“I thought you said this was a pack meeting?” Erica said with a sharp edge to her tone.
It grated on Derek’s nerves. He knew he only had himself to blame—he’d bitten teens and now he was responsible for them. At least until they were adults and he could drive them out of his territory.
Whenever they wondered about his short temper and harshness, it took everything in him to tell them it was because they weren’t pack but he was still responsible for them and, thus, had to tolerate them in his territory. His temper was short because he had to deal with them all the time.
“It is,” he growled out.
“Then why is Stiles here?” Isaac said in a bored tone and playing with his scarf.
“Maybe we need someone to get water?” Jackson said with a sneer, “it’s not like he’s good for much else.”
“Hey! Stiles is pack,” Scott insisted, quick to always stand up for his friend.
Derek was too busy counting in his head in an effort to calm down and not start smashing their heads together to defend Stiles himself—not that he needed to.
Boyd just sat down next to Stiles and very obviously scent marked him—this is why he was Derek’s favourite beta.
Isaac, Erica, and Jackson were all waiting for Stiles to get hurt and leave, since they didn’t want him there.
Stiles just kept reading the book he was using for research, clearly not giving a single fuck.
Or maybe he hadn’t heard them…
“Hey, Bilinski!” Jackson said as he grabbed Stiles’ book, “Scram, it’s time for a pack meeting.”
Stiles just looked at him, no real expression on his face. His eyes flicked to Derek and then he sat back with a smirk.
Derek had had enough. He didn’t often exert his dominance as the alpha, despite what they all thought. In reality, they knew very little about being werewolves and knew even less about being pack. He tried to teach them but if they weren’t skipping training, they were goofing off. Or just focused on the fighting and ignoring his talks about the more esoteric aspects of pack and being a werewolf.
(Scott being the worst of the bunch but at least he was defending Stiles out of friendship and loyalty.)
Derek stood up straighter and loosened control over his power—just a little. Every werewolf in the room stiffened and snapped their eyes to him.
In a calm, measured tone—one that was more terrifying than his usual growling and bluster—he spoke, “There are several people here who aren’t pack, despite not being invited to this pack meeting. If you aren’t going to worry about them, then you shouldn’t concern yourself with Stiles. He’s here because I invited him.”
Derek took a moment to enjoy the uncharacteristic silence. Normally, by now, Erica would’ve made some catty remark and Jackson would’ve been sneering. No one moved or spoke. He let the silence draw out for a long, uncomfortable minute. Ensuring that every single person felt and understood that he was the alpha.
Not their friend. Not their ‘dad’. Not a teacher or some other human authority figure they could scoff at and ignore.
Stiles had a small, soft smile on his face as he watched Derek. Relaxed in a way that only he, Boyd, and Peter were.
Finally, Derek broke the silence and reigned in his power, “Now, we’re here to discuss the ghouls in the cemetery…”
The pack meeting went on and was considerably more subdued than normal. The werewolves not quite having shaken off Derek’s display of dominance.
Stiles was glad that Scott finally wanted to work with Derek. They would get so much more accomplished this way!
Still… he was nervous. He knew he was taking a big step. Stiles only hoped it worked…
Derek was—fortunately—alone when he got to the warehouse. Good. He hadn’t wanted any witnesses to his potential humiliation.
“What are you doing here?” Derek growled, Stiles could tell he was already annoyed. Awesome.
He knelt on the ground and bared his throat, “I know we just unofficially joined but I have done some research… Will you accept me into your pack, Alpha Hale?”
Not for the first time, he could tell that he’d surprised Derek. Although, this was probably his biggest surprise, yet. Derek’s eyes flared that bright, burning crimson. And it sent a thrill of anticipation down Stiles’ spine.
“You can’t learn everything from google, Stiles. Do you really know what you’re offering? What you’re getting into?” Derek’s voice was the softest he’d ever heard. The alpha walked closer, one hand cupping the side of Stiles’ neck.
“I’m offering my submission. And I’ll be getting into the pack, right?” Stiles knew that he didn’t know everything. He still felt this was the right choice.
“Changing your mind later will be difficult but you will always have a choice. If you submit to me, then I’m your leader—your alpha. You’ll have to respect the hierarchy but you’ll always have the honour of being my first beta. Most importantly, you might be human but joining the pack will mean being tied to the supernatural community and subject to its rules. Rules like not being able to travel freely: which means you can’t go to whatever college you want. But you’ll always have a home and a place to belong. I’ll never turn my back on you or take you for granted. I’ll protect and value you. Do you understand?” Derek’s voice was still soft, even as his eyes seemed to glow with greater intensity.
Stiles thought for a long moment. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—make this decision in haste. He thought about his plans and dreams for the future. Some would have to change. Other’s he’d have to give up. While he wasn’t entirely sure he’d even live that long, he couldn’t base his decision on that alone. He didn’t want to join the pack purely out of fear.
But he wanted what Derek was offering: it was so much more than he’d thought it would be. Something he’d craved and longed for since his mom died. He wanted a place to belong. Where he’d always be valued. It was everything he’d always wanted but been too afraid to admit. So, yes, he wanted this.
“I understand. Thanks for letting me know and letting me make an informed decision. It proves this is the right choice. That you’ll be an amazing alpha, given half the chance. That I want you to be my alpha. Please?” Stiles briefly met Derek’s eyes and turned away, not wanting to challenge in this moment. He’s asking not demanding, after all.
He felt Derek’s thumb stroke the side of his throat before he felt Derek’s hot, breath on the other side. The faintest pressure from sharp fangs. He felt a warm, glowing ember spark in his chest. And, just like that, everything in the world felt clearer. Felt sharper. For the first time since his mom died, he knew exactly where he belonged.
It was a beautiful feeling. So was the feeling of Derek’s warm hands cupping his face and wiping away tears he couldn’t feel ashamed of. Then Derek drew him up into the single most comforting embrace he’d ever had.
Stiles had made the right decision.
Stiles left the pack meeting with a smile on his face. It was easy not to care about what some of the werewolves said.
He knew he was pack. More importantly, Derek knew he was pack.
That was all that mattered.
“Dude, that was wild. That was the scariest I’ve ever seen Derek. Like… what? Also, you were so calm, it was kind of weird,” Scott said as they left.
Stiles just shrugged. He’d given up on trying to talk about pack stuff with Scott a long time ago. There was no point: he never wanted to hear it.
Lydia overheard them, “If you’d shown that much confidence before, I might’ve noticed you earlier,” she said in a haughty tone.
“Yeah, it was kind of hot,” Allison added.
Stiles tried not to barf at the idea of Allison finding him hot. It was disturbing and he decided to bury that deep, deep in his mind. Pretend like it never happened.
The only (sort of) evil person he was willing to tolerate having a weird attraction to him was Peter. He needed to make different life choices if someone as morally bankrupt as Allison was finding him hot.
Just… no. He couldn’t suppress the shudder.
“Um… that’s nice,” he tried to sound convincing, “I gotta get home and work on that paper.”
He walked off to the jeep and got in, driving off before even Scott could say something.
(Like that Stiles was his ride.)
By that point, the rest of the teens had gathered in the parking lot.
“Wait…” Isaac started, “Derek said that several people at the meeting weren’t pack. Stiles is the only one who didn’t belong.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Erica said while cozying up to Boyd, who deftly stepped aside.
Despite what it looked like, they weren’t actually together. Boyd had been dodging Erica’s attempts to seduce him.
“Maybe he meant Peter too,” Scott said, since everyone hated him.
This got sounds of agreement and nods from everyone.
It made the most sense.
Peter could hear the group of (mostly) annoying teens talking and rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically.
“I know,” Derek said, “I know.”
“While I realize that most bitten wolves have trouble adjusting and that we’re only slightly below the average for successes, it’s still disappointing,” Peter drawled as he flopped onto the couch.
“It’s their senior year and they’ll all be eighteen within the year, we’re almost free of them.”
“True. I’m particularly looking forward to that awful Argent girl leaving. If only your agreement with Chris hadn’t included allowing her to finish school with her friends,” Peter sniffed in disdain.
Derek huffed. He needed to air out the loft—clear out all the non-pack scents. He was glad he didn’t actually live here—it would be intolerable, “Why did you even sit down when you know we’re leaving for the den after I open the windows?”
Of course, Derek knew why. It was because his uncle was a drama queen.
Boyd let himself into the den. It had taken him far too long to shake free of Erica, so he was the last to arrive.
He thought it was funny that what happened tonight bothered him more than anyone else. More than Stiles, even. But he’d always been a sensitive guy.
Probably why he was actually part of the pack.
Stiles was sitting in Derek’s lap and Peter had already fully shifted. Derek and Stiles weren’t doing anything but some nuzzling and scent marking. Boyd was glad because he wasn’t really in the mood to be around while they had sex. They weren’t aroused and he was glad for that too, after smelling the stench of Erica’s for the past hour. Actually, the stench of everyone else, since they were all in couples.
Stiles smiled at him, “Don’t worry, we’re not going to have sex. We know you aren’t in the mood.”
Derek was smiling softly too, relaxed here in a way that he never was outside of the den and around non-pack members.
This, more than anything else, had been what Boyd was looking for and what surprised him the most about Derek. Until he’d joined the pack, he hadn’t known Derek could be soft. Or nurturing. But even as he sat down, Derek was shifting Stiles off his lap and getting Boyd a plate of food—including his favourite cookies. That Derek had baked.
Bringing it over, he shifted Boyd around so he could lean back against Derek’s chest. It was warm, safe, and comforting. It was everything he’d needed after tonight and he could feel an actual tear slip down his face.
“Oh, hey now,” Derek murmured, “I know tonight was hard on you. It’ll only be a few more months and then it’ll be over. I’m sorry,” Derek nuzzled Boyd, scent-marking him.
“I don’t see why we can’t tell Allison, Isaac, Scott, Erica, Jackson, and Lydia they aren’t pack,” Boyd grumbled.
Stiles was now snuggling into Peter’s soft fur, voice somewhat muffled, “You know why. Can you imagine the pouting? The whining? God, the whining. And none of us want to deal with Scott when he finds out Allison isn’t in the pack.”
Boyd thought it was sad that Scott would care more about Allison’s exclusion. Then again, he’d always been the least interested in pack. But he snorted, “I still think Lydia would be the worst.”
“True,” Stiles agreed, “As much as I used to think I loved her–” Stiles ignored Derek’s growl, “–she wouldn’t take not being good enough very well.”
At first, Boyd had thought that Stiles was in the pack because he was Derek’s mate. Then he’d learned that Stiles had been the first to join—before he even knew about being mates and before they’d sorted themselves out and actually mated. Boyd had been glad that he got to witness their mating—it had been beautiful. He’d cried. A lot.
He sighed and relaxed more into Derek’s arms. Being held by his alpha was honestly the best feeling in the world.