Cub was running, running so fast through the trees, he had to get to Daddy. Daddy needed him.

He had woken from the sleep Daddy had given him. He knew it was Daddy cos the warmth that flooded his body and made his eyes tired felt the same as when he was safe in his Daddy's arms. But Momma's voice had been calling him and calling him until he had finally opened his eyes and then he had to shut them again to stop the tears because Momma wasn't there.

Sometimes he dreamt that his Mommy was just waiting there for him when he woke up, but she hadn't been there for such a long time and he always cried when he realised that she wasn't there. This time when he shut his eyes again because he was sad, he heard Mama Cat's low rumbly growl which meant that he had to wake up and find Daddy.

Mama Cat wanted him to find Daddy because Daddy was in danger. Mama Cat only growled when it wasn't safe for either him or Daddy and he knew he was safe in his Grampa's house where Daddy had left him. So Kit had to find Daddy cos his Daddy was in trouble. He had to find him and protect him. He had to go as Cub. He was faster as Cub, and braver and he would hurt anyone trying to hurt his Daddy.

He leapt off Daddy's bed and shot down the stairs to the living room. The house was empty, he couldn't hear anyone inside, not his Daddy or his Grampa or the pretty McCall ladies or any of the stupid smelly wolf pack. But there was something else, something that was making his fur shiver. Something bad.

He let out a terrified little whimper when he realised that he could scent the bad wolves, the ones who worked for that monster Koi. The ones that kept on coming after them. The ones who had hurt his Momma and made her go to heaven. The ones Daddy made them run and hide from. He was so scared, he wanted his Daddy. Where was his Daddy? Where was his Daddy? Where was his Daddy?

Mama Cat purred reassuringly until he calmed down again, and he could almost feel her tongue licking his ears like she used to.

Then there was a sound, a steady thump of a slow heart beat outside the house and Cub shot through the front door which had been left open. Up against the outside wall next to the door, he saw the Alpha's Mommy. She didn't look too good, and he went to her to sniff at her head. He could smell the blood but he couldn't see it. He nudged her gently when she didn't seem to notice him, she looked asleep but groaned when he jostled her. Worried he nuzzled against her neck, she had been nice to him even if she was that stinky doggy's Mother. Kit didn't want her to be hurt and maybe she could tell him where his Daddy was.

She opened her eyes and blinked blearily at him, she seemed to draw a deep breath and he could hear the air wheezing and bubbling when she did. "Run sweetheart, run and hide" her voice was so quiet and tired he could hardly hear her but she was desperate to say the words. She was so weak, and pale that Kit was afraid that she was going to heaven too.

Kit had an idea, he couldn't change back to help the Alpha's Mommy but he made Cub go back inside and he dragged the house phone out to the Alpha's Mommy. She seemed to be asleep again but Cub made her wake up as he dug his little claws gently into her arm. When her eyes opened again, a frown of pain on her face, Cub opened his mouth and dropped the phone on her belly with a thud. He watched while she picked it up and smiled at him "Clever little kitty cat" she murmured as she began to dial a number. Cub purred once at her, nuzzled her cheek gently and then turned away.

He bounded down the steps and began to run, following the sounds of Mama Cat's purrs as she drew away from him. They had played this game since he had been very little. Mama would hide and he had to find her using her purrs, he ran and ran and ran, listening for the deep rumble of his Mama Cat's voice. Deeper and deeper into the forest they ran but he didn't feel tired. He had to find his Daddy, his Daddy needed him. Mama Cat would take him to his Daddy.

The silence after the grief stricken howls had died down was almost deafening. But then the pack heard the slam of the SUV doors as they were forced open and the desperate voice of the Sheriff calling for his son as both he and Chris Argent stumbled out of the vehicle. Argent ran for his daughter who was slumped against a tree her arms protectively enclosing the baby bump but the Sheriff was surrounded by the pack before he could get to his son's body.
Derek hissed warningly "the other pack, we have to be prepared for a fight" The Sheriff wasn't listening, he could only see his worst nightmare come to life before his eyes. What he had feared for seven long years. His son, his Stiles, his boy… was gone.

The strange pack of Weres with the glowing orange eyes began to creep out of the tree line towards them, snarling and growling, claws ready to rend and tear but then they all stopped as if they had been jerked to attention like puppets. Derek and the rest of the Betas stared at them in astonishment. Scott was too busy running worried hands over his wife and unborn child under the gimlet gaze of his father in law, but he raised his head at Derek's uneasy shout.

Intense blue lights that shot out of the tree itself began to swirl around Stiles as he lay bleeding on the trunk of the Nemeton. Faster and faster they moved until they resembled tornados, faster and faster in a silent screaming frenzy that no one could tear their eyes away from.

Stiles's body began to rise as if the racing lights were lifting him and wrapping themselves around him in a transparent cocoon, his body bowing like an arc so that his feet and his long hair were the closest to the old tree. Gold lines began to streak through the runic patterns on his black leather trousers and jacket whilst silver flashed across his red silk tunic. The cocoon of blue seemed to tighten against his body until suddenly out of his mouth, eyes, nose and ears streamed a sickly orange power, as if the blue was chasing it away.

The swirling orange began to coalesce into the shape of a man. Screams rang out as the strange wolf pack fell to their knees all at the same time. The same orange mist leaving their bodies shooting straight towards the main cluster where it was quickly absorbed.
As each wolf was drained, they fell forward, body disintegrating in the air until only a pile of dust was left.

The orange man shape grew stronger and more defined with each hit of the external mist until the last wolf collapsed. Hatred and rage were clear on the swirling face. It's mouth began to open but before it could say anything, the intense blue light abandoned the Spark's body, shot forward, enveloped the orange figure and dragged it back to the Nemeton disappearing suddenly with its prize into the depths of the tree until there was not a trace of either left in the clearing.

Stiles's body crashed back down on to the trunk.

John's knees had given out on him and he vomited. His boy, his boy was dead. Rage roared through him. His boy had been a fucking sacrifice. The sight of him sprawled across that tree made him want to kill. He was going to come back with a chain saw and destroy that hunk of evil but first he was getting his boy off that horrifying unnatural natural altar.
He struggled to his feet, pushing away any attempt to help with a vicious snarl. The fucking supernatural had taken his boy away from him again.

When he finally got to his feet and turned towards Stiles, he was horrified to see Kit racing into the clearing in his tiger cub shift. Sweet merciful Christ he couldn't let his grandson see his Dad like that.

"Kit, no" he called but the little Were ignored both him and the outstretched hands of the pack trying to stop him. He took a leap and suddenly he was beside his father on the Nemeton. Very gently he climbed onto his father's shoulder , uttering sad little mewls as he rubbed his Daddy's face once, then focused on the claw that was still sticking out of his chest. A quick swipe of his paws and the claw went flying to the earth. He lent his head down and began to lap at the blood, his eyes unblinking, as he watched the other adults try to get closer to him and his Daddy. The menacing growl he uttered when they got too close to his Daddy sounded as if it came from a full grown adult tiger not a cub. Instinctively it made them stop.

Cub had to clear the hurty hole where the blood was coming from. He ignored the shouts and just listed to Mama Cat's proud purr. He knew he was doing it right because she was still purring at him. Somehow he knew when the hurty hole was clean enough, then still following instinct, Cub's sharp little fangs bit into his own paw. He waited until the blood welled up and then put his little paw over the hole in his Daddy's chest. Mama Cat's proud purring was really loud especially when he had bit himself hard enough for an ouchie.

"Jesus is he eating his own father? That is so gross, for fuck sake we need to stop him, he's going to be traumatised for ever when he realises what he's done" Isaac moved with determination towards the little tiger. To his surprise he was stopped by the Sheriff, his hand clamped around the Were's upper arm like a vice.

"No, leave him alone Isaac, something's happening look"

The Sheriff had been as determined to get Kit as the rest of them until a strange warmth eased the tension from his body, soothed his wild raging grief and he could have sworn he heard a soft voice whisper "Wait". He had finally lost his mind. He had gone insane. But that insanity forced him to stop any attempts to interfere.

The tiger cub's purring seemed to be getting louder and louder until it reverberated through the clearing. Then it suddenly stopped and the little one made a strange chirruping noise that almost sounded as if he was asking his father a question, before he started to nuzzle his father's face again. John couldn't take his eyes off the pair of them. Hope surged through him and got caught in his throat.

Stiles drew in a gasping breath that went on and on. When he finally exhaled his eyes popped open and he met the gaze of his satisfied little cub. "That's my clever cutie kitty cat. Daddy's got to sleep again now but Grampa will look after you until I'm awake again" he murmured before allowing his eyes to drift shut.