Chapter Forty
October 2012

"We've looked into the ER reports at the local hospitals, and only one other attack matches the attack on the kids, they said it was some crazy lady in a Halloween costume. They mentioned she looked vaguely familiar but they couldn't place it." Danny reported, "Deputy Percy Stone logged the report in the system but it would be worth talking to him to see if he sanitized it somewhat."

Peter nodded and he pulled out his phone to let Noah know.

Delphine spoke up, "If we can kill her the normal way, in a very human way, we can likely pin Laura's attacks on her to satisfy the police investigation." He looked at River, "Can you file a missing persons report for Laura? Perhaps report that she was supposed to call when she arrived back in Vermont but you haven't heard from her in over a week and you are worried."

River nodded, "I will head in soon, I have a photo in my wallet of her and Talia, it was taken last year that I can use. I will take Robert with me to be on the safe side. Has anyone seen Talia around?"

Peter shook his head, "Not since her attack on the kids, Derek is at work keeping an eye out for reports, Stiles is coordinating the search with Maria while setting up algorithms with Danny to search social media for Talia or anyone in a beta shift, they haven't seen anything yet. Kirsten has her kids on lockdown, only letting them out of her sight at school when the rest of the pack is around. Coach is also keeping an eye out at the school for Talia."

River stepped forward and he squeezed Peter's shoulder, "We will find her, and we will end her before she exposes us all. I will come and see you after I have reported Laura missing. We can have a drink to lost family and a drink to found family."

Peter pulled River into a hug, as he murmured, "I am sorry about Laura."

River shook his head as he returned the hug, "Don't. I mourned my baby girl a long time ago. What she became, that was not my daughter. She became a mini Talia, obsessed with power, no matter the cost. It was hard work hiding my disdain of the pair of them while we were in isolation."

-x-

Satomi looked up when she heard the approach, she had just arrived home after a day out with a pack member, Lorilee Rohr doing some shopping.

She looked Talia in the eye and she said, "Beta Hale, or should that be Omega Hale? How can I help you?" She moved so she was in front of Lorilee, blocking her from Talia's view.

Talia had a manic look in her eye as she shifted to her beta shape, "Give me your alpha spark Satomi, or I will take it from you with force."

Satomi smirked, "Lorilee go to the house, call Vaughn, ask him to bring the restraints."

Lorilee took off for the house at a sprint.

Satomi settled down into a defensive crouch. "Talia, you have many people looking for you. Are you aware you are risking our secrecy? You shifted in public when you attacked your niece and nephew. What in the hell were you thinking."

Talia snarled, "I attacked traitors to my pack, they don't deserve the Hale name." She leaped at Satomi, her claws out she was aiming for Satomi's throat.

Satomi moved to the side and knocked her to the ground before she moved back into the calm defensive pose again.

"You don't have a pack Talia, you were stripped of your alpha spark for being an oath breaker, you abandoned loyal pack members to be tortured by hunters. You don't deserve to be pack." Satomi responded calmly.

Talia screamed, "Shut up! Just shut up, you have no idea what you are talking about. I abandoned those who failed my pack. Those who were weak and didn't live up to the Hale name."

Satomi smirked, "You forget, I am a long-time ally of the Hale Pack of Beacon Hills, they are a strong and worthy pack, chosen by the Nemeton to be its protectors, its guardians." She stepped sideways as Talia took another swipe.

Satomi chuckled, she could see that the more she poked at Talia, the sloppier her fighting was getting in her anger. "Are you seriously thinking you can beat me for my alpha spark?" Satomi chuckled at the audacity, "I have been an alpha for longer than you have been alive. I didn't keep it by being weak and defenseless."

Talia lost all reason and she just attacked, Satomi did a great job at fending off her attacks while Satomi was getting in some pointed slashes hoping the pain would eventually pull her out of her frenzy. Finally, Talia stood back, covered in blood and panting hard while Satomi still looked calm and composed.

Vaughn had approached and he stood to the side as he waited for Talia to run out of steam.

Talia tried to tear into Satomi but the alpha was done and she put her down hard pulling Talia's arms roughly behind her back. Vaughn stepped forward and he placed the rune engraved handcuffs on her wrists before he picked her up in a fireman's carry.

"Take her to the van, we will drop her off personally," Satomi ordered.

Vaughn saluted and he headed off to the van they used for cargo transport. He threw her in the back and secured the cuffs to the rail along the side of the van.

Satomi was waiting in the passenger seat by the time Vaughn had secured his unwilling passenger. She sent off a quick text.

To Alpha Hale: We are on our way with a delivery.
From Alpha Hale: She didn't?
To Alpha Hale: She appears to be bordering on feral. Thank you for the warning.
From Alpha Hale: You're welcome. Stiles would like to know your ETA.
To Alpha Hale: We are on our way, so approximately 40 minutes. Vaughn is driving.
From Alpha Hale: Lol, Hold on tight. See you then at the loft. Do you need directions?
To Alpha Hale: Already loaded the address into the GPS, see you soon my friend.

They pulled up at the loft 35 minutes later and they found Boyd and Peter waiting in the carpark. Vaughn got out of the van and he moved to the cargo doors at the back. Between the three of them, they got a struggling Talia to the main room of the loft.

The room had been changed a lot since the last time Satomi and Vaughn were there. The sofas had all been moved to the edge of the room, the center of the room had a table and chair both bolted to the floor and the table had a loop for securing the handcuffs.

Vaughn pushed her into the chair and secured her handcuffs to the loop on the table with help from Peter and Boyd. Once secured the three men stepped back and Derek approached with Stiles by his side.

They had gathered not the whole pack, but all of those who had been affected by Talia and her bullshit over the years. All of the Hale family including Jackson and River, the three Argent family members, and finally, Noah and Stiles. Ralph and Delphine were also in attendance as witnesses.

Derek stood tall and he flashed his red eyes. "Talia Hale, we have brought you before us to answer to crimes against the Hale Pack of Beacon Hills."

Talia snarled, "You stole my spark, my pack, you insolent whelp you deserve nothing. You brought in the hunters that attacked our family."

Stiles shook his head slowly, "No, he was targeted by a serial killer due to your own actions against the Argent family. Threatening the son of Gerard Argent put you on their radar."

Talia growled before she snapped out, "Lies! He brought that woman into our lives. Gerard Argent had nothing to do with it."

Derek rolled his eyes, he could see her insanity, so loudly he called, "Moving on! Members of the family you have wronged will be brought forward to question you." He turned and gestured for Peter to move forward, "Starting with the one you harmed the most. Your younger brother Peter, you were supposed to protect him, to love him, you showed him disdain, you showed him hate." Derek turned and he and Stiles moved as one to sit on a nearby sofa.

Peter walked forward, he was not expecting much but he was hoping to get some answers. "Why did you deny me happiness with my partners, why threaten them to force me to leave? You knew it would alienate me from not just them but the rest of the pack."

Talia tilted her head and asked, "Why should you be happy when I was denied, I was forced to agree to a loveless marriage with River lest I be forced into a marriage with an alpha candidate."

River snarled, "There was no force, you approached me! You asked me to marry you! You made it seem like such a good arrangement for our packs. You lied to my alpha, to my parents to make it look attractive."

Robert put his hand on River's arm to stop him from going further.

"Seriously, you denied me out of jealousy? Jesus. Fine. Did you kill the mother of my child?" Peter demanded.

Talia smirked, "Of course I did, we couldn't have an illegitimate Hale baby running around could we."

Peter gestured at Jackson behind him who walked up to Peter and he put his arm around Peter's shoulders. Peter smirked in a parody of Talia's own smirk and he said, "Meet my son, this is Jackson Whittemore. While his mother and her husband died in the crash, Jackson survived the crash in utero and he was adopted by David and Maria Whittemore. He was raised in a loving household and he has since joined the Hale pack. He excels in archery and is due to graduate this year with a high GPA."

Jackson glared at her, he flipped her the bird and then he stalked back to his seat.

Peter sighed, "My last question, it's probably a pointless one but I have to ask. Why did you leave me behind?"

"You were weak, you collapsed from simple burns, burns you wouldn't have gotten if you had done your job and eliminated the hunter in town before she attacked our pack," Talia said.

Peter shook his head and went back to sit between Chris and Noah, they both pulled him into a hug. He didn't see the point in correcting her flawed logic, she would not understand.

Stiles stalked forward though and corrected her assumptions, he wanted to rub her nose in it. "So you assume the hunters let you out of the ash ring?"

Talia glared at him and she nodded. "Of course they did, they wanted to take potshots at us as we ran from the flames."

Stiles smirked, "Oh no, they had already left after being alerted by their informants that emergency services were on the way. Peter got you out when he broke the ash line, that action of course making him the first True Alpha for the Hale family in centuries. Never mind, your loss is our gain." He turned towards Derek who nodded, "My first question, why did you not read my father, Noah Stilinski, into the supernatural secret when he became sheriff as tradition dictated?"

Talia shrugged, "I couldn't risk him running into Peter."

Stiles huffed, "Seriously? Fucking hell. I want to ask why you abandoned Derek but we know you will say it is because he worked with the hunters. Because in your tiny little mind that's what happened, never mind the fact that he was DRUGGED AND RAPED BY THAT BITCH! You perpetuated that by abandoning him. You are just as complicit in that rape as far as I am concerned. You leaving him behind was the best thing that could have happened to him. We found him, we took him into our family and soon he will be happily married and officially part of the Stilinski family."

Stiles smirked when he heard the gasps from others in the room. He turned and he said "Don't worry, he asked Dad for permission before he asked me. I think Dad even cried a little."

He dropped the genial face and he turned back to Talia, "My last question, why did you allow Laura to bully the pack, she had them running scared and they have signs of severe PTSD from her so-called training and assorted bullying, you as alpha should have protected your pack not perpetuated the behavior."

Talia rolled her eyes, "It is not my fault if their parents raise them too weak to cope with being a wolf."

Stiles raised his eyebrows and glanced at Cora, "So how do you justify that when your own daughter, Cora, chose to run rather than stay and be subjected to your loving care?"

Talia refused to look at Cora, so she looked Stiles in the eye and she said "I only have one daughter. She is loyal to me like a daughter should be."

Stiles dropped his jaw, "Wow. I'm done." He moved to sit in Derek's lap, he smiled when he saw Talia curl her lip in distaste at the action.

Kirsten stepped forward with Robert. Robert asked, "We just have one question, why did you attack us in public, why was attacking us worth exposing the supernatural."

Talia refused to answer, she refused to even look at her siblings.

They waited but when they saw she refused to answer they sadly returned to their seats.

Derek stepped forward, this time with Stiles by his side. Derek asked, "Why did you kill your emissary?"

"His wards failed, he should have seen the danger to the pack and he should have been able to prevent the ash line and the fire." Talia snapped.

Stiles roared, "You had no wards, you refused to allow anyone to place protective wards on your territory the entire time you were alpha."

Derek smirked, "The Nemeton was very honest about the lack of wards, it was very disappointed by your lack of action in protecting it as you were bound to do. This is why you lost your alpha spark."

Talia roared, "You stole my alpha spark, I can see it in your eyes, you stole it from me!"

Derek flashed his eyes and as he looked around the room everyone in the room flashed their eyes back, most of the wolves in the room were alphas. He turned back to her to see her blue eyes flared and asked, "Want to try that again? I have been an alpha for over 7 years. I have led this pack to be a strong and powerful pack, we have defeated Deucalion and his pack of alphas, we have defeated a Darach hell-bent on killing. More recently we defeated a feral alpha killing people in our territory. An alpha you raised, you trained and who you were ultimately responsible for."

Talia screamed, "You killed her?"

Derek shook his head, "No. Peter did after she tried to rip my heart out with her claws. I'm fine though, in case you were wondering."

Talia snarled, "She should have killed you all."

Stiles smirked, "Oh, that was her plan for sure, but our pack has 18 alphas and several very well trained humans. She should have put her efforts into finding her own territory rather than trying to take ours from us. Instead, she put her energy into killing mundanes, before she removed their hearts and livers and ate them. She left the bodies marked with a spiral as a message for us. A message we didn't receive until just before Peter ripped her throat out."

Talia struggled against her restraints before she started to scream obscenities.

Derek looked at her in pity, he remembered loving her once, but all he could see was just a shell of the woman he loved as his mother. "Why did you not tell your pack that the danger from the Argent family was over? Why stay in isolation for another 5 years, why did you not try and come home then?"

Talia just looked away.

Derek looked at the pack, "Any other questions? Comments?"

They all shook their heads.

Derek turned to Delphine, "Do we have a cover story planned?"

Delphine nodded and led him up to the warded room with Stiles and Peter.

Delphine handed over a bag to Stiles, it contained a pair of standard handcuffs and the keys. He looked up at Delphine and raised an eyebrow.

"Noah will lead her out towards the cruiser, she will struggle and he will turn to face her as if she was attacking him, Derek, you need to shoot her in the head with your service weapon when he is facing her. That way it looks like an arrest gone wrong. There are marks on the ground where he will stop and where you need to stand, you need to cover the marks with your foot. These marks are so the camera footage will match the report and they have been set up so the camera angles will match the story." Delphine explained.

"What about the investigation?" Derek asked.

Delphine smiled, "We have a cabin in the preserve set up to look like it was housing a large cat and we will spread personal effects of hers through the cabin as well as hair and other DNA items we have already picked up from their apartment. The official story is that she was using a large cat to kill so she could then take the heart and liver. She was leaving wolf hair on the bodies so people wouldn't suspect her cat. The cat was found and put down by the local rangers a week ago which is why she switched to the personal attacks with a knife made from animal claws."

Derek raised an eyebrow, "Let me guess, we are still looking for the knife?"

"Yep, don't want to make it look too easy," Delphine said.

As they were leaving the room Peter turned and pulled Delphine into a side hug, "Remind me on Monday to give you another raise and a bonus."

Delphine saluted and she followed them down the stairs.

Noah removed the loop from the table and pulled Talia to a standing position. He checked that Derek was ready and got a slight nod, he pulled Talia out the door and lead her to the cruiser parked outside. When he reached the spot he could see marked on the ground he spun and held her as if to fend off an attack, Talia snarled and went to leap forward before she dropped, dead from the shot to the head.

Derek ran forward and made a show of checking on Noah for the cameras before he walked to the cruiser to call it in. As soon as it was safe Stiles walked forward and replaced the cuffs on her hand with the standard cuffs.

"Thank you for the loan, Alpha Ito," Stiles said as he passed the borrowed cuffs back to Satomi.

Satomi bowed her head, "It was our pleasure, Stiles. Tell me, are we done, is the danger finally passed?"

Stiles smiled when he heard the final whisper in his head 'You are done, thank you." With a tear in his eye, he nodded. "We are done, it's over."

Satomi smiled, "What's next for your pack?"

Stiles smirked, "Tonight we celebrate! In the future, who knows?" Derek approached and pulled Stiles into a side hug, and gave him a gentle kiss to the temple. "Look out in the mail, we are sending out our wedding invites as soon as it's legal to marry in California."

Satomi leaned forward and pulled them both into a hug, "If you need us for anything, just call. Congratulations on your engagement." She walked over the van with a quick wave from Vaughn to the pair of them as they left.

-x-

That night the entire pack was gathered in the training room for an update. Even Coach Cupcake and Dominique Argent were invited.

"Just to let you know, with the death of Talia Hale this afternoon as she tried to escape police custody the Nemeton has declared the danger is over," Derek announced.

The noise from the pack as they celebrated was deafening. Derek held his hands up for quiet. "Pizzas are on their way, its time we celebrated our victory as a pack."

Derek sat there, snuggled into Stiles' side, as they watched their pack let go and really celebrate and he thought to himself, 'It felt like the worst day of my life, but Emancipation was the best thing that ever happened to me.'