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Chapter Text

When Deaton gives them another vague answer, Stiles finally snaps. He is done with the druid's cryptic and unhelpful advice. It's time to learn a new skill, and if it means going through every magic book he can find, so be it.
How exactly is he going to get them? No idea.

He decided to start by asking Derek to give him access to his library. If not magic books, maybe he could find something similar to the bestiary. He hopped into his jeep and drove the short distance, just in case Derek would let him bring some of the books home. When he opened the door, Stiles was greeted by a half-naked Derek, who clearly wasn't happy to see him.
"What do you want, Stiles?" he said with a raspy voice. It seemed like Derek had been taking a nap.
"Sorry, I probably should have called. Can I come in?"
Derek didn't move at first. It's not that he disliked the teen, but he was tired, and Stiles never got to the point quickly.

"What do you want, Stiles?" said Derek again, trying to get the teenager out as soon as possible.
Stiles was an amazing liar. It was as easy as breathing for him. But he knew that werewolves could sense when someone was lying, so he just told the truth.
"I'm sick of Deaton's cryptic advice. Like, he royally pissed me off today. So I was thinking—why not try being something like a druid myself? I know I don't have magic, but honestly, Deaton almost never does anything magical for us anyway. It's mostly potions and knowledge. If I study, I can do that too. So instead of just relying on the internet all the time, where the information doesn't have to be true, I want to do it properly and read some books. Would you have anything I could borrow? Something similar to the bestiary or an actual magic book?"

Derek just stared at him for a minute. Did Stiles just insult his emissary to his face? And he wants Derek to let him borrow his books?
His stream of thoughts was interrupted by footsteps. Shit. Peter was coming down, and Derek could see a mischievous grin on his face. "I can help you with that."
His uncle must have heard the conversation and got interested in Stiles's idea. "Peter, don't."
Peter just shrugged as he walked down the stairs.

"I don't like the druid either. It would be very entertaining to watch him slowly get fewer and fewer visits, maybe even lose his place as emissary, if the darling studies hard enough."
Stiles cursed under his breath, head down. However, since Derek didn't seem like he would cooperate, Stiles put on a wide smile and looked at the creeper wolf.
"Peter, buddy! Have I recently told you how handsome you are? We should definitely catch up over some coffee while you tell me more about this help you're offering!"
Well, this was the worst-case scenario, Derek thought. Two madmen scheming together how to overthrow his druid. But once these two set their minds on something, it's impossible to convince them it's not a good idea.

"I'm going to make myself some coffee. I hope when I come back you two will be gone. Understood?" Peter pretended to be very saddened by this, clutching his chest.
"How could you say that, my dear nephew? Do you not like my company?" Derek looked at him, silently promising murder.
"I didn't even invite you to my home. You just walk in whenever you like. Where did you even get the keys?" Peter's heartbroken expression changed to a sweet, angelic face in a second.
"I just want to be able to come to your rescue in case something happens, nephew. Is it really so bad to check up on you once in a while?"Derek just rolled his eyes, knowing this conversation was as pointless as asking Stiles to shut up, and walked away.

Stiles and Peter were now alone in the room, and it made the teenager uncomfortable enough to open his mouth again. "Soooo, about this magic, druid, whatever stuff. You have some books I could borrow then?" Peter grinned. "I have a few. Are you here by car?" Stiles nodded, key to his jeep in his hand.
"Perfect. I took a walk here since it was nice outside."

They got into Stiles's jeep, and Peter gave Stiles directions to his apartment.
Stiles couldn't help but ask as they drove,
"So, do you like... have some of the Hale library? Or is it your personal collection?"

"Bit of both. Let's just say, I took all of the books I found interesting and then collected a few more of my own." Huh, okay. Stiles wasn't sure if that was the answer he wanted, but he would see for himself soon, so he didn't press any further. They parked in the lot of one of the more luxurious buildings in the city—because of course they did. Stiles was cursing in his mind about how unfair it was that the creeper wolf, who tried to kill them before, was the richest person in the city and lived like one, while people who actually needed the money, like him and his dad, were counting every penny.

They walked into the elevator, and Peter pressed the basement floor. Stiles raised an eyebrow in question; he thought they would be going up.
"Why are we going to the basement?"

"Oh darling, you greatly underestimate how vast my collection is."

When Peter opened the door to the basement unit, Stiles's jaw dropped to the floor.
It wasn't some tiny room for storing bikes or off-season clothes. It was huge. Huge and full to the brim with books and items that looked like they belonged in a museum.
"Peter, be truthful with me—how much of this stuff is Derek's?" Peter shrugged. "A bit more than half? I don't keep track."
"Peter, that is more than just a few books! Did Derek actually let you take all of this stuff?" Peter walked inside, looking for what he came for.
"Derek is welcome to come here anytime if he needs any of it."
Stiles couldn't believe it. He knew that Peter was aware Derek probably didn't even know what's down here, so he wouldn't know to look. Stiles went into the room, looking around, reading book titles when one of them caught his eye. It read The Bestiary, Book II. Oh no... Derek definitely did not know about this book. Or at least didn't have a copy of it. Another title read Herbalism: Werewolf Healing. Another one: Feral Werewolves and How to Calm Them. Stiles took all three books and went to Peter.
"What the hell, Peter? Do you seriously think that if Derek knew these books were here, he wouldn't come for them?"

"If he was at least half as smart as you, he would have."

What? Was he complimenting him? "What is that supposed to mean?" Peter turned around, looking Stiles in the eyes.
"It means that my nephew didn't even think to browse the internet, because if he did, he would have found bits and pieces of the information that's in these books, and then he would think to come here and look. However, it seems you are the only one in this town who has a functioning brain, darling. I am surprised my nephew didn't die before he met you."
Now Stiles wasn't sure if Peter was complimenting him or just insulting everyone except him.

"Are you not afraid that I will tell Derek about what I found here?"

Peter chuckled.
"You would ruin not only my entertainment but also your chance to learn magic if you do that. So, no. I don't think you will tell him."
Unbelievable!
"I am not a horrible person like you, Peter! I would not compromise the lives of others just because I want to learn something new!"

"Oh darling, trust me, you have no idea what kind of person you are. Not yet. And if it bothers you so much, you're welcome to read all the titles of the books here. You would find out that you picked up the only three books that Derek would actually be interested in." Peter looked behind Stiles—finally, he found what he was looking for.
"And I will show you now that it wasn't a coincidence that you found them." Stiles looked at the book title, and his eyes went wide with surprise.

*** 

"What did you just say?! I am not slicing my wrist creeper wolf!" Peter rolled his eyes, walking closer to the teenager that was backing away from him.
"I don't want you to slice your wrist darling, I just need a drop of your blood." Finally, Stiles couldn't back up any further, his back pressed against a wall and Peter now dangerously close. Then Stiles felt a twingle of pain on his forearm. "Did you just scratch me?" Peter held a paper napkin to the scratch, letting it soak with blood before it closed.
"See, it already stopped bleeding you drama queen." 

"Well sorry for being cautios. One never knows with you." 

Peter scoffed. You try to kill a few people in a maddened state after you wake up from a coma and suddenly everyone is against you, thinking that you want to take over the world. He was a bit hurt that darling was still suspicious of him though. 
They rode the elevator to the highest floor and Peter opened the door to his apartment. There were no taxidermied animals, no weapons on the walls, no bizarre art. Just a very nice, spacious apartment with a terrace and walk-in closet. You could tell everything inside was expensive, yeah, the leather couch, the massive dark wood shelves, but all normal. Stiles sat in one of the dining chairs and turned to Peter.
"So, what else do we need to make this potion?" Peter flipped through the book.
"Seems like only some herbs. I think I have all of them." He started going through one cabinet near the kitchen, that clearly didn't have cooking ingredients or spices in it. Stiles could smell mountain ash and wolfs bane. For a moment, he wondered why Peter stores herbs that could harm him, but it actually made sense to have them close. There were for sure other uses for them. Like antidotes or counter spells of some sort. While Stiles was deep in his thoughts, Peter finished the potion.  

"It's ready darling, come take a look. According to the instructions, once I add your blood, it should change color and depending on the color we will know if you're magic or supernatural creature or just human." Stiles nodded. Simple enough. 
Peter dropped the bloodied tissue in the liquid, and they waited. It took a while, but in the end, the final color was purple. Stiles looked at Peter who was holding the book looking through the possible results. Peter frowned. That couldn't be good. 

"What is it?" 

"It's... not clear. It should be green for a witch, blue for a werewolf and red for a druid." Did they mix the potion wrong? But Peter was certain he did it right. 
"Did we do something wrong?" Stiles asked. Peter was thinking. This might actually make more sense.
"No, I think we did it right. It actually explains why you would need a seal." 
"Okay Peter, you will have to start actually saying all of your thoughts instead of just giving me bits and pieces because I have no clue what you're talking about. What seal?" Peter waked to Stiles and pressed his hand on Stiles's neck. "That birth mark you have right mere? That's not a birth mark, it's a seal. Somebody sealed something, some part of you. I am guessing you don't remember ever not having this mark, correct?" Stiles nodded.
"Then it either happened when you were born or very young. And I think the potion turned out purple, because you're part werewolf and part druid." 

Stiles had to sit down. How could he be half druid and half werewolf? And who put the seal on him? Did his dad know? Did he do it? Why would someone do something like that? Stiles felt a panic attack kicking in. Breathe, he had to breathe.
Peter was watching his darling spiral only for a second before he was by his side, holding his shoulders. "Darling look at me." Stiles was getting worse, he didn't even notice Peter was holding him. Peter moved his hands from the shoulders to his face, forcing Stiles to look at him. "Fuck the breathing, concentrate on me. Look at my eyes. Look at how calm I am. Everything is fine, I know what to do."
Stiles looked at the wolf, at the piercing blue eyes. Peter let them shine so it would be easier for him to focus on them. "You don't have to think, you don't have to do anything, because I am here. I will tell you what to do, so empty your clever mind for once." Stiles didn't know why he felt like the wolf meant it, but he did, and it made it so much easier to be calm. He didn't have to think. Peter would do that for him.  

Stiles could breathe now. Still looking into Peter's eyes, he asked. "What do I do? Where do we start?" Peter let out a breath of relief. His darling was fine.  
"We will start by me explaining a few things. Then, we will figure out what kind of seal it is. Everything else comes after." Stiles nodded. His mind was calmer, but he was still thinking about his dad, and it made his chest tight. "What if my dad knew the whole time?" Peter shook his head.
"I don't think he knows darling. He would have to be more than just a good liar. It would make more sense if only your mother knew."

"But doesn't that mean she would have to be a werewolf and a druid?"

Peter nodded. "If she didn't cheat then yes." Stiles got angry at that comment, his mother would never cheat on dad. Would she? Peter could see his darling was thinking about something unnecessary again. "I don't think she cheated Stiles. I think she wanted to live a human life. Without all of the supernatural drama. Being a hybrid puts a target on your back. Your family would be in constant danger." Stiles had to laugh at that. "I am in constant danger even as a human, thanks to all my friends being supernatural."  

"That's why I offered to help when you came to Derek."

Right, Peter knew he was special.
"Why didn't you bring me here sooner if you knew about the seal?" Peter let out a sigh. 
"Because you didn't want to be supernatural Stiles. You wanted to stay human. And even though humans don't have any special abilities, being human is what almost every creature desires to be. You are not forced to hide, you are not restricted by the full moon, and you don't have to worry about hurting someone just because of some animal instincts. Being a human means freedom."  

Stiles understood that. It was one of the main reasons why he rejected the bite when Peter offered it in the past. They moved to the couch and Peter brought Stiles lemon balm tea. "It helps to calm down your body and mind." He offered. Stiles took the mug, tasting the tea. It was suprisinglly delicious, so he made a mental note to get it for himself later.  
"So, what now? You said you need to explain something." Peter nodded. 

"It's about the magic in you. If we are right and you are a hybrid, we must be careful. When the seal breaks, I don't know how your body will react to the change. You might turn into a werewolf on the spot or hear the nature around you. There is also the fact that hybrids are very desired since they can usually break some of the supernatural laws. Example would be, since you're part druid, you could be able to go through mountain ash barriers, even though you're part werewolf. So, I need to know darling, do you want to break the seal? You can still learn to be a druid without breaking the seal. That was your original plan anyway." Stiles was quiet. One one hand, if they break the seal, he will be stronger. On the other, he will have to constantly hide from the world. It was a lot to take in. 

"I think... I will have to take some time to think about it. Can we look into the seals in the meantime? Or what I can learn without breaking the seal? I would like to see my options." Peter just nodded and went for some of the books they brought with them from the basement. He understood that this was not an easy decision for Stiles. His darling was in no way a saint, he broke at least a dozen laws every day and was ready to fight for his friends, no hesitation. Having more power and being able to understand his friends better would be extremely helpful and he would without a doubt fit in perfectly.
But giving up being human? Being restricted every full moon? Possibly not telling his father and having to keep this huge secret? Stiles had to be sure that's what he wanted.  

And so, they spent the whole rest of the day looking into the seals and organizing books based on if Stiles can use them as a human or not. The two piles ended up being surprisingly equal.
As human, he could learn about all the creatures and their weaknesses, he could mix potions to boost healing and some other things. As magic, well, it was obvious he could do more actual damage. They also managed to find the exact seal Stiles had on his neck in one of the books. The unsealing method was quite simple.
"I think your mother wanted it to be easy for you to unseal in case you decided to dive into the supernatural one day. Only you can unseal it, out of free will, and all you have to do is say this word while touching it. The intent to unseal has to be there of course." Stiles looked at the word. Lenorturdan. Yeah, there is no way he would accidentally say that in his sleep or something. 

Stiles decided it was enough for the day and prepared to leave, however before he opened the door, he had to know something. "I know you said you don't like Deaton and that's why you want to help me, but why are you so nice Peter?" The wolf looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought it was quite obvious. And I believe I am always nice to you darling." Stiles shook his head.
Well, wasn't that irritating. "You think I can't smell how nervous you get every time you see me darling? You think I can't hear your heartbeat getting quicker when I get close?" Stiles swallowed.
"Of course I know that. So what, I find you attractive. That doesn't have to mean anything, and I don't see how that's relevant."  
Peter almost blurted it out in his irritation, but he stopped himself. "Oh you will see darling. If you decide to break the seal you will know right away. Now go home and think about it." 

Chapter Text

When Stiles got home, he immediately went to his room. Fuck. 
15 minutes ago, he admitted to Peter Hale that he finds him attractive. And even though it was no news to the wolf, it still felt completely different to say it out loud. Fuck. 
All of his other thoughts went out of the window at that moment. What did he say to the wolf? So what, I find you attractive. That doesn't have to mean anything, and I don't see how that's relevant. 
Yeah, what a load of crap. Of course he understood what Peter was insinuating. Of course he knew that Peter was nicer to him than to the others. However, the wolf was also much older than him, tried to kill them all once and his relationship with the other werewolves was still not great.  

Stiles grabbed his pillow and screamed into it, trying to relieve at least some of the pressure he felt in his heart. 
Was his mom really magic? If she was, did she leave anything behind? Maybe it was in the attic, they put all of her things there. Yeah, that's not unrealistic. She might have wanted to escape the supernatural world, but if she was okay with the possibility that Stiles might want to explore it one day... she must have kept some books or a notebook or something right? 
Stiles had a new goal now. He run down the stairs to his dad. "Dad, do we still have mom's stuff in the attic?" The sheriff nodded. 
"Yes, we do." Perfect! He run back up, pulled down the ladder and climbed up. 

There was a lot of dust and a ton of garbage and Christmas decorations lying around. Stiles rummaged through the stuff until he found the boxes with his mother's things. Carefully packaged and kept in a dry spot, so nothing would happen to them. He opened the boxes one by one, looking for something useful. At first, all he found was her jewellery and trinkets she collected. 
But when he opened the next box, he found a few books with home-made covers and a small wooden chest. 

The chest didn't have a lock, so Stiles couldn't open it. He looked at the chest from all sides and on the bottom, he found the same symbol as the seal on his neck. This had to be it. But how does he open it? Stiles was so deep in thought that he hasn't noticed his dad has climbed into the attic and was crouching next to him. 
"Your mom made me promise, that if you ever start looking through her things and find this box, I have to give it to you." Stiles looked at his dad, a little bit startled by his sudden presence. 
"Do you know why?" Sheriff shook his head. 
"She never told me. Just made me promise to never throw it away. Like I could ever bring myself to throw away any of her things." They both looked at the chest, melancholy in the air. 
"Thanks dad, I don't know what's inside but if it's something I am allowed to show you I will." Sheriff chuckled. 
"What could possibly be inside that you couldn't show me? Her criminal record?" Stiles shrugged. 
"I don't know. But if I find inside a letter that says, NEVER SHOW THIS TO YOUR DAD, then I will not. Maybe it's a surprise and if you see it before you're supposed to, then she would be mad." 

Sheriff looked at the chest with a furrowed brow. "How do you even open it? It doesn't have a lock." 
"No clue. If I don't figure it out, I will take it with me tomorrow. I am going to see Scott." Sheriff nodded and they both went downstairs to have dinner.  

*** 

The next day, Stiles woke up early. He examined the box from all sides. Every crack, every pattern, but couldn't find anything. That meant only one thing, he had to open it with magic.  
He placed his hand on the symbol on the chest and said the word. Lenorturdan. 
Click. The lid of the chest came loose. What will he find there? His heart was beating fast as he opened the chest. Inside, he found a letter addressed to him and a photo album. He took the letter and opened it. 

My dear boy, if you're reading this letter, it means you found out about the supernatural and either broken the seal on your neck or are thinking about it. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but I had to be selfish for once in my life. I wanted to have a normal life, away from all that danger the supernatural world brings. When I fell in love with your dad, I knew I had to get away. He is only human after all, and I would never rob him of that. I wanted you both to be safe.  
But you have the right to know now, and I want you to know, that I fully support you in whatever decision you make. I loved being magic and I had amazing friends. I hope you found someone you can trust too. And I am sure you already guessed, but I was a part druid and part born werewolf. In this chest you will find pictures of my pack. They are not alive anymore, unfortunately. But I hope these pictures will help you see how important it is to have a pack. And if you're lucky, you might even find a mate. If that ever happens, don't reject it. I love you, mom.  

Stiles couldn't hold back the tears. They fell down on the paper, smudging the words. He quickly put it away as to not ruin it further and reached for the photo album.  
It was full of pictures of his mom hugging her pack members, cooking, running in the forest and sitting around a bonfire. He could tell how much she loved being with them... and being herself.  

He brought the album downstairs. His dad was making breakfast.  
There were no supernatural pictures among the ones in the album, so Stiles just handed the album over to his dad. "These were mom's friends before she met you. She wanted to show me how important it is to have a family that loves you." Sheriff took the album, looking at every picture for a good few minutes.  
"She was so happy." Stiles nodded. They were looking at the pictures together and silently shedding tears.  

Stiles went back to the attic after that. He wanted to bring down those few books he found next to the chest. 
They were hand-written or had a ton of annotations in them. And they were clearly magic. Stiles put them in his backpack and called Peter. He picked up. "Good morning, darling." 
"Hi, are you at home? I found something in our attic that my mom left for me." 
"Yes, I am home and yes, you can come over."  

Stiles went downstairs, his dad was leaving for his shift. "Dad I am going to see Scott, not sure when I will be back. I want to tell him about what I found."  
"Of course, just text me if you're coming home late." Stiles nodded and left the house. 
After 15 minutes he was standing in front of Peter's apartment. He was so excited that he completely forgot about his conversation with Peter yesterday. This will be awkward, won't it? Should he pretend that it never happened? Should he apologize? But what exactly would he be apologizing for?  
He couldn't make a decision since Peter opened the door before Stiles even knocked. "You know I can hear and smell you standing behind the door, right? Come in." Shit.  

"Heyyy cree-" No, that didn't feel right. "Hey Peter." The wolf looked at him with suspicion.  
"So, found a chest in our attic, it had no lock, so I couldn't open it. Then I noticed that it had the same seal on it as I have on my neck, so I tried saying that magic word and it opened! My mom left a letter inside, explaining why she sealed my magic. You were right by the way, she never told dad, and she was part werewolf and part druid."
Peter was quiet. Listening to his darling's frantic explanation for his visit. After a while Stiles was running out of things to say and began fidgeting. Peter sighed. This is exactly why he never discussed his feelings with Stiles. The teenager was horrible at romance. He went to the kitchen where he was preparing a hot chocolate and poured it in a big mug. Then he went back to where Stiles was, gave him the mug and sat him down on the couch.  
"Drink, it will make you feel better." Stiles was looking at him with confusion. 
"I feel fine though?" Peter raised an eyebrow. 
"You've been crying, darling. And you don't smell like coffee so I bet you forgot to have breakfast." Huh. He did forget to eat. Peter really was very nice to him.  
After a few sips of that sweet goodness, Stiles felt calmer. 

"So, have you thought about it? Do you want to break the seal?" Peter asked. 
"Yeah, I think I do. Mom is okay with it as well, she said so in her letter. I think I want to have it too. The pack. I want to experience that feeling. You should have seen her in the photos, she was so happy." Stiles opened his backpack, taking out the books. "She left me hand-written notes about both druids and born werewolves. It has all the basic I will need to understand how I am different as a hybrid." Peter looked at the thick books.  
"Does it say anything about what will happen once we break the seal?" Stiles shook his head. 
That was a shame. 

"It will probably be better if we do it somewhere secluded in case you wolf out. I don't want you to break my expensive furniture." 
"We could go to Derek's? And bring those books from your basement as an offerring?" Peter didn't like the idea of giving up the books, but Derek's loft was probably the safest place to do this. 
"Are you okay with him knowing? I can tell, you haven't told anyone yet." Stiles shrugged. 
"They will all know immediately once I turn. This way, Derek at least won't think you bit me against my will or something like that." Good point.  

They drove to Derek's and knocked on the door. The sourwolf opened, irritated, but before he could say anything Stiles shoved the books in his arms. 
"We brought a peace offering." Derek looked at the books and his eyes went wide with surprise. 
"We went through all of Peter’s books, and he has like 300 of them in his basement, and found these three. I thought you should have them." Derek was too stunned to speak. Has Peter had these the whole time? He looked at him, eyes full of questions. 
"If Stiles didn't find them, I wouldn't have known they are there." Derek wasn't sure if he could believe that. His uncle mastered the art of lying a long time ago. However, the books were now in his hands, so he let them in.  
"So, is that the only reason you came?" He asked. Stiles and Peter looked at each other. 
"We need to tell you something." Said Stiles and began explaining all that they discovered.  

Derek had to sit down. Stiles was a hybrid? Peter looked at his nephew with serious eyes. 
"We can either undo the seal here, where it's safe, or find some other alternative, however I don't think that would be wise, nephew." Curse his uncle. Like he already didn't know that. 
"Okay, fine. But I would prefer if Scott was here as well. Stiles will need an anchor in case he turns and Scott should help." They would tell Scott soon anyway, so Stiles had nothing against it and called Scott. The young wolf was there a few minutes later, horrified and excited at the same time after they explained everything to him.  
"I knew you couldn't be normal dude! You have this intuition that can't be explained any other way than you being magic." Scott said while high fiving Stiles. "But, are you sure?" 
Stiles smiled at his friend. "Yeah, I am sure. I will show you mom's pictures later. She looks so happy in them." 

They all went to the basement of Derek's loft and chained Stiles to one of the pillars, just for good measure.  
Then they created a circle, so they could stop Stiles in case he managed to somehow get out of the chains. Peter looked at his darling. "Ready?" Stiles nodded. 
"Ready." And chanted the magic word. Lenorturdan.  

A wave of magic hit him. Resonating with his heartbeat, the sound echoing in his head. It was loud, and hot and painful. He could feel it breaking the seal on his neck and spreading the magic through his whole body. He started shifting. Panicked, he looked at Scott. He could see Scott trying to tell him something, but couldn't hear him. Then he felt it. He turned his head towards Peter. 
Stiles's wolf was trying to reach for him. "I am here, darling." Said Peter and Stiles could hear him clearly even though Peter only whispered the words.  
Derek sensed the shift in the air instantly. Fuck.  
"Scott, we have to leave." Scott looked at him with confusion. 
"What do you mean? We have to help Stiles." Derek grabbed Scott's wrist and started pulling him away. 
"Scott I am not joking, we have to leave right now. Leave it to Peter. I swear Stiles will be fine." Scott huffed with disagreement but went with Derek. Wise choice, Derek though. Scott would not want to see whatever will happen next. And they shut the door behind them, leaving Stiles and Peter alone.  

Stiles was still in a lot of pain, but he couldn't care less. Peter was standing in front of him. "Can you feel it too?" Peter nodded. 
"I can darling." He was visibly holding back from doing something he couldn't take back. 
"What is it, Peter?" Stiles huffed, his control over the wolf growing stronger as he adjusted to the new reality. 
"It's a mate bond." Peter said through clenched teeth.  
Fuck. Mom mentioned that in her letter and in her annotations when Stiles looked it up later. She told him to not refuse it. He looked Peter in the eyes. "Did you know? Did you feel it before?" 
Peter shook his head. "I swear Stiles, I didn't know. I just thought you would sense that I find you attractive. I didn't think it was a bond forming." 

Stiles trusted his mom. If she said not to refuse it, he won't. He liked Peter before this anyway. Now he just had a solid confirmation that it was mutual... and inevitable. 
"Unchain me, Peter." Peter didn't move and shook his head again. 
"I can't come closer, Stiles. If I do, I won't be able to hold myself back. Mating bond is a very powerful thing." Yeah, like Stiles couldn't fucking feel it! 
"And I am telling you to unchain me. I can feel it too you idiot." Peter inhaled deeply, trying to stay in control.  
"Stiles you don't understand how serious this situation is. If I can't control myself and bite you it's permanent." Fucking werewolf! He will drive him mad. 
"And for the last time, I am telling you it's fine Peter! I understand! My mom explained it to me, so fucking unchain me right now or I will break out!" 
Peter cursed under his breath. "As you wish, darling." 

He was next to Stiles in a second, breaking his chains. Unable to resist any further he reached for Stiles's mouth. His darling tasted so sweet. 
And when their lips separated so they could take a breath, Peter hissed in surprise. Stiles bit him first, sealing the bond forever. 

Chapter Text

Scott and Derek were now in the living room. "Will you now finally tell me why we had to leave, Derek?"  
Derek looked at Scott, unsure how much he's allowed to share with him about the situation. "Trust me, you would not like to be there even a second longer. I wouldn't be surprised if they were fucking right now."  

"WHAT?!" Derek scoffed at that reaction. As if Scott couldn't smell the sexual tension between the two men downstairs for months. No way he didn't know they liked each other.  
"I think they should be the ones explaining this to you Scott. God I really hope they are not fucking in my basement."  
When he finished that sentence the basement door opened. "Sorry to disappoint your expectations nephew, but we have restrained ourselves." Said Peter while supporting Stiles, who was exhausted from the shift. Derek looked at them, concerned, but also glad he will not have to use bleach on every inch of the basement floor.  

"Is it okay to let him out so early?" Derek asked. Peter helped Stiles to the couch and sat next to him. Stiles looked tired, but in control.  
"It's fine. I think his druid side is helping him adjust quicker." Derek had better view at them both now and he noticed the bite on Peter's neck.  
"HE bit YOU?" He said with surprise. Peter just shrugged.  
"I don't know what came over him, but I swear I asked him repeatedly if he knew what the bite means before I came close to him." Derek was stunned. He will never underestimate the teenager again.  

Scott couldn't hold back anymore. "Okay, can someone finally explain to me what's happening?" Peter looked at Stiles and put his hand on his tigh.   
"I think you should be the one to tell him, darling." Stiles groaned.  
"Fucking... this is gonna be so awkward."

Derek chuckled.  
"Like it wasn't awkward before? We could all smell it every time you two were together." Stiles groaned even louder, hands over his face, so he could hide the embarrassment.   

"Okay Scott, don't freak out. When I shifted, I felt a connection to Peter... and when I looked at him, we kind of... God how do I say this without wanting to burry myself in the ground! Peter is my mate okay?" Scott didn't speak for a good amount of time, trying to process what he just heard.   
"WHAT?! No way! How could someone like Peter be your mate?" Stiles let out a low growl at Scott.  
"Watch what you say Scott. I don't have a strong willpower right now. The bond makes me very protective of Peter." Scott shut up immediately.  

Derek and Peter were watching this with fascination. Was Stiles always this... straightforward? Brazen?  

Derek thought about it for a moment, however the only answer he could come up with was, yes. Yes, Stiles was always like this. Sarcastic, always speaking his mind, clever, determined to take any measures necessary to save his friends.   
But before they thought it was just his way of coping with being a human. His way of barring his teeth. It seems they were wrong, Stiles was never afraid and he never felt incapable. This was simply his personality. And dear lord help them, if that was the case, Derek wasn't sure if he or Scott could tame Stiles into obedience with their Alpha power. Stiles would have to listen willingly. And Stiles never listens. 

Stiles was falling asleep at the couch. All of what happened took it's toll on him. But it was getting late and Stiles promised to let his dad know if he wasn't coming home.  

"Scott, can I text dad I will be staying at your place? I can't go home right now." Scott nodded.  
"That's fine but I don't think my mom will be happy if I bring two werewolves in my house. Even if one of them is my best friend."  
"Yeah, I figured. I will stay at Peter's. But I can't text that to my dad. He doesn't know anything." It would be probably a bit longer before he tells dad. It's more complicated than just being a werewolf after all. He will eventually have to tell him about mom. After a while, Stiles felt rested enough to leave and Peter helped him in the car.   

Before they drove away, Derek popped his head in the car window. "I know you will probably want to be in Scott's pack Stiles, but you're welcome in mine too if you want. Just think about it."  
Stiles nodded and they drove back to Peter's apartment.   

Peter was very careful with his darling when he carried him to his apartment. Stiles fell asleep in the car and therefore earned himself a bridal carry to Peter's bed.  
He laid him down carefully, took off his shoes and his hoodie. Peter will get the explanation from his darling tomorrow. Thank God it will be Sunday.  
He didn't go sleep for quite some time, just watching his darling dream.  

***  

Stiles woke up extremely hungry. He slowly opened his eyes, at first a bit confused as to where he was, but he remembered very quickly once he turned his head. Peter was sleeping next to him, his arm on Stiles's chest. He could also feel Peter on much deeper level now. Not only his scent, his heartbeat. It was something deeper in hi consciousness. Stiles smiled to himself. That's why his mom insisted he doesn't reject the mating bond. It's so much... more than anything he ever felt for another person before. 

As if Peter could hear him, he woke up, looking Stiles in the eyes. They were just looking at each other for a long time, enjoying the casual moment. Stiles could smell Peter was getting nervous though. These werewolf senses were really useful. "What is it, Peter? You know I can feel it now when you're anxious right?" Peter sighed.  

"I'm just wondering why you were so fine with accepting the bond, darling." Stiles blinked a few times, to make sure he was fully awake. 

"I don't make rash decisions Peter. And so far, all of my decisions were the right ones. Not planning to break that streak now. I read a lot about it since my mom described it as something precious that I should treasure if I find it. I know that it's an unbreakable promise and that it can be rejected before it's complete. So, let me be clear Peter, the thought of rejecting you? It never crossed my mind. I might not know you years, like some other people that I let close, but I am not blind or deaf. I knew you enough to make that decision and I don't regret it." 

Peter just stared at Stiles, wondering how someone like him can exist. His darling was perfect. 

"Okay, I trust you. Do you want breakfast?" Stiles smiled from ear to ear. 

"I am starving. Will I feel this hungry every time I shift or was that a one-time thing? Also does it hurt so much every time? Because if it does, I might not shift unless necessary, I like suuuper don't like pain." Peter chuckled. Yes, this was his darling. 

They had eggs and bacon and Stiles took a shower afterwards, he could now smell himself much... more? And it wasn't pleasant. He also worried about his lacrosse practice. He might be sitting on the bench most of the time, but the others don't. He will smell them, won't he? Wait. Will he stay on the bench? His reflexes should be much better now that he broke the seal. Shit... this supernatural stuff will really change his life a lot huh? 

After he took the shower, he looked in the mirror. His face looked the same, good. Then he looked at the rest of himself. Did he gain some muscle? Well, it made sense, all of the werewolves looked buff. It must be connected to the healing ability and running and working out all the time. Stiles did work out with Scott a lot since he became a werewolf, but he never got such quick result like Scott did. Guess... not anymore? God, hopefully he will not end up like some macho dude. The mental image that popped into his mind made him shiver. 

Peter was preparing himself a whiskey when Stiles came out of the bathroom, only in a towel.  

"Peter, can I borrow some clothes? Mine stink like sweat. Probably from yesterday. I hope only from yesterday..." Peter almost choked on the alcohol. This mating bond really made his wolf insufferable, always trying to follow it's instincts. He will have to train his self control. Stiles had a mischievous grin on his face, fully aware of what just happened.  

"Of course, darling." Peter went into his closet, looking for something that would fit his mate. He came back with a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. He would prefer to give his darling something more... fashionable but none of his clothes would fit. Once Stiles finished changing they sat down on the couch. 

"So, I think we both know that before we can explore our new bond, we have to figure out my hybrid self. I did not have much time to think about where to start with learning, but I think my wolfy side takes priority since it's more vocal." Said Stiles. 

"Agreed. What have you learned from watching the pack so far?" 

Stiles had to think for a bit. "Well, for starters full moon is a dangerous thing, then... your hearing and sense of smell are heightened. Every beta needs an alpha and I think it works the other way around as well. Not having a pack results in some serious mental instability, I think. What else... the shift is triggered either with intent, strong emotions or pain. Mountain ash and wolfs bane are our enemy. Oh and mating bonds are a thing. That about sums it up." 

"I think that's not a bad summary actually. Now we just have to figure out your thresholds. What makes you emotionally aggravated enough to make you shift and what calms you down." 

Stiles nodded. He kind of had an idea what could make him angry enough, but he would have to try it out in order to confirm it. The other emotions? He had no clue. 

"I think anything that would cause my panic attacks could be an issue. But they kind of come in randomly? Of course it's somehow related to my fears but I don't know what specifically triggers it now days, since there is always so much going on." Okay, yeah, that was definitely going to be a problem. Peter didn't miss the word now days slip his mind. That means his darling suffered from the panick attacks for a long time.

"What about the one you had two days ago when I told you about the seal? What were you thinking then, darling?" 

Stiles was trying to remember, sadness rolling over him. "At first I was just in shock. I mean, why would someone seal my magic? Then I started thinking about who could possibly do it. My parents came to my mind since they should be the ones around me as a child. And the thought of my dad being the one to do it? Why would he? And why never tell me? Was I some horrible monster? Was I dangerous? I felt so betrayed. It was something I had no control over." Peter was listening and each word broke his heart a little. His darling didn't value himself enough. Peter will definitely fix that. Soon. Very soon. 

"I think you actually explained it for yourself already, darling." Stiles nodded. Yeah, it was quiet obvious now that he said it out loud. Peter took Stiles's chin in his hand and made him look up.  

"You are the most beautiful creature in existence, darling. You will always be more than enough for me and when you feel like you're not in control, I will be there to ground you. I swear it." 

And Stiles believed it. He could feel that Peter meant every word through the bond.  

Another thing that Peter did by being this close was triggering another emotion in them both. Sexual tension could be felt everywhere in the apartment now. They have not adjusted to the mating bond yet, and the pull of their wolfs was incredibly strong. Their eyes shone as they tried to stay calm. 

"Peter, we need to practice not triggering the shift when us two are close as well, right?" Said Stiles in one breath.
Peter smiled mischievously. "That we have to, darling." Stiles kissed Peter, litghtly, testing his inner wolf. 
The next kiss was more passionate and they were still holding on pretty well. And the next one? Fuck self control. At least for today. 

Chapter Text

Stiles and Peter somehow managed to hold back and not go beyond kissing, much to Peter's disappointment. But he understood that Stiles has not yet adjusted to his wolf, and he has not had a chance to explore his druid side yet. Peter couldn't hide his amazement at Stiles's straightforward approach though. His darling never hesitated to take action, be it battle strategy or love. Always marching forward, confident but not thoughtless. 

They spent the rest of the day looking through books, organizing them by priority and difficulty. They were a good team now, completely in sync.  
As the evening approached, Stiles slowly progressed from slightly nervous to full blown anxiety state. The reason was simple. He would have to go home and lie to his dad about something huge. He didn't want to have the conversation until he knew he could answer all of his dad's questions. Peter found it harder and harder to not hug him as his wolf whimpered, knowing his mate was not okay.  
However, he knew Stiles needed space so he could think, uninterrupted.  

After another hour it was time to leave. Stiles got up and changed into his now stinky clothes so he wouldn't look weird coming home in someone else's clothes. He missed having Peter's scent so close and decided to keep the t-shirt, stuffing it into his backpack. Then he looked at Peter. "You don't mind, do you?" Peter shook his head. 
"When do you plan to tell others that you can't join their packs, darling?" 
Stiles chuckled. "You want to see their faces when I tell them that bad, huh?" Peter grinned. 
"You can't blame me. Not only will they get hit with the information that you're a hybrid, but then you tell them that you're not joining their packs? It's the best entertainment I could possibly wish for." 
Stiles sighed. Another tough conversation that he will have to have. 
"I think it will be the easiest to tell them when they are all together, so I don't have to go through it twice." 
Peter's grin grew even bigger and more mischievous. 

Stiles drove his jeep with Peter in the passenger seat. The wolf refused to stay in the apartment and claimed he will treat it as an evening jog back home afterwards. Stiles parked in the driveway and shut off the engine but didn't leave the car, gripping the steering wheel tight. Peter put a hand on his shoulder. "It's only for a few days Stiles, when you know more about yourself you will tell him." 
Stiles sighed. "I know. I just hate big lies like that. And then there is the thing with mom. I have no clue how he will react to that, and I don't want him to be angry at mom for not telling him." 
"You know him well, darling. You will know the best way to tell him once it's time and he will understand your mom only wanted to protect you. He is your parent after all." 
Stiles nodded. "Thank you, creeper wolf."  
Peter chuckled. "I think I deserve better nickname now, don't I?" 
Stiles smiled. "l will think about it." 

With that, Peter left the car and went home. He didn't dare to kiss his darling goodbye. He could feel sheriff's eyes on his back the whole time they talked in the car. It didn't matter that he was only human, parents were scary. Especially when protecting their children.  
Stiles opened the front door and took off his shoes, ready to go to his room right after saying hi. His dad had a different idea in mind. 
"Was that Peter Hale with you in the car?" Thank God the sheriff couldn't hear Stiles's heartbeat, it was currently running a marathon. 
"Yeah, I saw him walking in the dark. He was on his way to Derek. I offered to take him part of the way since our house is on the way." The sheriff raised his eyebrow. 
"And that's why, when he got out of the car, he went the opposite direction?" Stiles swallowed the lump in his throat.  
"I don't know where they agreed to meet. It was probably faster to go that way?" 
Sheriff didn't buy it, but Stiles came home on time and unharmed, so he didn't press further. Thank God. 

They had a light conversation after that but it was getting late and Stiles excused himself, claiming to have homework to finish before going to bed. 

The next week had the same schedule every day. Stiles would go to school and successfully avoid every werewolf except Scott, it was easy since he didn't smell much like a werewolf, thanks to his druid side. Afterwards he went to Peter's apartment, where he would be reading magic books and learning how to shift on command, then, he always went back home to his dad. He could never stay with Peter for too long, so his dad wouldn't be suspicious, but he still managed to somehow squeeze in a cuddle time with his wolf. Stiles still couldn't think of a good nickname for Peter. He thought about calling him a fox, but that felt somehow off. Not personal enough. Crazy wolf? But Peter was only sliiiightly mad now, so it didn't fit. Stiles refused to call him love or babe, it felt too cringy, and cute things like honey or sunshine were even worse. He will have to think about it a bit more.  

***

It was Saturday morning, and Stiles woke up to an alarm that he forgot to turn off the day prior. 7am, great.  
Well, it gave him more time to think, so, that was a plus. Today is supposed to be Scott's pack meeting, however Stiles wasn't sure if he wanted to go. To be more precise, he still hasn't told them he will not join any pack and going to the meeting felt like an awkward thing to do. 

He was lucky, because Derek texted him, saying that he encountered a pack of alphas during his morning run and so they will all come to his place to discuss how to approach the situation. That meant Stiles didn't have to hide it from them much longer. 
He went to Peter first, picking him up so they can later leave from Derek's in one car. Scott and Derek promised to not tell anyone until Stiles was ready, but they would have no chance than to bring it up today since others will need to know how Stiles can help with the new threat. They got there a little bit earlier than the invitation said, so they could confirm with Derek that was indeed the plan. 
Derek was already waiting for them at the door. 

About 30 minutes later, the rest of the group arrived and they all shuffled inside, taking their usual spots. 
Derek nodded at Scott and he nodded back, confirming that Derek can start. "Alright everyone, we actually have two things to discuss today. Let's start with the more... uncomfortable one." Stiles frowned at Derek, but the wolf just rolled his eyes. "Come on Stiles, you can't expect me to be thrilled." Yeah, fair point. His uncle was now dating an 18-year-old.  
Derek continued. "So, I know you can't smell it, and there is a reason for that, but Stiles is now a werewolf." 

Everyone went almost unnaturally quiet, like if even their hearts stopped from the shock. Stiles just waved at them all. "Yeah, hello everyone, my name is Stiles and I am a werewolf... and something more." He looked at Derek, silently asking him for help with the explanation. The wolf nodded.
"The reason why you can't smell it is because Stiles is not just a werewolf, he is also part druid and it's masking his scent to a certain degree." Gasps could be heard, but most of them were still quiet, trying to wrap their head around it. Erica was the first one to have an actual reaction. She squealed with happiness and went to hug Stiles but Derek stopped her, shaking his head. 

Stiles sighed. "I guess it's my part to continue now. So yeah, as you have just heard, I am part werewolf and part druid. I am happy to explain it in more detail later but for the sake of this meeting and other things we need to discuss, I will keep it short. My mother was also a hybrid. She wanted to live a normal life with my dad, who is a human, and decided to seal my supernatural side with her magic. And before you ask, no, I didn't know until a week ago, when I broke the seal. As I said, I will explain in more detail later, but for now, does everybody understand?" 
They all nodded and Erica tried to break free from Derek's hold, thinking the announcement is over, but he didn't let go. 
"Come on! I want to hug him!" Derek shook his head again and Stiles continued. 
"Yeah, about that Erica, I would not recommend it. There is more to this story. Okay... this is the part that Derek here is not very comfortable with. Peter is my Mate." 

Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor and Erica was now even more excited, shaking Derek and dancing around. She was shipping Stiles and Peter for months, waiting for something to finally happen between them.
"This is amazing! I am so happy for you both!" She said and Derek finally let her go, hoping she understood why she can't just hug him as she pleases anymore. She slowly went to Stiles and looked at Peter, who was standing beside him. 
"Can I hug him, Peter? Please?" Peter nodded, but his jaw was clenched hard. Erica somehow managed to hug Stiles slowly and tried to not be too excited, so Peter wouldn't feel even more aggravated. When she breathed in though, she froze. Stiles squeezed her arm, shaking his head, silently asking her not to say anything. She just nodded and went back to Derek.  

Scott cleared his throat. "Alright, I know everyone is trying to come to terms with what they just heard and I feel like I should apologize, because I knew, sorry everyone. But we have another topic we need to discuss. Ah, right, before that, Stiles which pack will you be joining? I know we are best friends, but I also know that Peter is in Derek's pack so it's a bit complicated." 
Peter scoffed at that. "I am not part of Derek's pack. He doesn't like me, you all don't like me." 
Scott was a bit flustered. "Oh, it's just you spend so much time at Derek's loft I thought you made peace or something." Derek was the one to scoff now. 
"The only reason he's alive is because he's my last family member. And I have no idea how he keeps getting into my loft." 
Scott looked at Stiles. "So, you will join my pack, right Stiles?" 
Stiles sighed, again. "Yeah, about that Scotty. Actually I can't." Scott was visibly confused. 
"So, you want to join mine?" Derek asked. 
"No, I can't join yours either actually. Sorry guys. I didn't know how to bring this part up. Okay, here goes. I told you my mom was part druid and part werewolf, like me. What I didn't tell you is she was the last member of her pack and an alpha. So... you know, since she is dead..." This was getting harder and harder for Stiles. Peter held his hand and looked his darling in the eyes.
"Just shift Stiles. It will tell them all they need to know." Right. That will work too. Stiles shifted, a bit embarrassed to do it in front of everyone for the first time, and everyone understood immediately. His scent filled the room, now that he was in his werewolf form.
And the main point - his eyes shone bright red. 

They all stared at Stiles with mixed emotions. It was overwhelming. He wanted to leave the room so bad, however the alpha part of him was demanding him to stay, to not appear weak. Because Stiles definitely wasn't weak now. Peter was watching it all happen with amusement in his eyes. He promised Stiles he would not make a scene, but inside his mind, he was sitting on a sofa and munching on popcorn. This was the best drama of the year. No, maybe a decade. 

Chapter Text

Everyone wanted to know more about what happened to Stiles but there were more pressing matters that still needed to be discussed.  

The pack of alphas was in town, and they were coming for them. At least for Derek and Scott anyway. Derek was sure about that because the pack members he met in the forest said something he will not forget for a long time. Boss will want to add this baby alpha to our pack, he will be easy to train. 
It made his blood boil. He might not have a big pack, and he has yet a lot to learn, but to call him a baby alpha? He will show them. 

Stiles was looking at Derek, his lips moving and arms waving at him. 
"Earth to Derek! Snap out of it, big guy. I said, how many alphas did you see? Did they say something when they saw you?" 
Derek snaped back into the present. "Yeah, they are looking for more alphas to add to their pack. I met 2, but there must be a few more wherever they set up their base. And of course, alphas would not follow someone weak, so the leader must be very strong."  
Everyone nodded in agreement. 

"Do you think they are willing to have a conversation or is that wishful thinking?" Scott asked. 
Derek wasn't sure. "The alphas I met did not seem like they want to talk, but they didn't try to forcefully take me with them or follow me home so if nothing else, they don't do anything without talking to their leader first. So, if the leader is willing to talk, we might have a chance to come to some sort of agreement. But I don't think they will just give up on making me join their pack. At the moment they don't know about you Scott, but they will probably find out soon enough. Stiles is probably safe, unless he shifts, since he doesn't smell like a werewolf in human form." 

Stiles shifted in his chair. "I don't think the leader will want to talk. Anyone who collects alphas must be either crazy or power hungry or both. I mean, think about it. Why would the alphas willingly leave their packs? They wouldn't. I can tell now that I have Peter. Oh, forgot to say that, I think it's obvious, given that Peter is my mate, but he joined my pack. Just FYI. Anyway, I can feel that strong urge to protect my pack now. I would never leave them unless it was the safer option. Which makes me believe that the alphas either lost their pack or the leader threatened them somehow." 
Derek agreed with that. Even if they do have the chance to talk, it won't have a good outcome. 

Peter was looking at the sad group of wolves, his entertainment was over it seems. 
"So, are we ready to talk about how we force them to leave? I would prefer to kill them of course, however I have noticed that's not really your style." 
Scott looked at Peter with hostility. "Of course you would. Then you could be an alpha again." He spit out. 
Stiles growled. Scott really did not understand how dangerous it was to be mean to Peter in his presence. Peter couldn't stop the smile that was creeping up his face.  
" I strongly advise you to be nicer to me Scott. You know very well that Stiles would win if you fought." 

That comment earned him everyone's confused faces and Scott sighed. "Yeah, I guess I will have to try harder. I really wouldn't want to fight Stiles right now." 
The confusion rose even higher on everyone's emotion ladder and Isacc was the one to ask. "Why do you think Stiles would win?" 
"What do you mean? He knows martial arts, of course I wouldn't want to fight him now that he's a werewolf. The only sport I ever did was lacrosse, Stiles would kick my ass." 
Now that was a new information for everyone. They all looked at Stiles with curiosity. 

"What? I am the sheriff's son. Did you seriously think my dad wouldn't sign me up for at least a self defense lessons?" 
No, that made sense of course. But Stiles always looked so... weak. It never crossed their minds. Jackson was the one to speak next. 
"No way. You never fought back when I bullied you before. Why wouldn't you if you knew how?" Stiles scoffed at that. 
"Multiple reasons. For starters, it's like the first rule they teach you. If you can avoid a fight, do it. Second rule is to not draw attention to yourself. Another reason why is simply because I found other ways to pay you back, Jackson. You remember that one time you opened your locker and all of your clothes were gone? I left you such a nice present you could wear but you tossed it into the trash. Did you not like the stripper thongs?" Jackson was seething. "THAT WAS YOU? I had to walk home in my sweaty lacrosse clothes." Stiles just shrugged.  
"You deserved it. It was harmless fun, we all laughed back then." 

Peter was holding back a smile, and he wasn't the only one. "Maybe you could teach them some moves, darling? I think they would all benefit from it." 
Stiles raised an eyebrow at that. "I mean, I can try. But I think Allison would probably be a better teacher. Also, I would like to set up some wards around the city and that takes time." 
Peter shook his head. "Allison was trained like a hunter. They use long-rage weapons and traps whenever possible. I think you would be better fit for hand-to-hand combat training. And no one says Allison can't help if she wants." 
Scott nodded, confirming he will ask Allison later. 

"Can you explain about the wards?" Derek asked. 
"I found it in the magic books. It was one of the easier things to learn and it looked useful. Any supernatural creature that walks through the wards will set off an alert. I can't do anything else at the moment." Derek was thinking. Did Deaton know how to do that? 
Stiles's face suddenly turned frustrated. "I don't even need you to say anything to know what you're thinking Derek. I bet Deaton was always saying mysterious shit like I can feel danger approaching or There is evil energy in the air. He never explains how he knows or if he knows more." 

A few quiet moments passed, everyone hyper aware that Derek is not very good at keeping his anger under the lid. But there were two things that made him stop this time. One, Stiles was right. Deaton had to know how to perform such spell if Stiles could do it, Derek just hoped there was a reason why he never shared more and he made a mental note to have a talk with Deaton later. Two, Stiles was now an alpha and shoving him at a wall was not a good idea. So, he bared it and diverted to conversation back to what was urgent. 
It earned him a bit of silent praise from everyone. 

"How much time do you need to set the wards Stiles?" 
Stiles pursed his lips, thinking. "I can start by setting them around your loft, since that's where we will spend most of the time now. That would take me only an hour. But for going around the city or at least the main areas that will take me a whole day or two."  
"Okay. Can you do the loft today? That way, whomever wants to sleep over will be safe." Stiles nodded. "We can all gather here tomorrow morning, you and Allison can show us some basics and Allison can make sure we are practicing it correctly while you go continue with the wards if you want." Reasonable. It was only lunch time, so Stiles would have enough time to set the wards around his house and Peter's apartment before the evening comes, and that was enough for today. 

Setting the wards was something new and everyone wanted to see how it works. It was quite boring really, Stiles would draw a rune on a tree or a stone and then whisper a spell while holding his hand on the rune. But when he finished the last rune, they could all feel it for a second, snapping in place and creating a circle. Stiles stood up and looked at them. "I created a group chat where you have to text that you're entering the loft, otherwise we will all go ballistic, thinking there is an attack happening." Stiles gave Derek a crystal, explaining how it will alert him if he’s not in the loft. 

After that they went back to the loft and Stiles rested for a bit with some tea. Well, if you can count explaining everyone in detail what happened to him resting. He even showed them pictures of his mom's pack.  

 *** 

They really did all gather at Derek's loft in the morning, eager to see this new side of Stiles they knew nothing about. 
Peter suspected he will have some entertainment today and brought some snacks with him, sitting down on the stairs to the house, while the others were checking their clothes and shoelaces.  
Stiles cleared his throat. "Alright, I can see we are all here. If you haven't stretched, please do so now, while I prepare something fun." They all started stretching but stopped almost immediately when they saw Stiles casually taking some mountain ash powder and making a circle on the ground. "The fuck Stiles? You can touch mountain ash?" Said Isacc.  

Stiles looked at his palm. "Oh yeah, right. Perk of being a druid. I can touch mountain ash and walk through the barriers. Pretty neat right?"  
"Neat? That's like the best thing ever!" 
"Yeah, well, maybe keep it to yourselves. It’s an advantage only if no one knows I can do it." Stiles winked at Isacc.  

When they all stretched Stiles asked Scott to get into the circle. Once Scott was in, Stiles finished it, creating a wall Scott couldn't get over. At least not easily.  
"Alrighty Scott, you will be my test subject, sorry buddy." Scott just shrugged. "I had a feeling it would be me." This was just a practice anyway, Stiles wouldn't hurt him bad. Immediately as he finished the sentence, Stiles stepped out of the circle grabbing his metal bat and returning back. Scott swallowed, he won't hurt him, right? 

"Okay, yesterday I said that rule number one is to not engage in combat when possible. Right now, this circle represents either walls or other alphas, so let's assume avoiding combat is not possible. It also gives you the real sense of not having much space and nowhere to run. So, rule number two is to not draw attention to yourselves. That can still work, you can play weak, injured or inexperienced. Rule number three is, don't rely only on your claws and teeth. If you see a weapon, and know how to use it, grab it. And I cannot stress this enough, if you don't know how to use it, it will only hinder you. I will try to pretend I don't know how to use this bat, now Scott, try to get me on the ground an immobilize me." 

Scott nodded and charged at Stiles who looked like he will piss his pants from fear. Stiles swung the bat a few times, trying to keep Scott away from him. But since there was no real technique behind it, Scott got used to the pattern quickly and managed to tackle Stiles and push him to the ground. Scott was beaming with pride as he helped Stiles up.
"Uh, good job Scotty. See how having the bat was useless? I didn't know what to do with it and just tried to keep Scott away from me. He got used to my attacks quickly and overpowered me. Now we will try again, and be careful, I will try for real this time and it will hurt." Scott swallowed but nodded. Peter was munching on his snacks, ready to watch his darling kick his best friend's ass.  

Stiles's posture changed, he was calmer and confident as he waited patiently. Scott charged at him again. Stiles dodged, keeping the bat close to his body and when Scott tried to land a hit, he raised the bat. Scott's fist made contact with the metal and his face twisted with pain.
"Don't stop Scott. The enemy will not give you time to rest. You have to either attack again or make space between us."
Scott listened and decided to back up but the barrier stopped him after a few steps. Stiles moved first this time. But to everyone's surprise, instead of running, he just casually walked to Scott with the bat down and holding it from the wrong end. All of that calmness and concetration from before gone. Scott was so confused he let Stiles get too close and the moment Stiles was close enough he used the bat to hook one of Scott's legs and lift it. Scott fell on his ass. 

Stiles showed everyone the bat, the handle had a bigger flat end to it than it should, making it easy to use as a hook. "My bat was made specifically for me, the flat end is bigger so that it doesn't slip from my hands and for moments like this. Also, if I really wanted to hit Scott with it, I would break his hand if he tried to block since I am much stronger than a human now. I would have to have enough time to swing it though.  
In general, it's perfect for blocking and keeping distance from your opponent. Just be sure to not let your enemy grab it, you don't want your opponent to get a hold of it." Stiles offered his hand to Scott and helped him get up. He patted his shoulder and broke the mountain ash circle so he could leave.  
"A quick summary. Don't panic and observe your surroundings. Anything can become a weapon if you know how to use it and if you play your cards right, you might even trick your opponent into lowering their guard." 
The next hour, Stiles had a quick match with anyone who came forward, and Stiles gave them tips on what to improve. Then he handed over to Allison, she would explain how to use certain weapons and what to look out for.

Isacc shuffled quickly to Stiles. "How do you switch between your emotions so fast? And how are they this strong? I really believed that you were scared when Scott charged at you the first time." 

Stiles looked at Isacc with a bit of sadness in his eyes. "You have known me for a few months now Isacc, did you not feel it, smell it before? I am a nervous wreck with ADHD. I am scared all the time, anxious all the time and I have to manage my hyperactivity every second of my day. I just have a lot of practice, that's all. It got better when I broke the seal though. I feel more whole now and it gives me a sense of peace." Isacc looked at Stiles with understanding, seems like they both had their own problems. 
Stiles patted his back. "Hey, it's gets better with time buddy. Friends make it better." Isacc nodded and went back to the others. 

Peter got up and walked to Stiles, big smile on his face. "Good job darling. It was very entertaining to watch."  
Stiles rolled his eyes. "You really wanted me to kick their asses huh?" 
Peter shrugged. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it a little. It was a small payback for all the teasing and bullying they did." Stiles couldn't argue, some of those teenagers really did deserve a bit of a beating. He sighed. 
"Okay, let's go set up these wards so I feel better. And... then I would like to have a talk with dad." Peter held his darling's hand. 
"Of course, it would be better if he knows we have unwelcome visitors in the city." 

Chapter Text

Stiles and Peter were going around the edge of the city and setting up wards every few hundred meters. The city wasn't that big, but they wanted to cover all of the houses and some of them were a bit farther than it seemed. Stiles would never forgive himself if one of the outskirts citizens got hurt just because their house was outside of the wards. He decided to split the city into quarters. That way, no matter in which part of the city the alphas decided to make their base, Stiles would know. They had to be quick. Every time he finished on of the ward circles every supernatural creature inside would feel the magic settling in. They wouldn't be able to pinpoint his location but it was still risky. 

Another thing that Stiles couldn't get out of his head was what he will do about his ADHD. The adderall wasn't working well since his werewolf side was filtering it out of his sytem quicker. He had to take it twice a day now. Which also meant he will run out soon. Maybe he could talk to Melissa about some alternative? He can't ask for more adderall since it's a controlled substance. Stiles also noticed that every time he took it, not only did it help his ADHD but it also somehow dulled his werewolf senses. It was hard to describe but it felt a little like going to a concert and waking up the next day with dulled hearing and tired. He will have to stop taking it starting tomorrow, just in case he needs to be in top condition. 

Stiles finished the last ward of another circle, two quarters of the city were done now. It was already getting dark, Stiles looked at his phone, 7:30pm. 
"Darling." He looked up at Peter, who was looking around, searching for something. 
"We are not alone." Shit. That was something he didn't want to hear. 

Two males were coming closer to them. They looked young and cocky. Stiles sighed and looked at Peter. 
"You think we will need to fight them? I would rather not. This magic stuff is actually pretty taxing when done at such a scale." 
Peter looked at Stiles with affection. "I'm sorry darling, but they don't seem very clever to me so I'm not sure words will reach them."  
Stiles sighed again. "Yeah, I can see the alpha cockiness in their faces." Peter chuckled a little. He loved how his darling could joke even in dangerous situations. 
"Try not to reveal your tricks right away, will you darling?" 
Stiles knew what that meant. Peter was telling him not to shift unless necersarry.  

The two alphas were now few meters away from them. "Well, well, what do we have here? I knew I could feel magic. Druid and a werewolf taking a walk?" Said the one with black hair. 
"Oh I don't think they were taking a walk. Boss was right, that alpha has a few pack members." Said the blond one.  
Peter put on his best carefree smile. "We are just doing the routine checks. If you have anything to say, maybe your leader should set a meeting with ours. We are happy to relay the message." 
The two men looked at each other and then back at them, evil smile across their faces. "You will definitely deliver a message for us. Only it will be a bloody one." Well, that setteled it, there will be no peaceful talk. 

The black haired alpha was the more impatient one, he went to tackle Peter, but Peter saw his fair share of battles and was doing quite okay on his own. Stiles had it more difficult since he couldn't shift. 
He held his trusty bat, waiting for the blond alpha to go at him. They just had to stall for time, Stiles already texted to the group chat where they are. 
The blond man was more levelheaded, he was circling around Stiles. Mistake. Stiles was already making a mountain ash circle around himself. He carried the powder in his pockets at all times now.  
The alpha looked at the ground. "So you plan on leaving your wolf friend to die? You can't help him much holled up in your little circle." Stiles kept glancing at Peter, who might not be an alpha but he sure fought like one. 
"I think he can hold on a little bit longer." 
The blond man looked at his partner fighting Peter. "He might last for a few more minutes but that's it. Since if you don't come out of the circle I will get bored and will come to help my partner." Stiles almost growled at him but stopped himself. 
"Oh I can keep you occupied, don't worry." He said and took a potion out of his pocket. It was something he prepared a few days ago. He hasn't had a chance to test it yet, but it should work.  

Stiles threw the potion on the ground, white smoke started coming from the spot and soon covered most of their surroundings. The blonde alpha was looking around, listening.
What he didn't expect was Stiles being this quick, he got hit by the metal bat and bone cracking sound emmited from his shoulder. The swing was powerful.  
When the alpha turned around, Stiles was already gone and on his way to help Peter. He can get in at least one more swing before the smoke dissapates. He found the two fighting werewolves and thanks to his mate bond with Peter he was able to distinguish between them easily. He aimed for the dark haired alpha's legs, swinging hard. The alpha fell to the ground, whailing at the feel of the unexpected pain.  

Stiles didn't wait and rushed back to his circle. Staying out for too long was dangerous. He almost managed to get back but the blond man grabbed his hoodie. Stiles tried to get out of it as fast as he could the alpha was faster. He clawed at Stiles's ribs, thankfully not getting too deep. Still, it was very painful. But Stiles knew he couldn't stop. He got out of his hoodie and backed away, trying to orient himself. Shit. This wasn't good, his circle was smudged, probably from him trashing around. The smoke screen was gone as well. Peter was still holding up, but he was visibly exhausted from fighting an alpha.  

Stiles didn't have much time to regain his composure, the blond wolf was coming at him again. They exchanged a few moves, but Stiles was weak in his human form and loosing blood. He was very close to shifting and almost did it when the blond wolf picked up his bat and was mid swing, but suddenly out of nowhere they could hear a gunshot. The blond wolf fell on the ground, grasping his shoulder. When the dark-haired alpha saw it, he landed one more heavy blow to Peter and then went to collect his partner. Another gunshot could be heard, the bullet landing close to the two alphas. They decided it will be wiser to retreat for now and disappeared into the darkness a few seconds before the sheriff reached them. 

"What the fuck was that! Stiles! Stiles are you okay? Oh my god you're bleeding!" Shit... it was his dad. 
"I will be fine dad, don't worry." Sheriff was inspecting his body, when he lifted his t-shirt he saw the huge, bloody claw marks over his ribs.  
"You will certainly not be fine! We need to go to the hospital! What the fuck were those things, they had glowing eyes!" Stiles was wincing in pain as his father tried to pick him up. 
"I can't go to the hospital dad. Peter, are you okay?" Peter was by his side in the next second. "I am fine. Sheriff, he's right, we can't bring him to the hospital." 
The sheriff was so out of it he didn't even notice Peter until now. But he remembered, Peter had glowing eyes as well. He instantly aimed his pistol at him. "Don't come any closer!" 
Stiles was now up on his feet, grabbing his father's hands. "Dad it's fine, I swear. Peter is a friend. I will explain, I swear, but we need to get to your car. You're here by car, right?" 
Sheriff wasn't sure if it was the right choice, but he lowered his gun, trusting his son and nodded. 
"Yes, I saw the smoke and parked a few hundred meters back that way, then went on foot." He pointed towards the city. 

"Then let's go. There is not much more we can do at the moment anyway." Said Stiles, now holding onto Peter for support. Sheriff took his other arm, and they walked to the car. 
As they walked, Stiles started healing and by the time they got to the car, he stopped bleeding. It was still fucking painful but at least he will not die from blood loss.  
The sheriff opened the passenger door and tried shoving Stiles in, but he stopped him. "Dad I really can't go to the hospital. See, it's not bleeding anymore. Can we drive home please? I swear I will explain everything when we get home." Sheriff was bewildered, the wound really didn't bleed anymore. He was unhappy about it but nodded and Stiles finally got into the seat. 
"Dad, Peter is coming too, okay? We can't leave him here alone, he got beaten up as well while protecting me." Sheriff furrowed his brows but if Stiles was saying Peter was protecting him, he will believe it. For now. So, he opened the back door for Peter. 
"Thank you." Is all Peter said, not daring to utter another word. This was a story that Stiles had to tell.  

They got to the house and sat Stiles on the couch. The sheriff was already looking for the first aid kit and when he came back and took off Stiles's torn t-shirt, he found out that the claw marks were again in much better state. How? This made no sense. He started cleaning the wound anyway. What else could he do? Stiles let him do it, he knew it would make him feel better. 
"Okay Stiles, I was patient in the car and even didn't alert the police station as you asked, so start talking." 
"Yeah, I will dad, I swear. But do you mind if we first check on Peter? I am sure he has some wounds as well." Yeah, right, of course, that's the rational thing to do. The sheriff nodded. 
Stiles got up and went to his wolf, trying to not make it intimate when checking his wounds. Peter understood why, telling his dad about werewolves was one thing, but telling him his 18-year-old son is dating 20 years older man? Yeah, better not. At least not today. 

When they bandaged Peter as well, Stiles gave his dad a beer and sat him to the kitchen table. 
"Okay dad... this will be hard to believe and I know I don't always make it easy to believe me but please try? I just got beaten up by something that looks like a human but clearly isn't one. So please try?" 
Sheriff nodded, he didn't know what was coming but his rationality was slipping from him at this point. He might believe Stiles if he says pigs can fly now.  
Stiles started slowly, with how Scott and him, went to the forest to look for that dead girl's half of the body. He told him about how Scott got bitten (not telling him it was Peter) and how they later met Derek, and how he tried to help them. He omitted the part where Derek was being a dick about everything the whole time. It probably wouldn't help anything.  
It was clearly a lot to take in, dad was staring at him, not knowing how to react. It must have sounded absurd to him. He looked at Peter, asking for silent approval for what he was about to do next. Peter just nodded.  

"Dad, I know it's hard to believe but I really need you to trust me so we will show you something." He grabbed his father's hands so he wouldn't reach for his gun. "I told you that Derek Hale was a werewolf, it would make sense for Peter Hale to be one too, right? So, he will show you what you saw in that forest okay? But you can't hurt him, he is our friend okay? He is good." The sheriff was a bit reluctant but said okay in the end. Peter came in sheriff's view but stayed far away, to give him some sense of safety and then shifted. 
 

"Fuck! Are you sure he's our friend?" Sheriff said.  
"Yes, dad. I'm sure he is our friend. I will let go of your hands now, okay? So don't shoot him. He will stay where he is, he will not move." Sheriff nodded. 
This was mad, but it would explain so much about this goddamn city. So many unsolved cases with no leads. He came closer to Peter, looking at his claws, his teeth. Peter didn't move an inch, he didn't even follow him with his eyes. He just waited. The sheriff opened his beer and took it few big gulps. Then went back to the kitchen table and sat down. 
"This is absolutely crazy." 

They explained the sheriff a few more things after that and answered any question he had. He understood how Stiles got involved in all this, but it felt like he was still hiding something.  
Stiles could see it on his dad's face. He also knew the sheriff in him wouldn't let it go. 
"Peter, can you go to my room and bring my mom's letter? It's in the nightstand drawer." Peter nodded, went upstairs and was back in an instant, handing the letter over to Stiles. 
"Thank you. Dad, I have something more to tell you. This is the letter mom left me in that chest we got in the attic." He gave it to his father and waited. 
When his father finished the letter, he didn't speak for a long time.  
"She never told me. She would tell you these fairytales before bed, but I that's all I thought they were, fairytales." 
"I know dad. I looked into it afterwards, l went through all the books in the attic and I found mom's notes about spells and werewolves. It's all real, I confirmed it with Peter. That's why he was with me in the car that one day." 

His father looked him in the eyes. "Did you do it? Are you now... special like her?" Stiles nodded. 
"I wanted to tell you today when I would have gotten home. I wanted to make sure that I would know what to tell you, so I've been going to Peter's after school to learn." 
Sheriff took Stiles's face in his hands, stroking his hair with one hand. "Can you show me?" 
Stiles was holding back tears now. "I don't want to scare you. I don't want you to think I changed. That I am not your son anymore." 
"Oh Stiles, you will always be my son, no matter what happens." Stiles nodded and breathed in deeply. Then shifted. 
His dad looked at him with gentle eyes. It startled him at first of course, but now he had that loving look again and hugged Stiles, stroking his hair.

Chapter Text

Stiles was talking with his dad and Peter was brave enough to sit next to them at the table. He was watching his darling have an honest conversation with his father, it was something he hasn't seen in a long time he realised. It felt so... normal, so comforting. 
After some time Stiles made a horrified face and looked at Peter. "I forgot to text the others that we are fine! They must be panicking right now!"
"Relax Stiles, I texted them when we were in the car on the way here." 
Stiles collapsed back in his chair with relief. "We should probably tell them what happened before they barge in here, demanding answers." 
"Yeah, we should. Do you want to listen as we call them sheriff? It will probably sound like a lot of nonsense to you though. We havent told you enough for you to understand."
Stiles's dad looked tired. "I don't know if I have enough energy to take in more information. I will go take a shower and then watch TV unitl you finish. But if you talk about something I should know, I want you to tell me afterwards." Peter nodded.

When the sheriff left, Peter hugged Stiles with all he had.
"You did so good today, darling. I told you your dad would take it well." Stiles hugged him back, enjoying the comfort of his mate. They didn't have much time though so after a moment Stiles called Derek and Scott. They agreed to come to Derek's right after school. Stiles also warned them that his dad might want to come, now that he knows. He could hear unhappy sounds from Derek over the phone. Yeah, Stiles would have to text him later to let him know he kind of painted him in much better light than is the reality. Once they ended the call they went to check up on his dad.

"Sheriff, we have agreed it would be better if I stayed with you tonight, just in case the enemies would try something. All supernatural beings try to stay away from trouble if possible but this group of individuals is not very... standard. Would that be okay with you?" 
"Call me Noah please, I feel like I will see you often from now on. And if you don't mind sleeping on the couch, then it's fine."
"Thank you, yes, that's completely fine."

"Dad, we also want to go to Derek's after school tomorrow. We need to discuss what to do and assign a watch buddy to everyone, so we are never alone. I even asked if you can come if you want? I know you have an afternoon shift tomorrow so it's up to you." 
His father was unsure if he could handle more werewolves right now. "I think I will pass, this time. But let me know before you make any moves will you? Not only do I want to know what you're up to, but I'm the sheriff, I can probably help."

Stiles nodded. Will it really be this easy? It was almost suspicious that his dad didn't want to come.
"Okay... Come Peter, I will see if I have any clothes you could sleep in, most of my t-shirts are oversized. And I will give you towel, you rolled around in dirt during the fight so you're welcome to use the shower." 

When Peter came back down to the living room, Noah was gone. He assumed Noah didn't want to be put in an awkward situation by staying on the couch that Peter was supposed to sleep on. The blanket and pillow were already prepared.
He laid down on the couch, not bothering with the blanket and waited for everything to quiet down. Noah was still awake for quite some time, but in the end he fell into a peaceful slumber. When Peter heard him snore, he got up and quietly went up the stairs and opened the door to Stiles's room. 
"Peter, what are you doing, dad will hear you."
Peter entered the room and closed the door behim himself. "He's sleeping, I checked his breathing and heartbeat before I came here." He sat down on the endge of Stiles's bed and waved him over.

❤️❤️❤️

Stiles shuffled closer and Peter guided him over his lap so Stiles could straddle him. Stiles looked at him with a question on his tongue, but lost it the moment Peter kissed him.
"You deserve a reward for today, darling. You did so well, both at fighting and being honest with your father."
"Hm. Do I? Are you sure you're not just horny?"
Peter cogged his head. "Maybe. Don't I dereserve a reward too? I've been so obedient." He reached down to their sweatpants to free their dicks.
Stiles inhaled sharply and whispered. "Peter! My dad might be sleeping but he will definitely hear if we do this here!"
"Hmm.. And what do you think we are doing, darling?" Said Peter between kisses while slowly stroking them.
"I- don't- Shit, this is too good."
"Shhh... You have to be quiet, darling. I promise I won't go beyond this." Stiles nodded, not being able to fight the pleasure. They haven't done anything beyond kissing before this. It wasn't because Stiles was scared or anything. It simply didn't feel like the right time. He kissed Peter and run his hands down Peter's spine, inteding to make this the most enjoyable experience. Quiet sighs and gasps were excaping his mouth as Peter worked them both. This was the hottest thing Peter has ever seen in his life.

"You are amazing, darling. I won't last much longer if you keep making noises like that." 
Stiles looked at him with clouded eyes, lost in the pleasure. "I don't think I will last much longer either, tempest."
Peter chuckled. "Is that my new nickname? Why call me a violent storm?"
"Because your love swept me off my feet like a hurricane. I can feel it every second of the day, rushing through our mate bond, so wild." That was enough for Peter to go over the edge, sending the pleasure down their bond. Stiles stood no chance against an attack like that and came as well.

❤️❤️❤️

Stiles stretched to reach the tissues on the nightstand and wipe down any evidence of their little play. He managed to clean only Peter's hand when they heard a noise from his dad's room.
Shit. Peter threw Stiles on the bed and covered him with the blanket. He himself sat down on the floor, his back against the nightstand and one leg up to his chest, to hide his half hard pride. 
It was just in time, sheriff slowly opened the door to the room. When he saw Peter on the ground he was about to speak but Peter put a finger to his lips, signaling to stay quiet.
"He had a nightmare, so I came up here. Werewolves are more calm when their pack is close. I wasn't on planning to sleep today anyway, so I decided to stay here."
Noah cogged his head and whispered. "So it's a wolf thing? He can feel you even in his sleep?" Peter nodded. He felt bad for deceiving Noah, but he wasn't exactly lying either.
The sheriff looked at his son with sad smile. He was sleeping soundly right now, so Peter's presence must really be doing something. He only wished he could do the same for Stiles, to calm him instantly like that. 

The next second, purple light filled the room and Stiles shot up from the bed, pretending to be a bit confused. 
"Dad? Peter? What are you doing in my room? Wait, not important. Someone entered our property. " They heard a noise close to the window and all took a fighting stance, ready to attack anything that was about to come. What they did not expect was... Scott's head popping into the window.
Peter massaged his eyes and sighed. "For God's sake Scott, we almost attacked you! You idiot!"
Scott freaked out for a bit but then spoke. "Well I didn't expect to be welcomed by all of you! I just wanted to check if Stiles is okay. Why are you all in his room anyway?"
Stiles was the next one to curse at how stupid his best friend could be sometimes. "I have wards around the house Scott, we all knew you were here the moment you stepped on our lawn. Did you think I would leave my own house unprotected?"
"Oh. Sorry..."

Then Scott sniffed the air and grimaced. "Jesus, did you have a jerking off contest? It smells horrible in here."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Really Scott?"
Stiles went red as a tomato. "Are you serious Scott?! Why would you say that! Can't you be polite like Peter? He must have smelled it before when he came to the room and didn't say anything!"
Peter sighed. "Come on Scott, I will walk you home. It's not safe to walk alone, even if it's only to the next street."
"No way, I just came! I want to stay with Stiles."
Sheriff was the one to argue now. "And give your mother a heart attack? Come on, you will see each other tomorrow at school anyway. You checked, Stiles is fine and I don't want to have another werewolf in my house." 
Scott's eyes went wide and he turned to Stiles. "You told him?"
Stiles rolled his eyes. "And what was I supposed to do? Hide it from him forever? Just go home Scott, I will tell you everything tomorrow."

Scott walked out of the room with a sad expression, this time through the door, and Peter followed him. Stiles sat down on his bed, hands on his face.
"God, this was a disaster. Does that mean Scott smelled everything every time he came to my room? And Peter and you were here when I woke up, what were you doing here?"
Noah shrugged. "I heard some noises from you room so I came to check. When I opened the door, Peter was already here, apparently you had a nightmare and him being close helps to calm you down?"
"Seriously? He was just in here so I could sleep? Even though he must have smelled it too? This is so mortifying!"
Noah chuckled and went back to his own room, refusing to think more about supernatural things. He hasn't seen his son this flustered in a long time. It was refreshing. 

When his dad closed the door, Stiles finally relaxed. This must have been the best acting performance of his life.

Peter came back a few minutes later. Scott wasn't very pleased with him escorting him home, but Peter had to play the responsible adult, as long as the sheriff was around at least.
Coming back up didn't seem like a good idea, it would look suspicious, so he decided it was time to get some sleep and closed his eyes. 

Chapter Text

Stiles woke up refreshed, despite all of what happened yesterday. 
There wasn't much time to enjoy it though, he had to go to school and hope that the alphas are not brave enough to try something in public.  
When Stiles and Peter opened the front door, ready to leave, Scott was already waiting for them.  
"Scott, we have to drop off Peter first. After yesterday I am not leaving him alone." The teenager nodded, he understood the need to protect the pack. 
Peter raised an eyebrow at Stiles. This was the first time he was hearing about this. "And who are you leaving me with, darling?"  
Stiles didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up his phone and called someone. When the person on the other end picked up, a mischevous grin creeped it's way up his lips. "Hey Big guy, are you at home?" 
Peter's eyes narrowed. "Oh I don't like this one bit." He went to his nephew's home often, but that was because he found it entertaining to watch Derek's reactions to Peter bothering him through out the day. It was completely different to go there for protection. Especially now that he's in a pack and not some rogue wolf. Well, maybe still a little bit rogue. It's a huge part of his personality at this point.   

Scott was watching Peter's reactions as the phone call progressed. Stiles had to argue with Derek for a bit and promise him something in return and Peter didn't like that at all. It was somehow satisfying to see Peter unhappy. He couldn't help but snicker at him. This old man not only tried to kill him before but now he also stole his best friend. The only consolation was that Peter will die of old age much sooner than Stiles, so Scott will have his best friend back when he retires and will have someone to play bingo with. Or whatever will old people do in the future. This thought flickered a lightbulb to life in his mind. 

"Peter, do werewolves live longer than regular humans?" 
Huh, where did that come from, though Peter. "Turned wolves live just a bit longer than regular humans. The healing abilities preserve the body in a good shape longer. Born wolves are usually stronger, more connected to the magic, so they live even longer. One of my distant relatives lived till almost 200." 
Well fuck, there goes his dream of playing bingo without Peter. "If you're going to live that long, why do you look so old already?" 
"We stop aging at the human pace when our body and mind are on the same page, so basically when we are comfortable with how we look and feel in our body. For me that was when I turned 30 and I look fucking amazing you uncultured boy. Wine tastes better as it ages." 
"Shit. You can tell when it switches? How does it feel?" 
Peter grinned. "Why should I tell you? It will be much more fun to watch it happen if you don't know." 
Of course... 

On the way to Derek, Stiles told Scott all of what happened yesterday and when they arrived, he confirmed with Derek that it was different alphas than those Derek met during his run. That meant there was at least 4 of them plus the leader. They all hoped that was all the members accounted for. When they got to school, they split up and informed the others about what happened.
The bell rang. It was time to get to the first class. As the students started slowly emptying the hall, two newcomers walked in the building, and they made their way to the principal's office. 

Stiles was half-listening to the teacher when he got this... feeling. It was new and he didn't know what it meant, but when the door to the room opened and the principal walked in with two men behind her? He didn't need to think about it further.  
"Everyone welcome Ethan and Aiden Steiner. They will join your class starting today. Be nice to them." The blond twins waved at the class and sat next to the window. 
Stiles massaged his temples. Will anything ever stay peaceful at this school? He looked at Scott who was visibly on edge. Good, he should be. Two alpha werewolves just joined their class. And given the current circumstances? Well, it meant trouble.  
There was one positive thing about it though. If the leader decided to enroll them into the school, they most likely don't want to rush things and Stiles could definitely benefit from some extra time to learn a few more spells.  

When the class finished, the two new werewolves didn't waste any time. They circled Scott's desk and Aiden whistled. "Two alphas in one small town? Boss is gonna love this." 
Stiles wanted to get up and tell them to fuck off but drawing attention to himself wouldn't be clever. Also, there was something off about the twins. He could smell they were alphas, but the scent was much too faint. He also didn't feel any hostility from them, unlike the other alphas he met. He will definitely have to satiate his curiosity later with some research. 
Now, the only important thing was that Scott doesn't do anything stupid. 
Scott looked up at the twins. "Will this boss of yours ever show us their face? I would very much like to have a civil conversation rather than constantly hear about my friends being attacked while on a walk or a run." 
The twins went a little stiff. "Don't worry, you will meet her soon." The teacher called Aiden and Ethan over, so that was the end of the conversation for now. They will have plenty of opportunities to talk from now on, so it didn't matter much. And even though the conversation was short, it was very informative. Their leader was a woman, and she was planning to meet them soon. Stiles looked the twins over from head to toe and stopped at the ankle area. They were wearing matching... ankle bracelets? What? No... it was much too thick to be just a simple fashion statement, and they had runes on them. It felt somehow familiar. Did Stiles see it somewhere before? 

He thought about it for the rest of the school day. The twins luckily didn't try anything today, probably because they were constantly being swarmed by other students. Any new face is this small town was premium entertainment for the teenagers and even more so two buff men. 
When the last class ended, Stiles found Scott and whispered. "Before we go to Derek's we have to stop by my house. I have to pick up some books for research." 

When they finally arrived at Derek's everyone was already waiting for them. Stiles left it to Scott to explain what happened at school and went straight to his self-declared research table.  
Peter was already sitting there with two cups of coffee. Stiles couldn't help but smile, Peter knew him well. He handed him the cup and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
"Thank you, tempest." 
A wave of warmth spread through Stiles's body, Peter was showering him with love through the mate bond. "Anything for you, darling. How can I help you with the research?" 
"Well, first of all, I have to catch you up with the news. We met twin alphas at school today. They enrolled as new students, so I think we are not in any imminent danger. And I have also learnt that their leader is a woman. A witch in my opinion. The twins had these bracelets on their ankles that had runes on them. That's what I need help finding in the books I brought. I think I saw it in one of these but can't remember where or what it was related to, but I think it's important we figure out what those bracelets are for. I had a feeling, you know? That druidy stuff." 
Peter nodded and Stiles handed him one of the books. At first, they resorted to quick skimming through the pages for any pictures, but it didn't bring any results. Then they tried looking through the chapters for some words connected to accessories or chains of sorts. Nothing. 

It was only after they gave up and Peter tossed the book on the table, it opening on a random page, that Stiles noticed that it was exactly what he was looking for. 
"That one, Peter! That's the one!" He pointed at the page. 
Peter picked it up and read out loud. "This spell is meant mainly for protection. The person affected will not be able to harm the caster, otherwise a deadly dose of wolfsbane will be injected into their bloodstream. It can also be used in offense mode, the caster can activate the spell at will over any distance... That's a nasty spell, darling." 
"So, this confirms it. Since it protects only the caster, she has to be a witch or dark druid. But dark druids become slowly insane as the dark magic corrupts them, they usually can't be leaders or strategists, so I think she's a witch." 
Stiles reached for the book, reading the whole chapter. Once he finished, wide grin spread on his lips. "This will be one hell of a bitch to learn to break, but it's doable." 

He got up from the chair and went to the rest of the group. "She's a witch.", he said loud enough for everyone to pay attention. 
"I think the alphas are not with her out of free will. They have these magic bracelets on their ankles that prevent them from harming her or leaving her. We might be able to solve this without violence if we manage to convince them that we can help them. Derek, take a picture of this page and send it to Deaton? Maybe he knows it." 
Derek raised an eyebrow at Stiles. "I thought you didn't approve of Deaton?" 
Stiles scoffed. "I might not like the guy, but I will not compromise our packs safety because of that. If he knows how to break the spell, great. If not? He should learn. That's what I am going to do now, no reason to waste time when I can help. I will see you all here tomorrow?" 

They all nodded. It was better to at least show your face here before going home, that way everyone was more at ease. 
Stiles waved at Peter to come over. "We're staying at your place today, tempest. I need your fancy kitchen full of herbs." 
Now that was something Peter liked to hear. Getting out of this place was all he wanted to do the whole day and spending the evening with his darling? That just automatically makes everything 100% better. 
One thing Peter had briefly forgotten about is how focused his darling gets when learning magic.  

Stiles was sitting on the carpet for 3 hours now, mumbling magic formulas while holding onto a pouch filled with herbs. Last two attempts ended with the pouch catching on fire, which was apparently not what was supposed to happen. When he finished the last sentence, the pouch caught on fire again. Fuck. 
It seems the easy way will not work. If he had stronger affinity with nature, it would be enough but maybe because Stiles was also a werewolf, the magic didn't come as easy to him as he would have liked. Since it wasn't working out, he decided it was time to take the more effective approach. It was also the approach he was trying to avoid for the past week, because it would be painful. He noticed he had trouble accessing the nature's magic immediately when he tried to draw his first rune. It was there and nothing was really blocking it, but he just couldn't draw as much as he wanted or needed. That was of course a problem. Stiles sighed and looked at Peter. He was looking sadly at his carpet. It now beared a mark of Stiles's failed attempts. Stiles sighed again. Now feeling guilty that he made a mess. 

"I think I will have to get the rune circle tattooed on my body. It's too limiting to have to carry the herbs and chalk with me all the time and not knowing if I even have enough magic to finish the spell." 
Peter looked at Stiles, inspecting every inch of his body. "Does the placement of the tattoo matter?" Stiles shook his head. "Show me what you need to get tattooed and we will figure out where to put it." 
Huh, that was easier than Stiles though it would be. "You're not going to convince me not to do it? You don't seem like a tattoo lover to me." 
Peter shrugged. "Anything will look good on you, darling. Though, it would be good to have the tattoos somewhere where others can't see them if possible." 
"Yeah... I don't think I want to explain the tattoos to others. It will look like some sort of ancient text so not really something I can say I always wanted to get permanently edged onto my body. Dad probably won't be happy about it either, but I don't have much of a choice here. I looked really hard for other options how to access more magic, but this seems to be the only way that doesn't involve animal sacrifice or blood of 12 virgins. Do you think we could get this tattoo done today? It's the first one that needs to be done and the most important one." 

Peter looked at the runes Stiles was pointing at. It was one of the smaller tattoos that needed to be in the middle of the other runes later on. "This one shouldn't take too long to get done. If you get it tattooed between your shoulder blades, like Derek has his, you can hide it with an undershirt. I will prepare the tools." 
Right... They can't really go to a tattoo salon since they need to mix Stiles's blood into the ink. The werewolf healing makes the tattoos disappear otherwise. Thank God he doesn't need anything artistic tattooed.

Chapter Text

Stiles decided that getting a tattoo sucks.
It might be partially because Peter is not professional tattooer, but Stiles just really didn't like the kind of pain this was. It was like someone repeatedly scraped him with one of those metal brushes and he wasn't a fan of the feeling. It also took much longer than he thought it would because Peter needed to make sure the runes were precise, otherwise the magic wouldn't work. At least his healing powers made the aftercare minimal. He just had to keep it moisturized.

Peter gave him one of his undershirts, Stiles fit into them much better now.
Actually, Peter gave Stiles more than just the undershirt. He was determined to slowly change his darling's wardrobe to something more fashionable and justified it with: It would be weird for you to suddenly start walking with undershirt under those baggy clothes. So, Stiles gained 2 new shirts, 3 nice fitting t-shirts and a brown leather jacket for when it gets colder. Peter also forbade Stiles from wearing anything with a print on it.  
Stiles was thinking if he should resist in any way but seeing his mate happy was more important to him than his baggy t-shirts. 

He stayed over at Peter's this time. He didn't want to risk his dad discovering the tattoo right away, the old man was paying more attention to him since he told him about werewolves. No need to say that his dad wasn't very happy when Stiles sent him the message, given what was going on. But Stiles had a lot of practise convincing his dad, so the sheriff gave up in the end.
Peter was happy to have his darling for the whole night. With all that's happened, he could see Stiles was very tired. So, Peter did the responsible thing and showered his darling with cuddles and kisses for the rest of the evening while watching a movie. And when Stiles fell asleep while hugging him, he carried him to bed. Peter didn't know if it was his own gut feeling or some of Stiles's druid power running through the bond, but he felt something was wrong since this morning. That's why he had nothing against Stiles rushing into learning a new spell and getting the tattoo. Because if there was even a slight chance that something bad was coming? He would rather his darling was prepared.

In the morning, Stiles drove Peter to Derek's first and then picked up Scott. 
When Scott opened the door to the jeep and looked at Stiles, he froze for a second. "Man, who dressed you today? Because it definitely wasn't you. You actually look cool." 
Stiles rolled his eyes. "Just get in the jeep Scott. We can't be late to school.... again." 
They weren't late but they also didn't have time to look for the twins, as Stiles originally wanted. He looked at their schedule, which he stole from the principal's office yesterday. Guess he will have to talk to them after lacrosse practice.  
When he met them in the hallway on the way to the next class, he noticed they looked really happy and relaxed and it made him smile a little. Going to school must be like a break for them, away from the witch and other alphas. Wait... did he... care? They might not be with the witch voluntarily, but they are not his friends either. So what was this feeling of satisfaction when he saw them being happy?
No way. Did he consider them pack? But why? He met them just yesterday.
The bell rang, signaling that Stiles was already late for his next class, so he shoved the thought away and rushed to the classroom.

School went by quickly and it was time for lacrosse. Stiles and Scott went to the locker room and changed. The twins were already waiting on the field, talking to the coach. When the coach saw them, that the rest of the team was slowly gathering he shouted at Stiles.  
"Stalinski! You'll be the gatekeeper today." Stiles's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Me!? Why?" 
"Because you're part of the team dumbass and I don't want the twins to feel pressured by not getting any shots in on their first day. God is my whitness that you all suck. Actually all of the school is my whitness that you suck. Maybe that's why, out of pitty, he sent me a great gatekeeper." He proceeded to wink at Danny. "I love you in a very respectful and legal way, Danny! Please don't take me to court." Danny gave him an awkward wave and run off to do laps. Coach looked back at Stiles. "Also, you've been way too cocky lately, so you need a bit of a beating. Few lost balls should do the trick."
Unbelievable! Sure, Stiles's retorts might have had a bit more bite to them lately, but coach was openly telling everyone that it's okay to aim at him instead of the net!

Everyone lined up. Jackson was first in the line, and his eyes were sparkling with joy. "No hard feelings, right Stilinski? It's just a game!" He said and threw the ball right at Stiles's stomach. Stiles let himself get hit, not wanting to draw attention to himself too much. That was a mistake.
Jackson was apparently still angry about the stripper thongs prank and put all of his strength into the throw.
Afterwards, each person really did try to aim at him instead of the net. Stiles groaned with discomfort. Even the twins joined in, though they didn't look happy picking on someone weaker than them. They probably just didn't want to stand out. Stiles stored that information somewhere in the back of his mind for later.
Was he always such a punching bag in the other's eyes?
Scott was the last one in the line to do his first throw. Puppy eyes and sad smile on his face. 

No way... "Even you Scotty?"  
"You can fight back you know? I would love to actually practice with you, rather than you sitting on the bench all the time." Said Scott and threw the ball, hitting Stiles in the thigh. 
That was so low! He was trying to provoke him, and it was working. Stiles was getting angry.

It was Jackson's turn again, smiling. Stiles couldn't hold it in anymore. He will wipe that smirk of his face so fast. 
They wanted him to take it seriously? Even with the twin alphas present? Fine!  
Jackson threw the ball, but Stiles caught it this time. And then again and again. And you know what? This was actually starting to get fun. Even the coach was cheering him on. "I don't know what happened to you Stilinski, but you better be this good at every practice from now on!" 
Stiles chuckled. This was why he liked and hated coach at the same time. He judged others purely by how they performed and nothing else.You know what coach? I will. 

***

By the end of the training, everybody was very impressed by Stiles's performance. He tried to hold back, but compared to his previous self? Well... anything will look way too good. They all even forgot that the twins were enemies for a second and just enjoyed the game. Both Ethan and Aiden were really good at lacrosse and were quick to make friends.
Stiles was having fun.

However, that all changed thanks to one single thing.
When they were back in the locker rooms, Stiles turned to the twins at exactly the right moment to see a scar they both had on their shoulder. It was a burn mark. Someone had clearly branded them with hot metal. But what really caught Stiles's eye was the shape. It was an unfinished star. He froze the moment his eyes landed on it.
He knew that mark very well, he's been staring at it every day for the most of his childhood.

His mother had one just like it.  

Adrenalin rushed into his veins as he quickly approached the twins. "Where did you get that mark!?" 
The twins looked a bit startled and frankly, they didn't know what to say. It's not like they had any obligation to answer, even though they strangely liked the druid. The twins actually liked most of the werewolves they met so far. There was no hostility directed towards them, just caution, which was understandable since they were trying to take away their alphas.

Stiles had no patience for this. "I said, who gave you that mark!" Heads started turning in their direction and Scott put a hand on Stiles's shoulder. 
"Calm down Stiles! Others are looking at us." 
But Stiles couldn't stay calm, this was important to him. "I need to know Scott." He said through clenched teeth. 
"We got it from our boss. You've seen it before?" Said Ethan.
Stiles sucked in air, wave of rage flooding his body. HAS HE SEEN IT? "Oh I fucking stared at it for 8 years." His breathing got ragged, his head spinning. Fuck. He was shifting against his will. So, this really was the only thing that could make him angry enough to loose control, as he suspected.

Scott went pale. "Stiles you have to calm down! You can't shift here! There's too many people." 
Yeah, like he didn't fucking know it. "I need to call Peter." He took his phone out of his pocket and tried pressing the buttons, but his claws already extended. Fucking things were in the way.  
Thankfully Peter called him first. Stiles somehow managed to pick up. "Peter." 
"I'm already on my way, darling. We were shopping not far away from the school." 
"I can't control it." 
"I know, darling. I can feel it. It will be fine. I will be there in 2 minutes. Where can I find you?" 
Relief flooded Stiles's body, Peter was his anchor and he was close. But the anger didn't go away. It was too fresh, too strong. "Scott will take me to the side entrance." 
"Good. Stay on the phone, darling. I am with you." Stiles nodded, even though he knew Peter can't see it. 
Scott gave Stiles his hoodie and Stiles obediently put it on and covered his face as best as he could, then looked at the twins. "You're coming too. We need a distraction in case someone comes." 
Ethan scoffed. "Why should we?" Stiles's eyes shone bright red as the shift progressed. Fuck.
Scott shot them a murderous glare. "Because if Stiles becomes feral it will become everyone's problem! He's been a werewolf only for a few days." 

The twins looked at each other, unsure if they should follow, but exposing werewolves to the public was something that was beneficial to none of them, so they played along. They also couldn't hide their curiosity. Druid AND an alpha? Stiles also recognized the witches mark.

They somehow managed to get to the side entrance, Peter was talking to Stiles over the phone the whole time, trying to keep him as calm as possible. When they opened the door, Peter was waiting there already. Stiles run into his arms, hugging him tight. "I need to go to the forest, Peter. I need to run it off." 
"Of course, darling. Let's get you to the car." 
Stiles gestured to the twins. "Get your bikes, you're coming too." 
"And when did we agree to that? Why should we?" Ethan retorted. 
Stiles clenched his teeth. "Don't pretend like you don't care. You want to know more about me as much as I want to know more about that witch. If you come, I can break those ankle bracelets for you. Unless you like being shackled to that monster?" 
Ethan and Aiden looked at each other. That was a very tempting offer. They weren't sure if they can trust Stiles enough to just follow them to an unknown location, but getting rid of the bracelets? Well, it was all they wanted for the past few years. So, they went to get their motorcycles. 

No need to say that Derek was very concerned with this whole situation and the two alphas following behind them weren't helping. Peter was comforting his mate and Scott was rambling about how if someone saw them it was all over and they will have to move to a different town and turn the person so they would share the secret. This was a mess...
However, Stiles really did look horrible. Stench of hatered and panick was filling the car. It was obvious something bad happened. So, Derek drove them to the nearest forest edge.

***

When the car stopped, Stiles got out and undressed so fast that Peter was almost disappointed.
Then he shifted completely into his wolf form. He was huge, as alpha should be, but mabe a bit too huge. Was it because of the rune circle on his back? Peter wondered as he undressed as well. 
Next to him, Scott was having the biggest shock of his life. It was amusing to watch. "Holy crap! Stiles turned into an actual wolf!" 
Peter rolled his eyes. Has this idiot leared nothing about werewolves since he became one? And he saw Peter in his wolf form before. Peter bit him afterall. "He's a born wolf Scott. Of course he can do that." Stiles growled at Peter. Oh dear. Peter was taking too long.
He shifted too and both of them run off to the forest. That left Derek, Scott and the twins alone together.  
Scott looked at the group. "Well, this is awkward. I guess we have to wait for them here?" Both Derek and the twins gave him a weird stare and walked to the nearest trees to sit under. 
Yep, definitely hating this company. Scott sighed and sat down on the nearest stump. 

They waited for 40 minutes. The twins were almost ready to leave when they saw the two wolves coming back. They shifted back their human form and put on their clothes. 
Stiles was still full of anger, but at least he had his control back. "Sorry about that."  He said in a low voice.

Derek was the only one left out of the loop now, so he asked. "What happened?" 
Stiles closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke. The scent of sadness and anger filling the air. "The witch killed my mom's pack and by extension later my mom as well."
They all froze. All of them, except Scott, knew how it feels to lose a pack member. It was the worst pain they could imagine. You could physically feel it when pack member died. And losing a parent? Definitely not any better.  
"I thought your mom died of cancer?" Scott asked carefully. 
Stiles couldn't bare to talk about it at the moment, so Peter answered instead. "Exactly Scott. Werewolves don't die of illnesses. Not even cancer. It was because of this witch that Siles's mother chose to seal her powers. And when there was no magic flowing through her veins, the cancer took hold." Oh. 
They all stayed silent for a few minutes. 

Stiles approached the twins. "As I said, I can remove the bracelets from your ankles. If I do that, will you still be on her side?" 
The twins looked at each other, sadness in their eyes. "No." They said simultaneously. Of course it would be incredibly stupid to say anything else than truth, since werewolves can detect lies, but they also had no reason to lie. "We hate her as much as you do." Stiles was waiting, clearly expecting some kind of explanation. 

Aiden sighed. "Do you know that when twin werewolves are born, they are blessed with a special power?"  
Stiles nodded. He read it in one of the books yesterday since he was curious about the twins. "You can merge into one, right?"  
"Yes. In our merged form we are much bigger and stronger. When we merged for the first time, we were too little to understand what was happening. We killed our mother in frenzy. That's how we became alphas." Their eyes shone from the swirl of emotions. It happened a long time ago but the pain was still fresh.
"After that our whole pack hated us and they didn't respect us as alphas, we were too little to lead them anyway... That's when the witch came. She played nice at first, pretending she wanted to help us, pretending she understood... One morning we woke up to screams. She and her alphas slaughtered most of the pack in their sleep and we had the bracelets on our ankles." 

Stiles could feel the anger bubbling back to the surface. Was that how she killed his mom's pack? Not giving them a chance to fight back?
He sighed and turned to Peter. "Tempest. Will you forgive me if I make a bad decision as an alpha?"
Peter smiled softly. As if his darling could ever make a bad decision. Everything he did was calculated, thought through. Even the split-second decisions. "You might be consumed by emotions right now, darling, but I don't believe that would ever affect your decision-making. I trust you."

Stiles looked at Scott and Derek. "I don't think I can do this peacefuly guys. The witch can't walk away from this alive."
Scott couldn't believe what he just heard. "You want to kill her? Stiles killing is never the answer!"
Stiles clenched his fists. "I know you truly believe that Scotty and I admire that about you. But she is not someone who just strayed from the right path. You heard Aiden. She killed their pack too, and probably the packs of the other alphas as well. Do you truly believe you can reason with her? Do you think she won't go after ours?"
Derek sighed. "I am afraid I have to agree with Stiles on this one. I will not risk my packs safety."
"So you would rather become like her? Killers?"
Stiles growled at Scott. "Don't you dare compare us to her, Scott. I would never slaughter whole families just to add a new alpha to my colletion."
"But that's what will happen Stiles, you will become a murderer. It doesn't matter that it will be for the greater good. There is no justification that makes killing okay."
Stiles looked up to the sky and closed his eyes. He knew Scott meant well but this has become personal for Stiles. He knew it wasn't right to kill anyone, and he will surely pay for it later in hell, but Stiles is willing to pay that price if it means that bitch can never harm anyone again.

"I will not try to justify my actions, but you will not convince me on this one Scott. You don't have to participate. Just keep your pack safe, please."

Scott wanted to scream and shout at his best friend, but he knew him too well. It would do nothing.
Just because Stiles and Derek don't want to try to solve this peacefully, doesn't mean he can't. He will call a pack meeting today and come up with a plan. And with that, he marched away.
Derek sighed. "You know he will try to do it his way right?"
Stiles was worried about Scott leaving alone, but there was one thing that was more important at the moment. "Yeah. But he will not do anything without telling his pack first. I know him."

He kneeled in from of Aiden and Ethan, who were still sitting on the ground, and looked them in the eyes. "Ready to be free?"