms and gazed at her with an indecipherable expression.

She tried to ignore the heat of his hands tingling up to her shoulders. "Yes."

"Stiles Stilinski?"

"What other Stiles do you know?"

He seemed floored by the discovery.

"Are you okay?" Then fear crept its way up her insides. "Oh no, Stiles isn't the other werewolf, is he?"

"No," he said immediately.

"Thank God." She felt relief wash through her, but then she looked at Derek and backpedaled. "Not that I think it's a bad thing. I just–"

"It's fine," he replied candidly. "I was born a wolf, but it doesn't mean I would wish it on anyone."

She nodded slowly, and they stood in silence for almost a full minute. He was still close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body, the way a person could feel warmth by hovering their hand over a hot stove.

A part of her wanted to stay, to keep feeling the firm grasp of his hands around her arms, but she willed herself not to get completely wrapped up in the pheromones.

"I should get going. But I won't tell anyone what you are. And- I don't know how much Stiles knows or anything, but I can keep what happened last night to myself too if you want." She took another glance at the beautiful greenish gray of his eyes and found it difficult to look away.

He met her gaze for several seconds, then slowly released his hold. "Thank you, Daria."

Hearing her name on his lips made her feel strange, and as she got into her car and back onto the road, she secretly hoped it wouldn't be the last time it happened.