Hello, hello!

It's been a long way since we've started and now we're finally at an end. I hope you've enjoy the road we've taken, and that you've found at least something in the pages of this story to inspire you in your lives!

I know it inspired me to change quite a bit of things.

Thank you for being the lovely humans that you are and leaving so many beautiful comments and reviews!

I hope you'll write to me about the overall impression of this story! I love hearing from you guys!

Anyway!

Here it is!

I hope you'll enjoy it!

All my love,

Ms. Yuki

cut

"Where are Stiles and Derek?" John asked as he entered the kitchen and the rest of the pack looked up at them in confusion.

"I made coffee which means Derek's still asleep," Mellissa said. She looked dead on her feet since she returned from the night shift maybe half an hour ago.

"Stiles hasn't come down yet either. Dagda's missing too," Lydia noticed. In the next moment Erica and Isaac exchanged a grin before they jumped up and disappeared from the kitchen.

"What was that?" John muttered and Peter snickered. Not a second later Erica and Isaac were back with huge grins on their faces.

"They're still sleeping. Together!" the spoke in unison and the others grinned.

Deaton chuckled and shook his head. "I guess the pull was too strong."

John looked a bit pale. "The pull?"

"When an alpha chooses their mate and the mate accepts them, their need to bond grows steadily. Usually the bonding is done within a month of the both accepting each other. Stiles has been gone for a year. I thought they would at least wait until the Full Moon since the bond of the alpha mates is stronger if made then," Peter explained, surprising forthcoming with such information and John gulped, inclining his head.

"I don't think they went all the way!" Erica suddenly said while taking a seat at the table, digging into her breakfast with renewed vigor. "It doesn't smell of sex."

"Besides, I think we would have heard them." Isaac shrugged.

"Please tell me we're not discussing my son having sex with my alpha!" John moaned and Peter chuckled while the teens rolled their eyes, and Melissa and Deaton exchanged a smile full of amusement.

"We're not discussing them having sex. We're simply concluding that we would have heard them," Lydia answered matter-of-factly, sitting down and pouring herself a glass of almond soy milk.

"Why am I getting a feeling we've talked about this before?" Peter drawled in amusement and John groaned before he hit his forehead against the table.

"Because we did talk about this before. A few nights before Stiles left," he mumbled and glared at Peter when he clapped him on the back, fingers lingering and trailing lightly along his spine before leaving him completely. Everyone looked towards the doorway when Dagda entered the room.

"Morning, Dagda," Melissa greeted warmly and the coyote walked over to her, preening when she scratched him behind his ears. The woman smiled and patted his head before she offered him a piece of bacon off of her plate. He accepted the treat gratefully, careful as not to bite her fingers with his sharp teeth. "You're a good boy," she said and Dagda straightened proudly, his amazing, sky-blue eyes glimmering. Melissa giggled while the others smiled fondly.

"Morning." Everyone looked up when Derek entered the room. He was dressed in his uniform already, but he still looked dead on his feet. By now the whole pack realized that Derek was practically useless before his first cup of coffee in the morning.

"Morning." The group answered in various ways and tones. A moment later Stiles followed in, hair mussed and yawning while scratching his chest; Dagda growled.

"I'll seal your snout shut," Stiles hissed and Dagda glared at him. He huffed and turned his head away from Stiles who rolled his eyes. A moment later he smiled gratefully at Derek when he handed him a cup of coffee. "You're a life saver," he murmured and drank it as if it was the elixir of life.

"You two slept well?" Erica drawled.

Stiles said and looked at her over the edge of his cup. "I slept great," he spoke in a drawl, "until someone decided it would be fun to slam the door of our room closed after they barged in uninvited." Erica and Isaac blushed heavily, the other teens grinned, the elders of the pack laughed and Derek snickered.

"Didn't know you'd sleep in Derek's room so soon," Jackson teased and Stiles raised an eyebrow at him.

"It would happen eventually, so way drag out the inevitable," Stiles drawled and Jackson rolled his eyes.

"Of course; and it has nothing to do with the fact that you've been pinning after him just as long as he's been pinning after you."

"You know what, Jacks? Sealing Dagda's snout shut wouldn't have much of an effect since we communicate telepathically, but sealing your snout shut would mean much more," Stiles bit out. Jackson frowned at him worry clear in his eyes.

"You can't do that."

Stiles smirked darkly and Jackson tensed up. "You wanna try me?"

"I wouldn't push it too far, Jackson," Peter spoke in amusement. "Stiles was gone for a year and he learned from a lot of people. You never know just what he can do."

"I remember hearing stories about Guardians when I was a child. Some were so powerful they could control the elements," Deaton said and looked at Stiles who shrugged.

"The spark is nothing else but the power of will. If your will is strong enough, there is little that you can't do. Of course, I'm not Harry Potter," Stiles finished his coffee and everyone, even Deaton, gaped when the cup levitated slowly above Stiles hand. With a small flick of his right wrist it flew over to the sink and settled in it. "But I'm not far from him." Stiles smirked and Deaton chuckled.

"Should have known," he muttered while the others slowly got a grip over themselves. "I felt you working on the wards this Sunday. Honestly I was quite surprised at your level of control."

Stiles smiled and tilted his head to the side. "You aren't weak either, Deaton."

The emissary shook his head. "I am nowhere near your level. Besides, I am a mere Druid. There is a big gap in power between a Druid and a Guardian."

Stiles nodded. "Although I do believe that experience counts more than raw power. It wasn't difficult to enhance the wards, but I was hungry as hell after I was done. It's the price of Using."

"You weren't just hungry. You ate three double portions of curly fries, two burgers and a milkshake. I don't remember ever seeing you eat that much." Stiles grinned at John.

"Like I said. I burn fat the moment I see it." Derek chuckled and shook his head.

"I have to go to work," he said and Stiles tilted his head to the side to accept a kiss to the corner of his lips. "See you later." Derek walked out of the room and the others started to get up as well.

"I should hit the sack," Melissa said and smiled at everyone, running a hand through Isaac's hair since he was the closest to her. "I'll see you before I go to work."

"Get some rest," Deaton said and they shared a sweet kiss. "Isaac, Scott. I'll call you in case of emergency. There's no need for all of us to be there when we've handled the supplies yesterday." The two teen wolves nodded and Deaton left.

"We'll see you later, mama-wolf!" Erica said and kissed Stiles' cheek. Boyd nodded, flashing a light smile at him and the two left.

Peter stood up then, pushing in his chair and depositing his cup in the sink. "I should go as well."

"Don't overwork yourself!" Stiles called out and Peter waved at him on his way out. "Jackson, Lydia, do you have something to do today?"

"My parents invited us over. We hadn't seen them in a while," Lydia said and Stiles nodded.

"Which means it'll be just the three of us!" he grinned at Scott and Isaac while Dagda growled at being ignored. Stiles raised an eyebrow at him and the coyote huffed and looked away from him. "Thought so."

"So what will we do?" Isaac asked. His blue eyes were wide and teeming with curiosity, and Stiles was sure that if the teen had a tail he would be wagging it happily.

"We could go for a run. I have some energy to spend." Stiles grinned and the two rolled their eyes.

"Sure," Scott said, hopping on his feet and shaking out his arms with the loveable crooked grin of his.

"What will you do, dad?" Stiles asked as he turned to look at John who appeared to be dozing off in his seat.

John smiled at his son and shrugged. "Get some more sleep. I don't have to go to the station before 2PM."

Stiles nodded and got up. "Let's go then." He hopped in his place, making the others smile at him fondly.

"A fair warning. Stiles can give Derek a run for his money when it comes to running," John said to Isaac and Scott and the two raised eyebrows at him.

"We'll see about that," Isaac drawled and smirked. Stiles returned it equally and chuckled.

"You'll be eating my dust in a second. Coming, Dagda?" the three teens and one coyote walked out of the kitchen. John sighed and shook his head while Lydia and Jackson raised eyebrows at him.

"Is he really that fast?" Lydia asked and John snorted.

"Peter's pretty fast even with me on his back. He could barely keep him in sight."

"Interesting…" Lydia muttered and Jackson raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why do you say that?" he asked and Lydia shrugged.

"It just confirmed a theory of mine." She looked and John. "I don't believe he's purely human anymore." John chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm sure he's still human. He's just special." Lydia hummed and nodded.

"Question is how special?"

cut

"Damn it, Stiles. You almost killed us!" said teen laughed and flopped down on the soft, grassy ground. He threw his arms behind his head, using them as a pillow and ouffed breathlessly when Scott and Isaac, after they took seats on either side of him, threw themselves down with their heads on Stiles' stomach.

"Still human here!" Stiles gasped out and the two snickered.

"You'll live," Scott said. Isaac grinned when Dagda lied down beside him and placed his big head on Isaac's stomach.

"He likes you," Stiles commented and Isaac tilted his head to the side to look at him.

"Really?" Stiles nodded and Isaac looked at Dagda. He placed his hand on the coyote's head and scratched behind his ears. Dagda groaned and wagged his tail, and Isaac grinned.

"How does it feel to be back?" Scott asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

Stiles sighed and smiled. "It feels great. It feels better than I thought it would feel, to be perfectly honest. I didn't expect for all of you to accept me back so lightly."

"What did you expect? We could hardly wait for you to return so that we could show you how hard we worked on changing. We worked hard on becoming a real pack so that when you came back we'd all be able to live together like this. We realized that our differences were what made us stronger. It didn't take us long to see that especially after what happened right before you left. It took us a while to catch a rhythm, but we made it," Scott said and Isaac nodded.

"We did the best we could even though it always felt like something was missing; we were always missing you. I dare say we didn't even know how much we missed you until the first time we had someone come in to challenge us for our territory. It showed us quite realistically that, while we did have Deaton, Peter and Lydia to do research for us, and while we did have Melissa to heal us and Derek to lead us, we were still missing you. You are the only one among us who can really see outside the box. We knew that we would have handled everything better if you were here. Our common denominator; our base. Our heart." Stiles blushed at Isaac's words and closed his eyes.

"I missed you guys too, you know?" he whispered. "Every day. I constantly worried about you. I was really hoping you were growing as a pack; that you were learning how to be a real family. You have no idea how happy I was when I came back and saw you all." He raised eyebrows when the werewolves moved around and Stiles found himself with their heads on his chest and their arms crossed over his stomach.

"We made a lot of mistakes before you left," Scott whispered. "I made a lot of mistakes. I couldn't wait for you to come back to show you how I changed. I couldn't wait for you to come back so that I could be the friend you always deserved for me to be." Stiles raised an eyebrow at Scott.

"We hoped you'd be able to forgive us for how we treated you. We hoped you'd give us a chance to prove to you that we deserve your friendship." Stiles smiled at Isaac's words. He moved his arms from under his head, wrapped them around the two and hugged them tightly.

"Stiles!"

"Not that tight!" the human teen choked out a laugh, and Scott and Isaac tensed up when they smelled tears.

Dagda huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I've forgiven you a long time ago, pups," Stiles whispered. Isaac and Scott exchanged a happy smile. They hugged Stiles back tightly and squeezed their eyes tightly shut.

"Now we can be a real family," Isaac whispered, and Scott and Stiles chuckled.

"Yes, Isaac. Now we can be a real family."

cut

"Hey, Melissa!"

"Stiles! What are you doing here?" the teen grinned at her and pulled her into a hug.

"Deaton told me you overslept and forgot to take your meal with you. Since he was dead on his feet and it's Scott's and Isaac's turn for rounds tonight, I thought I'd bring you something to eat." Melissa smiled lovingly at him.

"Thank you, Stiles. Do you have to go home right away or can you stay with me for a while? I already did my rounds." Stiles grinned at her.

"Not a problem at all." Melissa smiled and led Stiles into the Head Nurses' Office. They took seats at the table and Melissa moaned when she opened one of the plastic boxes Stiles brought and found lasagna in it.

"God, I didn't even know how hungry I was," she moaned and Stiles laughed quietly.

"Isaac, Scott and I came home earlier and Scott said he felt like eating lasagna. I hadn't eaten them in a year and thought I'd see if I remember how to make them."

"They're delicious!" Melissa moaned with her mouth full and Stiles laughed happily.

"Just have your fill. There are some chocolate chip cookies in the other box and some salad in the third one if you want." Melissa quickly opened the box with the salad and grinned at Stiles thankfully.

"You have no idea how happy I am you're back; how happy we all are that you're back." Stiles smiled and nodded.

"I'm starting to see it," he murmured and Melissa looked at him in slight confusion.

"What is it, Stiles?" she asked and Stiles shrugged.

"It's nothing special. I mean – We still had a lot of things to resolve when I left. I thought that when I came back there would be this wall between me and you, and that it would be difficult to cross it, but – but it feels like I never left. Like I've been with you all the time; growing with you, changing with you." Melissa hummed and nodded her head.

"In a way we feel the same," she spoke halting to take another bite of the delicious food before speaking again. "Sure, we missed you daily, but now that you're back it feels like you've never left. There will be arguments, of course. We're a family. Family is meant to make you miserable. But family is also meant to stick together despite everything." Stiles nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. That's what family's for." Melissa smiled at him and returned to her dinner. Stiles smiled for himself and looked out the window at the half moon.

'Family,' he thought and his smile grew bigger, 'sure sounds nice.'

cut

"Just ad next to it that a Daeva can be destroyed in two ways; sunlight and by destroying the item that holds it bound to the mortal world." Lydia nodded and quickly scribbled down Stiles' words.

"So Daeva are shadows?" Jackson asked and leaned over Lydia's shoulder to look at the diary.

"There are a lot of legends about Daeva," Stiles spoke in a matter-of-face tone. "They are in fact evil intent. They can be both summoned from immortal plains or they can be created by a human with the strong enough killing intent."

"Did you ever meet one?" Jackson asked and Stiles shook his head.

"No. But Raja told me that he did have a close encounter with them. They're nasty creatures that move through shadows; hence the sunlight. When faced with a Daeva it's best to produce a lot of light and stick as far away from any shadows as possible." Lydia hummed and nodded.

"Is there anything else you want to add in the diary?"

"I'll think of something," Stiles said and waved Lydia off. The strawberry blonde rolled her eyes and Jackson snorted.

"I bet you're keeping one hell of a lot of information to yourself," Jackson teased and Stiles smirked at him.

"I have to make myself useful else you'll throw me out."

"Never." Stiles looked at Lydia with shock because of the vehement tone of her voice. "You're too important to all of us." Stiles smiled at her fondly.

"I'm just joking, Lyds. I know I belong here."

"Just don't forget that," Jackson warned and Stiles looked at him. "Don't leave again either." Stiles chuckled and rubbed Jackson's head making the other teen swipe at his hand.

"I'm not leaving again, Jacks. Never again."

"You promise?" Lydia asked and Stiles nodded.

"I swear. I'm never leaving again."

cut

"Did you think about what you want to do in the future?" John asked.

It's been ten days since Stiles came back; ten days of getting himself reacquainted with everyone, getting settled, and finding a rhythm within the pack. Ever since the first day, it felt as though he never truly left. To his surprise, everything was going smoothly. It was a bit awkward when it would come to things they did as a pack, but mostly because Stiles didn't know their habits.

The pack was surprised when they realized Stiles spent exactly one hour every day racing through the forest with Dagda, and another hour meditating. It was his routine and he wasn't willing to change it. They also had to get used to the fact that he ate more than a normal human. It embarrassed him when he found out that he ate more than the werewolves even, but the others just laughed and went along with it. The fact that he was happy helping in the kitchen smoothed that out.

They did their best to include Stiles in all the things they did before as a pack, and Stiles was more than happy to join them.

10 days since he came back and he felt more at home than he ever felt in Beacon Hills.

He could see how everyone changed.

Sure, Erica was still a bit bitchy, Lydia was still a know-it-all, Jackson was still a douche, Scott was still a clueless pup, Isaac was still clingy, Derek still had his doubts, Boyd was still as quiet as ever, Peter was still a psychopath, John and Melissa still worked a bit too hard, and Deaton still had moments when he spoke in riddles.

But they changed. They knew their faults; they knew their weaknesses and they accepted them. They recognized each other's strengths and used them to cover their weak spots, and they worked as a team; a pack.

A family.

And even though he came back only 10 days ago, Stiles was feeling like a part of that family; part of the pack.

"Don't know, honestly. I didn't exactly have a chance to finish High School. Thought I'd at least manage to do that on-line, but I was rarely close to a computer so that option was thrown into the wind. Thought I'd finish my last year of high school first, and then see what I can find at the local college. I could study the occult and go into teaching. It would be fun!" Stiles said and John nodded.

"You'd be good at it."

"Wouldn't I? The kids wouldn't know what hit them!" Stiles grinned and the others laughed at his enthusiasm.

"They'd be taught by a Guardian. Sure, they wouldn't know it, but you'd teach them fact and not fiction," Derek said and Stiles snickered.

"I'd have to teach them some fiction. Wouldn't want to create a new generation of hunters," he muttered and the others nodded in agreement.

"You would be able to scout new talents though," Deaton said. "There are very few good Druids in the world." Stiles nodded.

"I might just d-" everyone tensed up when he went quiet and his eyes dulled.

"Stiles?" Derek grabbed the Guardian's shoulder and shook him, receiving no answer.

"Don't bother. Someone just approached our borders," Deaton said and everyone looked at him. Derek looked back at Stiles and let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding when the teen's eyes cleared and he looked up at Derek.

"Something approached our borders. They didn't cross them though," Stiles said.

"What the heck was that?" Jackson snapped, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"My link to the wards," Stiles explained shortly. "I feel nothing else. Dagda?" the coyote got up from where he was napping beside Isaac on the floor. "Go." Dagda nodded and left the living room.

"Someone should-"

"There's no need." Stiles interrupted Derek. "Dagda will go and check the borders. As much as we know whoever is coming in could be waiting along the borders for us. Dagda will be able to tell me how many there are and if he's in danger he'll just run back. They weren't human, and very few supernatural beings can actually outrun Dagda. And besides, we traveled together for over nine months and he can recognize the scent of a lot of supernatural creatures. He'll be able to tell us exactly what we could be dealing with."

"Familiars are sure useful," Lydia muttered and Stiles nodded before he looked at Derek.

"Deaton and I will know immediately if they cross our borders. I'll be able to direct Dagda there to see who they are and how many there are. There's no need to put anyone in danger."

"Well, this makes things a bit easier," Melissa said and relaxed in her armchair. Deaton smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"You're sure taking the Guardian thing seriously," Peter muttered and Stiles snorted.

"I trained to be a Guardian. I have the power and I have the means. I'll sure as hell use it." Stiles said as his eyes met Derek's and the alpha nodded at him.

"Just don't run off on your own."

Stiles rolled his eyes and huffed. "I'm not an idiot. I know my limits, and a Guardian works best with his pack." Derek smiled while the others sat up straighter with pride in their eyes.

"We wait for Dagda's report. Once we know what we're dealing with we'll think of our next move." Everyone nodded at Derek and Stiles smiled.

"Maybe I'll get to join a hunt sooner than I thought." Derek smirked and him, eyes adopting a red tinge.

"Maybe you will."

cut

"It's been two days," Derek muttered. He and Stiles were alone at home. The others were either working or enjoying their time together as couples. John told Derek to stay home. For once the Police Station of Beacon Hills had a calm afternoon.

"Dagda's patrolling the borders. He's alright. He didn't manage to catch them, but he did smell them. It's a werewolf pack. They might be just in passing," Stiles tried to reason, but he had a feeling the pack that was practically knocking on their door wasn't just passing through. The look on Derek's face told him he thought so too.

"And they might be assessing our territory. You said they are circling." Stiles sighed and nodded.

"Don't worry. You're all well trained and I can hold my own ground." Stiles smiled and, almost unwillingly, Derek's shoulders relaxed. "We'll deal with this."

Derek frowned a little but nodded. Stiles tsked and stood up. He walked over to Derek who was sitting in his armchair, gripping the armrests a bit too tightly. Derek's worried frown turned into one of confusion when Stiles took a sideways seat in his lap, took his right hand between his hands and placed it in his lap.

Derek watched as Stiles traced his fingers with the tips of his own. He caressed the lines of Derek's knuckles and the veins jutting out leading to his wrist. He then raised Derek's hand and pushed the fingers of his left hand between his.

"I once read this amusing little analogy," Stiles muttered. "It said that the skin between our fingers can be compared to our weaknesses. When we spread our fingers while trying to do something alone, then our weaknesses are revealed and they can be used against us. But when you take someone's hand, and allow their fingers to cover that skin, just as your fingers cover their own, then those weaknesses are covered." Derek's eyes rested on their entwined fingers. Stiles placed his free hand under Derek's chin and made him look up.

Once their eyes met, Stiles leaned closer and lightly kissed the alpha.

"We're all together now, Derek. All we need to do is stick together and allow the strength of others to cover our weaknesses. Everything else is child's play." Derek chuckled and pecked Stiles' lips.

"When did you get so wise?" Stiles snorted and rested fully on Derek. He sighed when the alpha untangled their fingers and wrapped his arms around Stiles.

"Just about the time you became a damn good alpha." Derek huffed and buried his nose in Stiles' hair.

"You've been eating more," Derek muttered.

"As you know, I haven't been sleeping. I need to get my energy from somewhere."

"Because of your connection with Dagda?" Stiles nodded against Derek's chest and sighed.

"I do worry about him. I love that overgrown pup. I know he's safe, but in a way I feel better if I'm with him." Derek nodded.

"As long as it doesn't weaken you..." Stiles chuckled and fisted his hand on Derek's chest in his cotton shirt.

"I told you. Whether it's eating or sleeping, it makes little difference. I can go without sleep for a week and feel the strain only if I don't eat enough. Of course I'll probably sleep for 12 hours straight once this is over, but I do believe it's a small price to pay." Derek snorted.

"Just don't sleep through the full moon," he growled and Stiles groaned. He tilted his head back to look in Derek's eyes and smiled a bit.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Stiles whispered and Derek kissed his forehead.

"You know I don't mean it like that. There is always the next Full Moon." Stiles huffed and hit Derek's chest.

"Like hell I'm waiting until the next full moon," he grumbled and Derek chuckled. He shifted his arms around Stiles a bit and tightened his hold.

"Would it be easier for you if you meditated? Your body would rest a bit and your mind would still be with Dagda?" Stiles smiled lovingly and tucked his head under Derek's chin.

"I'm not heavy?" Derek rolled his eyes.

"Despite the fact that you practically consume the equivalent of your weight in food every day, no; you're not heavy." Stiles slapped Derek's chest and the alpha laughed quietly. "Meditate. I won't let go." Stiles nodded and closed his eyes.

Derek felt the younger man relax against him. He heard his breathing and heartbeat slow down. He wasn't sleeping. He learned to see the difference between the two patterns.

Derek relaxed in the chair and closed his eyes.

No one would mind if he got some shut eye as well.

And besides, he was sure Stiles would wake him up.

If the others don't come home first, that is. Ever so slowly Derek fell asleep. And neither noticed the small blue creature fluttering outside the window with a small smile on its cute, little, blue face.

cut

Stiles frowned as he walked out of his and Derek's room. He thought he heard a whimper coming from somewhere.

'There it is again.' He walked down the hallway slowly, trying not to make a sound. He stopped in front of Scott's and Isaac's room and his frown deepened when he found the door open part way and those low, painful whimpers coming from inside.

He pushed the door open and his heart clenched when he found Isaac twisting and turning in the sheets that were tangled around his body.

It took Stiles only a moment to realize that Isaac was having a nightmare. He quickly walked over to the bed and slowly took a seat.

"Isaac? Isaac, come on, pup. It's only a bad dream," he spoke as he shook Isaac's shoulder. "Isaac, wake up!" Stiles snapped as he shook the younger teen's shoulder a bit harder. He growled and kneeled on the bed. He lied down behind Isaac, cursing the fact that the younger teen was taller than him, and pulled him against his chest. He managed to get a hold of Isaac's hands and crossed them over his chest, crossing his own arms over Isaac's.

"It's okay, Isaac. It's okay, pup. Calm down. It's only a nightmare. You're safe," he murmured in Isaac's ear. "It's okay. I'm here, pup. They can't hurt you. Nothing can hurt you. I'm here."

Slowly, Isaac started to calm down.

"That's it, Isaac. That's it," Stiles whispered. He raised the arm that wasn't under Isaac, and started to run his fingers through the younger teen's hair. He felt it the moment Isaac woke up.

"Stiles?"

"I'm here," he replied in a whisper and Isaac shivered.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"I'm not sleeping, pup. I'm staying awake so that I can react quickly if Dagda calls. Besides, I doubt I would have heard you if the door of your room wasn't open."

"Scott must have forgotten to close it on his way out. There was an emergency at the clinic and Deaton called him in," Isaac murmured and Stiles smiled.

"Well, I'll remind you to thank him." That startled a laugh out of Isaac. "That's better," Stiles murmured comfortingly and looked around. He frowned when he saw the dream catcher hanging right over Isaac's side of the bed.

'It wasn't just a nightmare. The dream catcher would have stopped it. It was a memory.' He tugged Isaac closer. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Isaac tensed up for a second. A moment later Isaac turned around and buried his face in Stiles' chest. "It was about my dad." Isaac's voice broke and Stiles frowned. He buried his nose in Isaac's hair and kissed him lightly.

"He can never harm you again, Isaac. No one will ever hurt you again." The teen wolf snuggled closer, and after a moment of shifting around Isaac managed to sneak one arm under Stiles and pull him close in a tight hug.

"I hadn't dreamt of him in a while."

"Let me guess; ever since you and Scott started dating?" Isaac raised his head and looked at the dream catcher. Stiles chuckled and made Isaac rest his head on his chest again. "The dream catcher works against nightmares and ill intentions. It doesn't work against memories."

"Oh..." Isaac murmured in a small voice.

"What does work against memories is human contact." Isaac raised his head a little and Stiles smiled down at him. He kissed the younger teen's forehead and tucked his head under his chin. "Go back to sleep, pup. I'm not going anywhere." Isaac smiled for himself, hugged Stiles a bit tighter and closed his eyes.

The measured rise and fall of Stiles' chest and the steady beating of his heart lulled him to sleep pretty quickly.

Stiles raised his head and smiled into the darkness of the hallway. He nodded and Derek nodded right back at him. Stiles wiggled a finger at the alpha and smirked when he heard an amused huff.

Derek walked over to the bed and Stiles raised an eyebrow when he saw that Derek didn't even bother putting a shirt on. Without a word Derek lied down behind Isaac, scooted over and pulled a blanket over all three of them before he threw an arm over the teens.

He kissed Stiles over Isaac's head, nuzzled his nose into his beta's soft hair and closed his eyes. A small smile tugged on his lips when Stiles started to hum. And soon Derek joined Isaac in the land of dreams.

cut

To wake up beside you,
no more from this world do I plead.
To feel every change in you,
to breathe the same air you breathe.

Just to stand beside you in silence,
like a voiceless presence.
To look into your eyes – so vibrant,
as if I will lose you now;
in a moment.

- Enes Kishevich, Like a voiceless presence

cut

"Call in everyone! They're sending a messenger!" Stiles rushed into the living room. Peter, Derek, Lydia, Jackson, Melissa and Deaton stood up quickly. "I told Dagda to come back," Stiles said and Derek nodded.

"Lydia, call everyone back." The strawberry blonde nodded and grabbed her cell before she rushed out of the room.

"Dagda says they're a big pack. I have a feeling I know who they are too."

"Do you want to wait for the others?" Derek asked and Stiles shook his head.

"Dagda saw the alpha on the edge of our territory. I saw him through his eyes. His reputation precedes him."

"Who is he?" Peter asked.

"Alpha Gabriel Severin. What little I've heard about him is that he's from Alaska, and his traveling around North America looking for werewolf packs. Once he finds them he challenges the Alpha, kills him and enslaves the betas, forcing them into his pack. Those who don't obey him, those who don't submit to him, he has them killed. Dagda doesn't know their exact numbers, but he smelled a lot of them." Derek looked at everyone before he looked at Stiles.

The teen stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a thoughtful frown on his face.

"What do you suggest we do?" Derek asked and Stiles looked at him. For a moment there was surprise on his face, but a second later he smiled and shrugged.

"I say we play dumb. Dagda ran forward and the messenger should be here in an hour and a half tops. The others will be back by then. They may be a bigger pack, but that means little."

"I've heard of him as well," Deaton said. "Alpha Severin has no humans in his pack, and I know he killed the Emissary of his Pack a long time ago. If he indeed forces the betas to obedience then they are not a united pack. We can handle them." Stiles nodded.

"So we wait for the messenger, hear what they have to say and prepare for a long night," Stiles summarized and the alpha of the Hale pack nodded lightly turning towards their elders.

"It's the Full Moon tonight," Derek said, looking at John, Deaton and Mellissa. "Do you want to go out with us or stay behind?"

"Of course we're going with you." Lydia snapped when she entered the room again and the other humans smirked. "They are trying to break into our territory. Like hell we're going to sit back and wait for you to come home."

"What she said," John said and smirked at Stiles. The teen chuckled while Derek smiled.

"You fit for a hunt?" he asked Stiles and the teen snorted.

"Please; like I'll let you have all the fun. And besides, it's the full moon tonight. Werewolves are not the only ones who grow stronger during the full moon." He smirked and his eyes glimmered like sparks of fire. Derek nodded and looked at Lydia.

"They'll be here in half an hour," she said.

Stiles walked over to the couch and flopped down.

"Well then." He threw his arms behind his head and relaxed in the armchair before he grinned at everyone. "Now we wait!"

cut

Derek looked to his left at Stiles. The teen looked perfectly calm. One might say he looked bored even.

The Alpha could feel the rest of the pack behind them. John, Melissa, Lydia and Deaton stood directly behind Stiles and Derek. Next to John stood Peter, Scott and Isaac on one side with Jackson and Boyd on the other. Dagda was sitting beside Stiles' legs to his left, and the Guardian's left hand was resting on Dagda's head. In front of them was the messenger.

It was a man seemingly in his late forties. He was just as tall as Derek if a little weaker, and his copper colored hair had a few graying strands scattered through it. His brown eyes were dull and his lips were pulled into a thin line.

"Alpha Hale?" he spoke in a gruff, raspy voice. Derek nodded at him. "Alpha Severin requests you to surrender your territory, yourself and your pack. He requests you either submit to him or fight him."

"You can tell Alpha Severin that neither my pack nor I will submit to him." The man's eyes glimmered and he gulped.

"We count over twenty betas," the Messenger growled a warning. "You don't stand a chance. Alpha Severin will kill you and your pack. You have only seven werewolves, counting yourself. We are all werewolves. You should submit and the deaths of your human members might be quick."

Derek raised an eyebrow at him before he looked at Stiles. The teen shrugged and rubbed Dagda's head behind his ears. Derek smirked before he looked at the Messenger again.

"You can tell your Alpha that we will defend our territory. He can either pull back or face us in battle; his choice. We will know the moment you cross the boundaries." The Messenger looked at Stiles and the Guardian looked straight in his eyes.

"You stand in the place of the mate," the Messenger said and looked at Derek who simply raised an eyebrow at him. "You are more foolish than I thought. You not only chose a human mate, but a male human mate."

"Got a problem with that?" the Messenger looked at Stiles whose eyes shone like fire. The Messenger frowned and unconsciously took a small step back.

"Go back to your Alpha. We're not submitting to anyone," Derek said. The Messenger swallowed, nodded and disappeared in a flash.

"So." Derek looked at Stiles and a shiver ran down his body at the shadows that danced in Stiles' eyes.

"We better get ready," the Guarding growled, and his eyes glowed like fire. "Tonight we hunt."

cut

"Stiles, you want one of these?" Lydia asked the teen when he came back into the living room where everyone was getting ready with his duffle-bag.

"Nah." He smiled at Lydia. "I have my own," he said and placed the bag on the ground beside the table where different guns, knives and crossbows were ready for Deaton, John, Lydia and Melissa. Everyone looked at Stiles when the teen pulled out a pair of short knives in thigh-holsters, another pair of knives in forearm-holsters, and a colt similar to the one John hand. He flipped it open and hummed when he saw that all the bullets were in.

"You won't take more bullets?" Melissa asked worriedly and Stiles smiled at her.

"This is a last resort," Stiles said and tucked the colt into the back of his trousers. "I'm fonder of the direct approach." He pulled out one of the knives and flipped it in his hand expertly. It glimmered and Deaton chuckled.

"The blades are coated in mountain ash." Stiles smirked at the Emissary.

"The ones in thigh-holsters are. The other two are made from silver and aluminum, and the juice of the white mistletoe was added in the mix before they were left to harden and then forged, and they are coated in wolfsbane. The bullets in the colt also have wolfsbane and mountain ash in them."

"You sure go all out," Jackson muttered and Stiles snickered.

"I know how to fight my battles," Stiles said and stood up, quickly fastening the holsters where they belonged. Dagda growled and Stiles chuckled when he turned to look at him.

"How the heck did he get the book off the shelf?" Derek asked when he saw Stiles' book in Dagda's jaws, and Stiles chuckled.

"I took it down and forgot to take it with me," he said and Derek rolled his eyes while Dagda carried to book over to Stiles. The teen took it and patted Dagda's head.

"That's the Lemegeton," Deaton gasped and Stiles grinned at him. "How did you manage-"

"Does it really matter?" Stiles drawled, winking at his stunned family.

Deaton laughed quietly and the others raised eyebrows at Stiles. Dagda nipped on Stiles' fingers gently and whined.

"'Course I'm taking you with me," Stiles grumbled and Dagda grinned at him with his tongue hanging on the side.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Isaac asked while Stiles took a seat on the couch. He waved his hand over the book and a red seal swam onto the surface. Stiles opened it and started flipping through the pages quickly.

"He'll be alright," he muttered distractedly.

"But it's the full moon tonight and we are all bigger than Dagda!" Isaac insisted, worried about the coyote.

"You're forgetting that Dagda and I fought werewolves before. Sure, this time there are more, and I bet most of them are angry as fuck, but Dagda can handle it," Stiles said and Dagda all but doubled in size at Stiles' words. "A-ha! Found it!" Stiles stood up, "Are you all ready?" he looked around.

"As ready as we can be," Derek said and Stiles nodded before he grinned.

"Wanna see something cool?"

"You're gonna do magic?" Scott asked and hopped in his place like an excited pup, dancing over to Stiles' side.

"This I gotta see!" Erica gushed and Stiles practically skipped out of the house, followed by the others. They followed Stiles to the clearing behind the house.

The sun was setting and the moon would rise in just a few moments. Dagda hopped around Stiles while the teen walked over into the middle of the clearing. He looked up at the setting Sun, shielding his eyes with the book before he did a 180 turn and looked at the slowly appearing full moon.

"Just about right," he said softly. While the others observed in open curiosity, Dagda walked beside Stiles, brushing against his leg as he moved to stand in front of him, with his back turned on the pack.

Everyone tensed up when Stiles took a deep breath, closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. He kneeled and put the book on the ground before he stood up again and raised his hands, placing them directly above the book.

Night was slowly falling and the whole pack shivered when complete silence settled over the clearing. With a gust of wind Stiles' clothes were ruffled and his wide red shirt started to dance around his body as the book rose to hover in front of Stiles. He opened his eyes and the pack gasped in a collective breath when they saw the shadows and fire dancing in those out-worldly orbs.

The last rays of the sun flashed over the trees, and the moon shone in its full glory as Stiles' lips started to move. No one could hear what he was saying. He was speaking in a breathless whisper and the words spilled from his lips too fast for anyone to pick up. The book was trembling in front of him and Dagda straightened to his full height.

In the next moment the coyote growled and bowed his head. A wave of power broke from Stiles, and a strong wind started to dance around Dagda. The werewolves and humans gasped when they heard the sound of bones breaking and shifting, and their eyes widened when in front of them Dagda seemed to grow. With each passing second the coyote grew more and more.

With a final burst of wind and a sharp intake of breath everything stopped and Stiles caught to book before it could meet the ground. Dagda shook his whole body before he looked around. He growled in approval and Stiles snorted in obvious amusement.

He was a bit breathless and it looked as though slightly dark circles appeared under his eyes, but he also seemed strangely energized.

"Top that Harry Potter!" Stiles pressed out while Dagda grinned and both looked at the pack.

Right now, Dagda was easily Derek's size, if a bit slimmer.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Peter muttered and Stiles snickered as he walked over to stand right beside Dagda. He patted the huge coyote's neck before he shivered and looked towards the forest. A moment later the Pixies that lived with them flew out and started to twist and turn around Stiles.

"They were attracted by your spark," Deaton said.

"That and they want to join us," Stiles commented in a slightly strained voice.

"You can understand them?" Isaac asked.

"No," Stiles answered and gifted Isaac with a small grin, "but Dagda can." One of the Pixies flew up to Stiles and settled in his hair. It grabbed a few strands and Stiles chuckled.

"Every man counts, I guess," he said and grinned at everyone. Derek looked at him fondly and stepped out. He walked over to Stiles, Dagda and the Pixies and Stiles tilted his head to the side with a calm expression on his face.

"This is their home too," Derek said and the Pixies grinned at him, showing lines of little sharp teeth. "They are entitled to protect it just as much as we are." A moment later Stiles and Deaton tensed up.

Derek frowned at Stiles and the teen nodded.

"They've entered out territory. They've declared war," Stiles said. Derek turned to look at the pack and found six sets of glowing eyes gazing at him with determination. The human members of the pack raised their weapons of choice and Derek nodded as his eyes turned red.

"Tonight we hunt!"

cut

Alpha Gabriel Severin stopped in his tracks and howled onto the full moon. His pack stopped and 23 wolves of all colors and sizes looked around in confusion.

"What is this?" Severin roared and his red eyes flashed madly. A moment later, from the darkness of the forest stepped out seven fully shifted werewolves. Four of them had humans riding their backs, and each human had either a crossbow or guns in their hands.

Derek stepped forward followed by Stiles riding Dagda, standing to Derek's left, with Erica beside him and Scott to Derek's right.

"One last chance," Derek growled threateningly. "Leave our territory." Alpha Severin bowed his head, studying Derek with madness in his eyes. He looked at Stiles who hummed and leaned forward a bit to rub Dagda's head between his ears.

"That is not a werewolf," Severin growled and Dagda huffed as if offended. Derek shot Stiles a small glance and the Guardian smirked.

"He is my familiar," Stiles said and Severin huffed in amusement.

"So you're not just human. Should have guessed. Your stench is all over the forest. It will take years for it to fade."

"What makes you think I'll allow it to fade?" Stiles drawled and Severin threw his huge wolf head back and laughed.

"Your pack has only 7 wolves. Your humans may be good at shooting, but we are werewolves. They can't hope to kill us all. And you; a little witch with a big familiar. Just because you know a few spells doesn't mean you're a real witch. You're a child; a child that got involved into something he can't possibly come out of alive."

He looked at Derek who bared his sharp teeth at him.

"If you were stupid enough to choose him as your mate, you should have made sure to change him; he'd be more useful as a wolf. Or were you afraid he wouldn't survive? Then you should have made him stay home tonight, although that would only prolong his suffering. You hadn't even claimed him yet." Severin looked at Stiles and the younger man frowned darkly.

"Stiles."

"Derek." The two exchanged a glance, and a moment later Derek sighed and rolled his eyes.

"First and foremost, I'm not a witch." Stiles shivered at that, and the Severin Pack looked at him in confusion. "Second, the claim was laid. I was away for a year and this is the first full moon since I came back. Third, you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were if you think that just because there are more betas standing behind you with questionable loyalties you'll be able to win here."

"What are you if not a witch?"

"Harry Potter!" Isaac shouted from behind Stiles and everyone but Derek snickered. The alpha of the Hale Pack rolled his eyes with amusement shining in them.

"You dare make fun of us?" Gabriel roared and Stiles raised an eyebrow at him.

"You come onto our territory thinking you could just kill us off and calmly settle here, when you're nothing but a wanna-be-alpha of a mismatched group of betas you forced under threat of death to serve you," Stiles rambled seemingly stunned by Severin's stupidity. "You're lucky I'm too busy trying not to laugh at you to think of a few good dog jokes."

"Trust me. He has plenty of those," Derek grumbled and Stiles smirked at him.

"You wanna end up in the dog house?"

"See? Told you-"

"ENOUGH!" Gabriel thundered. "Either you will submit or you will all die!" a threatening growl rumbled in Derek's chest as his eyes glowed.

"I don't feel like submitting to a maniac," Lydia said in an almost bored tone.

Jackson grumbled from under her. "Ditto."

"We have better things to do than follow a psychopath."

"Hey!" Peter snapped at Isaac who only gave a lopsided grin in apology. "Don't offend me by putting us into the same category!"

"There's only one alpha we will ever submit to," Boyd growled, eyes flashing and teeth bared.

Erica agreed with her mate. "And it will never be a psycho-maniac like you."

"Guys, I'd like to be home before morning. I'm working the afternoon shift tomorrow," Melissa called out to everyone, looking at her watch with a slightly peeved expression.

"Thanks for reminding me. I'm supposed to be at the station in the morning. I don't have time to submit to a megalomaniac." John agreed while rolling his shoulders.

With each word spoken by the members of the Hale Pack Gabriel grew angrier while his betas looked at the opposing pack with shock written over their faces.

"I do believe that we all agree on this?" Stiles questioned and looked around.

"You know it, mama-wolf!"

"We're too busy to submit," Scott growled. Derek and Stiles shared a smirk and the alpha nodded.

"You've had your answer," Derek rumbled.

Gabriel growled and his eyes flashed insanely. "Kill them! Kill them all!"

Bloodthirsty howls echoed through the night as the Severin Pack charged forward.

"SCATTER!" Derek snapped and his pack shot outward, ducking into familiar woods. The werewolves howled in excitement while the humans smirked.

"Stiles!"

"On it!" while the Hale Pack disappeared into the forest running to their positions, the Severin Pack tried to follow them. Stiles snickered when he found four wolves following him. He knew Gabriel was keeping to the back, waiting for his betas to tire their enemies so that he could kill Derek in the end. The werewolves were shocked when countless silvery lines appeared from nowhere.

"Run straight!" Stiles snapped at Dagda and the coyote howled as Stiles straightened on his back. He was holding onto Dagda with his strong thighs as he spread his arms to the sides and grabbed two strings.

With a dark grin on his face, Stiles tore the strings he was holding apart, and a moment later, two out of four wolves chasing after him found themselves impaled on roots. At the same time, pain-filled howls echoed through the night. The remaining invading wolves charged forward trying to catch Stiles.

"Now!" Dagda came to a sharp stop just as Stiles lied low on his back, and pulled the knives from their thigh-holsters. Just as Dagda turned around the two werewolves jumped at Stiles. To their surprise, Stiles jumped high into the air.

A moment later the two werewolves fell on the ground with knives sticking out of their heads. Stiles landed on his feet and looked up just as Dagda trudged over to him. Stiles raised his hands and the knives flew over to him. He holstered them again and, without a word, jumped on Dagda's back.

"Let's go. We need to meet up with the others." Dagda grunted before he threw his head back and howled.

Stiles' grin grew sinister when seven howls answered him.

'I might just grow used to this.'

cut

John rolled to the side as Peter jumped up and bit the wolf from the enemy pack, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. John fired three shots and killed the other two wolves. A moment later Scott and Erica burst out of the forest and killed two more of them.

"We're going to have a nice big bonfire tonight," Peter commented.

"Stiles' spell killed a few. We just passed through his area and found four dead Wolves. Two were impaled on the routes, and Stiles killed two more." Erica counted.

They looked up when they heard Isaac's and Boyd's howls, soon joined by Jackson's and Derek's.

"Seems we're winning," John muttered with a small smirk.

"We should meet up with everyone," Scott said.

"Let's go," Peter agreed. "Can't let them have all the fun."

cut

Derek howled into the night.

He could feel it.

He could feel the Pack.

They were all alright.

This was their territory and they knew how to use it to their advantage.

There was no way for the Severin Pack to win.

There was no way for Gabriel to win.

"Derek!" The alpha looked to the side when Stiles and Dagda jumped out of the darkness of the forest to run beside him. "The pack took care of their targets. The Pixies are taking care of everyone else and they are holding those who escaped with injuries prisoner." Derek nodded, and he and Dagda jumped over a big tree trunk that appeared in their way.

"Can you feel Severin?"

"He's running in front of us, south-east. I'd bet my knives he's trying to see just how much of his pack is left." Derek grunted and they changed their direction chasing after Severin.

Derek smirked for himself and howled when he felt his pack approaching. Soon enough they were running in a line behind him. He spared them a glance and noticed that Melissa, Lydia and Deaton were missing.

"They're with the Pixies making sure our prisoners don't try anything funny!" John called out and Derek nodded.

"Severin is mine," Derek growled and Stiles laughed brightly.

"He's all yours, Big Bad!" Derek grinned and they ran onto a clearing just as Severin ran out of the forest. He crouched low and growled at Derek.

The alpha of the Hale Pack stepped forward while the others stopped at the line of the woods. Stiles jumped off of Dagda and walked forward a bit while the huge coyote lied down on the grass behind him.

"You killed my pack!" Severin spat and Derek bowed his head, his red eyes glimmering with a clear threat.

"They were killed because they weren't a real pack. They fought us because they feared your retribution. Some survived and they will be dealt with in our way." Gabriel growled and snapped his teeth at Derek, who didn't even flinch.

They were equally matched in height and strength, although - compared to Severin - Derek was more on the lithe side.

"I will kill you, Derek Hale," Gabriel rumbled. "I will kill you and then force your wolves into submission, and after that I'll make them kill your humans." Derek growled and crouched lower to the ground. The full moon shone down on them, painting Derek's black fur with silvery strands.

As if on cue the two alphas charged at each other.

Stiles stood in the back with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes focused on Derek. He could feel adrenalin coursing through his veins and his fingers were itching to just take the gun and kill the insane alpha. He wanted to kill him and get it all over with.

He wanted to finish it and finally, finally have what he wanted for over a year. He watched as Derek used his slighter form to his advantage; how he used his speed to outsmart Gabriel. The big, bulky, brown furred alpha was getting angrier by the second.

The corner of Stiles' lips twitched when Severin managed to get a swipe at Derek, his claws digging into Derek's back, but the black alpha gave back as much, if not even more than he received. Severin found himself thrown back with several deep claw marks gouged into his chest, his own blood decorating brown fur.

Derek straightened proudly, his red eyes gazing at Severin with a clear warning.

Stiles wanted so much to shift his weight, speak, move, breathe, do something; but he was holding himself back. There was a need to stand beside Derek; stand beside his alpha. It was the need to fight beside him and for him. It was the need to make sure his pack never had to deal with Severin again. It was the need to prove to his alpha, his betas - his pack that he was their Guardian.

It happened in a second.

Stiles felt the moment Severin's eyes turn on him. He felt the shift in the air when the huge alpha rushed at him. He felt a stronger rush of adrenaline surge through his veins as the Spark awakened.

The Pack was frozen to their places.

Derek's breath hitched in his throat.

He heard Severin's maniacal laughter as the alpha rushed towards Stiles.

'It's alright.' Derek shivered when Stiles smirked as he took a step forward and lowered his hands. A wave of something scorching hot ran through Derek's body as the younger man's eyes glowed like fire.

Severin jumped into the air and Stiles broke into a run. Just as Severin was about to land on him, Stiles dropped and rolled to the side. Before Severin even realized what was going on, Stiles jumped on his back, his blades slipped from their forearm-holsters and the young Guardian embedded them in the werewolf's neck. He jumped and landed in a crouch just as Severin hit the ground, gurgling and trying to heal around the blades.

Stiles shook his head and watched with the same burning eyes, he watched the dark red liquid spread over the earth as the alpha twitched, and felt the deep thrum of satisfaction settle heavy in his abdomen. Death didn't come for Severin right away but it was still faster than Stiles would have liked.

He looked over his left shoulder when he felt Derek approach him. Stiles smiled and raised his hand to pat Derek's snout chuckling when Derek licked his hand and looked at the rest of the pack. They were staring at Stiles in complete fascination, their eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

"We need to deal with those who survived," Derek rumbled and Stiles looked at him. He could see it in Derek's eyes.

The same need.

The same anxiousness.

"We can take care of them." Stiles looked at Peter when he spoke up.

"Come on. We need to do it as soon as possible," Deaton agreed with Peter, and while the other betas stared at them in confusion, Derek nodded at the two men and Stiles bowed his head to hide the excited grin. Everyone looked up when those silvery strings appeared around them.

Stiles raised his right hand and took a hold of one. With a determined thug it broke, and Severin burst into flames.

"The bodies will burn completely." Stiles' voice was strained and wavering.

He could hardly hold it in anymore. His whole body was wrecked with shivers, his blood was coursing through his veins, something was gathering in his chest, and his heart was beating up a storm, and he was sure everyone could hear it.

"We'll be right behind you," Derek growled. Dagda huffed and stood up. He walked into the forest grumbling something as he disappeared.

Stiles looked up a bit and his eyes met John's.

"Okay, kiddies! Let's move it! Some of us have to get up early!" John blurted out, blushing when he saw the expression on his son's face, and he and Peter left.

Jackson was about to say something, but Derek growled and almost as one the other wolves turned around.

"Don't take too long!" Isaac shouted as they disappeared in the darkness of the woods.

Stiles chuckled and Derek looked at him. The teen started walking towards the middle of the clearing and Derek frowned when Stiles' forearm-holsters met the ground. The thigh-holsters followed soon after, and Derek growled when Stiles tugged off his red shirt before both the shirt and the colt joined the holsters.

The full moon was right above them, shining brightly as its magic worked its way into their very souls. Derek took a small step forward and Stiles threw him a glance over his right shoulder.

"See you." Stiles' whisper was carried over to Derek on the wind, and a moment later Stiles broke into a run, disappearing in the forest in the opposite direction of where their pack was.

In that moment something in Derek burst.

He ran after Stiles, the thrill of the hunt making his mind come into sharp focus. He could feel something growing inside him, filling his lungs, his bones, his muscles with anticipation and excitement. He caught sight of pale, glowing skin, and the scent that lingered in the air made him run faster.

There were no thoughts, no worries plaguing his mind.

There was only the need.

The need to claim, and mark, and possess. Excited laughter filled the air and Derek grinned. He threw his head back and howled onto the full moon. Stiles grinned as he tried to run even faster. He wanted to stop. He wanted to stop and just give in but the thrill of the chase took over. He couldn't stop. He had to keep on running.

All of a sudden he met the ground when a heavy, warm, furry body slammed into him. They rolled down a hill together and Stiles yelped when they broke water surface. They swam over to the shore and Stiles crawled on all fours forward before he turned around and sat down, leaning back on his hands. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened, his mouth watering at the sight in front of him

It was not the wolf that came out of the lake, but the man.

And heavens there were no words to describe him.

Derek looked up, his red eyes focusing on Stiles immediately. His jeans clung to his long, lean legs, his white undershirt followed the lean muscles of his stomach and chest, and the water droplets glimmered on Stiles' skin like liquid moonlight.

He crawled over to Stiles on all fours, hearing the hitch in Stiles' breath and the insane beating of his heart. He moved in between Stiles parted legs and the teen lied back on the grassy ground as Derek loomed over him.

The werewolf bowed down and licked a drop of water off of Stiles' lips. "Mine." The rumble that rolled off of his lips was neither human nor wolf like, and it sent another shiver down Stiles' body, making him forget about breathing all together. He reached up with a shaky hand and cupped Derek's cheek. His lips quivered against Derek's and a needy moan escaped him.

The alpha deepened the kiss and gripped Stiles' thighs with a bruising force. They parted and Stiles looked in Derek's eyes.

"Make me yours." Stiles' breath hitched in his throat when Derek slammed his lips against his and pushed him down against the ground. Whatever sane thought was left flew right into the four winds as Stiles entangled his fingers in Derek's hair and pulled him closer.

His muscles twitched under Derek's touch as the alpha pushed his hands under Stiles' shirt. They parted for the second it took to practically rip the shirt off of Stiles, and Derek dove right back in. He bit into Stiles' shoulder hard enough to leave a mark, but not to pierce skin. He moved back and pulled Stiles into his lap.

The teen threw his head back in a breathless gasp at the friction. His already tight jeans were growing tighter with each passing second, and the feeling of Derek's hands and mouth on his skin, his warmth surrounding him, made him feel as though he would burst any second.

He yelped when Derek laid him back on the ground and ripped his jeans off of him.

"I'll buy you new ones," Derek growled before Stiles could complain. He chuckled only to groan when Derek grabbed his cock and tugged, making breath hitch in Stiles' throat and his eyes roll back. He hissed when Derek bit into one hard nipple and Stiles arched closer to him. He winced and shivered when he felt Derek's finger rub against his entrance.

"Fuck, I f-"

"My jeans – right back pocket," Stiles gasped. Without questioning him Derek grabbed the jeans he discarded to the side moments earlier, and snorted when he found a tube of lube where Stiles said it was. The teen smirked at Derek when he leaned over him and kissed him, biting into Stiles' full bottom lip.

"I won't even ask." Derek growled as he ground against Stiles, holding back the growls that wanted to escape his throat when the teen moved up against him, creating that sweet, sweet, agonizingly delicious friction both yearned for so much.

"Don't ask – do."

Derek growled and Stiles was suddenly flipped over on all fours.

Whatever he wanted to say melted into a moan when he felt a sleeked up finger rub against his entrance and Derek's lips and tongue traced the tattoo on his back. He bucked back and groaned when Derek pushed his finger all the way in and slowly started to move it in and out.

Stiles whimpered and buried his face in his crossed arms when Derek reached under him and started to stroke his dick in time with his thrusts. He laid kisses and nips all over Stiles' back, enjoying the twitching of the defined muscles under his lips.

Stiles moaned in displeasure when Derek let go of his cock and his fingers left him only to choke and tense up when he felt something much bigger push against his entrance.

He shivered when Derek leaned over him and kissed the nape of his neck before he moved on to the scars on his shoulder.

"Just breathe." And with one swift thrust he buried himself deep inside Stiles. He wrapped one arm around Stiles' waist as he kissed lovingly down his back, both distracting himself from the immense need to just pound into the tight heat, and giving Stiles time to adjust.

"Damn it, Derek, move!" Stiles blurted out and Derek could do nothing but obey. Slow, measured thrusts soon turned to quick and harsh ones, and the grunts of pain soon turned into breathless moans and sighs of pleasure.

Stiles' breath hitched in his throat when Derek pulled out of him and turned him on his back, only to enter him quickly again. Stiles arched closer to him, wrapping his legs around Derek's waist. In that moment light flashed behind his eyes and Derek smirked.

'Found it.' With deep, hard thrusts he kept on hitting Stiles' prostate, trying as hard as he could to fight against the need to bite and claim. He wanted to prolong this for as long as possible.

It felt better than he ever thought it would feel.

If he ever thought he would feel complete just by having the younger man beside him, he couldn't have been more wrong.

Every fiber of his being was on fire.

It was like he could feel the other man on an entirely different level.

His breath hitched in his throat when Stiles' warm, shivering hands cupped his face and their eyes met. The teen pulled him into a kiss and a pulse of incredible power surged through their bodies. They parted and Derek buried his face in Stiles' neck, feeling the Guardian wrap his arms around his shoulders.

"Just let go, Derek." Stiles whispered in his ear and Derek squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "Just let go."

Derek's eyes snapped open, glowing bright red, and his teeth grew.

He could feel Stiles was just as close as he was.

In the next moment Stiles' fingers dug into his shoulders, the already tight heat around him grew even tighter and Stiles threw his head back in a breathless scream. Without sparing a single thought to it, Derek bit into Stiles' shoulder.

And in that second, that single moment in time, everything snapped into place.

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Nine Years Later

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Stiles heaved a heavy sigh as he entered the Hale House. He didn't even have the strength to call out. He simply allowed his bag to fall on the ground and made his way straight for the kitchen.

With the last atoms of strength he forced himself to push the button on the coffee machine. He leaned on the counter on his arms and bowed his head heavily.

A low, tired chuckle escaped his lips when he felt two strong arms wrap themselves around his waist, and a loving kiss was placed on the nape of his neck.

"You need to rest," Derek's gruff voice sent a shiver down Stiles' spine.

"I will rest when we're all home again and when I manage to figure out who's sniffling around our borders." Derek chuckled and pulled Stiles around.

The younger man wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulders, buried his face in Derek's neck, and the alpha kissed the crown of his head.

"Erica and Boyd will be home in an hour. Isaac and Scott should come back from their vacation tomorrow. Your dad and Peter sent a postcard yesterday from Puerto Rico saying they'll come back before the new moon. Lydia and Jackson can't travel because of little Jessica yet, and Deaton and Melissa will be home once they're done with their shifts. Stop worrying so much. We've handled everything we've faced in the past ten years without any real problems. Now is not any different. Dagda is keeping watch over our borders, and you know nothing gets past him."

"I just – I just have a feeling I'm forgetting something, Derek. Something important," Stiles sighed and moved back a little. Derek raised an eyebrow at him, and his lips tilted into a small smile.

"We don't have another birthday coming up in a few months, and our anniversary is in less than a month. Trust me, if you were forgetting about something someone would remind you." Stiles huffed, trying to hide a smile, and slapped Derek's chest.

"Know it all," Stiles muttered and Derek chuckled.

"Come on. You don't need that," Derek spoke as he led Stiles away from the coffee machine. "What you need is sleep."

"Derek-"

"No."

"But I-"

"No!"

"Derek."

"No." Derek closed the door of their room and Stiles turned to look at him. "Stiles, you're dead on your feet. No matter what I did you somehow managed to go ten days without sleep. Now, everything would be better if you were eating normally, but because of the exams you're not eating right. You need to rest." Stiles sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hands.

"I know." He sighed and took a seat on their bed. He looked up and Derek smiled at him lovingly. Stiles chuckled and shook his head. "Come 'ere, Sheriff." Derek rolled his eyes and walked over to the bed.

Within minutes they settled in each other's arms, with Stiles resting his head on Derek's chest, sighing and closing his eyes.

"No meditation. You know I can tell the difference." Stiles chuckled and kissed Derek's chest, right over his heart.

"Sure. Wake me up in an hour." Derek snorted.

"Sure."

Stiles was asleep before long.

Derek sighed and closed his eyes as well for a moment. Sometimes it was hard for him to believe just how much things changed. A little over ten years ago if anyone told him he would have a real pack again, a mate that he would do anything for, and that he would be the new Sheriff of Beacon Hills, he would have laughed at them.

But it sure was so.

After Derek and Stiles mated things started falling into place.

Lydia went to MIT, It was a difficult time for her and Jackson but the pack did their best to help them. They visited her as often as their jobs allowed them to, and she came back for holidays. Stiles finished his last year of high school and signed up for the local college. He was top in his class and started teaching at that same college after his old professor retired.

Jackson ended up studying forensics, He concluded that being a Sheriff was too tiresome. Erica opened her own flower shop and it was a hit. She loved her job and it was easy to see that. Boyd opened up his own work shop as well and he even had two kids working for him now.

Peter quit his job at the local Library around the time John decided to resign from the force. They decided to travel the world for a while. Every now and then they'd send something they bought or a postcard telling the pack where they were at the moment.

Deaton and Melissa got married. It wasn't that big of a surprise, really. Melissa became Head Nurse and Deaton continued worked at the clinic, but Isaac and Scott took over most of the job.

Lydia and Jackson tied the knot a year after they finished college. Their six month old daughter, Jessica, was a perfect little jewel. Sadly, she caught a cold while they were visiting Jackson's parents in Florida and they didn't dare travel with her until she got better.

All in all, life was good at Beacon Hills.

At least it was good until Stiles felt someone sniffing around their borders.

That was ten days ago. Dagda was constantly keeping watch along the borders, and Stiles was with him through their bond, which meant he didn't sleep. Whoever it was, they were smart. They never entered their territory which meant they couldn't take action. They simply lingered just outside and that made Stiles nervous.

Usually it was Derek who paced the rooms when they'd be facing a threat. Usually it was Derek who would worry about everyone. Usually he would call everyone in and make sure they were all together. For some reason, this time Derek was actually calm.

Something was telling him they weren't in any real danger.

However it was, they would face it together, just like they faced everyone and everything else that stumbled upon them. They would face it as a real pack.

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Stiles sighed as he rubbed his face. He stood on the porch of their home, looking into the darkness of the forest. The whole pack was finally home. Stiles felt himself relax the moment Lydia, Jackson and their little treasure Jessica walked through the door.

He summoned Dagda back as well.

Whoever was circling their territory for the past two weeks seemed to have pulled back.

'So why am I still restless?'

"Mama-wolf?" Stiles turned on his heel quickly, and smiled at Erica and Isaac.

"Is something wrong?" Isaac asked and took a step closer to Stiles. The Guardian sighed and shook his head. He pulled Isaac into a one-armed hug before he waved Erica over and they made their way back into the house.

"Just thinking, pup. Nothing special."

"Derek told us about this threat you've been feeling for the past couple weeks,." John said as Stiles took a seat on the couch with Erica and Isaac nuzzling up against him.

"Not a threat exactly. Whatever it was it never passed our borders."

"So basically, you worried for nothing."

"Better safe than sorry,." Stiles countered Jackson who rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't matter. We're all together again now. Whatever it is, we'll handle it,." Scott said and Stiles smiled at him.

"Sure."

"We should all go to bed now. Some of us have work to do in the morning," Melissa said and stood up. Stiles sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"You guys go. I'll stay down here and read a book for a while," he murmured. "I'm still a bit tense."

"I'll go take a shower and join you," Derek said and kissed Stiles lightly on the lips before he left. Stiles watched him leave with a small smile on his lips.

"Sometimes I still find it hard to believe you two are together," Scott said and Stiles looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Scott smirked at him and shrugged. "Remember when we first met?" Stiles chuckled and shook his head.

"We've all come a long way," he commented. John smiled and squeezed Peter's hand. Lydia looked at her sleeping baby girl and leaned on Jackson's shoulder. Erica smiled at Boyd lovingly, and Isaac grinned at Scott.

They came a long way.

They still fought and argued from time to time. They are still different.

But at the end of the day they are family; they are Pack.

And nothing can get in the way of that.

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Stiles and Derek both looked up when they heard something knock against the window of the living room.

"The Pixies?" Stiles muttered and stood up, closely followed by Derek. The small, blue creature waved at them to come out. Stiles looked at Derek and the alpha nodded.

They hurried out of the house and found the Pixies at the edge of the forest. The one that beaconed them out flew over and circled Stiles' head once. It flew down to grab his hand and pulled him towards the other Pixies. Stiles frowned when he saw five of them holding something wrapped up in animal skin.

"Is this for us?" Derek asked and the Pixies nodded at them. The five that were holding the package lowered it to the ground. The leader flew around Stiles' head, waved at him and then they flew off.

Stiles and Derek shared a glance before Stiles walked over to the package and kneeled beside it. He slowly unwrapped it, sending his powers over it checking for any ill intentions. Once the animal skin was lowered Stiles gasped and Derek frowned in confusion. He kneeled beside Stiles and looked at what was inside the package.

"That's-"

"My old red hoody," Stiles muttered and picked it up. He pressed it to his nose before he looked at Derek. "It still smells like me." Derek looked at the animal skin again.

"Stiles, look." The younger man looked down and raised an eyebrow when he saw the markings on the inside of the animal skin. "That's-"

"The language of the Woodland Elves," Stiles said and a small, relieved smile tugged at his lips. "I can't believe I've forgotten about my Deal with Rahash," he muttered and traced the markings with his fingers.

"What does it say?" Derek asked.

"Bui grn ha hvar u kvani ma meru, u mvni bur nrm." Stiles read the markings. "May your Bond endure suffering and live through joy, and your enemies fear your names." He chuckled, sighed and leaned against Derek. The alpha smiled, wrapped an arm around his mate and kissed his forehead. "It was them then. They came to check up on us."

Derek nodded and buried his nose in Stiles' hair. "Exactly ten years."

Stiles smiled and looked up at his alpha. "And there are many more to come," he whispered and Derek smiled at him.

Their lips met in a loving kiss and the moon that slowly climbed higher in the sky smiled down at them, bathing them in her comforting light.

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Let me not to the marriage of true minds
admit impediments. Love is not love
which alters when it alteration finds,
or bends with the remover to remove:

Oh no! it is an ever-fixed mark
that looks on tempests and is never shaken;
it is the star to every wandering bark,
whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
within his bending sickle's compass come:
love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
but bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

- William Shakespeare, Sonnet CXVI

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THE END