*Morning*
Scott shifted, his back unhappy with the ruined mattress; he hoped that Stiles's half of the old springy thing was more comfortable. Poor guy already had enough trouble as it was, didn't need to be worrying about springs cutting into him.
"Dude, I think we're going to have to kick Hottie Pack out of Melissa and Sunny's house. I'm crippled and deserve to have a softer mattress to sleep on," Stiles murmured into his pillow.
"Oh, you're awake?"
"Of course I'm awake, I slept like shit on this thing… I was just lying here quietly waiting for you to show signs of life."
Scott laughed, he should've known. Most of the time Stiles slept like a rock but that was only after he got comfortable. "Maybe we can ask Easy Pete if he has another spare mattress for us to use. I'm sure he has the most comfortable mattress but there has to be another one in better condition than this piece of crap. I think the two of us trying to squeeze onto a couch would be better than this!" he griped as his body healed from the aches and pains.
Stiles wordlessly reached over and slid his fingers between Scott's, certain that his brother would know what to do. He couldn't agree more with his statement- the floor was probably more comfortable! And sleeping on his stomach was killing him; he was definitely a side sleeper, sprawling across the bed on his back occasionally but never on his stomach. He wasn't going to get a lot of good sleep that way, and he had a few weeks until he healed? Life was going to be shitty the next few days… He sighed in relief as Scott started leeching just a bit of his pain, most of it the aches from sleeping uncomfortably. "Thanks bro."
Scott nodded, "Ready to start the day?"
"Yea, wait, you should probably check my bandages before I put my shirt on. Deaton said to check them often to make sure the stitches are still clean and stuff."
"Oh yea, right. Let me just," Scott sat up quickly and glanced down at his hands, inspecting them to make sure they were clean enough. Carefully he pulled back on the bandages, nostrils flaring to ensure that he didn't smell any sickness. "All healthy, didn't bleed that much, all the stitches are still there too. Y'know these look like really neat stitches, they should only leave a faint scar."
Stiles nodded in agreement as Scott covered them back up, "Deaton's a superb doc, I mean, he brought me back from the verge of death! And yea, I have this huge scar on the side of my face but like, how many people do you think could even treat a wound that serious?"
"Not many. Maybe I should hang out with Deaton again, at least since we're here; I think he can teach me a lot. Yesterday was educational but I'm sure there is still so much to learn. With the journey we're planning on going on, we'll need all the knowledge we can get."
"That's a great idea, I completely agree. Deaton did say that you were a quick learner. But what am I supposed to do all day while you're occupied?" Stiles asked.
Scott shrugged, "I don't know… rest, you need lots of rest."
"You know I don't 'rest' Scotty."
"Fine, but at least stay out of the sun and don't do anything taxing okay?" Scott advised, already getting up and grabbing one of his few shirts to put on.
Stiles sighed to himself as he pushed off of the mattress and sat up, digging out some breakfast from his bag. "Maybe I'll clean the guns, I know they need it."
*Melissa's House*
Erica hummed happily as she woke up, already recognizing Isaac's scent and heartbeat as familiar; she squeezed his torso lightly as she rubbed her nose on his chest. "Thanks for cuddling with me last night," she whispered. When she felt something press against the top of her head, she opened her eyes in surprise, but it was only Isaac's cheek- he was awake and scenting her back! She couldn't hold back a grin as she realized he was much more open to cuddling than he had been last night.
"Thanks for making me feel welcome. It was one thing to have Derek say he was proud of me the other night, but now… Now I have a second Packmate that I know accepts me," Isaac whispered back. He hadn't even realized that at some point during the night, they'd shifted so Erica was curled up to his chest and his arms were wrapped tightly around her. It was almost as if he could feel his Wolf snuggling up to hers, there was an extra closeness forming between them- something he'd never experienced before. Already Isaac could feel that he was becoming one with his Wolf half, learning what made him happy and content. Sleeping with Pack nearby was definitely something happy.
"You two ready to get up? I'm thinking we could do some training, since we have the down time. And the sooner we start the better, so we can take a break around lunch when it gets hot." Derek suddenly interrupted, appearing in the doorway.
Erica huffed, "I'm not moving until we have full Pack cuddles, get over here Alpha."
Derek blinked in surprise but found that his Wolf was tentatively reaching out to them, something he hadn't experienced since the fire. They were his Pack, he was the Alpha now, and they were feeling the pull to bond with each other. He heaved a sigh, a small scowl on his face as he walked over to the bed- he may be feeling the pull, but that didn't mean he was ready for intense cuddles just yet. Thankfully both of his Betas picked up on his reluctance but also his acceptance as they sat up to wrap their arms around him. Derek dutifully rubbed his cheek along Isaac's head, hand clasping his shoulder; then he turned to Eric and ran his fingers through her hair while pressing his forehead against hers. He flashed back to his little sister Cora and how she'd always beg to have him play with her hair; his heart twinged and he sat up straighter. Of course Isaac and Erica both noticed, each letting out a small whimper, wondering if they'd done wrong. "Ready to practice?" Derek asked, switching topics. They were his Betas, they chose him as their Alpha, he'd be strong for them. But right now the cuddling brought back memories, memories he wasn't ready to face… minimal contact would have to be enough. Luckily both Betas seemed content with what they got, recognizing that something was holding him back. They knew better than to push, to challenge him.
"What are we going to learn?" Erica asked, full of excitement as she bounced out of the bed to get her boots on. Already she could feel her ears tingling at the thought of training and running around. Then she paused, "Derek, my ears are tingling."
"Tingling how?"
"I don't know how to describe it I just, I got all excited for training and stuff and my ears are tingling. Those two things aren't related, it doesn't make sense…"
Isaac perked up, recalling some of what the Alpha had told him, "Maybe it has something to do with controlling your phases! Maybe her ears are connected with excitement?"
Erica brightened at the news but then thought for a moment, "No, it isn't excitement. I was excited last night when we got to cuddle and I didn't feel any tingling. But I do agree, whatever it is has to do with my phases, I just don't know what the emotion is…"
Derek smiled, "Well, keep it in the back of your mind, recall any other time, or times in the future, that you feel this particular sensation. That will help to pinpoint the exact feeling that's connected to it."
"Wait, now that you've said something, I've felt tingling like that before too! I… I can't remember exactly when but yea, I've had that too!" Isaac concentrated, trying to recall the last time he felt any sort of tingling like that. He remembered his ears doing that when they first arrived back in Goodsprings, and a few other times since, but couldn't remember why. It would have to wait until after training though, Erica and Derek were ready to go and he didn't want to miss out on any training!
*Later*
"Alright, last one," Stiles said, wiping the handgun down with an old rag. He carefully put away their bottle of gun oil- it had cost a fortune but was well worth it. It was important to keep their weapons clean and functional! All three of their guns were laid out on the floor in pieces, each piece having passed his inspection. Now it was time to reassemble them. Stiles sighed heavily, missing his rifle, which was always his favorite to clean and break down. After he packed away all the supplies and reassembled the weapons, he sat and debated what to do next. Before he could even come up with something, the door creaked open and Isaac popped his head in.
"Hey, you busy?"
"Nope, just finished!" Stiles told him, grimacing as he stood up. "Oh, shouldn't have sat for so long, my back isn't happy with me."
Isaac frowned, "Guess that means you probably don't want to go for a walk?"
"Eh, standing isn't really that bad, and lying down is fine too, it's the sitting that stiffens me up."
"We can lie down if you want? I mean, it would really be the same thing. Walking and talking or just lying down and talking. It is getting warm out so we can stay in… if you even want to spend some time together right now," Isaac realized. He had totally anticipated that Stiles would be open to spending time with him but there was a real possibility that he'd say no thanks. Last night had gone well but Stiles had his own life to work on too.
"Actually that sounds pretty good. Scott would get mad if I went out for a walk right now- he told me to stay out of the heat," Stiles answered with a shrug. Isaac was good company so he saw no reason not to accept what was being offered. "No naughty stuff though since this is someone's borrowed bed, I'd feel totally awkward."
Isaac laughed and stepped further into the house, "I get that, I feel awkward about that kind of stuff too." The two of them went over to the lumpy mattress, Isaac helping Stiles lie down. As he flopped down next to him he offered his hand, "I know you and Scott don't want me to do it often but, if it helps I can take some of your discomfort away?"
Stiles shook his head, "Not yet, if I'm lying down like this, it might make me sleepy and then we wouldn't really be able to talk. Although I'm totally down to take a nap if you are."
"Yea, a nap sounds good, Derek ran us pretty ragged."
"Oh, tell me about it? You can lull me to sleep," Stiles said, shyly reaching out to take Isaac's hand. If they were planning on napping, might as well let him ease the pain. Maybe he'd rest even better that way, since he was being forced to sleep face down.
The Beta smiled and curled his fingers around Stiles's hand, telling him about the various drills Derek had run them through. Stiles had managed a few comments here and there but was mostly content to listen; it wasn't long at all before he was asleep. Isaac lay there, looking at the other boy's features, feeling content. He waited a bit to make sure Stiles was definitely asleep before scooting closer, arm carefully draping over the other boy. Snuffling into Stiles neck, Isaac felt comforted, falling asleep easily.
When Scott came in an hour later, both of them were still asleep, although his entrance had roused Isaac. "Just me," he assured the half awake Wolf. He had heard all the growling, even from Deaton's house and knew that Isaac was probably exhausted. Maybe he should ask if he could join them, it would be good to train with other Weres; Stiles did the best he could but it wasn't the same. It would help him get to know Isaac and the others too, which seemed inevitable at that point. He quietly crouched down next to Stiles, glad to see that he'd managed to fall asleep on his stomach. He didn't want to disturb him too much but Scott needed to make sure he hadn't torn any of his stitches while cleaning the guns. He could see him reaching over too far to grab something and then being too stubborn to go have Deaton look at it. Stiles seemed to be soundly asleep though so he gently moved Isaac's arm out of the way and started to lift his shirt.
"What're doin'?" Isaac mumbled, only opening one eye to look at Scott. It was weird remembering that a few days ago his Wolf bristled at Scott being so close, at him coming between him and Stiles. But he was more relaxed now, knowing that Scott wasn't a threat, nor did he treat Isaac as one. His Wolf was a little more understanding since the full moon had passed and they knew each other this time.
"Shh, he's still asleep. It's time to check his stitches and if we're lucky, I can do it without waking him up," Scott explained. It only took a moment to roll his shirt up to expose the bandages on his back. He didn't see any blood, a good sign.
Isaac frowned as he watched Scott, "Will it really take him weeks to heal?" He'd been Human not that long ago but the worst he'd ever had to heal from was the burns from his father's cigarettes, never deep gashes that required stitches. Even the few knife fights he'd gotten in had left shallow marks compared to those he was looking at.
"Stiles heals pretty fast but he is still only Human, so he's limited. He stays as healthy as he can, which is an incredible feat out here, and more than one doctor has been amazed with his healing rate. Like without drugs, we're both aware of how dangerous it is to take too many stimpacks, not to mention anything stronger like jet. Stiles says it's his awesome metabolism but really we have no idea how he heals so fast… well, fast for a Human. The worst part is that Stiles knows his body's abilities and he acts a little reckless at times and ends up scaring the crap out of me."
"A little reckless? Isn't his near-death experience counter up to four just in the past week? Seems like more than just a 'little' reckless."
Scott smirked and nodded his head, "Okay yea, he's very reckless. He knows he's Human and that I'm the Were but he's right out on the front lines with me because he wants to protect others and not hide behind them. Kinda like what happened on the full moon. Speaking of, I'm sure he's thanked you already but I want to say it too. If you weren't there, Stiles and I would probably both be dead, so thank you for helping me protect him."
"But I was reason why he got hurt in the first place, you two came across me and I wasn't in control. If you hadn't pulled me away from Sloan, I may have killed someone, and in the end I put all of us in danger as well," Isaac murmured, looking away.
Scott shrugged, "Stiles is technically the one that ran straight for the quarry, but that was just how it ended up happening- I know he didn't go that way on purpose. I mean, we got hurt but we all survived which is the important thing. We knew the risks of facing an out-of-control Were on the full moon and we knew we could handle it. And you know, even with the Deathclaws making a mess of things, if you were to ask Stiles, he'd do it all again. So would I. Because the alternative would be that we stayed inside and tried to get some rest and you would've attacked Mr. Tate; one or both of you would've died and we would've felt guilty that it happened right under our noses. Stiles is pissed that he's hurt but he'd rather be hurt than have you agonizing over the fact that you killed someone." Scott paused and carefully re-bandaged his brother's back. "It's in the past now anyways and we can't change it but neither of us blame you for what happened. Okay?"
Isaac nodded his head, blinking a few times to clear his eyes as they threatened to tear up. "O-okay."
He could tell that he struck a chord with his comment so he quickly moved on, not wanting things to get awkward. "So, Stiles managed to go a day without ripping a stitch, it's a miracle. I was a little worried since he was on his own for a few hours."
"It would seem that he knows how to be responsible at least sometimes then," Isaac joked.
Scott laughed quietly, "Yea, it's rare but it does happen. Hey, change of topic but, do you think I could join in on your training later? I haven't really come across other Weres that I felt comfortable training with… and it's been a really long time since I've let go of my phases, I've almost forgotten what my ears feel like."
"I'm sure Derek would be happy to have you join us, as you've heard, he's a bit unsure when it comes to the whole teaching thing. Boyd's offered to help but we all know that you've been a Were for years and not just months so Erica and I have been trying to figure out how to approach you. We're really curious about our phases and stuff and how you control them. Derek's explained it to us but I'm really curious to know how you do it."
"I'd be happy to share my experiences with you, I mean, you guys would be helping me out with training so of course I'd return the favor. I'll probably only be able to join you in the evening since I'm also tutoring under Deaton, just so you know."
Isaac glanced down at Stiles, "So you can be better able to patch him up?"
"Yea, Stiles needs all the help he can get, he ends up in a lot of tight spots," he answered with a chuckle. He had Were healing so it wasn't for his benefit. He groaned and stretched his arms over his head… it had been a long morning. "Scoot over, I want to take a nap. That way I can be nice and refreshed when I kick your butts later."
"Oh, ha, ha," Isaac said. He started to move but paused and looked up at Scott, "I can stay right?" Scott had told him to scoot and not to leave but he needed to double check.
Scott rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "I'll even let you be next to him, since we probably shouldn't try moving him to the middle of the mattress. So scoot."
Isaac continued to move, happy that he wasn't getting kicked out. He wrapped his arm around Stiles and snuggled into him. Things were starting to calm down, Isaac was surprised… There he was snuggling with his Mate and Scott was totally okay with it. Some stuff was still up in the air… like the fact that they technically weren't a part of Derek's Pack. They'd have to split up eventually and he had to force himself to push that thought away, not wanting to fly into a panic attack. Derek wanted him to just take things slow and get to know him so that's what he was going to do.
As soon as there was room, Scott dropped onto the mattress and stretched out. He'd probably only be down for a few hours but Stiles could sleep all day if he was left alone; hell he probably needed it. It would be good to sleep a few hours and then he'd be refreshed when it came time to get to know the Pack better.
*Melissa's House*
Derek sat on the couch, Erica next to him, leaning on his shoulder. They were both tired but he could feel the contentedness coming from her. It had been a really tough morning and everyone but Boyd had been pretty worn out; it had been awhile since Derek really let go and let loose. Isaac was the first to get tired, since he'd had just a hard time with his healing, his body was only now really catching up on fuel to replenish itself. But Erica and Boyd had plenty of energy to spare and just kept coming at him. Of course he wasn't super rough on them, using more of his energy on his speed to dodge them, make them work even harder to try and hit him. Maybe tomorrow he'd work on their pain limits, have them learn what it was like to take a hit and not let it distract them. Pain couldn't distract them, not until after they won the fight.
"Will we ever be as fast as you?" Erica asked.
"No, not really. We're Pack, so we gain strength from each other and my strength aids yours. But since I'm an Alpha, I will always have more strength and speed than you."
Erica pouted, "Then what's the point of training our speed if we're never going to be able to catch you?"
"Well, just so you know, that's not even my top speed," Derek laughed. "I'm only using enough to push you to your limits. I don't want to completely make it hopeless for you guys, just hard enough that you're forced to learn. Even if you don't feel like you're learning, your Wolf is always adapting, which helps condition your body. Eventually you'll be able to react faster and your body will learn to handle the higher speeds. Besides, just because you can't catch someone doesn't mean you should forego the training. If you're up against an enemy that's faster than you, when will you be able to hurt them?"
"I don't know… if we can't catch them, then never."
"Well, okay, if they are faster than you and running away then you're right, you wouldn't be able to catch them. Not unless you had a lot of endurance. But I meant in a fight, when an enemy isn't running away but is attacking you. If they are faster than you, will you be able to hurt them?"
Erica chewed on her lip, processing his question. She felt like the answer should be yes, that there was always a time when you could attack back… but it didn't seem possible. All morning she'd been trying to keep up with Derek, trying to block his attacks but no matter how hard she tried, her body just couldn't move fast enough. And any time she tried to attack him, he was gone before she'd even moved an inch; she'd slashed at nothing but empty air all day. And he'd hit her over and over, just quick slaps with an open hand, enough for her to recognize the hit. Her shoulder, her hip, the back of her head, and he'd been laughing the whole time! But she sat up straighter as she remembered there had been one time where she'd been able to accurately react! He had leapt up high, somersaulting over her head, and she just knew that he was going to be 'attacking' her left shoulder because he'd done that same move twice already. And because she knew his plan of attack, she'd been able to dodge! She hadn't even tried to block, she'd have to raise her arms up, against gravity, and she knew she wouldn't be quick enough. So instead she just buckled her knees and used gravity to her advantage, let it help her fall to the ground and roll out of the way. And just like that she understood the point Derek was trying to make. "We attack when they try to hit us, the one moment when we know for sure where they'll be."
"Yes, exactly," the Alpha praised. "Obviously it would still be just about impossible for you after just a few hours of training because your body doesn't know how to use its own speed but the point is what matters. You need to get your body and your mind used to reacting as instantaneously as possible. The better you get at training, the better you'll be at dodging which will develop your skills in blocking. Soon enough you'll actually be able to catch me instead of just dodge. After that, you get better at reading your opponents moves, so even if you aren't physically fast enough to attack them, you can anticipate their moves and react. I want to get you both to that point. The world is full of danger and more often than not, you'll be fighting opponents that are stronger than you. But you always have to believe in your own skill and defend yourself to the best of your abilities. Just because you aren't strong enough to defeat your opponent doesn't mean you're too weak to defend against them. There's more than one way to engage in a fight and defense is just as important as offense. That's an important lesson to always remember."
Erica nodded, "I will! And I'll work hard so you never have to worry about me in a fight, I promise. Isaac will too, we won't let you down!"
Derek smiled and put his hand on top of her head, "Don't worry about letting me down, that isn't the kind of Alpha I want to be. I just want to make sure you're able to protect yourselves."
She beamed and hugged him, unable to stop herself. It wasn't hard to realize that Derek was focused on keeping them alive- he didn't want to lose anyone else. And she was grateful for that because not every Alpha would take the time to focus on defense. It told her that he actually cared about her and not that he wanted her to get strong so he'd get strong too. He had cared about her well being even before she had become his Beta; he had watched out for her when they'd stormed the hotel in Primm. Derek had his walls and kept them at a distance but it didn't mean he didn't care. She made a mental note to tell Isaac about the lesson, just to make sure that he was on the right page. It wouldn't be fair if he fell behind because he didn't understand that he was supposed to be focusing on defense and not offense. It never crossed her mind to try and keep him in the dark so she could get an edge on him and try to become the favorite Beta.
The Alpha tensed for just a moment but then hugged her back; she just had a knack for worming past his emotional defenses. A quick hug wasn't going to ruin his day and he knew he would have to slowly open himself up again. His family was gone but he couldn't allow himself to be alone; that would devastate his Wolf and his mother's memory. She'd want him to move on and he knew it. And he was trying! He did feel closer to his two Betas after their training session. It was a good feeling after the months of seclusion.
*Later*
Scott rolled over and slid off the mattress, waking up as he flopped onto the floor. "I guess three to a mattress is too many. Good thing the bed wasn't on a frame or anything," he mumbled to himself as he stood up.
"Did I push you off?" Isaac asked, half awake.
"No, just rolled off. But what do you say we go get a late lunch and then meet up with the rest of your Pack?" He felt a lot better, despite the fact that the mattress was still lumpy and that the three of them hadn't really fit. For a brief moment he thought about waking Stiles but realized that he could probably use the extra rest; he had probably gotten even less sleep than Scott. So he held out a hand before Isaac could shake him, "I'm thinking we let Stiles sleep some more, he needs it."
"Are you sure it's okay to leave him here?"
Scott tilted his head, "Yea, why wouldn't it be? It's not like we're going far, and he's not outside in the sun. I promise, he'll wake up when he needs food, it isn't something we need to keep track of. There's food in his bag and he knows how to get to the saloon, he won't starve. Seriously, I've seen him eat in his sleep a few times. Well, it was more like he registered that he was hungry before the rest of him was even fully awake. I think he finished eating before his eyes actually opened. So if his body gets hungry enough, he'll wake up. And if not, then all the sleep will do him good- if he's just lying there, I know he isn't getting into trouble. I'll just leave him a note on his Pip-Boy, tell him to follow the growls to find us."
"I, yea that's a good point; it's hard to rip your stitches when you're asleep and not moving much." Isaac smiled to himself as he watched Scott lightly ruffle Stiles's hair before standing up. It was extremely obvious that Scott cared about Stiles and he couldn't quite understand why his inner Wolf had been so wary of him the other night. Part of it made sense, that he was a stranger and had been acting on instinct but now that he was interacting with them more and more, he knew there was no way that Scott would ever hurt Stiles. Not only that, he was willing to spend long hours with Deaton in order to learn how to take better care of him! Knowing that helped Isaac relax a bit; now if they ever had to go their separate ways, he would know that Stiles was in good hands. It was probably a good thing that Scott wanted to try training with them too, it would help his Wolf become even more familiar with him. There was a lot Isaac didn't understand but he knew that he felt a lot closer with Erica and Derek after training with them so surely the same would happen with Scott. It was just like Derek had said, the more he got to know them, the more relaxed he was around them. And he'd been doubtful that they could move past the awkwardness! There they were, about to go get lunch without Stiles to act as a buffer. "Did you want to grab something at the saloon? I know you have food in your bags…"
"Yea, we can go to the saloon, maybe we'll even see Derek and Erica, if they haven't eaten already." He opened the door and let Isaac lead the way, not that they had far to go. "Have you eaten anyt-" Scott suddenly paused, his hand on the door to the bar. His eyes lit up of their own accord and his muscles locked up. Something was happening.
"Scott? You okay?"
"Derek is inside and he's pissed… and there's someone else too."
Isaac pushed his way past and opened the door, "What do you mean pissed? At who? How could you possibly know that?"
"I can feel his Alpha aura, can't you?" Scott mumbled; how could Isaac miss it? An angry Alpha would raise any Wolf's hackles at such a close proximity. Especially for Isaac, since Derek was his Alpha. Not that Isaac was even listening, he was already rushing inside, heedless of the danger.
"Derek?"
"Isaac, stay back!" Erica whispered, grabbing Isaac as soon as he came into the bar. She'd been standing right by the door, instructed by Derek to be ready to leave if things got ugly. She hadn't been expecting Isaac to come storming in though. He'd almost mowed her down in his rush to come in.
"I think it would be in your best interest to just leave here," Melissa snapped out in a dangerous tone.
Isaac whined, confused but he saw that she wasn't talking to Derek. There was a huge man standing in front of Derek and both of them were snarling and growling at each other. He immediately shrank back, finally feeling the aura that Scott was talking about; his Wolf was cowering. He leaned into Erica, looking for protection.
Erica wrapped an arm around him, unsure of what to do. Derek had warned her to leave if it got ugly, to go find Isaac and protect him since he was the youngest. But that would mean abandoning her Alpha in a fight and that wasn't the type of Beta she wanted to be, regardless of her earlier promise. But neither of them had the strength of will to step forward, they were too scared to move.
Scott was the first to get over the fear; he stepped forward, holding his hands up between them, "What's the problem here?"
"He's trying to steal my Beta!" the stranger growled.
"I told you that you're wrong! He was getting attacked by some Humans and we happened to be walking by so we helped him. And then we escorted him here so he could recuperate. I don't appreciate being accused of thieving!" Derek roared back. They had never said a thing about Boyd joining him! They had no reason to because Boyd was already in a Pack. He was from an honorable family- the Hales didn't steal Betas!
"I don't believe you! You have two new Wolves, I can tell the bond is fresh between the three of you. So it looks to me like you're trying to build up your strength as quickly as you can. You saw my Beta and figured you'd just steal him too! I'm surprised you haven't cowed this one into joining you too!"
"No Vernon, it wasn't like that at all!" Boyd argued. He flinched as his Alpha snarled at him, ducking away again.
"Why don't you listen to him," Derek snapped, hating the way he was treating Boyd. "We offered to keep him company on the road but I have no reason to recruit him. He's a trader, and as far as I know he's happy working for Werewolf Wares. I'm just looking for a place to settle down. And let me make this perfectly clear, I didn't steal either of my Betas! So don't accuse me of shit I've never done!"
The other Alpha clenched his fists but before he could say or do anything, Scott spoke up. "Excuse me, I think we should all just calm down a bit. You're accusing him of something very serious with no actual proof and things are getting heated. There's no reason for all the yelli-" he was cut off as the Alpha lashed out, swiping at him with his claws. Scott reacted instantly, leaning backwards to dodge the slash. Before he could do anything else, he was yanked behind Derek protectively.
"How dare you! That was completely uncalled for," Derek roared, shoving the taller Alpha. "You can't just attack anyone you want!" He felt his face shift as the rage started to take over. He had crossed the line by attacking Scott, an innocent bystander who was just trying to diffuse the situation.
"STOP!" Boyd called out over the loud roaring. "I'll go with you, stop, this is unnecessary. I only came here because Callie needed to rest, it's fine Vernon. We can go. Stop fighting, please."
Erica whimpered- Boyd was going to leave with that crazy Alpha?! It wasn't right! He was in danger; if he thought Boyd was trying to leave him, he might hurt him as punishment…
"Let's go then!" The Alpha pushed Boyd out the side door and left, throwing one last snarl in Derek's direction.
"Wha- what did I miss?" a voice cut in, startling everyone in the saloon. They all turned around to see Stiles standing at the open door behind Isaac and Erica.
He cleared his throat, realizing that he was the center of attention. "I heard all the snarling, even I can't sleep through that. I could tell they weren't training growls so I was worried that maybe Scott…"
"That was Boyd's Alpha and apparently he thought we were trying to steal him or something. I don't understand why he came here, Boyd said that he was free to travel on his own," Erica explained. She hugged Isaac even tighter, both to comfort him and herself. "I had no idea his Alpha was like that, Boyd's so nice."
"No, Scott, we can't let him go with that asshole!" Stiles argued, stepping further into the saloon. "He's going to beat him if he thinks Boyd tried to leave. He shouldn't even be a part of the company if that's how he acts around his Betas!"
"Yea, I don't like it either," Scott said, already moving towards the side door.
Melissa stared at him, "No, Scott… You can't be going after him, Scott- that's an Alpha, he'll kill you!"
"He won't be going alone," Derek informed her. "I refuse to look the other way when an Alpha intimidates their Betas like that. There's no question that Boyd is terrified of him, that he's being controlled- I could see it in his eyes. Maybe he doesn't know how to rebel against him… or maybe the other Alphas at Werewolf Wares are all the same. Either way, I'm going after him, Boyd deserves better. And since he can't stand up for himself, I'll have to do it for him." He waved his Betas to him but before he could open his mouth to say anything, Erica cut him off.
"We're going with you! We want to save Boyd too!"
"Yea!" Isaac agreed. Honestly he was scared shitless but he was going to fight alongside his Pack. He knew Derek and Scott were doing the right thing so he was going to fight on Boyd's behalf too. There was no way he'd be okay with leaving him at the beck and call of that Alpha. Although, the guy was intimidating and if he ended up dying… well at least he would die as a Beta with friends and not a lonely Omega. And he'd go down fighting!
Derek nodded, he knew there was no way he could tell them to stay behind. Not that he was relishing the idea of putting them in harm's way though. "I want the two of you to be careful, you've only had a half a day of training and this is an Alpha we're going after. Do exactly as I tell you, alright?" They nodded and he quickly started to break down the different things he might need them to do.
At the back door, Scott turned around, "Stiles sta-"
"Scotty, bro, seriously? I'm not staying here, no way in hell. I know I'm injured and I have to be careful but I'm going with you!" Stiles was pushing his way through the trio of Weres to get to his brother.
"I was going to say, 'stay behind me' since we don't know if he has any other Betas with him. And even if he's alone, he's dangerous… and he definitely seems like the type to go after anyone he deems the weakest, including Humans. He already took a swipe at me just because I told him to calm down."
"Oh, right. I'll definitely be careful, of course- I don't need any more injuries. I'm not even sure what I'll be able to help with but I'm just not one to sit back and do nothing."
With both parties ready to go, Derek gently pushed past Scott, taking the lead position at the side door. As he leaned out, he saw Boyd leading Callie out of the Bighorner pen with the Alpha heading for the southern road out of town; he was setting a quick pace that Boyd struggled to keep up with. "Alright, let's stay quiet, I don't think he expects us to come after him, his stance isn't aggressive. That means he probably wasn't listening at all, a plus for us. We'll follow but at a distance until he's out of town, I don't want to involve the townspeople."
The group exited the bar and watched the pair hurry towards the road. They clustered together, trying to stay as quiet as possible as they slowly closed the distance.
"Alright, remember, you two are here as backup only, I don't want you to get involved, not directly. All he needs to do is land one good hit on either of you and you're dead. Probably not what you want to hear but it's the truth and I do not want you taking any chances… you're too young to be getting yourselves killed. Once he's out of town, I'll push hard, going on the offensive; I want you two to follow but not too closely, just enough so he knows that it won't be a one-on-one fight." Derek figured that if he was the one to push forward, it would give Vernon less opportunity to try and strike one of the Betas- he'd be forced to focus on him.
"If you don't want us to help you attack, what do you want us to do?" Erica whispered.
"Just, lend me your strength, that should be more than enough. He's strong physically but I don't think he has a lot of extra power coming from his Pack. So I should have the upper hand with you two backing me."
"And I'll be jumping in too," Scott added. "I might not have a large Pack but I am an experienced fighter so I won't be standing on the sidelines."
"H-how… what do you mean by lend you strength?" Isaac asked. He got the feeling that he wasn't talking about just cheering him on.
"Right, we haven't gotten to that yet." Derek swore under his breath, how was he going to find time to explain Pack stuff to them while also making sure they were capable of surviving. There were only so many hours in a day.
Stiles cleared his throat and offered to explain it to them, guessing that Derek wasn't sure where to start. He might be good at sparring and teaching them the physical stuff but he'd already admitted a few times that he wasn't good at the rest of it. Stiles knew how to talk about anything and make it relatable, it was a gift. "It's really simple, I promise, or, it is if you've already established a solid Pack bond with each other. You're all still getting to know one another so… here's hoping it won't be a problem. I mean, even without a super strong bond, you'll have an easier time with it than me and Scott. I'm not a Were so it's a bit complicated, but if I can do it then so can you! Anyways, you'll need to focus on your bond with Derek, and this works with any Packmate by the way, and once you've woken up the bond between your Wolves, it's almost like a physical rope that you can feel. Once you get to that point, you just focus and will some of your Wolf-y strength towards Derek's Wolf. It'll make him stronger and he'll kick that other guy's ass."
"Yea and speaking of our bond, you should probably hold off. I know it's taxing for you since you have to concentrate a lot more than I would. I'll be in the fight but mostly as backup, so you should focus on keeping your own strength up and not over-doing it. Derek's an Alpha too so the fight should be over pretty quickly between the two of us," Scott mentioned.
Derek had to glance at the pair of them; they were just full of surprises. A Human shouldn't be able to learn how to utilize a Pack bond since they didn't have an inner Wolf to guide them. Scott would feel a weak bond with Stiles, since his Wolf was attached to him but it would be weak because Stiles couldn't reciprocate it- he was Human! But from the way they were talking, it sounded like Stiles had figured out a way to lend strength to Scott in a fight and that should not be possible.
"Alright, I'll keep my strength to myself. You guys should hurry up, they're moving faster. Go, go, go," Stiles urged. He was the slowpoke and he didn't want to hold them up when it was time to act. He wasn't supposed to be in the action anyways but he at least wanted to be present, just in case there was something he could do.
"I'll stay back with him, that way he won't be alone. That should also give me time to figure out this strength thing… Erica, you go with them, you're a lot stronger than me so if one of us should be there, it's you."
"Right!"
The three of them jogged towards Boyd and his Alpha while Isaac draped Stiles's arm around his back to help him move a little faster. As they walked, Isaac concentrated on feeling his bond with Derek, realizing it wasn't as hard as he thought- Stiles had been right. They were still kind of like strangers but they did have a bond! Isaac had attached to Derek pretty fast after he saved his life and it was even stronger after the training they'd done that morning. He could also feel his bond with Erica and he was surprised by how real it felt. It had to do with the fact that they cuddled, there was no other explanation for it. Isaac felt tears in his eyes as he realized that he really wasn't alone anymore. Before, he'd told himself that he was a part of a Pack and that he mattered but now he could feel it. It was real.
"Figure it out?" Stiles asked, uncomfortable with silences in tense situations. It wasn't until after he asked that he realized he probably broke Isaac's concentration.
"Yea actually," Isaac mumbled, clearing his throat, "You were right, it wasn't hard at all. I can totally feel the bond. Then I just kinda concentrate and somehow I know that his Wolf is getting my strength." He paused, watching the three Weres hurry after Boyd. "Th-they can do this, right? I mean we don't know how strong that guy is… Boyd said that they have a few different Alphas at the company so that guy isn't in charge of all the Betas but… that doesn't mean he doesn't still have a lot," Isaac whimpered, afraid. Surely the guy had more than two… which was all Derek had.
"Of course they got this. First of all, Scott won't let a guy like that win- his sense of morality forbids it. Seriously. The guy that shot me in the head was Scott's Alpha, as in the Were that turned him. He was trying to control Scott and most of the time you're kinda forced to listen to the one that turned you but Scott completely resisted. Because he knew Peter was wrong and that's all that mattered to him and his Wolf. Second, Derek is a strong Alpha in his own right and he has you and Erica backing him. Thirdly, Derek mentioned that he didn't sense a lot of Pack-strength in him, only his personal strength. He doesn't stand a chance."
Isaac nodded, hoping Stiles was right… then he shook himself, knowing that his self-doubt wasn't what he wanted to send to Derek. Derek needed strength! He re-focused, hurrying Stiles along as fast as he could.
Vernon suddenly spun around, hearing the light footfalls that kept getting closer. He didn't think they'd try anything but they were there, following them. As they made eye contact, the group of three started running at them; he cursed to himself and quickly sized them up. One was the Alpha of course, and he was a strong one, and there were two weaker Weres with him. He'd have to take out the Betas first if he was going to stand a chance. He held his hand out, gesturing to Boyd, "You pick one of the Betas and hold them off while I take out the other two."
"What? No! They're my friends!" Boyd argued. He stepped away from his Alpha, pulling Callie with him. He wasn't going to help his Alpha attack them, he wasn't! They were his friends and they were coming to help him. His first thought was to run towards them, to escape his Alpha but then he realized that he'd be exposing his back… and Vernon was the type to attack him, or at least use him as a hostage. So he moved to the side instead, keeping his focus on his Alpha, making it clear that he wasn't going to help him in the fight.
"Get back here!"
"No! I'm done with all of this! I'm going straight to the company and complaining about you!" Boyd called out, gritting his teeth. The Alpha wasn't above using Orders to control him and he was steeling himself to fight it.
The Alpha snarled but before he could say anything else, the attackers were in his face.
Derek growled as he rushed the other Alpha, fully Beta shifted and ready to go. He wanted all of the Alpha's attention on him so he immediately started throwing punches, forcing him to defend. His Betas (and Scott) knew what to do and he had to trust them, he couldn't afford to look away or get distracted at that point. He kept throwing punches and slashes, claws digging into the other Were's skin, pushing him back even further.
As Vernon reared back and attempted to kick Derek, Scott saw his first opening; he leapt on him, digging his claws into his back as deep as they'd go. And a second later he was gone, rolling away from him before the Alpha could spin and grab him. So far he'd been focused on blocking Derek's attacks and Scott wanted to remind him that it was two against one. It wasn't a fair fight but the guy was an asshole and he needed to understand that his only option was to surrender or die.
Derek immediately jumped in again as Vernon spun around to try and catch Scott. He kicked the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground, "Give up before you get seriously injured."
Vernon rolled over his shoulder and jumped to his feet, snarling. "You aren't even fighting fair! But like hell I'm giving up- you're the one trying to steal my Beta!"
"I've done no such thing! Do you even know the reason why we came after you?"
"So I couldn't spread the word that you're a thief! You're going to kill me and take Boyd and then find another Alpha to do that to down the road! You're despicable!" He lunged forward, slashing at Derek.
The swings were heavy and slow, Derek couldn't help but smirk to himself as he easily dodged under them. He was a power-oriented Were, focusing on throwing all of his strength into each hit. And if he ever actually connected, it would hurt. But Derek was fast and could easily read his movements; none of the punches even came close. All he was doing was wasting his energy- not that Derek was complaining. He stepped in closer and grabbed both of his wrists, halting his movement, "I wasn't trying to steal anyone! Period! You need to get your head out of your ass. And the reason we came after you is because you're abusing your Alpha powers and I came to put a stop to it. Now, are you going to surrender or are do we have to continue?" For a moment he thought he'd gotten through to him but then he felt Vernon shift his weight and then he was being thrown over his shoulder, rolling across the ground. "Alright then…"
As soon as Scott saw him lift Derek, he jumped back in, deftly sliding between Vernon's wide-spread legs. As he passed, he dug his claws into the backs of his knees, knocking him down yet again. Then he bounded to his feet, spinning and catching the Alpha in the chin with his boot. Scott didn't push his luck though, he danced backwards as the guy quickly recovered from his attack.
He struggled to get back to his feet, knowing that he needed to stand again before the next attack… The kick had been negligible but his knees were taking too long to heal. He was losing strength… His thoughts were clouded, he wasn't paying attention and before he could even register the incoming hit, a solid kick to his chest sent him flying backwards. He needed to find a way to get the upper hand, shift the fight into his favor… There was no way he could lose! He saw the female Beta standing off to the side, looking unsure. Her! She was the weak link! He carefully side-stepped closer to her while keeping his eyes on the younger Alpha; he took small swipes every few moments, just to keep them on their toes. Occasionally he's spin around and slash at his other attacker, not wanting to get caught off guard again. "Beta, help me!" he croaked, trying to sound as desperate as he could.
Derek narrowed his eyes, wondering what had caused the change… he was panting and moving even slower than before but Derek wasn't buying it. He wasn't that tired, not yet. Was he trying to catch his breath by acting more exhausted than he really was? That felt too easy though… but he didn't figure it out until it was too late. Derek watched as he suddenly shifted his weight and jumped to the side. Right at Erica.
Erica was watching the fight and holding her breath. So far it didn't look like he'd even landed a single punch on either of them. Scott wouldn't stay in range long enough and Derek was a lot faster at dodging and countering. But despite that, he wasn't going down and it made her worried. She wanted to believe that Derek could do it, because it was the right thing to do… but the longer the fight went on, the higher the chance of something going wrong. She whimpered to herself when Derek got thrown but it seemed like he wasn't hurt by it. Things slowed down after that, it was winding down finally! And then suddenly the Alpha shifted and he was snarling at her! Time slowed down as he pivoted and jumped at her, claws outstretched… Why was he coming after her?! Her blood went cold and she felt her muscles lock up; out of the corner of her eyes she saw Derek and Scott belatedly try to catch him… they weren't close enough though, she could tell. For a moment Erica just wanted to close her eyes, not wanting to see the attack but then her Wolf snapped to attention and her body reacted of its own accord. His whole body was in the air and a part of her mind knew that he was committed to his action. The momentum would carry him, all she had to do was move out of the way! At the last minute her knees bent and she was rolling across the ground, barely evading his outstretched claws. She popped up onto her feet at the same time she heard him slide across the ground; she didn't bother turning around to look, she knew she didn't have time. Instead she leapt straight for Scott, hoping to meet him in the middle so he could help get the Alpha off her back. She quickly ducked behind him as a loud roar filled her ears.
Derek had the Alpha on the ground and was punching him in the face, repeatedly. He heard his cheekbones snap, his nose crunch, but he didn't stop. Not until Scott hauled him backwards, shouting his name. It took a moment for his head to clear, for the red to fade from his vision- he'd gone after Erica because he knew she was inexperienced! Suddenly his thoughts shifted and he spun around; as soon as he saw Erica he rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug, "Are you okay?!"
"I, yea, yea I'm fine," she stammered out, nodded against his chest. She was still in a state of shock, unsure of what had just happened.
"That was too close… I should've guessed that he'd try something desperate and underhanded. I should've had you take Boyd farther away from the fight, well out of harm's way… I should've-"
"I'm okay Derek, I'm okay."
"Erica?!"
Everyone turned to see Isaac and Stiles finally catch up; Isaac's eyes were wide. He'd seen the Alpha charge at her and suddenly Stiles had been the one holding him up as his legs went weak.
"He didn't even scratch me," Erica called out, trying to sound confident, like she had been in control the whole time.
Stiles quickly waved Isaac forward, finding a rock to sit on; clearly the guy needed to go check on his Packmate. His own heart was still racing so he could only imagine how Isaac was feeling. He watched as Isaac raced over and almost tackled her to the ground as he hugged her. A close call, too close… he looked over at his brother and saw the guilt-ridden look on his face. "Scott, she's fine."
"She wasn't supposed to be a target."
"I know but-"
"Scott! Look out!" Boyd warned, pointing behind him.
Scott's head snapped around just as the Alpha lurched to his feet. Of course he had already healed… Scott braced himself, he ducked low so he could use his arms to protect his stomach while using his hands to guard his face and his neck. The Alpha tackled him to the ground, fangs biting into his arm as they collided. But the claws never reached him and when he opened his eyes, Derek and Erica were both there, holding him back.
Erica was using her whole body to restrain his left arm; she was twisting his wrist and had dug her claws and teeth into his skin to prevent him from slipping out of her grasp. She knew she couldn't let him go, he'd kill Scott in a second if she failed to hold him.
Beside her, Derek had his other arm stretched out and his claws were around Vernon's throat. "Let. Him. Go." His voice had a dangerous edge to it and he was barely in control of his actions.
The Alpha responded by viciously shaking his head back and forth, making Scott cry out in pain.
Derek reacted instantly, standing up and stomping down on the guy's elbow while yanking up at the same time. There was a sickening crack as his arm bent backwards and the Alpha howled in pain.
Scott immediately seized the opportunity and freed his arm, scrambling out from under the Alpha. He kept crawling until Stiles grabbed him, the two of them applying pressure to the bite mark on his wrist.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you right here," Derek growled out, claws digging into Vernon's throat again. When the Alpha decided to curse instead of replying, he turned to Erica, "Break that one too."
She hesitated a moment, not sure if she could do it… but then she remembered the look on his face when he had leapt at her, he was ready to kill her. And Scott. So she twisted his wrist more and lifted her boot, setting it on his elbow like she'd seen Derek do. Just as she started to apply pressure, the Alpha caved.
"Don't! I surrender!"
"Hmm, looks like we're just in time then," Melissa called out. "We realized that you might need something to keep him subdued," she said, holding up a coiled rope.
Sunny was accompanying her and she had her rifle pointed at the Alpha's head. Melissa had warned her about his attitude; she wasn't taking any chances.
"Thanks but I don't think a rope is going to do much, not once his arm heals," Derek told them.
Melissa smiled, "This one will, it's soaked in wolfsbane, so watch out."
Derek widened his eyes, he hadn't been expecting that. And with the wind was blowing in the wrong direction so he hadn't caught the scent. "Alright, we're in business then," he commented, grabbing hold of his other arm so Erica could move back.
Sunny stepped forward and pressed the barrel of the rifle against his head, "One wrong move and your brains will be introduced to the pavement." She stood guard while Melissa quickly tied the rope around the Alpha's wrists with Derek's help. He winced and complained when Derek wrenched his broken arm behind his back but he didn't struggle or resist. Sunny backed off as Derek hauled him to his feet, "So now what? We don't have a jail here or anything."
"We can take him to the outpost, they'll know what to do with him."
"Fuck you! You assholes assaulted me- I should be the one pressing charges!"
"Shut up!" Derek snarled. It was entirely possible that he would try to convince the soldiers at the outpost to arrest them instead but Derek was certain that Boyd would back their story. Boyd hadn't wanted to go with him and he'd been afraid, a sign that Vernon was overly aggressive. "Scott, how are you doing?" he asked, realizing that he hadn't heard a peep out of Stiles the whole time; that was a sure sign that he was concentrating on his brother.
"What happened to Scott?" Melissa asked, spinning around to look for him. She saw him on the ground with Stiles's hands pressing on his wrist and Boyd injecting him with a stimpack. "Scott!" Just like that she was kneeling by his side, helping Stiles apply pressure to the wound. She's seen Scott scramble away from beneath the Alpha but she hadn't thought he'd been hurt…
"I'll be fine. Alpha wounds just take longer to heal, Boyd wants to make sure I don't lose too much blood," Scott explained. He was feeling a little light-headed but he knew it would pass. "You can stop concentrating on the strength Stiles, really, I'll be fine."
"Shut up, not until the bleeding stops."
Scott didn't push the point, knowing that Stiles was terrified for him. There was a pretty nasty gash from when the Alpha had shook his head, tearing into his skin, but he really didn't think he'd bleed out. The strength did help though, it made his Wolf fight harder to heal, knowing that Stiles, his only Packmate, was depending on him to survive.
"Okay, now that he's tied up and we've got a few more hands here to help keep him under control, why don't you and Erica go gather up our things… it seems like we'll be leaving town early," Derek told Isaac. He didn't want to leave but the outpost was a few hours away and they'd probably be there all night explaining the situation. It would be better if they had their stuff with them; they could come back to Goodsprings when they were done.
"I… um okay, sure…" Isaac answered, pulled out of his shocked state. He'd been rooted to the spot ever since Vernon had attacked Scott, unable to do anything… they were all lucky that Erica had be able to act. It had all happened so fast… He glanced at Stiles, seeing how worried he was about Scott… Isaac hadn't been able to do a thing to help him… It took him a moment to settle his thoughts- everything seemed to be falling apart! Scott had gotten hurt and now they were leaving Goodsprings… They were supposed to stick around so he could get to know Stiles. He wasn't going to argue though, he knew that they needed to take care of the Alpha so Boyd could be safe. Besides, he'd let Stiles down… how could he face him after that? He let Erica grab his hand and start leading him back to Melissa's house.
"Wait, you mean the Mohave Outpost right, down south past Primm?" Scott called out.
Derek nodded, "Yea, that's the closest place I can think to take him."
"Can Stiles and I come?"
Stiles blinked and looked up, slowly registering the conversation. He'd been concentrating so hard that he'd almost missed his own name. "Right, we still have to find a sheriff for Primm. That bastard deputy has info about Pe- um, the guy that shot me, and he won't tell us anything until we help. Our first plan backfired, horribly, so now we have to go make a deal with the NCR to get help. We were told to talk to a higher up down at the outpost. Since we both have to go there, we could travel toge… no, I just realized that won't work. You'll want to get him there as soon as you can and I'm injured so I'll just slow you down."
"I don't think it would be a big problem," Isaac cut in before Derek could answer. Stiles was healing but it was his back that was hurt, not his legs so he wouldn't be that slow. If he was still willing to travel with him, he was desperate to try and make things up to Stiles!
Derek could tell how much Isaac needed Stiles to come along and couldn't tell him no. "I don't have a problem with traveling a little slow; they'll be able to help us keep an eye on this guy. But we need to move so get packing." That snapped Isaac out of his funk and Derek watched as they took off running, suddenly in a hurry.
Scott tried to stand but Melissa immediately shook her head, "No, you stay here and rest, keep healing, I can go get your things. Is everything packed?"
"Um, yea, it should be all together, we have two bags."
"Alright, I'll be back, Sunny, you stay here and keep your gun on him."
Stiles watched her go, surprised at her reaction to the situation. It probably hadn't taken her five minutes after they'd left to decide to do something. And she was smart enough not to come alone, she'd brought Sunny. When she's seen that Scott was hurt she ran over, she cared. It was surprising to him, that she'd give so much thought to the random scavengers that came through town. Sure, they'd helped save the town from the Powder Gangers but he felt like she'd care about them regardless of that. He was glad they had come back to see her again… He turned his attention back to his brother, not wanting to get all teary-eyed, "How you doing Scott?"
"Alright, I think the worst of the bleeding has stopped, it just hasn't completely closed yet."
"Good, good. Talk about a cheap shot!" he barked out, glaring at the Alpha.
"I don't know what world you live in but in the real world, there ain't no thing as a fair fight. It was two-on-one anyways! Not my fault he let his guard down before I surrendered! Let that be a les-" He was cut off as Derek kicked out the back of his knees and knocked him down.
"Shut up."
"He started it!" Vernon yelled as he got back to his feet.
"And I'm telling you to shut up."
Stiles held up a hand, "Wait, no, I have a legit question." Now that everything had settled down and the fight was over, his brain was starting to make connections. He recalled Erica's comment from back in the bar and he was curious. Derek rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else which he took as permission to continue. "Why are you even here in Goodsprings? Like, how and why did you come find Boyd? He said that he was basically allowed to just go wherever and that he'd report back to the main office on his own."
Vernon snorted in disbelief, "Boyd? Seriously, you're still going by your last name? How pathetic."
Derek cleared his throat, "Either answer the questions or just shut your mouth."
"Fine, whatever. The company doesn't require regular check-ins because we have select routes that we send the traders on. It's for protection, if any of us sense a Beta in trouble, we can head straight for them."
"Oh, were you in the area when Boyd got attacked then, you were coming to help him?" Stiles asked, surprised. There was no way they had gotten the wrong idea about him, was there?
"Don't kid yourself," Boyd scoffed, "That's not why he came."
Stiles frowned, looking between Boyd and his Alpha. There was a lot of tension between the two of them, solidifying the fact that they'd made the right choice about him. "Alright, if not to help you then why would he look for you?"
"Because-"
"Because he's a control freak!" Boyd said, cutting his Alpha off. He wasn't going to let the asshole lie anymore. "I'm one of the few Betas he has left- all the others have left him. They requested different Alphas or even left the company because of his dickish behavior."
"They left because the other Alphas in the company are scavengers! Everything is supposed to be equal at the company and it's not! All of them just want more power than they're assigned! I'm just trying to keep what I have before any other Alpha comes along and takes more of what's mine. There's nothing wrong with that."
Boyd scowled, "No one was stolen! They left of their own free will because you're the worst Alpha in the company. That's why I never check in with you, because you're a tyrant! I've been debating if I should report you or not when I go back to the main office but this settles it. I've had it! I tried being loyal to you, it never felt right to speak bad about my Alpha, but I can't do it anymore. I was getting hurt and you didn't care at all- you only came because you felt my thoughts of rejection and-"
"And let me guess, it was because of this younger Alpha? What did he offer you?"
"It's not like that!" Boyd argued. How could he be so dense? He appreciated Derek's concern, and was envious of their Pack unity… the way the three of them all worked together and cared for one another. He wanted something like that and knew he'd been missing it with Vernon… when he looked at them, something about them made his tail twinge. But Derek had not tried to steal him, period. And Boyd wasn't going to let him accuse a good Alpha of something so dirty. "Why can't you understand that you're the one pushing people away? You're the one more concerned with power than anyone else in the whole group! Once I get back there, you're done, you don't deserve to be at the company, the group is full of good people! How did you even get accepted into Werewolf Wares anyways?"
"I think the better question is how a whelp like you even survived the Bite?! You're pathetic, useless, stupid!" Vernon told him. His eyes started to glow red as his anger took over. He couldn't stand Betas like him… always looking for something better. His glare turned aggressive as he pushed his anger into the Beta, "You're worthless, I don't need a Beta like you in my Pack. You're better off dead, that way you aren't bothering anyone. You hear me, you should go kill-"
Derek reacted immediately, hand shooting out to hit him in the throat; he heard the change in his voice and knew he was trying to Order Boyd. "If you say one more word, I will rip your throat out. Your last warning." He stared down at the Alpha as he wheezed and coughed, trying to breathe.
"Boyd, are you okay?" Scott called out. He took a step towards him cautiously, unsure if he should touch him. He didn't have a lot of personal experiences with Alphas but he knew an Order when he heard one. And he knew that Alphas could influence their Betas; Boyd definitely looked like he was struggling against something. He was glad that Derek had stepped in when he did, otherwise there was no telling what might've happened.
He was standing next to Callie with his hands and eyes clenched shut; his whole body was tense. The emotion that Vernon had pushed into him during his tirade had overwhelmed him. Not to mention the Order he'd almost been given- it wasn't hard to guess what he was going to say. And even though Derek had cut him off, Boyd had felt the compulsion to hurt himself… he was still fighting it. His claws were digging into his palms and for a minute he was afraid that he'd crack a tooth he'd been clenching his jaw so hard.
"Boyd?" Erica called out, seeing the pain on his face as she returned. She dropped her bag and rushed to his side, worried.
"I-I'm fine. He just… he let me know how much he really hates me. It was a lot to take in, that's all." Boyd took a shaky breath and finally opened his eyes. There was no question in his mind any more; he knew that he was going to have to leave. He didn't want to, even though Vernon was a tyrant… he hated feeling alone. But he wasn't going to stand to be bullied anymore, it wasn't worth it. His eyes lit up as he looked his Alpha in the eyes, "I'm done with you. I'll make my own way back to the company and let them know but I won't be your Beta a moment longer! I'd rather break the rules and travel as an Omega!"
Erica watched as his eyes dimmed for a brief moment before brightening again- he must've severed his Pack ties! Vernon was a brute but she couldn't imagine it was easy to just cut ties like that. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder- he'd made the right choice. He was an Omega but he wasn't alone.
"What happened?" Isaac asked as he trotted up behind Erica. It had taken him longer to finish collecting his stuff and he hadn't made Erica wait for him… but clearly he'd missed something.
Stiles pointed towards the coughing Alpha, "The asshole tried to make Boyd hurt himself. Derek stepped in and put a stop to it. Boyd looks pretty shook up though."
"He just signed away his freedom, no question about it now," Derek told them all.
Boyd looked over at him, "What do you mean?"
"I still haven't done anything wrong," the other Alpha croaked out.
"Bullshit! We're all witnesses to your abuse of power. It wasn't a hard case to make before, it was clear that Boyd wasn't a happy Beta, that he was scared of you. But you tried to Order him to hurt himself in front of all of us. You also used your Pack bond to push unwanted feelings into him. You can't use your powers to override someone else's freewill, period!"
"I don't have to obey the laws that Humans impose on us! They don't have to right to try and control our species. Alphas make the rules, Alphas dictate what is right and wrong for the Pack- Alphas command obedience!"
Derek's eyes started to glow again as he stared the other Alpha down. "Alphas earn the respect of their Betas! Packs are supposed to operate through trust! Alphas are supposed to protect their Betas, guide them, teach them. Not control them! Our special influence over the others only developed as a means of guidance, so we can help a new Beta learn control or to break up fights. It was never designed to make people bow to your will and Alphas who rule that way never have a strong Pack. As a species we understood that and if you knew anything about our history then you'd know that we helped create those laws. The Humans asked us the differences between our species before they made any laws; they worked with us to create laws that would protect everyone. And as a species we agreed that Alphas aren't allowed to force their will onto others. There are clear laws that have been broken, laws that the NCR does enforce. We're taking you there so they can deal with you, are you going to be a big boy and walk on your own two feet or are we going to have to drag you?"
"Oh, fuck off!"
Derek scowled and cracked the Alpha's jaw with a powerful punch, knocking him out. "That should give us a few minutes to talk without him interrupting us. The only course of action is to take him to the outpost. Boyd, are you okay with talking to the military personnel about how he has treated you?"
"Yea, um, as long as he isn't in the room. Even though he's not my Alpha anymore, I don't think I could be in a room with him if he gets mad. Especially since I'm an Omega now."
"Of course not, they would never make you sit in a room with him in a situation like this. Still, I'll make sure that they have an officer that's up-to-date on Were laws before I even hand him over. I doubt they'll let me in there with you but I can at least talk to them and make sure they'll keep you safe," Derek assured him.
Boyd looked at him and then at the others in the group; he felt overcome with emotion. He was free… "Thank you, all of you. You've helped me twice now… even though you weren't obligated to. I'm a stranger to you and yet you've gone through so much trouble for me. You attacked those Humans even though they could've tried to cause trouble for you with the NCR… And you were forced to directly challenge another Alpha because of me. I know that most Weres would rather look the other way when it comes to intra-Pack issues; it's just not something outsiders want to get involved in. Most people just look the other way when it comes to conflict in general… it's easier that way. But none of you hesitated. Vernon might not have been listening but I was; I heard all of you immediately talk about stepping in. There was no hesitation. Not even from Stiles, an injured Human who owes me nothing."
"Dude, of course we stepped in," Stiles assured him, "We don't know how to just 'look the other way'. What he was doing was wrong and we couldn't just let you leave with him."
Erica nodded, "Yea, exactly. Being an Omega isn't fun, at least from my experiences but I'd rather be alone than with an Alpha like him. I can't imagine how hard that was for you to do."
"Doing the right thing has nothing do with being an Alpha, or even a Were," Derek explained, "It just depends on if a person knows right from wrong and isn't afraid to stand up when faced with a hard choice." He was proud of his Betas; they had been terrified but they hadn't let it stop them from taking action. Even before Erica had become his Beta, she had offered to help him and Isaac go through the hotel and weed out the Powder Gangers. Part of it was because she wanted to prove herself but he knew that she also had a lot of mettle. That was exactly the kind of people he wanted around him and he knew he was lucky to find two good Betas so early on.
Boyd turned and busied himself with getting some dirty water from Callie's pack so they wouldn't see the look on his face. Despite them all saying that they would've done it for anyone, it was the first time anyone had done it for him. Most of the others in the company knew Vernon was a bad Alpha but they didn't want to say anything. It was confusing territory… was it okay for them to step in or not? So Boyd and the other Betas had been stuck with him, unsure of what to do. It was the first time he had felt important and not just like a commodity; he liked the idea of the company but his own experiences left a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe it was time to move on and find something else… He turned back around and held the bottle of water out to Stiles, "Here, since you have blood all over your hands. I'm sorry you got hurt Scott… and Erica, that you were attacked too. I knew he was dangerous but I just… didn't think he'd attack like that."
"Well, I was expecting it," Scott admitted. "I mean, he attacked me in the saloon for no reason. I'm just glad I was able to block, otherwise it would've been my neck. But hey, only one serious injury, that's not bad!"
Stiles quickly washed Scott's blood off, thanking Boyd for the water. It had been a little scary but Scott was right, it could've been a lot worse.
Boyd nodded, grateful that they weren't making a big deal out of it. He knew that they really weren't blaming him for what happened, that he'd been hurt trying to stand up for him. There had been times in the past where he'd heard people regret decisions because they'd gotten hurt. So Boyd felt awful about it, wondering if they regretted it; but there were no signs of lying, they accepted the injury as it was. He wasn't sure how to tell them how much he appreciated them, but he was spared from making the conversation even more awkward as Melissa returned.
"Okay, back. Sorry, I'm not as fast as Erica and Isaac over there," she called out, carrying the two bags. "I did a quick check and didn't see anything important lying around so I'm assuming it was all packed like you said. You all be safe on the road and make sure to come back at some point, alright?"
"Of course! I have to come back so Deaton can take my stitches out in a few days," Stiles said as he reached out to take one of the bags.
"Alright, I guess we should get on the road then, it's going to take awhile to get there," Derek sighed. He reached down and shook Vernon to wake him up. "On your feet, let's go." He grumbled but did as he was told; Derek hoped he continued to be that cooperative the whole trip, it would make things easy.
The group said goodbye to Sunny and Melissa, with hugs all around and promises to come back and visit soon. Then they all double checked their bags before turning south and heading out. Vernon was marching in front of them with Derek holding the other end of the rope, just to make sure he wasn't going to try and run off. The wolfsbane was uncomfortable but it was only in the one hand and Derek knew none of the others could safely handle it. Technically Stiles could hold it but none of them wanted to take the chance that Vernon would try to escape. Although, the Human did have a pistol out, just in case.
A/N: I'm keeping Stiles and Scott's parents like in the show, two single parents, one dad, one mom. Although obviously they weren't Melissa and the sheriff since those characters are in the story in a different way. I knew that Scott and Stiles's parents weren't going to be in-depth characters in this story but of course I love Melissa and John/Noah so I gave them more permanent roles as Trudy and Lieutenant Hayes/Sheriff of Primm. Hope that didn't confuse anyone XD
In addition, as I'm sure you noticed, I changed Stiles's last name. Since I have Lieutenant Stilinski in the fic, I didn't want Stiles to have the same last name as him, especially since Stilinski isn't exactly common. So I made up a name for Stiles that allowed him the nickname. Hope that isn't too weird.
10-9-18: finished editing everything! I completely took out the part of Boyd becoming Derek's Beta because it just felt way too sudden. It needs to happen later and I already have it all planned out. I don't know why I added him to the Pack so soon... Aside from that, I changed the fight scene a lot as well as the 'aftermath' of the fight to include Melissa. I've been trying to give her a more prominent role in my re-writing of the story. I added a lot to this one (5k) so it's super long now! And that's including the fact that I took stuff OUT in order to make the chapter shorter. Originally I had the trip to the Mohave Outpost included in the chapter but I added A LOT to that section too and I really didn't want this chapter to get too long. So I decided to change the end of the chapter to when they left Goodsprings instead of when they arrived at the outpost.