The season finale starts with Kira waking up in her cell still in Mexico. She is still surrounded by bones, and as she looks out her cell door, she realizes it's unlocked. She exits, looking around La Iglesia before eventually running into Scott, who has been turned completely into a berserker.

She only knows it's him after she sees his tattoo and Kate calls him off.

Kate launches into a long winded rant about how she ended up the way that she is, and why she can control/create berserkers. She eventually mentions Scott's true alpha status, and how she wants to be the one orchestrating Scott's first kill. Scott draws a dagger, and stabs Kira as the intro plays.

—

The sheriff kicks off the episode by telling Stiles firmly that he will not be going to Mexico, as Stiles insists that he will. The sheriff argues that even if Deaton is right, the best course of action is to call law enforcement agencies and border patrol to go locate Kira and Scott.

Stiles isn't convinced, standing his ground as he promises "It's not like I'm going alone either, okay, you know Noel wouldn't let me do this by myself. And where Noel goes Derek goes, and where I go Malia goes, we've got all kinds of reinforcements."

The sheriff reminds Stiles that he can keep him from going, but Stiles says "You can't keep Noel from going. And you can't keep him from finding a way to take me."

"I can throw you both in a cell," the sheriff threatens, Stiles retaliating "We'd still find a way."

The sheriff begs for a bit of time to get his hands on a more concrete lead than Valak's vision, promising Stiles that he'll do everything in his power to get more information and that he'll book two flights for them to go to Mexico if he doesn't find anything.

Stiles asks if he gets a gun, in that case, the sheriff pausing before definitively shaking his head with a surprised "no" as we cut to Braeden and Derek.

—

"I still don't like relying on these things," Derek says in reference to the table full of guns in front of them.

Braeden assures him that she gets it, and that she would miss her power too if she was in his situation. Derek corrects her, stating "It's not about power, it's about being able to help. I don't like feeling helpless."

"I'm human. Do I look helpless?" Braeden asks, loading a clip into her gun. Derek looks at her, laughing and shaking his head.

"Well, you're a much better shot than me. But... I also don't like not being able to feel him," Derek says, looking down at the guns again.

"Who, Scott?" Braeden asks, Derek denying "I was never able to feel Scott. It's Noel."

"I thought you told him your bond was still strong," Braeden tries to clarify, as Derek says "It was, when he asked. He hasn't asked in a while. I can only assume he feels the same thing I do, or the lack thereof."

Braeden doesn't say anything, so to fill the silence, Derek says "I guess it'll be easier this way."

When Braeden realizes what he's saying, she asks "Do you really think you won't be coming back?"

"Not alive," he confirms, as Braeden steps over to him and scolds "You know I'm not okay with that. I'm not allowing it, I'm bringing you both straight here and back into each other's arms, that's where you're supposed to be."

Derek looks at her and says nothing, reaching out and pulling her into a silent hug. She doesn't return it at first, but eventually she loses her resolve and hugs Derek close as well.

When they part, he looks at her and says gently "You have to be okay with it. Because he can't be, and he'll need you to help him through it."

Braeden doesn't say anything, and Derek fills the silence by half joking "Let's be honest, I don't know if this is even enough firepower to take down one berserker."

"Not even close," a voice says from off in the loft, and we watch Peter descend the stairs as he details how hard it is to kill a berserker.

Derek reminds him that the only one with experience like that is Argent, who's currently MIA. Peter then says they'll need backup in that case, listing "Like Malia, maybe Liam, Noel if you can't tie him down, and definitely me."

He finishes with a wink, and we jump to Stiles.

—

He shuffles through a closet and tosses a jacket at Malia, stating "Here, try that."

Malia inhales the scent of the jacket, saying "Fabric softener."

Stiles ducks into Scott's bathroom, grabbing a pair of boxers from his hamper and offering them to Malia. She doesn't look thrilled, even when Stiles reminds her that Scott's life is on the line, but she moves to take them.

Quickly, Noel cuts in from where he stands in Scott's room "Hey, hey. I know his scent. And also, his bed is right here, which includes the pillows he sleeps on."

Stiles stares at him, saying "Uh... That works too." Malia looks at Stiles, asking "You were gonna let me sniff his boxers?!"

"Well, you both let me touch them," Stiles says annoyedly (but not angrily) as we see the trio come down the stairs.

They find Liam waiting at the table, and when Stiles tells him to go home, Liam asks why he can't come.

"Because, it's a full moon, and I don't feel like driving all the way down to Mexico just to have you rip my throat out," Stiles says exasperatedly, Noel adding helpfully "With your teeth."

"So chain me up in the backseat," Liam suggests, but Malia points out that he tore through the last set of chains he was put in. Stiles jokes that they'd have to freeze him in carbonite to get him down there, and Liam asks where they can get some.

"God, I have had it with people in our social circle not knowing what Star Wars is," Noel says and kicks the air, starting to walk out, followed by Stiles. Liam begs them to wait, asking "What if we put me in the trunk?"

"You'd get out of that too," Malia says, as Noel tells him "We've seen betas trapped in rooms where they can't see the moon that go nearly feral, and betas with metal driven into their heads, even people strapped to things that they just break in seconds. No physical restraint can ever be considered helpful if you don't have mental control, and I'm sorry Liam, but you don't."

"You've been a werewolf all of five minutes, Liam. Control aside, you don't have to do this," Stiles tells him, as Liam insists, adding "Noel, would you be okay to just sit here and do nothing if it was Derek down there?"

"That's different and you know it," Stiles says, as Liam insists "It's not! Scott's my alpha and Derek is Noel's, it's the same thing!"

"Maybe you're right about that. But you don't love Scott like I love Derek," Noel says, as Liam continues to beg. "There's gotta be bigger chains, a bigger trunk or something, there has to be."

Stiles, deep in thought, concedes "Maybe there is" as we go to the meeting place.

—

The pack are waiting there as Braeden drives in in a prison transport van, and when asked where she got it, she says "I'm a US Marshall."

"Yeah, I just thought that was just a coverup," Stiles says, Braeden half smiling as Derek steps out of his car with Peter.

"You're really bringing him?" Derek asks and points at Liam, Stiles countering "You're really bringing him?" with a point of his own at Peter.

Peter says that they're bringing everyone that they can, insisting that they get going soon since Scott and Kira were kidnapped the night before a full moon.

"What does that have to do with it?" Noel asks, as Peter theorizes that she may be intending to do to Scott what she did to Derek.

Liam asks if she wants to make him younger, Derek correcting "She wants to take him back to before he was a werewolf."

"A werewolf can't steal a true alpha's power, but maybe, a jaguar with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her, maybe she can. So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going." Peter gestures for them to get going, but Stiles jumps in.

"We can't. Not without Lydia."

—

Lydia has a scene where she almost gets hit by a berserker, and we cut to a break.

—

When we're back, Derek asks why Lydia's even at the school, as Malia explains "We got Kira's sword, but we need something with a stronger scent."

"Unfortunately I don't know hers like I know Scott's, so we sent Lydia to get the jacket out of her locker," Noel explains further, leaning against the hood of the jeep.

Stiles comes back over and tells them she isn't answering her phone, and Braeden dismissively says that since she has a car, she can catch up. Peter agrees, saying they'll call from the road, but Stiles wonders if she could be in trouble.

"Fine. You stay, you find her, we're gonna go on without you," Peter says and walks over to the car, Liam suggesting that he can call Mason and ask him to look for Lydia since he's in a study group at school at the moment.

Derek seems convinced, joking "You could, or we could have Noel do it, I'm sure Mason would fulfill a favor for him in half the time."

"Shut up," Noel chides as Derek ruffles his curls, Stiles agreeing to Liam giving Mason a call. Everyone disbands, as Stiles tells Malia that he needs to be in the van with Derek, Liam, and Noel due to his experience. This leaves her with Peter, who reminds them all to remember what they're dealing with.

"It's not just Kate. It's berserkers. You might see human eyes behind those skulls, but do not assume that there's any humanity left." He looks at Liam, who seems visibly nervous, as he all but coos "This little one is terrified of them, aren't you?"

"Don't patronize him," Noel warns, stepping forward in front of Liam. Peter seems amused, saying "Ah, look at that... The second in command, filling Alpha's shoes while he's away. Doesn't it get tiring for you, Noel, always being their seconds?"

Noel stops and glares at Peter, stepping down only when Derek puts a hand on his shoulder and shoots a warning glance Peter's way.

Peter addresses Liam again, saying earnestly "Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive."

He then addresses the rest of them, announcing "A reminder to everyone, you do not fight berserkers to survive. You fight to kill."

—

We flash to La Iglesia again, seeing Scott, before we see Mason at school. He confirms that Lydia's car is there, and Liam accepts his offer to go around the school to try and locate her. He gives instructions for Mason to call him as soon as he finds her, and Mason sets off as we see the pack on the road.

They travel in the police van (driven by Braeden) and Derek's car (driven by Peter).

In the bed of the van, Liam is handcuffed to his seat by Derek, who sits with Noel on the bench across from him and Stiles.

"All good?" Derek asks softly, and Liam gives a firm tug on the handcuffs before nodding. Derek gives the cuffs another glance, telling Liam "Okay. I brought something to help you."

He pulls the triskelion from his pocket, explaining "This has been with my family for centuries. It's a very powerful supernatural talisman, we use it to teach betas how to control themselves under the full moon."

"Did you use it?" Liam asks softly, Derek confirming "I did. Peter too, and Noel, before he found his anchor."

Noel is grateful that Liam doesn't know how to catch a lie yet, as he agrees "It's not foolproof, you still have to work hard at it, but I know you can do it. You're tougher than you look."

Liam looks at the two of them and turns to look at Stiles, who's been shooting Derek skeptical looks throughout the entire scene. When Derek gives a 'go on' look and tilts his head at Liam, Stiles narrows his eyes before agreeing "Yes, it's powerful. Very powerful."

With the blessing and encouragement of the three of them, Liam seems at least semi-convinced as we see Mason at the school.

—

The teen searches for Lydia and finds her phone unattended, and then comes face to face with a berserker as we return to the car ride.

—

Malia is taking Stiles' advice and playing music loud to avoid conversation with Peter, but he requests to turn the music down and they have a talk about how messy the situation they're in will get.

—

The boys are in the back of the van when suddenly Liam's claws extend, and Stiles jumps and scoots as far away from him as he can get.

"Whatever you're gonna teach me, I think you better start," Liam suggests through heavy breaths, eyes glowing yellow. Noel watches, holding Derek's hand as the two watch him and we cut to break.

—

We return with Kira, who hears her mother talking to her and coaching her as she bleeds out and laments her lack of knowledge on how to heal herself.

She triggers the healing process with pain, squeezing a chunk of obsidian in a fist as her eyes turn orange.

—

Lydia and Mason share a scene, with the stinger of Lydia telling Mason that berserkers aren't human.

—

"Liam? Are you with me?" Derek asks as Liam sweats and breathes heavily, looking at the former alpha as he continues "We have a mantra that we use, you repeat it, and you focus on the words."

"It's like meditating, you repeat it until you feel like you're back in control," Noel adds, leg placed strategically to form a first line of defense between Stiles and Liam. Stiles watches the situation wordlessly, trusting the other two to handle the situation.

"Okay, okay, okay, what are the words," Liam asks through gritted teeth, and Derek instructs "Look at the triskelion, see the symbol?"

"It's like Noel's tattoo," Liam notes, as Noel nods encouragingly. "Derek has the same one in the same place, each spiral means something."

"Alpha, beta, omega," Stiles supplies, Derek continuing without missing a beat "It represents the idea that we can always rise to one and fall back to another. Betas can become alphas-"

"Alphas can become betas," Noel supplies, and Liam asks "Can alphas become omegas?"

Derek simply nods, continuing "All you have to do is say the three words, and with each one, you tell yourself you're getting calmer, more in control."

"Go ahead," Noel encourages, remembering his own initial training session with Derek on how to gain control. He also thinks back to when they used the ice bath to trigger Isaac's memories of the bank, and how Isaac gravitated so heavily to his touch.

Remembering that it's always been touch that brings him and others back, he reaches out and places his hand on Liam's knee with the hopes that it will help.

Liam looks at the hand and then at Noel, looking even younger and more vulnerable than before, as Noel encouragingly flashes his own yellow eyes and nods. Liam looks back at the triskele, and grits out "Alpha beta-"

"Slower," Derek enunciates, and Liam heaves a pained sigh as he tries again. "Alpha, beta, omega..."

He grunts in pain, repeating the phrase again, and Derek encourages "Good, say it again. Remember, every time you say the words you're getting calmer."

Liam rolls his neck and shoulders, saying the phrase in a half growl, Stiles backing up further away from him as Derek and Noel remain calm.

"Say it again," Derek instructs nonchalantly, but Stiles butts in "Derek, I don't think that, uh, powerful talisman of self-control is working."

"Liam, you're slipping," Noel says evenly and calmly, but the camera shows how he has an arm in front of Derek and his leg still between Stiles and Liam as a line of defense for the two humans.

Liam is still struggling, with no intention to repeat the phrase again, growling as his eyes shine yellow. "Liam, say it again," Derek demands, before Liam leans forward toward him. Derek jumps back and Noel plants his arm more firmly between the two, as Liam yells to be let out.

Braeden swerves the van as the passengers are all jostled, and Liam manages to break out of his cuffs and dive across the van to get his hands on Derek.

Noel grunts and flings himself between Liam and Derek, taking a set of claws to the shoulder as Liam roars. Braeden looks back into the van and calls out Derek's name as Stiles says sharply "I think we're gonna need to go a little faster!"

We see Noel struggling with Liam as we cut to break.

—

Upon return, Noel tries to get the upper hand on Liam, telling Braeden "Keep driving! I've got him!"

Braeden steps on it as Liam frees his other hand, and Noel does his best to get him under control. Braeden announces that they're almost there, and we cut to Malia and Peter.

—

After their scene, it's back to Liam, as Stiles announces "I really don't think 'alpha beta omega' is resonating with him!"

"What gave you that impression?! Do you have any other mantras in mind," Derek asks as he braces himself against the wall of the van and winces when Noel lets out a gasp of pain.

Stiles starts thinking, but Noel is the one who finds an answer, eyes glowing yellow and fangs dropping as he finally finds the strength to push Liam back into a sitting position.

Liam roars in protest, slashing into Noel's arms as blood begins to drip down, but he doesn't seem bothered as he asks Liam in a voice that's half speech and half a growl "What three things cannot long be hidden?"

Liam roars, uninterested in playing Noel's game, until the glow of Noel's yellow eyes burns brighter to a color that tips more over into a coppery gold than yellow. He repeats himself, a new rush of power in the way he holds himself, as he asks again "Look at me, Liam, what three things cannot long be hidden?"

At the next change in the color of Noel's eyes to a soft orange, Liam backs down ever so slightly, and finds enough humanity to growl out through pants and gritted teeth "The sun... The moon... The truth."

"Again," Noel instructs, the glow of his eyes burning like fire. The soft orange has become an intense carrot hue, a color we've never seen in a werewolf up to this point. Derek looks at him with wide eyes, shoulders slowly lowering as Noel keeps intense eye contact with Liam.

Liam repeats the new mantra, eyes never leaving Noel's. Noel doesn't back down, even as Liam calms, intense and borderline stoic as Liam finally calms completely and says the mantra again.

Braeden looks back in on them, Derek assuring her "We're okay."

Liam stares into Noel's eyes as his own fade to human blue, saying for a final time "The sun, the moon, the truth..."

Noel blinks a few times and his eyes fade to green, breath hitching as he collapses back into Derek. Derek catches him and presses a kiss to the side of his head, requesting "Let me see your eyes. Noel, your eyes."

Noel opens his eyes and looks at Derek, and when they flash, they're still that intense burning orange. Derek pales, telling Braeden "Go, go, fast!"

"What, what's wrong?" Stiles asks, taking Noel's face in his hands and swallowing nervously when he sees the intense hue of his eyes. Noel seems confused and exhausted, as Stiles asks "What does it mean? The orange, what the hell does it mean?"

"Something's happening to Scott, he's either on the brink of death or something even worse," Derek says, and Braeden floors it as Noel asks "What? How? How can you know that?"

"Your eyes," Derek says, looking at him as he says "It happened to Laura during the fire. She went to pick me up, and on the way back home together I watched her eyes change from yellow to orange to red. It took maybe ten minutes, it's how we knew something was wrong at home, it's how we knew something was happening to our mother. We watched the balance of power shift, and this is exactly what it looked like."

"Wh-What do you mean? What does that mean," Noel asks, eyes still blazing steadily orange as Derek frowns and looks at him.

"It means that something is seriously wrong with Scott," he explains, "and that you're second in command. So if Scott dies... It'll be you. You'll be the alpha."

Noel is absolutely in shock, eyes finally changing from orange back to green again as he begins to pant and we cut to break.

—

When we return, we pull up to La Iglesia, and Liam lets out a little laugh as he says "You know for a minute there I thought I was gonna tear you apart, Noel."

Noel laughs as well, bloody but healed, head lain in Derek's lap as Derek strokes his hair. Derek rolls his eyes fondly, helping Noel sit up as he asks Liam "Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?"

Liam takes a second to consider, before brandishing a clawed hand as Noel beams and compliments "That's my boy."

"Alright, we might actually be able to do this," Stiles notes hopefully as Derek moves to step out of the van first, but as soon as he does, a berserker greets him and throws him to the ground.

Noel screams his name and jumps out, but before he can even move to intervene, the berserker has Derek pinned to some rocks and is stabbing him mercilessly in the chest.

Noel roars and moves to fight, but Braeden is already there, shooting the berserker until it retreats. Noel then rushes to Derek's side, saying "Derek? Derek, don't move!"

Peter runs in, along with Stiles, and everyone watches as Noel helps Derek into a sitting position as he grunts in pain. We hear Noel's soft shushes along with Derek's pained breaths, and Noel cups the back of Derek's neck as he writhes in pain.

We see Derek's hand, bloody as it peels itself away from his wound, and Noel's look of guilt and despair as he sobs once and leans down to press his forehead to Derek's temple.

"How bad is it?" Peter asks, but Derek insists "I'm fine! I'm fine. Just get to Scott."

No one seems convinced, especially not Noel, whose face we can see is covered with tears. Derek continues to insist, begging "Just find him. I'll be right behind you, go."

Nobody dares to move. Sharply, Derek commands them to go, and everyone rushes into La Iglesia. Stiles doesn't go, and Derek tells him to save Scott. Finally Stiles retreats with a last look back, and Derek looks up at Noel.

"You have to go," he all but begs, Noel shaking his head as his veins darken as he takes Derek's pain. Derek weakly puts his hand over Noel's, insisting "Go. Right now, you are their alpha. They need you. Your pack needs you."

"You're my pack! You're my alpha," Noel insists right back, releasing a sob as he continues to take Derek's pain. His eyes flash orange as Braeden watches, head hung low as she wonders what to do.

Derek looks at Noel, and when Noel puts their foreheads together, he lets out a gasp of pain and finally requests what he actually wants. "D-Don't leave. Don't leave."

"I won't, I can't," Noel promises, kissing Derek's forehead and whispering "Hey... Hey, I love you."

"I love you," Derek whispers back, breathing hard as we cut to the pack looking around inside La Iglesia.

—

We come back out to Noel resting his lips against Derek's forehead and temple as Braeden looks on, and Derek suddenly lets out a pained laugh.

"Lydia was right," he says simply, and we cut to commercial.

—

Upon return, the pack tries to figure out where they are and how to find Scott and Kira, when Stiles gets a call from his dad. The two speak briefly, ending with the sheriff agreeing to go look for Lydia and Mason. The pack is attacked by a berserker, and we return to Derek.

—

Braeden and Noel kneel on either side of him, when Braeden suddenly looks around and asks "Can you still pull a trigger?"

Derek confirms that he can, and Braeden asks Noel "Do you remember what we taught you?"

"In the two lessons I got on how to aim and turn off the safety? Surprisingly, I do," he answers. He then adds "Are you forgetting that I...?"

He trails off and ends the sentence with a pointed brandishing of his claws, as Braeden says calmly "If he's laying here injured, you don't need strength or claws, you need range. You leave his side to go hand to hand, and you leave him exposed. I'm sure you agree with me that that's not ideal."

Noel nods wordlessly, as Braeden hands them each a pistol. She looks at Derek, saying firmly "Stay with us. You're gonna be okay."

"It's a mortal wound, and right now I'm feeling pretty mortal," Derek jokingly disagrees, as Noel says with a shake of his head "God, you finally found a sense of humor and you haven't turned it off since, have you?"

"You seem to like it enough, babe," he says with a half smile, immediately met with a wince of pain. Noel strokes his hair back comfortingly, wincing as well sympathetically as Braeden says "I'm not gonna let you die. I'd have to marry Noel out of guilt if I did, and I don't know if I can handle that."

Noel laughs, as Derek pipes in "I don't think it'd be so bad, marrying Noel."

"Stop proposing to me or I'll kill you myself," Noel says as he scans the area for danger, met with a laugh from Derek as he takes Noel's left hand and kisses it gently. The air suddenly shifts around them, as Braeden looks up and tries to find out why.

"I think you might just have to concentrate on saving yourselves," Derek says, as Braeden reminds Noel "Don't shoot unless-"

"I know exactly what I'm shooting at. Finger off the trigger until I'm ready to shoot. Shoot with both eyes open. Never let my guard down," he recites, getting more comfortable next to Derek as Braeden sets off to check out the source of the noise they're hearing. She sees a berserker approaching, as she looks back at Derek and Noel, both looking determined.

Kate is revealed to be with the berserker, as Braeden cocks her gun and prepares for battle.

—

Mason and Lydia try to plan how to escape from where a berserker is keeping them trapped, and the pack continues to try and locate Scott and Kira as Malia, Liam, and Peter take on the berserker.

—

Braeden opens fire on Kate and her berserker, quickly getting overpowered as the berserker takes her in a choke hold.

"How much did they pay you?" Kate asks, Braeden firing back "Way more than you're worth."

Before Kate can reply, the Calaveras drive up, opening fire on Kate. Parrish and Argent pull up as well, as Braeden watches and they all rush after Kate.

—

Stiles (with Kira's sword in hand) goes searching for her and Scott, and when he finds Kira, she explains to him that Scott has become a berserker.

"That's why Noel's eyes changed... And why Lydia isn't here. He's already half gone, and if Lydia can't tell them it's him, they won't know they're killing Scott."

We watch the pack attacking the berserker, and we see that it has Scott's eyes.

—

The battle continues outside, and Noel joins in with his gun as the battle comes closer to them. Derek seems more alert, filled with adrenaline, as the hunters take on the berserker and Kate hides.

Noel throws the gun aside when he empties the clip, sitting down next to Derek and saying "Man, just like Braeden... Not leaving us any ammunition. Can you hand me-"

He pauses, as the sound of gunfire fades and instead we hear a weak heartbeat. Noel looks at his boyfriend, eyes wide as he asks "Derek? Derek?!"

Derek looks at him and gives a faint smile when his eyes focus, whispering "I love you."

"I know. I love you, so look at me," Noel pleads, cupping Derek's cheek. Derek looks at him, eyebrows threading as he closes his eyes and whispers "I love you, Noel."

"Don't. Stop it," Noel begs, sobbing as he says "Derek, I love you, don't do this, don't leave me."

Derek's head lolls to the side as Noel breathes hard and lets out a gut wrenching scream and Braeden, who was absorbed in the fight, turns to look at him as she realizes what's happened.

—

Mason and Lydia come at the berserker with baseball bats, quickly being apprehended until the sheriff comes in and blows it up into a cloud of sand.

Lydia reveals that she knew Scott would die, as the pack fights the berserker. Stiles and Kira stop the pack just in time and keep them from killing Scott, but Scott turns on them when they hesitate to hurt them. He eventually gets Liam in a chokehold.

—

The battle continues outside as Kate is found and fire is opened on her, Noel staying on the ground cradling Derek as grieving sobs wrack his body.

Braeden stands close by, protecting Noel and Derek's body as Parrish says their bullets aren't doing anything and their ammo is running out.

Argent loads a special bullet into his gun, and we go inside La Iglesia.

—

Liam tells Scott that he's not a monster, but a werewolf like him, and Scott is able to break through his berserker nature and take the skull and other armor off himself.

Once he splits the skull in half, it opens to reveal him, in his shifted form with his eyes glowing red. He roars, and we briefly see outside, as Noel's eyes flicker from borderline red back to yellow, before settling with the rich vibrant orange he had had as he roars in response.

Peter and Malia watch, as Scott accuses Peter of helping Kate and Peter tells Scott he doesn't deserve his power and that it should be his instead. Everyone turns on Peter, but Scott stops them as Peter reminds Scott that his bite changed his life.

Scott entices him to fight, and the two dive at each other before we cut to commercial.

—

Noel, with renewed strength from the solidification of his orange eyes, moves to stand with Braeden, firing the gun that Derek had been holding. Braeden looks at him, the two nodding once eye contact is made as they fight as best as they can.

Kate tells Araya Calavera she's coming for her next, Araya inviting her to come closer and see how the Calaveras die.

Suddenly a howl is heard, the howl of a real wolf, as everyone looks around for the source. Noel and Braeden look at one another, then to where Derek had been, both wide eyed when they see that Derek is no longer there.

From the rubble a solid black wolf emerges, and when Kate roars at it, its eyes shine.

They shine blood red.

Araya seems dumbfounded, along with Kate, as the wolf barrels toward Kate and takes her down. It tears into her, red eyes glowing as it does, and she tries to crawl away when it takes a second to growl at her.

We then watch as a man rises from where the wolf had stood, undeniably alive and stronger than ever Derek, as Noel collapses into Braeden's side with a sob of relief.

"You're... You were dead," Kate says, in near awe, as Derek corrects "No. I was evolving. Something you'll never do."

The berserker moves to attack Derek, but easily, Derek grabs it by the skull and turns it to dust.

Kate tries to escape, but Argent fires the bullet perfectly into her, and she retreats into La Iglesia. He moves to follow, as we go back inside with Scott and Peter.

—

The fight is close, with Peter seeming to have the upper hand, until Scott flips the score and beats mercilessly into Peter's chest. The two stay essentially evenly matched, until Peter throws Scott into a wall, and Liam gets some furniture thrown at him by Peter.

Furious with the urge to protect his beta, Scott gains the final upper hand and defeats Peter.

—

We watch Kate stumble into La Iglesia followed by her brother, and the two have a deep discussion about how Argent doesn't think she's worth saving and she doesn't think any of the teens are heroes since they directly led to Allison's death.

Argent reminds her that Allison died saving her friends, as Kate runs off swearing she won't be caught as Argent starts to cry.

—

We get one more scene outside, as Noel walks up to Derek and stares at him.

Derek stares back, about to speak, when Noel jumps up and kisses him. Derek kisses back and hugs Noel close, and after a few beats, Noel pulls away and says "Show me your eyes."

Derek lets his eyes glow, asking "What, why? What color are they?"

"I don't care what color they are, I care that they're glowing," Noel says brightly, hugging Derek as Araya approaches them.

"They're red, lobito," she informs him, as Derek's eyes widen. He lets Noel go, stuttering to try and say that that can't be possible, as Araya explains.

"You've been everything, and you've done everything. Born a beta, but you've taken a life, killed an alpha, bitten betas, lost your power... Fate has determined what you're owed for your sacrifices, and your misfortunes, and your mistakes alike."

"What have I earned," Derek asks, as Araya smiles. "Earned. That's why you have this. You don't believe it's owed to you, you know you've earned it, that's why it's yours. The title of the reborn alpha. A rank solidified by the love of your second in command."

Noel's jaw drops as he laughs in glee, kissing Derek's cheek as he hugs him close and Derek laughs as well. The two pull back and look at each other, eyes glowing red and orange as Derek leans in and kisses Noel's eyelids.

"Alpha of the new Hale pack," Noel greets dreamily, as Derek greets in return "Second in command of the McCall and new Hale packs."

"Oh, shut up, both of you," Braeden says and interrupts the moment, breaking through the middle of the two to kiss their cheeks and give Derek his own hug. Derek returns the hug, laughing as Noel takes hold of Derek's hand and we fade to the next morning.

—

Chris agrees to go with the Calaveras to keep the pack safe and find Kate, as he takes off. Everyone watches as Derek opens the passenger's side door for Braeden, asking if she's a real US Marshall or not. She finally reveals that she was, but she spent too long looking for one person and became obsessed.

"Who were you after?" Noel asks, and Braeden admits that all she has is their codename, the Desert Wolf.

Derek looks over at Noel, approaching him and holding his face in both hands. Noel lays a hand over Derek's, asking "Are you coming back?"

Derek frowns briefly, then smiles, shrugging his shoulders. Noel doesn't look happy about this, about to protest, when Derek kisses him. We see the pack smile at the interaction, none wider than Scott and Stiles, as Derek and Noel break apart.

Derek keeps his hands on Noel's face, leaning into his ear and whispering something. Noel stiffens, staring at Derek with wide eyes as Derek gives him one last kiss and slips something into his pocket.

Derek and Scott share a moment of eye contact, and a wordless nod, as Derek gets in the car with Braeden.

Once he's gone, Scott looks at Noel, asking "What did he give you?"

Noel reaches into his pocket, pulling out a white gold ring and sliding it casually onto his finger.

"No," Stiles says in disbelief, but Noel explains "It's a promise ring. A promise to come home, and a promise that he'll wait for me, whether or not I wait for him."

Everyone smiles, as we finally go home to Beacon Hills.

—

After Kira receives her first tail, Liam explains to the coach where he and the other lacrosse players were while Scott, Stiles, and Noel watch over him.

The coach eventually buys the excuse, with the caveat that he doesn't actually believe them, but he'll let it slip on the condition that the four boys look out for each other.

Noel, instantly, agrees by saying "Step ahead of you, coach."

Scott and Liam smile, and Noel isn't seen again in the episode.

—

End of Season 4.