2 years 6 months 3 days
"Robert called." Stiles says with a sigh walking into the study. "They need help tonight with a large group." Derek scowls and snaps. "If Peter isn't going to run his business he should close it down." "Peter is family Derek!" Stiles shouts slamming his hand down on the desk. "More than that he is pack we don't turn our backs when pack needs our help!" Chin trembling Stiles looks away. Derek stands and pulls his mate close. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." He whispers. "Two and a half years." Stiles says.. "Two and a half years he's been gone. I don't know how much more of this we can take." Stiles finishes lowering his head in shame. "Shhh." Derek soothes. "It's been hard on all of us it'll get better eventually." "I keep thinking." Stiles says voice cracking. "That at some point we're going to just have to accept that he's gone and he's never coming back." "There is nothing wrong with thinking that." Derek says squeezing Stiles tightly. "Everything is wrong with that!" Stiles yells pushing back from Derek. "He's pack! We love him. I love him we never give up on pack! If it were you…." "If it were me it would be a totally different situation. I'm your mate, Paul is not." Derek says softly holding his hands out to Stiles. Stiles looks down at his mate's' hands a moment then moves into his arms. "I feel so guilty even thinking it Derek. What do we do? What do we do if he never comes back? It's destroying us. Isaac only leaves his room to be chained up for the moon. Kyle…" Stiles looks up towards the ceiling as his eyes pool with tears. "Oh Kyle... He's so young Derek. It's not fair that he have such misery. He tries to act like he's OK but you can tell he's not. He's empty, gone. He almost an Omega he's so withdrawn. Scott and Danny fight all the time. Then we.." Stiles says gesturing to Derek. "Will be fine." Derek says firmly. "We will get through this. One way or another, we'll either have him back, or will know for sure what has happened. We just have to take things one day at a time."
One day at a time. Kyle thinks to himself as he softly closes the door to his and Isaac's bedroom. He no longer thinks of it as his Paul and Isaac's room. Paul's scent is long gone. Aside from a few items sealed away in bags in an attempt to hold on to the precious scent. Those items though smell more like plastic now than his missing mate. Kyle turns from the door and looks over at the bed. Isaac as always is asleep, tossing restlessly. The once powerful wolf reduced to near skin and bones due to his refusal to accept all but the barest amounts of food. Lately getting Isaac to eat at all has become more of a struggle.
1 year 3 months
"He wants to die." Kyle says softly to Deaton. They had gone to the pack emissary when Isaac had taken to bed and refused to leave. After a brief examination made difficult by Isaac's complete lack of cooperation the vet pulled them down stairs to the study. Once sealed behind sound proof doors the vet had spoken. "His wolf is dying. I expected this, to be honest I expected it to happen sooner. Given his history, and past…..grief." "Isn't there anything you can do?" Kyle asks as tears streak his cheeks. Derek pulls his youngest Beta under his arm. "I'm afraid not. This is very common when a mate is lost. The only thing that has kept him from completely snapping is that there was never a severing of the bond due to Paul's death. Paul's presence simply vanished. In a way though this is far more cruel. For both Isaac and you." "Every day." Kyle sobs. "Every day I wake up and I still expect to find his head on my shoulder…..His arms around me. Why can't we find him. Why can't we sense him? What is the point? What is the point of any of this?" Kyle shouts pulling away from Derek and knocking several books off the desk to the floor, a second sweep with his hand sending the desk crashing against the wall. "It's all worthless if it can't find one human male! My human male! My mate..." Stiles quickly pulls Kyle into his arms and holds him tightly. "We're going to find him Kyle I promise." Scott says. Kyle doesn't miss the worried, pained expression Danny gives Scott at his proclamation.
Kyle frowns, back in the present as the memory is replaced with the sight of his emaciated boy friend whimpering morosely in bed. Kyle goes to him and kneels running his fingers through Isaac's long unkempt hair. "I love you." He says softly. "Paul." Isaac whimpers brokenly. Arms wrapped tightly around what used to be Paul's pillow. "I miss him too. Every day. Every minute." Kyle says softly. As he is standing to get dressed for work Isaac whispers softly. "I love you." Kyle looks back unsure if the statement was meant for him or their missing mate. When nothing further is said he pulls some clean clothes from the closet and quietly leaves the room.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Derek asks. "Why Derek your monthly check in is 2 weeks away." Peters biting voice says over the phone. "To what do I owe the honor of your interest?" "I don't want to fight Peter. We've….just had a rough day and I wanted to see if I could help somehow." "Well simple math tells me that two people can cover twice the ground. Or three or four….." Derek's shoulders slump guilt in his eyes. "You know damn well he helped as long as he could!" Stiles yells grabbing the phone from Derek. "What should we do Peter? Abandon our land and spend the rest of our lives searching? Derek's responsible for the whole pack not just Paul. Tell me, how many leads do you have? How many fresh clues? Are you actually doing anything other than driving around feeling sorry for yourself!?" The line goes dead and Stiles drops the phone on the desk with a clatter. "Don't you dare let him make you feel like shit Derek. You've done everything you can do." Stiles says slumping down in a chair thumping his head back on the headrest. "We all have."
Kyle who had been listening by the front door shakes his head and sighs before opening the door and heading out to do Isaac's job and manage the pack businesses.