"I have to go to the dance!" Scott exclaimed, tossing things around his room frantically because he was late. Today was Friday, the day before Homecoming. Tonight was the Homecoming game, and also the quarter finals for lacrosse state. Stiles was playing his first game on first line and as mad at him as I was, I couldn't help but feel excited for him. Since Scott had become a werewolf, Stiles had been the funny sidekick, but tonight he would get a piece of the action. I just hoped he didn't fuck it up.

"You don't have to go, Scott." I sighed, tossing my backpack on top his cluttered desk.

"You're right, I need to go." He breathed a sigh of relief when we picked up the object he had been looking for: A single padded glove.

"You don't need to go either. You want to go because you wanna get Allison back and that's all fine and dandy, but Jackson's taking her and he knows you're wolfy secret so…"

"Don't remind me," Scott groaned, pushing his glove in his lacrosse bag with more force then necessary.

"And there's that minor detail that your not even allowed to go to the dance because your failing three classes." I reminded him. Scott rolled his eyes as he wrapped his lacrosse bags strap over his shoulder.

He pulled out his phone and called someone.

"Who're you calling?" I questioned.

"Stiles."

"You guys are speaking again? Did he get over the fact that his precious Lydia is a skank that kisses any good looking boy for attention?"

"You mean how Lydia and I made out yesterday before practice because I'm not acting like myself because of the full moon." He glared.

"Is that our excuse for stabbing our best friends in the back?" I asked sarcastically.

"I will beat you." He chuckled, "Hey, Stiles, any luck on that text?"

I sat in silence as Scott listened to Stiles' response.

"Okay—But—Yeah—I will—Just hurry!" He snapped his phone shut and placed it in his bag.

"What the word?" I questioned.

"Stiles and Derek are heading somewhere to find out more on who sent Allison that text that night."

"Now?" I asked, not believing Stiles' terrible timing. "Stiles is starting tonight. He can't show up late with the most wanted person in the state!"

"Look who suddenly cares about Stiles again." Scott smirked, annoying me further.

"Yeah, well—you made out with Lydia!" I retorted lamely.

"Good one, buddy." He snorted, as we exited his room.

"Oh, shushski." I muttered, taking the stairs two at a time to keep up with Scott.

"That's a reason why you should go to the dance." He offered.

"Why? So Lydia can rub the fact that she won Stiles in my face on the middle of the dance floor?" I said miserably.

"No, so you can tell him how you feel and make up."

"Somehow I don't think it's going to be that easy." I sighed as I waited patiently for him to lock up his house before we left for the big game. "And what in Gods name are Stiles and Derek doing in the same car without one of us there to supervise? Derek's going to end up murdering Stiles before the night is through."

Scott barked a laugh as we jogged to his mom's car. "That seems likely. I guess Derek was hiding out at Stiles' house today 'cause the police are still looking for him. They were on his property this morning so he went to Stiles' for some reason."

"He thought the best place to hide out would be the Sheriff's son's room?" I asked incredulously. Scott shrugged.

"I'm just glad he didn't come to my house and test me or something." He quipped. I had to agree with him there. Derek lacked certain people skills. But somehow, I got him. He was protective of me and I understood him. He was kind of like a strange, awkward, overbearing brother I never had.

Stiles didn't show up for the game. I sat in my seat, growing more agitated and worried as the night went on. Allison kept asking what was wrong but I didn't know what to tell her. I didn't even know where he was.

I tried calling him a few thousand times but he didn't answer. It went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Stiles, you big asshole. Where the hell are you? I'm freaking out right now because no one seems to know the answer to that and if Derek hasn't murdered you already, I will. But, please call me back as soon as possible because God knows what it would take to make you miss your shot at first line." And I slammed my phone shut.

"No answer again?" Allison asked.

"I don't suppose his new girlfriend has any idea where he is?" I spat, causing her to recoil.

"Hey, what Lydia did was a really terrible thing, but I had nothing to do with it! That's why I'm sitting here with you, not her." She said sympathetically. "And it's not the only terrible thing she's done this week." She mumbled something about being a skanky boyfriend kisser.

I sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm just really worried about that asshole." She chuckled, shaking her head.

"If only he could see what he makes you do, then he'd realize what a huge fool he was." She smiled warmly.

"Right," I snorted, "Go Scott!"

We turned our attention back to the game, which was almost over. It was tied with a minute left in the game. Allison and I cheered for Scott, though Allison blushed every time I looked pointedly at her for it.

Scott made an amazing save and passed it to Danny at the last second, who scored, winning the game.

"We're going to the semi-finals!" We screamed excitedly, jumping up and down together.

"Let's go congratulate Scott!" I drug her across the field and off to the locker rooms where everyone was heading.

As we pushed open the doors, the atmosphere was insane. People were cheering and screaming. Signs and lacrosse sticks were flying around and chants were being belted at the top of people's lungs.

"State! State! State!" One heavy-set boy was calling through the crowd. I caught a glimpse of Scott asking the people around him something.

"I see Scott," I told her and we pushed through the sweaty, loud crowd until we reached him.

"Has anyone seen Stiles?" He called. Seeing me, he hurriedly came towards us. "Have you seen Stiles?"

I shook my head, feeling that worry erupt in my stomach once again.

"Hey, Scott," Allison smiled, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

Scott stood there stunned for a few seconds, "Allison. Hi." He breathed.

"You did really well tonight." She complimented shyly.

"Thanks, you too." I snorted again at his lameness. "I mean—no I didn't mean that—"

"Oh no, you can congratulate me. Mase and I were doing some pretty impressive cheering out there." She grinned.

He was just about to answer when that heavy-set boy got in between them and started yelling, "State! State! State!"

"Allison!" Mr. Argent appeared suddenly. "Time to go." Allison nodded and quickly hugged me before scurrying off.

"State! State! State. Sta…" The look on Scott's face shut him up. The boy slithered off to start a riot else where.

Scott looked around for Allison but she was already by the door. She waved good-bye and disappeared out into the night.

"You haven't heard from Stiles either?" He asked me, frantically looking behind me as if Stiles would pop up, laughing about how this was all just a big joke.

I shook my head no. We just looked at the ground, worrying whether our best friend was okay, or even alive.

I was sitting in the steam filled locker room, waiting for Scott to get out of the shower. He was my ride home and Stiles and he still had that protocol of me not being by myself for more than five seconds.

The shower shut off and a few seconds later, a towel-clad Scott walked out. I sat up on the bench as he shuffled through his locker and bag for his extra pair of clothes.

"I tried calling him again." I hit my head against the lockers behind me. He stopped rummaging through his stuff and glanced over at me. Worry written all over his face.

"Should we drive over to his house?" He offered.

I shook my head. If Stiles was home, he would be able to pick up his phone and call us.

"Maybe we should check out Derek's." He tried.

"Unless Derek's holding him hostage, Stiles wouldn't be there without being able to tell us what's going on." I shut that idea down too.

"What about—" What his next idea was, I didn't know because someone had shut off the power, alerting us that we were no longer alone.

"Scott…" I whispered urgently. He glanced at me quickly and started peering around the room.

"Scott McCall." A high, clear voice echoed from the darkness. Scott stepped in front of me so fast I didn't see who the voice came from. I saw Derek step out from the doorway, hands in his pockets, looking as stony as ever.

"Derek," I breathed a sigh of relief. Stiles was with Derek and if Derek was okay, Stiles was too. "Where's Stiles?"

"Hello again, Mason." That same voice smiled. I peaked from behind Scott to see a man who seemed familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen him. He was wearing a long leather jacket and smiling creepily at me.

I squinted my eyes to get a better look at him and I felt too shocked to do anything. Standing before me was Derek's Uncle Peter. But he wasn't brain dead or burned beyond recognition anymore. He was whole and fully functioning.

"Derek, what's going on?" I asked, looking terrified at Derek. He didn't respond.

"She is a very pretty girl, isn't she Derek?" Peter stepped forward, smirking at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat as Scott pushed me back.

"He's the Alpha." Scott said in a feint voice after he put all the pieces together.

Peter smiled wider, nodding. "Very good, Scott."

I stood there frozen in horror. Here the Alpha was, just standing in front of us with no one else around but Derek who seemed to not care about what was going on. The Alpha could just make Scott phase in a second and I would be a goner. The Alpha could also just as easily change me so my situation wasn't looking so good.

"And you're helping him?" Scott cried, not believing what he was seeing. Derek merely shrugged. "Did you forget the part where he killed your sister?"

"It was an accident." He said in a dead sort of voice.

"People don't just accidentally kill their nieces!" I laughed at the absurdity of this situation. Yesterday, Derek would have gladly asked me to help kill the Alpha, too, if he had known who it was. And now he was happily standing by while the Alpha closed in on Scott and I.

"These things happen." He uttered.

I shook my head in disbelief. Was Derek really that thick that he couldn't comprehend that Peter killed Laura Hale because he was a psychopathic murderer? I think the rising body count proved that for itself.

"What the hell, Derek?" Scott demanded, "So you're on his side now?"

"There are no sides, Scott," Peter tilted his head, laughing slightly at the thought. "We're just talking. There's no need to be defensive. Why don't you stop suffocating Mason and let me get a better look at our future pack member." He bared his teeth in a menacing sort of grin.

Scott didn't budge.

"Now, now, we're all fellow wolves here," He wagged his finger at Scott, "Or we will be."

I let out a shaky breath, willing myself not to cry. "Did you hurt Stiles?"

I was scared out of my mind and somehow I was still finding the time to worry about Stiles. I was pathetically in love with that boy…

Peter shook his head, migrating to where Derek was standing so he was now in front of me. "I'm only hurting those who deserve it."

"Why do I deserve it?" My nostrils flared.

"I'm not going to hurt you either, Mason," He feigned surprise, "On the contrary, I'm going to give you a gift."

"I don't want it." I said stubbornly.

He chortled, "Everyone wants it, Mason. It's all a matter of when they'll stop lying to themselves about it."

"What are you doing here? Come to watch me kill my friends and change Mason?" Scott seethed, "If so, I'm sorry to say you've wasted a trip from the hospital. I won't hurt my friends and I won't make Mason like me."

The Alpha looked away for a second as if he was pondering something and said, "I think you will. I think that under the circumstances, you will do it."

"What circumstances?" My curiosity got the better of me.

"Either you change Mason, or I'll kill her." I felt my stomach drop straight to the floor. Scott was paling in front of me, standing up straight and alert.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hurt me." I croaked.

"I changed my mind." He said lightly as if we were talking about the weather inside of murder. "You see, Mason. I'm doing things to hurt the people who are responsible for killing my family and leaving me burned and broken for years."

"I know that. I lost my mom in that fire, so don't preach to me about hurt. I think I understand that part." I said fiercely. He smiled gleefully at me.

"That's what would make you such a strong addition to my pack. You're tough and can handle yourself. I like that in a woman."

Scott was breathing heavily, trying to keep himself calm.

He sauntered up to me, looking down at me with a malicious grin, "If I change you or kill you (which would be such a waste if I had to kill you), it will hurt someone who hurt me."

"Who?" I readied myself for the answer.

"Your father." He said simply.

I couldn't help myself. I started laughing hysterically. He was making no sense and I had taken on more stress than humanly possible.

"My dad had nothing to do with that fire!" I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He lost the only thing he really cared about that night! Why would he have started that fire?"

"Oh, no, no, no," Peter clucked his tongue in disapproval, "Dearest Mayor Mayfield didn't start the fire. But he knows who did and he never brought his wife's killer to justice all these year. He's let her leave town and live freely while everyone else tried to find the culprit…"

I just stood there feeling numb. Why would my father let my mother's killer walk? He was a politician, but he was also a law-abiding citizen. He considered littering a jail-worthy crime. He just let Kate Argent strut around town for the past month, chatted with her brother about me, and let her get away with murder ten years ago.

"No." My voice felt distant, like it wasn't even mine.

"How does that make you feel? Knowing your father let a mass murderer get away with everything that happened that night. Do you think he stays up at night, feeling any remorse for what he's done? Do you think he ever really even loved your mother at all?"

I could feel the hot tears drip down my face. My hands were shaking and I fell on the bench to my right. Soft sobs fell from my lips. How could my father let Kate go? If he had my mother's killer, why wouldn't he give her the death penalty or go after her himself? Maybe he never did love her. If Peter killed me, would he even bother to find out, or would he know and let him get away with it?

"Do you think that if I had to kill you, he'd even bother to come after me?" The Alpha thought aloud, smiling cruelly. "I'm not too sure. But, he would have to do something if he found out that you were a werewolf, seeing as he's a hunter…" He looked at me expectantly.

Scott glanced wide-eyed at me. This was all too much to handle. How could I have lived in the same house as that man and never have known any of this? I hadn't even the slightest inclination of werewolves until Scott became one!

"He'd probably have to kill you if you broke a code or law or whatever the hell they 'abide' by," He scoffed lazily. He was getting some sick kick off my despair as I just sat on the bench breaking down. "That's why I chose you, Mason. You'd be the crown jewel of it all, taking the only thing Mayor Mayfield has left and turning her into what he's tried to protect her from all these years. It's quite poetic, really."

"You're sick." Scott spat.

Peter sighed, glancing at the time boredly. "We'd better run. But, before we do...you should bite Mason, Scott."

"I'm not going to bite her." He said resolutely.

"Too bad," The Alpha sighed.

"You seem real broken up about it." I muttered through my tears.

"Well, I'll give you one more chance tomorrow night," He announced, "That'll be the third chance and I think that's very gracious of me, Scott."

"Third chance?" Scott asked, perplexed.

"Yes, that night at the school, tonight, and tomorrow night. That's three." He started for the door, Derek silently following. As he was closing the door behind him, he poked his head back, chuckling, "Oh! And one more thing: three strikes and she's out."

I heard the door click shut and Scott punched a locker as hard as he could. I glanced up through my puffy eyes and tears to see a large dent in one of the lockers.

"I'm s-sorry," I sobbed. I felt Scott wrap his arms around me and pull me into a tight embrace.

"No, I'm sorry. I should be protecting you and it looks like I'm doing more damage to you than anything." He sighed angrily.

"You c-cant prevent i-it. He's g-going to kill m-me!" I howled, "O-or you'll end up c-changing m-me and my d-dad will!"

"Mason, no ones going to hurt you. I promise."

"You should stop p-promising things you can't k-keep." I sniveled. He pulled away to look at me.

"I'm going to keep this promise. I'm not going to let anything happen to my best friend, even if that means killing the Alpha myself." He said meaningfully.

I nodded, sniffling into his bare shoulder as I tried to calm myself down.

"I don't want to see you get hurt over me." I whispered as the doors to the locker burst open again.

"You guys, we have a big problem." A sweaty and tired Stiles announced, trying to catch his breath like he had just ran a long distance.

"Trust me," Scott agreed, "We know."

AN: Wowzers. Only THREE more chapters after this one! That shit cray. That means that this should be done before I leave for state and then I'll start editing the sequel (hopefully) after state and start posting that one! It's not done. Not by a long shot (only like 5 chapters) but, I'm excited to get back to it with all the down time I'll have after state and finals (:

Hope you guys are enjoying this story as much I did writing it!

I'd like to take this time to give a special shout out to some faithful reviewers: SamiLynn20, kkckat3, & ChristiScribbles. You guyz rock my sox off.