Teen Wolf Season One
Episode One: Wolf Moon

Darkness was a blessing in Stiles' opinion. It allowed for quick and unnoticed movements as he made his subtle way to his best friends house to fill Scotty boy in on the newest, and to be honest most exciting, case Beacon Hills had ever been host to in over four years. Then again, he really wouldn't have to do this sort of thing if the kid would just answer his damn phone.

Climbing up to his friend's window though, turned out to much more difficult than he first anticipated.

"I need to get out more." Stiles mutters to himself. "I never noticed this until now but Scott man, your roof has like, vines and shit everywhere." And just as he says this, his foot slips on one of the vines.

The ride down was much faster than the climb up and before Stiles even knew what was going on, he was hanging upside down. 'oh god' he moaned in his own head before a scream startled him and his own startled yell was ripped from his throat. He noticed Scott just as the boy calmed and began to speak.

"Stiles what the hell are you doing!" His best friend accused fiercely making Stiles indignant.

"You weren't answering your phone!" He called back and that's when he noticed what was in Scott's hands. "Why do you have a bat?"

Scott only took a second to answer, looking just a little bit embarrassed. "I thought you were a Predator."

Stiles wanted to laugh. He let his arms express his thoughts though. "A Preda- ugh-ts, look. I know it's late but you got to hear this."

Wow, it's hard to breathe upside down Stiles idly thinks as he takes a deep breath before he starts his story. "I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, their bringing in every officer from the Beacon department and even state police." I really can't hang here much longer.

Scott took a heartbeat to look confused. "For what?"

Oh-kay, I gotta get down. Stiles reaches up to his ankle where he could feel one, or multiple of the vines digging into him. "Two joggers found a body in the woods." Just as he says this, the vines give and Stiles drops, catching himself in a crouch as he hears Scott ask a question, and he tries to hold in the reflex he has for stupid question, but it just wasn't meant to be.

"A dead body?"

Good god the boy is adorable. "No, a body of water!" Stiles rolled his eyes. "Yes dumbass a dead body." He makes to climb over the porch railing and Scott gives him room, not pointing out how hard Stiles is breathing. Instead, getting interested in the story.

"So you mean, like a murder?"

Stiles considers this a safe, not-so-stupid question, so he answers honestly. "Nobody knows yet. They just know it was a girl, probably in her twenties."

Scott's eyebrows raise and Stiles knows exactly where his friend's thoughts are going, right where they needed to go.

"Wait, hold on, if they found the body, what are they looking for?"

Yes! The right question! Stiles doesn't hide his excitement as he answers. "That's the best part." He lets it hang there as he watches Scott's face. "They only found half."

Stiles knew the exact moment Scott realized what he was getting at, and he couldn't help grinning at his friends look of near panic.

"We're going."

And they did.

The location had been mentioned before his dad had left. Beacon Hills Preserve. A patch of woods that was owned by a family a long time ago that's now just the outskirts of their town. His Jeep made it to the back entrance of the Preserve before Scott finally spoke up.

"Are we really doing this?"

Stiles slammed his door shut, his face a wide smile despite his friend's protesting.

"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town." He answered, slapping his friend in the arm. Stiles can feel his friend's reluctance even before he heard Scott say something that sounded like an excuse. Something about sleep and practice. Didn't matter. They had a body to find.

Still, the quite was daunting and the dark was only slightly creepy, so Stiles decided conversation was okay for now.

"Right. 'cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort."

"No, because I'm playing this year." Scott countered and Stiles wanted to snort but his friend didn't stop there. "In fact, I'm making first line."

Stiles couldn't help it. "Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." Not that he was really one to preach to the choir (Lydia Martin is not unrealistic). Ah who was he trying to kid. He knew his chances and they were about as good as Scott making first line.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"

Suddenly, Stiles realized that he had no idea how to answer that at all. "Huh…" He said, mostly to himself. "I didn't even think about that."

"And..ugh.." Scott continued, and Stiles really didn't want to hear the rest of it but he was a little out of breath from walking so fast so he didn't even bother to stop his friend. "What if whoever killed the body is still out here?" He could honestly hear the smug smile on Scott's face.

"Also something I didn't think about." Stiles admitted throwing his head to the side in an admittance of lack of foresight.

"It's comforting to know you've planned this out with your usual attention for detail." Scott called after him as they climbed an unusually steep part of the woods. "Maybe t-the sever asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight huh?"

Stiles hadn't noticed Scott had stopped, he was too busy ducking at the top of the incline. He hit the ground and hid the flashlight's bright rays before attempting to turn it off. He knew what was in the distance, he saw the flashlights and heard the dogs and footsteps, no doubt his father was one of the people searching the woods tonight. He felt Scott duck down beside him, the boy's red hood over his head so Stiles couldn't really see his face but he was sure it was pale. He really should have thought ahead, his friend had trouble just running for a short while, maybe a hike in the woods for a dead body wasn't his smartest plot in the history of their friendship. Still, they needed to move before they were spotted, or worse, before the police found the body first.

"Come on." He said as he rose, rushing forward while keeping an eye on the dots of light not too far away. He was sure Scott would keep up, asthma or not.

He heard Scott yell his name but he wasn't about to stop, they were too close to the cops, but he did look back and the second he did he came face first with a tree.

"Oh god!" Stiles whispered harshly as he held his head, just as Scott's form rushed passed him and straight into the barking jaws of one of the police dogs.

Oh shit they got Scott. Stiles panicked, hiding behind the tree as if his life was on the line. The second he heard his father's voice, he was certain it wasn't his life anymore, it was his freedom.

"Hang on, hang on. I know this little delinquent." Sheriff Stillinski said as he looked at Scott who wheezed and panicked, his heart racing.

Stiles stayed hidden, cursing and frustrated ranting in his head about how if Scott was there, they would know Stiles was too, there was no way he could hide forever, scott wouldn't even know if it wasn't for Stiles. Oh god, it was over, he was in trouble.

"Where's your usual partner in crime?" the Sheriff asked and Stiles knew Scott would sell him out. He was surprised when that wasn't exactly what happened.

"What? Stiles? You mean Stiles? No he-he's home. He told me about it the second you left over the phone but he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day of school tomorrow. It's just me..in the woods. You know…alone." Scott only stammered once, but Stiles smiled at his friend's attempt to protect him. Hell yeah bro, I would have done the same for you Scotty boy.

His dad though, didn't sound like he believed him. "Stiles wanted to sleep? What am I, stupid?" then his voice raised. "Stiles! You out there?!"

It was so hard to stay hidden when he dad was calling him, but every part of Stiles clenched in panic and a twisted rush. Please don't find me, please don't find me.

"Stiles!"

Again, Stiles managed to remain still.

When he heard his dad sigh, he knew the Sheriff had no choice but to believe Scott.

"Alright." The Sheriff said and Stiles heard him come closer to Scott and grab the boy by the jacket. "I'm going to have one of the deputies take you home, your mother is not going to be happy with you. And then, I'm going to call Stiles and have a talk about a little thing called 'invasion of privacy'."

Stiles couldn't hear them anymore as they moved further away.

He had a moment of guilt for dragging Scott into this. Yeah, his mother would be furious and probably ground Scott for a good long while, but still. This was even more of a reason to find what they had come all the way out here for.

Stiles started off in the opposite direction of the police and his father and now Scott. He wouldn't lie to himself, it was getting creepier by the minute, the owls hooting, crickets chirping, silence ringing under all of it, and most of all, the darkness since he refused to turn the flashlight back on.

Still, he kept walking, jumping around over the slightest of sounds.

When the owls and crickets stopped, he didn't notice at first. But when he did notice, he stopped, looking into the misty woods and straining his eyes to see better.

When the first deer rushed at him, he could admit to screaming like a little girl and dropping to the floor in complete and utter fear.

Jesus Christ! This was too much, way way way too much to do alone. With Scott here, he had back up, but alone he was…well…alone. No, he was going home. Screw this. Things were getting way too creepy, way too fast and he wasn't sticking around long enough to become the next victim.

Searching around his pockets for his phone, he cursed manically when he couldn't find it. God damn it!

He turned the flashlight on, figuring he was far enough away from the cops to be seen and started searching the ground for his freaking phone.

He swore to god he wasn't expecting the body, he really wasn't, he didn't even want to find it anymore. But he did find it.

The scream came up like bile, from his stomach, up his throat and right out his mouth. He didn't notice he was walking backwards until he stumbled and fell, rolling down the hill like a snowball.

Ouch ouch ouch! God damnit, this is the worst idea I ever had! Stiles finally stopped at the bottom of the hill and rose, he was sure he bruised something because his body ached all over, but that was fine, it didn't matter. Nothing did, just getting to his freakin car and getting the hell out of the woods.

The growling stopped his short.

Oh my god I'm going to die…

When he turned around, the fury black body and glowing red eyes confirmed every thought he's had since Scott was found.

He tried to run, even though his logical brain told him that it would only give the animal reason to chase, but he couldn't help it, the whole night had just, all been too much. Not that he got very far, the beast was on him in seconds and he didn't even registered that he was screaming anymore, he just fought and kicked and flailed. He didn't want to die here, like this. In the woods for the next set of joggers to find.

Something sharp and hot dug into his side and the pain was overwhelming. He finally connected an elbow to whatever had him and it released. When he scrambled up, he took off running. He didn't know which direction and he didn't care, he just had to get the fuck away from the red eyes.

When he broke the tree line and hit concrete, he only had a moment of relief before headlights scared another few years off his life. When the car swerved and avoided him, he dropped to his knees, hands on the wet pavement as the rain soaked into his clothes. Wow, he didn't even know it had started to rain.

Never again. He promised himself. At least, not alone.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It had taken him a little over an hour to find out where he was and then from there find his car, but even though it took so long, he was still home before his dad. Thank god too because the second he hit his bed, he passed out. Clothed and wet, it didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was the exhaustion.

Stiles regretted it when he woke up though.

His bed was soaked, and it wasn't just water either. There was blood soaking through his shirt.

His mad rush to the bath room fell on deaf ears, and good thing because Stiles had been bit. They were clear teeth marks, something had actually taken a bite out of his side.

It stung and it stunk. Actually, all of Stiles stunk. Some way to start the school year.

He stripped and hopped into the shower, being careful with his new wound. He'd need to tell Scott.

Actually, maybe he shouldn't.

Heaven knows what had bitten him. He'd heard a growl and that could mean any number of animals, but his gut was telling him it wasn't any number of animals. It was a wolf.

But that was ridiculous, there are no wolves in California. There haven't been for like 60 years. What was he thinking? It had to be something else, something explainable, plausible. Had to be like, one of the search dogs that got loose or something. Yeah. A search dog.

His eyes raked the mark as he bandaged it, taping the bandage there before he walked out of the bathroom with his towel around his waist. The second he got into his room, his eyes found his alarm clock and he cursed. Aw man, he was late for school.

Stiles threw on his clothes, clothes he had picked a week in advanced, not that anyone needed to know that, and grabbed his bag and his keys, deciding then and there that he would tell Scott.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Come on, let's see it."

Stiles rolled his eyes as he lifted his shirt, showing the slightly bloody bandage to Scott's curious eyes. The second his friend's hand shot out to touch the wound, Stiles pulled back.

"Do you think it was a wolf?"

Stiles refused to admit that it was his first thought as he responded. "A wolf bit me?" He faked an indulgent smile. "No, not a chance."

"How do you know that? You said you heard growling." Scott retorted and Stiles snorted.

"I know because California doesn't have wolves Scott. Not for like, 60 years." He'd looked it up. After all, it had been his own first guess too. Not that I would ever say it aloud.

"Really?" Scott asked in confusion.

Stiles figured he'd responded too harshly to the notion of a wolf. Still, he was sure. Almost sure. Mostly sure that it hadn't been a wolf. Had it?

"Yes really. There are no wolves in California." He stopped at the steps to the school entrance, looking back at Scott as he decided to go on about the next part of his tale. "If you believe in wolves though, you probably won't find it hard to believe that I found the other half of the body."

Scott's eyes went wide and he smiled. "No way. Really?"

Again with that word. "Yes really! This is the greatest thing to ever happen to this town since-" over Scott's head he saw the strawberry blond head of his second grade crush and the words rushed out before he could stop them. "Since the birth of Lydia Martin, hey Lydia you look-" The didn't look at him, didn't twitch an eye, raise a brow, quirk a lip, nothing as she passed right by him and Scott and Stiles felt the deflated irritation he always did about the girl. "Like you're going to ignore me."

He wasn't going to lie, that was pretty embarrassing. He turned to Scott with a glare as his friend sort of smirked and smiled at him at the same time, something only Scott was capable of. "You're the cause of this you know." Stiles found himself saying. "Dragging me into your nerd depths." He didn't mean it, and by Scott 'uh-huh' Scott knew he didn't mean it. Which actually just irked him even more. So he continued as they walked.

"I'm a nerd by association. I've been Scarlet-nerded by you."

He was ignored. Again. Of course, everyone ignores Stiles.

The body was the only thing the teachers talked about that morning. Apparently they were told to reassure the students that the police had it all under control, but by the reactions their first period teacher got, no one really cared about the body at all.

Stiles shared a look with Scott when it was brought up though, his small smirk going unnoticed by anyone else but his best friend. Which was just as well since it was only meant for Scott. Then they head about the suspect.

This was news to both of them and it showed on both their faces as the teacher pointed out the semester outlines that had been placed on every desk before they'd walked in. Everyone groaned, Stiles included, but he stopped sharply with a wince when a very loud and very high cell phone ring caught his ears. Wow, talk about disrespect, we're in the middle of class.

But as he looked around, no one gave any indication to having heard the ringing. Not unusual, students often ignored other people's ring tones just so that other people would ignore it when theirs rang too, but even the teacher seemed oblivious to it.

Stiles was at a loss and it showed as he looked around, when the sharp ring came again. This time though, it was answered and the voice of a girl filled his ears.

"Mom, three calls on my first day is a little over doing it."

Stiles pinpointed the direction of the voice and looked out the window, the only thing out there was a girl sitting on a bench in front of the school. No way.

He strained himself to hear her better, not really knowing why he was straining since he heard her just fine and he was inside the school.

"Everything except a pen, oh my god, I didn't actually forget a pen." She sounded disheartened and stiles was thrown for a loop. The girl outside was going through her bag (looking for a pen apparently) and Stiles was silently freaking out inside.

"Okay okay, I got to go. Love ya."

Stiles listened as the girl got off the phone. A school administrator came up to her and apologized for keeping her waiting before directing her into the school. The weirdest part came when she was out of sight. Stiles could still hear her. Her voice and the administrator's voice were clear through the walls and Stiles didn't notice he was following their progress through the wall with his eyes until they were at the door of his class.

The second she came in, Stiles looked at Scott and noticed his friend's attention zero in on the new girl.

She was introduced to them as Allison Argent and suddenly Stiles knew. Like an instinct, he knew his friend was interested in this girl. He could almost smell it, but that was weird, that surely wasn't the right way to describe that.

Quickly he wrote on the loose paper in his binder before balling it up and throwing it at Scott. It hit the back of his friend's head and Scott's attention was taken away from the new girl as he gave Stiles a glare, raising an eyebrow when Stiles pointed to the note on the floor. Scott scooped it up and read it before turning very confused eyes on Stiles.

'Just DO IT!' Stiles mouthed before he noticed the girl's eyes were on him and his exchange with Scott. He turned away and hid his face, non-to-subtly.

"Please do your best to make her feel welcome." The administrator said as he left.

Allison walked forward, her head down and nodding at the people she passed as she made her way to the empty seat behind Scott. Stiles nodded at her too and waited to see if his friend would really do what he had suggested.

He almost beamed when the second she sat down, Scott presented her with his pen.

Her smile was confused, but true and Stiles could almost feel her returned interest in Scott.

He cheered for his home boy in his own head. Pumping his fist in the air at the fact he'd helped that along nicely.

It didn't last long.

First period ended and Allison left, Scott's eyes watching her back like children watched candy. Stiles rolled his eyes and got up too, smacking the back of his friend's head before they walked out together.

"What the hell man." Scott complained as he found his locker. "By the way, what was that? How did you know she needed a pen?"

Stiles shrugged, not sure how to answer but knowing if he did it would be something snarky.

He knew Allison's locker must be just behind him because Scott smiled a bit passed him and Stiles almost rolled his eyes again before the soft and melodious voice of Lydia Martin filled his ears.

"That jacket is absolutely killer, where did you get it?"

"My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco."

"And you, are my new best friend. Oh hey Jackson."

And Stiles tuned out. He did not want to hear the kissing noises that always seemed to follow one of Lydia's 'hey Jackson's. Jackson Whittmore was a tool. Not just any tool, he was the dullest, rustiest tool, in the tool shed of life.

He was forced to tune back in when the voice of one of their friends came from behind him though, asking the question every girl would probably ask at some point during the day.

"Can someone tell me how the new girl is here all of five minutes and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?"

Stiles' eyes turned to where Scott had already been looking this entire time, to Lydia, Allison, and Jackson. He felt his stomach turn and his hand ball into fists as he saw Jackson's arm around Lydia, he held it in check even though it was harder than usual.

"Cause she's hot." Stiles answered, his nonchalant attitude almost cracking. "Beautiful people herd together." Ain't that saying something about the rest of us.

"So," Lydia's voice was in his ears again, and Stiles felt his hands relax. "This weekend, there's a party."

"A party?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun, you should come." The second Stiles heard Jackson, the anger he had a hard time controlling was back as well as a certain aching sting in his gums. Still, he talked to the girl who had once again asked another question. Something about how beauty isn't blah blah blah. He didn't really care but he argued back, it felt normal and he really wanted to feel normal.

Not that he could.

Not that he ever could again.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Practice was in a few minutes and Stiles was glad for it.

He felt on edge, his skin almost prickly with the need to do something, anything physical.

He'd gathered his stuff in the locker room with Scott and changed before making their way to the field.

"But if you play, I'll have no one to talk to on the bench, you really going to do that to your best friend?" Stiles was enjoying the banter, but he could feel that Scott wasn't. His answer said it all.

"I can't sit out again. My whole life is sitting on the side lines. This season I make first line." Scott's tone was annoyed and Stiles didn't miss the look back to the bleachers where he was sure Allison was sitting with Lydia.

Stiles ignored that as he went to take his place on the bench. He heard Coach tell Scott to be goalie, heard his reasoning and frowned. Wow, dick move coach. He heard Allison ask Lydia who Scott was from behind him. Her answer stung, even Stiles and he had to keep himself from turning around to answer Allison himself. He wasn't supposed to be listening, hell he wasn't even supposed to be able to hear them from the distance he was. So he ignored it and focused on his friend's misfortune.

Still, he knew there was nothing much he could do for Scott. God knows Stiles didn't want to take his place. At least, that's what he thought until the first ball hit Scott in the face.

Anger surged in Stiles as the players mocked his friend. The need to protect his buddy was life fire in his vines and before he could help it, he found himself beside Coach, telling the older man he would take Scott's place in the goal.

The Coach took one look at him and laughed out loud.

"Yeah, why not. You're even skinnier than McCall." He ignored his anger once again as he walked to Scott, helping his friend up before telling him to take a seat.

"No Stiles." Scott argued, eyes hard and his grip on Stiles' hand like iron. "I have to do this. I can't sit around anymore. I want this. Please."

He didn't know what Scott was asking for, but by the look on his face, neither did Scott. So Stiles sighed before retreating. His friend needed to do this on his own. Needed to take the hits as they came. He'd known that earlier, so why, why was he so angry all of a sudden. Yeah, Scott was like his brother but this was kind of over doing it, right? You're not crushing on Scott now are you?

He wasn't though. He knew he wasn't. His feelings for Lydia were stronger and more…affectionate than his feelings for Scott, so what was with all the coddling?

Not like he had much to worry about though.

Scott seemed to strengthen during his short talk with Stiles. When Stiles returned to the bench, he could feel Scott's determination and anger. It was so weird, but it reassured him as the next player took his place to try and score.

Stiles was so surprised when Scott caught the ball with only a bit of fumbling. The soft yell of triumph left him before he realized it.

The next one came and Scott caught that one two. Pride filled Stiles suddenly and the yell was louder this time, a call of 'yeah' he was sure his friend heard.

Again, the ball came and Scot caught it. At this point, Stiles was on his feet, pumping his fist in the air. "That's my friend!" He called to anyone who would listen as Scott smiled at him.

He stopped being excited when he heard Allison and Lydia cheer behind him. Jealousy surged inside of him and he was surprised. What is with the freakin mood swings today! Come on Stiles! Get your shit together.

Jackson pushed with way to the front of the line of guys and stared Scott down. Stiles heard Scott's soft 'oh god' and he felt bad for his friend.

He can do this. He can so so do this. He's been training all summer. He blocked the first three shots, he can do this. Come on Scotty boy, you can do this.

And he did do it.

Jackson's jump shot was weakened when the Captain jumped wrong, something no one would have noticed but Stiles did. The shot went too far left, it wouldn't have made it in the goal even if Scott let it go. That would be very embarrassing there Jackson Stiles realized with a smile, but Scott didn't let it go.

Scott caught the ball even though he didn't have to. Stiles was sure Scott realized it was a far ball, but it didn't matter. Stiles realized Scott just hadn't wanted Jackson to be embarrassed.

Stiles cheered with everyone else, not even feeling the second surge of jealousy as he heard Lydia's voice yell loud and clear. He was too excited for his friend who smiled at him and the crowd with that grin Stiles knew since they were little boys.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"So what happened out there?"

Stiles allowed himself to step into the little stream, the water soaking his already wet shoes as he headed for the tree trunk next.

"I don't know I just had this rush of energy." Scott answered. "It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball."

Stiles shook his head. "Not that man, why'd you catch Jackson's. You had to know that wasn't going to make it."

They were silent for a little while before Scott spoke again. "I don't know that either man I just..I guess I didn't want to be the one embarrassing him. Didn't want to play his game. What happened with the pen thing though, you've been acting weird all day too Stiles."

Stiles shook his head, not wanting to give voice to his thoughts.

Everything weird started last night with the body, but Stiles only started feeling weird in the morning. After the bite.

"You don't think werewolves exist do you?" He asked Scott with only a bit of concern. Scott must have picked up on the concern.

"What do you mean? Are you worried about the bite? Didn't you say there aren't any wolves in California?" Scott's voice was weird and Stiles couldn't understand why, but he didn't try as he searched for something to say to defend himself.

"It's not like that man. All this hearing things, smelling thing, it's not normal. Who knows, maybe there are such things as werewolves and now I'm one of them."

Scott snorted and Stiles felt himself bristle, literally bristle.

"If you really are a werewolf man, don't even think about coming over this weekend. Friday's a full moon."

The laugh was clear in Scott's voice and Stiles shook his head before making them stop.

"This is it." Stiles announced.

"What?" Scott asked, obviously confused. There was no body, no blood, no nothing and Stiles could understand his confusion, even if he wasn't feeling the same.

"Someone moved the body." He said it with more certainty than he really should have had, but he was certain. He smelled it here, the scent of blood and…and he didn't know. "Maybe the killer."

"Really?" Scott's form crouched down to the area the body had been last night. "If he did I hope he left your phone because those things are like $100 bucks and you told me I could have it when you got a new one."

Suddenly Stiles stiffed. He felt the presence of another, felt the air shift and a scent rise up. He looked up only to spot a man clad in leather standing a ways away from them.

Stiles quickly slapped at Scott's shoulder, getting his friend to rise and face the danger with him.

"What are you doing here?" The voice was deep, the face one Stiles recognized but he didn't really understand why. "This is private property."

And just like that Stiles knew where he'd seen the man before. Derek Hale.

"Sorry, we didn't know." He said lamely, every muscle in his body drawn up tight as if ready for a fight.

"We were just looking for something." Scott answered. "But forget it."

The man pulled something out of his pocket and threw it in Scott's direction. Stiles didn't notice his hand shoot out to catch it until it was already clenched in his palm. Green eyes turned to Stiles and the shiver that raked his body was unstoppable.

It was his phone.

Before Stiles could say anything, the man turned and walked away.

"Who the hell was that?" Scott breathed as he did a full body shake, almost as if trying to shake off all of the creepy. Stiles actually wanted to do one too, but he was too caught up.

"Dude, that was Derek Hale. You remember right, he's only like a few years older than us."

Scott gave Stiles a weird look before shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter man, I gotta get to work. You got your phone back."

"Dude!" Stiles stopped him. "It's the guy whose family burned to death in a fire like ten years ago."

"Well, what's he don't back?"

Stiles frowned at the question and decided he'd figure that out himself.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

He had, in fact, found out something, but it wasn't what he had expecting.

Animal hairs were found on the lower half of the boy found in the woods. Not just any animal though, wolf hairs.

Oh god I'm a werewolf.

And that was when the research started. Anything and everything he could find online and in books, google, Wikipedia, discovery network, myths and legends sites, he read through any information he could find and by the end of it all, he was more sure than he'd ever been.

I'm a werewolf. He needed to talk to Scott.

The knock on his door made his jump, his systems on overload with information and questions and fears. When he opened the door to find Scott standing there a smile on his face, he sighed in relief.

"Come on, get in, I have to show you show something. I've been up all night, reading. Websites, books, all of this." He pointed to the papers he had printed scattered around his floor.

"How much Adderall have you had today?" Scott asked with a smile and that threw Stiles for a loop. He'd completely forgot about his Adderall.

"Actually, I didn't really have any." Scott shot him a worried look but Stiles shook his head, pushing the questions away. "It doesn't matter, just listen-"

"oh is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?"

Stiles felt the conversation get off the real topic but he couldn't help it, he had a bit of information on that subject too. "No, they're still questioning people, even Derek Hale."

"Oh that guy in the woods that we saw the other day."

"Yeah, but that's not it okay, listen." Stiles thought about a good way of breaking it down but he didn't really have one. He needed to tell Scott, needed to see if his best friend agreed with his theory. "You remember the joke, from the other day? Yeah, not a joke anymore."

Scott's confused look had Stiles exasperated. "The wolf! The bite in the woods! I started doing all this reading. Do you even know why a wolf howls?" He stood up as he asked, his body's natural jumpiness kicked up a notch in fear that his best friend wouldn't believe him, wouldn't accept him because of what he'd become, but that's stupid. This was Scott.

"Should I?" Scott asked. God he looked so confused and Stiles didn't know how to make it sink in.

"It's a signal. Okay? When a wolf's alone it howls to signal its location to the rest of the pack. Maybe the howling I heard that night was a signal too, maybe there are more of them or-"

"Wait." Scott called, breaking Stiles' thought process, "You didn't tell me you heard a howl."

Stiles scowled and waved his hand, dismissing the question. "That doesn't matter, but maybe there could have been other, maybe like a whole pack of them!"

"A whole pack of wolves?" Scott was getting the seriousness now, he looked scared, not as scared as Stiles felt, but you know, pretty scared.

"No." He said, only to look desperately at Scott, urging the other boy to believe his words. "Werewolves."

For a second he thought he got through to his friend, but then Scott stood.

"Are you seriously wasting my time with this? You know I'm picking up Allison in an hour."

And Stiles felt his stomach sink. Its Friday…it's a full moon.

"Look Stiles, we'll talk tomorrow-"

Stiles felt his insides clentch. "Tomorrow?! Scott don't you get it? The full moon is tonight I need you to-"

"What are you trying to do?!" Scott yelled back. "I just made first line, I finally have a date with a girl I can't believe wants to go out with me everything in my life is finally going good, why are you trying to ruin it?"

Stiles dropped into his computer chair and sighed. He couldn't ask for Scott's help. Couldn't rely on him. Stiles suddenly realized that and it deflated everything he'd felt all night. He had needed Scott to understand, needed Scott's help. The full moon doesn't just cause the physical change, Stiles will be faced with blood lust at its peak, and he's going to have to do it alone.

"Yeah man. Yeah…" Stiles said lamely, not looking at Scott. "Sorry, I guess I'm just paranoid or something."

Scott wasn't fooled though, he caught onto the fact something was wrong, but all he said was "I'm sorry. I got to go get ready for that…party."

Stiles stayed still and silent as Scott left, his desperation slowly being replaced by anger. He needed Scott to leave, needed to calm down before he changed or something. Anything that raised his pulse would cause a change, that couldn't happen. He needed control, he was all alone in this.

"So you know what you are."

Stiles jumped, his hands flying up and a growl leaving his throat before he even realized it.

Derek Hale stood in the middle of his room, facing him calmly with his hands in his pockets.

"It's you!" Stiles growled, lunging forward in a burst of power he'd never felt before. His gums stung again but now he knew what it was, his teeth were growing, his fangs coming out as part of the change. "It was you!"

Derek caught him easily, spinning with his momentum to drop Stiles hard on his bed, holding Stiles there with all his weight.

"No it wasn't." The older man said, still just as calm as he had been when he came in.

"Why am I supposed to believe you?! You're a werewolf too aren't you? I bet your whole family was! That's why-"

Blue eyes flashed and Stiles was momentarily stunted as claws sank into his chest and he was slammed hard on the floor by the bed, Derek again on top of him. Suddenly Derek had fangs too, his face covered in hair or is it fur?

"Don't." Derek growled right into his face. "Bring my family into this."

Stiles didn't struggle and that surprised him. He didn't feel the need to struggle, even though another werewolf was threatening him. Wasn't the full moon supposed to be the peak of bloodlust?

"I'm trying to help."

Derek's voice was softer now, not the growl it had once been, and that's when Stiles noticed the nails that had dug into his chest were gone and the wounds inflicted were already healing. Just like the bite had.

"Why?" Stiles managed behind his mouth full of teeth.

Sadness passed by Derek's face right before Stiles' eyes, but it was gone in seconds, anger taking its place.

"Whoever turned you, killed my sister."

Stiles was thrown, but quickly the pieces all fell into place in his mind. He was smart after all, smarter than a lot a people gave him credit for. "The body in the woods. That was your sister?"

A stiff nod was his own response as Derek stood, escaping to the other side of the room away from Stiles.

Stiles didn't get up right away. Instead he allowed his heart to calm from the surge of anger it had pumped through. This was all making more sense now.

"So you weren't the one that bit me?" He asked, just to make sure.

He could feel Derek's anger like a whip crackling the air between them so he added hastily "Just making sure."

"Yeah, well make sure you understand something. I'm here to help."

For some reason, Stiles believed him. Oddly enough, and as much of a creeper Derek was, there was something about him that made Stiles think he was telling the truth.

"You want any more proof, listen to my heart beat. When people lie, their heart speeds up."

Stiles gave Derek an odd look from the floor, whether or not Derek was able to see him or he was able to see Derek didn't matter, the look was universally translated.

"Seriously? That stuff works? How can I hear your heart?"

"You concentrate. Tune out the useless, everyday sounds and pick out the ones that matter."

Derek was speaking softly now, instructing Stiles on what to do, and Stiles found himself actually tried.

He closed his eyes and listened.

Dogs barking, people yelling, water running, he could hear his neighborhood perfectly, but that was background noise, not what he wanted. It was harder than he expected to sort out the sounds, but when he heard multiple steady thumps in back of everything, he focused on them.

"There are a lot of heartbeats." He murmured to himself, but Derek caught it apparently.

"There always will be, you have to distinguish them per person. Every heartbeat is slight different so look for something to distinguish mine from anyone else's."

Stiles frowned and furrowed his brows but he understood. Every heart has a different speed, beats at a different strength, some even skip certain beats, all of that information is researchable and Stiles had already done that research back when he was having sever panic attacks. So he knew what Derek was talking about.

Soon enough, he did find it.

Derek's heart was strong, but it had one stutter at every third beat. As Stiles focused on each single beat, he realized how calming it was.

All day his skin had crawled, his insides had twisted, and his heart had pounded. All day he'd been scared about when the moon rose, about what he would be capable of, about what he would actually do. He didn't want to kill anyone, didn't want to turn into some strange and horrible beast.

But laying on his back on the floor, listening to the normal, human heartbeat of another werewolf just like him, Stiles finally felt himself calm.

"How do you keep from losing control? From killing people?"

He didn't know what prompted him to ask, maybe it was what Derek had said before, about being there to help. Scott had left him on his own without even giving him the benefit of the doubt. He'd chosen Allison, a girl he had really just met, over Stiles' need for a friend, a touch stone. So what would it matter if he took help from Derek. After all, the older man was actually offering it.

It took Derek a while to answer, and Stiles would have wondered if the other werewolf was still there had it not been for his steady heartbeat.

"Other wolves call it and 'anchor'. It's something to help you keep your humanity. A memory, an emotion, a person, there are as many different anchors as there are werewolves." Derek explained calmly, his voice lowering with every word.

"What's your anchor?"

There was a double stutter in the steady heartbeat and Stiles frowned, he was about to take the question back when Derek spoke.

"Anger."

Stiles pushed himself off the floor and gave the older man a weird look. "Dude, are you serious? Anger is the thing that keeps you linked to your humanity?"

Derek frowned at him, keeping his mouth firmly shut as Stiles stared.

"I have my reason. This isn't about me though, this is about you. You have to find your anchor, before the full moon rises in two hours." Derek stepped around Stiles' form that still sat on the floor by his bed, and made his way towards the window that Stiles finally noticed was wide open.

"Wait! Hang on! So you're just going to leave? You're not gonna stay and make sure I'm not going to like, eat someone or something?" He stood up completely and reached for Derek's shoulder, but Derek easily evaded him, turning to pin Stiles with sharp mist green eyes.

"I gave you the information you can't find on Google. There's nothing else I can do. Are you forgetting the fact that there is a rabid Alpha out there turning people at the slightest provocation?"

Stiles knew the jab was directed at him, but he couldn't help it. He just…didn't want to go through the change alone.

"I know, I know but maybe I can…I don't know, help you? Just…get me through this full moon. Help me keep control and I'll help you alright? We'll find the Alpha and keep him from turning anyone else." He didn't know why he insisted, didn't even know why he'd offered his own help, but he knew he didn't want to risk losing control.

Derek's hard eyes seemed to soften but Stiles figured he was just seeing things.

"Alright." Derek agreed.

And Stiles was finally able to breathe. He wouldn't be alone.

A/N: I would very much love to have someone Beta read this story. I want to spend the least amount of time possible on past chapters and more time on the future ones, so if anyone wants to volunteer themselves or a friend, message me or hit up on a review and I'll message you. Anyways, I would really love to have someone proof read for me, I have barely enough time to focus on actually writing as it is :) Thank you in advance if you decide to volunteer and Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing, knowing what you guys think make this story worth continuing.