Chapter 5

BACK TO THE CLEARING

Stiles took another deep breath and attempted to shake off the distractions. Lizzie had warned him that he needed to connect with his territory every day in some way and though he struggled with getting quiet, she had helped him learn to focus on his breathing in order to make that connection.

He breathed in and held it, opening his mind like a flower (or trying to do that despite snickering when Lizzie had suggested that particular visualization). He held his breath for a count of ten before slowly releasing it, imagining himself spreading out on the lines. He felt the warm energy of the lines come into focus as his heart slowed and his breathing deepened. Stiles could feel the energy of the trees surrounding him, their roots sunk deep into the ground and the energy pouring off them to join the ley lines. He allowed himself to drift through his territory. He can feel the woods around him and the green, growing energy. Several areas seem a bit lacking and he shifts energy over to them almost without thinking and smiles as he sees the immediate improvement in those spots.

Pushing farther he finds more and more zones that are lacking, several that appear sickly, even poisoned, and Stiles recognizes that it is pollution he is sensing. Drawing on the lines, he sends energy to clean and restore the areas, moving deliberately from one to another, leaving only when he can tell that things are improving. He isn't sure how long he is focused on the healing but suddenly he realizes that his mind is dozens of miles away from Beacon Hills and he pulls back to himself.

This time he tries to visualize the area like a spider web with everything being a point in the web, connected to each other through the barest touch. He senses the larger animals first; birds, moles, several deer, and a fox and her cubs before he notices the smaller, almost invisible insects and then the grass, flowers and trees. The whole area is alive and he is enthralled watching it until he is distracted by a bright form moving near the edge of the preserve. A moment's concentration and he identifies the energy as a person jogging on one of the trails. He laughs and pushes out and starts encountering more and more people before finding one that blazes.

Focusing, he is startled by the sense of familiarity and connection before he recognizes the feel of Lydia. The red head is driving in her car, Stiles can even sense her dog Prada with her before she quickly passes outside his area of focus. Stiles can still almost taste/feel her aura, a green-black darkness that has hints of incense and moss. He realizes it is her Banshee nature he is sensing and smiles.

He starts to look for the others when a sudden flare, very close by, appears and if Lydia was a blazing spot, this was a supernova. It is bright white, ice cold, and is abrupt enough to startle his trance and he falls over before looking around the clearing for any sign of what that was. Could it be what Erica and Boyd were chasing?

"No my boy, I am not that entity" a voice that sounds like ice and wind and winter shocks him from behind. Spinning around he spots the woman standing there and is thoroughly confused.

The woman is watching him, obviously amused, dressed all in white and furs. Her hair is black and held back with a crown of silver and diamonds that puts all other crowns to shame. He stares until he remembers his father's description of 'The Night'.

"Queen Mab?" he asks carefully. Making sure to appear respectful, but not subservient. Lizzie had told him that the Queens respected strength, but would also not tolerate impertinence or impoliteness. However if he didn't stand up for himself, they would cause problems.

Mab smiles as she steps further into the clearing, glancing around but Stiles can tell she is appraising him in a very calculated method. "I felt your healing energies as you worked youngling. The restoring of this place, the cleaning of the foulness that humans seem so incapable of preventing. Your touch was very…particular" she says with a smile that suggests she is more than a bit amused by something.

"Thank you?" Stiles says uncertainly. Sure Lizzie had said that the Queens would be back, but Stiles didn't expect them so soon. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asks politely.

Mab laughs boldly. "Oh very well done. It seems that the current Morgaine did not leave you completely untutored. Polite, but with just enough of a reminder that I am on your territory to maintain the balance without giving cause for offense."

Stiles' eyes widen at the fact that she saw what he was trying to do so easily, but she doesn't appear upset…quite the opposite actually. "I think she was getting tired of trying to get through my thick head actually. I am sure she would be the most surprised that I managed to pull it off even if it wasn't exactly successful.

"Oh, I would say it was well done" she assured him as she entered the circle to stand near him. "Unfortunately I do not have much time to spend entertaining myself with you right now, much as I might enjoy it." Her eyes roved over him and he had the urge to try and cover himself from her gaze. It was 100 times worse than when Lydia was looking at someone who had caught her interest but she hadn't decided whether that was a good thing or not.

"Okay" Stiles starts to say when he sees roots start to burst out of the ground, rising up and twisting around each other. A second batch starts a few feet apart and Stiles is about to ask why when the first set of roots starts shaping and he can see the chair forming. He watches in fascination as the roots move and grow until two large chairs are suddenly there, in the middle of the clearing, facing each other.

Mab moves and sits in one and looks at him with a single eyebrow twitch that says without saying anything 'sit down'. Derek couldn't hold a candle to her in eyebrow language he thinks as he moves to sit down in 'his' chair.

"The Morgaine has a…different view of what an Arcanist is and though she isn't wrong, she isn't right either" the Winter Queen begins enigmatically. "She can only see a single facet of their true nature and what it all means. Even I can only see a few more, my sisters as well. The truth is that the only one who truly knows and understands the full nature of the Arcanist…is the Arcanist."

Stiles frowns. "But how can I learn everything? I mean I suppose I can try to work things out from the library and others" he trails off looking unhappy.

"No books or rumors or whispers of those that only know what they can conceive of in their small experiences shall help you. You will have to discover your truth for yourself. You will define your nature simply by the choices you make" she tells him with conviction.

Stiles leans back and sighs. He really wanted to be able to research all this. To find the answers so he was able to make a plan. It's like when Deaton first gave him Mountain Ash and said 'Believe'. Seriously? That's it? Dang druid could have given him a bit more.

Mab laughs again. He looks up and sees the amusement in her eyes. "Expecting a druid to be clear is like fighting a winter blizzard with a torch; foolish and pointless. They are limited by the structure of their magic. They teach as they learned and like many, are rigid and inflexible. You are not" she adds with a slight nod. "Do not blame them for their failings, pity them."

Stiles nods but doesn't reply. Sure he doesn't really agree with all of Deaton's methods but the guy is okay. Mab's words make him uncomfortable and he is not exactly sure why.

"You are uncomfortable because you sense the truth of my words and more importantly what they represent" she tells him.

Suddenly angry Stiles looks at the Winter Queen and straightens his shoulders. "Are you reading my thoughts?" he demands, the respect slipping a bit.

Mab's smile is less amused than cruel. "Yes. Do you expect me to not use every advantage I have in a situation such as this. You can no longer play the part of the boy running with wolves. You are the Arcanist and you have both responsibility and burden. The time to play the fool has passed" her voice is cold.

Stiles stares for a moment, angry at her words but he doesn't give in to his desire to snap back. First, Lizzie definitely warned against that and second, his father always taught him that when people lost control, they revealed more than they intended. Stiles watched Mab and thought about everything he had seen so far.

First issue. Why give away what she was doing? If she could hear his thoughts, it would be smarter to not give that away and instead read him and know what he was thinking almost before he did. It made no sense, which means that she must have wanted him to know. Why? He looks at her as she watches him silently. What did she say? 'use every advantage'? She was showing him that those he interacted with would use everything they had to get the better of him and he needed to be prepared for that. Looking up he saw the slight smile on those pale lips and knew he got her point.

Second, she was telling him that no one could explain his nature. Again, why? If she was an adversary, she would want him limited and carefully controlled. She could have said she knew the truth, or at least the Queens did as a group, even if Lizzie didn't, but she didn't. No, she said that no one but him knew that truth. Which means she is telling him that he is much more than others believe. He looks up and sees her staring and a twinkle in her eyes reminds him of her words 'a single facet'. Gems had facets but they didn't have one or two, they had dozens or hundreds. Was she saying that his true nature was that unknown? What if instead of anyone knowing the Arcanist, everyone only could see a facet, maybe several, but in the search to find all those different understandings, could he understand himself fully. This time Mab's soft sigh affirmed his thoughts.

Lastly she talked about pitying druids, and others, for their limitations. But neither Lizzie nor Stephen seemed limited in their power. Sure they had rules and structures to their magic, but that was so that it would work like it was supposed to…or did it? Were the greatest workers of magic as limited as the weakest because they had to operate by their rules? And she said Stiles shouldn't blame them, which must mean that he wasn't limited and maybe he didn't have to use their methods and ways. Could he use sorcery, but with witchcraft connections? Looking up he sees the slight incline of her head, the diamonds of her crown sparkling with the slight movement.

"Can anyone help me?" he whispers softly, but she hears him anyway. Whether his voice or his thoughts doesn't really matter.

"Yes, but only so much. The Arcanist is a lonely burden to bear, especially for one so young and as unprepared as you are. The previous Arcanists all sought the power and mantle of responsibility, even if they didn't truly understand it prior to their ascension. You rose unknowingly so you must now come to terms with your power, and the burden you have chosen, informed or not, to carry" Mab's voice carries no trace of sympathy for his situation, but he wasn't really expecting any.

"My sisters would be gentle with you. Giving you bits and pieces of knowledge to guide you along a path that would best serve themselves" she says easily and laughs at his suspicious thoughts. "Of course I have an agenda" she says easily "all creatures do. It is just that my agenda in this matter is to see what you can become. Emrys chose to stand behind another, to be the power behind the power and in so doing he ultimately failed in his duty to his land. By vesting it the way he did, when his king faltered, so too did the land. When his king finally fell, Emrys had given so much that he lost hope and drive and instead pushed his magic into the land and died."

Stiles looked at her and frowned. She looked both sad and angry at her memories. "You must decide the kind of Arcanist you will be. Your territory is ultimately your responsibility. You may sit back and let others act in your name, but they ultimately do not carry this burden" she added before staring at him.

It takes him a few minutes but then he understands. "The Darach. Deucalion. Kate. Gerard. All of it" he mutters looking at her. "Someone else dealt with them, made the final call on what to do about them. I can't do that anymore can I?" he asks, the plea in his voice that she deny this is clear.

"You can be an island unto yourself. Not involving yourself in the affairs of others" she tells him. "Of course if that is your purpose, you should have chosen the path of the Draíochtan. But you did not, you chose to be the Arcanist, in your core, you know this."

"So that means…" he pauses and looks at her but she doesn't answer for him. He has to make that choice, to finally and firmly set his feet on this path. "I'm the Alpha now" he mutters and Mab laughs a genuine laugh.

"A wise Queen has others to advise and inform her, but the final decision is always hers and hers alone. I imagine the same is true for a King" she says.

Stiles blinks in confusion. "I'm not a king" he states with a laugh.

"Are you not? Is this land not yours? Do you not draw strength and power from it and give strength to it in return? Are those that dwell within it not subject to the power you possess?" she challenges.

"I don't control people!" he argues.

"And if Kate Argent returned? Or her father? Would you allow them freedom to act as they will? Harm who they chose? If a feral wolf came, would you allow it to hunt the unknowing humans here?" her voice is soft, but there is definitely steel there.

"Of course I would stop them" he agrees before stopping at her expression. "That's not the same thing!"

Mab leans back and watches him for a moment, studying him in a way that makes him feel stupid. "Any ruler, whether King, Queen, or Arcanist, is defined not by title or thrones. They are defined by the mantle they have accepted. You have accepted the mantle of responsibility for this territory, a territory of humans that will begin changing, becoming more magical with every day. Your ley lines…do they not feel stronger, richer, more pure?" she asks.

"I thought that was just that I was getting better at sensing them" Stiles mumbles as he watches the timeless queen.

"You are. But your presence is also shifting the flows both within and outside your borders. Magic all across this part of the world is reacting to your presence, drawn to it, and with it will come others" she tells him. "You will not simply allow others deal with these changes while you stand aside because it is not who you are. You chose to be the mate of an Alpha werewolf, you stand beside one who rose as a True Alpha, you rescued and restored a Kanima, witnessed a Wailing Woman come to power, and this is only the beginning. You may not have a throne or crown, but do you doubt that if you issued a call to war that none would answer?"

Stiles leaned back feeling very uncomfortable. He was the planner, the strategist and researcher, not the leader. But…he did kind of boss Scott around and he had done similar to Derek. Lydia, who rarely listened to anyone, listened to him. Even Allison, the hunter extraordinaire would listen to his ideas and use them. Is this any different? He bossed his dad, but that was only about eating healthy. Wouldn't Derek be in charge? He glanced up at Mab at her sudden laugh.

"Your wolf was born to be a Beta. He was not to come to this role except through tragedy. Though he struggles to do right, he prefers to follow another. Now he can be both. Alpha to his pack, but Second to one he respects" she explains.

Stiles really wants to argue that one but he can't. He knows how much Derek has struggled with the pack, but that was really because of all the outside stuff…crap. He closes his eyes and ignores the chuckles he hears. Derek never got a break to even catch his breath, of course he would be happier if Laura was here, but he was trying. His patrols showed that, but the truth was he wasn't taking charge but rather he was preparing the pack to support Stiles in his new role. His careful discussion at dinner with Stiles and his dad showed that.

"So what do I do?" he finally asks looking at the Winter Queen.

She smiles that wicked smile of hers and leans forward "People will act in your name and on your behalf if you allow it. You must establish your rule clearly and firmly."

"What? Declare myself King? Don't think the pack will go for that" he snorts at the image of himself walking in with a crown seconds before he is buried in a pile of wolves.

Mab looks sad for a moment. "No. Others will do that. You must be ready for it when the time comes" she says with a heavy voice. "And I imagine it will come sooner than later. You will have to assert your responsibility when facing a decision. You are the Arcanist. Your judgement, for good or ill, will govern this territory and no others are truly able to make it. They can argue, debate, and reason, but you will have to make the decision alone."

Stiles stares at her for a second before he gets it. "You mean killing someone or something" he says deliberately slowly so she can deny it.

"If necessary. Would you allow a ghoul to come to your lands and feed upon the people here?" she asks.

"No, of course not. But that's a no brainer" he tells her and she nods.

"True, but what of Trolls? Goblins? Fairies? Dryads? Ifreet? Manticore?" she lists off and Stiles looks a lot less certain. "What of the Hunter Gerard and those like him? Will you allow him to hunt those within your territory because they fear and hate that which is different?"

Stiles shakes his head. He wants to argue with her but he knows she will see through him. The truth is that Stiles would happily open a hole in the ground under that old man and seal it up with him screaming if he had the chance and that bothers him. He knows its fear and anger, but there is also a cold and calculating part of him that knows that the man is not redeemable or to be trusted, he would kill without hesitation. "So I become just like them?" he says angrily.

Mab takes a heavy breath. "To a point. You must be willing to look into the hearts of those who come before you and you must be willing to act on what you find. Mercy is generous, but failure to deal with evil…" Mab doesn't finish but waits, looking at him carefully.

"…leads to more evil" Stiles finishes. He thinks back to his encounter with Ennis. He had beaten him thoroughly. Maimed and broken, it would have been so easy to end him and he wanted to, he really did. But his father's voice pulled him back. Stiles had banished the alpha, much as he did with the twins, but he knows that he believed that those three would avoid him like the plague. Deucalion and Kali? They would never have given up and killing them would have been the only option. He freezes and looks up at Queen Mab who is smiling a more authentic smile.

"And so you see the difference. You do not have to kill to make your rules clear. You granted mercy to the brute, which was not weakness. If you had done so with the female, she would ever have sought your blood. It is knowing that you must consider and make the final decision that I cannot take from you" she says sadly.

Stiles nods and jumps to his feet as he sees the Winter Queen gracefully stand up. He watches in amazement as the roots that formed their chairs withdraw back to the ground and in seconds they are standing in the clearing with no sign that the chairs had ever been there. "We shall speak again youngling. I imagine my sisters will give you time before they come, but then again, we are capricious" she smiles wickedly. "Think well on my words, I fear that sooner than later you will need their wisdom."

Stiles nods, not quite a bow, but a definite show of respect. He is shocked when she returns it before turning to walk away. He watches as she steps across the clearing, frost forming at her feet, until she begins to fade and in a few seconds is gone.

Collapsing down to the ground Stiles throws his arms out. He is surprised he survived that but strangely enough he thinks that she might actually like him!

DEREK'S LOFT

Derek had hoped to handle this differently. Peter had been gone two days when he called this morning letting his nephew know that Alpha Satomi would be arriving at the loft around noon. Derek had spoken with Stiles this morning and the teen was spending most of the day at the clearing so Derek didn't want to disturb him even though he would have preferred to have him here. Actually, he had sent a text letting him know but the teen hadn't replied. With the amount of time he was on his phone, it was irritating that he didn't respond this time. Of course, to be fair he hadn't been on his phone much since that night.

Derek had dispatched Scott and Isaac to the border to watch for the Alpha's arrival. Scott seemed to do better with female authority figures so Derek figured that the teen's manners would be on high. Isaac had calmed down enough and was not threatening even though he was tougher than before. The Alpha had seriously considered sending Allison but he had ultimately decided not for two reasons. One, Satomi was friends with his mother and he imagined there might be some potential for conflict over Kate's actions and two, Allison was better used to send the message of Strength with a hint of Threat. They didn't need that with Satomi.

Scott had protested her exclusion but Allison had seen Derek's logic without him having to explain it and her agreement had appeared to upset Scott even more. She had promised to explain it to the beta and had taken him and Isaac out of the loft and promised to send them on.

After they left, Derek returned to the map of the area that they had set up to start tracking any issues. Stiles had come over last night and had helped identify their new boundaries and Derek had to get two more maps as Stiles' power grew. The traditional Hale lands we colored in red on the maps and Stiles' border was in blue but the majority was uncolored as they waited to fill in who would stay or come in. Derek had left Satomi's territory off for now mostly because he wasn't certain how much she was claiming quite yet.

Derek had already worked out, showered, and cleaned the loft this morning so being idle was causing him to pace. This would be his first time with another Alpha, at least one who wasn't trying to kill him. From his and Peter's memories, they figured that Satomi would at least be willing to talk. She wasn't keen on fighting hunters or risking her pack, most of whom followed her mostly non-violent beliefs, but whether she would accept Stiles' new authority or not was still in question.

His phone buzzed and he looked at the text; 'Just met them. ETA 15 minutes.' Scott had been told to be polite, but firm in bringing them to the loft. Hopefully there had been no problems. The phone buzzed again with another text, 'Alpha and 1 Beta.' Derek wasn't surprised. Her connection with the Hales and Peter's invitation was hopefully seen as non-threatening as he intended it to be.

The next 15 minutes crawled by but finally he heard the Camaro coming with another car approaching the building. He listened and heard Scott and Isaac making small talk until the four of them entered the building. A short elevator ride later and Derek was standing by the windows waiting. Scott opened the door and gestured to the older woman to enter. Even those without supernatural senses would be able to discern that Satomi Ito was still a formidable woman, despite her apparent age.

"Alpha Ito" Derek said with a rush of emotion, the memory hitting him remembering her previous visits to speak with his mother.

"You have grown well Alpha Hale" she replied in a firm voice. Derek nodded and motioned her to the table where a pot of tea was sitting, still warm and steaming.

"Tea? I remember you giving my mother a special blend, but I am afraid I don't know it. I hope this is acceptable" Derek says with a hint of sadness.

Alpha Ito paused and Derek could smell the hint of sadness before she nodded and he poured her a cup. Her Beta sat at the table in the kitchen area with Scott and Isaac, them offering him soda which the young man also seemed to prefer.

"Your uncle came to visit me, asking me to come speak with you about a situation that occurred recently. He said you would explain it" she told him politely but firmly.

"You are familiar with the Alpha Pack? Deucalion?" Derek asks her and he can see the way that the tension fills her that she does.

"I am aware. I have worked hard to avoid his attention turning to my pack. I am sorry but if you are asking us to fight him…" she trails off with a sad look. She had discovered rumors that the insane Alpha was in California after her meeting with Noshiko, but she had no idea he was so close. She had been confused when Peter arrived and confirmed that the Hale pack was intact so the dead wolves the kitsune had found were still unknown. But if they were that close, then she may need to take her pack and flee.

"No. That won't be necessary. He came here for my pack and was followed by Kali Steele's former Emissary who she did not manage to kill when she betrayed her pack. The woman actually became a Darach" Derek stated simply. Satomi had seen much but now she was certain she would have to flee. She couldn't hide the fear about this. A Darach was an abomination as well as the Alpha Pack! "We defeated both" Derek said and her thoughts slammed to a stop and she looked at him in shock.

Setting down her tea very carefully she was aware of the relaxed atmosphere. None of the Hale Pack were worried or concerned. How? "I am not sure I understand. When you say you defeated both…" she carefully offers him to continue.

"Ennis and the twins were sent far away after being defeated. The rest of them attacked my pack and paid the price" Derek says with a growl. "They are all dead."

Satomi's eyes widen. She had met Deucalion before his failed peace conference with the Argents, and had heard terrible tales of his behavior after. Ennis was an unthinking brute, strong but with no real brain. Kali Steele however was a twisted general, cunning and vicious. The others were just as bad but Deucalion, Ennis, and Kali were the true core and threat of the Alpha Pack. They were the dead wolves Noshiko had sensed? "And the Darach?" she whispered.

"Our Emissary destroyed her. Well, obliterated her to be exact. Called down lightning that blew up the Nemeton and everything around it, including her" Derek clarified.

Satomi leaned back in shock. The tattered remains of the Hale pack had defeated the Alpha Pack, a pack with seven alphas! And a dark druid. Suddenly she remembers the series of deaths in Beacon Hills recently. "The deaths that occurred…" she asks looking at the young man who suddenly reminds her very much of Talia.

"Sacrifices. She was attempting to gain power to kill Kali and Deucalion but we stopped her and removed the threat" Derek said simply.

The older Alpha looked at the young man with concern. Noshiko had worried about the destruction of the Nemeton, but with that much power, she was not sure even the spirit of the void fox would have survived. "The last days, in growing intensity, I have felt a…call. Something has been drawing me here, making me feel off. Like I am in another's territory even in my own home."

Derek nods in understanding. "That would be my mate" he says simply and smiles gently at her surprised expression. "The Emissary and I bonded that night, to save his life which is a very long story, but it connected him to the land and allowed him to claim it as his territory."

"As your mate I assume you are willing to share" she says knowingly. Derek nods in agreement before she continues "but I do not see how that affects myself" she poses the question.

"Stiles…my mate" he clarifies "is a very unique magic user. His bonding with the Hale lands was his connection, but his power has claimed more than just what we had claimed." Derek looks at her suddenly suspicious expression. "His territory stretches several hundred miles in every direction" he explains steadily.

Satomi startles. "No one has a territory so large" she contradicts him. "My pack is already here and has been for decades" she says, a flash of her crimson eyes emphasizing her claim.

"I know and I respect that" Derek says diplomatically. "But unlike other magic users, his power is significantly different. When he claimed this land…all four of the Fae Queens came to recognize his assumption of the place."

Satomi Ito is over 80 years old and she has seen and heard much. She has met spirits even older than Noshiko but in all her time on this earth, she has never heard of all of the Fae Queens coming together in the mortal world. "That's impossible" she whispers hoping he is lying, but knowing he wasn't. His heart was steady.

"Stiles has been tutored by both the Morgaine" Derek says and Satomi gasps "as well as the Sorcerer Supreme" he finishes and she looks overwhelmed. How could this have happened?

"What is he?" she finally manages to ask.

"He is called an Arcanist" Derek tells her but he can tell she doesn't recognize the term. "He can use all six domains of magic" he explains and she pales. 'No one can do that!' she wants to yell but she doesn't. "Lizzie, the Morgaine I mean" and the fact that he is on a first name basis with the High Druidess is worrisome "told us that any supernatural being in his territory would be subject to him. His power will be like nothing else and those who enter would be subject to him."

Her eyes flashed crimson and she did not bother to control the growl that escaped her. "You expect me to submit to a human?!" she demands standing up.

Derek stands more slowly, noticing that the three betas across the loft definitely do not look happy with the way things are going. "Alpha Ito, both Peter and my mother spoke highly of you and I do not wish to harm our relationship, quite the opposite. The Morgaine told us, as did the Queens, that many would be drawn here due to Stiles' presence. We want your pack to stay, and be safe, but if you do, you must acknowledge his authority" his voice doesn't waver but his eyes flash red as well. "All the land that answers to him will not accept others who deny him. If you do not wish to stay, you may leave" he offers.

"Um, excuse me?" Scott says in a tentative voice and both Alphas look at the teen in surprise. "Ma'am, Alpha Ito, I think Derek is forgetting that Stiles isn't a wolf."

Satomi's eyes narrow in suspicion. "What of it?" she demands. Ever since she met this boy she has sensed something different. He is strong in his wolf, much stronger than one his age should be, especially for a bitten wolf.

"He doesn't want everyone to bow down or something, he just needs to be sure that everyone who lives here follows the rules" he explains. "With everything that happened here, he wants us all safe" he adds and flashes his own crimson eyes.

"You are an alpha?" she says startled now understanding her reaction. "He killed one of Deucalion's pack?" she demands turning to Derek.

Derek shakes his head. "No. Scott is a True Alpha" he admits and Satomi's eyes widen further. What the devil is happening here? There hasn't been a True Alpha in at least a century as far as she knows. But staring at the boy...she finally sees it. The power is there, but not the taint of violence or fury. He didn't gain his power by anger or any dark act, she has met enough Alphas to know that mark and he didn't inherit it, the age and strength of the power of those alphas is also absent. No, it is a power of certainty and compassion she is sensing. This town is forever making her challenge her own mind and thoughts! "You follow Hale?" she asks Scott.

Scott nods. "Becoming an Alpha wasn't my plan Ma'am" he tells her. "But like Stiles, I have to learn how to handle it. Derek has been helping me some, I don't want to be like Peter was. Not ever! But Derek and Stiles are in charge and I know that Stiles will be a good guy and I trust him." He looks at Derek and stares at the man for a moment "and I am learning to trust Derek too."

Derek nods in understanding, they still have work to do to make things better, but they are getting there. He smiles honestly when he realizes Satomi is watching both of them. She is still uncertain he can tell, but she finally looks back to Scott. "You were telling me about this Stiles" she instructs and Scott comes over to join the two alphas as they sit back down.

SAN FRANCISCO

Martinique shuffled her deck of tarot cards for the third time in the last hour. She had been trying to determine what it was that she was sensing over the last several days. All the members of the coven had experienced an 'awareness' that they were being watched, maybe even judged, but there was no sign of the source.

She had reached out to a friend in LA but she hadn't felt anything while Kiran had surprisingly shared that he and several of the other monks at the temple were feeling the same thing she was. Which meant that witches, enchanters, and alchemists in the city probably all felt something. A druidess in Portland wasn't sensing anything but she had shared that the ley lines in the area had shifted slightly. Nothing to worry about, but unusual nonetheless.

Dealing the cards she was searching for any sign or hint of what was coming or causing her nerves when she flipped the first card, the High Priestess. Surprising as a card she dealt the second and paused at it, the Empress! The High Priestess and the Empress next to each other was beyond rare. Turning over the third card she freezes, the Wheel of fortune! She stares at the fourth and fifth cards in concern, this is not a good omen. The Moon holds the fourth position and with a rushed gesture she turns over the World.

Leaning back in her chair she stares at the cards. All Major Arcana in a single draw? All indicating great things happening, and powerful people being involved. But what does it mean? Martinique stares at the cards before her for several minutes before her concentration is broken by the ringing of her phone.

Without looking, she answers the call absently "Hello?" she says, her eyes still firmly focused on the cards before her.

"Martinique?" the accented voice causes her to look at her phone but it is an unknown number. The voice, female, appears European. "Child?"

"This is Martinique, who is this?" she asks carefully and not certain about being called a child.

"I am Dionne, the High Witch" the voice says simply and Martinique's eyes widen as she stares down at the first two cards. If any cards represented the High Witch, it would be those. "I need your assistance" she says and Martinique reels.

"Me? Milady, are you sure you have the right person? I am a simple follower of the craft" she argues respectfully.

"I know and I am sorry to place this upon you but you are the closest coven leader to the source of the disturbance" Dionne explains.

"Disturbance?" Martinique asks in confusion before freezing. It can't be that!

"A week ago the world was rocked by a magic shift. It felt like an earthquake" the older women said with a frustrated sigh. "I have had the covens looking for signs and it appears to be centered near you. Have you sensed nothing?"

"We have sensed a subtle 'watching' over the last few days, but nothing like you describe" she pauses for a moment before deciding to share everything "but it is not just us. All magic users are feeling it" she adds.

"Not surprising" Dionne assures her. "It appears that the more power you have, the greater the feel of it. But whatever the cause, we must understand if it poses a threat. I need you to begin searching for any answers you can. If necessary, I will come there myself, but I would rather avoid that as there are several things going on here at home. Magic is shifting and adjusting and we have yet to determine if it is connected. Will you investigate?" the High Witch asks.

Martinique is fearful but she agrees. She cannot deny the High Witch! They talk for several moments and Dionne promises to send her information to assist in her efforts. After hanging up Martinique calls her coven and several of their allies to come meet to explain and ask for help. She had never expected to see or speak to the High Witch in her lifetime, she led a small, modest coven, but something momentous must have happened and Martinique only prays it won't cost them everything.

DEREK'S LOFT

Derek hears the familiar heartbeat even over the tension in the room. He missed the arrival of the jeep but as Stiles enters the building, the awareness of his proximity increases. He notices when the others sense him several seconds later, the confusion on Satomi's face clear. The door opens and Stiles steps in before freezing.

"Uh…is this a bad time?" he says looking around. Satomi was still tense, she and Derek had been talking but she didn't sit still, instead she had prowled, unhappy with what he was saying. Scott had drifted back to Isaac and her Beta after they started talking politics but they now looked lost in their own conversation.

"Stiles, this is Alpha Satomi Ito, from Beacon Valley" Derek introduces her and he could hear the change in her heartbeat as she stares at the teen in disbelief.

"This is your mate? Your new Emissary?" she says in a disbelieving voice. She flashes her eyes at the boy but she pales when his own eyes flash in return. The white light filling his entire eyes and she has a sudden overwhelming awareness of power. Not even the Nogitsune had had this effect on the elder Alpha. "What is he?" she whispers.

The low growl startles her and she looks at Derek and saw his eyes burning crimson and the tension is rolling off him. She is surprised but she suddenly realizes that he heard her less than complimentary comment. "My apologies" she says sincerely "I was…unprepared."

"Uh, Derek?" Stiles' voice drew the Alpha's attention back to the young man and he relaxes, which allows the other three wolves to finally relax their own stance. "Alpha Ito, I assume Peter spoke with you?" he asks her and she nods in confusion. Stiles sighs. "And you gave you no real explanation" he says with a groan.

Sending a glare to Derek, Stiles moves over to sit beside his Alpha and invites Satomi to sit back down. "Perhaps we should talk and maybe clear things up."

She nods but then his scent hits her and she jumps up. His own scent is like ozone, parchment, and vanilla, but mixed with that is something unearthly. Something ancient. Her nostrils flare just as Derek inhales and looks startled. "Have you seen Queen Mab?" he demands and both Isaac and Scott pale. Alpha Ito looks stunned.

"Oh yeah, sorry. She stopped by to talk this morning about some personal things" Stiles mutters and looks at the worried expression on his mate's face. "I'll tell you all the details later" he promises and turns back to the trembling Alpha. "I apologize Alpha Ito, it seems that I am a bit of a person of interest to quite a few others."

"Do not dismiss lightly the interest of the Winter Queen" she says in a worried voice.

"I don't" Stiles promises "but she is on my territory so she behaved." Alpha Ito looks even more upset if that was possible. The boy sees himself as her peer? "She also said her sisters would probably wait a bit longer to come to talk. I think she was trying to be the first" he says with a shrug.

The next half hour has Stiles giving her an edited version of everything after Derek had shared what they had discussed. She was impressed she finally had to admit. The boy, though young, had accomplished much. The Hale Pack had rid the world of the abomination of the Alpha Pack, rescued a Kanima, defeated a Darach, gained the favor of the Fae Queens, and gained an Emissary who apparently was equal to the Merlin, Morgaine, and Sorcerer Supreme. She would not be surprised if the other greater powers felt the same.

But that left the issue of submission. "Scott was right Alpha Ito. In truth I would prefer Derek to handle the relationships with the other packs. He is an Alpha and understands all of you better than I do. Plus, being a Hale probably doesn't hurt" he says, the question clearly directed at her.

Satomi considered his words carefully. "It is true that others have begun talking about the Hale pack and Beacon Hills. Once words gets out of your latest battles, I imagine it will generate much more attention let alone once more is known about yourself and that you have chosen to align with the Hale Pack. Talia was very respected in America and abroad, both for her own gifts, but also as heir to the legacy of the Hales. I would guess that many wolves, omegas and betas unhappy with their own alpha, will seek you out. But I am not sure that you are really prepared" she tells them not entirely happy with the thought.

Stiles smiles and his eyes glow again. The white light is somehow less cold and forbidding that before but then his eyes close and light dances over his body in small flashes of color. "You have two betas in a car eleven miles from here, on the road back to Beacon Valley. There are also three others approximately fifty miles from here that were not present a week ago besides the ones you left in Beacon Valley" he states before opening his eyes and looking at the Alpha. "I can sense every supernatural being in my territory. Your pack was the first I detected" he says proudly.

Sitting quietly she was forced to admit that she was impressed by his display. It was subtle and more reassuring. "What exactly would you want if we were to remain?" she finally asks.

Stiles glances at Derek for a few moments before he felt the other man's support with whatever Stiles was going to say. "Your pack would submit to myself and Derek, but you would remain your own pack. You would have to just follow some rules. No killing people" he says but then pauses and adds "that don't deserve it. No turning others unless they consent willingly" he pauses and scratches his neck. "That's about all I have for the moment" he says and looks at Derek.

"We would also want you to help protect the territory and the people and creatures in it" Derek adds slowly. "I know you prefer to avoid violence, but we would hope that you would be willing to help defend those that want to live here peacefully."

Alpha Ito frowns in confusion. "I know that the Nemeton drew magic here but with its destruction, will that still happen?"

Stiles shares Lizzie and Mab's predictions and the impact of his presence and he can see the moment that the older Alpha truly understands what Stiles' presence will do. A land where they would not have to hide or fear hunters? She looks at her Beta and sees Ken's nod of agreement. He will follow her whatever she decides, but he likes this.

"In times long ago, the very legend that Deucalion sought to claim for himself, there was the title High Alpha" Satomi begins. "It was rarely used, but when it was, it was used when several packs came together for a great purpose or to go to war. It was a title of honor, a recognition of an Alpha that other Alphas chose to follow. Once it was even held by a pair who ruled a human kingdom that included over a dozen packs. Perhaps we could use it here to formalize who you both are." She pauses and considers carefully before continuing "I believe that we can acknowledge you as High Alphas."

They continued talking for several hours as Satomi and Derek hammered out all the details. It was very formal. Stiles had ordered pizza and called the rest of the pack. At Derek's urging, Satomi called her other two betas and the brother and sister joined the pack for pizza. Stiles bounced between the Alphas and the rest but by the end of the day Satomi had agreed and they had their first ally.