Happy Halloween. As an explanation for why there was such a long hiatus on all my stories I have been really sick and am in a lot of pain everyday so it was just a very hard year for me and I decided I wasn't going to let it keep me from working on these any longer. Enjoy
They ended up finding Peter's car parked out at the old Hale house with only one set of footprints headed further into the preserve. His apartment downtown, which he hadn't lied about having was left untouched, nothing out of place but the door that Derek kicked in. There were no scent trails leading anywhere, the footprints into the preserve just ended at the chasm, his phone had been found charging in his stupidly posh apartment. Derek pulled at his hair in aggravation, he knew that Peter was gone he just didn't want to believe what all the signs pointed to. Peter was gone, Stiles was gone. They had left together, and between the two of them there was no way even the pack that remained would be able to outsmart them not even with the genius that was Lydia Martin.
No, both Peter and Stiles were smart in a very different way than Lydia. They were built for strategy and evasive techniques. If they didn't want to be found they wouldn't be. Standing in the middle of the woods right at the end of Peter's tracks Derek released a roar so full of a misplaced rage towards those in his pack that have deserted their Alpha. Both Scott and Jackson who had been standing behind Derek fell to the ground whimpering in fear of their Alpha's anger.
Looking out at the seemingly endless sea of trees chest heaving Derek said in frustration. "They're both gone, and you know Peter's going to manipulate Stiles into doing whatever he wants." This caused both betas to look at one another in disbelief. This was because they both knew that while yes Peter was a manipulative asshole, that Stiles was even more conniving and stubborn when it came to something he wanted. And what he wanted now was revenge for the death of his father, who better to help him than the man who avenged his family single handed after six years in a coma.
"Derek, would it really be so bad to let him get his vengeance?" His head snapped towards Jackson snarl barely restrained behind his lips. "Do you really think he can succeed against a pack of fifty, even with fucking Peter?!" Scott's eyes widened like saucers as he scrambled to his feet panic evident in his scent as well as a hint of fear, the same as Jackson which would have been surprising a year ago but not so much a shock anymore, that he really did care for Stiles.
Scott whimpered out a soft, "Fifty?" as Jackson's eyes flashed to their electric blue while he grasped at his hair in a similar to the way Derek had moments before. As much as Scott and surprisingly Jackson believed in Stiles' abilities they didn't think he could handle Fifty were's. "We have to find them before it's too late. And when we do they're going to have some serious punishments to deal with for disobeying their Alpha." There was no room for mistakes now, not with so much at stake. They would all just have to be better than two omegas no matter how smart, and manage to stop Stiles and Peter before they reached New Mexico. Because the moment they entered Texas the Burnland Pack would have them.
In a lot of ways the betas didn't agree with their Alpha's decision but were unsure of what other option they had. All of them had been bitten not born into pack like Derek and Peter were. Hell, the Argents knew more on traditional pack dynamics than the teens that made up the Beacon Hills pack. They just knew that they didn't want anything to happen to Stiles, that they wanted to protect him even if it was from himself. Besides Their Alpha shouldn't have anything but all of their best interests at heart, because that was what an Alpha did whatever it took for the good of the pack. Scott wanted nothing more than to console his best friend, and instead he was left behind as Stiles went off gallivanting with Peter Hale of all people. Jackson wished he could've been strong enough to go with Stiles and Peter, strong enough to help them do what needs to be done, but he's not and even though he knows Stiles forgives him he feels guilty.
Meanwhile Lydia and Allison were at the Argent home going through anything that might be of use in finding the now two pack members that have disappeared. Pictures and paper covering the expanse of their impressive dining table both girls thinking how this was when they would've called Stiles to figure everything out for them, and if he wasn't being involved by decree of the Alpha they'd be turning to Peter and his answers that were more like riddles as though he got his entertainment watching them all flounder trying to decipher his meaning like he was daring them to do what they were told not to and ask Stiles what it all meant because surely he'd huffed in aggravation as she flipped through the Argent records for the Burnland pack trying her best not to scream in frustration, before rubbing her fingers along the ink creasing her brow in thought. "What is it Lyds? Did you Find something?" Green eyes flashed to brown in realization, "Allison these are new records, your family has been keeping track of this pack for years but every piece of paper is new here." Lydia watched as her friend figured out what that meant. "That means Dad helped them. We should check the carpool, maybe they have one of our cars."
"They would've ditched the car I gave them by now."
Both girls turned toward the voice in the doorway finding Mr. Argent stood stock still arms crossed over his chest watching both teenage girls with a careful expression. "Dad, what else did you give them?" He replied with a simple, "I gave that boy everything he asked for." as he turned on his heel and walked back out of the room.