4: The Alphas Child- Always And Forever

2

Making it to the preserve was easy, taking in the sight of the bodies was another story. Stiles winced, placing the back of his hand over his mouth and nose and he made an uncomfortable sound, more like a disgusted grunt before his eyes found the hell hound.

"You didn't tell me they looked this bad."

Stiles murmured and shook his head slightly. He had to turn away from the bodies and take a few steps to stop himself from hunching over and spilling the contents of his stomach that would no doubt include his breakfast. Parrish sighed and he rubbed his chin.

"I know, Stiles. I left out that detail because I didn't want to worry you right away... but there's no doubt in my mind that there's a new big bad. Wendigos do damage, but not this much damage. They don't skin their victims alive, they just eat them." Parrish 6 Stiles held up his hand, nodding his head in agreement. He also wanted Parrish to stop talking because the more he thought about the sight of the victims, the more he wanted to vomit. Stiles has seen alot in his line of work and has seen alot just by living in this town, but this was something hes only ever heard about in movies and books. Buffy was where he saw it first, but he never thought he'd actually witness it. God the smell was awful, and to make matters worse, there was a child involved. Probably a family, murdered in such a barbaric way they'd definitely be remembered in the towns books.

Stiles pulled his phone from his pocket, and he sent a few texts before stuffing his phone back into his holster, and he looked at Parrish.

"Morgue is on the way.. I think I need to make a visit to an old friend to see if he knows anything about this." Stiles murmured.

"Old friend?" Parrish asked, raising a brow, and Stiles nodded. He glanced at the bodies a final time, his facial expression settling into something that resembled worry and fear, and he said..

"Yes. Deaton."

                                   ~•~

"I've gotta say..." Alan murmured, trailing off as he walked over to the coffee pot on the clinic counter. He placed his mug under it and pressed the brew button. As the brown liquid filled the mug, he looked over at Stiles and continued talking. "In all of my years, I've never seen or heard of anything like this... before you came, I took the information you gave me, and I looked through my books. The only thing I could find about people being skinned alive is a ritual used by witches. It's dark magic— known as expression - and it's definitely wicked." Deaton sighed, and Stiles let out a gasp of air and threw his hands up.

"Of course. Witches. Why not? We've had dark druids and ghost riders.. why not add Witches to the mix." Stiles mumbled, and Deaton couldn't help but to crack a smile. He picked up the now steaming mug of coffee and he took a sip and he leaned his weight on the counter.

"My best advice to you is to let it happen.  The scale had to tip one way or the other and you have children to take care of and be here for now. You looked shocked at my words..." Alan murmured, smiling behind his mug as Stiles just stared at him with a mouth agape.

"Probably because I am.." Stiles said softly and Alan nodded.

"I have a child of my own now. I can't imagine leaving her. Witches are fickle. Unpredictable and the last thing we want is for them to want us dead and skinned alive as well... so if no more bodies show up? Maybe we should leave it alone." Alan said before taking another swig of his coffee.

Stiles nodded. He was shocked at the druids words, but then again, he wasn't mad at them. There were tons of cases in Beacon Hills that went unsolved, but could Stiles really do that? Could he sleep knowing this family didn't get justice? Could he just sweep it under the rug as an unsolved case? If he could, he might as well rethink his career choice. Then again, Alan did have a point. Investigating would put him and probably his family, his kids, on the Witches radar. He could potentially get himself and his family hurt, and that thought alone had him aching. Maybe he should just wait and see what happens and then decide in a few days or weeks or however long it takes.

"Okay.. Thanks, Alan. I appreciate your insight." Stiles mused, shaking the veterinarians hand before heading out of the clinic and back to his cruiser.

The entire drive back to the station, Stiles' mind was racing. He knew the problems at hand, he knew Deatons theory about who skinned the family and he also heard the advice that was given. He didn't know what to do, he knew what Scott would do — Scott, the morally righteous true alpha— and he knew what Scott would want everyone to do, but Stiles was the lead detective this time. The main enforcer, so he needed to figure out what HE was going to do.

As he pulled up to the station, he sat in the car for a moment, and he pulled out his phone. He knew who he needed to talk to. He needed to talk to his husband. The more morally grey alpha. The absolute love of his life.

Stiles to Derek: Hey, handsome. Got a second?

Derek to Stiles: Yeah, babe. What's up?

With that, Stiles told Derek everything that he knew and everything that Alan told him. Derek didn't know how to respond, so he called his husband instead.

"That's a lot, Stiles. And Alan is sure it's a witch?" Derek asked through the phone, and Stiles nodded, although Derek couldn't see him.

"Yes. He's positive. It's in his books. You know his druid books. It's expression. That's what he called it. Dark magic." Stiles breathed, and Derek groaned a bit over the phone before yelling at Dj to stop holding his ice cream cone a certain way. Otherwise, it would fall.

"Witches always have motives. They do things for a reason... at least that's what my mother always used to say." Derek breathed, and Stiles nodded.

"So what? Do we think—" Stiles started, but was cut off by Parrishes voice over the radio.

"Stiles— we just got word in from the coroners. The bodies weren't human. They were wendigo." Parrish murmured, and Stiles chirped back.

"Thanks, Parrish. We clearly have a bigger problem on our hands." Stiles said, and seconds later, Parrish's voice rang over the speaker yet again.

"Copy, sir."

Stiles sighed heavily, and Derek chuckled, though he knew it wasn't funny even if it was a supernatural war between witches and Wendigos.

"I told you, babe. They always have a motive. Maybe Alan is right... like he usually always is. We should stay out of it." Derek murmured, and Stiles just ran a hand down his face and shook his head.

"Okay... Okay, for now, I'll let it be." Stiles said, and Derek smiled, although Stiles couldn't see him.

"Good boy. I love you." Derek murmured, and Stiles chuckled.

"I love you most... what's for dinner?" Stiles asked, and Derek hummed.

"Tuscan chicken pasta. Tallie requested it." Derek murmured, and Thalia cheered a 'that's right!' In the background.

Stiles chuckled.

"That sounds good... speaking of Thalia.. did you take Dj to get a new charger?" Stiles asked, and Derek was quiet for a moment.

"Derek?" Stiles questioned, and then a fake static noise rang through the phone, and Stiles scowled.

"Derek! I asked you to do one thing—"

"Gotta go, Dj spilled the ice cream. bye babe!" Derek said all too quickly and then just hung up.

Stiles scowled, and he stared at the invisible camera before typing his husband a rather long message expressing he never listened and that he wouldn't be getting any booty for a month. Even though the both of them knew that was a lie.