Derek held Stiles against him, inhaling his mate's scent with content. He loved being snuggled here with the boy in his arms. He could lie here forever. Little did he know the peril he was in, they were all in. The tragedy of yesterday was to come very close to repeating that night.

ooOoo

Jackson didn't exactly like what they were using his Porsche for. There were about ten economy size containers of gasoline in his back seat. Scott held a lighter in his hand, clicking it every now and then, watching the flame ignite and vanish. Danny was the least comfortable of all with this idea. They could both sense that. He was having some serious regrets about becoming a werewolf. What had gotten into Scott?

ooOoo

Derek sniffed at the air, his eyes narrowing, and then widening in horrible realization. A panic fell on him. It was gas he smelled. Derek jumped up and quickly threw his clothes on. Someone was going to try to burn the house down.

"Stiles," he hissed. "Wake up."

"Hm?" Stiles yawned, stretching.

"Someone's get gas. They're going to burn the house down!"

Stiles jumped, no longer quite so sleepy. He threw on his own clothes as quickly as he could. Derek was looking out the window, eyes narrowed. Someone was out there. He'd kill whoever it was. That much he was sure of. A familiar smell came to his nose. It was him! Derek snarled, eyes flashing red with fury, shifting to his full alpha form. It was black like Peter's had been, but a little smaller. Derek didn't even bother to use the stairs. He jumped out of the window, shattering it. Stiles knew he shouldn't be doing this alone, whatever it was. He shifted, eyes becoming silver, and his heightened senses suddenly told him who the intruders were. He jumped out of the window, feet hitting the ground. He certainly wouldn't have been able to do that as a human. Derek was already engaged in a conflict with someone. Two betas were tossing him between them. Scott's eyes were glowing red, ready to jump in if he had to. He had something in his hands. Chains! Stiles snarled and lunged forward. He paused, eying Scott with fury in his every feature.

"Ah your wolf form," Scott smirked. "Very foolish of you Stiles. Don't you know I'm an alpha?"

Derek suddenly made a bound for Scott, but Jackson lunged at him, swiping furiously, sending him flying. Stiles snarled and might have made for Jackson, but Scott was forward in a flash. He grabbed Stiles' arm. Those silver eyes looked at him with confusion. Scott began to twist. Stiles roared in pain.

"Suffer you pig," Scott hissed at him.

He was suddenly knocked back several feet. Isaac was there, face shifted, fangs barred. Stiles felt his arm heal itself almost instantaneously, like it popped back into joint on its own.

"We take him together," Isaac growled sidelong at Stiles.

"Derek," Stiles growled back.

Jackson and Danny were still struggling against the alpha pretty valiantly. Jackson had Derek's arms, trying to hold him, but being bucked around terribly. Danny had some kind of a weapon. A flash of sparks and an earth-splitting roar. It was a hunter's weapon. Derek's cry filled the night again with another explosion of electricity. Stiles snarled and bounded for Danny, barreling into him, sending him flying, knocking the weapon from his hands. Stiles picked it up and drove it into Jackson's flesh, sparks igniting. Jackson howled and sank to his knees as the electricity stunned him. Stiles rushed forward and caught Derek. The alpha whimpered in a way strangely reminiscent of a dog. Stiles didn't have time to find it cute. Scott had sent Isaac flying into a nearby tree. He was coming closer.

"Give it up Stiles," he growled. "You're no match."

Stiles snarled and rushed forward, brandishing his claws. Scott caught his arm again as effortlessly as though it were nothing. Stiles looked into those furious red eyes. Scott laughed and he shifted further, his skin becoming dark black and rough like leather. It was something alphas could do. Derek rushed forward and knocked Scott off balance. Scott snarled furiously and rushed him. All Stiles saw was a furious exchange of blows. Claws and fangs moving so fast he could barely keep up, even with his new werewolf eyes. Scott grabbed Derek's arms, falling forward, rolling on the ground. He pinned Derek down and brought his claws furiously across the other's chest. Derek roared out with pain. Scott did it again, and then down Derek's arm. Stiles felt a fury he couldn't explain. He literally saw red as he watched his mate mauled. It didn't even matter that it was Scott. He ran forward, his only instinct to protect his alpha. Scott jumped up. Derek was weak. He lay there, wounds still bleeding, breathing shallow. Scott knocked Stiles aside easily with a flash of his claws. He felt a rage. Make Stiles suffer. He rushed again, swiping across Stiles' chest. Isaac struggled to his feet, his healing beginning to take effect. He saw Scott maul Stiles again and again. Stiles grunting in pain, stepping back. Isaac felt rage. He rushed forward and grabbed up the hunter weapon. Scott didn't see it coming, the burst of sparks. He felt the jolt, his body jerking violently with the shock. He suddenly fell back. Stiles struggled to stay on his feet he was losing blood. Derek limped forward, his red eyes those of a wild creature, no longer human. Still Stiles could sense him in there. The black creature that was Derek grabbed his arm more gently than he'd think possible of such a hideous form. Stiles felt his pain leaving him, his wounds closing. Derek was healing him. Had they won this round? Derek shifted back to human, but with fangs and claws still out. He walked toward Scott who was still stunned from the electric shock, breathing coming out in pants. Derek grabbed him up by his neck.

"Tell me why I shouldn't rip your throat out," he growled, eyes red and angry.

Scott sputtered, but he was still stunned. He couldn't speak. Stiles stepped forward carefully.

"Don't tell me not to do it Stiles," Derek spat.

"Please," Stiles pleaded.

Derek hesitated after all. He grabbed the length of chain Scott had obviously brought for him, and bound the other alpha up with it, dragging him across the ground roughly. Peter came out of the house, eyes wide like he didn't know what was going on.

"Where were you!?" Derek snarled at him angrily.

"Asleep... " Peter whispered sheepishly.

Derek barred his fangs, a growl in his chest.

"Get chains," he ordered.

Soon they had Jackson and Danny chained up. Derek eyed his new captives, his face now fully human again. What should he do with them? Stiles and Isaac stood by awaiting their alpha's orders. Peter scowled, not liking this turn of events one bit. If Scott couldn't defeat Derek the alphas wouldn't be convinced of his case. He'd have to come up with something...

ooOoo

Xaiu and Tanya sat around a fire in the clearing, the blazing wood lighting the clearing in an orange glow. The other alpha stood in the shadows a few feet away.

"Why did we come to Beacon Hills?" he asked his companions. "Why involve ourselves in the affairs of a bunch of kids? Derek isn't as bad as all that at being an alpha."

Tanya's smirk could be seen beneath her hood.

"We're not here just because of him Eni. Xaiu has a plan. He hasn't devulged it to me yet either."

She said that like she expected him to. Xaiu rose to his feet and began pacing. He stopped.

"You ever hear of the Beast of Gevaudan?"

"Isn't that the Hale ancestor?" Tanya asked.

"Precisely," Xaiu replied cooly. "The Hales know something about his fate. The Argents did not kill him. I'm here to find out what their secret is. Can't you sense it Tanya?"

"Yes," she agreed. "Beacon Hills is a powerful spot. Its almost as though the old powers sing here."

"Or one old power," Xaiu suggested. "The Hales were one of the earliest settlers to the new world, before any other werewolves came here. They had a secret to hide. I believe it has something to do with the beast. If the Beast of Gevaudan still lives you know what it could mean for our kind. We'd finally have the power."

Eni stepped closer to the fire. He was the youngest of the three of them, fair features just visible beneath his hood.

"The power," he muttered.

"The beast was the most powerful werewolf to ever live," Xaiu told him. "Even more powerful than our legendary ancestor Lycaon, cursed by Zeus. We could rule the world Eni. End the silence. Come out of the shadows."

"That's your plan Xaiu?" Tanya laughed. "To rule the world?"

"Why not Tanya? Who better to do it than us? We're already the three highest ranking werewolves alive today. If we could raise the beast and make him fight for us we could have every supernatural creature at out mercy. Vampires, kanimas, all of them. Derek is the key."

"What does that mean Xaiu?" Tanya asked him strangely.

"I'm not sure," Xaiu muttered quietly. "Only conveyed rumors. The Hales have some kind of family heirloom, a relic. I believe that relic is the key. I'm not content to let this play out for much longer. I just need to know where the relic is hidden."

Tanya seemed to be considering.

"What makes you think Derek would know?" she asked suddenly. "Peter's the oldest isn't he? What if Adam never told Derek anything? He was still a teenager when his father died."

Xaiu seemed to get her point. She could feel his energy become more eager, excited. Peter must know where it was. Still was it in their best interest to step in and take it now? No. Something told Xaiu they should bide their time. Wait. Xaiu could see traces of the pattern. He was no seer, but he could see it enough to see destiny converging here, in Beacon Hills. Something was going to happen. It would play out on its own. He would let it, for now. Let Scott and Derek keep fighting each other...

ooOoo

Author's Note: Well what do you think? A few reviews would be useful. For all my readers wondering about the fate of Stiles and Scott's friendship, don't worry, things don't end on quite the sad note they began. I'm going to make everything right in the end. Have faith in me. :-)