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Derek had always loved listening to heartbeats. His hearing had been the first sense he learned to control when he was young. He would sit in class and practice tuning his hearing to the heartbeats of his classmates and teachers. As he got older, he researched heartbeats and learned that a heartbeat was as unique as a fingerprint. He learned what it sounded like when someone was lying. What it sounded like if someone had arrhythmia or a heart murmur. What it sounded like when someone was excited or angry. How it changed when someone was sleeping. He learned everything he could. He thought it was fascinating that life had a rhythm and it was different for everyone. His own heartbeat was slower than most people’s. Laura’s had been always changing from one day to the next. His mother’s was the steadiest beat he’d ever heard. Peter’s always skipped beats in its rhythm so it was hard to know if he was lying.
Stiles’ wasn’t like any other heartbeat that Derek had ever heard. It was always fast. It was even faster when he knew Derek was around. It was also quiet. So quiet that Derek couldn’t really hear the beat clearly unless he focused on it. The first time Derek noticed it was the day he put a bone saw in Stiles’ hand. The teen sounded frantic and overwhelmed and was obviously resistant to the idea of cutting Derek’s arm off. But even though his heart was racing, it had a steady rhythm. Stiles’ hands shook as he pressed the bone saw to Derek’s arm, but the beat didn’t stutter. Both of them were thankful that Scott arrived when he did, but Derek had no doubt Stiles would have done it if he’d really needed to. After he’d healed, he tuned his hearing to Stiles’ heartbeat, just out of curiosity. He frowned when he realized that it was still almost racing. Stiles wasn’t stressed anymore. His heart should have slowed down, but it hadn’t. Even as he drove away from the clinic, Stiles’ heart was beating quickly in his chest. Derek didn’t understand it.
The next time he noticed it was while he was hiding from the police in Stiles’ room waiting for the teen’s friend to show up and trace the damn text. Stiles was sitting at his desk, working on homework muttering to himself. He should have been perfectly calm. No one was threatening him. He hadn’t been startled in a while. He wasn’t even moving that much. There was no reason his heart should have been speeding in his chest. Yet there it was. Derek frowned at Stiles over the large book he’d borrowed to entertain himself. “What’s wrong?” Derek sighed, unable to catch any particular emotion on Stiles’ scent to explain the racing heart. Stiles jolted and spun his chair to look at Derek.
“What?” he asked around the highlighter in his mouth. Derek glared at him until he removed the highlighter. “What?” he repeated.
“What’s wrong,” Derek growled.
“You mean besides the crazy alpha werewolf trying to get my best friend to kill me and the fugitive hiding in my bedroom?” he snorted.
“You’re heart’s racing.” Derek raised an eyebrow and his frown deepened.
“Maybe you’re just hearing it wrong.” Stiles turned back to his homework. He was nearly silent after that until his friend showed up. His heartbeat didn’t change. It didn’t even speed up when he pimped Derek’s body to get the other boy to trace the text. It didn’t slow down either. It was racing faster than ever when he realized Peter was the Alpha. Derek didn’t hear Stiles’ heartbeat again until he took the Alpha power from his uncle. The first thing Derek heard with the further heightened senses of an Alpha was the stutter of Stiles’ heart as he looked into red eyes. It was the first time he’d ever been able to hear a stutter in the quick beat, though he knew it wasn’t the first time it’d happened.
“I’m the Alpha now,” Derek said. Stiles stared at him, heart going faster than Derek had ever heard it before. Jackson was smirking behind Stiles, but the new Alpha’s focus was on that pounding beat that wasn’t slowing down. It didn’t make any sense.
While he was building his pack, Derek spent a lot of time at the high school. He was keeping an eye on his pack. That’s why he was lurking around the school building. He had no intention of spying on Stiles while he was there, but when he spotted the teen in the same classroom as Erica, he couldn’t keep himself from stretching his hearing to listen to the strange beat. It was probably the slowest he’d ever heard it, though it was still faster than anyone’s heart had a right to be. Especially considering he was sitting still reading a book. Derek could see Stiles’ mouth moving as he read making noises every so often. The Alpha allowed himself to smirk as the teacher made her way over to Stiles’ desk, frowning at him.
“Something you’d like to say, Mr. Stilinski?” she asked. Stiles’ body jolted and nearly dropped the book as he looked up at the teacher.
“Uh, nope. Nothing. Just reading, like you told us to,” Stiles said quickly. His heart picked up a little but quickly settled back down to its normal speeding rate.
“Then perhaps you should try keeping your mouth shut and your voice silent,” the teacher sighed in frustration.
“Sorry Mrs. T,” Stiles shrugged, sliding down in his seat. Mrs. T nodded and turned, moving back through the desks. Scott, who was sitting in front of Stiles, let out a quiet laugh. Stiles kicked his chair, which made a loud noise in the otherwise quiet classroom. Mrs. T spun around and glared at Stiles. Stiles grinned sheepishly, and Derek shook his head. Stiles was a menace. He looked at Erica who was looking between the two boys with a small frown. She shifted her gaze out the window to where Derek was hidden. Later, at their hideout, Erica approached him.
“So, Alpha my Alpha,” she started. “I have a question.”
“About.” Derek grunted crossing his arms.
“About Stiles. I was working on my senses during class, trying to see if I could hear anything unusual and I heard his heartbeat. Is it always that fast?” she asked. She was clearly trying to sound unconcerned, but it wasn’t working. Besides, she couldn’t hide the worry in her scent.
Derek nodded. “Everyone’s heartbeat is unique. Stiles’ is normally faster than it was in class.” Erica paled. “It hasn’t been a problem so far.” She nodded but was clearly unconvinced. Derek walked away before she could ask anything else. Mostly because he wasn’t sure if it really was a problem or not.
“Stiles, run!” Derek shoved Stiles behind him as the lizard creature attacked.
“Derek, your neck!” Stiles darted back towards him as Derek reached behind him. He could feel the venom starting to take effect as his legs went numb. Stiles quickly grabbed Derek’s arm to keep him upright. “Hey, come on. Where is it? Can you see it?”
“I can smell it. Call Scott,” Derek growled. Stiles fumbled for his phone and Derek slipped from his grip. “Stiles!” Under the water, Derek heard the muffled sound of Stiles’ heart skipping a beat. Then he was being dragged to the surface by the teen. Stiles sputtered and gasped. Derek took a deep gulp of air.
“Where is it? Do you see it?”
“No,” Derek managed.
“Okay, maybe it took off.” Right after Stiles finished speaking a loud roar echoed around the pool.
“Maybe not,” Derek said. Stiles huffed and readjusted his grip on Derek. The Alpha was worried that Stiles would run out of steam quickly, but he didn’t. Stiles’ heart was pounding louder than he’d ever heard it before. The longer they were in the water, the louder his heartbeat was. It was one of the only things Derek could hear. Eventually, though, Derek knew Stiles would wear himself out. An hour and a half later, it happened.
“Okay, I don’t think I can do this much longer,” Stiles managed. Derek could hear how hard his lungs were working and how his heart was struggling. It stuttered over its odd rhythm.
“Don’t even think about it,” Derek growled when he noticed Stiles eying his phone.
“Would you just trust me? Just this once?” Stiles snapped.
“No.”
“You know, I’m the one keeping you alive. Okay. Have you noticed that?”
“Yeah,” Derek grunted. “And when the paralysis wears off, who’s gonna be able to fight that thing: me or you? You don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you. You need me to survive, which is why you are not letting me go.”
“That’s why I’ve been holding you up for the last two hours?” Stiles snorted. Something shifted in his expression and suddenly he let go.
“Stiles!” Derek yelped, going under the water again. He willed his limbs to react, but he was still mostly paralyzed. He prayed Stiles would be fast. He couldn’t hear Stiles talking, but he could hear the speeding, stumbling heartbeat even through the water. After what felt like hours, but was likely only seconds, Stiles was dragging them both to the surface again. “Tell me you got him,” Derek gasped. Stiles didn’t respond as he shifted his grip. Derek couldn’t see his face very well, but it wasn’t a positive look. Derek could feel the teen’s heartbeat beside him, speeding along, vibrating through both of them. “Stiles.”
“I got him,” Stiles grumbled.
Derek glared at him. “And?”
“He hung up!” Stiles snapped. He shifted again and they both took in water that had them sputtering to clear their lungs. They both fell silent as they watched the creature slink around the pool. Stiles never stopped moving, but he was slowing down. They were both sinking deeper in the water. “I can’t stay up any longer,” Stiles said, shifting his grip again. Derek could feel some movement returning to his limbs, but it wasn’t enough to keep them afloat if Stiles’ strength gave out. It was barely enough to hold onto Stiles. It probably wouldn’t be enough to stand on. Not yet. “I need something to hold onto.” Stiles got that look in his eyes again and his heartbeat, which had been stumbling, evened out some. “If you’ve got any movement back, help me swim.” Stiles was already dragging them towards the side, but he was losing steam. Derek wasn’t able to help much, and he knew they were going under. Stiles’ hand was shaking as he reached for the handle and they slipped underwater. Derek listened to the heartbeat again. It was steady and speeding like it had been that night in the animal clinic when Stiles put the bone saw to Derek’s skin. If pressed, Derek would call the beat resigned. Derek didn’t expect them to surface again. Scott came as a surprise. Later, after Scott had scared off the Kanima and he’d checked on Erica, Derek walked over to Scott and Stiles going over something on the computer.
“How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?” Scott groaned. He didn’t seem to notice how much Stiles was shaking.
“It’s called a Kanima,” Derek offered. He figured the truth would only help win over Scott and Stiles. Though he doubted it would be hard to win over Stiles after the night they’d just had. After all, he hadn’t let go.
“You knew the whole time,” Stiles sighed. He was still dripping water from his tracksuit.
“No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection.”
“It doesn’t know what it is,” Scott realized.
“Or who,” Derek agreed.
“Well, what else do you know?” Stiles asked.
“Just stories. Rumors.” Derek crossed his arms over his chest.
“But it’s like us?” Scott said with a frown.
“A shapeshifter, yes, but it’s wrong. It’s not right. It’s like a…” Derek trailed off, unable to find the right word.
“An abomination,” Stiles concluded. He leaned on the jeep to support his weight. Derek looked at him, listening to his heartbeat. It was finally slowing down. Not nearly as slow as it should be or as slow as it was in the classroom. It was distracting. So was the look in the teen’s eyes.
“Derek, we need to work together on this,” Scott decided. Derek pulled his attention to the other wolf. “Maybe even tell the Argents.”
“You trust them?” Derek growled.
“Nobody trusts anyone! That’s the problem. While we’re here, arguing about who’s on what side, there’s something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it’s killing people and we still don’t even know anything about it!” Scott yelled. Stiles looked at his friend with a frown on his face. His heart skipped a beat. Derek ignored that and let out another growl as he turned away from the two teens.
“I know one thing. When I find it? I’m gonna kill it.” Derek stormed away with Erica on his heels. In the car, she turned to him.
“Stiles kept you alive,” she said quietly. Derek nodded. “His heartbeat was weird back there.”
“It’s always weird,” Derek sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Erica give him an odd look.
After they figured out Jackson was the Kanima and after their experience at the club, Derek found himself outside the school again. He was only there to watch his pack as the full moon approached. Yet somehow, he found himself more focused on Stiles and the quiet beat of his heart as he moved from classroom to classroom. Then, while Stiles, Erica, and Isaac were in Chemistry, Stiles suddenly left the room. Derek tracked his movement through the building as he all but ran to the empty locker room. His heartbeat hadn’t sped up, but it had started skipping beats. It was concerning enough that Derek decided to sneak into the building. He moved silently into the locker room and observed Stiles carefully. Stiles was gasping for air. He was shaking. He had pressed himself against the lockers with his knees to his chest. His heart skipped another beat. Stiles tightened the grip he’d had on a chain around his neck that Derek had never noticed before. Derek stepped out where Stiles could see him, trying not to startle the shaking teen.
“D-Derek,” Stiles managed. He jerked back against the lockers and away from Derek. His heart skipped another beat as it sped up. It suddenly dawned on the wolf what was happening. He knelt in front of Stiles and took in the wide-eyed look on his face. Derek didn’t reach out for Stiles. He made sure he had the teen’s attention before he spoke.
“How can I help?” Derek asked gently.
Surprise flickered across the other’s face. “H-he-help?”
“Yes, Stiles. Help. You’re having a panic attack. What can I do?” Derek waited for it to set in. Stiles opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. The hand gripping the chain around his neck tightened again. “If you can’t say it, show me.” Stiles closed his mouth and gave him a shaky smile. He reached his free hand out and grabbed Derek’s wrist. His grip was tight. Stiles situated his hand so that his fingers were pressed against the pulse point there. Stiles let his eyes close. Slowly, he started breathing again. His heart stopped skipping and slowed down a little. Stiles’ smile was firmer when he eventually opened his eyes again.
“Thanks,” he said quietly letting go of Derek’s wrist. Derek’s eyes flicked from Stiles to his wrist and back again. Stiles tugged on the chain around his neck and looked away. “My dad didn’t know how to help me when I first started getting them. There are all kinds of methods for grounding yourself, but when you’re a kid they’re not really that easy to do. They’re even harder for a kid with ADHD. He’d tried all sorts of things to help, but he wasn’t good at talking to me and I couldn’t focus on any of the grounding exercises. The first time it happened, he tried hugging me, but that just made things worse.” He paused and took a steadying breath. “So, one day, when I started panicking, he grabbed my hand and pressed it to his neck and told me to count his pulse and it worked.” Derek felt his eyes widen a little. “Yours is slower than his.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Stiles let go of the chain and used both hands to push himself off the lockers. He stumbled to his feet. Derek stood up with him, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “How’d you know something was wrong?”
“I heard your heartbeat,” Derek said. Stiles let out a dry huff of air that almost sounded like a laugh, nothing like his normal laughter.
“Well, thanks.” Stiles turned and left Derek in the locker room. Derek listened to the strange and steady beat of Stiles’ heart as he made his way back to his classroom. He couldn’t keep his mind from fixating on how Stiles had listened to his heartbeat to calm down.
When Stiles crashed his jeep through the wall and into Jackson, Derek wasn’t listening for his heartbeat. He didn’t listen to it until after the situation was resolved, but he knew instantly it was off. The remaining Argents had left, and Peter was trying to talk to him. Isaac and Scott were both making sure that Jackson was okay. Lydia was clinging to Jackson like a lifeline. But Derek fixed on Stiles. Stiles leaned against his jeep and his heartbeat was slow. Slower than Derek had ever heard it. There were bruises on Stiles’ face and Derek could smell blood on him. His whiskey-colored eyes were off focused. What Derek could see of his skin was pale, making his moles stand out more. “Stiles?” Derek said, interrupting whatever Peter was saying. Stiles looked over at them, still not really focused on anything. He pushed off the jeep, and Derek could see how much effort the movement had taken. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly his eyes were rolling back in his head. Derek surged forward to catch him before he hit the ground. Lydia let out a yelp and both Isaac and Scott yelled Stiles’ name. Derek ignored them, and laid Stiles down gently, searching for where he was hurt.
“What happened to him?” Jackson asked. Derek shoved Stiles’ shirt up and saw nasty looking bruises all over his torso.
“He needs a hospital, Derek,” Peter said from behind him. He almost sounded concerned. Derek nodded and gathered Stiles into his arms. He gently maneuvered the human into the Jeep’s passenger seat, pulling the keys from his pocket before going to the driver’s side.
“I’ll take him. He’s not in your pack either,” Scott said, stepping in front of the door and holding his hand out for the key. Derek growled at the beta and shoved him aside. “Derek!” Derek ignored him and started the old jeep. He pushed it as fast as it could go, thankful that the only damage from Stiles’ dramatic entrance was cosmetic. He carried Stiles inside and there was an immediate flurry of action from the hospital staff. They wouldn’t let him back with Stiles, but Derek kept his hearing tuned to Stiles’ heart. At some point, the Sheriff showed up, but Derek didn’t leave. A Doctor told them that Stiles had internal bleeding and they had to operate on him. The Sheriff was instantly talking, probably explaining Stiles’ medical history, but Derek couldn’t listen. All he could hear was the unusually slow beat of Stiles’ heart. He could make out every beat. Sometimes the beat would hesitate before eventually resuming. Derek was so tuned into Stiles that he didn’t expect the suddenly furious look that was leveled at him by the Sheriff. Sheriff Stilinski slammed Derek against the wall, and the Alpha didn’t resist.
“What the hell happened to my son, Hale?” the Sheriff demanded. Tears hung in the corners of eyes full of pain.
“I don’t know,” Derek gulped. He recognized the look. It was the same look that Laura had gotten the first time Derek had been hurt after the fire. The look of someone who had lost almost everything and couldn’t even fathom the possibility they would lose someone else.
“What were you doing with him? Why was he anywhere you’d even see him?” The Sheriff pressed harder. He was still in uniform. Derek didn’t answer him as the heartbeat he was listening to slowed even further. Suddenly someone was pulling the Sheriff away from him.
“Hey, Noah, let the boy go,” Melissa McCall said gently. She looked over to Derek with a pained face. “Why don’t we go back here?” She guided the Sheriff over to a private waiting room and glared at Derek until he followed. Once they were inside, she turned to Derek. “Scott called. He told me what happened. He said that Gerard took Stiles after the game.” Derek let out a growl and hoped his uncle was following the old man to finish him off.
“Gerard? Gerard Argent, the principal?” Sheriff Stilinski frowned.
“It’s a long, complicated story that I still don’t fully understand, but the point is, Derek isn’t at fault for your son being hurt. He’s here because he’s worried about Stiles,” Melissa declared. Derek didn’t react, too focused on the fading sound of Stiles’ heartbeat as he was taken away from them. “Stiles is going to be in surgery for a while, so Derek will have plenty of time to explain what’s been happening. But you have to stay calm, Noah. I promise he’s only been looking out for Stiles. I’ve gotta get back to work, but you two stay in here as long as you want. I’ll come get you when Stiles is out of surgery.” The Sheriff turned to Derek as Melissa left.
“Explain. Why would the high school principal kidnap and beat my son?” Noah growled.
“Because he thought Stiles was a part of my pack,” Derek sighed. He let himself fall into one of the chairs. Before the Sheriff could ask another question, the door to the room opened. Erica and Boyd crashed into the room and were instantly in Derek’s space. They were both shaking, and Erica let out a quiet whimper. The Sheriff stepped back in shock. Derek hugged Erica close. Boyd fell into the seat beside him, pressing against his side.
“It was too slow,” Erica whimpered. Derek understood and gripped her closer. He looked up at Boyd silently asking the question.
“It was a trap. They were holding us in their basement. We saw him throw Stiles down the stairs,” Boyd said. His eyes flicked to Noah. Derek took the beta’s wrist, drawing his attention. “Three hunters beat him.” Erica let out another whimper. “Then they let him go. Allison’s dad let us out a while later. We came here to try and find Stiles and caught your scent. You were right. We shouldn’t have left.”
“What is going on?” Noah asked. Derek looked up at the Sheriff and let his eyes flash red. His hand flew to his gun. “What are you?”
“A werewolf,” Derek said. “The Argents hunt werewolves. Stiles got involved in this when Scott was bitten back in the fall when Laura was killed.”
The older man paled. “Is Stiles…”
“He’s human,” Derek confirmed.
“They took him as a threat to Scott,” Erica managed, finally pulling back a little, though she was still clinging tightly. “Gerard said that he wanted to keep Scott in line.” Derek couldn’t hold back a growl. He could feel his wolf prowling just under his skin begging to be let out.
“In line for what?” Noah frowned.
“Scott was working with Gerard,” Derek snarled. “Keeping him informed on my pack.”
“Where is he now?”
“Gone.”
“Why was Stiles with you if he got hurt by Gerard?”
“He had a way to save somebody.”
“That’s not a good enough answer.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Then start at the beginning. You said this started with Laura. Tell me everything that’s happened since then.” The Sheriff took a seat on the other side of the room and fixed his eyes on Derek. Derek nodded and started with Kate. He explained about his family and Peter. About biting Jackson and the Kanima. About the bestiary and Lydia resurrecting Peter. About Allison and Scott. Finally, he explained Scott’s plan and being forced to bite Gerard. By the time he’d finished, Isaac had joined them. He had taken a seat on the ground in front of Derek leaning against the Alpha’s legs and gripping Erica’s hand tightly. It was quiet for a while after Derek finished. Noah seemed stunned but wasn’t reaching for his gun, so Derek counted it as a win. In all honesty, he wasn’t really paying attention to the older Stilinski. He was listening for the odd beat of Stiles’ heart which was still painfully out of his hearing range. “All right,” Noah said eventually. “What now?”
“We’re waiting for Stiles,” Isaac answered.
“I meant with the Argents. They kidnapped three teenagers and beat them. I’m the Sheriff. I can’t let them get away with it,” he explained.
“You could only prove that Stiles was there,” Boyd said.
“We heal too quickly,” Erica agreed.
Noah seemed to consider that for a while. He had the same look on his face that Stiles had when he was planning something. Suddenly, he fixed his eyes on her. “When you came in, you said that it was too slow. What were you talking about?”
“His heartbeat,” Derek said.
“You can hear his heartbeat,” Noah sighed in disbelief. Derek nodded.
“It’s always fast,” Erica explained. “Doesn’t matter if he’s sleeping or running or scared or calm. It’s always the fastest beat in the room.” Boyd and Isaac nodded along. “Usually, I can’t even tell what the rhythm is since it’s sorta quiet too.”
“Then I guess you can’t tell me if he’s got an irregular heartbeat or a heart murmur.”
“I can,” Derek frowned. It was a strange thing to be worried about in a teenager. “My hearing is better than theirs.”
“Because you’re the Alpha,” Noah said blankly.
“And because I’ve had more practice with it. He doesn’t have a murmur. Sometimes his heart will skip beats when he’s having a panic attack. Normally, it’s just fast,” Derek explained calmly. The door to the room opened again and Lydia slipped inside, dragging Jackson with her. She looked around the room before fixing her eyes on Derek.
“I’m here for Stiles,” she said quietly. She and Jackson took seats near the Sheriff. “He’s here because he’s not as much of an idiot as he acts like. At least, not at the moment. He knows he needs a pack, and his pack is here.” She elbowed Jackson. Jackson glared at her but ultimately nodded his agreement. Erica smirked at the jock.
“We’re not having this discussion now,” Derek declared.
Lydia flicked her hair and rolled her eyes. “Of course not. One of your pack is injured.”
“I thought Stiles was human,” the Sheriff sighed.
“He is,” she confirmed absently. “Werewolves are not wolves, no matter what they act like. They don’t lose human attachments just because they took some magic bite. Humans can be pack too.”
“She made Peter explain everything to her,” Jackson confided quietly. Isaac let out a snort.
“Yes, I did.” Her green eyes glinted dangerously. “I had to track him down to the edge of town and he was still covered in blood and black gunk.” The Sheriff frowned but apparently chose to ignore the implications of that.
“You said Stiles was with Scott, and Scott made it clear he wasn’t with you,” the Sheriff said to Derek.
“Stiles is pack,” Erica said. Her eyes flared yellow. Boyd nodded.
“It’s up to Stiles,” Derek said. “If he wants to leave the pack, he can. But he hasn’t yet.” Derek didn’t mention that even if Stiles had, Derek would have been here anyway.
Noah nodded and looked around the room. “Scott knows about this?” Isaac nodded. “Well, where the hell is he?” No one answered. Lydia was the only one who met the Sheriff’s gaze. He let out a loud sigh. “Right. He’s not pack.” Derek tensed, but the rest of his pack nodded reluctantly. Silence reigned until Melissa returned. She didn’t bat her eye at all the people in the room.
“He’s out of surgery. They think he’s gonna be fine, but they don’t want to say anything for sure because of his history. They’re getting him set up in a room upstairs. Normally, we wouldn’t let so many people in, but I think Stiles needs to see you all. He mentioned most of you,” Melissa said. She had a fond smile on her face.
“He’s awake?” Lydia frowned.
The nurse let out a sharp laugh. “No, but he was before surgery.” She looked around the room and her brow creased. “Where’s Scott?”
“Not here,” Noah said. Melissa locked eyes with him and Derek could sense a whole conversation happening in front of him.
Melissa’s face soured. “All right. Two of you can follow me. The rest of you have to wait for about ten minutes to follow.” Noah and Derek both got to their feet, the Alpha taking a moment to scent mark all his betas before following Melissa three floors up to Stiles’ room. Stiles was propped up in the hospital bed attached to several machines. Derek counted at least twelve leads attached to his chest around bandages there. Noah went to his son’s side, taking his hand gently. Derek listened to the strange yet steady beat of Stiles’ heart, still notably slower than he was used to hearing it. Derek held himself back as he took in just how pale Stiles looked under the hospital lights.
“Thank you for getting him here,” the Sheriff said quietly. “And thank you for listening to his heart.” Derek frowned at the Sheriff. “I’m guessing Stiles hasn’t told you.” The older man let out a huff of air. “He was born prematurely. His heart was underdeveloped, and he was in the NICU for nearly three months after he was born. He’s had some lasting issues with his heart and spent a lot of time in the hospital over the years.”
“I didn’t know,” Derek said.
Noah smirked. “How could you? He hasn’t had an issue in over a year, and the only person he’s ever told was Scott.” It was quiet in the room after that. Even when the rest of the pack joined them. Peter even appeared at some point during the night, dressed in clean clothes thankfully. Stiles didn’t wake. Derek kept his eyes fixed on the machine that displayed his heartbeat, listening to the beeps and the beat itself. Most of the pack ended up asleep on the floor, curled into each other. Peter stayed awake; eyes fixed on the door. Slowly, sunlight filled the room, but there was still no change. Throughout the day, the pack was in and out of the room. Only Derek and Noah stayed the entire time. Eventually, even the Sheriff had to leave. He rested a hand on Derek’s shoulder as he went for the door. “Keep an eye on him, Son,” the Sheriff said. Peter was the only other person in the room at that point and Derek heard the sharp hiss of breath at the endearment. After the door was closed again, Peter came over to Derek.
“He trusts you,” Peter said quietly. Derek ignored his uncle. “I know you’ve been thinking you’re a bad alpha, but I think this proves the contrary. I’ll be around. I’m afraid there’s only so much of the hospital I can handle. Even for Stiles.” Peter left quietly. Derek took up Noah’s seat beside Stiles. He stayed there most of the week, only leaving to change his clothes once. The pack was there on and off. Melissa and Noah came by whenever they were off shift and made sure Derek ate. Scott only showed up once and spent most of the half-hour visit on his phone texting with Allison. Derek was under the impression that he’d only come because his mother made him. When Stiles woke up, Derek was the only one there. Derek was listening to his heartbeat carefully, having heard it skip earlier in the day. He noticed it speeding up. Stiles’ eyes fluttered open and he squeezed Derek’s hand.
“Hey Sourwolf,” Stiles managed. He grinned weakly. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard your heartbeat,” Derek said. He squeezed Stiles’ hand back. “Let me go grab a nurse.” Stiles tightened his grip, heart suddenly speeding. “Stiles.”
“How long?”
“A week. Let me get a nurse.” Derek reluctantly pulled his hand from Stiles and flagged down a nurse in the hallway. The next hour was full of Doctors and nurses who kept Derek out of Stiles’ room. By the time he was allowed back in, the whole pack plus Melissa and the Sheriff were waiting to talk to Stiles. Scott was nowhere to be seen. Stiles was sitting up on his own with a few less machines attached to him. He grinned when he saw everyone. Derek could pinpoint the exact second that Stiles realized something was off. His grin froze on his face and his heart skipped a beat. The Sheriff caught it too and sent a smug glance over to Derek.
“Yeah, Stiles. I know,” Noah said. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Believe me when I say we are talking about this later.”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” Stiles said quickly. “Plus, I really didn’t want you shooting anybody. I mean, they’re my friends. Well, except Jackson, but he probably doesn’t deserve to be shot either.”
“Thanks, Stilinski,” Jackson muttered.
“Sure thing, lizard breath,” Stiles snapped back. Isaac let out a choked-out laugh. Derek caught Boyd and Lydia both smirking while Jackson let out a low growl.
Erica cackled. “I’m glad you’re back Batman.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “I’m glad you’re feeling better Stiles. I’ve gotta get back to work.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “And so do you.” She turned to the Sheriff. “You can reprimand him later. Leave him with his pack.”
“I’ll be back once I’m off shift,” Noah sighed. “I love you kid.” He gave Stiles a careful hug.
“Love you too, Dad,” Stiles muttered into his shoulder. Noah gave him one last squeeze before following Melissa from the room. Once the door was closed it was like a dam burst. The pack swarmed Stiles’ bed chattering over one another. Derek smirked at them, choosing instead to listen to the steady speeding of Stiles’ heart. Later, when the pack had left, Stiles was looking at Derek with a strange light in his eyes.
“What,” Derek grunted.
“What happened before I got to the warehouse?” Stiles asked. Derek tensed forcing his eyes away from Stiles. “What happened to Gerard?” Derek stayed quiet. “I know you don’t like to talk much, but I’d like to know what happened to the guy who sent me to the hospital.”
“Peter took care of him.”
“And what did the asshole do to you before your creepy uncle got to him?” Stiles hissed.
“Scott was working with him,” Derek said quietly. “He and Deaton switched Gerard’s meds out for pills filled with mountain ash. Gerard was controlling Jackson, and he paralyzed me. Then Scott made me bite him.” Stiles’ heart skipped a beat as it got louder.
“He did what.” Stiles didn’t give Derek a chance to respond before he was barreling on. “He forced you to bite a hunter. Not just any hunter, but Gerard fucking Argent. Scott’s an asshole sometimes, but God!” Stiles ran his hands over his hair as his heartbeat sped up, skipping another beat. “He stole the bite for Gerard Argent. He knows what the bite means to you and he- Oh my God! He bite-raped you.” Stiles’ eyes got wide. His heartbeat was skipping beats as he fixed his eyes on Derek. “He-he- I can’t believe he did that.” Stiles’ breathing was off. “He was so-so pissed when Peter bit him. How-how how could he do that? To you. I-I- I can’t…”
“Stiles,” Derek said gently. “Breathe.” Stiles opened his mouth again, but Derek glared at him. “Breathe.” The Alpha took Stiles’ hand and pressed his fingers to the pulse point on his neck. Stiles nodded and let his eyes close. When his breathing had evened out, and his heart had stopped skipping beats, Stiles opened his eyes again. “Better?” Stiles nodded and pulled his hand back.
“He shouldn’t have done that,” Stiles said quietly. “I’m so sorry he did that.”
“Peter took care of Gerard.” Derek stepped away from the hospital bed but was stopped when Stiles grabbed his wrist.
“That doesn’t make it okay.” Stiles let go of his wrist and laid back in the bed. Derek watched him carefully, listening to the quiet, steady beat of the younger man’s heartbeat.
Stiles had chosen to stay in Derek’s pack after he got better. He spent the summer months bonding with them and learning how to use his Spark with Deaton. He warded every pack member’s house and laid wards around the town that he refused to explain fully. Derek suspected that Stiles’ wards were the reason the Alpha Pack had moved on. Peter had heard a rumor that Deucalion had taken his pack further North after losing a member. Cora showed up a month after Stiles was let out of the hospital. She quickly integrated herself into Derek’s pack. Derek rebuilt the Hale House, making sure that every pack member had a room and that there was plenty of space for their pack to grow. Scott kept his distance, and Derek saw how much that affected Stiles. But Stiles didn’t just have Scott anymore. More often than not, Stiles spent his time with the pack. He went to movies with Erica and Isaac, who were both comic book nerds, trained with Boyd and Cora, studied magic with Lydia, and even managed to coerce Jackson into cooking with him every so often.
Derek noticed it during the full moon after school started again. His control was slipping. It took him a moment to understand why. His anchor was anger. But, as he looked around the living room full of pack bickering about the movie for the night, he realized that he wasn’t angry anymore. He felt his claws starting to dig into his palms. When had that happened? It was a strangely comforting surprise. Or it would have been if it hadn’t meant losing control. Stiles glanced over at him as Lydia suggested they all just give up and watch the Notebook again. The Spark grinned at him. Whiskey-colored eyes nearly glowing when the pack groaned in unison. Derek let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding as his claws retracted. His hearing instinctively tuned itself to the quiet, speeding beat of Stiles’ heart. He felt his wolf settle in him. He nodded to Stiles and the teen turned back to his friends, somehow managing to get everyone to agree to the first Jurassic Park movie since Cora hadn’t seen it. Peter appeared suddenly, as he tended to do. He signaled for Derek to come with him before heading to his soundproofed room. Once inside, Peter closed the door.
“I think it’s time we had a talk,” Peter said, taking a seat in his armchair. He gestured for Derek to sit on the bed, but Derek stayed where he was.
“About what?” Derek asked.
“Oh I suspect there are many things that we would benefit from talking about, but for tonight I’ll limit myself to two topics. The first being Mates.” Peter fixed his eyes on Derek.
“It’s a bedtime story. Mates aren’t real.”
“Actually, they are. They’re also exceedingly rare these days since most packs don’t experience the kind of severe circumstances that would warrant a commitment of that level. A mating bond is the strongest kind of bond a wolf can form. A wolf who has a mate is stronger for it, but, if they were to lose their mate, they would not survive. It’s not a risk that most wolves would choose to take, no matter how much they love their partners.”
“What’s your point, Peter?”
“The wolves who choose to form that bond don’t choose to. The bond forms in intense situations where there is a mutual risk of danger to both mates. It’s something done by instinct after a deep enough connection is formed. It is a wolf’s way of ensuring they have a reason to survive. One does not choose who they mate with any more or less than they choose who they love.”
“Peter.”
“You’ve had a mating bond since I returned,” his uncle said calmly. Derek felt himself freeze. He wanted to run or shift or howl, but he couldn’t move. He just started at Peter in shock. “I noticed it after you officially accepted me into your pack. Cora noticed it too, but by that point, I think it was clear to everyone except for you and him. Which brings us to our second topic. Stiles.”
“Stiles,” Derek repeated.
“You two have been through quite a lot together over the last year. I suspect it formed in one of the many life or death situations you’ve been in. It may have even formed at different times. If I had to guess, I’d say his side started forming that night at the pool.”
“You weren’t even alive for that,” Derek growled.
Peter shrugged. “Stiles told me about it. He kept you afloat for nearly two hours, which would be impressive for anyone. Let alone someone with a heart condition. Though he wasn’t aware of it yet, I suspect his Spark could feel the connection between the two of you and responded in the same way a wolf would have. The path was already there.” Derek stiffened. “Oh yes. Your side was formed before his. Anyone examining the bond can see that. What I’m not sure of is when it would have formed. I’d say it’s about a month older than his side, though once it’s mutual it doesn’t matter much.”
“You’ve been back for months,” Derek managed. “Why bring it up now?”
“Your control was slipping.” Peter gestured at the dried smugs of blood on Derek’s hands. “Speaking from experience, no one likes it when an Alpha loses control.”
“I’m fine.”
“Now.” Peter held Derek’s glare for a moment. Then he sighed and looked down. “Derek, do you know what happens when you find your mate? It changes your priorities, even when one is as oblivious as you are. The bond makes your mate your first priority. You’ll be tuned into them whenever you can. It’ll be easier to know when they’re hurt or if something’s wrong. Your senses will focus on them. They will become your anchor if they weren’t already. After it’s mutually affirmed, even a human will feel a pull to their mate. Especially one with magic. And trying to ignore this will only result in pain for both of you.” Peter rose from his chair. “I don’t know how long you’ve been in love with him, but not telling him will only hurt you both. He needs to know.”
“He’s still a kid,” Derek growled weakly, refusing to look at his uncle.
“Not legally. Even if he were, you could never be her. Stiles wouldn’t let you. You’re welcome to stay here for now, but I’d wager he’ll be along shortly if you stay too long.” Peter brushed past him. “You know, his heart is always faster around you.” Then he left. Derek collapsed onto his uncle’s bed. He leaned forward on his knees and buried his face in his hands. It didn’t make sense. Stiles couldn’t be his mate. Derek would have noticed. Thinking back though, Derek could see it. He’d relied on Stiles since he’d come back to Beacon Hills. Stiles had been there nearly every time Derek had been in danger. Stiles had never really been scared of him. Had always stood up to him, even when he thought Derek was a killer. He remembered that Stiles’ heartbeat had been the first thing he’d heard when he took the Alpha powers. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there when someone knocked on the door. Stiles stepped in cautiously, closing the door behind him.
“You okay, Sourwolf?” Stiles asked. He knelt down in front of the Alpha. Derek let his hands fall and looked at Stiles. Really looked. He was skinnier than he’d been when they’d first met. Taller too, though not by much. He had more defined muscles and a few small scars. His skin was pale but his eyes were bright. He’d let his hair grow out some and it looked good. He looked good. If forced to admit it, Derek would say he’d always looked good. “Derek?” Stiles’ heart sped up, and for the first time, Derek wondered why he was always tuned to it. “If Peter did something to you, just say the word and I can bind him in his room. Though, we should probably not be in here when I do that. Seriously, though, what’s up?”
“We need to talk,” Derek said finally.
“About what?” Stiles frowned. Derek stayed quiet, searching for the right words. “Derek, you can’t just say that then clam up. If I’m messing something up, just tell me. I know you’d didn’t exactly chose for me to be pack and I was only here because you wanted Scott. But I thought that it was fine since you didn’t kick me out after Scott cut you off. I know I’m not as close as the betas, but I really like this pack and I’ll fix whatever I’m doing wrong. Just-”
“Stiles!” Derek snapped. Stiles stopped talking with a flinch. “You’re not doing anything wrong. You are pack and it’s not because of Scott. It’s because of you. You have no idea how important to our pack you are. You have always been important to me.”
“To you?” Stiles breathed. Derek gulped and nodded. Stiles shook his head. “But I’m not. I’m just the researcher. The spastic human klutz. I’m like the most disposable person in the pack.”
“You are not,” Derek growled. His wolf howled under his skin in frustration. “You are my mate. You are not disposable.” Stiles’ heart skipped a beat. His eyes got wide and he leaned away from Derek. Derek looked at the ground. “There wouldn’t be a pack without you,” he said quietly. Stiles didn’t respond for a while. His heartbeat was skipping and stuttering and Derek was concerned he’d just given the teen a heart attack.
“I’m-I’m your mate?” Stiles’ voice was breathy, barely audible. “I read about mates. I researched mating bonds. It has to be mutual. The bond is formed out of desperation. Out of the need to keep someone else alive. It has to be reciprocated or there’s an imbalance. If only one of the pair is willing to die to save the other, it won’t work.” Long fingers wrapped around Derek’s wrist as Stiles suddenly moved into his space. “Derek, look at me.” Derek looked up at the deep whiskey eyes slowly, not really ready for what he may see there. “Do you love me?” Stiles asked carefully.
Derek looked back at the floor. “Yes,” he said quietly. Stiles released his wrist, and Derek figured that was the end of it. He could hear the way the Spark’s heartbeat settled to the even speeding that meant he’d decided something. Stiles would leave him here to deal with it. He wasn’t expecting Stiles to gently cup his face. Nor was he expecting the warm lips pressing against his. One of Stiles’ hands pressed against his neck right at the pulse point while the other slid into his hair. Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. Stiles made a strangled noise that Derek could feel. He bit at Stiles’ lip hungrily. They broke apart for a second and Derek buried his nose in Stiles’ neck, greedily breathing in the heady scent of arousal.
“I love you too,” Stiles said. “If that wasn’t clear.” Derek huffed and pressed an open-mouthed kiss on Stiles’ neck. Stiles groaned. Unfortunately, the door to the room opened and someone cleared their throat. Stiles flailed, but Derek held him firmly in place, refusing to lift his head as he worked his way up Stiles’ neck.
“Well, Nephew, I’m glad you got yourself together, but if you could not devour your mate in my room, I’d greatly appreciate it,” Peter said. Derek didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning. Stiles’ heartbeat sped up and he dropped his head onto Derek’s shoulder when the Alpha finally relented from his kissing. Several people were shouting from the living room, arguing about who won a bet. Derek ignored it all in favor of listening to the strange quiet beat of his mate’s heart.