A Beauty and A Beast

I Can't Help Myself

Peter and Stiles followed the trail his father left. Stiles looked up at the castle from outside the gate. "What is this place?" He asked Peter. Peter snorted and began to back away. Stiles dismounted and stroked his nose. "Peter please. Steady boy." The horse stopped and stared at the boy, nervousness still in his eyes. "Stay." Stiles ordered gently. He opened the gates, rust covering his palms. THere was a familiar black hat on the snowy ground. Stiles picked it up and looked at the castle.

Scott was pacing inside the castle in front of Isaac. "You just couldn't keep quiet, could you Isaac? You just had to invite him in, have Lydia serve him tea while sitting in the Alpha's chair." Isaac growled at his mate. "I was only trying to be hospitable. The man was shivering Scottie." Scott opened his muzzle only to be cut off. "Hello? Is anyone here? Hello? Dad, you in here?" Stiles walked in and the two wolves scattered. He walked up the stairs, ignoring the creepiness of the seemingly abandoned castle.

Lydia was in the kitchen, scrubbing the dishes the wolves had eaten from. Jackson came in and rubbed his side against her legs. "There's a boy in the castle Lyds." He purred. Lydia flicked water at him. "Not another one of your stories Jackson. I don't want you to make me feel better." Erica ran in. "There's a boy in the castle!" She yipped happily, tail wagging. Jackson smirked as best he could. "Told ya."

Isaac and Scott continued their argument in the halls. "Not a word, you irresponsible, devil-may-care, waxy eared, slack jawed-" Scott got interrupted. "Aw Scottie, you don't have to flirt anymore. All you have to do is ask." Isaac licked his mate's coat. Scott blushed under his fur. "That's not what I-" Once again, poor Scott couldn't get a word in. "Dad?" Scott and Isaac poked their heads through the stairway banister. Stiles was in the hall across from them. "Did you see that?" Isaac's tail was wagging up a storm. "It's a boy." Scott gave an unimpressed face to Isaac. "I know it's a boy." Isaac pulled his head back. "Don't you see Scottie? He's the one. The one we've been waiting for! He has come to break the spell!" Isaac ran off down the hall. Scott quickly pulled his head out. "Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Stiles turned into a narrow hallway, the two wolves on his tail. (No pun intentionally intended). Stiles had opened a door that led up to a tower. He walked up the stairs and opened another door. The door squeaked. "Dad. You in here?" Isaac and Scott hid behind the door. "Please, is someone here? I'm looking for my father." He took the stairs slower, sure he heard footsteps behind him. "Dad?" Stiles yelled. "Stiles?" John's voice echoed from the top of the stairs. Stiles ran up the rest of the stairs. His father was in a cell. "Dad!" Stiles ran up to him. "How did you find me?" John asked as he clutched his son's hands. "Your hands are like ice. We have to get you out of here." John's eyes were filled with terror. "Hezekiah Stillinski, I want you to leave this place." Okay, it was serious. John used Stiles' full name. "Who did this to you?" Stiles asked, refusing to let go of his father's hand. "No time to explain. Go now!" Stiles glared at his dad. "No I won't leave!" He shouted. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, signalling he was being watched. He slowly turned his head over his shoulder. A pair of red eyes cut through the darkness. "What the hell?" Stiles muttered. The person growled. "What are you doing here?" John was terrified for his son. He knew that Stiles would fall back on sarcasm and intelligent big words. "Stiles, run!" Stiles ignored his dad. "Who the hell do you think you are? Can't you see my dad is sick?!" Stiles yelled. "I'm the master of this castle. Again, why. Are. You. Here." Each word was punctuated with a snarl. "I've come for my dad you ass! What did you think? I ain't here selling cookies!" Stiles yelled. The Alpha growled at Stiles. The young man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, grr to you too!" John gasped. The Alpha walked into the light, glaring down the annoying human. Stiles didn't cower. "He's my prisoner." The Alpha explained. "Well, he's my father." Stiles retorted. Scott and Isaac watched the whole endeavor with wide eyes. No one had ever talked to the Alpha with such disregard. "There's nothing you can do." The Alpha said, turning his back to the human. "Wait!" Stiles grabbed his shoulder, his warm furry shoulder. The Alpha turned around, surprise in his red eyes. He looked at the pale hand and back at its owner. Stiles realized what he was communicating. "I'm taking my hand off." He did as promised. "Take me instead and let my dad go." His whiskey eyes were captivating to the wolfish human. "Do you promise to stay here forever?" He asked, voice deep. "Yes, you have my word. Now let my dad go." Before Stiles even finished his sentence, the Alpha opened John's cell door. John rushed over and embraced Stiles. "No, Stiles, I'm old. I've lived my life. You haven't!" The Alpha grabbed John by his jacket and dragged him away from Stiles. "No, wait!" Stiles screamed as the door was slammed shut. "Please, don't do this. Spare my son. You can kill me just let him go." John pleaded, tears running down his face. "He's no longer your concern." The Alpha grumbled. The coach stood up, awaiting his orders. "Take him to the village." The coach ran off with no animals attached. "Let me out!" John screamed. Stiles watched the coach take his dad away from him. Finally he let out the tears he had been bottling up, sinking to the ground.

The Alpha began to climb up the stairs. Isaac padded up to him. "Alpha?" He asked hesitantly. "What?!" came the angry reply. "Since the boy is going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking maybe you could offer him one of our many empty rooms." The Alpha snarled at in, baring his fangs. Isaac's ears flattened. "Then again, maybe not." He ran back to Scott who licked his side comfortingly. The Alpha opened the cell. Stiles didn't face him. He wiped his face. "You didn't let me tell him good bye or anything. Now I can't see him again." The Alpha's ears flattened. He felt incredibly guilty. "Come on, I'll show you to your room." He said. Stiles turned to look at him, surprised. The Alpha was thrown off by the wide whiskey brown eyes. "My room? I thought you were gonna leave me here." The Alpha huffed. "Do you want to stay in the tower or not?" He asked, rolling his red eyes. "Hell no, lead the way." Stiles scrambled up onto his feet as the Alpha led him out of the room. As they walked through the castle, Stiles began to lag behind him. He looked around at the somewhat hideous decorator. "You know, I know a guy in the village who knows a girl who can decorate this place." He commented. The Alpha stopped and stared at Stiles. "What's wrong with my home?" He asked, offended. "Nothing, nothing." Stiles raised his hands in a classic "Wasn't Me" position. They continued to walk in dead silence. Isaac padded up to his Alpha's side. "Say something." He hissed. The Alpha looked down at him. "Hmm?" Isaac rolled his eyes and gestured back at their new addition to the pack. "Oh, uh." He cleared his throat. "I, uh...hope you like it here." He looked at Isaac who nodded his head and waved a paw for him to continue. "The castle is your home now. You can go anywhere you wished except for the West Wing." Stiles' eyes lit up with curiosity. "What's in the West Wing?" He asked. "It's forbidden." was the reply. Stiles rolled his eyes even though the wolfish man couldn't see him. "Obviously it's forbidden but why is it forbidden?" Stiles couldn't help it. He was naturally curious. The Alpha stopped and turned to him, fury in his eyes. "It's forbidden!" He roared. Stiles gulped and the Alpha continued, Stiles following him. They stopped at his new room. "Now if there's anything you need, my servants will attend you. If you need me, ask for the Alpha." Stiles narrowed his eyes at the sudden tenderness. "Now let me guess..." He said sarcastically. "I'm the Alpha." The other replied for him. Isaac butted his head against the Alpha's legs. He looked down at the wolf. "Invite him to dinner." He whispered. Stiles turned around, searching the dark corners. "Did you hear something?" He asked, whiskey eyes narrowing. "No and...you will join me for dinner. That's not a request!" The Alpha shoved Stiles into his room and shut the door. Stiles huffed at the attitude of the beastly man and flung himself on the bed, crying softly as he remembered his home.