Derek kept looking into the red eyes, part of him refusing to believe it was true. His stomach felt like it had twisted in a hundred knots. Didn't Stiles know just what he'd done? Xaiu smirked as Stiles got to his feet, red eyes meeting his defiantly.
"The new alpha," Xaiu said delightedly. "Yes, I think you'll be stronger than Derek or Peter by far. Your spirit is strong."
Stiles snarled at him, claws lengthening.
"You don't want to do that," Xaiu warned him, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Stiles don't," Derek said.
Stiles inhaled, willing himself to calm down. He felt like a bubbling wellspring of pure force. Never had he felt such power flowing through him.
"I feel so powerful Derek."
"I know," Derek nodded.
Xaiu continued watching this all with amusement.
"Much as I hate to spoil the fun," he cut in. "I'm afraid you've all played right into my hand. My plot, from the very beginning. Not Peter's."
Derek looked at him, eyes glowing yellow, expression angry.
"What are you taking about?" he growled.
"You're the key Derek! Oh I know you probably have no idea what I mean. Your father kept it from you, so did your uncle. Everyone... "
Derek growled at him.
"What the hell are you talking about Xaiu?"
"Eni," the alpha spoke simply.
The youngest alpha stepped forward holding something in his hand. It was a locket with a blood-red ruby set in its center.
"It was in Peter's room," Eni told him.
Derek eyed it strangely. It was calling to him somehow. He didn't entirely like it for some reason. It gave him a bad feeling.
"Know what it is Derek?" Xaiu asked, holding it up. "Its your family's treasure. For so long I've wanted to hold it between my fingers. What it does is even more astounding."
Derek got a deep sinking feeling that he didn't want to find out, that it wouldn't be good.
"You see Derek," Xaiu went on. "It pertains to your ancestor, the Beast of Gevaudan."
Derek's eyes narrowed, the sense of something being very wrong increasing. Of course he knew about the beast. Kate had told him about it. It was the creature her ancestors had slain. The beast was his ancestor? That he hadn't known...
"I never knew," Derek said quietly.
"No I don't imagine you did," Xaiu replied, still eying the ruby like it was priceless. "Your dad and uncle did keep it from you, after all. That was a wasted effort on their part. You're going to find out what it does. You see, you're the key. By killing Peter you have performed the one act you have been fated from birth to carry out."
What the hell was Xaiu saying? Derek felt his anger rising again.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" he snarled.
The alpha smirked. Stiles placed his hand on Derek's arm protectively, eyes flashing red again.
"Derek's not your pawn," Stiles said with extreme dislike. "Stop talking like he is, like he's done something for you."
"But he has Stiles!" Xaiu exclaimed with glee. "No, that was you wasn't it? You killed Peter. Derek was the key, but only through you. You were the one to use the key."
"Stop beating around the bush and tell us what's going on," Stiles insisted.
"As you wish," Xaiu told him. "The Beast of Gevaudan never died. Would you believe me if I said that?"
A dread in Derek's very soul. He knew what was calling out to him now. It had something to do with that locket, something living inside of it.
"Are you ready Derek?" Xaiu asked, smiling widely at the fear on his face. "Tonight your ancestor the great beast will rise again. Peter was nothing. If you and your mate will not submit to me you will both die. The beast will be indebted to me for restoring his life and obey my every command."
"Not likely," Derek laughed a little, confident grin in place suddenly. "I don't know about the rest of your story, but one of my ancestors serve you? I know that's a bunch of crap."
"We'll see Derek," Xaiu whispered, eyes wide and greedy. "We'll see... right now."
He tossed the locket into the small pool of Peter's blood. The ruby in the center glowed with a violent light. A rumble and the house began to shake terribly, or was it the earth itself? A mighty thundering was heard. Derek and Stiles fell back with the next tremor. Scott and the others...
ooOoo
Scott listened to the loud rumbling sounds above. What was going on up there? The earth seemed to quake under him, and he braced himself against the wall. Jackson and Danny looked just as alert and nervous.
"Damn it Derek!" Scott exclaimed, jerking at his chains to no avail.
The basement door flew open, the earth shifting again. The sound of thunder was heard. Isaac ran over to him, shakily unlocking his chains with Derek's key.
"What's happening Isaac?" Scott asked him.
"Something terrible," Isaac told him, face paler than usual. "We don't know. We gotta get above ground."
He ran over to Jackson and Danny, freeing their chains. The four of them wasted no time in climbing the stairs and pulling the door open, running out into the hall. They emerged into the living room, the whole house was shifting and creaking terribly. It was a wonder it hadn't fallen apart.
"How good of you to join us Scott!" Xaiu exclaimed looking livid. "In a few moments the Beast of Gevaudan will rise again!"
The Beast of Gevaudan? Scott knew that wasn't good. There was another thundering and then the shaking suddenly ceased. It was quiet, the unsettling kind of quiet. Derek felt chills, little prickles on his skin, as pure terror filled him. This was not right. A black mist began to gather in the center of the room right where the locket was. The mist solidified and bonded, now more like particles coming together. The black solidified and brightened like white like flesh, stretching itself like goo, becoming arms and legs. It had eyes now, deep hazel eyes almost like Derek's. The gooey flesh-like substance had stretched itself into a man, hardening completely, taking on the complexion of actual flesh. The hazel eyes looked around at them all, looking down at its own hands. Derek looked at it strangely, and those eyes met his. Somehow it seemed to recognize him.
"Flesh of my flesh," the creature uttered. "You are one of my children."
Derek shook his head at it, finding it an unnatural and grotesque thing, even by his standards.
"Who has awakened me?" the beast asked, looking around at them all.
Xaiu stepped forward, slight smirk fixed on his face.
"It was I Lord," he said, giving a slight bow. "See, have I not restored you to life? Now do my bidding and destroy all of these fools."
The beast eyed him strangely for about a minute as though trying to figure him out. When he spoke again it was displeasure.
"You have disturbed me. I wished to sleep. Now you ask me to slaughter my own flesh and blood?"
He turned his gaze to Derek again. The former alpha looked taken aback. It was true. He was related to this... thing. The beast turned back to Xaiu, its expression strangely calm, but Derek could sense the hidden danger in it.
"Now you die," he said as calmly as though he were discussing the weather.
Xaiu gasped and fell forward, blood spilling over the floor from an open wound. It was just that quick. None of them had even seen it move. They all backed up from it, eyes wide with terror, even Derek. The beast approached him.
"Why retreat from me?" it asked him in a voice that might have been remorse. "I am your ancestor. My name is Lycaeus. I was named after our great father."
Derek's frown fixed into place. It didn't intend to hurt him obviously, but he still didn't trust it. He wrapped an arm around Stiles, pulling him close.
"I see," Lycaeus muttered with interest. "Your mate. Do not fear. How interesting that I sense he is also an alpha. Tell me which of these are yours and I will not kill them."
Derek remained silent. He dared not try the thing's patience. It could disembowel him with one swift swipe.
"Everyone," Derek said, pointing to the other two alphas of Xaiu's. "Except these two."
He couldn't help smirking a little at the sudden look of fear on Eni and Tanya's faces. Lycaeus bounded on them, raising his claws. It seemed like a flash of light had passed in front of them. Eni and Tanya sank to the floor, both gasping out their last breath. The beast turned to face Derek again. That face was almost his face, but longer, and the nose not as defined. It had hazel eyes of an almost identical shape. It just kept eying him.
"Tell me," Lycaeus spoke suddenly. "What is your name young beta?"
The title beta sounded weird to him, but it registered almost immediately. That's what he was now, no longer an alpha...
"Derek," he answered.
He still didn't quite like it. There was an unbelievable amount of cruelty and malice in those eyes, like the beast would kill anything not important to it. Seeing how it had just killed the alpha pack Derek had no doubts about that. Lycaeus turned his eyes on Stiles again, something changing in his expression that Derek definitely didn't like.
"Tell me how he came to be alpha," Lycaeus spoke more coldly than he had yet. "He isn't of my blood."
"That's a long story," Derek replied, not sure he should tell his ancestor anything. "What are you planning to do?"
"If I am not satisfied, kill him."
Derek's heart sank in his chest while Stiles, even being an alpha, felt like he might die of fright. None of them could stand up to this thing...
ooOoo
Author's Note: The next chapter is intended to be the next to last, so my fic is winding down. You'll just have to read and see what becomes of Stiles and his new pack.