Work Text:
There was a hole in his heart. Something missing from him. Something vital.
He could acknowledge it, despite the pain the very thought of her caused. He could accept it, because how else could he survive?
At first, the wolf inside him wanted to shrivel up and die, join his beloved mate in whatever eternity their kind faced, but the human fought to live, fought so hard he beat death.
He returned, but not quite as empty.
Something was filling that hole in his heart. Settling beside what was missing.
Something just as vital.
The boy.
At first, the wolf howled in denial. You can't replace what was lost. How can a human boy take her place?
What remained of the human wondered, though. Was it possible? Not to replace her, not to forget her--never, ever possible to do either--but to accept another?
A second.
A new mate.
From the shadows where he lived he watched the boy interact with his first-made, his grumpy nephew, the redhead.
Now, she would make a spectacular mate, but the wolf cringed away from her, the immunity he'd activated in her confusing it, and, it was too late anyway.
It was too late the first time he'd seen the boy in the hospital, drank in his fear and bravado, heard his wolf howl in need.
It was too late the night in the garage when he'd almost claimed him, only to be rejected which made the wolf howl this time in pain, but the human simply wait for another opportunity.
That was approaching quickly now. Derek had let the pack dwindle to almost nothing. Two Betas gone, another barely around, and himself--not trusted, barely accepted. More were needed and the boy was the first step.
Not as a wolf--he didn't want that--but a mated pair brought strength to the Alpha, and once mated, the boy would bring in the Omega who would bring back the straying Beta. He would cajole the immune girl into the pack and she would bring the former Kanima and others lured by her popularity.
Derek would have to get past whatever reserves he had about creating more Betas. The Alpha Pack was here and they needed numbers. The Alpha needed power.
Stiles was the first step and they had to move quickly.
Peter couldn't give him the option this time. He couldn't turn him but he would claim him.
Stiles would hate him--at first--but his wolf was driving him to add to the pack, to aid the Alpha, to make a family.
So that nothing was missing anymore.
End