Derek felt the warning bells go off in his head as he watched the enraged teenager stomp away. He'd learned long ago to listen to his natural instincts; the last time he hadn't Kate Argent had murdered his family in cold blood. Yet this time, as much as he wanted to keep the boy near, he had to get as far from him as possible. It wasn't just that Stiles was a human that could be killed if caught in the crossfire; Derek made no mistake that the boy was not fragile in any sense, but in some ways the boy was at greater risk than even his betas. When regular alphas attacked a rival pack, they went after the weakest members first, but Stiles was more than just a regular member and these were not regular alphas. They would sense his true place within the pack hierarchy and torture him, just to tear Derek apart. It was better that he didn't know, that no one suspected the boy's true place.
He swallowed his qualms and turned his attention to his betas and Scott. They had to follow the trail while it was still fresh or they'd lose the alpha. If they could subdue him, perhaps they could get a few answers before killing him. "The trail is heading south from here. Isaac, Boyd, and Jackson, I want you to circle around the eastern flank to head him off. Scott will take the west flank. I'll chase him head on. Once we have him cornered Boyd you'll take the immediate frontline. Isaac and Jackson will cover you like we've practiced. Do Not attempt to actually kill or injure him; you're not nearly strong enough. You're just a distraction. Scott and I will deliver the finishing blows." The betas nodded once and the group dispersed.
Something wasn't right. The bells in his head were screaming now, screaming for him to turn back, to return to the field. He'd followed the trail for only a few moments, but he was far enough away to no longer be able to hear the thrum of Stiles heartbeat. More than that, the trail itself didn't smell right. It smelled tainted, almost like Jackson had after he was bitten. But this was not another reptilian nightmare; this was a dangerous wolf from a pack he knew next to nothing about. The scent was definitely wolf, but it was laced with something else that irritated his senses. It was sickly sweet, almost floral, but definitely not aconite. And the farther he followed it, the stronger it became. Were they walking into a trap? If so, what was the purpose of the foreign scent? Unless… it dawned on him then, his gut wrenching in pain. It was a trap, but not for them.
He turned and sprinted back towards the school, for once using the incredible speed to his advantage. His ears twitched painfully, a blade driven into his heart when he heard the boy's strangled cries of despair. He allowed the heat, the anger to break loose in his body. He felt as his muscles expanded until they tore. His human skin fell away as the hulking beast ripped out of its cage. His canines pushed through his gums forcefully, his claws extending to their maximum length. Everything took on a reddish hue, sparse areas of gray flitting across his vision. He advanced at full strength, the boy's frantic heartbeat pounding in his ears.
He reached the field but did not slow down. He saw the battle; Erica had joined the fray. She was combating the man head to head, but it was obvious the alpha was holding back. He watched in horror as Stiles struggled to his feet and ran at the two. Was the kid stupid? The alpha swung his arm back and struck him square in the chest. The boy flew back and crumpled to the pavement. Even from that distance he heard the rib crack, heard the impact of the pavement. The boy's heart fluttered for a moment, its' pulse weakening. He roared in fury, capturing the man's attention.
The man released Erica who fell at his feet, unconscious. The alpha's eyes cut to Stiles only momentarily, before he charged Derek, allowing his body to shift as well. Derek met him halfway. He slammed his elbow into his jaw, receiving a kick to the abdomen in return. He didn't wince at the slight twinge of pain; he pushed the human emotion away and allowed his animalistic instincts to take precedence. They went back at each other again and again, neither gaining headway. They tore, ripped, clawed; but neither of them could injure the other. He stood breathing roughly, the sound of his betas' arrival reaching him distantly. His attention was only on the man before him.
Something in the air shifted, causing him to wince slightly. Before he knew what was happening five others appeared behind the alpha. Some were female, others male, but they all had the same tainted scent to them. A petite girl stood in the center, an amused smirk on her face. She had bouncy red hair, catlike blue eyes and flawless pale skin. She eyed the scene with a mischievous glint in her eyes; as though it were a fun game she had the pleasure of watching. It was obvious even to him that somehow this young girl was the strongest of them, the Alpha of the alphas. He snarled, prepared to take them all on right then and there. But the girl snapped her fingers impatiently and the man he'd gone toe to toe with returned to his human form. He bowed his head in submission and retreated to her side. He kneeled at her feet and the smile slipped off of her face, only to be replaced with a furious scowl that twisted her angelic features.
"You have failed me Lucas. I gave you a simple mission did I not?" Her voice was a high twinkle, like that of wind chimes. It ran shivers up the spines of her rank; they all feared her.
The man named Lucas did not look up, but his back tensed. "Yes mistress."
"I told you not to engage Hale or his pack. You were instructed to gather and only gather information. You disobeyed my orders." Her nostrils were flaring.
"Mistress, I assure you that I-" he whimpered as her eyes began to blaze.
"Silence! I do not tolerate insubordination from anyone. You were given simple instructions and you failed me. I do not give second chances Lucas, especially not to a man who nearly lost to the enemy. Alex! Gale! I want him properly attended to while I have a word with Hale. Get him out of my sight." She smiled again and took a dainty step forward as the two men escorted a struggling Lucas away. Derek tensed, but allowed himself to draw the wolf back in. he felt his skin fold back into place, his muscles return to their normal shape. His betas quickly formed ranks beside him, Scott to his immediate right. He bristled about that, but decided to let it slide.
The girl paused beside Erica's limp form and tsked slightly, the amused grin still firmly in place. "She is a fighter Hale; much stronger than most female betas I might add. I did not for see a beta of any kind lasting long with Lucas…but as you can clearly see he does tend to disappoint. Somewhere in the distance they heard an earsplitting howl of pain. The girl ignored it, but behind her Derek could smell the distress seeping from one female. Lucas must have been important to her. "I do apologize however. He was supposed to simply observe you and your pack until we were ready."
"Ready for what?" he crouched only slightly as she carefully made her way over to Stiles' prone figure.
"A little game. I love playing with new toys you see and the stronger the pack the better the game." She stopped feet from the boy's body and tilted her head slightly. Her eyes wandered to Derek's then to Stiles, then back to his again. She pointed a delicate finger at the boy. "Who is this little human?" Her voice conveyed her confusion more than her scent did.
He didn't say anything, just glared pointedly. She took a hesitant step forward and gently sniffed the air. He watched as a knowing smile touched her lips. He felt as if ice had plunged into his veins. "I see now… so this is why Lucas was so eager to get his hands on him. The boy is obviously a beacon for power don't you think. Oh the potential…" she said wistfully. She then stepped away, all business once again. "I'm going to be plain and clear with this Hale. I have come to kill you and your pack. I may or may not incorporate the survivors into our ranks. The female already has my consent to be in my pack; with proper training she will be unstoppable. Let me also make it clear that I enjoy the game more than the outcome. If I find it boring to toy with you then I'll decimate you all without hesitation. If any of you attempt to leave Beacon Hills you all die. As I said before, I do not give second chances, nor do I necessarily play fair." Her eyes cut to Stiles yet again. "The hunters are involved in this as well, so I suggest you notify them promptly, especially the young girl among them." She looked at Scott who was crouched as well, his body shaking in anger. The girl ignored him. "Also, that other female…I would love to extend the invitation to her as well….she possesses a quality I have found in only one other. She is a part of this and no she is not human as you have obviously assumed. Now, I have further business to attend to, as do you."
With a snap of her fingers and flip of her hair, she and the other wolves took off into the trees. Derek waited a few minutes, trying to sense a trap. Boyd was whimpering, his hand reaching out to Erica longingly. They all transformed back into their human persona, eyes on Derek, waiting for his approval to approach. Derek briefly nodded, making his way over to Stiles. His heartbeat was faint, but steady, the boy suffering from a concussion. He knelt beside him and gently pulled the boy into his lap, cradling his head. Scott joined him on the other side, the frown deepening on his face. He reached cautiously towards his best friend, gripping his cold hand in his.
"Stiles buddy, wake up," he whispered. His face fell when he received a small moan, eyes slightly glazing over. The omega met Derek's eyes. "Derek I-I know you don't trust me anymore…but we need to team up. Now more than ever."
Derek was grateful he was holding the boy, otherwise he would have taken a swing to Scott's head. After everything he'd done. After helping Gerard to nearly kill them all just for some stupid teenage girl who didn't give a damn about him, he was asking for help? Did it really take his best friend nearly being captured by the alphas to wake him up? No, Derek had trusted him and he'd gone too far. It hurt, because he'd always felt that of all the wolves Scott would be the last to betray him. The others only sought power to escape their sullied life; Scott was forced into the life. He'd always been suspicious of his other betas because they could decide to leave or overthrow him because they wouldn't need him anymore. Never Scott. It had never been him. Derek didn't give second chances either, especially when it was over something as fickle as an impending threat. After the threat had passed (if they survived) Scott would be gone once again, doing his own thing. Derek wasn't going to do it to his pack, not again.
"We will collaborate, but make no mistake Scott, we are not a team." He finally ground out.
The kid's anger spiked. "You heard them Derek! We all are in danger if you hadn't noticed. Even Lydia is being pulled into this crap! We won't beat them alone and you know it."
"I know that you stupid traitor. I know we can't beat them! But I will not risk you turning on us again to save your pathetic girlfriend!"
Scott was on his feet in a second, eyes flashing gold. "Shut. Up. It's not about Allison anymore. They set up a trap Derek; they came after Stiles, not us. You saw, they could have easily killed us all, but that Lucas guy came after him. And you know why, don't you? You know why he wanted Stiles. We have to work together to protect him and win this battle."
Isaac and Boyd appeared behind him. Erica, wincing as her body healed itself, joined them. She leaned against Boyd, his arm snaking around her waist. "Scott's right Derek. We all have to work together here. We have to trust each other," she muttered feebly.
Derek sighed and looked down at the boy in his arms, concentrating on his breathing and heartbeat. Stile's erratic yet steady heartbeat was soothing like no other; it gave him the perfect anchor to humanity. Isaac gingerly lay a hand on his shoulder, his brown eyes full of concern. "Derek it's the best way to stay ahead… and protect Stiles. We know what he means to you."
The others nodded and Derek felt sick. He'd deluded himself into believing the others didn't notice the attraction. He'd hoped his indifference towards him had at least covered him. He ran a hand over Stiles head. "He can't know. Not until this is over. They didn't take him because I haven't claimed him yet, but if we get involved make no mistake, they will kidnap and torture him. They'd hold him hostage; the ultimate game of chess." They bowed their head in agreement and Derek stood.
"Meet me back at the house. I need to take him home before the sheriff get's there." The wolves dispersed, leaving Derek to his thoughts and wishing he could rewind the clock and never put Stiles in such peril. He lightly gripped the boy's wrist and turned it over, revealing the blue vein against the pale skin. He gently bit down, just enough to bring the blood rushing to the surface, but not breaking the skin. The crescent stood out prominently, but would fade within hours. "I'm sorry Stiles," he whispered.
Author's notes:
Yo guys, quick thanks for following the story so far. More on the way, but keep sending tips and reviews, they really help. It took me awhile to post this chapter, mainly because I wrestled with how exactly to have Derek come out with it. Anyway, if you have anything you liked or didn't like, send me a message or review and I'll see what I can work with.
P.S : Lydia, the Sheriff, and Allison will make an appearance, though after season two I would personally kick Allison's behind.