Stiles knew something was wrong the moment Scott's whining began to subside. He turned, lacrosse stick in hand, in time to see Scott, Issac, Derek, Boyd, and Jackson sprinting towards him. His instincts kicked into high gear as they drew near. They were all visibly shaking; Scott's claws were already extended, eyes a pale gold. Stiles met Derek's eyes which were a blazing inferno at this point. Derek pulled him close, tucking him into his side protectively.

"Jackson, I want you and Boyd to get Stiles out of here, as far away as you can." He growled at his betas. They nodded, but Stiles balked.

"What? I'm not going anywhere Derek! I'm a part of this pack too; you can't just pick and choose when to have me around." He broke out of his grip and moved beside Issac. Silence. The wind rustled over the grass, but Stiles kept his eyes firmly trained on the older man before him. He wasn't going to run and hide anymore. He may be human but he'd been through a hell of a lot to walk away, even if it was for his safety.

Derek growled, canines elongating. He reached out and gripped his elbow, claws lightly digging into his skin. He held back a wince, but couldn't quite control the spike in his heartbeat. "This isn't up for debate Stiles! It's a damn Alpha- you're human." His tone left no room for argument. Naturally that was exactly what Stiles was best at: finding the room.

"Derek you came to me for help! I need to be here. If things get out of hand I'll turn tail and run with my ears down and tail between my legs." He hoped and prayed to God that they ignored the tiny white lie. Of course they didn't.

Scott placed a hand over Derek's wrist. "He's right Stiles, you need to go. I don't want you in the middle of this."

"Well it's a little late for that don't you think? I AM in this, deeper than I'd like but in it all the same. I don't need an escort, I know the way home." He had lost all patience now. Furiously he tore his arm away and pushed through the throng. He made a beeline for his jeep, fuming over the indignity of it all. He cast a withering look at the wolves, who were now darting off towards the school. Deep down he knew that they were right. All he could really do against an alpha was get killed or cause a distraction. And- let's face it- he didn't care how many Scooby snacks were being offered, he would not be bait. He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that it took him a moment before seeing the hulking figure leaning against his jeep.

The man was taller than Derek, at least six feet-eight inches; his skin was dark chocolate, darker than Boyd's; his hair was blacker than the night and tied back into a ponytail at his neck. The man radiated power and danger. Stiles stumbled back, causing the man to sneer with a wicked glint in the crimson irises. He took one step forward then in a blink of an eye had disappeared. Everything told Stiles to run, to burn rubber, to get to his friends or his jeep….but he couldn't move. His feet were rooted to the ground, refusing to budge even an inch. He didn't understand how the alpha had made it here undetected, had basically caught them by surprise. It was too soon, too much they didn't know. How many were here? How strong were they? How could the man disappear like that?

Suddenly the man was there, a mere arms length away. He was flashing his teeth now, the rancid smell of blood and decay rolling off of him. "My, my….such a special little human we have. You smell…different." The man leaned in and took a long sniff, his nose just kissing his neck. He couldn't help the shudder that rolled through his body.

"W-what do you want?" he croaked, not sounding at all like the macho guy he wanted to be.

The man took a smaller step forward. "I'm, how do you say? Scoping out the playing field? It's in our best interest to decide how best to play our little game."

Stiles swallowed bile in his throat. Damn, where were the guys? "Well good luck. Maybe I'll even get to watch you get your sorry ass handed to you."

His eyes narrowed into slits, but the snarl remained on his face. "You won't get to see anything. I have someone who'd love to meet you." He never had time to react. The man reached out and twisted him around until his back was pressed against his front. One arm restrained him around his middle as he kicked and vainly struggled.

"Derek! Der-" his scream cut off as the wolf thrust a large hand over his mouth. He bit down, breaking the skin, which only made the alpha laugh.

"Calling your alpha? He won't make it in time to save you, I made sure the false trail got him far enough away." He buried his nose into his neck, inhaling deeply. "You do smell like Hale… I did not fathom that he would actually be involved with a human. But I cannot deny that you are very…"

He didn't finish his sentence. There was a flash of blonde hair, a startled groan, and the man released him. He went sprawling on the ground, his head hitting the pavement. He rolled over hearing the snarling beasts fight. He hoisted himself half off the ground, just in time to witness Erica flying across the parking lot. Her body impacted the cement with a sickening crunch but she was on her feet in seconds. One arm was dangling at an awkward angle, but she was tearing at the alpha again. He watched in horror as the two went at each other's throats. Erica was greatly outmatched from the beginning. She managed a swipe or two, but mostly she danced away from his angry swings. He should have known their luck was limited at best.

No sooner had she moved in for a kick he caught her leg and snapped it in half. She crumpled to the ground, shrieking at the pain shooting through her body. "Erica!" his voice broke. She tried to crawl to him, to shield him with her body. The alpha was faster. He gripped her throat, muscles flexing. The man pulled her to her feet, bringing her to eye level. Her eyes bugged as he squeezed, crushing her throat with every ounce of strength he had. "No, stop PLEASE!"

In desperation, Stiles launched to his feet and charged the man. The alpha stared him down with cold indifference. He swung out his free arm and caught Stiles in the chest. He went sailing backwards, his head thudding against the ground once again. Stars exploded before his eyes, a numbness seeping over every pore in his body. He heard Erica struggling for air; the snarls of the alpha, the pleasure he had in invoking such misery; and faintly his name being called. His lids dropped, just as he heard a roar that shook the very ground that was soaked with Erica's blood and his despair.