Is This The World We Created
Chapter 6
Stiles stared at Harry aghast, kill Scott? Human or a Werewolf? The words echoed around his mind, on a repeat loop. The silence in the room was worse than when Harry found out that Chris was an Argent and that he had unknowingly been harbouring a damn hunter in his sanctuary. Stiles reckoned he knew the answers the others would give, without so much as a pause to think on it. Stiles though…Stiles had known both human Scott and the werewolf he became.
"But why if hypothetically he's human…he won't know about the supernatural," Stiles blurted out, his magnificent mind able to do well under strain, but the fact this was all hypothetical helped immensely, if say, he had been standing in front of a human Scott after time-travelling back to the past, he wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to do anything. "He won't have done anything, he wouldn't deserve what you would dole out." The punishment wouldn't fit the crime, especially if Scott hadn't done anything yet.
"Because they won't risk history repeating itself," Peter was able to deduce, speaking in a clinical cool aloof tone.
Harry nodded curtly.
"But without me taking him into the woods…" Stiles begun to protest.
"It's not easy to change the past," Harry said, with knowledge and intelligence wise beyond his years, "There are…some things that always seem destined to happen regardless of the actions you take to prevent it. Mostly because its not in human nature to give up, they just try another way and obviously you aren't prepared for that way due to the fact you had stopped one way and assumed you'd changed the future and thus everything was going to be fine."
Stiles' mouth snapped shut, realization dawning upon him, Harry had said they'd tried to stop the knowledge of the supernatural world…before. Yet it continued to be revealed, so perhaps he did know what he was talking about. It made sense though, too much sense and it irked him. His warring emotions made him want to crumble, he'd been so strong for so long…doing his best by his pack and Scott's betrayal. He'd never contemplated this being a possibility, but the mere possibility was making his head and heart hurt.
Derek wrapped his arms around his overly emotional mate, grounding him, anchoring him as much as he was able. If not for his magical exhaustion…Stiles spark would have been raining havoc on the room such as the sheer emotional turmoil he was experiencing. He wished he could help him, but he couldn't, he wasn't the same person he was back then, would he kill Scott? In a heartbeat, human or werewolf to prevent this future he was currently living. He knew the others would, regardless of the old fondness they felt for Scott McCall, but Stiles? Stiles and Scott had been like brothers…and even though Scott had fundamentally caused the death of Stiles father…the idea of killing him, as hypothetical was it was at this minute didn't sit well with the spark at all. No doubt his beautiful mind had already gone through a dozen ways to kill him, and dozens more in a bid to save him. He'd been there for Stiles through it all, the anger, the rage, the betrayal and gut wrenching and encompassing sadness that was wrapped up in one Scott McCall's actions.
Stiles inhaled sharply, redonning his iron clad control, momentarily burrowing his face into Derek's neck, relishing in the contact and strength that lay in his mate and how he was still so strong after all that had happened to him, to them. The Hales were not quitters, and he was a Hale now, he'd mated Derek, and thus in the eyes of the werewolf law he had married him. His mind replaying everything that happened, "I would do it. For them." he declared without a single wobble in his voice, steely eyes emerged from Derek and stared Harry down, showing just how serious he was.
Nobody was surprised by Stiles declaration, warmed yes, but surprised? No. Stiles loyalty was what had ultimately drew the Hales to him like a moth to the flame. His loyalty knew no bounds, he would even risk going back in time, trusting a wizard they did not know in order to accomplish it. His love wasn't given freely or released freely either, he loved fiercely but once broken…it was gone for good but to break it? One had to do something so utterly despicable to accomplish it. Not even Peter's attempt to kill Scott had allowed Stiles to write Peter off fully back in the day.
Harry nodded, green eyes gleaming, but nobody could read him at all, not even his emotions they were tightly confined behind his occlumency barriers. Harry knew what he was asking of Stiles – not that he would be doing the killing actually – and it was no small thing either but he had to know Stiles could live with it.
"You used the wolf moon ritual I assume?" Marcus asked, eyes gleaming with a vicious sort of pride, this boy…would make a magnificent werewolf. He was practically already a werewolf without the eyes and claws. They couldn't have picked anyone better for a pack. The association with a hunter did make him less impressed though. "Which means you returned within a month?"
Peter blinked in surprise, "I wasn't aware that it was well known," he admitted, gazing at Marcus shrewdly. "Not amongst Werewolf population of course,"
"We do have Emissaries," Marcus pointed out wryly, "My own was raised with the pack, saw us as family, just as his parents had, he's the fourth generation Emissary."
"You are lucky," Peter admitted, "I did not trust the pack's emissary at all, and in turn he did the bare necessities for Talia but she didn't seem to mind. She trusted him with her and the pack's lives and it ruined us."
"Then how is it you successfully found the books that would be required for the Wolf Moon Ritual?" Marcus asked perplexed, Druids hoarded information, they did not freely give away books not even to their own pack. It seemed to be something they'd only taken to do the last five or six decades give or take one. It made training new Emissaries harder, he'd just been lucky enough his families Emissary was more loyal to the pack than the new Druid's claim for power.
"With a great deal of difficulty, there wasn't much in the way of Druid magic in the library or in the Hale vaults," Peter admitted, and he should know, he'd read everything he could get his hands on and had begun to make copies of everything electronically before the fire. "A lot of the books are found in used bookstores, or Mundane versions of apothecaries New York had many stores that I looked through while I was there. The book in question though, I found through an internet site if you'll believe." Shaking his head, still unable to believe his luck all these years later, "Fifty dollars I paid for it,"
Marcus gaped, "Fifty?" he squeaked, "That books worth over twenty-five hundred thousand!" not that money meant anything to anyone these days, no food, ammunition and medicine were the source of trades and had been for a while now.
Peter just smirked and gave a nod, he was well aware of that fact.
"Then it's a good job Argent didn't kill your nephew otherwise you wouldn't have been able to return," Marcus said, giving Chris Argent a look of disgust.
Stiles arched a brow, so that's why he'd used Derek's blood specifically, he'd always wondered why he'd driven Lydia half-mad to get her to do what he wanted. Why he hadn't just used someone else's blood, he'd never gotten a chance to read this book…but considering how Marcus was acting he suspect it wasn't just expensive but also very rare to boot. Then again he'd assumed Peter was narcissistic enough to only want Hale blood to resurrect himself with. Even after all these years he was still learning new things about Peter and magic.
"What would have happened if they did?" Isaac asked looking horrified. He wouldn't have been a werewolf and probably died at the hands of his father, he knew that much. Labelled a runaway or something, his father burying his body and making it seem as though he'd ran away.
"Eventually the Banshee would have either been driven mad and killed them both, or she would have become a full Banshee early and banished him from her and he would have roamed as a spirit unseen and unheard by anyone other than those that can see death. If he was lucky, someone would have banished him completely, being a bodyless spirit…from what I've heard is not fun, its agonisingly painful, like drowning for a decades, breathing but feeling like you can't…" Harry informed them bluntly, "That's if werewolf's magic is similar enough that they could exist as a spirit."
Isaac and Liam gulped, Chris remained stoic, Peter grimaced and Derek and Stiles both winced it wasn't quite a pleasant thought at all. So much could have gone wrong, they really hadn't considered the alternative of how things could have gone in the early days. Things had been too hectic back then to get the time to think. Cora remained quite impassive, she was good at that, learned not to show her emotions unless she was under extreme duress.
Stiles got back to the matter at hand, "Derek became the Alpha and needed to create a pack to settle his new instincts."
"The three potentials I picked all accepted the bite and all survived the initial change." Derek imputed, "Inevitably…only one survived to this day." A pained grimace crossing his features, just remembering what had happened to Erica and Boyd. Their loss still weighed as heavily as if his families deaths did, he changed them, he brought them into this world and inevitably he had failed them as an alpha by being unable to protect them.
"Despite Scott doing everything in his power to convince them otherwise," Isaac sighed, brow furrowed, he'd been shocked by Erica, incensed enough to fight Derek over Boyd and well, he hadn't known about him until later too.
Derek grimaced, nodding a little conceding the point, he didn't feel like airing it to Harry, it wasn't exactly important in the grand scheme of things.
Harry merely hummed, able to accurately guess as to why Scott McCall would want to stop them becoming more. He was a bit like Remus, who had not been able to accept what he was and made everything worse for himself. If they had published an accurate book about werewolves for werewolves, they'd have had less feral creatures on their hands, but that wouldn't help the ministry control them now would it? Ever since Newt Scamander made the werewolf registration when he worked in the Ministry it had all gone to hell for the werewolves. Especially with the likes of Umbridge within the ministry of magic. Not that it mattered much.
"Despite Scott's actions, Derek still tried to get Scott into his pack, a lot of it was self-preservation, he didn't want any more hunters in the territory and his actual need for a pack. He thought to kill two birds with one stone, having an Omega in your territory isn't a good idea." Stiles informed them, once more speaking for the pack on a whole, as Emissary it wasn't surprising to anyone there. Emissaries were spokespersons for the packs when they were in another were's territory. Although, Stiles wasn't just the emissary, the hierarchy in the pack he was the Alpha mate, and despite Derek not having red eyes, everyone followed him. Even Peter had nothing to say about that.
"Did he join?" Marcus asked, tone dark just thinking about the damn werewolf who had done the unthinkable.
Derek swallowed thickly, "I thought he did," he admitted, tone bitter.
"Thought? A pack bond will have flared into place, it either did or didn't," Marcus pointed out bluntly, making no attempt to dull his sharp edges. This was a born werewolf, it was almost as if the guy had cut off his own instincts. Given what he'd been through though…he couldn't honestly say he would be surprised if that was the case.
"They've never felt a true genuine pack bond before have they?" Harry asked, staring at Liam and Isaac, watching Peter rub his chest the echoing agony and emptiness getting to him even now. They might be acting like a pack but there was nothing but experience and trust tying these people together.
"I did, for a bit, but from what I've been told…it wasn't what it was meant to be," Liam sighed, glancing at Cora, giving away who had told him about pack bonds and the feeling one elicits and receives from it. "I was…bitten by accident, by Scott I don't know much of what happened during the start of it all, I wasn't there for it."
"An accident? What fell on a banana peel and bit you?" Harry snorted, using a well-used Mundane analogy.
A lot of smothered amusement at that declaration despite the conversation, Peter most of all, who loved that sense of humour.
"Sort of, try biting me while hanging off a building," Liam corrected him, "It was difficult for me, I had…anger issues which didn't translate well with new powers and more emotions."
"McCall didn't want to have to train someone, he mostly pawned it off on Stiles when he got the opportunity, thinking just because Stiles got through to him he could do it for anyone that comes along." Peter sneered, oh how he loathed the ground McCall had trod on. That and he'd been rather enamoured with his latest paramour if he recalled correctly. He hadn't spent much time around the McCall pack, no more than he needed to scope things out. His death hadn't brought any satisfaction, not with the sheer mass panic that occurred after he revealed the supernatural world. "I digress, we've gotten rather off path have we not?" which was true enough.
"Erica, Boyd and I had all been told about the potential risks taking the bite, about hunters and being hunted." Isaac said, "I think Boyd and I were the only ones to take it seriously…Erica….Erica was a little more innocent in the way the world worked." He confessed, "After Kate Argent was 'killed' Gerard Argent came to Beacon Hills, and basically declared open war on werewolves to get revenge for what happened to his daughter." He knew Chris had done nothing about what his father was doing, and he still didn't understand it to this day, he was so strong and determined. He knew how it felt to be in the presence of an overbearing father though.
"We weren't even safe at school," Stiles grumbled, "I swear that school is cursed," eliciting a bark of amusement from Harry, the most genuine one yet.
Stiles stunned, continued on, "It wasn't just hunters either, we had a Kanima to contend with and…unbeknown to us a Darach,"
"A Kanima?" Marcus inhaled sharply, "You encountered such an abomination?"
Harry cleared his throat, "Do not use that term for anything supernatural except a Darach," Harry ordered unimpressed, lips pursed, "It's not easy to accept change, one can go their entire life truly not accepting oneself." Thinking on Remus, he definitely would have become the Kanima, "And any actions done on the behest of it's master is not the Kanima's fault. Did he or she evolve?"
"He was about to, he was Derek's first bitten, tried to blackmail my nephew into biting him," Peter said amused, eyes gleaming wickedly. "Unfortunately, he didn't know enough about our world to figure it out for a good while, thankfully he was an avid reader and came to understand what it was with help."
"But?" Marcus asked, leaning forward eager to hear more, recovering from being reprimanded by Harry in the presence of so many Beta's and a damn hunter gracefully.
"But I found the key to emotionally severing his tie to the Kanima and returning him to his true form, young love," Peter purred eyes gleaming, "His love for the emerging banshee saved his life, or perhaps all of ours?" Kanima's were indestructible after all.
"Not before it caused irreparable damage." Stiles confessed, eyes shadowed, it had been the start of the decline of a lot of things. Going on to explain the damage that Matt had caused including the amount of people at the police station that had paid for it their lives. That they found Matt afterwards, he'd been drowned, later they realized it had to have been Gerard Argent, who had worked with the boy who was stalking his granddaughter and then killed him to take control of the Kanima. "I sometimes wish I had let Derek try to kill him…a lot of people I grew up having babysat me died that day." Instead he'd played the hero and it cost good people their lives. Good people he had cared very much for, while his best friend worked behind his back with Deaton of all people.
"Stiles was not only trying to figure out the cause of all the deaths, he knew there was something more to it, but trying to constrain Jackson and find out what he was, who at this point was the Kanima it was a lot to put on a sixteen-year-old kids shoulders along with everything else he had to deal with on top of being a normal high school student. I'm afraid to say we all let him down for what occurred next, not that I had returned yet." he just knew everything, he was the only one who knew the most about Stiles perhaps except Derek.
"This was all in less than a month?" Marcus rasped out, mouth agape for a second before he regained control of himself.
Peter nodded grimly, "Indeed,"
"The hunters got their hands on you." Harry sighed, staring at Stiles with a knowing look on his face, leaning back resignedly.
"During the champion Lacrosse game," Stiles nodded.
"Surrounded by Werewolves?" Harry asked doubtfully.
"I didn't blame them, they had…other things to deal with, Jackson commit suicide and the lights went out," Stiles shrugged, "I was taken to the Argent basement…more like thrown down the stairs. I was surprised to see Erica and Boyd there, but I didn't know how the hell to turn the electricity off and get them down I was beaten up by an old man." To this day it was still humiliating and he still hated Chris for telling everyone.
"Hunters need to keep in shape," Harry explained looking as though he had something horrid stuck under his nose. "The day they stop is the day they retire, which usually means they're in a body bag." Hunters didn't normally live to a ripe old age in order to become frail.
"This one was riddled with cancer," Stiles groused.
"Finishing of the rest of his vendetta before he dies?" Harry assumed.
"Wrong." Stiles stated firmly, but it wasn't surprised that Harry wasn't assuming what actually happened…nobody expected what Gerard Argent had tired. "I only wish it was the case!" then his best friend wouldn't have done something despicable.
"During the attack on the station I overheard information that made me realize Scott had no intention of remaining in my pack." Derek informed him, eyes flashing blue as he thought about it. "That he was up to something, even I couldn't have predicted what he was up to, but I should have done." He was well aware just how blinding puppy love actually was.
Stiles gave out the dates of when important things happened, right at this moment was the station massacre. It immediately wrote itself out on the board, and Stiles so badly wanted to do that. His fingers twitched just to do as such. He didn't though, he knew how pissed off he'd get if someone adjusted his boards. Even the pack had known not to touch them.
"We were informed about what happened on the field, and I told Scott and Isaac to meet us at a warehouse where we would deal with the Kanima. Of course, Scott informed the Argents of where they were…" Derek stated eyes gleaming coldly, used yet again.
"They were ambushed, at that point I was dumped back home, I was only to be a message anyway which I was determined not to be. Lydia came to me begging for my help. Which I gave, I drove my jeep into a bloody building hitting Jackson while Lydia did her thing and before we knew it we had a brand new blue eyed werewolf." he still hated the fact Jackson had been bitten at all, Derek had been fucking stupid giving him it. "I only found out what had actually happened in there afterwards…"
"Which was?" Harry asked, a bored look on his face, they were running around giving a straight answer, but with so many people it wasn't a surprise that it wasn't a straightforward tale.
"Derek had been incapacitated with Kanima venom and Scott forced him to bite Gerard Argent, in order to make him a werewolf. He'd intended to kill Derek and come the Alpha and presumably kill everyone else there including his granddaughter…he wouldn't have wanted it getting out what he was, he'd have a legion of betrayed hunters hunting him down for the rest of his life."
That boredom had been wiped from Harry's face, replaced with incredulity and disbelief.
It was mirrored on Marcus' face.
"Don't worry though, Scott and Deaton had a plan," Peter crooned, supernatural blue eyes flaring to life, "He thought giving Mountain ash in cancer capsules would prevent the bite from taking."
"Which it did," Derek added grudgingly, "But it also got rid of his cancer and made him an even bigger threat." He regretted letting the bastard get away, especially after knowing what he'd done to Stiles. A human boy who had more loyalty and strength in his pinkie than anyone else he knew.
"He was behind the revelation?" Harry asked, his tone intense.
"Indirectly, I believe it was one of the hunters he trained that Scott was dealing with, but we cannot be sure," Peter answered, tense and alert, they didn't ever mention her name, she'd been the one to kill Noah Stilinski and Stiles…well, Stiles had used his magic to completely blast her to shreds in his fury revealing just how powerful he was for the first time. She hadn't expected it at all, and they hadn't been able to do a thing as Noah bled out, and Scott had refused to do a damn thing furious with Stiles for 'killing' when he was trying to broker peace. None of which had been captured on camera but the damage had been done for the supernatural world regardless.
Derek gave over the dates that he had turned Erica, Boyd and Isaac – much to Isaac's surprise he hadn't expected him to remember – and then he mentioned the Alpha mark branded onto the door of his home while he, Peter and Isaac had spent what was their summer holidays searching high and low for his missing Beta's. It made Isaac smile slightly, despite the conversation going on around him.
"Rumours reached me of a powerful new Hale Alpha building a pack in Beacon Hills, I was…stunned…I thought everyone had died. I immediately set out to return to my home town, I was so close to making contact with Derek before I was captured by the Alpha pack. I was locked in a bank with Vernon Boyd and Erica Reyes who I learned were Derek's Beta's." Cora explained, vividly remembering the feelings she'd experienced when news reached her.
Harry blinked, "That's the second time an Alpha pack has been mentioned…I'm going to assume it is as sounds, a pack of Alphas?"
"Yes, worse still, each of them had killed their Beta's and Emissaries before joining Deucalion, it was an initiation of sorts, in order to gain entrance." Peter answered.
Marcus inhaled sharply, "So the rumours were true," pained and disgusted, he'd hoped…hoped against all odd that they had just lost their packs to hunters and decided to band together. "I assumed they were nonsense, especially since Deucalion could see."
"He's here?" Stiles asked, his own voice becoming dark and vengeful. He hadn't had a say in what happened to the damn werewolf, Scott had made the decision for all of them, using information gleaned from Deaton in order to emotionally manipulate Derek at the same time.
"No, he works on the outside, bringing in as many supernatural's as he can," Marcus explained, "He knows of two sanctuaries in America only and has saved many people…something I now believe may be penance for his actions." Still it didn't take back his actions.
"Another thing we can blame on the hunters," Stiles snorted derisively, "The hunters attended a peace conference with every intention of betraying them. Deucalion was blinded by flashbangs and from what Deucalion believes he said Gerard killed the other hunters who were genuine about the peace conference leaving his own men alive who spread lies of what went down. Deucalion went to Deaton for aid and was told it was permanent. It's why many hunters are now doing the same thing."
"Who is Deaton he's been mentioned quite a few times in this tale of yours," Harry asked, this player seemed to be working in the background, moving chess pieces…reminded him too much of Dumbledore from what he'd heard so far.
Silence followed that statement before Peter sighed resignedly, "Doctor Alan Deaton, a veterinarian, a Druid and more importantly…the old Hale pack's Emissary."
"Wait, your Emissary didn't join you during the full moons? Didn't see that something was going on in the territory? Didn't he have wards up on your property?" Marcus lobbed off his questions in rapid succession, staring blankly at them all, unable to comprehend the sheer scope of how much the Hale family had been let down by their Emissary.
"Other than my mother and sister…nobody knew who Deaton was," Derek admitted, "I didn't find out who he was until after I attacked him thinking he was the Alpha. He tried to convince me not to trust Peter, not that I took much convincing at the time since I believed he was fully functional when he killed my sister and Alpha Laura when she returned to Beacon Hills."
"What sort of Emissary was he then?" Marcus asked, staring utterly bewildered.
"An absent one, Talia trusted him, sought his advice often, but thankfully she didn't listen to him all the time. Otherwise she would have been at the meeting with Deucalion and perhaps may have lost her life." Peter informed him, "Deaton was the one who set up the idea for the peace conference, acting as the go between."
Harry gave Peter a shrewd look, cocking his head the side asking an unasked question, Peter in turn nodded, yes, he believed Deaton was behind a lot of things.
"And the wards around your home?" Marcus refused to let it go, acting like a dog with bone.
"Deaton did not put wards around the Hale mansion," Peter informed him curtly, hating what they were discussing.
"Then why the hell would someone as well known as the Hale pack keep him around? He's not only useless as a Druid but apparently as an Emissary!" Marcus grunted in frustration at not getting an adequate answer.
There was no reply, Talia Hale was the only possible person to reveal why she'd kept him around, and she was long buried in the ground.
"Let it go Marcus," Harry said softly, realizing how much it was irritating and hurting the Hales that Marcus was questioning everything they knew. It was odd that they didn't realize just how intertwined Emissaries were meant to be in packs. They surely had allies in neighbouring packs and met their own Emissaries during those times and seen how they interacted? Perhaps they hadn't had anything to do with it? He'd ask Peter later for now…they had to focus on getting everything they need.
Marcus still confused gave a reluctant nod and settled back down, with just those four words from Harry. Showing once again, despite the fact Marcus was an Alpha…Harry was the head Alpha and was always listened to.
"It's too bad Scott succeeded in becoming an Alpha, how different might things have been had he died a feral Omega," Harry mused thoughtfully, only to hear Peter let out a bark of disgusted laughter. Harry sighed and closed his eyes shaking his head, "He was still pack after what he did?"
"Scott rationalised what he did, his mom had been endangered, threatened," Stiles sighed, "I can't say at the time I might not have done the same thing." Loud snorts were raised at that proclamation, Stiles would never have done what Scott did, he would have worked out a way to inform everyone else, and protect his father, Stiles wasn't stupid like Scott had been, he would never have taken Derek's bodily anatomy from him. "He tried half-heartedly to make amends when he could, not that he believed he'd done anything wrong regardless of what anyone said to him. Scott had to go to summer school, his grades were so bad."
Chris closed his eyes, remembering that summer, he'd spent it with Allison in France visiting extended family, and apart from a few hours a day, the supernatural wasn't mentioned. Oh, how he missed his daughter so fervently, to think Stiles could potentially go back far enough that she might live. Wasn't the prospect enough? He noticed that nobody had mentioned her, or the things she'd done during that time.
"Erica and Boyd had decided to leave Beacon Hills and the horror show they could see enfolding before them. They did not want to die for an Alpha that was all but abusive to them." Peter stated sharply, Derek flinched as if someone had held out a branding upon his arm. He knew he wasn't the best of alphas and had come to terms with the knowledge he had been abusive, he hadn't meant to be, and hadn't always been so. The worst was, even an abused boy couldn't see the 'abuse' being heaped upon him because it had been seen as training. He'd gone the quick and easy route in training them. He'd just been so desperate for them to survive, to keep loving them in the only way he could back then.
"Abusive?" Marcus growled, eyes flashing red.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, he cared for them very much, in a way only Derek could, but after losing his family, without therapy, without telling anyone what happened Derek became emotionally closed off, didn't understand other people and didn't want to trust humans as far as he could throw them. When news reached him of the Alpha pack, he trained them the easiest way, which we all know is the bloodiest and most painful, he wanted them to survive, to thrive, he did not wish to lose anyone else. This came at a cost, they did not think he cared, they were unaware of the fact he'd die for them, and so Erica and Boyd made the decision to flee, abandon their Alpha and go find another pack." Peter explained nonchalantly, he didn't care for those who abandon pack, cowards and unworthy of the bites, but Peter had of course, not stated as such. Well, not to Derek anyway, Stiles knew though.
Marcus relaxed fully werewolf society is…extremely different. It can be bloody and violent and horrific even to fellow were's, they'd seen true recipients of abuse and would never wish it upon anyone…except maybe the hunters. Especially since it wasn't as easy to kill a werewolf like it was a human, they were able to survive prolonged torture with the lines a human would never be able to endure without breaking. It wasn't often werewolves abused their own, it was normally hunters. A healthy Beta was a healthy pack bond, and a protector, nearly all Alpha's wanted their packs to thrive.
"Not that what happened next helped any," Cora offered up, she'd seen her brother close himself off farther to her. "He went as far as to drive me away, send me back to the pack in New Mexico."
Peter pursed his lips, remembering that, separating them hadn't been a good idea, he'd been against it. Not that he'd been allowed an opinion of course, untrusted as he had been. Unfortunately, there had been no hope of a proper Hale pack in Beacon Hills again. He had elected to go with them, protect what was left of his family, for Talia, he owed them that much by making them Alpha-less.
"Erica and Boyd heard what they thought was a pack nearby, unfortunately for them, they weren't taught that the closest pack was the Satomi pack and they were definitely not near enough to hear calls for pack or that Satomi did not risk her pack by howling from her location. Instead they came upon the Argent hunters, including Allison Argent, who grew quite comfortably into her role as Argent Matriarch that Gerard Argent would be proud of." Peter informed them, ignoring Chris' ferocious growl, "She had her reasons! It's my fault really, I didn't tell her," he hissed like a wounded cat.
Isaac and Liam glanced at each other resignedly, they'd die for each other – at least they think so – but they might be wrong, kill for each other but it didn't mean they didn't have arguments. Although they didn't normally bring Allison up, it was just one of those unspoken agreements they had. Peter though seemed unusually vindictive, it must be the fact the past was being brought up and he didn't want to be the only 'bad guy' so to speak. They'd all had their moments.
"Enough," Harry retorted, boring holes into Christopher Argent, "As for you, do not tell me anyone has a reason to hunt and kill werewolves like they're cattle otherwise I will show you just what it was like, do we understand each other?" a blank shuttered look on his face, eyes gleaming darkly, showing he was very serious about his threat.
Any anger Chris had over Peter's words dissipated, giving a single nod, staring at the floor resolutely. He did not want to know exactly what this wizard could do to him. He couldn't risk the safety they all had, the hated was understandable even if it galled him, he was just lucky that the wizard hadn't thrown them all out on principle. He was reasonable when his ire wasn't provoked and Chris would need to remember that. He'd endure the distrust if it kept the others safe.
Peter took pity and informed Harry of the history behind Alison Argent's actions, but neither Peter nor Harry were exactly moved by her past. It was one thing to blame Derek for it, but to hurt those two years younger than her…newly turned werewolves who'd done nothing wrong except be bitten was not right. She had hurt all of them in her vendetta and was indirectly the cause of Erica's death, if the Argent's hadn't grabbed them…well, they might not have ended up in the hands of the Alpha pack. Although her death rests directly on Kali who had struck the killing blow.
A lot of the remaining tale was told by Stiles, with Derek chipping in only occasionally. The ritualistic deaths that was happening, along with the looming threat that was the Alpha pack. How Isaac had been captured and tortured, how the Alpha pack too his memories and he was rescued. The animals acting strange, deer jumping out onto the road. How Isaac was nearly kidnapped at the hospital, the ensuring fight and rescue by Derek. The birds flying into the windows of the school during their class. About Morrell and who she really was, and her relation to Deaton, not that they knew this at the time of course.
How things got worse when his classmates were being sacrificed, how he'd realized that it was 'Virgins' being sacrificed. Then the others, how Derek had been under her spell, how he'd been forced to kill Boyd, his own Beta, in their horrific unwilling participant imitating. They'd wanted a Hale to join them, the Hale blood was well known after all, strong and powerful. Derek wasn't the only werewolf there they wanted though.
"And during all this, two Druids somehow couldn't figure that out?" Harry asked dryly, it was pathetic really. He made a mental note to have MACUSA set up a damn division in Beacon Hills if he could get back. "Two Druids and a Darach, sounds like the beginning of a joke." Pinching the bridge of his nose, but it was no joke, there was no way they hadn't been able to sense a Darach. They needed someone policing the damn town, this was just an utter disgrace, it seems people didn't care about the loss of life. The fact she'd used a spell likened to a love potion/Imperius curse enraged him so, everyone could feel it. what had been done to Derek was…disgusting.
"You gave up your Alpha powers?" Marcus gasped out, once they were told, not sure whether to be horrified or awed that he'd do such a thing especially for a sister he hadn't seen in seven years. It was unheard of that someone just gives up their Alpha powers like that. Circe this was…he couldn't believe Duke had done this, he'd spoken to him often and nothing of this feral thing existed in the one he knew.
Harry chuckled dryly, "A last fuck you to the Alpha pack," they probably wouldn't be interested in Derek as a Beta.
Derek just smirked wryly, that thought had crossed his mind at one point, but it was followed by a whole lot of fear. As a Beta he wasn't as strong as an Alpha he knew he didn't stand a chance against the Alpha pack then.
Stiles then gave the dates and times when Chris, Noah and Melissa – Scott's mother who had not been mentioned until this point – were kidnapped by the Darach to be the final sacrifices how they had negated all the sacrifices in order to save their parents.
"You did WHAT? He allowed you to do that?" Harry rasped out, pale and shaken, "Do you realize what you done?" Deaton's death was next on his list, right up at the top, how could someone be so idiotic as to perform that ritual? How the hell had he got his hands on one of those books to begin with?
"What is it?" Marcus asked alarmed by how shaken Harry was.
"Believe me, they became well aware of the consequences of their actions," Peter said sombrely, "Stiles was possessed by a Chaos Demon." He had realized Stiles wasn't Stiles almost immediately, he didn't understand how anyone had been so…ignorant of the fact.
"Merlin I'm surprised you survived," Harry said, staring at Stiles as if he couldn't comprehend his survival. "That was what I sensed in the Nemeton, someone bound a Chaos Demon in a Nemeta? Powering it?" bewildered to the extreme at someone's idiotic actions, "It was using all it's power to keep it contained despite being cut down. That's primarily why it became a death drawer, it needed the power to contain a threat. It was protecting the territory." He murmured mostly to himself still reeling, "If you had bound yourself to the tree that night all those years ago when it called, your spark would have destroyed it," the Nemeta would have ensured it.
Marcus' mind whirled over what he was hearing, "Circe it's like Beacon Hills is a hellmouth!"
"It basically is," Harry sighed, "But there is nothing to be done about that."
"We managed to save our parents, and during that time, the Darach acted during the eclipse and ultimately was convinced to heal Deucalion's eyes, and Scott convinced Deucalion to stop, he also became a True Alpha." Stiles explained, waiting for their inevitable reaction, everyone was always overly impressed with Scott's status.
Marcus arched a brow, "Huh, so that's where the Hale Alpha spark went,"
Derek, Peter, Cora and Stiles froze at that statement, no, it wasn't possible…was it? Liam, Isaac and Chris just frowned at the words as they digested them.
"What did that mean?" Peter rasped out, stuck between disbelief and rage.
"When an Alpha willingly relinquishes his Alpha spark it has to go somewhere…a ritual can direct it to a specific person, of course. Otherwise it probably would have gone to another Hale, after all Cora and Peter were the only remaining others in the pack is that correct?"
"Yes," Peter rasped out, claws emerging as he imagined bringing them down across Deaton's throat and slashing it mercilessly. Scott McCall had received the Hale Alpha spark, that rightfully belonged to him, to his family. He could barely believe it.
"You mean there's no such thing as a True Alpha?" Stiles asked, heart sinking, of course, he'd always been sceptical of Deaton but he had never once questioned the possibility of Scott being a True Alpha.
"A true Alpha is just someone who hasn't had to kill to acquire the Alpha spark, like Laura Hale, she inherited it." Harry said dismissively, it happened all the time, it was nothing miraculous.
"But there was a belief that they emerged on their own," Liam pointed out confused.
"Amongst the bitten population no doubt, or those who are only first generation werewolves," Harry said with patient understanding. Giving the Hales curious looks as to why they hadn't corrected this misinformation. His eyes widened, realizations dawning, they didn't know. "Your Emissary is a disgrace to his profession."
"Druids of late hoard information, they are not good Emissary's they are more concerned with balance than their duties. I believe this Deaton is one of the extreme ones." Marcus admitted shaking his head in distaste.
"Idiotic really, pack's do not need them the way Druids need packs to garner a bit more power," Harry said dryly, power, Druids didn't really have power and do gain a little from the pack though. "Alienating them to the point of no return."
"Not that it matters, some betrayed us in the end," Marcus scowled, red eyes glowing ominous and dangerously.
"I can't believe this," Stiles muttered to himself, why hadn't he looked up information on True Alpha's when Scott became one? How could he have been so lax as to let this happen? Let real information slip by him? Be manipulated by Deaton? "Did Deaton need to be nearby to perform the ritual? Did he need Scott's consent? Did he know?" he'd thrown the fact he was a 'True Alpha' in everyone's face more than one, surely he didn't know. He thought he was so special, admittedly he'd thought the same thing even though he'd never let himself be blinded by it.
"Blood, hair, acknowledgement and taking part in start of the ritual is required but the rest…requires the soon-to-be Alpha, Scott to be near Derek while the Druid finished it, he probably used the Nemeta to accomplish it."
Another betrayal by Scott McCall washed over all of them, and despite all of what happened…it still left them reeling. He'd taken part, he had stolen the Hale Alpha spark…he'd known all along what he really was.
The next chapter will probably be a jump, brush over the remaining plot of Teen Wolf getting down to what they actually know of what Scott did to reveal the supernatural world...any ideas on that front? I'm kinda stuck on that...actually wishing to reveal the supernatural world to live in harmony like a deluded brat? OR misguided and unaware of being recorded? considering everything that happened I do wish him to be the bad guy but not because he thought this would happen but because he's an idiot who believed hunters over his own pack or something similar :D R&R please