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When it came to other wolves, other packs, other individuals with heightened senses of smell, Stiles didn’t worry. He didn’t really need to worry. The smell of a ‘mate’ is distinct enough, the smell of a ‘claimed mate’, whether the claimant be wolf or human, is so distinct that no wolf would dare make a move to act against the claim. It just wasn’t done. So when Stiles it out of town, not able to return until mid-way through pack treaty negotiations with a pack from South Dakota, Stiles doesn’t really care that he missed introductions, or that he missed the welcoming meal, or that he left his mate alone with a pack of unfamiliar wolves. Because Derek will smell like the claimed mate he is.
It’s really quite as simple as that.
So that’s why, when Stiles walks in the house, through the house and out the back door to where he heard a lot of activity, he leans against one of the posts holding up the awning and scans the yard.
Isaac sees him first. Stiles sees his mouth stop moving, stopping whatever he was saying to the unfamiliar he was stood next to, sees that same mouth practically beaming in his direction and Stiles tips his head, his jaw jutting up barely, eyebrow raised. Isaac flicks his eyes to the ground briefly, tilting his head before straightening quickly, grinning widely back at Stiles and going back to his conversation
“You’re home early,” a voice spoke quietly in his ear and Stiles turned his head, regarding Lydia with a small smile. “You should probably be warned about something before you head out there though...”
“Oh? Do tell.” Rather than speak, Lydia pointed to where Stiles saw Derek sat atop one of the picnic tables, a woman stood very close to him, practically cuddling, and Stiles raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.”Oh my...” he drawled and beside him, Lydia chuckled.
“Her pack have been trying to tell her to back off but she’s the Alpha’s daughter, and she’s human. So she’s being difficult, not taking no for an answer.” Stiles looked around and saw an older looking couple frowning at the girl who was all over Derek, but not doing much of anything about it from where he was sat.
“She’s either very brave or very stupid,” he said without remorse and Lydia snorted.
“The latter... just don’t let her daddy hear you say it. He’s very protective.”
“So am I,” Stiles nuzzled her briefly, kissed her cheek and moved down the steps, stepping out of the sound barrier the awning provided (a piece of privacy he developed for them all whenever they needed quiet time). Stepping onto the grass, Stiles noticed the older couple freezing and sending worried looks his way and one by one, everyone started to notice his arrival, his pack walked up to him, nuzzled him, scenting him, hugging and generally giving him pack love, which was awesome, and he responded in kind until he’d gone through them all and was walking towards Derek, who was smiling at him while the girl was giving him a frown laced with annoyance and superiority.
“You’re home early,” Derek repeated Lydia’s earlier words and Stiles grinned.
“What can I say? I was homesick.” Derek stood up, moving away from the girl and he pulled Stiles close, rubbing his hands up and down Stiles’ back and drawing his stubbled cheek down Stiles’ neck as gently as possible.
“It’s been very quiet without you,” Derek murmured, using two fingers to shift the t-shirt Stiles was wearing so he could press his lips to the pale skin beneath.
“You really wanna do this here?” Stiles asked, eyes dancing as they took in the expanse of skin that was Derek’s neck.
“There’s nowhere I’d rather do it,” he heard before he felt the sharp pinch of teeth breaking his skin and digging into the claim mark he already wore. For his part, Stiles did the same thing, biting down on Derek’s neck hard, grinning against the skin when he heard his pack howling, rejoicing at their reunion.
Stiles’ eyes flicked out and he saw the girl giving him a filthy glare, her eyes widening in horror when he winked, breaking his bite and tipping his head back to take a few deep breathes, steadying his heart and the adrenaline pumping through it. He closed his eyes, grinning through bloody teeth as Derek broke his hold and roared in celebration to his successful reclaiming.
“You’re such a drama queen,” Stiles laughed.
“You’ll find that I really don’t mind that much,” Derek said honestly, leading him away from the girl, and the tables, towards the older couple that Stiles had rightfully assumed were the Alpha pair of the visiting pack. “Alpha Fiennes,” Derek stepped up to the man, standing tall. “Allow me to introduce you to Stiles, my mate, and human alpha of my pack.”
“Mr Stiles,” the alpha rumbled, smiling warmly at him and Stiles chuckled.
“Please, call me Stiles,” he held a hand out for the man to shake, which he did.
“This is my wife, and alpha female of my pack, Rosa.” They went around the entire pack, introducing him to everyone, or everyone to him, until they were back at the girl, who was stood stiffly beside her parents, failing to appear impassive as he introduced her as Lilith.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lilith,” Stiles smiles. “I think I must apologise for the way I came in and kinda... took Derek’s attention from you.I’ve been gone for a week so we needed to reacquaint our scents, I hope you understand and don’t hold it against me.” He had a feeling the only thing that forced her to shake his hand was the fact that her parents were staring at her hard.
“It’s quite alright,” she said through a stiff smile and he didn’t have to be a werewolf to sense the lie. “It’s nice to finally meet the infamous Stiles. Your pack talk of nothing but you and your accomplishments.” Stiles didn’t smirk, he really didn’t, but he felt both packs stiffen as one, Derek too. His mate even leaned into whisper a quiet plea of peace in his ear... but no one would ever accuse Stiles of being the bigger man when it came to his mate.
“Which begs the question,” he started and he felt Derek sigh, and caught the look of quiet resignation on the faces of the alpha pair of the other pack. “Why, if you knew he was already mated, and had committed to the claim, and he was marked so very obviously... why were you all over him as if you were trying to make him your own?”
The girls eyes widened and she looked at her parents for assistance, only to see them shaking their heads.
“We have all warned you, Lilith,” her mother sighed. Alpha Stiles is well within his rights to question your behaviour with his mate. You know this.”
“Look, I get it, Derek’s amazingly hot, has a great heart and a fantastic pack. We’ve had peace in our home for five years now and I can see his appeal. I’m even willing to let the scene I just walked in on, and the stories I’ll most likely hear from my pack, I’ll let them all go and we can all start over, if I have your word you won’t act with so much disregard for my position within my pack again during your stay or at any point thereafter, because while certain positions within the pack are negotiable through challenges, ceremonies and death, my position as Derek’s mate, and alpha human, is most certainly not.”
The girl was very red in the face as she nodded her head. She agreed to the terms, apologised for her behaviour and excused herself, heading through both packs quickly and entering the house.
“I’m sorry!” he said to Derek before pointing at him. “But if that had happened to me there would’ve been a whimpering mess of something vaguely resembling a human instead of a mildly embarrassed young girl. I couldn’t not say anything!”
“Your mate is correct, Alpha Hale,” Fiennes said and Stiles turned. “I won’t apologise for her as she has done that herself, but we have tried to dissuade her interest.”
“Like I said, I get it, I just don’t have the luxury of keeping my mouth shut.”
“As well you shouldn’t,” Rosa agreed. “You are an alpha’s mate, that position is not negotiable, as you said. She knew that and disregarded our warnings. She needed a little humility. I only hope this will not affect our talks further.”
“I’m sure it won’t,” Stiles said, giving her a comforting smile. “You’ve nothing to worry about, I just had to stake my claim.”