Stiles woke to the feel of the cold tiles under his body slowly sucking the heat from him. He sat up with a moan that echoed in the small, windowless room. There wasn't much Stiles could make out in the dim light. He was surrounded by the wire mesh of a kennel like cage, big enough that he could stretch out flat on his back; arms stretched to their fullest, and just barely touch the ends. Touching the sides with a fingertip, he noticed that there was an oily residue on the wires.
"Careful," called a voice from across the room. "They're covered in wolf's bane." Stiles peered through the darkness but could only make out a shadow huddled in the cage diagonal from him.
"I'm not a wolf so it won't hurt me." Moving closer Stiles tried to make out more than just the blurred edges of a shape. The voice had been young, male and giving the warning about wolf's bane, a werewolf. "Are you part of the Hale Pack?" He's stomach clinched at the thought and he sent up a quick prayer that Derek was okay.
"No. I don't belong to any pack. I'm human. Was human. They turned me." The last was said in a lower timber, rumbling across the narrow space in the beginnings of a growl.
"Stiles felt queasy from more than just the knock on his head. "Who turned you?"
"The doctors did. They gave me all these shots and suddenly I had claws and fur and…" The young man broke down on a sob. "God! I'm a monster. How can I ever go home to my mother now?"
"Hey, you're not a monster. Werewolves are good people. I used to think they were awful too but then I met some. Met real wolves and not those turned betas that roam the streets like they own the world. Real wolves are kind and caring." Stiles could tell he wasn't getting across to the young wolf.
"Were you a good person before those doctors changed you?" Stiles asked trying for a different way to reach the upset young wolf.
"I guess. I wasn't a saint or anything."
"Just because you turn a little furry now doesn't change who you are on the inside." Stiles sat in silence for a few moments leaning against the side of the cage closest to the young wolf. But being quiet was never a long term solution for Stiles and after a short period of time he found himself telling the other prisoner his life's story, from his parents and their untimely death to meeting Derek for the first time as he careened around a corner.
"So if anyone is an expert on werewolves and whether or not they are monsters, it would be me," he finished. "I'm Stiles by the way. Of the Hale Pack I guess I should add."
"Scott," his new friend answered. "Nice to meet you."
The door at the far end of the room made a heavy thump and then a metallic squeal before swinging open. Two pair of footsteps echoed down the room as the lights flickered on.
Stiles got his first good look at Scott as the young wolf backed quickly to the rear of the cage. He looked to be about Stiles' age with full dark hair that flopped into his eyes and a face that seemed to be made for smiling, not the fear that was evident on it now.
"It's bad enough that you brought trouble to my doorstep with the explosion, Kate, but to kidnap the boy was reckless. We can't let him go now." Chris stopped in front of Stiles' cage and frowned sadly at him. "He's seen too much."
"You can still let me go. Derek already knows you are up to something and is searching for you. He'll never stop as long as you have me but if you release me, he might be too busy worrying over me to chase you right away."
The blond nurse stepped forward into view. Stiles had the urge to growl at her. "Oh sweetie, it's so cute that you think we are worried about that dog. But all your worries will be over soon." She smiled an evil, oily grin as Chris pulled her away from his cage. They both argued loudly, tossing out insults like 'cowardly' and 'foolishly rash' at each other until both were silenced by a soft clearing of a throat.
"Hello Stiles." His voice still sounded like someone's gentle grandpa. Stiles scrambled back until the mesh chimed as his back slammed into it, forcing it to bow backwards as his legs continued to scrape against the tile in his need to get further away from Gerard Argent. "It's amazing how much damage you've caused in little under a week. But don't worry; I'm going to give you ample opportunity to make it up to me."
Stiles realized the danger of his position just seconds too late. Gerard pressed the cattle prod against the metal of the cage door and sent a bolt through it that made Stiles' teeth rattle and his body jerk.
He woke again as he was being dragged by the back of his shirt past Scott's cage, the young wolf looking at him with fear and sorrow in his eyes. "All this time the wolves have been looking at the True Mate bond as if it was some sort of magical soul connection when in reality it's just biology, simple science." Gerard lifted him effortlessly and slammed him onto the top of a metal table.
The nurse, Kate Stiles remembered, strapped him down before stroking his cheek with the tips of her nails. "It's not really that simple. Dad's being humble. It's taken our family generations to break down the genetic code of the True Mate bond and if just a couple of days you almost ruined it all." The nails deepened in Stiles' skin and he gasped in pain. Kate pulled back her hand and smiled at the blood on her nails while Stiles' cheek throbbed.
"Now Kate, Stiles is about to be instrumental in the downfall of the wolves. He will be the last piece of data we need to finally understand how to use the bond against them."
"Bastard! Derek's going to rip you apart when he finds you. You'll be in so many pieces that they will have to bury you in Ziploc bags."
"I won't have to worry about Derek much longer. Once a mate is killed the alpha doesn't last much longer. It will be interesting to see how quickly Derek degrades once your bond is broken. I only have my great grandfather's journals from after his daughter's death to go by but it is my understanding that the loss of sanity happens quite quickly. The journals describe how the Cooper Alpha lost all control and had to be restrained by his betas, caged like the animal he was. Having rogue alphas terrorizing the population will be just the tender I need to fuel my fire."
"He's scheduled to make an announcement about the raid on Zillarrezko in half an hour. I've called the head of Arian & Co. They will make sure it is covered by all the media. I've also contacted the members of Human's First and recommended that this would be an excellent time to stage a non-violent protest against the control of the wolves." Kate leaned against the cabinet filling a syringe full of liquid from a small tan vial.
"Good. Maximum casualties and plenty of news coverage of the event. With just a little push we should be able to get them rioting in the streets before the day is over." Gerard slid an IV expertly into Stiles' wrist and attached a bag of fluid to a tall pole before taking the syringe from his daughter's hand.
"This was not the plan. If Derek loses control in public, especially if there are members of Humans First there, he could kill dozens of people before anyone could put him down. With his sister still in the hospital with Max and his father running the Pack, there won't be an alpha to slow him down. It will be a blood bath." Chris sounded horrified at Gerard's unfolding plan.
The smile that Gerard and Kate shared made Stiles' skin run cold with terror. "A nationally televised blood bath." Kate chuckled along with her father. Gerard turned back to Stiles and inserted the needle into the IV port. "I'm sorry to tell you that this is not a quick acting drug. Your death will be quite slow. This is a new muscle relaxant that we have recently developed. You will start to feel weak followed by heaviness in your chest as it starts to affect your lungs. I've heard that it's very much like drowning, just slower." He grinned widely as he pushed the plunger home.
"If it's any consolation," Kate said patting his cheek again before following her father out the door. "You will be the first causality in our struggle to gain freedom from the wolves. Think of yourself as a hero." The door swung shut behind her leaving Stiles in the room with Chris and his slow death.
Derek stood in front of the crowd of humans most of whom were screaming in anger at him. He struggled to keep his wolf in check but wanted nothing more than to snarl and snap at the fools before him.
Toward the back huddled a chapter of the Humans First group their signs proudly stating that humans didn't need the pack. "Throw off your collar," they shouted. "Dogs were meant to heel not lead." Derek felt his lip curl and clinched his fists to restrain himself.
He was just stepping forward to the podium when the wave of terror and panic hit him through the link from Stiles. His relief at feeling anything from his missing mate was stronger than the fear he felt washing up the link. He closed his eyes in silent thanks. Stiles was alive!