Chapter 25

"Dragons Stiles? Are you kidding me?" the Sheriff yells again. To be fair, Stiles thought his dad was actually taking it better than he had expected. After Yndriesdi and Frommenth had helped them out with the Hydra, they had explained that they had come from what Cora had guessed was the Andes Mountains in South America. The dragons had been reluctant to talk much about themselves beyond the basics, despite Erica and Isaac's rather enthusiastic questions.

"You know that Graeme and Parrish saw them? They snatched one of Brown's goats and Thompson's dog!" That had been a surprise when Stiles heard about it. Apparently old man Thompson had seen enough to think it was a bird but nope.

"Dad, I already talked with them about that. Yndriesdi apologized for the dog" he reminded his father.

"And the goat?"

Stiles shrugged. "Not as much. They figure if we eat them why can't they."

"Because we are not supposed to be feeding dragons!" Seriously, he was wondering if Eichen had vacation rates.

Stiles let his father pace and mutter. The truth was that he hadn't even mentioned the whole nesting thing as he was fairly sure that might push his dad over the edge, especially with McCall still causing problems. "Dad, I will speak with them. Derek and Peter have already talked about taking steps to make sure that they have a secure food source. They had been travelling hard to get here and were pretty hungry" he explains.

The sheriff looks suddenly worried. "Traveling? Stiles, could anyone have seen them?" he asks trying to figure out how they will deal with that wrinkle.

Stiles shakes his head. "No. Frommenth explained that they were much smaller on the flight up, which was part of the problem."

Now Noah looked confused. "Smaller? You said they were the size of a large dog or small horse." Stiles looked guilty. Really guilty. "Stiles" the sheriff intoned with his most parental/cop tone of voice that caused his son to flinch knowing he had been caught.

"Dragons can change size. They flew up from South America and were only the size of house cats. Trust me that they weren't seen, especially as they flew at night. So no worries pop. I promise."

Noah relaxed a bit at that. Okay, so they don't have to worry about tabloids or other crazy reports along the way, but they came close to being spotted once they got here and got bigger… "Stiles." His son looked up and he could see the look on his face. "You said that they were smaller on the flight up because they can change size?"

"Yeah?" Stiles draws out the word nervously.

"How big are they really?"

Stiles looks slightly panicked. "I told you dad, the size of a large dog. Small pony, remember?" he says with a nervous laugh.

"How. Big. Can. They. Get?" Noah says very slowly. Each word its own sentence while pinning his son in place with a glare. He stares as he can see Stiles trying to think of something. "Stiles" his voice warns.

Stiles deflates. "A little bigger than that, if they want" he says sheepishly.

Noah doesn't respond. He just continues to stare and let his son squirm. On one hand he is proud of his son's resistance, but Noah isn't going to let this one go. "Okay fine. A lot larger!"

"How large?"

Stiles doesn't make eye contact and mumbles his reply and Noah, praying he heard that wrong "Stiles, repeat that."

"Large enough to eat an elephant" he repeats and Noah's eyes go wide. Jesus!

He collapses in his chair desperate to figure out how this is his life. "But they won't be that big dad. Yndriesdi assured me that they wouldn't be getting any bigger for at least two years" his son says trying to sound like it's a good thing.

Noah shakes his head but something about that sounds…ominous. "Stiles…why two years?"

Stiles suddenly looks like he realized that he said something he didn't mean to. "Uh"

"Stiles!"

"Because they don't want to have to eat at that size. When they grow big, they have to eat enough to stay fed based on their size and they don't like to do that when they are…." the last word is mumbled inaudibly.

"When they are what?"

"Nesting" Stiles finally says.

Noah stares looking like he has been smacked. "Nesting?" he mumbles looking uncertain before the blood drains from his face. "They are having baby dragons!?!" he yells. Stiles sighs as his dad starts pacing again.

"Good afternoon my dear. Tea?" Peter says grandly gesturing the redhead into his apartment.

Lydia sniffs and catches the aroma of something delightful. "It smells delicious. What kind?" she says sitting in one of the two leather chairs next to the table with the elegant tea service.

"It's a honey orchid oolong" he says pouring the vibrant yellow tea into the delicate cup before handing it to her.

She sniffs and is impressed at the delicate floral aroma. And the taste! "I am impressed" she admits looking at the beta who is sitting back in his own chair with his own cup. "But you didn't call me here for tea" she says with an arch look.

Peter nods and looks a bit more serious. "No. I didn't. I wanted to speak with you about the Center."

"Your wildlife center that you are doing to provide cover for what we are doing in the Preserve?"

He nods. "It started as just that. I figured that the centaurs would need some facilities even if they don't like to spend a lot of time indoors. I had spoken with Vorgin and Beverly about their needs and the really hadn't planned on anything. They were planning something simple until we started putting our heads together. I had figured that with Stiles' magic affecting things, it might be good to have something that could serve as a distraction or cover for what was going on there."

Lydia nods. Even her mother had made an offhand comment about how the town seemed to be buzzing with 'new energy'. In fact she had even noticed that several businesses that had been struggling were suddenly doing better, not to mention the third new restaurant to open in town since Stiles' rise. And the Preserve? The woods around town, around all this part of California really, had started to really show the affect which is why she and Stiles had started to get worried. "I am not sure a ranger station would be enough to cover everything that is going on. Even my mother is noticing things."

Peter gives a shrug. "And it's getting worse. Stiles' brownies? You know the rest of their clan finally found them and are on the way to Beacon Hills?"

Lydia shrugged. She had heard something about that from Usilis the last time she saw him at Stiles' house. Which was unusual as the shy creatures really avoided being seen even by those in the know. "Stiles mentioned it but didn't seem worried since they were all at his house."

Peter snorts. "Stiles is happy that Usilis is cleaning and taking care of the house for him and his father, but the other two are not there." Lydia looks surprised at that. "One of them, Skeip, has chosen me and Cora to take care of. Nasch has taken up at the McCall residence as far as I can tell."

"Scott didn't mention anything."

"I doubt he has noticed. I did mention to Melissa though and informed her that it was proper to leave out milk and bread with honey. She had been assuming that her son was keeping things clean in the house but really? Scott and the Henderson boy were keeping the house cleaned? She even told me that once she started 'paying wages' so to speak, that her uniforms started getting cleaned and pressed. She felt terrible about it, but I did try and explain that taking care of a family was their purpose and goal. So, her appreciating her work made Nasch happy."

Lydia looked at Peter with a bit of surprise. That was rather gentle of him, but she had noticed that all three of the Hales seemed to have a soft spot for the three former captives. "Okay, so what is the problem?"

Peter sighed. "Do you know how many are in Usilis' clan?" he finally asks.

Lydia frowns for a second. Come to think of it, Stiles didn't say anything and she is fairly certain he has no clue. "No, I don't" she says after a few moments of thought. "Is it like the Centaurs? A few dozen?"

Peter smirks. "Over a hundred" he smirks.

Lydia's eyes widen. "What?" she leans forward. "Wait. How many over a hundred?" she says staring him down.

Peter laughs. "Two hundred and forty-one."

Lydia's jaw drops. They are about to be invaded by a literal horde of brownies! She looks at Peter and sees that he is rather nonchalant about the whole thing. "Why aren't you concerned?"

"Well, I mean 241 centaurs would be an issue. 241 dwarves would be a very loud issue. But Brownies? I figure that once we rebuild the house, we will probably have at least three or four there. Once Stiles has the school up, that will probably get another few. After that? We are going to have a very clean and sparkling town" he laughs.

"Peter! This isn't funny. It's one thing when Melissa's house gets cleaned but that leaves over 200 of them looking for…'work'!"

"I am sure your mother will be grateful. As will the Whitmores, Reyes, Boyds, etc., etc."

Lydia manages to recover faster at that bit of news. Of course the Brownies would target the members of the pack. They already adopted the more 'high ranked' members… "Wait? What about Derek?" she asks looking at him.

"Oh. Usilis bounces between Derek and Stiles. I don't think he is willing to let anyone 'poach' his persons. He will certainly move to the house once it is done. From what I understand, his prestige has rather skyrocketed in his clan. According to Skeip, he will probably be a clan leader once they arrive. In fact all three will. They are apparently arguing over who gets who from the pack and town. A rather important Brownie has already rather firmly declared that she will be serving the Emissary. According to Skeip there was actually blood drawn over that." Peter looks rather pleased to relay that.

Lydia isn't sure she believes him, but then again, she knows that her rank in the pack has definitely had an impact. She has noticed it in her interactions with the others, not just the werewolves. "Would they be interested in spreading out, or just here in Beacon Hills?" she asks suddenly.

Peter looks caught off guard. "I…I don't know. Skeip just said that there were fights and factions over everything. Why?"

Lydia looks calculating. "Is Skeip around? I have some questions" she says and almost before the words are out of her mouth the small figure is stepping out of the shadows.

"Lady Death" Skeip bows respectfully. "You had questions for me?"

Lydia is startled at both the appearance and the address to her but she recovers quickly. "Yes Skeip. Peter was telling me that your clan is having…discussions over who to serve and it is becoming…stressful?" Skeip nods at her description. "Does your clan want to all live here in Beacon Hills or do you think they might be willing to be spread out as long as they were within the territory of the Arcanist?"

Skeip had looked concerned but then he looked thoughtful. "Our clan wants to be here, to be in the land of the great one." He pauses to think. "But I think as long as we were under his protection, that would be well."

Lydia smiles. "Skeip, there are several wolf packs led by Alphas throughout our territory. Do you think that any of your clan would wish to 'adopt' any of them?"

Skeip smiles happily. "Oh yes mistress! To be protected by and serve an alpha would be a great honor! Especially if they are sworn to the service of the High Alphas."

"And we also have some others, elves, witches, sorcerers. Would they be acceptable?"

Skeip's eyes widen as he nods furiously. "Oh yes! The homes of magic makers are most desired by my people. The walls and places of those humans sing to us. To serve there would be most welcome."

Lydia smiles but then she frowns. "Skeip, are you sure your people would want this? I am sure that Stiles and Derek would give you a place to live free and safe where you didn't have to clean or take care of anyone."

Skeip scoffs. "Humans are not fit to care for themselves" he dismisses with a snort. "You are not capable of keeping a home right. We do. We make homes good places to be. Places where heart and souls are warmed. Brownies take care of good humans. We would not wish to live alone." He suddenly looks painfully sad "we have been alone for far too long."

Lydia's eyes water at the pain there as she remembers how the three were locked away and left to die by the sorcerer but she watches as Skeip suddenly seems to shake it off. "But we are free now. Free to be our truth. To take care of good people. To make homes better for those who care for all of our kind."

"What are you thinking?" Peter says narrowing his eyes as he looks at the Banshee.

"Well, I am sure that the Brownies talk to each other, even if they live apart, right? So if they are in all the homes of all of our allies…"

"Then we have a second, magical communication system in place" Peter finishes looking stunned. He really only wanted to warn the Emissary about the impending issues of the Brownies' arrival but this, this was beautiful. "With all the packs, covens, and connected people, 241 may not be enough" he laughs.

Lydia smiles and thanks Skeip who disappears almost as fast as he arrived. "We need to draw up a list" she says reaching for the notepad on the table.

"And we should probably rank it" Peter adds. "They are fairly conscious of rank so I imagine that there may be some arguing over who gets to 'adopt' who."

Lydia nods. She puts her name down first with a smirk before adding the rest of the Hale pack. After all, they are probably going to be the highest prestige jobs. She laughs.

Derek and Scott are running the others through their training exercises, watching them incorporate Eddie into the pack's work, even though they are not pushing him as hard as the others. "We need to discuss Eddie" Derek starts and sees Scott tense up.

"Derek…"

"Scott, you are an alpha. You need betas to help stabilize your power. Even if you are part of the larger pack, you still need it" Derek repeats for about the third time. Scott had been resisting and Stiles had explained that the teen still had a sliver of hope of returning to human that he wasn't ready to let go of despite the fact that he really didn't want to go back to being human. Stiles and Scott had talked, and he admitted that being human would mean being left behind from what the pack was doing, but it was still hanging on for the young alpha.

"I know that all of this" Derek indicates all of Beacon Hills "is still pretty new, but would you really want to give up your strength and speed and other gifts and be human again? I know you didn't ask for this Scott, but you have taken to it like you were born to."

"I know Derek" Scott replies with a sigh. It's not logical, he knows that, but taking a beta seems like such a final step. He's not even sure that he's ready to be responsible for someone that much.

"Scott" Derek is following both Peter and Stiles' advice on handling this "if you were human again, how would you feel staying behind when Allison goes out to fight something with the pack?"

Scott looks startled. "Why would I stay behind? I mean she is human too."

Derek sighs and manages to avoid rolling his eyes at the teen. "Scott, Allison has been training, one way or another, her whole life to fight. Her parents prepared her, not to mention she has quite a few generations of it behind her. And if you could become human again, odds are that you would be the human you were before the bite. You can't fight with us if you have asthma. Would you want to stay behind with Danny?"

Scott frowns. Okay sure, he wasn't the most athletic, but he was…okay he was pretty pathetic. He hadn't made it through a single game without an attack before the bite so fighting would be tough. But he could learn medicine like his mom and Deaton. He opens his mouth to say this but stops. No, he couldn't. He wants to learn all of that, but he couldn't stay back while they fought on their own waiting to take care of whoever got hurt. Even learning it, he would want to be in the fight but asthmatic Scott would be a liability. And if he is being honest, the truth was he enjoyed the rush, the thrill, and he could even admit to himself, but never to Peter or Derek, that he liked letting go and giving in to the wolf sometimes. He looks up and sees the smirk on Derek's face and groans figuring that the older man was pretty much reading him on that.

"It is exhilarating when you let go."

Scott looks at Derek with exasperation before he remembers "Chemosignals?" he asks and Derek chuckles. "Okay, obviously I still need to do more work on that."

"And using all of your senses. You are a great fighter Scott, fast and strong. You are determined and focused when fighting, but you forget about the other parts of yourself. Not to mention, having a beta or two would also stabilize your own status and make you just a bit faster and quicker."

Scott looks interested at that. He knows about the whole 'power' thing, but he really didn't think that would apply to his situation. "Besides, imagine how Jackson will react when you get even a little better" Derek adds and Scott actually laughs.

They talk a bit more but Scott knows the Alpha is right. He needs to do this and honestly, it's not like the kid hasn't grown on him and his mother. Derek's point about the fact that they are 'denning' together will make it better for both of them, easier actually than having one so young answering to Derek. In a normal pack, Eddie's parents would be there to anchor him and connect him to their alpha so not being close wouldn't be a real issue. But for this case, Scott really is the better option.

"Okay, but first we explain this to my mom and make sure Eddie is okay with this" Scott says and then pauses and looks confused. "Derek, why didn't Eddie get the Alpha power if the rest of his pack is all dead?"

Derek glanced over at the youngster to make sure he is distracted before answering. "Only two reasons. One, he isn't the last member of his pack or two, it was a wolf that killed his alpha."

Scott's eyes widen as he stares at the boy trying to digest which of the two options would be worse. "Do we know which?" he finally asks.

"Stiles is looking into it."

Stiles looked around the clearing wondering once again if he should have had this meeting at the loft. Lydia and Kira were pulling out some refreshments while Boyd, Isaac, and Jackson were pulling out chairs and tables to set up before they headed out. Kira had asked to stay and her mother was actually meeting Martinique, Sophie and Gwen at the coffee shop to help direct them here.

"You seem anxious" Lyra says looking amused.

"No Master Mahti" he easily replies to the Sorcerer, but he doesn't fool her based on the rather ungracious snort he hears. "Okay, maybe a little" he admits.

"It is most…untraditional" Lyra says looking around the clearing. She had been a student of the Ancient One long before Doctor Strange had come, but training only gets you so far. The new Sorcerer Supreme was gifted in ways far beyond her, but with those gifts come a heavy burden, one she does not envy.

"Traditions are not always best" Wong replies looking amused. Stiles is grateful that both of his teachers are here, even if Doc Strange wasn't available to join them. He knew that Wong would keep him informed. Apparently, there was something going on that required his attention, so he had asked Master Mahti to join Wong at this gathering. "But it is different."

Stiles smiled at that. Inviting this group of magic users was pretty much unheard of but then why should he start trying to be normal now?

"Stiles? Allison called and she is on her way with Kiran and Professor Chavez-Morales" Yvette let him know and he thanked the young Necromancer. Lizzie and Arthur had politely declined his invite, but Deaton and Morrell had pretty much invited themselves instead. While the Merlin and Morgaine were unable to attend personally, they had apparently notified the two druids that they were expected to not only attend, but to report back to them afterwards.

So, Alan and Marin were representing the Druids. Martinique, Gwen, and Sophie were the witches while Wong and Master Lyra were here as sorcerers. Yvette was the necromancer, the Professor as Alchemist and Kiran as Enchanter. He had actually managed to get all six fields of magic represented. Stiles smiled as he spotted some of their other guests. Frommenth had arrived before the pack had but was currently asleep in one of the trees. Stiles was pretty sure that no one else had realized that the dragon was here but he couldn't hide his aura from Stiles, not here in this place at least. Yndriesdi wasn't around, but after Stiles had spoken with them yesterday, he didn't expect her to come. She was definitely focusing on other things. Usilis was appearing and disappearing by the refreshment table, fixing things after the betas set them up wrong but he was moving so fast that he almost seemed invisible, though he was fairly sure that Whulibela had spotted him. The dwarven sage had arrived about six days ago with a large contingent of the brothers' clan and she served as both magical and spiritual leader for their group. She was introduced by Merek to Derek and Stiles and she had quickly become fascinated by the new Arcanist. It seems the dwarves had remembered the last one, so she was very happy to be here. She had even offered, well more like demanded, to be a part of the new school they were building and Stiles had to admit he had liked her after their meeting. She was probably a hundred years old if she was a day and she reminded him of a cross between his own Babcia, Lydia, and Erica. Either way, he was glad she had come and was now talking with the Centaurs Beverly and Yanlia and Sasquatch Dave. Seems Yanlia was the herd's mystic and was responsible for the small amounts of magic that the centaurs used.

Eriphse was talking with Celeste, Arwen and Kato Sakura, Alpha Ito's Emissary and they seemed happy enough. Kato was totally enthralled by the fae sisters and when you added in the Dryad Princess, the man was thoroughly outmatched. Eriphse had arrived without notice or invite, but that was mainly because Stiles still wasn't 100% sure how to reach the Dryads. They always scooted away when he was magically looking around, like trying to touch a spring breeze, but she had arrived right after he had and introduced herself as representative of the Parliament of Trees. Lydia had pulled her away to talk and promised him a full accounting after the official meeting.

Stiles noticed the betas heading out and waved to the guys as Kira and Lydia started wandering around with a rather determined focus. He almost laughed as he recognized Lydia's 'party mode', that way she got when she was entertaining. A mix of keeping an eye on everyone, making sure that they saw her and that she spoke to everyone, as well as networking. It wasn't long before Noshiko arrived with the witches, so Stiles had rushed to welcome them and trade hugs with all of them. Sophie and Gwen looked absolutely excited while both Noshiko and Martinique looked more reserved.

"I hope it is okay that I tagged along" a smooth cultured voice says, and Stiles looks up in surprise as Edmund walks out from the trees.

Stiles is surprised to see the mystical merchant, but he smiles easily. "I didn't think you ever left your shop Ed. I would have invited you" he adds quickly.

Edmund waves it off. "I doubt I can add much to your discussions my boy, but I feel that it is important to be here to observe. The feel in the currents is strong" he mentions looking around.

Stiles frowns. He has been keeping a light touch on the lines, something that Yndriesdi had rather tartly reminded him of after their fight with the Hydra so he was feeling everyone, but nothing he wasn't expecting. There was a bit of a pulse right as he thought that and he turned around and spotted a shimmering among the trees, but it didn't feel threatening. He started forward but paused as he felt something familiar, a tang of something and then he smelt it. Fresh grass and flowers. A spring rain. A breeze that feels invigorating.

"Risen one" the musical voice says happily and Stiles looks at the woman stepping out of the trees in surprise. He can feel the others all reacting around him in different ways, many bowing immediately, others staring in surprise, but they all react.

"Your majesty" Stiles says with a polite bow of his head, a greeting to equals or a visiting peer.

She smiles and damn Stiles now knows what people mean when they say someone lights up a room. The woman's expression is like a sunrise with golden hair framing her face and those lilac eyes that are both ageless and innocent all at once. The others had described the Spring Queen rather well, especially Erica, and she didn't miss a detail. Right down to the crown of flowers in her hair, though this time they are a mix of pale lavender, blue, and pink with the occasional white bud. "I hope there is a space here for me, I do so like new beginnings" she says with a smile.

Stiles offers his arm and she laughs as she takes it. "I most definitely would have extended an invitation your Majesty if I but knew how" he explains as he moves toward the circle where chairs are set up and he smiles as he sees the vines burst out of the ground like they did with Mab and by the time they arrive, two rather beautiful chairs, just a shade less than thrones, are waiting for them. Stiles spots Lydia's rather annoyed expression before it disappears before anyone else spotted it. Orlaith sits down regally and looks politely to Stiles with a look that seems to say 'It's your show'.

Stiles looks around and clears his throat. "If everyone will take their spot" he says respectfully and watches as everyone sits, stands, or whatever makes them comfortable. There is a shaking in the trees above and suddenly Frommenth drops down next to Kira and Lydia causing most everyone else to react in shock. He hadn't gotten around to mentioning the dragons to everyone. It seems that more than a few people were getting a lot of shocks and surprises at this event.

"Perhaps we should begin with introductions" Stiles says trying desperately to get everyone's focus again and after a few mutters and stares he mostly does. Stiles signals Lydia and she stands and begins the introductions while Stiles sits down to let her take over.

"Your Emissary is well chosen Risen One" Orlaith says barely above a whisper and without looking like she was paying any less than 100% attention to the proceedings. "You have a mated pair of dragons as allies now as well. A good beginning."

Stiles nods in acknowledgement and then tries to focus on Lydia and just as she wraps up, he clears his throat. "Thank you all again for coming here today. I hope this is just the first instance of our coming together, but we have an urgent need to discuss and figure out" Stiles says looking at everyone. "Magic is growing and flourishing here" he says and sees the satisfaction and hope in more than one set of eyes "but it is still vulnerable. If humans find out what is really happening, things could get bad."

He notices the expressions of happiness have shifted somewhat. Some are determined, some are worried, and more than a few show serious concern. "Lydia and I have been looking for a solution but we seem to only find more questions and problems. But we thought that maybe if we reached out to all of you and put our heads together, we could find a solution."

"What are you hoping for?" Lyra asks politely. She knew. Stiles had already reached out to her but she knows that many of the others don't know exactly what he is thinking.

"How can we protect knowledge of magic and the supernatural here in this territory? How can we prevent people from finding out and revealing everything to the world? People have phones, cameras, and they are noticing things happening. How can I protect everyone?"

Everyone starts looking around and there are lots of side whispers, but no one seems ready to take the floor until Yvette stands and everyone goes quiet to look at the young woman. "Arcanist, I may have part of a suggestion" she offers.

"That bastard is ruining everything!" McCall yelled as he entered the house where Argent had moved to outside of Beacon Hills. He stomped in furiously and pretty much ignored the other men who were all there meeting with the old man.

Gerard looked at the agent with a sneer that he quickly hid. "I thought you had it handled?"

"I went through that damn report line by line. The video, witness statements, everything. Somehow Barrow got free, attacked the doctors and was attempting to flee when he attacked Stilinski. The man is on tape shooting him. The damn regional director is planning on giving that drunk a commendation!" he ranted.

"Did you really think planting a psychotic serial killer in your ex-wife's hospital was really going to somehow solve your problems?" Trager asks appearing to be honestly curious.

"Of course not!" McCall looked at the hunter with dismissal. "It was supposed to be a complete fuck up! They would screw things up and Stilinski would be under intense scrutiny and maybe even suspended."

"And what good would that have done?" Randolph Davies sneered. "The police are completely clueless there."

McCall rolled his eyes. "That's not the point. If Stilinski is out of a job, even temporarily, then his son will be freaking out. If he is, then Scott and Melissa would both have to deal with them. That would eliminate those monsters' resources."

"I thought you said the cops didn't know anything. And isn't your son one of those dogs?" Davies asks looking rather smug.

McCall glanced at Gerard who didn't interrupt but he saw the old man got it. "Stilinski's kid has his dad's access. That means Hale does. Not to mention, the brat is smart. If he is helping, then they are better off even if he is worthless in a fight. Not to mention, if my ex is dealing with Stilinski, then the monster that used to be my son(he stressed those words), would be dealing with that, taking out another support. Does that makes sense to you or is it too complicated?" he sneers and Davies looks like he is going to lunge when Gerard cuts it all off.

"ENOUGH!" he roars and then breaks into a coughing fit. "Distracting your ex and that idiot Sheriff would be worth it, but there are other ways to manage that if we need it. And his son is worthless and weak. He hasn't taken the bite and my son hasn't even given him rudimentary training. He may be smart, but he will break easily. My sources indicate he might be working with the vet, so they may be training him to be an Emissary or something."

"So why did the Council Interdict this place based on these losers?" William Parker asks. The man and his team had arrived and were pretty much lying low to avoid anyone knowing where they were. Matriarch Parsons were demanding they return but his father had reported that he had not been able to relay the message yet as they were dark but as soon as they checked in, he would deliver the message. He hadn't been happy about it. "Apparently Hale is with some magic user now" he added.

Gerard frowned but he had heard that too but he had lost nearly all of his contacts and connections. The Grand Matriarch's price on his head was high enough that he didn't risk some of his more unsavory allies. The Council had locked things up tight and he had managed to get only a dribble of information, damn them all! "It is most probably the druid, Morrell" Gerard sneered. "She isn't much more than the vet but she did work for Deucalion so she actually has a modicum of skill. Seems she changed sides and crawled into bed with Hale to save her own skin." Gerard wasn't too surprised. He despised the woman as she had stymied him more than once. Her attaching herself to Hale was a smart move. Without that blind bastard, she would be an easy target from those wanting revenge for his manipulations. "As to why? I am certain that is the work of my disappointing son. He cried to Clarissant about it and I am sure he managed to spin a tale to convince her that a cover up was needed. That's all this is. A way to move things around until the time is right" he truly couldn't believe his son had pulled it off, but his contact that was well placed in the family had pretty much confirmed that the Grand Matriarch was doing this to cover up her embarrassment over his actions. Once she felt she had done enough, this mysterious danger would disappear. "It also appears that my daughter missed one of the dogs. Hale's sister has returned and joined him."

"Seems that Kate wasn't quite as good as she thought" Parker laughed. The others pretty much ignored him but McCall saw the daggers Gerard glared for a second before his expression changed.

"Sometimes one gets away from you, but then you know all about that too don't you?" Gerard smiled and the others all smirked as the man flushed angrily but he wasn't stupid enough to challenge the old man. "Besides, it doesn't matter. We will take care of both Kate's and your loose ends with the rest of them. However, we have another situation to deal with." He nodded at one of the new men that Gerard had brought with him. The man came up and laid out a set of blueprints.

Raphael stepped forward to look at what appeared to be a mostly underground facility that descended several stories of what appeared to be mostly storerooms. "What is it?"

"This is a Shield Depot. There are currently a significant number of weapons and resources stored there, it was mostly inactive, more of a supply depot, than an active facility" the man announces. "According to our sources, there are some cutting edge weapons there. We can empty the place with a significant enough force, they only have a skeleton crew guarding it. Those weapons would give us a major advantage in fighting Shield."

"So let's do it. We can be there and back in a day" Davies says almost salivating at the thought of what they may find at a Shield facility.

"Just because it isn't well guarded, doesn't mean they won't notice" Gerard says with a laugh. "If we hit the place, the entire west coast will be crawling with every federal agency and a few international ones. Not to mention the possibility of those costumed idiots in New York."

"So, then what?" Parker asks confused.

"We hit the depot, but once we do, we relocate far away. So if we hit it before we deal with the pack, we will have the weapons, but any delay may cost us everything" Gerard tells the man.

"So we deal with Hale and his friends and then the depot" Davies says greedily.

"If we cause a major event in Beacon Hills, every place within 500 miles will go on lockdown" McCall says before Argent does. The place would be much harder to hit, not to mention with everyone on alert, the response time would be faster, maybe too fast."

Gerard smiles, finally someone with a brain! "We will have to time it to hit both. It will lose us the weapons to deal with Hale, but we don't need Shield tech for that. Our Hydra teams will strike the depot the same time we deal with Hale."

The hunters all nodded and stepped forward as one of Gerard's personal hunters handed him a board. "We will strike all at once. Capture the pack, wipe them out, seize the depot, and then? Then we will be in the wind and those dogs will never see us coming. Can you imagine what hunting them will be like with this?" he points to the inventory of the depot and Parker and Davies both look at the list with naked greed. Even dividing it up, it will give them a massive edge.

Randolph knows with even a fraction of those supplies he won't have to beg for money for years!

"Timing will be everything" McCall says looking over the detailed notes and targets. "One wrong move and we might lose everything" he warns.

"That's where you come in. You will need to deliver a nice package to the good Sheriff's Office. We need to know what they know so planting this" he hands over the small box of listening devices "should tell us everything."

Raphael smiles at the tech in his hand. This crap is way better than the second hand junk he usually has to work with. Besides, one last visit to plant these will allow him to rattle Stilinski again. "I can go by tomorrow" he says before turning back to the plans. Checking his watch he smiles, it won't be long before all this is over.

"I'm tell you Derek, we made good progress" Stiles says as he works on the salad for their dinner date. They had finally managed to carve out some time for the two of them for dinner and a movie, no pack or other business on the schedule, and Stiles had not exactly made threats, but…anyways, they were making dinner in the loft and planning to watch some Netflix, just the two of them.

"So you've said" Derek replied patiently. Stiles had been talking for two days about his 'magical summit' and despite the fact that they didn't have 'the' answer, they had a lot of ideas. It seemed that their best solution lay in blending all six forms of magic to create the protections they want, but figuring all the details was taking significant work and research.

"But it was amazing!" Stiles continues on without noticing the amused reply from his boyfriend. "Kiran was certain that we need to have a physical foundation for the spell effect while Martinique and Morrell both feel that something more natural, like a grove of sacred trees would be better. The Spring Queen promised to send word from her mages as well if they found anything. Lydia is really excited about all of it and hopes that we will be able to come up with something in a few weeks if not sooner."

"Uh-huh" Derek added when Stiles paused to breathe. He was fairly certain that the teen didn't really need his participation in the 'conversation'.

"Oh, and Dave said that there were veins of quartz all over Beacon Hills that we could use or that could fortify the new buildings!"

"I remember" Derek says with a smirk.

However, Stiles was actually listening this time and looked over at the Alpha before sighing. "I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"A bit, but it is pretty exciting even if I have heard most of it already" Derek admits with a smirk.

Stiles huffs. "Well, what have you been doing?" he asks generously showing he is just as interested in Derek's day.

Seeing the attempt for what it was, but appreciating the effort, Derek manages to not roll his eyes. "Well, I did get a call from Alpha Delgado." Stiles frowns, the name is familiar, but he is sure that he hasn't met an Alpha with that name. "From LA" Derek prompts and Stiles remembers. "He has asked for permission to visit, along with representatives from several other packs in southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico."

Stiles frowns. "That's pretty far away. Why do they want to come here?"

Derek smiles as he looks at his mate. "Just because they aren't in your territory, doesn't mean you aren't affecting them." Stiles blushes and Derek grins. "You are affecting a whole lot more than you realize. I've gotten calls from friends back in New York asking about Beacon Hills."

"Really?" Stiles says in disbelief.

Derek chuckles. "Really. Alpha Delgado has also been contacted by other alphas. He mentioned the possibility of possibility inviting all the packs in the US to meet."

Stiles eyes widened in surprise. "A real werewolf convention?" he shouts excitedly.

"We are NOT calling it that!"

"No…HowlerCon or FullMoonCon or AlphaCon!" Stiles rambles happily. "I mean come on Derek. This is the perfect chance to meet in plain sight!"

Derek knows that telling Stiles this early was probably a mistake. At the rate he was going, this was going to be the cheesiest thing possible. Stiles was going on about seeing if Edmund could get some other 'real' vendors to come when he suddenly stilled and went silent. Derek who had turned back to finish up the steaks was pulling them off the grill when he realized that Stiles had stopped talking. Looking over at the teen he was about to ask what he was thinking when he saw the expression on his face and froze. "Stiles?"

Stiles looks over at him with a expression tinged with apprehension and fear. "I feel something Derek."

Derek reaches over and makes sure the stove is fully off before coming over. Focused, he looks at the teen "What are you sensing Stiles?" Stiles' eyes have already gone glassy and distracted. "Tell me about it. Can you describe it?" he asks and he pulls out his phone and sends a quick text to Lydia with a pack alert. Stiles had actually had the idea and used his father's police codes for the pack to have their own shorthand messages. Derek had sent 'get everyone here' to his Emissary.

"Cold. Very cold. I feel like it is darkness and it's moving. I can taste fear all around" he whispers.

Derek is taking notes but he keeps prodding. "Do you smell anything?" knowing that his magic often triggered his senses.

Stiles inhales deeply and his eyes look confused. "Lillies? I think. But incense too. Several kinds. It's strong but I can't place it."

"Do you hear anything?" Derek prompts gently.

Stiles tilts his head. "Whispers. Voices talking but I can't make out the words."

"What kind of voices?"

"Men. Women. They are all talking over each other. I don't think they are talking to each other. Just like they are all talking at the same time." He frowns and takes a deep breath. "I hear scratching sounds…like, maybe bugs or something?"

"Okay, can you tell where it is? What direction? How far away?"

Stiles frowns. "It's not close, it's on the very edge. Closer to LA, I think. It's not moving, just sitting there, poking me."

"Poking you?" Derek catches on the strange phrasing.

"I guess" Stiles mutters. "Or pushing. Or…"

"Or what Stiles?" Derek asks as the loft door opens and Peter and Cora walk in looking confused. They knew this was supposed to be their Alpha's night off.

Cora opens her mouth to speak but Peter stops her staring at the scene in front of them. She looks surprised but he puts a finger up to indicate silence and nods at Derek to continue.

"Or what Stiles?" Derek repeats.

Stiles is obviously struggling to find the words when there is a knock on the door followed by it opening and Jackson and Lydia walking in. Lydia looks a bit rattled as well.

"That's it!" Stiles says looking satisfied. "Someone knocking!"

"Knocking?" Derek asks and looking at Lydia again he frowns. "Lydia, are you okay?"

The redhead looks out of sorts. "I…I'm not sure Derek. I've been feeling off for the last hour or so. Like something is…whispering at me."

Derek frowns not liking the similar responses from the two of them. Just then there is another knock but the door stays shut so Cora moves over and opens it and Yvette comes in. "My apologies Alphas" she says looking at Derek and Stiles "But I received a message and felt that it was important that I come immediately."

Stiles looked at the young woman in surprise but Derek was more than a bit concerned. "What message" he asks, his eyes flashing crimson almost automatically sensing danger.

"The Night Lord is here. He wishes to meet with you" she says looking at Stiles with determination.

Stiles blanches. "He's here?!" he asks, not squeaking in the slightest. Peter however cannot claim the same as the beta pales in shock. The most powerful Necromancer in the world wants to visit!

"Hello Sheriff" the man says politely offering his hand.

Noah shakes the man's hand noting the nice suit, not too extravagant, but definitely well made. But despite the rather 'business' look, the man has the air of law enforcement or government. Reminded him of some of the agents that he encountered when he was in the military actually.

"Phil Coulson, I am here to follow up on Ms. Rushman's initial visit" he says with a smile and Noah's eyebrow goes up at that. So is he Stark or Avengers?

"I see, please come back to my office" the Sheriff says with a nod and a glance at Tara who was watching, and she covertly maneuvers her phone up and snaps a pic before they enter the office. Noah is fairly sure that she will be trying to confirm their visitor's identity.

Noah gestures to a seat before going around the desk and looking at his visitor politely. "Sheriff, Chairwoman Potts was rather impressed with Ms. Rushman's initial assessment of Beacon Hills and the opportunities here for Stark Industries. Ms. Potts is looking for a location for their new green technology innovation hub, and currently this is at the top of the list."

"Really?" Noah said looking doubtful. "You are looking for a high tech hub and you selected our town? Don't get me wrong, the mayor will be thrilled, but I don't see how we can compete with the Bay area or other places."

Phil smiles. "Do you know how expensive it is to build in San Francisco, even for Stark? Honestly, Silicon Valley has a lot going for it, but we are betting that the future is going to be in virtual work environments which means that we don't need to be in a major hub. What we need to do is find a place with potential, and make it great. Even if we pay our people half of what we do in the Valley, their buying power will be outstanding here in this town. And we aren't going to pay half. And like I said, we upgrade the infrastructure a bit with your town's help, and we all benefit" he adds with the grace of a salesman.

Noah nods appreciatively. The man is definitely good. If he wasn't sure that the man was armed when he sat down, he might even buy it. "So, what's the next step in Stark's process. A bid like Amazon did?"

Phil shakes his head. "No. We don't like that public mess. Besides, if we make it known we are looking, real estate prices will skyrocket."

Noah snorts. "They still might. A good bit of land here is all owned by one old family, depending on what you need."

Phil opens his portfolio. "Ah yes, the Hales. Apparently, the family founded the town and still own a good chunk of the property through foundations, corporate holdings, trusts, and so forth. I must say we were surprised by how much they actually own scattered all over California. It was tough to find it all out, as they definitely don't seem to show off" he adds with a trace of admiration.

Noah smirks. "I'm not surprised Stark Industries was able to figure all that out."

"Well, it does make it significantly easier for us if we only have to deal with a few, or one, owner. This is the initial goal" he says as he pulls out a map and lays it down on the desk. The sheriff leans forward and looks at the map with some surprise. The industrial area highlighted is probably the worst in town. Abandoned buildings and warehouses, and two factories shut down. Three old buildings worse than Derek's current loft that are mostly used for graffiti, illegal raves, and the occasional drug deal. "That's not exactly the best neighborhood" he says slowly.

Phil smiles and lays down the overlay. Noah whistles. The plans pretty much take out blocks of the worst of the area, multiple blocks. The building is actually a complex of structures that is spread out with all sorts of new green spaces, fountains, and other artistic element around the complex. They have even moved roads around to better set things up. This will be a major coup for the mayor and the county as a whole. He also figures that the Hales will make a bundle selling not only the property Stark wants, but the value of everything around it that they also own will be ungodly. "How many people will be working here?" he wonders aloud trying to wrap his head around the thing.

"It is a lot of experimental space, so not too much. Also it won't be manufacturing, just innovation, design, and experimentation. Probably looking at about 1,000 researchers and another 500 major support staff with about 1,000 regular support staff, most of those being hired from the local area to handle security, custodial, basic stuff" he says easily.

Noah leans back. 2,500 new jobs, 1,500 high paying ones bringing new people to the town? Add in partners and kids, the town will see a huge boom. Then once they are here, then you will have new shops, restaurants, and businesses to support the new population. Then add in new police, fire, and teachers as well. This could easily translate into 15,000 in a few years. And that's not even mentioning the temporary boom from the demolition and construction work. "You definitely seem pretty certain" he finally says feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"We like to be thorough. As long as things go well with Mr. Hale and the mayor, Ms. Potts is looking to start by the end of the year."

"That's great. So how can I help you?" Noah asks.

"Well, if you could arrange for a meeting with Mr. Hale, that would be good. Also, if you could use any pull you have to help with the plan. I think the mayor will be willing, but small-town politics can be just as complicated as national ones and we want to avoid any problems."

Noah nods feeling like they have reached a conclusion. "How exactly do you know Ms. Rushman? She was very impressive on her visit" he says politely.

Phil smiles. "I recruited her for Shield."

He laughs. "I really thought you would try to hide that."

"Well, your deputy took my picture when I came in, so I am sure she is already doing a search, you noted by weapon when I sat down, and not to mention Romanov was rather descriptive of the Hales and what she encountered on her visit. But I do believe I have given a completely valid reason to meet with them that should arose no suspicion from anyone else."

"So is this still a cover for you coming here?" he asks looking at all the plans.

"Oh no, this is all real plans. I actually do have to ask about this while I am here. Pepper and I just combined our needs to help us both out and allow me to look around."

"Then I am happy to assist you both" Noah says standing up and shaking his hand.

Phil smiles but suddenly there is a ruckus and shouting outside the office and Noah moves quickly to open the door onto a scene of angry yelling. McCall!

"Stilinski!" McCall yells looking around Tara and Jordan who are currently blocking him. "I have questions for you!"

Noah frowns, he really thought he managed to get rid of the guy.

"Raphael. So nice to see you" Phil says easily.

Noah actually manages to restrain the feeling of joy he experiences as he sees the blood drain from the agent's face. "Coulson."