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The woods sing as a burst of magic drifts past. It wakes the fae residing within them, eyes blinking to alertness before they hurriedly gather together in excitement. After all, they all knew the source of such power: another kitsune had completed their journey to maturity. Except this one was not like the rest. No, this particular kitsune was strong, incredibly so.
Whoever it was, their ceremony would easily draw in many capable magical creatures. These next few days, the fae had to be wary of other supernatural entities encroaching on their land.
I mean, who wouldn't want a kitsune, with the ability to change the world, for a mate?
🐺💞🦊
Stiles is 20 when he grows his ninth and final tail. The explosion of magic that immediately follows feels like sweet release, as if the boy had been living with chains around his body his entire life - probably because it was true. With this tail finally grown in, the last barrier to his full reservoir of magic was broken, and it was a heady feeling.
As Stiles recovers from involuntarily sending a shockwave of magic throughout Beacon Hills (and probably the better part of California, if he wanted to brag about it), rapid footsteps made their way to his room accompanied by the door banging open. It was only Stiles' familiarity and comfort with his house that prevented his instincts from taking over and sending magic the intruder's way.
"Stiles! Is everything okay?" John asked, eyes roving the room in search of any threats.
"Dad!" Stiles said with a smile as he was once again overcome with excitement after the initial alarm. "Look! I grew another one!" He cupped said tail to emphasize.
The sheriff sighed in relief and exasperation before sharing his son's smile. "That your ninth, son?"
"Yep!" The boy answered, popping the 'p'. "That means I'm officially a mature kitsune now, right Dad?"
"Yeah." Though he smiled, something about him seemed more melancholic rather than happy. Stiles, attuned as he was to others' feelings especially when it came to his own father, noticed it immediately.
"Dad? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, son," he said as he sat on the bed with a heavy thump, "Just a lot of things to prepare now that you're old enough - your ceremony, for example."
Stiles worried expression didn't leave his face as he joined his dad on the bed. "Whatever happens, you know I'll always come to you, Dad." When his words invoked a small smile from the older man's face, Stiles kept going. "And screw anyone who wouldn't let you come with me and consider you part of their family! They probably wouldn't make a good mate, anyway!"
John chuckled, reaching out to stop his son from flailing right off the bed. "Alright, Stiles, that's enough." He might be the strongest kitsune to date, but his boy was still his boy: clumsy, a danger to himself, and with a heart of gold. John was happy that, despite his being a single parent, Stiles turned out to be a good kid. He was glad to be reminded of it at least one more time before his boy inevitably had to leave and start his own life with his mate.
"Dad! Daaaaddd!" John came back to the present, Stiles clicking his fingers in front of his face with a confused smile. "Whew, you're back! You left me there for a second; where did you go?"
The older man shook his head to dissipate any leftover sadness. He needed to cherish these last few months with his son instead of sulking. "It's nothing you need to worry about, son. Just dad things."
Stiles frowned but didn't want to push the issue lest it inspire more gloomy thoughts. He stood up none-too-gracefully and pulled his surprised father to his feet, who just went along with it. If Stiles used a little bit of magic to boost the distracted man up, well, no one needed to know.
"I love you, Dad," the boy said, pulling the man into a crushing hug.
"I love you too, kiddo." John returned the hug, but his eyes were far away. Who will ever be good enough for you?
🐺💞🦊
Considering they had all felt the pulse of magic that occurred a week ago, it was only a matter of time before they received the letter. Still, that small piece of paper was met with a lot of excitement as the whole Hale pack gathered at the table, the adults patiently waiting for the announcement of a newly-mature kitsune, which hadn't happened in at least 30 years. Claudia Stilinski had been the last remaining kitsune in Beacon Hills and they had all mourned her death.
While the children ate, Talia cleared her throat which immediately captured the eyes and ears of the adults at the table.
"As you all had probably guessed, a kitsune has just matured in our lands," the alpha said and began reading off the letter, "The Hale pack is cordially invited to Stiles Stilinski's mating ceremony. Any magical creature who is of-age and as yet unmated are welcome to attend and compete for Stiles' hand in marriage. We hope to see you there. Bring your best."
There was a moment of silence as Talia allowed her pack to process her words.
"So that Stilinski boy's all grown up now, eh?"
Talia nodded. "Yes, and it seems he is even stronger than his mother."
Peter crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He looked at his nephew with a smirk. "Well, it looks like it's finally our Derek's chance."
Said nephew was uncharacteristically fixated on his plate, but everyone around the table could see the way his ears had reddened. The rest of the pack immediately took advantage of one of their own's rare moment of weakness and teased him relentlessly.
"Ohhh, Stiles! That Stiles!" Laura sat up in her chair excitedly as she came to a realization.
"The Stiles that Derek had a crush on for years, but was too shy to say so directly?" One of the older pack members asked teasingly, but the kind smile on his face indicated it was just some good-natured badgering of his sister's son.
"The very one," Talia replied airily. Derek groaned in embarrassment as it seemed even his mom had joined in.
"I mean, what other Stiles is there?" Cora commented.
This continued for a few more minutes before Talia decided that her son had been subjected to enough teasing. "Alright, alright. Enough, all of you." The table immediately quieted. "So, clearly, Derek will be in attendance. Is there anyone else in this pack who would like to go as a competitor-" At the insinuation, Derek growled. "Or, in respect of Derek's wishes, as a representative of the Hale pack?"
"I'll go." Derek's eyes swept over to his uncle's, who sent him an amused smile. "Keep him out of trouble and all that."
"Very well then. Derek will be the Hale pack's competitor and Peter will accompany him as representative but will not compete." She announced with an authoritative voice before glancing at both her son and brother. "You two will leave in a few days' time to the Stilinski residence. I expect that Stiles will have carved out an area close by in which the mating ritual will take place. Is that understood?"
Derek and Peter bowed their heads in deference to their alpha.
With the formalities aside, the adults went back to their meal while Laura clapped her brother on the back. "This is it bro! It couldn't have worked out any better for you. Just don't lose!"
Derek huffed. "Of course I won't."
With all the food finished, the pack dispersed. Before Derek could leave to his room and begin preparations, he was stopped by a gentle but firm hand around his wrist. Turning around, he saw his mother fixing him with a stern look.
"Don't mess it up, Derek." The man replied to his mother's sudden seriousness with a flash of his eyes and a somber nod. "We could really use a strong kitsune in this pack."
🐺💞🦊
The day of the mating ceremony came without much fanfare, but a whole lot of nerves for Derek. It was like he blinked and suddenly the dreaded day was upon him. Don't get him wrong, he was ecstatic to finally be able to claim Stiles as his own and let go of the burden of his repressed feelings for the boy that was four years his junior. But he couldn't stop thinking. What if he lost? What if Stiles didn't want him?
"I can hear your worrying from here, nephew," Peter snarked, successfully bringing the other wolf out of his head. "Get it together. We'll see Stiles soon and you don't want to make a fool out of yourself in front of him, do you?"
Derek shook his head to clear his thoughts. He walked forward with renewed strength and confidence. "No, I don't. Let's go."
They finally arrived at the house and noticed that it had been enchanted. Instead of the two-story building the Stilinski family called home, there was a path that led into a cluster of trees that looked like a mini forest. Neither wolf spared each other a glance and simply continued on their way.
Instead of the forest they were expecting, they entered a clearing. Trees lined the perimeter while all sorts of magical creatures presently wandered about, clearly waiting for the ritual to start. Stiles was nowhere to be found.
Derek grunted as they came to a stop along the side of the clearing, glaring at anyone that came close and obviously not in the mood to talk. Peter, for his part, simply observed his surroundings with sharp eyes. He did not antagonize his nephew even though he wanted to - the man was already struggling enough as it was and he felt he would get his head bit off for the trouble.
Finally, after a few tense moments, a spark of magic announced the appearance of one Stiles and John Stilinski.
As soon as Derek caught sight of him, he was enthralled. Stiles was still the same boy he had fallen in love with - same long, lanky legs, same messy brunette hair, same cheerful eyes shining with intelligence - but also not. He looked visibly older, mature, and instead of the awkward energy he had in high school, he projected a newfound strength.
In his awe, Derek forgot to look away, and Stiles met his gaze. They locked eyes for several seconds (which felt like a lifetime to Derek) before the sheriff knocked gently into Stiles to bring his attention to the rest of the audience, who were now waiting on him. With pink dusting his cheeks, Stiles cleared his throat and turned toward the crowd.
"Hi everyone! I'm Stiles, and I'm glad you all could make it," he said. "You all probably know how this works, but for those of you that don't - not to worry, I'll explain!"
The kitsune waved his hand and wooden posts came from all directions of the clearing, planting themselves into the ground in a large circle. Next came long vines, which wrapped themselves around these posts, creating a fenced-in arena. "Basically, you're all here to try your hand at beating me. Or, you should be, at least. If you're not, I don't know what to tell ya', it was all in the letter-" Stiles rambled. "Anyway, whoever beats me gets to mate me, I guess. Be warned though. All this," Stiles gestured to himself, "Isn't going to take it easy on any of you, so you shouldn't take it easy on me either."
As he spoke, the brunette approached the arena, stepping over the makeshift fence with a minimal amount of flailing. He brushed himself off and looked at the crowd with an innocent expression. "So... who's first?"
🐺💞🦊
It became clear quite quickly that Stiles, for all his clumsiness and youthful energy, was exceedingly powerful. Not only that, but he was cunning as well.
His innocently naive act had fooled his first suitor, a vampire from a clan in the northeast. Though he had the speed and the strength, he was easily bested by Stiles' telekinesis and affinity for magic. The crowd gasped as the kitsune drove a wooden stake into the vampire's chest, enchanting it in such a way that it broke through the barrier of immortality.
The vampire slumped over as the light left his eyes; he was dead.
There was a long somber silence that followed as the rest of the suitors comprehended what just happened. In accepting the invitation to participate in the ritual, they hadn't expected that death was a possibility. A grave mistake on their part to assume that Stiles would just let them win, that he wouldn't prove to be a challenge until his last breath.
"Who's next?"
Several had already retreated and some had even left after that display of power. However, there were still a handful that stayed, including Derek and his uncle, even after bearing witness to what they were actually up against.
Stiles let his eyes roam over the remaining suitors, happy when he spied that Derek was among them. He smirked.
"You, wolf with the blonde hair and blue shirt," Stiles called, "You're next."
The next few fights were brutal. If these suitors chose to stay even after seeing that first fight, then they had accepted that a consequence of their failure to beat him was not just shame or rejection, but death.
"Impressive," Peter commented with an amused twinkle in his eye as yet another suitor was defeated, their companions leaving with their tail between their legs to tell their family the bad news. Derek observed Stiles intensely and, as their number dwindled, his heart raced faster and faster. He had to actively fight the urge to shift as adrenalin and excitement warred within him. He lost the battle as his fangs started to lengthen at the thought of Stiles being his mate.
A strong mate like that would produce strong pups and protect them with ferocity, his wolf whispered.
Finally, Derek and Peter were the last ones in the clearing apart from John and Stiles themselves. It seemed that Stiles had saved Derek for last.
John frowned. With the others proving unworthy, he lay all his hopes on Derek. Truth be told, he had been rooting for the Hales from the very beginning. Better Stiles marry into that pack than any others. They lived close by and John quite liked Talia and Derek. His late wife had been good friends with the Hales and it seemed that Stiles was following that path, what with his close friendship to Derek (that may or may not change today and Jonh hoped it would, just so he could stop hearing about Derek this, Derek that all the time).
"Derek," Stiles nodded in acknowledgement, panting slightly from the other battles he had fought and won.
"Stiles." Their eyes met in a heated stare.
"Don't go easy on me now, sourwolf."
Despite the stakes and the general seriousness of the situation, Derek cracked a smile at the nickname. "Wouldn't dream of it, little red."
As if there had been a signal in their exchange, Derek leaped forward and the ritual officially started. The two traded blows, Derek dodging some while Stiles blocked others. However, all the running around was tiring the werewolf out quickly and with his current strategy of only using non-fatal blows, he knew he was going to lose if he didn't think of something fast.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. It was underhanded, but Derek knew he could make it work. And Stiles would probably commend him for the slyness of it after he had gotten over his upset. Derek just had to trust that Stiles, though he had changed much, was still Stiles.
One particularly hard invisible force sent Derek flying, landing in a prone heap. Worried that he'd actually killed his best friend (and maybe more), the kitsune hurried over to the wolf's vulnerable form.
"Derek?! Are you okay? I didn't mean it, I swear-"
He was interrupted by Derek's hands closing around his throat, claws just barely touching the soft skin of his neck. He looked at Stiles completely wolfed out, his fang-filled mouth widening into a victorious grin.
Derek had been right. Stiles was still Stiles - because Stiles would always put the people he cared about first, even over an important mating ritual that decided his fate. And Derek hadn't been completely sure, but he had hoped that he was one of the few that Stiles cared about deeply.
"I win, Stiles,” he said, his words a bit jumbled from his fangs, then released the boy's throat and attempted to rein in his wolf.
When Stiles recovered from the shock, he could only laugh. "I guess you did, sourwolf," he said with a grin of his own. "That means you're stuck with me now. Are you prepared for that?"
"I couldn't imagine anything better."
And Derek meant it.
🐺💞🦊
Derek observed his pack sparring with a smile.
Shortly after his and Stiles' mating (and it had been glorious, long overdue as it was), Talia had decided, now that he was mated, Derek was fit to lead his own pack, a subunit of the larger Hale pack. His family would still be there to support him in anything, but he would be the alpha to other, younger werewolves that could benefit from his guidance.
Thus started his search for pack members.
It had been a long year, but Derek couldn't be more satisfied and proud of how much his pack had grown in number. Starting with Isaac, then Erica and Boyd in the first few months. Scott followed only a month after the trio, Stiles having 'adopted' him immediately after learning that he had been bitten by a rogue and had no pack. Jackson had not gotten along with Stiles initially, but the kitsune had eventually broken his barriers down.
Finally, there were the pack's newest additions: Lydia and Allison. The banshee and daughter of Peter's new significant other (and wasn't that weird to think about) had followed their hearts to Jackson and Scott, respectively, and sought Stiles' permission to join the pack, which he had accepted (though not after giving the poor girls a warning against any heart-breaking behavior).
A soft breath caught Derek's attention and he soon found his feet moving toward his mate. The werewolf joined the kitsune where he sat on the porch of their pack house, cradling his rounded stomach with his tails spread around him.
Derek would never get tired of the view.
“Do you think our pup will be a wolf or a kitsune?” He asked as he looked at his mate with adoration and fondness.
“Why not both?” Stiles smirked. “Either way, I can already tell she’ll be the strongest alpha the world will ever know.”