Stiles woke with a start as the cab driver yelled at him through the glass he paid the guy and got out. He couldn't believe where his life had taken him. How did he somehow land with the responsibility for the entire werewolf world? He never would have imagined that going into the woods to look for a body eight years ago would land him here. Sniffing the air he followed his nose around the buildings that clustered the airport and found Deucalion waiting for him in a small dark alley.
"Glad to see you made the right choice Mr. Stilinski", Deucalion smiled widely.
"Well unfortunately the memories you left behind proved you were right. That means werewolves across the states are in danger. If I can do something about it then I guess it's my duty to do it. Plus I could hardly do nothing when I know Isaac, Allison and her father are in danger", Stiles responded quickly.
"Yes I thought that was probably quite a swaying factor towards your decision. Now are you sure you want to do this? You'll remember yesterday I warned you if you start down this path there will be no turning back", Deucalion said darkly. "I know the kind of stress it will put on you, after all I did lead the alpha pack for almost a decade."
"Yeah but it will be different for me because it'll be among friends", Stiles replied with conviction. "Now tell me where I'm going in France please so I can go save my friends."
Deucalion snapped his fingers and another wolf jumped out of the black limo he was standing by. The wolf handed him a transparent plastic wallet before climbing back in the car. "One of my betas", Deucalion explained at my raised eye brows. "Okay everything you need is in that wallet. Plane ticket, maps, money and a phrase guide in case you need to ask the locals anything along the way. Your flight leaves in forty minutes from gate 3. Good luck." Deucalion went to get in the car but turned before he lowered himself into the vehicle. "Oh and the brown envelop inside contains the information you will need to track down Kali after your mission in France", Deucalion gave his wolfish smile and closed the limousine door. The limo backed out and departed the airport parking lot immediately.
Stiles yawned as he exited the airport when he touched down in France. It was his first time in the Rhone Alps region and he took a moment to breath in the fresh air. Too long had he been stuck in the big city and the air here was crisp and refreshing. He was heading towards the taxi stand hoping to find a ride into town so he could hire something fast but was approached instead by a young woman with scratch marks across the right side of her face. "Stiles Stilinski?" She said his name as a question.
"Yes", he replied slightly wary. How did this woman he had never met know him?
"Deucalion asked me to meet with you. I have a car right over here. Shall we get going?" She asked as she nodded to a midnight blue Porsche. I walked over and slid my hand across the beauty.
"Yeah, we should probably get going", he mumbled as he climbed in the passenger seat.
"Your flight was delayed so we are actually running late", the woman said as she shot down the road away from the airport. Thankfully she was a good driver otherwise her attempts to dodge her way through traffic would have ended in a serious road traffic accident. "I'm Braeden", she said as she pulled us out into the country lanes now. Since there was no traffic here the car sped up yet again and we were racing towards the mountain retreat cabin complex where the hunter seminar was to occur.
"It's nice to meet you Braeden", Stiles said quietly. "I think I should admit to you this is kinda a terrifying experience for me. First time I'll have to face hunters since I was turned" he admitted just as quietly.
"It's alright to be afraid. If you weren't I'd be worried about you. We are heading to try and save fifteen or so hunters only two of which will refrain from filling you with wolfsbane laced bullets. On top of that a pack of twenty three wolves with an alpha that has a reputation for dismembering his victims and watching joyfully as they die from the bloodless that the loss of their arms produces", the hired gun replied in a steady voice and a smile.
"Why are you smiling if were heading into such a dangerous situation?" Stiles cried worried he was with someone as crazy as Peter.
"Well its kind exciting at the same time isn't it? I mean don't tell me you don't feel that rush of energy", the woman muttered excitedly.
"Great so you're an adrenaline junkie", Stiles whispered darkly. She laughed at that as they approached their destination. "Look no one here actually knows I'm a werewolf here so keep it quiet. Unless I am forced to shift I would prefer to handle this with my magic alone."
"Sure thing. And I'll do my best to make sure Isaac gets to fight the alpha", she answered. Obviously Deucalion had informed her of the objective here.
"Braeden", he shouted. "You may want to speed up." She gave me a quizzical look but complied. Stiles grit his teeth as he heard more growling and gunshots. They were too late, damn it. He had hoped we would be able to talk before everything went down. As soon as the car pulled up he was out and running towards the building all the fighting was occurring in. As he opened the door the stench of blood, death and wolfsbane hit him hard and he almost backed out but he needed to help his friends; to help Isaac, Allison and her father so he forced himself in further.
The sight that met his eyes was worse than he had imagined yet also it seemed things were looking better for him. Out of the fifteen hunters all that was left were five if you included Allison and her father. While on the werewolves side only seven had been downed, leaving sixteen to move against the hunters. Isaac was safe but it looked like he was injured. Stiles lifted the wolf that was tearing into Isaac and threw him across the room at his pack before he electrocuted the four prowling towards the hunters. The moment the voltage passed through their system he threw them back at their pack too. All eyes in the place turned towards him standing a few steps inside the doorway.
"Stiles?" he heard Allison and Isaac exhale sharply. Suddenly one of the betas of the pack leapt towards him but before she got too close a shotgun went off and she fell to the floor with bullets peppered through her skull. Blood and brain matter began leaking on to the floor to join the rest.
"Who are you?" growled the alpha from across the room.
"Who me?" Stiles asked as he made his way across the room confidently. "I'm their friend, your enemy. In fact I'm your worst nightmare. You have no idea what I can do. You've seen nothing but some party tricks yet. But you know I'm a nice guy so I'm gonna give you a choice. Either you can leave which means you survive today but have hunters tailing you and wiping you out one by one. I'd wager with back up the hunters wipe the rest of this pack out in a week tops. Or your second option, one on one combat as per standard werewolf traditions. What do you say?"
The alpha looked like he wanted to sink his fangs into the boy but Stiles just smirked at him until he finally barked, "Fine. Choose your wolf."
"Isaac", Stiles said confidently pointing to his friend.
"You send in a beta to do an alpha's job?" the alpha sneered. "Very well, I'll be his opponent –". The werewolf stopped talking suddenly as small lights began to swirl around Isaac. They lasted only a few seconds and when they left he stood up completely healed. "What did you do?" he snapped at Stiles.
"I healed him. Now you both start on equal footing. Everyone please stand back and don't interfere. If you do the challenge will be invalidated and they will not hesitate to tear the rest of us to bits", Stiles said loudly so the hunters could hear. Isaac walked other to him and they embraced each other in a tight hug.
"Stiles what's happening? What did you do?" he whispered urgently.
"It's single combat to the death. One on one. It was the only way I could ensure they didn't kill anyone else. Allison and her father look pretty beat up", Stiles whispered back.
"Okay but I can't beat an alpha", Isaac mumbled fearfully.
"Isaac you can do anything you put your mind to. Besides I know you Isaac you have the biggest heart I know. To save Allison I know you would do anything. Trust in your own strength", Stiles told him quietly in a confident and compelling tone. He hugged Isaac tighter briefly before he released him and moved to stand with Allison and her father.
The fighting started the moment Stiles turned and nodded to them. "Stiles", Allison cried in a mix of emotions. Happy, angry, confused and pained were just a few. "Why did you do that? Isaac can't beat an alpha singlehandedly."
"SShh", he hissed at her as he cast the same spell on them that he used on Isaac. He saw the French pack of wolves hissing as they saw him heal up the fighters on his side. "Have faith in your boyfriend Allison", he scolded her.
"I do", she replied firmly. "I do. I'm just afraid for him. Wait how did you know we're together?" she asked while they both watched the fight between Isaac and the alpha.
"Unimportant", he answered. Isaac had definitely got better in the five years Stiles hadn't seenn him but the alpha still had the upper hand. He was stronger and faster. But Stiles stood by what he said before; Isaac would win this because he had heart. He would fight to his dying breath to protect anyone he loved. The fact that it was Allison his girlfriend meant he would fight that much harder and never give up. "Come on Isaac", Stiles called. "You can do this. Remember Gerald, remember the kanima and remember the alpha pack we managed to take all of them down. You survived them all. You can do this. Back then I was the weak human of the pack and I survived. I've only grown stronger since then and so have you. Now is the time to show this other pack what true strength is."
Allison hugged his side and Chris Argent clapped and hand on his shoulder. They continued watching the fight which was unfairly sided given the fact that the wounds the alpha inflicted didn't heal instantly while any wounds Isaac inflicted vanished after just a few seconds. Stiles gasped as he saw Isaac turn the tables on the alpha in one move. Isaac sank to his knees when the alpha launched at him and sprang up the moment the wolf was above him. He sank his claws deep in the alpha and raked them down his chest. The alpha landed on the floor at his feet. "Finish it now", Stiles called knowing Isaac needed the push. He watched as Isaac committed the threat Derek had long ago used against Stiles to force his submission. Isaac tore the alpha's throat out using his teeth. Isaac looked up at the French pack and allowed them to see his red eyes before he roared at them and they scattered.
"Well done Isaac!" Stiles cried running forward to pat the guy on the back. He whispered some words and Isaac was once again engulfed in the bright swirling lights. Allison leapt at her boyfriend and hugged him even while Stiles' magic went to work on the boy's wounds.
Isaac pulled Allison to one side and looked up at Stiles. "I, rather we, have a lot we want to ask you but first tell me why. Why did I have to kill the alpha? Because now I'm an alpha and Beacon Hills already has two alphas."
Stiles smiled hesitantly at the boy because he was right he did deserve to know. "I'm not sure here is the right place for me to explain everything. But the one on one combat rules apply only to werewolves so I didn't exactly have a lot of options. Come back with Braeden and I to the hotel we are staying at in town and I'll explain everything", Stiles offered lightly, nodding to his associate by the door.
"That's a great idea", Chris Argent said happily. "Allison and I will join you", he added inviting himself and Allison along, not realising Stiles had meant for them to come as well.
Once they were back at the hotel room that Deucalion had rented for them Stiles launched into the long and detailed explanation of why he had done what he did.
"So Deucalion turns up and you agree to follow his plan to turn Isaac into an alpha. But why?" Mr Argent asked knowing there was more to this.
"He wanted me to let Isaac become an alpha in the hopes that along with Derek and Scott they might begin to form a new alpha pack", Stiles answered.
"So why did he go to you? I mean you left and didn't come back. Why would he think you could get us to create a new alpha pack?" Isaac asked.
"He came to me because of my magic", Stiles carefully told half truths thile he avoided telling them the whole truth. "He knew he could convince me easier than anyone else because I could use my magic to verify things. These crystals contain memories to prove his claims", Stiles said pulling a tightly sealed airtight bag with the onyx crystals from his pockets.
"Okay but how does he expect you to convince Derek and Scott this is a good idea? And what does he expect us to do with the non alpha members like Allison, Kira, Lydia and you", Isaac muttered.
"I'm touched you still count me as pack, Issac", Stiles breathed. "He doesn't count any pack members that aren't werewolves. He was hoping we might make Cora the fifth alpha we need; while he also expressed concern on allowing Peter to remain in the pack let alone gain alpha status again."
"Stiles you've always been pack and you always will be", Isaac murmured as he struggled to stop himself from whining. "Do you know what is up with me?" he asked Stiles when he failed to contain the whine. Stiles didn't miss they had failed to realise he said fifth.
Stiles laughed before he answered, "Nothing is wrong with you Isaac. You're an alpha now. Your wolf side is stronger and you just need to learn how to control it. Until then I would advise a little distance from Allison so you don't end up hurting her."
"He'd never", Allison said loudly.
"Allie", Isaac whispered. "I think he is right this is different. Until I feel I have a better control I don't want to put you at risk." He kissed her forehead. "So Stiles are there any other developments we should know about? Are you coming back to Beacon Hills with us?"
"I'm not going back to Beacon Hills just yet. I've got a little score to settle and I've got to pick up a little present for Cora", Stiles smiled coyly.
"What score?" Chris asked curiously.
"I didn't tell you but I found out while I was away from Beacon Hills that my dad's death wasn't an accident. Kali was behind it", Stiles answered while he stared the man down.
"So you plan to kill her in vengeance?" Chris asked.
"No I only plan to capture her. I want to offer Cora the pleasure of the kill. So long as she dies I don't mind who does it. You know why she went after my dad? She couldn't get to me. And she only went after me to get to Derek", Stiles spat in disgust.
"So you know how Derek felt about you then?" Allison whispered.
"Feels", Stiles corrected her. "I'm surprised the pack knows but yeah I know I'm his mate. It's not something a wolf can move on from. It's something permanent; we're in it for life."
"Yeah we know about you two being mates", Isaac mumbled. "He was sort of broken when you left for a while. He is doing better now but we can still see it affecting him. How long have you known?"
"Two years", Stiles swallowed.
"And you still didn't come back to us? How did you find out anyway?" Isaac asked as his eyes flashed red in frustration.
"I didn't come back because I wasn't ready Isaac", Stiles snarled. "My life hasn't exactly been a walk in the park since I left but I did what I needed to do. As to how I know, I'm sure this will answer your question", Stiles continued as he let the red take over his eyes. He watched as Chris and Allison jumped while Isaac sat growling at him.
"Oh, Stiles how long? How long have you been an alpha?" Chris asked impatiently yet with a hint of consoling concern. He knew this situation was getting very dangerous. Alpha werewolves needed a pack otherwise the instinct would drive them insane.
"Two years", Stiles answered slightly calmer yet keeping his eyes on Isaac who seemed unable to control his growling yet. "The werewolf that attacked me was just starting to build his pack. He wanted me because he knew I was intelligent. He bit me when my back was turned and I killed him before I could control my rage. I've changed a lot. I'm not the same Stiles you all knew."
"But that's impossible. How have you survived two years with no pack or territory? An alpha needs them, without them it would drive them crazy", Chris muttered suspiciously.
"I have a pack", Stiles announced to his old friends who were shocked. "Didn't you hear Isaac a minute ago?"
Isaac was so shocked he actually managed to stop growling. "You still think of all of us as pack", he realised. Stiles nodded to him.