Chapter Two

Derek flew across the fairgrounds, having lost none of his speed for being younger.

He caught sight of the old woman, fully intending to rip her throat out, but her cold eyes seemed to paralyze him again.

"What more do you want from me, Derek Hale? You now wear the form you truly are."

"Tell me how to reverse it," he ordered.

"You must learn to accept things as they are," she replied simply. "You hide from the truth like a child does."

"I can't," Derek whispered. "You'll never understand."

"Life is easy for none, Derek Hale. Some have lost much more than you. You have more than you realize."

"Am I to remain this way forever?"

"Not forever," she assured him. "Until you acknowledge who you really are. Maybe this is who you are."

Derek considered her words thoughtfully. When he looked up from the ground she was gone. The tent was gone.

"Wasn't there a tent here?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.

He turned and Stiles gasped in surprise.

"D-Derek?"

The boy before him was his own age. Stiles doubted his own instincts, but those eyes didn't lie.

"Yes Stiles," he nodded. "Its really me."

"How?"

Stiles was in awe. The Derek he knew was built like a vault and brooding. This Derek was slightly smaller than he was. Still moody, but the eyes were... nicer.

"Oh-my-god," Stiles spoke, and this was the first time he seemed truly speechless.

"What are you gawking at Genim?" Derek asked with a slight smirk.

"Shhh!" Stiles hissed in a whisper. "Don't use my name all the time!"

Teen Derek grinned like an idiot, and Stiles thought it looked more genuine on the younger face.

"Shouldn't Scott know about this?"

"Why, what could Scott do?"

"Dude I don't know!" Stiles exclaimed obnoxiously. "He is the alpha!"

Derek knew Stiles had a point. Besides, he really had no idea where to start. The old woman had been pretty cryptic. Maybe the pack could help.

"Let's go see Scott," Derek agreed. "Even if he doesn't know something, Ethan might."

Stiles was thoughtful at that. What might Ethan know? Ethan and Aiden had known about Scott's alpha predicament, so maybe.