Chapter Two

"Brothers"

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Will didn't hesitate.

He swung his gun up to aim, cocked the hammer, and pulled the trigger.

The first shot missed. The alpha flew through the air toward Will, who fired off two more shots, but the alpha kept coming.

It knocked Will over like a bowling pin. One of it's claws ripped the gun out of Will's hand and threw it into the creek. With it's other hand, the alpha grabbed onto the front of Will's head, covering his face.

"Stop!" James yelled, rushing forward. The alpha back-handed him, hardened knuckles splitting open James' cheekbone, and sending him crashing into a nearby tree. James dropped to the ground at the base of the tree.

The alpha held onto the top of Will's head in one giant, clawed hand. It leaned close to him, and it's hot rumbling breath hit his face. "Where... is... Scott... McCall?" It rasped.

Will's fingers scrabbled on the back of the alpha's hand. "Get off me, you dirty fucking animal!"

The alpha roared loudly enough to shake dirt off the tree roots in the ground. With a mighty snarl, it squeezed its vast hand around the hunter's head. Its clawed fingers crushed the man's skull in its palm like a hard-boiled egg.

James tried to roll to his feet at the base of the tree, but he couldn't get his balance. "Oh God..." He gasped, pulling himself toward Will. He could see his brother's blood rushing through the alpha's fingers. "Please no! Stop!"

The alpha lifted Will's body and threw it. It hit a tree and came to rest between two large roots.

James stared in horror at Will's limp form. He couldn't believe what had happened. It was all wrong... and it had happened too fast. It couldn't be real...

The alpha turned on James. It lumbered toward him on all fours.

James grabbed for the gun in his waist band, but the alpha was already on him. It seized his arm, breaking the bone with one sharp movement. Then the alpha forced him against the ground with one clawed hand cutting into James' chest.

James stared up into gleaming, crimson irises. He didn't move; he didn't even blink.

The alpha leaned closer and sniffed deeply, as if to take in James' scent, or maybe find someone else's. James' brain was entering lockdown mode. He barely breathed.

The alpha raised its head slightly and glared into his eyes again. "Tell me what I want to know." The beast's voice was like a roll of thunder.

"What - what?" Stammered James. Everything felt foggy except for the alpha's face hanging above him.

"Tell me," growled the alpha through it's teeth, "Where I can find Scott McCall."

James hand left the alpha's wrist to search in the leaves for a weapon. Any weapon, anything at all. A stick...

The alpha growled more deeply. "Your scent was at my family's home. You know where Scott is." Its claws pierced sharply through James' flesh. "Tell... me."

Will was dead.

James finally blinked. His muscles released slightly. If he died, he would go with Will. Wherever Will had gone so quickly, that was where he would also be. The thought draped over him like a blanket.

The alpha raised its claws to James' throat and dug in beside his jugular. "I won't ask again."

"I don't know," said James. He closed his eyes and his breathing slowed.

He wasn't afraid.

This is it, he thought numbly as he felt the alpha's grip tighten into his throat. Everything was silent to him, and it was dark beneath his eyelids.

And then suddenly, there was no more pain. He couldn't feel the alpha holding him down anymore. That was curious... would death be painless? Deep within James' mind, the idea was a pleasant one.

This isn't so bad... I can do this.

But a few moments later, nothing had happened.

Nothing had changed, and James was still suspended in pleasant resignation.

Slowly, sounds began to reach him. Everything was muffled.

Noises grew louder in his head. Violent sounds, the clashing of metal.

The breaking of tree limbs. Yells and snarls.

Gunfire.

Then without warning, the pain in his broken arm hit James with full force and his eyes flew open.

He wasn't dead.

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Scott stayed low to the ground, pursuing the hunters in their vehicles. They drove along at a snail's pace, and Scott caught glimpses of them peering into the trees through their open windows.

Looking for signs of the alpha.

A low growl rumbled deeply in Scott's throat and his eyes flashed gold.

He stayed in the shadows of trees and brush. Another engine roared somewhere in the distance - Scott turned his head sharply. The sound had come from somewhere in the woods, maybe a mile away. More than one engine... there were two. Scott could hear them revving and gaining distance.

He crouched down and looked back toward the hunters' vehicles. None of them had heard. They didn't have the sensitive ears of a wolf. The alpha did, though, and the loudness of the vehicles in the forest was sure to bring him out.

Good...

A twig snapped behind Scott. He whirled around, but not quickly enough to prevent someone from shoving him against a tree face-first.

In an instant, Scott's teeth were sharp and his eyes blazed. He kicked his heel backward, striking the instep of his attacker. There was a muffled grunt, and Scott was released, which gave him an opening to aim his elbow at his attacker's face.

A strong hand caught his arm. With a growl on his lips, Scott yanked his arm free and darted away, spinning back around.

It was Derek.

The older beta was watching him with a heavy stare. They faced each other silently for a moment.

Slowly, Scott's eyes returned to their normal dark hue. "What the hell are you doing?" He growled under his breath, grinding his teeth.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," said Derek in an urgent undertone. He took a step toward Scott, his shoulders square. "You can't do this right now. Look at you, Scott. You're barely alive."

Scott was the first to break eye contact. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "I have to," he answered, his throat tight. He avoided looking back at Derek.

Derek wasn't pleased. "I risked my life to get us away from him, and you're trying to throw it away."

"No I'm not." Scott's neck started to redden, but he looked Derek in the eyes again. When he spoke next his voice was stronger. "I won't let you stop me."

Derek looked back at him without rushing to speak, and Scott saw a fury of unknowable thoughts in the older beta's hard, pale gaze.

"We had an agreement," said Scott, stepping closer. Maybe he could appeal to Derek's commitment. "I help you find him, and you help me kill him."

Derek was having none of it. He shook his head firmly. "This isn't about the cure, Scott. You're letting your anger drive you right now." He repeated Deaton's words to the younger boy, hoping they would have an impact. "You have to be rational."

"I'm rational. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Scott, listen to me," said Derek in a stronger tone of warning. "We will deal with my uncle when we're in fighting shape. You are still healing. You're weak."

"I'm not weak."

Derek forced himself to be patient. He took a calming breath. "Come back with me, Scott. We'll handle this the right way."

But Scott dug his nails into his palms, drawing blood. He gazed darkly at Derek from beneath lowered brows. "There's only one way."

A network of tense lines crossed Derek's forehead. He took two steps closer, almost closing the gap between them. Scott's eyes sharpened up and he shifted his weight.

"I know that," said Derek as he searched Scott's face. "I know. But we have to be smart."

Scott breathed out. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath. "I can't go back," he said. He shook his head and looked away from Derek.

"And I can't let you get yourself killed." Derek's tone was firm and authoritative. He tilted his head, trying to get Scott to look at him again.

Derek's proximity seemed to rob Scott of his certainty and his words. His brows pulled together and he turned away. He leaned his arm against a tree and tried to keep his breath steady. Unexpected emotions threatened to emerge around the edges of his anger.

Keep it together... he pleaded with himself.

A chill ran down his spine, and a voice echoed in his memory.

"Keep it together, Scott... keep your eyes open..."

With a yell Scott threw a vicious punch into the trunk of the tree. As his bleeding knuckles healed he punched again, harder, splintering bark in all directions. His eyes felt hot and there were tears welling up but he was too angry to care.

He faced the tree trunk. Bracing one hand against it, he lowered his head. He couldn't stop his shoulders from trembling. More and more, it felt like a heavy iron weight was pressing on his chest.

"Scott," said Derek gently, trying to get his attention.

Scott didn't answer. As the last of his adrenaline wore off, his body weakened. His legs felt like jelly.

Derek came forward, as though to put a hand on the younger beta's shoulder, but he didn't touch him. "Hey. Scott," he urged, but he still got no response.

Scott's chest hurt, and he realized abruptly he couldn't breathe. He shoved Derek away from him, dropping to his knees. He leaned forward with both hands flat on the ground and drew sharp, painful breaths, his eyes shut tight. Tears tracked down his cheeks in his desperation to regain control.

Derek's hand flattened on his back. The other beta had knelt beside him.

"I couldn't... I couldn't do anything..." Scott choked out.

"Scott, listen to me," said Derek with forced calm. "Focus on the sound of my voice."

Scott's head dropped down, and his fingers curled in the dead leaves. He coughed, trying to catch his breath without success.

"Listen to me, Scott!" Derek's tone was commanding. "Listen to me."

Over the sound of rushing blood in his ears, Scott listened to Derek.

"It wasn't your fault. When I said it was your fault, because of your... because of your golden moral code, I was wrong."

Scott fought to regain control of himself, to stop the tears, and to ease his breath. With every passing moment the tide of emotions in his chest rose higher. Unstoppable, insurmountable.

"Hey!" Said Derek sharply. "Are you listening to me? Nothing that happened was your fault. It was only his."

Scott held onto the sound of Derek's voice. The more he held on, the less weight he could feel on his chest. The whirlwind in his mind began to dissipate moment by moment, and soon he was able to draw a shaking breath, and fill his lungs.

"Good," said Derek. There was a flicker of personal victory in his eyes. "Good. Breathe normally."

Scott obeyed. He heaved a shuddering breath. The hand on the back of his shoulder held him steady. It squeezed, and didn't release him.

"He'll pay for it, Scott."

Derek looked down at Scott. This teenager was more of a brother to him than his uncle was an uncle. What had happened was unforgiveable. No other circumstances mattered anymore.

Peter Hale would die.

Scott managed to straighten up a little. He turned on his knees to face Derek and wiped his sleeve across his face. "We still have an agreement?"

Derek still gripped his shoulder. "We do," he answered. His relief at seeing Scott's eyes again was evident on his face. "But it won't be today."

However, other options were dwindling fast.

A deafening howl rent the air, tearing viciously into the otherwise quiet forest. Birds shrilled and took to the sky all around them. Scott and Derek went rigid.

Both of them stood, and gazed as one in the direction the hunters had gone.

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