They'd been walking for a good five minutes in silence by now. Stiles gripped at his backpack tightly, cheeks as red as the near-bloomed roses. He was walking with one messed up weirdo. For starters, the man was a freaking werewolf! Then he had to go and... do that... It took a few naughty fantasies in his head before Stiles finally gathered the courage to pipe up, "So... Are we gonna talk about... you know..."

Derek was in his human form, but refused to acknowledge him as they kept to the path. There was no use in explaining himself. He just needed to get this boy home, and be on his way. Get rid of him, maybe out of harms way. He couldn't deal with a mate right now. Stiles tried again, inching closer as they walked, "You know, it kinda seemed like you were fighting your furry-self back there."

Still no reply.

"You're not gonna talk about it are you?" The silence was all the answer Stiles got. "Well, could you at least cover your self with something? Anything? A cloth? two leaves? ANYTHING!? I mean seriously... teenagers re horny enough without-"

Then Derek was still, raising an arm to stop Stiles as well. "D-Derek?"

"Shut up." he ordered, raising his head as if listening for something.

Stiles couldn't hear anything... nothing apart from his own heart beat as Derek held his arm firmly across his chest. The same hand that had... well... There went his sick fantasies again. It wasn't his fault though! This crazy wolf-man had been all over him!

"Stiles."

"Yeah?"

"Make your heart shut up too."

"WHAT!?" Stiles yelped, louder then intended.

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" he ordered.

"I-"

He was interrupted by a loud voice, echoing around them. "Well, well Derek. What do you have there?"

Stiles dropped hi bag in order to let his hands fly up and grab onto Derek's arm, who in turn growled menacingly at the voice in a protective fashion. Derek seemed on edge, and it made Stiles worry... what would frighten a werewolf?! He nearly jumped out of his skin when the creepy voice boomed around them once more, "I smell a snack.."

It was a man's voice... deep and inviting, but at the same time, had the power to send chills down your spine. Bright, glowing, red eyes surrounded them, encouraging Derek to draw stiles into his chest, caging him within his arms as he snarled at the mysterious others. That same voice... "Oh? not a snack?"

"If you touch him, I swear I will end each and every one of you!" Derek warned, his glare showing just how serious he was. "You hear me? Not a hair!"

Stiles looked up at his wolf, he really wanted to keep him safe didn't he? ...Why?

A few of the wolves stepped away from the trees, closing the circle tighter around them. Cautiously, Stiles tried to get answers, "Derek? What's going on?"

"I'm being hunted."

"Hunted!?"

"All of these wolves... they're alphas."

"Wait.. I thought that alphas were the leader of a pack!?"

Derek wasn't so human anymore, his teeth were longer, even sharper. The hair that barely formed sideburns was now full, and ran all the way down his cheeks. His brow was rough and intimidating... he looked dangerous. He kept his eyes on the wolves as he answered Stiles, "Exactly, but none of them belong to a pack."

"W-well I don't know that much about werewolves... but this looks like a pack to me!"

"It is, but there's not much control in a pack like this. Everyone wants to be the lead-"

"Enough idle talk!" that familiar, spine chilling voice barked, it's owner stepping through the wolves, "I am the leader of this pack until I claim the borderland betas."

"The borderland betas want nothing other then to be left alone!" Derek growled, keeping firm hold over his mate as the man inched closer.

He scoffed, "That's not what we were told." He kept conversation with Derek, but had turned his piercing eyes to Stiles, "We have it on good authority that you were asked to become their alpha." as quickly as it had left, his gaze returned to Derek, "That will not happen.

"You're an alpha?!" Stiles interrupted, looking up at Derek with wide eyes, "You mean to tell me I've got -not just a werewolf- but an ALPHA hitting on me?!"

The man cringed, "He's an omega! Not fit to be an alpha!"

Derek glared at the stranger, "An alpha that leaves an alpha pack is still an alpha. It makes no difference."

"You abandoned you pack!"

"I abandoned a group of power-hungry tyrants!"

Loud, upset noises emitted from the circled wolves as the 'leader' started to transform, breaking to the same point Derek was in, man-wolf, "Taking alpha-less packs isn't against our laws! It's survival."

"Taking them isn't the crime." he corrected, "Murdering their alphas is."

Some of the surrounding wolves kept their anger, while others backed down a bit. It was obviously the truth. Stiles was confused, "You.. murdered alphas?"

"Secretly. No warning. Poisoned, burned, even hired a hunter for one of them. To take down an alpha requires a challenge. It was a slaughter." Derek answered.

"Enough!" the man yelled, "We are here for a purpose."

Derek's grip around Stiles turned deadly, probably bordering on bruises later. The wolves snarled and barred their teeth, some scraping their paws against the earth as their message was relayed, "That pack is my property. If you take it, I will make absolutely sure, that you regret it."

Derek let out a mocking scoff, "I'm not afraid of you Tagumik."

Tagumik grinned, his gnarly teeth forming a twisted smile as he turned his attention to Stiles, "It's not you who should be afraid of me." he left Derek with one last smug glance before taking off with his pack... Leaving Stiles and Derek in a heart-racing rush of nervousness.