Archive of Our Own

“That’s all, then. Meeting’s over.”

A clear dismissal from Derek, no room for argument. Not like anyone would have wanted to argue with the alpha.

“Just one more year of this and we’ll be free to do our own thing and go where we want to go to college and beyond,” Scott murmured to Stiles as he left Derek’s loft with Allison, Isaac not far behind them. Cora had already disappeared into her own bedroom, the only one who lived in the loft with Derek.

Stiles, however, was slow at putting everything back in his backpack. Thoughts were racing through his mind, and they were troubling him.

Though the group of werewolves and werewolf-associated people called themselves a pack, they didn’t seem to actually act like a pack. Sure, they had a pack meeting every Friday night at Derek’s loft and they fought together whenever some evil creature or witch or one of the many assorted supernatural creatures came to Beacon Hills and its Nemeton, but they weren’t close to each other as a group.

A pack in name only. And that was really sad.

Erica and Boyd had abandoned the pack before the end of the last school year, after Gerard Argent had kidnapped and tortured them. Derek had seemed angry that they’d left, but the emotion that actually radiated off the alpha was overwhelming guilt. Jackson, obnoxious douchebag that he was, had moved away after the school year ended, his parents taking him to England. Lydia had been heartbroken and had hardly ever shown up to pack meetings after that, and if she had, it had been only to hang out with Allison.

Derek had hardly ever talked about the family members that had been lost long ago, but Stiles remembered little mentions of how the whole family had full moon runs and pack dinners and were all very close to each other. Stiles may not have been a werewolf or even supernaturally affiliated for very long, but it was so easy to tell that the old Hale family was what packs should be like. A family, whether blood-related or not.

There were only three Hales remaining now, and two of them barely spent any time with the rest of the pack. Derek, of course, was the alpha and the leader of the pack, so he was obviously involved. His uncle, Peter, who had been killed months before for killing Derek’s older sister Laura for her alpha power due to going insane from the fire that had killed the rest of the family, had been brought back to life because of Lydia’s banshee powers. According to Peter, he had felt much more like himself when he’d come back to life, but Stiles wasn’t entirely certain that he was telling the truth, nor was anyone else in the pack. He barely if ever came to pack meetings. And Cora, Derek’s younger sister who no one had known had survived the fire, not even Derek or Peter, had returned to Beacon Hills when she’d heard that there were Hales living in Beacon Hills again. But she was always angry, especially with her brother. While Derek’s predominant emotion was guilt hidden by anger, Cora’s was most definitely anger covered by anger. She always disappeared into her room after pack meetings and only spoke to argue with someone, mostly her brother.

Despite Derek hiding his feelings behind anger, Stiles could see the longing in his eyes. Stiles knew that he wanted a pack like the one he’d once had with his family. Though Stiles barely saw much of him anymore, he’d also seen a similar look in Peter’s eyes once. Cora’s anger hid it pretty well, but Stiles knew that she must feel the same way too.

Stiles knew that he had to try and heal the pack and get everyone feeling like a family. Scott had been pretty much his brother since they’d met in first grade, and Mrs. McCall was like a second mother to him, so he had experience with a found family as opposed to just the one he was born into and he knew that he was much better off for having Scott and his mom in his life. Remembering how lonely Isaac, Erica, and Boyd were before Derek had asked them to join his pack, he knew that they would all be better off with a pack family, too. So would the others. Everyone could use more people to care about them.

The smartest thing to do would be to do research into what a pack is and how to make one work harmoniously. He needed a guide to help him find accurate information. Deaton had never been the most helpful person, so he wasn’t an option. That left the three Hales. Stiles didn’t want to tell Derek about his idea until he had a definite plan, and Cora barely spoke to anyone who wasn’t her immediate family.

That left Peter. Peter who nobody in the pack trusted.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as Stiles was thinking. Peter did seem to care about his niece and nephew, even if he wasn’t always physically there. Even if they didn’t really talk to him much. There would most likely be some truths mixed in with any lies Peter might tell. Stiles just had to figure out what the truths were. And Peter did have access to the Hale vault, which could have tons of information about pack life.

Nodding to himself, Stiles checked to make sure he had everything he’d come in with. He’d visit Peter tomorrow and Plan Make the Hale Pack a Family Again could begin.

“Stiles.”

Stiles jumped. He’d forgotten that he hadn’t exactly been alone with his thoughts. “Derek, my man!” he grinned at the alpha. “What’s up?”

“The meeting’s over,” Derek said. “You can go now.” The stare he leveled at Stiles said that that wasn’t a request.

Stiles inwardly sighed. That stare of Derek’s was definitely angry and annoyed, but Stiles reminded himself that Derek’s anger hid other emotions that were more dominant. “Yup!” he said, grin still firmly on his face. “On my way out!”

And with that, Stiles backed out of Derek’s loft. Only one sheet of paper fell out of his backpack, and he didn’t stumble as he bent down to retrieve it. As a naturally clumsy person, Stiles saw that as a plus.

But he wasn’t going to chance any more clumsiness by going down all those stairs. Elevator for Stiles all the way.

**********

Stiles arrived at the address that he found in the database the next afternoon. He looked up at the floor-to-ceiling windows and the visible fancy furniture and decor with his mouth hanging open.

That was not what Stiles had been expecting. He never thought that Peter would live in an abandoned train depot like Derek had when he’d first become an alpha. But the swanky apartment building with a bellman who opened the door for anyone coming in or out and a golden chandelier with crystals on the ceiling of the entrance room, not to mention the stuff he saw through those insane windows, was more than anything he could have dreamed of. He shook his head with a smirk. Of course Peter would flaunt the Hales’ wealth.

Peter, for his part, opened his door with a surprised expression. “Stiles,” he greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you to show up at my apartment. I didn’t even know you knew where I lived.”

“I didn’t,” Stiles answered, walking past Peter into the apartment. “I looked you up using the police database.”

Peter actually laughed. “Sounds like something I would do. Not exactly legal, is it?”

Stiles shrugged. “Benefits of having a dad in law enforcement. Of course, he doesn’t know that I know my way around the computers, so you can keep that to yourself, thank you very much.” He shook his finger in Peter’s direction, causing the man to laugh again.

“You would make a great left hand,” Peter told him.

“Left hand? What’s that?” Stiles had never heard that term used before.

“Stiles,” Peter turned around and faced him, “have you heard of a right hand before?”

“Yeah,” Stiles said. “It’s someone who’s like your second in command, someone who helps you out.”

“That’s right,” Peter nodded. “Laura was Talia’s right hand. She was always meant to be Talia’s successor and assistant. She had been trained for it almost from birth.” Regret flashed across his face for a moment, and it disappeared immediately. “The left hand,” he continued, “is the one who will do anything to protect their pack and alpha. Anything, even if it would be considered unethical. Their hands are not always clean, but it’s in service to the pack.”

Stiles quickly made some mental connections, and his eyes widened. “You were Talia’s left hand, weren’t you?” he asked.

Peter smiled. “You are a very astute young man. I still think you would do well as a wolf.”

“Hey, hey,” Stiles held his hands up in warning. “Happy little human here, glad to do all the mountain ash kind of stuff.” Peter had actually unknowingly given him the perfect opening for his big plan. “But, um, I actually need some information. That’s why I came.”

Peter looked intrigued. “What kind of information?”

“Well,” Stiles began, “you all hardly ever talk about your family, but when you do, you all have memories of your family both as a family and as a pack. Now, I’m sure you can’t help but notice the lack of closeness between the people in this pack.”

“I have small pack bonds with my niece and nephew, but other than those, pack bonds are non-existent between the others and myself. Except for one person,” Peter confirmed, looking right at Stiles. “My bonds are much smaller than when the whole family was alive. We hardly have any sort of relationship. I suppose my killing of Laura didn’t exactly help the situation.”

“Probably not,” Stiles said honestly. “But I can tell that underneath the anger that Derek shows, he wants a pack. He deserves it. He’s been through way more pain than he should have and he deserves some happiness. Cora too.” He looked into Peter’s eyes for a moment, trying to search for something, then nodded. “You do, too, Peter. We all deserve a pack and family and we should be better at it. I need information on being a better pack and I’m going to present it to Derek and try to convince him.”

Inwardly, he held his breath. He’d laid his plan bare to Peter. Now he just had to hope that Peter would be honest with him. He’d certainly seemed to be so far.

Surprisingly, Peter smiled at him, a real, genuine smile. “Now, that, my young friend, is the best idea I’ve heard in a long time.”

Stiles beamed back at him, relieved that the first part of his plan had worked. He whipped the backpack off his shoulder, unzipped it, and pulled out notebooks and pens. “Tell me everything!”

**********

Stiles hadn’t had anything to worry about. Peter had been very forthcoming with information. He’d even taken Stiles to the Hale family vault to give him some books to help him with his research. Stiles had stayed up till past 4am reading up on pack bonds and the roles for different pack members and all kinds of other pack info. He had delved deep into his own feelings and figured out that he had slight bonds to all the Hale pack members, including Peter, meaning that he was Peter’s one non-familial bond. Cora was the only person he didn’t have a bond with as they really hadn’t spent much time together. Thankfully, he could sleep in on Sunday morning, then visit Derek in the afternoon.

He pulled his Jeep into the loft’s parking lot a little after three in the afternoon, the books from the vault and his notebooks inside his ever-present backpack. He hefted the much heavier than normal backpack onto his shoulder and headed up to Derek’s loft.

Derek glared at Stiles upon answering the knock at the door. “What are you doing here, Stiles?” He folded his arms over his chest.

“Making this pack better,” Stiles said, pushing past Derek. He settled down on the couch and started removing all the books and notebooks from his backpack.

“What are you talking about?”

Stiles looked up at Derek. The alpha’s eyes weren’t glaring as hard and he almost seemed… hopeful. Well, Stiles thought, I’m gonna make your dreams come true. “I’m going to make this pack as good as it once was,” he said matter-of-factly. “I visited Peter yesterday.”

Derek looked surprised. “You trust him?” he asked. Then his eyes narrowed. “And you know where he lives?”

“Well, I did have to look up where he lives,” Stiles conceded. “But yes. And yes, I trust him. At least with this. He told me all about the pack when your mother was alpha. About the right hand and the left hand. About building pack bonds. Maybe even Erica and Boyd will want to come back.”

Derek swallowed audibly. “Could you… really help with that?” he whispered.

Stiles’ heart ached. He was right. Derek wanted a pack so badly, and Stiles was going to make sure he got it. Even if there ended up being only the remaining Hales and Stiles in the pack after all, he was going to make Derek happy. “I’m gonna do my best to make this new Hale pack the best it can be,” he vowed seriously.

“You really think you can do that?”

Cora, apparently home and in her room, came out and folded her arms over her chest. Like brother, like sister, Stiles thought with a grin, remembering Derek’s earlier pose. “There are no guarantees,” he said honestly, “but I’m gonna help make this pack as good as it can be.”

“Cora,” Derek turned to his sister. “What do you think?”

“Well, what is his plan?” Cora asked, pointing at Stiles.

“To help Derek become a better alpha and the pack to bond together and to have actual roles and stuff. To be a family, even if we aren’t all related,” Stiles said.

Cora was actually struck speechless by Stiles’ words. She stared at him openmouthed and finally managed to say, “Is that even possible? This pack is a terrible example of one and I only have two pack bonds.”

“Well, from what I read last night,” Stiles said, “you have to be open to the bonds. You’ve barely spoken to anyone since you got here, just Derek and Peter. I assume those are your two bonds?”

“Well…,” Cora started, but then she and Derek turned towards the door to Derek’s loft. Someone must have shown up in the parking lot.

Not for the first time, Stiles was annoyed because he lacked their wolfy senses. “Well?” he snarked. “Who’s coming?”

“Peter,” Derek answered shortly.

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, Derek opened the loft door to find Peter, who didn’t even bother knocking. “Hello, nephew, niece. Stiles, glad to see you here already,” Peter greeted. He strode into the loft and turned to Derek. “I suppose young Stiles here has told you his idea?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “What do you think?”

“It does sound like a good idea,” Peter said, sitting on the couch. “None of the three of us ever received alpha training. It was only Talia and Laura. And since Derek here is the alpha, learning about how to be an alpha and everything an alpha learns about pack would be useful for you, Derek.”

Derek looked at Peter suspiciously, while Cora glared at him. “You’re not gonna kill Derek next, are you?” she growled at Peter.

Peter held up his hands in protest, “Now, now, niece, I have been back to normal since I came back from the dead, like how you might remember me from before. I know it might be hard, but do believe me.”

Stiles looked at Peter, then Derek and Cora. “He did help me a lot yesterday with finding out useful information, and he does actually seem sincere.”

Peter smiled approvingly at Stiles. “Thank you.”

Derek stared at Peter. “I’ll trust you because Stiles does.”

Stiles was surprisingly touched that Derek trusted someone because he did. He cleared his throat. “We’ll let everyone know about the plan at the next pack meeting.”

Hopefully everything would work out as well as he’d hoped it would.

**********

The next day began a new school week. Stiles decided to seek out Erica and Boyd. He didn’t share any classes with either of them this year, so he didn’t have a chance to speak to them until lunch. He marched right up to the table where the two of them were sitting alone, avoiding Scott and Allison waving at him to join them.

Neither of them looked very good. Erica wasn’t as confident and flashy as she was before and neither of the two seemed to want to talk. “What are you doing here, Stiles?” Boyd asked quietly. “Shouldn’t you be with your best friend?”

Stiles pulled his chair up close to them, despite knowing that they would be able to clearly hear his words from anywhere in the room. “Look,” he said, “I know you guys feel bad about running away, and everyone’s glad you two didn’t get hurt or anything. And I know you’re worried that Derek is angry with you.”

Erica and Boyd looked at each other uncertainly. “He is, isn’t he?” Erica whispered.

“No more than he normally is,” Stiles said, wanting to be honest. “I’ve been studying pack bonds. Do you guys feel pack bonds anymore?”

The two shared another glance. “Derek didn’t tell us too much about pack bonds, so we kinda had to guess what they were,” Erica told Stiles.

“We do feel a few bonds,” Boyd admitted. “The biggest ones are my grandma and Erica. There’s a smaller one to Isaac. There’s one that I think is–” He tilted his head as he looked at Stiles.

“Wait, that’s Stiles?” Erica gasped. “You’re one of my— our pack bonds?”

Stiles grinned. He had hoped that he shared pack bonds with all the pack and was pleased to find out it was true. “Awesome,” he said.

“And the smallest one… That’s Derek, isn’t it?” Boyd finished.

“Yeah,” Stiles confirmed. “He didn’t want you two to become omegas even if you weren’t officially part of the pack.”

“Why?” Erica asked in wonder. “We left him. We never should have… But we can’t go back…”

“Yes, you can!” Stiles smiled at her, taking her hands. “Derek’s gonna try and be a better alpha and we’re all gonna try to be a better pack, like the old Hale pack used to be.”

Erica and Boyd shared another look. “How’d you convince him to do that?” Boyd asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My powers of persuasion are superb, but I will have you know that it didn’t take much convincing at all,” Stiles said loftily, then grinned. “We really do need you guys. You are part of the new Hale pack.”

“We are?” Erica looked at Boyd and smiled. “I want to be, Boyd. Do you?”

Boyd grinned back. “Yeah, I do.”

“Awesome!” Stiles pumped his fist.

Too bad Jackson wouldn’t be that easy to convince. Besides, he was currently living in England with his parents and not even his love for Lydia was enough to make him stay. He figured he’d hold off on calling Jackson for now.

**********

Friday, once again, was a pack meeting. Stiles went to Derek’s loft early for encouragement. Cora and Peter were both there as well, watching Derek pace back and forth. “Nervous, Big Guy?” Stiles asked, not able to resist calling the alpha a nickname.

“Shut up, Stiles,” Derek said automatically.

Stiles ignored that. “You know what you’re gonna say?” he asked Derek.

“I think so,” Derek said.

“Calm down, Derek,” Cora said. “Mom and Laura never paced like that.”

Derek stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at his younger sister. “They knew what it was like to be an alpha and what was expected of them!” he yelled at her, red eyes flashing. “I know nothing about this! I became an alpha without knowing a thing about what to do! It was supposed to be Laura, not me!”

Stiles’ eyes widened. He stepped between Derek and Cora before a fight could break out. “Hey, hey, hey!” he said in a purposely calm voice. “Let’s not fight, okay? Derek, you’ll do just fine.”

“You’re a brave boy, Stiles,” Peter commented. “Stepping between an alpha and another wolf.”

Stiles shrugged. “I do what I have to do,” he said. “Now take deep breaths, Derek. It’ll help keep you calm. You’re not supposed to yell at your pack unless they’re doing something that could harm another pack member.”

Derek closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a few minutes of the slow deep breathing, he opened his eyes again.

“Better?” Stiles asked.

“Better.”

It wasn’t long before Isaac showed up at the loft. Ten minutes later, Scott and Allison appeared. “Is that everyone?” Allison asked.

“Not quite,” Stiles answered.

Scott, Allison, and Isaac exchanged a curious look. “Did Lydia say anything to you about coming, Ally?” Scott said softly.

Allison shook her head. “She didn’t say anything to me.”

The three Hales suddenly looked down towards the parking lot, despite the fact that they couldn’t see it. Stiles knew instantly who it was and grinned. Isaac was the next person to realize who was coming. “They’re coming back?” he asked excitedly.

Derek, who always seemed to radiate confidence, looked unsure. “I hope so.”

“They are,” Stiles corrected. “Believe in your pack, and yourself, too.” He pumped his fist enthusiastically.

Derek rolled his eyes, but Cora commented, “He’s right, you know. Channel your Mom energy or something.”

“Mom energy?” Derek practically choked. “I’m not a woman! I’m not Mom…”

“I know,” Cora said. “But you can channel her alpha energy. You’re an alpha, Derek. Act like it.”

“Harsh,” Scott commented.

Stiles agreed, but he also agreed with Cora that Derek needed to become the alpha he already was, and if tough love was how Cora was going to convince him, then that’s how it was going to be.

It was quiet in the loft until there was a soft knock at the door. Peter got up and opened it, and Erica and Boyd came in.

The pair’s expressions were uncertain as they looked around at each pack member, especially Derek, but they gave a tentative smile at Stiles, who encouragingly nodded back at them. They sat down side by side on an empty couch.

“Good to see you guys back,” Isaac said, smiling.

Erica looked surprised, and her smile grew a little bigger. “Hi, Isaac. We missed you.” She looked around the room. “We missed all of you.”

Boyd didn’t speak, but he also looked around at the whole pack and nodded.

Derek took a deep breath and started the meeting. “Alright, that’s everyone. I’m glad you could all be here. That includes Boyd and Erica.” He looked at the two betas. “I’m sorry that you wanted to run away from the pack.”

“We’re sorry, too,” Erica said, looking down.

“We’ll be better pack members,” Boyd added.

Derek shook his head. “I need to be a better alpha.” He looked around at the pack. “I don’t know if Stiles talked to all of you or not, but he’s been studying how to make us a better pack and me a better alpha.”

Scott looked at Stiles in surprise. “Dude, I didn’t know you were doing that. That’s pretty cool.” He gave Stiles a thumb’s up.

“My uncle has been helping him in his research,” Derek continued. “Plus, Uncle Peter, Cora, and I have memories of my mother being alpha and I have memories of Laura being alpha as well. We need to be better, and it starts with me. Erica and Boyd leaving was my fault. I should have been someone they, or any of you, could go to when there’s a problem. I will be that for all of you from now on.” He glanced at Peter, Cora, and Stiles.

Peter nodded approvingly. “A good alpha takes care of their pack, not just in battle, but in all aspects of life.”

Isaac, Erica, and Boyd all looked pleased at Derek’s announcement. Allison nodded in agreement with Peter. Scott had his mouth open as if he wanted to say something, but never did.

“That’s actually the most alpha you’ve ever sounded, brother mine,” Cora told him.

“And that’s just the first time,” Stiles said. He was full of pride for Derek for taking this first step. For someone who really didn’t like to talk, Derek had made a good speech. He mentally gave himself a high-five for coming up with this idea.

**********

A few days later, Stiles and Scott headed up to Derek’s loft. “Are you really sure he meant it?” Scott asked dubiously.

“For the thousandth time, yes!” Stiles said, exasperated. “He really means it. He’s trying to be a better alpha and be helpful to his pack!”

A couple of minutes later, Derek was at the door letting the two boys in. “Hey, oh wonderful alpha!” Stiles greeted with a grin, and he walked right on into the loft as if it was his own.

“Um, hey, Derek,” Scott offered his own awkward greeting, then followed Stiles in.

“What do you two need?” Derek asked suspiciously.

“Weeeeeeell,” Stiles drawled, “Scotty’s here because he has a problem and you said you were gonna try to help us out!”

Derek looked startled for a moment, then took a deep breath and faced Scott. “What is it you need help with, Scott?”

“Well,” Scott said. “It’s lacrosse. I accidentally hit the ball a little bit harder than I intended to.”

“Sailed all the way across the field,” Stiles interjected, nodding.

“Coach was kind of suspicious of that,” Scott continued.

“Lacrosse balls don’t soar on the wind like a bird, McCall!” Stiles said in a perfect mimic of Coach Finstock.

Derek looked like he was trying not to laugh at Stiles’ imitation.

“But I didn’t mean to hit the ball that hard,” Scott said. “I really didn’t! My strength just… came out without me meaning to! What do I do? I don’t want to stop playing!”

Derek sat down on the couch. “When I was at Beacon Hills High, I was on the basketball team,” he said. “I was a bit similar to you. Sometimes my strength came out when I didn’t mean for it to. It’s tough being a werewolf to keep your full strength hidden.”

“It really is!” Scott moaned.

“My mom told me to concentrate hard before making a shot to make the ball go where I wanted to and not a bit farther,” Derek explained. “So I could be accurate and make a lot of baskets, but not go crazy and shoot all the way from the other side of the court. Maybe something like that could work for you before you shoot with your lacrosse stick?”

Scott thought about it for a moment. “Hey, I think that could work!” he said. “That’s a really good idea, Derek! Thanks a lot!”

Derek looked surprised, but also rather pleased. “Anytime, Scott.”

Stiles beamed. Derek was being a good, helpful alpha. Things were already improving and it had only been a week.

**********

Stiles whistled as he drove his Jeep to the loft. He had just picked up some snacks from the grocery store for the next pack meeting. The wolves went through so much food, it was ridiculous. And Scott had already had a healthy appetite pre-werewolf!

As he approached the entrance to the preserve, he saw a figure running just inside the perimeter. Stiles instantly recognized the figure as Derek. Since he didn’t have anything needing to be refrigerated, he figured he’d see what the alpha was up to. Thankfully, no one was behind him as he slammed on the brakes and turned into the preserve.

He drove up to Derek and drove beside him at the same pace he was running at. “So, what are you doing on this fine morning?”

Derek barely spared him a glance before turning back forward. “Running,” he said, not out of breath in the least.

Stiles rolled his eyes. “I can see that,” he snarked back. “But why? Gotta keep up that godlike physique?”

Derek shot a glare at Stiles, then continued staring forward as he ran. “Scouting out the perimeter of our territory.”

“Cool,” Stiles responded. It made sense for the alpha to do that. He recalled seeing a mention of pack members doing that in one of the books from the Hale vault. “How often do you do this?”

“Every day.”

“Wow.” Stiles was impressed with Derek’s dedication to the pack and their territory. “Does anyone else ever do it?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Stiles asked. “One of the books Peter gave me said that the whole pack is responsible for scouting out their territory.”

“I want to do it myself.”

“But why?” Stiles asked again. “The alpha isn’t supposed to do everything alone, you know.”

For the first time, Derek slowed slightly, but then went back to his previous pace. He muttered something too softly for Stiles to make out over the sound of the Jeep’s engine.

“What was that?” he asked.

Derek actually stopped running, and Stiles stopped the Jeep as well. “I don’t trust easily. It’s easier for me to just do things myself.”

Stiles quickly turned off the Jeep and jumped out in front of Derek. “No, no, no!” he yelled. “You’re supposed to be able to trust your pack to help you out. You’re not a lone alpha, you know!”

“I know,” Derek said, sounding a bit miserable. “But me and Laura were alone. It’s hard! The two of us were in New York for years. Well, Laura did make friends with other wolves, but me… I couldn’t…”

Stiles tentatively reached out a hand and rested it on Derek’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Big Guy,” he said quietly.

The only sound in the preserve was Derek’s deep breaths, but the breaths slowly spread further apart and grew softer. “Thank you, Stiles,” Derek said quietly.

“Anytime, Derek,” Stiles replied.

He realized that he would do anything for the alpha if it would help him or his pack. Stiles had always wanted to protect those that he cared about, and he cared about Derek and their ragtag pack. And he had to further strengthen the bonds between Derek and the pack.

“Pack is something that you’re supposed to be able to trust,” he told Derek. “I know it’s hard for you, but one of your wolfy powers is that you’re able to sense emotions and stuff, right?”

“Yeah,” Derek affirmed. “They’re called chemosignals. Emotions smell like different things.”

Stiles nodded. “Right. And has anyone in the pack smelled like deceit or guilt or anything like that?”

“Well, yes, actually.” Derek suddenly turned stern. “You and Scott smell like deceit and lying when you both tell your parents what you’re up to.”

“Hey, that doesn’t count!” Stiles protested, waving his arms around. “I’m trying to protect my dad! Same with Scotty and his mom! But seriously though.” He calmed down. “No one in the pack is lying to you, right?”

“No,” Derek grudgingly admitted.

“See?” Stiles crowed. “Give them tasks to do to help the pack! It will really help to improve pack bonds to you. Everyone wants to help!”

Derek looked uncertain. “If you say so.”

Stiles beamed.

**********

At the next pack meeting, Derek announced, “I’ve been patrolling the preserve and other parts of Beacon Hills ever since becoming the alpha.” He glanced at Stiles, who stood behind him, making a “go on” motion with his hands. He turned back to the pack. “I realized that you all should start patrolling our territory as well. Anyone want to volunteer to learn the route first?”

Boyd immediately raised his hand. “I’ll do it, alpha. What do I need to do?”

Peter unrolled a map and set it on the coffee table. “Our territory is marked in red. We always followed the edges of our territory. There are spells embedded in the territory line that we should be able to tell if something bad comes into our territory, so running the edges gives us knowledge of the entirety of our territory.”

“Cool,” Stiles said. “Are those spells still active?”

“They are,” Derek said. “Boyd, I’ll show you how to tell if the territory’s been breached.”

Boyd nodded. “Okay.”

Stiles shot Derek a thumbs up.

***********

Alan Deaton was always very mysterious, not always giving the Hale pack the information they needed. Still, Stiles wanted to ask him about the spells bound to their territory’s boundaries. So one day after school, Stiles drove his Jeep to the emissary’s veterinary clinic.

Scott was already there, as he worked after school at the clinic. “Hey, Scotty,” Stiles greeted. “Deaton here?”

“Yeah, he’s with a patient,” Scott said, getting attacked by licks from a litter of golden retriever puppies.

Stiles grinned. He knew Scott loved the animals and was worried that they wouldn’t like him anymore now that he was a werewolf. Thankfully, at least in his best friend’s case, that wasn’t true.

A few minutes later, Deaton appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Stilinski,” he greeted. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“Well,” Stiles said, getting right down to business, “I came by to ask about the spells on the boundary of the Hale pack territory.”

“Ah, yes, the boundary,” Deaton nodded. “I renew the spells every few years or so.”

So Deaton was still involved in the maintenance of the territory. “When was the last time you did it?” Stiles asked.

“Last year.”

Stiles was pleased that Deaton had been keeping up with keeping the territory safe despite no conscious Hales being present. It meant that, despite being infuriatingly neutral, he was the Hale pack’s ally and hopefully would continue to be.

**********

“Okay, Erica, Isaac, you two are up,” Derek directed.

The pack was gathered near the remains of the old Hale house, practicing their fighting, or at least the wolves were. They had similar practice sessions in the past, but Derek had just yelled at them and had been overly critical.

Erica and Isaac stood up and faced each other, then glanced nervously at Derek.

“Training will be different from now on,” Derek promised. “Go ahead and try to hit each other.”

Erica dashed towards Isaac and tried to hit his chin with an uppercut. Isaac backed up a step, avoiding Erica’s punch, and swept out his leg to trip her. Erica managed to jump just in time, but landed a little unsteady on her feet. She was steady enough, though, to be able to dodge Isaac’s follow-up punch. Isaac’s attacks after that faltered somewhat, but in the end, neither beta had actually beaten the other.

“You guys did good,” Derek said approvingly, and the two betas looked pleased. “Erica, be a little more strategic. Think about your enemy’s weakness. If you don’t know it yet, find it out. Isaac, your first strikes were excellent, but you lost a little power in your later ones. Conserve your strength for when it really matters.”

Stiles, who was sitting next to Derek, said, “Maybe they should work together, beat someone together. Hmm?” He nudged Derek with his elbow and waggled his eyebrows.

“Alright,” Derek said, standing up and stretching. “Cora, Boyd, even Peter. Everyone can work together. If you think you can beat me.” He smirked.

Peter’s smirk mimicked Derek’s own. “Come,” he said, looking around at the other betas, “I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Stiles looked at Allison and grinned at her. “This is gonna be good!”

Allison’s returning grin shows her cute dimples.

A few minutes later, Derek’s laughing cries of “Mercy! Mercy!” showed that the underhanded tactics of a former left hand were always useful. The rest of the pack cheered.

**********

The Jeep’s backseat was piled with half a dozen pillows, some warm blankets, and tons of bags of snack food. Stiles could barely look out his back window while driving over to Derek’s.

It was Friday night and the pack was having its first movie night and sleepover. Cora was surprisingly giddy about it. Peter had confided that it was her favorite pack activity from before. Stiles made sure to get a couple of bags of her favorite treats.

Derek showed up in the parking garage before Stiles could start bringing everything upstairs. He grabbed all the pillows and blankets and carried them effortlessly to the elevator.

“Showoff,” Stiles harumphed, but a grin was on his face. He grabbed the bags of snacks by the handles and lugged them after Derek.

“Oh my god, you got Chex mix!” Cora squealed as the two came into Derek’s loft. “That’s my favorite! Did Derek tell you?” She asked suspiciously.

“Nope,” Stiles told her. “It was your uncle.”

“Huh,” Cora mused, then smiled. “Alright, boys, let’s set this place up like our basement!”

“What does that mean?” Stiles whispered to Derek.

“Pillows all over the ground and blankets on top to drape over us,” Derek instructed.

“This isn’t gonna be enough pillows,” Cora pointed out. “We need a lot more.”

Instead of answering, Derek’s head perked up. “Allison’s here.”

Cora looked up as well. “So is Lydia. She hasn’t been here since you’ve started iimproving the pack.”

After a couple of minutes, Derek opened the door for Allison and Lydia. Both girls were carrying plush pillows of all different sizes. “Allison said that there was going to be a sleepover and movie watching. I had a feeling the boys wouldn’t be prepared with enough pillows and blankets,” Lydia said in greeting as she walked into the loft, Allison following behind.

“You know them so well,” Cora said dryly.

While Derek and Stiles went down with Allison to get the rest of the pillows and the blankets, Lydia and Cora got to work arranging the pillows and blankets that were already up there. By the time the rest of the pack had arrived, the two girls had arranged the pillows into a giant nest, the blankets draped over them. Stiles, meanwhile, poured out the bags of snacks into the large bowls that Derek had.

“So what movies are we watching?” Erica asked, settling down on the pillows next to Boyd.

“The Notebook, of course,” Lydia declared, not leaving any room for argument.

There was some grumbling, but after a glare from Lydia, it quickly stopped.

“I vote for Star Wars next!” Stiles shouted. “You’re finally gonna watch it, Scotty!”

“Okay, okay,” Scott laughed.

After almost everyone had settled down in the pillows, each person practically touching from the closeness of it all, Derek passed out the snacks to everyone.

“Hey,” Stiles commented as he got his bowl. “I didn’t buy this many Reese’s cups.”

“I had some extra here in the loft,” Derek answered, carefully settling into the center where everyone had left room for their alpha.

“Awesome!” Stiles said, unwrapping the first Reese’s cup and popping it into his mouth.

Hours and hours later, before he finally fell asleep feeling warm and safe amongst his friends, he vaguely remembered Derek saying to him, “Hey, did you ever contact Jackson yet?” He grumbled as his eyes finally closed.

**********

The next week, Stiles walked out of school to his Jeep, feeling pleased that the Hale pack seemed to be so much closer. He felt like doing a little jig in celebration that his plan was working out so well.

“Stiles.”

Stiles jumped, nearly dropping the keys he’d pulled out from his pocket. He spun around and found Lydia standing there, staring at him with a very not-impressed look. “Lyds!” he squealed out, trying unsuccessfully to hide his surprise. “What do you need, my goddess?”

“Cut the ridiculousness, Stiles,” Lydia told him. “I’ve known you haven’t been in love with me since what happened with Jackson.” Sadness flashed across her eyes before she went back to her usual expression.

Lydia was right, though. Stiles hadn’t been in love with Lydia in months, and he wasn’t actually sure that he had been in love with her in the first place. Eyebrows flashed across his mind for the briefest of moments. Where had that come from?

Stiles mentally shook his head. “So, what did you need, Lydia?”

“The pack sleepover was surprisingly fun,” Lydia said. “Everyone was getting along so much better. It felt like a family or really close friends.”

Stiles nodded. “Yes. We’ve been working on the pack and making it better. This was the first pack activity you’ve been to since then.”

“I liked it. In fact, I felt something like pack bonds forming with the pack.”

“That’s awesome!” Stiles said. He was pleased that the banshee was also forming bonds.

“It makes me want to spend more time with the pack.” Lydia fixed Stiles with a stare. “I don’t know if I like that.”

Stiles’ eyebrows went up. “Wha–?” was all he could get out.

“I want to go to an Ivy League school for college,” Lydia continued. “I want to go to England to see Jackson. I don’t want to be stuck in Beacon Hills for the rest of my life, and I don’t want pack bonds to force me to want to stay here.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Stiles said, putting his hands up. “That’s not how it works at all! It’s true that pack bonds enhance the feelings of family and togetherness, but you don’t have to stay here in Beacon Hills. Pack bonds don’t make you do something that you don’t want to. They just give a physical feeling to the closeness you feel.”

Lydia let out a long breath. “That’s good,” she breathed. “That’s very, very good. I like being close to you all. Yes, even you, Stiles.” She smiled as she put up a finger to Stiles’ mouth to stop him from saying anything. “I was just worried about being stuck here forever.”

“Beacon Hills is way too small for your brilliance, Lyds.” Stiles winked at her.

Lydia smirked. “Of course it is. But I’ll come back to visit all of you.”

“We’ve totally grown on you, haven’t we?” Stiles laughed.

With all of the pack actually in Beacon Hills being close now, Stiles supposed it was now time to finally contact Jackson.

**********

Stiles grumbled to himself as he made a collect call to the Whittemores. Hey, if he had to call that obnoxious douchebag, he wasn’t gonna be paying for it too.

Sure enough, Jackson complained about someone calling him collect, but surprisingly, he took the call upon hearing that it was Stiles. “Something weird is going on,” he said as soon as he was able to speak to Stiles.

“Hello to you, too, jerkface,” Stiles greeted in a deadpan voice.

“Listen to me, you idiot,” Jackson hissed. “I’ve talked to Lydia sometimes since I came to England. I’ve been… feeling all of you, even though I’ve left Beacon Hills. Some more than others.” The phone was silent for a few moments. “Even you, Stilinski.”

Stiles could practically hear the full-body shudder that Jackson was doubtlessly doing. “Aw, Jackson!” he cooed. “I always knew you cared!”

“Shut it, Stilinski,” Jackson growled, and Stiles could hear the wolf in Jackson sneaking into his voice. “And it’s only been happening recently. Lydia says you’ve been doing more pack things recently.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said. “We really weren’t a true pack for all this time. I’ve been researching and finding out information from Peter how packs are really supposed to be. So we’ve been trying to bond more and stuff, practice the roles we should have in the pack, things like that.” He shrugged, aware that Jackson couldn’t see it. “The bonds between all of us are stronger.”

“But why is it affecting me?” Jackson demanded. “I’m not in Beacon Hills anymore. I’m not part of your pack anymore!”

“Yes, you are!” Stiles told him. “Derek bit you, and you’re important to us, especially to Lydia.”

“I know,” Jackson said morosely. “I miss her so much. I still love her, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” In the past, that knowledge would have broken Stiles’ heart because he’d had a ten-year plan to get Lydia to fall in love with him for a long time. But Stiles lost his love for the pretty redhead over the summer, mostly because she had admitted her love for Jackson.

“As the… pack bonds get stronger, I feel like I need to be back in Beacon Hills. I feel really anxious not being there.” There was a pause. “You know I hate admitting this to you, Stilinski, but Lydia seems to trust you.”

“You’ll always feel a pull to Beacon Hills and the pack, but you won’t be forced to come back or anything like that,” Stiles told him. “It all depends on the strength of your bonds with the pack and how much you want to be with them.”

There was silence on the line, then finally Jackson said, “I want to come back to Beacon Hills. I needed to go away for a little while because of the kamina, but I feel better now. But I don’t know what to do.” His voice was plaintive. “Will they be mad at me?”

“The pack?”

“No. My parents. They came here to help me. And Dad has a new job.”

Well, that was something that Stiles hadn’t thought of before.

**********

A couple of days later, Stiles received a call from Jackson. “It’s okay,” Jackson blurted out. “It’s all okay!”

“That’s great, Jax!” Stiles said sincerely.

“The only thing is…,” Jackson sounded hesitant. “Well, my parents are going to stay in England for a lot longer because Dad’s working at a new legal firm and he has to stay here for two years total. But they understand that I need to come back.” He hesitated again. “Do you think that you could help me find an apartment to stay in? Dad’s renting out the old house, so there’s no place for me there.”

“Oh, sure!” Stiles reassured him. “You know, the building where Derek’s loft is has a lot more rooms in it. I can ask him about it.”

“That’d be great,” Jackson said. “Now I won’t have to ask Lydia for help.”

**********

As soon as Stiles told Derek about Jackson’s dilemma, the alpha immediately asked Stiles for Jackson’s phone number.

Later that day, Derek called Stiles and let him know that he had spoken to Jackson and his parents. He’d offered Jackson one of the apartments in his building on the floor below Derek’s floor and he’d promised Jackson’s family that he would look out for the boy while they were still in England.

“That’s really awesome of you, Derek,” Stiles told him.

“He’s pack,” Derek said simply. “Pack always takes care of pack.”

A pack really was like a family, and the Hale pack was definitely much more like the ideal pack instead of the mess it had been.

**********

“I’m glad you’re here, Stiles,” Derek whispered to him one night when it was just the two of them at the loft. “I’m terrible at deciding who to trust. When I was a teen…” His eyes widened, as if realizing what he was about to say, and pursed his lips shut.

Stiles had no idea what Derek was about to admit to him, but he was ready to support him through whatever it could possibly be. “You know,” he said conversationally, “I totally get that you’re nervous. I just want you to know that I’m very good at keeping secrets. Do you realize how hard it is to keep this life a secret from your only living family member

He immediately reached out a hand and rested it on Derek’s shoulder, saying “I’m here” without actually speaking.

Derek stared straight ahead for a while, not saying anything. “Back when I was sixteen and in high school, I was still very upset about Paige. And then we got a substitute teacher. Miss Silver.” He shuddered.

Stiles noticed the shudder and squeezed Derek’s shoulder lightly.

“I remember thinking she was nice,” Derek said sadly. “And she’d taken a special interest in me.”

That set off huge alarms in Stiles’ head. When his father ever brought up sexual assault victims, phrases like the one Derek just used were often mentioned. He let out a silent breath and tried not to squeeze Derek’s shoulder harder.

“We started spending time together after school,” Derek continued. “She always gave me so many compliments. We even… had sex after a while.” Another shudder. “But she always told me it was our little secret, not to tell my family.”

“That wasn’t sex,” Stiles told him gently. “You were still a kid. You couldn’t consent to it.”

Derek nodded. “I know that now,” he said. “But back then… I loved her and kept the secret. And I thought she loved me. She wanted to sneak in our family’s house to come see me, so I told her about the secret passageways below the house. And then… and then…” Derek bit his lip and turned his head away, unable to continue.

Stiles’ eyes widened as he put together the rest of the story that Derek hadn’t said. “Miss Silver. It was Kate Argent, wasn’t it?”

Derek nodded, still not showing his face. “Yeah. She and her hunters burned our house down. Killed everyone. Uncle Peter in the hospital. And it was all my fault…” He whispered the last sentence.

“No, no, no, no!” Stiles said fiercely, gently turning Derek’s face towards him once again. “That was not your fault at all. Kate took advantage of a teenager! It was all her fault! If she wasn’t dead already, I’d kill her myself!”

Derek smiled slightly at Stiles’ words. “So that’s why it’s hard for me to trust.”

“The pack would never betray you like that. I would never betray you like that,” Stiles vowed. “And if anyone tried, I would make them sorry they ever tried.”

Derek stared at him. “I don’t deserve this pack. Or you.”

“Oh, yes, you do!” Stiles said sternly. “You deserve the world and unicorns and rainbows and everything good!”

“Unicorns aren’t real,” Derek pointed.

“Aw, really?” Stiles pouted, his shoulders slumping. But he shook it off a moment later. “But never mind that! You do deserve all the good things! In fact, you deserve a hug! Would you like a hug?”

Derek nodded.

Stiles leaned in and wrapped his arms tightly around Derek. It wasn’t long before Stiles felt Derek’s arms come around him as well, hesitantly at first, but then tighter than Stiles was holding him.

He had no idea how long they stood there hugging, but it felt good. He really did want to give Derek the world and anything else he could possibly want.

Oh…

Stiles was in love with Derek. And this so wasn’t the time to say so. He didn’t want to be remotely like Kate. Maybe someday…

**********

A couple of weeks later, the pack was at the airport to pick up Jackson. They all waited impatiently until they saw him coming around the corner and pulling his luggage behind him. Lydia, of course, was the first one to run to him, sobbing as they hugged.

The rest of the pack approached after the couple had a few minutes to say hello again. “It’s really good to see you all again,” Jackson said, nodding at each pack member. Finally he turned to Stiles. “Even you, Stilinski.”

Stiles put a hand over his heart. “Aw, you really do care.”

Derek stepped forward. “We’ll all help you set up your new apartment, Jackson.”

“Thank you, alpha,” Jackson said sincerely.

And with that, another set of pack bonds strengthened.

**********

“I’m really proud of the progress that we’ve made as a pack over the past few months,” Derek said at a pack meeting. “Our pack bonds are much stronger than before and we work together better.”

“We’re proud of you, too, Derek!” Cora piped up. “You’ve been so much better as an alpha. I feel like you’re someone we can go to for help.”

Boyd nodded. “You’re someone I want to help out now.”

“I can see that,” Derek said. “And today, I want to offer Boyd the position of right hand. You would be my successor should I retire or anything should happen to me. You’ll be taught all the info you’ll need to know. Would you like this position?” He looked at Boyd.

Boyd looked right back into Derek’s eyes. “I’d be honored, Alpha,” he said formally.

Erica beamed at Boyd.

“Peter,” Derek continued, now addressing his uncle, “you were the left hand for my mother for many years. Do you want to continue being the left hand for me?”

Peter smiled. “Of course, nephew. It would be my pleasure.”

Derek then addressed the rest of the pack. “Knowing your place in the hierarchy of the pack is helpful. Everyone is important, whether you’re an alpha or a brand new beta. Everyone has a place.”

Stiles had eyes only for Derek. He was so full of pride. Derek turned out to be a really good alpha. Stiles knew that Derek had it in him, and now it was shining through for everyone to see. God, hiding his feelings was gonna be so hard. Instead, he shouted, “Everyone, show love to our alpha!” Then he ran over and squeezed Derek in a tight hug.

Cora rushed over, then Boyd, Isaac and Erica leapt at Derek in glee, causing Derek and everyone hugging him to fall over. Jackson led the rest of the pack over to dogpile on top of Derek.

Stiles was being crushed under the weight of various werewolf body parts. But everyone was laughing and happy, including himself. It was just the way a family should be.

**********

“Someone or something has crossed into our territory,” Derek said, followed by Peter, Boyd, and Cora.

Everyone sat up in high alert.

Derek had called an emergency pack meeting. The stormy weather outside almost seemed like a portent for approaching trouble.

“Do you know what it is? Anything about it?” Stiles asked, rushing over to Derek’s bookcase, ready to research.

“People in town have been talking about things going missing,” Derek told him.

“Not to mention there’s been a lot more wind lately than normal,” Peter mused.

“Come on then, Peter, and let’s research this!” Stiles rushed to the loft door.

“I’m coming, too!” Lydia insisted, following after Stiles and Peter.

**********

“Harpies,” Stiles proclaimed a day later, slamming a hefty old book from the Hale vault onto the table.

“They steal items and create a lot of wind gusts,” Lydia added.

“So how do we beat them?” Erica asked.

“They need to be knocked out of the air,” Stiles explained. “They are most comfortable in the air because they have wings, but if we can knock them to the ground, we’ll have an easier time.”

“Allison,” Derek addressed the hunter, “your arrows will be useful against them since you can actually hit them while they’re still in the air, too. You can as well, Lydia, with your voice since you’re a banshee.”

Allison and Lydia nodded. “You got it,” Allison said.

“You all have your claws,” Stiles said, nodding at the werewolves. “As for me, I’ve got my trusty bat.” He twirled the bat around in his hands, and it accidentally whacked him in the face. “Ow!”

“Are you okay, Stiles?” Derek asked, concerned.

“Peachy!” Stiles grinned, rubbing his cheek.

“We’ve been training for months now, and you’ve all done wonderfully,” Derek said, addressing everyone in the pack. “This is the first real test we’ve had. Let’s show those harpies that we will protect Beacon Hills from them and anything else that tries to take over!”

Everyone cheered.

**********

The harpies were hiding deep in the preserve, miles away from the old Hale house. Once they were found, the battle was over quickly. There were six of them, with the face and torsos of women and the wings and lower bodies of birds. Due to everyone’s teamwork in battle from practicing so much with Derek and Peter, the harpies were subdued quickly. They immediately begged for their lives, and Derek agreed, as long as they never set foot in Beacon Hills again. They fled the area gladly.

Everyone cheered. “That went exceedingly well,” Lydia commented, clearing her throat.

“It did,” Peter said. “Good job, everyone!”

“I’m really proud of you all,” Derek said, looking around at everyone. “We worked as a team and the problem was dealt with quickly. Beacon Hills is now as well-protected as it was when my mom was the alpha.” He looked at Stiles. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “You’ve made this pack what it is.”

“You deserve it,” Stiles said immediately. “You deserve all the good things and a pack, and now you have it and I just love you so mu—” He slapped a hand over his mouth.

Oh, crap…

He wasn’t supposed to say that to Derek! Sure, he could love Derek from afar, and that’s what he was planning to do forever, but now his big mouth had to go and say something! Oh, what if Derek kicked him out of the pack? He’d have to leave Beacon Hills forever, and he’d never see Scotty or his father ever again, and oh, no, he’d never see Derek again! Wait, what’s that sound…? Is that… wolf whistles?

“Woo, go get it, Stiles!” That was Scott.

“It’s about time.” Jackson.

“Finally!” Cora.

Well, it certainly seemed like the pack approved of Stiles’ feelings, but they weren’t the most important ones. Stiles finally chanced a look at Derek.

The alpha’s face was frozen with his mouth forming an O of surprise. But then he smiled, that amazingly sexy smile he had used in the police office long ago. “You love me?” he asked.

“Oh my god, absolutely!” Stiles blurted out. “I’ve loved you for a while now! Maybe I’ve loved you since before I came up with this plan of mine… Please just shut me up now…” He was so embarrassed, he closed his eyes.

There was nothing but silence.

A few moments later, Stiles chanced opening his eyes and found himself staring into Derek’s kaleidoscope eyes, inches away from his own face. Stiles gulped audibly.

“You seem quiet now, but can I still shut you up with a kiss?” Derek murmured, and then he winked.

The wolf whistles went on the entire length of their first kiss, and oh, was it glorious! Stiles went around for hours with a dopey smile on his face.

**********

It was the first full moon of the spring. The Hale pack were gathered in the preserve for a full-moon run. One by one, the werewolves in the pack shifted, all into beautiful wolves. The strength of the pack bonds allowed them to fully embrace their wolves and perform full shifts.

Up on a hilltop overlooking the preserve, Derek and Stiles sat together. “Look at them,” Stiles said fondly, bumping his shoulder into Derek’s. “They really are beautiful wolves.”

Derek took Stiles’ hand in his. “You did this,” he told Stiles. You made the pack better and made the full-shift possible. You made me a better alpha.”

“Because you deserved a pack, and the pack deserved to be a pack,” Stiles told him, smiling. “It wasn’t your fault your old one was lost, but you needed a proper pack. And we all needed a pack, too. It’s like we’re a family that wasn’t all born family, but we all found each other.”

“I’m glad we all found each other,” Derek said. He looked over at Stiles with a soft smile. “I’m most glad I found you. You’re the heart of the pack. You’re the one who’s its strength.”

“God, I love you so much,” Stiles murmured, caressing Derek’s cheek.

“I love you,” Derek murmured back.

The two shared a long kiss under the moonlight as the wolves and other pack members played and romped in the preserve, joyous howls as the wolves sensed the happiness of their alpha. As they separated, they stared adoringly into each other’s eyes.

Stiles’ idea for the pack had given him so much more than he could ever have expected.