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Shadow was following Stiles around again, that was the first thing that Erica noticed when she and Boyd arrived at the loft. The puppy, who was usually at the door to greet anyone, was right at Stiles’ heels as he walked around the area that Derek had made his library. They could both smell the magic coming off of him, the smell of an incoming storm radiating through the apartment. Isaac, who was on the couch, looked over at them from where he was watching Stiles.
“Deaton called, he told Stiles that he was dealing with things out of his control and he should really have his Spark bound,” He explained, looking back over at Stiles.
The Spark had picked Shadow up and was letting him nose at his neck as he pulled a book off the shelf. He looked over and seemed surprised to see all three Betas in the living room.
“Hello puppies, it’s so nice to see you. I have spaghetti in the pot on the stove if you want some,” He said, offering them a soft smile.
They watched as Shadow pawed at his face, making Stiles rub his nose into his fur. They all let out a sigh of relief as the ozone smell dissipated.
“Thanks, I’ve been missing your food,” Boyd said, the first to break the silence that had settled.
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Scott and Derek were, unfortunately, the only ones in the loft. Stiles had taken dinner to his father and had taken Shadow with him so he could enchant all the deputies, and the rest of the pack hadn’t arrived for the pack meeting yet.
“Derek?” Scott asked, having wandered over to look at the books.
Peter had taken it upon himself to teach Stiles everything he could about the supernatural world, as well as his own Spark. There were several books from the original Hale library, as well as some rare books that no one wanted to know how much they were or where they came from.
“What?” Derek growled, looking up from his phone.
Stiles, Isaac, and Boyd had all texted to tell him that they were on their way. Stiles had included a picture, Shadow with his head stuck out the window as they sat at a red light.
“Why haven’t you bitten Stiles yet?”
Derek froze and turned to glare at his mate’s ‘best friend’.
“Why is that any of your business?”
“I mean, you bit everyone else and let them all in your pack. You claim to love Stiles and you talk about the bite being a gift. Why haven’t you bitten Stiles yet?”
Derek stood and stalked over to Scott, swatting his hand away from one of the books. He pinned him to a shelf and growled.
“It’s none of your business why I haven’t bitten him. But, since you are so curious, Stiles doesn’t want the bite. He told me that he only wants it if he is dying. Do not mention any of this to him, because I would hate to have to tear your throat out and make my mate sad.”
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Jackson was still a little terrified of his Alpha. The broody, older man was always quick to growl when Jackson so much as aimed a little tease at Stiles, and that was more terrifying than facing down hunters at this point. However, he seemed to have found the least terrifying image of the Alpha.
Derek was sitting on the couch, reading over reports from Chris. Stiles was curled up next to him, his head on his shoulder as he slept. The cute factor was the puppy that was pawing at Derek’s chest, trying to distract him and get him to play.
“Shadow, I’m working pup. Cuddle with Stiles or go guard the front door, you silly pup,” Derek said, laying his papers down to scratch at the top of the puppy’s head.
Shadow yipped, nipped at his fingers, and jumped off his lap. Jackson realized a moment later that the puppy had decided that he was his new target. He let out a small scream as he felt little teeth latch onto his ankle. Looking down, Shadow was holding onto his leg, the tail wag giving away the fact that he was playing rather than maiming.
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“Hey, babe?” Stiles said, looking up at Derek as they read in bed.
“Yes, Mischief?” Derek asked, not looking away from his book.
“Is there such a thing as magical familiars?”
Derek looked down, surprised. Stiles was still looking up at him, curiosity bright in his eyes. Derek pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“I heard about them when I was growing up. Animals that come to their humans when they are most in need of someone or something to keep them grounded...Shadow?”
Stiles smiled.
“I think so. I mean, what are the odds that I found a puppy in the middle of the night, on a deserted road? He is sensitive to my magic, and you saw how he reacted to Deaton when he was here.”
Derek nodded, putting his bookmark in his book and placing it on the nightstand so he could turn his attention to Stiles. Stiles closed his book and let Derek take it.
“You have a point. We can ask Peter about it tomorrow, he should know better than I do. Now, let’s get some sleep. We are going to have a loft full of pack tomorrow and I want you well rested before they get here.”
Stiles smiled and snuggled down into his side after he clicked the light off.
“Good night, Sugarwolf. I love you.”
“Good night, Mischief, I love you too.”