Chapter Text
“They could help us!” Scott cried out to his alpha, pleading to keep his friends safe. “You said it yourself, no one can research like the two of them and we need that. We have no idea what we're up against, Derek.” Derek turned to glare at the beta, eyes flashing red for a brief moment. He knew Scott was right. These creatures kept coming up every night and they had no idea what they were, no idea how they got there. Have they been here for years, waiting? Or was something summoning them? They had no leads, no idea, and Deaton was working around the clock.
“I never did agree with your plan, you know.” The emissary spoke up helpfully. Derek only shot him a glare as well. He was the alpha, he chose what was best for his pack and if that meant cutting ties then so be it. The three men stood around an examination table in the back of the animal clinic. Scott had been working with Deaton when Derek came by for advice. He couldn't understand why that creature had gone right for Stiles. As far as it knew she meant nothing to the pack, so why target her?
“I never asked for anyone's opinion.”
“That's the problem! You might be our alpha but were all pack. We should all get a say in freaking excommunicating people.” Scott crossed his arms, cocking his head to the side in question. He was either about to get his ass handed to him or a pat on the back.
“Clearly, you don't understand the term alpha.” Sarcasm, so he was about to get his ass beat. “Besides, do you really think they'll want to help us after four years? Stiles couldn't even look at you yesterday. You said it yourself, Scott.” Derek wasn't wrong, Scott had told him about how he and Allison had ran into both Lydia and Stiles. It pained Scott to think about it still, his once best friend couldn't even stand to look at him. The persistent hurt in her eyes had torn him up inside. He had done that to her.
“You did this! You're the reason they hate us!” Scott bellowed, earning another death glare from his alpha. He felt it. The urge to cower down in fear against him, but he pushed on. He had courage this time and he wasn't going to back down. “You chose to do this to them, and the rest of us had no choice. Stiles and Lydia were like my sisters and you took that from all of us. You broke our pack.” Oops, a little too far.
This time Derek wasn't glaring at him, he wasn't raging like any other alpha would at the blatant disrespect. He was just... staring. Staring at the far off wall like it could provide him with all the answers he needed. Derek knew what he had done long before any of the others had even protested. He stole away two of the packs members, pushed them aside like play things. He had disrupted the flow of his pack and they could all feel it, it reflected in the way they fought. They would leave obvious openings, openings that were once filled with chatter and red hair. He hadn't broken the pack, no far from it. But it was fractured and that was enough to drive his betas mad some days.
“You think I don't know that?” The once fearsome alpha began, shoulders slumping slightly. He looked to Scott with false calm in his eyes. “You think I don't know what I've done, Scott? I'm not blind, I can see what this is doing to all of you. Even now.” But what was he supposed to do? Whats done is done, how can he change the past?
“Then fix it.” Scott demanded, tears brimming in his golden eyes. He wanted his best friend back.
“I don't know how.”
“Often times, I find apologies to work.” Deaton provided, arms crossed against his broad chest. How do you apologize to somebody you just dropped? How do they go about confronting the two girls who seemed so hostile only yesterday? Lydia had nearly bit off Allison's head, how was an apology going to make up for something like four years of radio silence? “You could get them a gift. Something to show how truly sorry you all are.” The emissary said, sensing the discomfort in the room.
“A gift?” Derek scoffed. “Yeah, I'm sure they'll be real appreciative after what we've-- I've done.” he had to stop himself. Scott was right, this was all Derek's fault. He had gotten cocky, too reliant on brute strength to remember sometimes you needed a humans touch. Someone to read through the books and spells while the wolves did most of the fighting. He wanted to protect them so bad he pushed them away and now they were all suffering. What had he done?
He was at war with himself. The alpha in him wanted to keep them away, keep pushing until they never came home again. He wanted to keep them so far away that maybe his pack would just forget. The human in him, however, waged a different battle. It wanted to pull them back, hold onto the two humans so tightly they could never run again. Inside he could still feel the pull of their hold on the pack. Derek could still feel the strings tying them all together. Which side of himself was right? Which side did he trust more?
“I think its a great idea.” Scott smiled at Deaton, bright and ready. “Lydia loves make up, and Stiles loves comics. We can get them something like that for christmas and have a dinner. Maybe they'll come!”
Wishful thinking. Derek's mind supplied. He wasn't as sold on the idea as his beta. He knew Stiles, knew how stubborn she was. If she was set on never wanting to see him again she wouldn't show up. Hell, she probably wont even answer his call. How were they supposed to convince two stubborn humans to come back to the pack that abandoned them in such vulnerable times? This wasn't going to be easy.
“Allison and I can go shopping! I think you and Jackson should go.” Derek's head snapped at that, he turned his head so fast he felt a little dizzy even.
“What?” He bit out.
“You're the ones they're probably the most angry at. If Stiles can get over seeing you, I'm sure she'll be fine. Lydia too.”
“I second Scott's idea. It might seem a little political, but he's right.” Great. Now it was 2-1. God, Derek wished now more than ever he had brought Erica along with him. He wanted the floor to swallow him up whole. Stiles was one of the last people he wanted to see again, the confused sadness in her eyes he had seen nearly drove him crazy. She had looked so frightened in the face of that creature. Derek hadn't seen her so terrified since their first few encounters with the alpha. She had changed so much and he had missed it all. She was scared when she used to be brave and he had done that to her.
He really did not want to do this.
“Scott-”
“We need to figure this out. These creatures keep coming in bigger numbers, soon they'll be too great for even you to take on, Derek. We could use the help.” Deaton sighed, shoulders dropping as he spoke. “I fear that time might be coming sooner then we think.”
“They're out of practice.” Derek argued.
“So we teach them.”
“What if they say no?”
“We persist.”
“What if I say no?”
That got a pause. He was the alpha after all, everyone seemed to keep forgetting that.
“Are you?” Scott asked, dropping his hands to the exam table they stood around.
Derek thought for a minute. He could say no, put an end to this once and for all. What would that mean though? Death for his pack? Another four years or more of Stiles coming home for the holidays and using every ounce of his energy to avoid her? Another four years of uncertainty and angry betas? Derek took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows.
“I guess I'm not.”