CHAPTER 21

After the soul crushing class and his failure at starting any meaningful conversation with Malia who had all her focus on what Harris was teaching, Stiles trudged away from class without even bothering to talk to Scott.

Unlike what others might think about Stiles due to first impressions which was mainly heavily sarcastic, goofy to the point of stupidity despite being smart, an astute observer of hierarchy while being a delinquent according to a few people, Stiles deep down was a very fragile person. 

Despite his already low confidence, trying and failing to start a meaningful and normal conversation with a beautiful girl sitting beside him did a few cracks to his confidence. 

He wasn't good at lacrosse, he didn't fit in most places that a kid like him should with natural ease, he was socially awkward, the girl he's had a crush on probably doesn't even know his name. He used sarcasm and smart rebuttals to get through most things and at the end of it all, the only thing he had to show for it was a slighter smarter brain and being the son of the Beacon Hills County Sheriff. 

Even Scott who he had sympathized with since they were little had grown up to be something entirely different in just a week's time. He was doing better at lacrosse than ever before, he was no longer asthmatic and his special existence subconsciously gave him a boost in confidence, enabling him break out of the cocoon he'd trapped himself in for quite the long while. 

He would never in any circumstance show what he truly felt, not even to his best friend since childhood, Scott, because he understood one fact, something he had been unfortunate to learn when he was young – no one truly cares. 

If he were to count the people that truly cared about him on one hand, he'd have extra fingers to spare and he wasn't even joking. His dad, Scott, and Scott's mom. These were the three people who he knew actually cared if anything should happen, and of those three, he could say with full confidence that none truly understood him. 

So what was he to do? Whine in bed all day and complain that he isn't understood? 

No. That wasn't his style. 

He'd rather throw it to the deepest part of his mind and bury it there for eternity while using his precious time to do something he absolutely loved, like helping Scott be a better werewolf. 'How hard can it be? I'll be Batman and he'll be Robin. He's absolutely lost without me.'

Stiles Stilinski was a very normal boy and while he might not be a super competent nurse like Melissa, a devout Sheriff like his father or a supernatural mythical creature of the night like Scott, he knew just how he was supposed to be to exist in this complicated and harmonious circle. 

He made a turn around the corner only for him to rush back with haste and hoped no one saw him and by no one he meant his father, Sheriff Stilinski, who was oddly in school and flanked by deputies, clearly discussing something important with the Principal. 

Stiles was many things and apparently a busybody was among those things, along with an almost instinctual urge to skid over the law as much as he could without completely crossing the line. 

Realizing that he was presented with yet another opportunity to scoop into his father's active cases, he made the brilliant decision of fetching the one person he knew that could hear whatever they were saying without being caught. 

He ran back from whence he came searching for Scott since he knew his father could leave at that moment. 'I really could use some werewolf nose right about now.'

Thankfully, he found Scott at the locker section and pulled him along as he walked. 

"Hey, come here."

"What?"

"Less talking, more moving."

He pulled Scott as they hid behind the stairs with Stiles pointing to his father. 

"Tell me what they're saying."

Scott followed Stiles' pointed direction and found Noah Stilinski having a conversation with the Principal. Scott focused his senses in their general direction, trying to pick the voices with enough clarity to hear. 

"Can you hear anything?"

"Shhh!" 

Focusing a little harder, Scott picked up the voices and listened in on what the Sheriff was telling their Principal to do. 

"Curfew because of the body." He said, referencing the body part they found on the night Scott got bit. 

"Unbelievable. My dad's out there looking for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin' out, doing whatever he wants." He scowled with expressive anger and irritation as Derek, who they assumed was the killer, was just walking around. 

Scott shrugged at Stiles' complaintA while stating the obvious. "Well, we can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek."

Stiles pondered on what Scott said for a few seconds before refuting Scott's words with a determined face. "I can do something."

Scott looked at his best friend with skepticism evident on his face. "Like what?"

"Find the other half of the body." Stiles answered before storming off while Scott was left to reboot for a second before he scoffed at Stiles' delirious statement. 

"Are you kidding?" Scott followed Stiles trying to find what kind of reasoning he thought up to come to such a decision. 

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Think of it; if Derek's put away, then you don't have to worry about Hunters or going on some murder spree with him and the town will return back to normal." Stiles explained to Scott. 

"And what if he decides to kill those at the Sheriff's station after he is arrested?" Scott asked, still skeptical and rightfully so which silenced Stiles for a short time before he shook his head. 

"You both ran from the Hunters and if they've really been hunting werewolves for centuries then I'm sure not even Derek would want to face them and him killing the Sheriff County, and also possibly ousting himself as a supernatural, will more than likely draw them towards him with full force. So no, I don't think he will kill anyone at the station." Though he hypothesized that entire scenario, he still wasn't sure about Derek's motivation and he had a hunch that knowing that would change everything and make this haze over them clearer. 

"That's a big if and you know it. We have no idea what an Alpha is capable of after all." Unfortunately for Scott, all his dissuasion fell in defiant ears and he had to follow behind Stiles as was the norm between them from the beginning. 

… 

Having heard all that the both of them were talking about, Tristan was plagued by doubt since in his opinion, it was a suicide mission trying to strong-arm an Alpha, especially for Scott as no Alpha will take pity on any of their Beta betraying them, even the pacifist Satomi would kill any of her Beta who betrayed her family. 

He also picked up a few pieces of info from their talks one of which was the presence of the Hunters already being in Beacon Hills and having had a confrontation with whoever this Derek was and Scott. 

It had been purely by chance that he came across them after deciding to take his mind off the matter and what they were talking about had intrigued him a little. Either Stilinski was very smart or stupidly naïve as it was clear that he really did not understand what the consequences of his actions could cause. 

If Derek really was the Alpha as they insinuated and he really was behind the recent killings, then it was entirely possible, assuredly in fact, that a Beacon County cell wouldn't hold him at all if he wanted to get out and the first person to die would be Sheriff Stilinski and then McCall's parents before Stiles and then Scott would be the last to go. 

'Ignorance truly is bliss.' Not even him would entertain the thought of killing Satomi as he was as that would spell death faster than he would realize. If such a thing were to happen, the first bunch of people to attack him would be none other than Brett, followed by Jiang, Demarco, Richard, Joanne, Tierney, even Lori. No one should ever doubt the bond between pack members as that would only weaken them against any attacking enemy. 

Seeing the two idiots planning their death with such assuredness, he couldn't help but feel glad because at least that way, the Alpha would probably lay low for a while from the Hunters before siring a new Beta. 

He made an abrupt turn in his walk and set his new destination to the cafeteria to get something to eat before going home and use that chance to meet up with Malia. 

Like always, the cafeteria was crowded but there were quite a few empty and remote tables so he could probably focus on his meal quietly. 

He got salad, beef and juice to go along with it since all he needed was something light to hold him until he got home. From the small quantity he got, it could be derived that he preferred small portions of nutritious food than large amounts of unbalanced diet and junk food, another area he differed from Malia.

He finished his plate and after waiting for Malia for some time and figuring she either wasn't coming or was held up, he got up and left. 

He saw Allison in a conversation with one of the lacrosse players but just walked by, making sure she didn't notice him and called to gain his attention. 

He left the school and got into his car knowing that Malia would likely ride with Allison or call him to come pick her up. 

Driving away from the school's car park, he brought out his phone and rang someone he knew he could get a lot of answers from. 

"Good afternoon, Elias." He greeted as soon as the call was picked up. 

"Oh, Tristan? I wasn't expecting your call. How are you and the cub holding up?" From his tone, it was clear that this Elias was an elderly man but apart from being an elder to Tristan, he was also an elder to almost everyone in Satomi's pack as he was one of her oldest betas, Elias Town, having been following Satomi for over fifty years. 

Tristan allowed a chuckle at his question. "She's been a little grumpy for the past few days so I'm the one constantly getting bitten."

Elias laughed over the call for more than a few seconds before calming down. "So what's the reason for you calling? It's weird to receive a call from you when you could just visit." Elias asked. 

Not bothering with any other exchange as they were past that, he inquired from Elias the reason he called. "It's about the recent killings. Someone in Beacon Hills got bit and it looks like their Alpha's name is Derek. I was wondering if you knew anything about an Alpha named Derek." He then described Derek's appearance as best as he could to Elias. 

Elias hummed over the call and silence flowed for over a minute before Elias spoke once again. "I don't think I remember any Alpha named Derek, so rather than being an old Alpha, it could be one that killed for it and I think that vendetta signage front quite a while back is heavily connected to it."

"While I don't know any Alpha named Derek, I once knew a beta called Derek… Derek Hale, son of Talia Hale, whose family burned in the Hale fire over six years ago. It's not actually farfetched for young Derek to become an Alpha as his family has been a patron to Beacon Hills for well over centuries. They practically built the place and even came to a truce, although short-lived, with the Hunters."

Tristan frowned as a whole web of complications started to unfold inside his mind. He could already tell that the story would be quite a deep one and extremely informative… he sighed. 

"… I'll talk to Satomi." Knowledge is power, but also a curse. He needed Satomi's permission and also input if this would be dangerous for him to know or could in a way endanger the pack. 

"Don't worry about that. I'll take it up with her, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Elias waved off his concern. While he wouldn't dare waive explicit orders of his Alpha, he's known her long enough to know what she'll react to and what she considers not important. 

"Thank you, Elias." He gave his gratitude but the old man just laughed it off. 

"Oh please. While we old people don't have much to teach the younger generation, we are never out of stories to tell."

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