Derek went back up to his room after instructing Jackson about the remodel. The house was nearly finished. When he closed the door, Stiles smiled at him from the bed, where he was reading.

"Put that book away," Derek said, climbing onto the bed and kissing Stiles.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses." Stiles put the book on the nightstand and pulled Derek on top of him. They pulled off their shirts and Derek was starting to undo Stiles' jeans when there was a knock on the door and Isaac poked his head in.

"Um, guys?"

"Isaac," Derek said roughly, "can't you see that we're busy?"

"Yeah, but...there's someone here to see you, Derek."

Derek sat up, sniffing to find out who it was. He recognized that scent, but he couldn't quite place it. He got off Stiles and pulled on his shirt, walking into the hallway. At the bottom of the stairs was a blonde woman, and suddenly Derek remembered. Marissa Jones. His first girlfriend.

"My, how you've grown," she said.

The rest of the pack was coming in from different rooms to see what was going on. Peter's face showed his shock as he remembered.

"You haven't changed."

"Oh, but I have, sweetie. I'm an Alpha now."

"So am I."

Marissa laughed. "Is this your little rag-tag pack? A couple of teenagers and your uncle?"

Derek descended the stairs, standing feet from her. "What do you want?"

"And who's that one up there?" she said, ignoring him. "The human. You have a weak little human in your pack?"

Derek growled, pinning her to the wall by her throat, puncturing her skin with his claws.

"That hit a nerve. What is he to you?" She sniffed. "Ah, your mate. He smells like you, Derek. He smells like your spunk. Oh, how I've missed that smell." She licked her lips. "Have you marked him, sweetie? Have you jizzed in him so hard you thought it would come out of his mouth? Or was that just for me?"

Derek dug his claws deeper into her throat. "Leave Stiles out of this."

"What kind of name is Stiles?" Marissa asked, laughing. "But nevermind. I didn't come here to talk about your poor choice of sexual partners. I come with a message. And I would very much like it if you'd let me go to deliver it."

Derek growled again, tossing her behind him. She hit the stairs but picked herself up quickly.

"What the hell are you here for?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"I love what you're doing to the place," she said, looking around at the remodeled house. "Looks just like it used to. Before you fucked Kate Argent, that is. Oh, wait, that was rude. I shouldn't bring up dead people. Especially not ones that you killed."

Derek shifted, leaping at her, but she caught his arm and twisted it. He fell to his knees, trying not to show his pain.

"Tsk tsk, Derek. Where are your manners? You don't attack a guest."

"You left me," he grumbled.

"Because you wouldn't do me the kindness of biting me. Well," she continued, laughing, "you did bite me. But you didn't turn me."

"I wanted to protect you."

Marissa twisted his arm more; it hurt so much that he shifted back to human form. "That's rich, Derek, coming from you. You wanted to protect me but didn't care about your own family?" He gulped. "You haven't told your Stiles, have you? Haven't told him that you led Kate to this house?"

"Shut up."

"How did it feel? Knowing that the woman you were sleeping with had just killed your entire family?"

"Shut. Up."

"No, I'm rather enjoying this."

"Leave him alone," Peter said, stepping forward.

"Hello, Peter," Marissa said, not letting go of Derek. "Long time, no see."

"What's your message?"

She stared at Peter for a second before letting go of Derek's arm. He gasped, falling to the floor.

"The Alphas are coming, Derek," she said. "I'm their ambassador. They picked me because, unlike the rest of them, I know you. Both in the literal and the biblical sense."

"Stop it."

"Stop what? Mentioning our fantastic sex life?"

"Just go," Peter said, opening the front door for her.

"See you soon, sweetie." She left.

The entryway was silent for a minute.

"What the hell was that?" Jackson said finally.

"My ex-girlfriend." Derek got off the ground and dusted himself off. "I assume she's part of the Alpha pack. And now she knows about all of you." He looked up at Stiles. "Now she knows who you are."

"Why is that a problem?" Stiles asked, coming down the stairs.

"Because now she can use you against me." Derek looked around at the rest of his pack. "We need to have a talk, all of you. Living room, now."

"I was working in the kitchen," Jackson said.

Derek glared at him. "Living room. Now."

They all congregated on the various old couches. Derek could sense they were all staring at him as he paced the room.

"If I recall, my father bit her," he said. "She dumped me because I wouldn't do it. She told my father that if he didn't bite her, she would rat us out to the Argents."

"She said you slept with Kate," Scott said. He sounded disgusted.

"Yeah." Derek glanced at Stiles; he couldn't read his expression. "I thought she was just an older woman who wanted to be with me. And I was a horny teenager."

"You weren't that young," Peter said.

"Shut up, I'm telling the story." He took a deep breath. "She didn't use the name Argent with me. I didn't find out until the fire. She...she used me to get close to my family and..."

"And then she set our house on fire."

"Yeah. Basically. I'm not proud of it."

"Any other hot chicks you've fucked?" Jackson asked. Boyd hit him. "What? Just asking. He's hiding so much from us."

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't realize it was my duty as Alpha to tell you every fucking thing I've done wrong."

"Does Allison know?" Scott asked. "That you were with her aunt?"

"No. I don't think any of the Argents know. I sure as hell didn't tell them."

Peter stood up. "We told him she was bad news but...it doesn't matter now. That's the past. We need to focus on the Alpha pack."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stiles asked suddenly. Derek looked at him. "I mean, I get why you wouldn't tell other people, but...why not me?"

"Because I killed my family. And I wanted you to have some shred of respect for me."

"You two can have your little domestic later, okay?" Peter said. "We need to talk about the Alpha pack."

"I should go home," Stiles said, getting up from the couch.

"Stiles, don't-"

"I'm not mad, I just think I should go."

"You go with two wolves, okay?"

"Why the hell do I need a bodyguard?"

"Because I don't want you alone when the Alphas are out there. Scott, Isaac, take him home."

The two Betas nodded, starting to leave. Stiles didn't follow.

"Stiles, I'm just trying to protect you."

"Fine. I just don't understand why I need two."

"So that when they come back, they won't be alone either."

Stiles sighed, leaving with Scott and Isaac.

"Can I work on the kitchen now?" Jackson said.

"Yes, fine. All three of you. Peter, a word." Jackson, Erica, and Boyd went to the kitchen. "Peter, I don't know what to do."

"Admitting you have a problem is the first step."

"Stop, okay? I need advice."

Peter nodded. "Which part?"

"Stiles."

"I think he's angry that you didn't tell him about any of your ex-girlfriends, but I'm sure he gets why he needs to be protected."

"Should I have told him?"

"Hell, I don't know. I've never been in your position."

Derek's phone buzzed in his pocket; it was Stiles.

"What's up?"

"I'm sorry for leaving like that."

"No, don't be. It's fine." He motioned for Peter to leave, even though he would be able to hear the conversation anyway. "I just want you safe."

"And I don't like feeling so helpless."

"You're not-"

"I am, Derek. I can't...do anything that you can."

"I don't mind."

"Well, I do."

The line was silent. Derek could tell by the sounds on Stiles' end that they were on the main road.

"I'll see you later," Stiles said.

"I love you," Derek said.

Stiles sighed. "You, too." He hung up.

Derek went to help with the kitchen.

Scott called an hour later. Derek had assumed they'd just gone to get something for lunch after dropping off Stiles.

"What's up?"

"Derek, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention and they pumped wolfsbane in the car-"

"Whoa, Scott, calm down. What's going on?"

"They took Stiles."

Derek's heart skipped a beat. He felt the nagging fear that he'd felt when his family died again.

"Are you and Isaac okay?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Yeah, it wasn't that much wolfsbane. But it knocked us out and now Stiles is gone."

"Come back here, now. I'm going to call the Sheriff."

"Derek-"

"Just get back here." He hung up. Peter came in from the den. "They kidnapped Stiles. I'm calling his dad."

"His dad doesn't know you're dating."

"I don't care. His dad deserves to know that his son is kidnapped." He dialed Stiles' house number.

"Hello?" the Sheriff said.

"Sheriff, it's Derek Hale."

He heard the Sheriff gasp. "How the hell did you get my number?"

"Your son has been kidnapped, sir."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Sheriff, I don't have time to explain everything. But your son has been kidnapped and you need to file a report."

The Sheriff was silent for a second. "Who are my witnesses?"

"Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey."

"Get down to the station. I'll interview you there."

"Thanks, Sheriff. See you soon." He hung up.

Scott and Isaac burst through the door.

"You two, come with me. We're going to the station to report this."

They didn't have many leads to go on, since they only knew one of the Alpha pack. The Sheriff was incredibly angry, but accepted Scott's story as the truth. Derek still wasn't sure if he should tell him that he was sleeping with his son.

A week passed. Derek called together his pack to strategize.

"We need to look for him," he said, pacing the living room. "The police don't know what to look for. And we can smell wolves. And I know Stiles' scent better than anyone's."

"It's a trap, Derek. You know that." Jackson had been telling him all week that the Alphas just wanted to kill Derek.

"Shut up, Jackson. What would you do if they kidnapped Lydia?"

"Let the police do their jobs."

Derek growled and grabbed Jackson by the throat. "I will find Stiles and I will kill whoever did this. Whether you think it's a good idea or not."

Scott's phone rang suddenly. Derek let go of Jackson and listened.

"Hello?" Scott said.

"Scott," the Sheriff said. "Stiles just checked in to the hospital. He's got a couple broken bones. You and Hale get your asses down here, now."

"Absolutely," Scott said, hanging up. "Come on, Derek."

Scott drove because Derek knew he couldn't keep his eyes on the road. He was too distracted. Stiles was safe; he had broken bones which meant he wasn't a wolf. He wondered how Stiles had gotten away.

At the hospital, they rushed to Stiles' room. The Sheriff was waiting for them.

"Is he okay?" Derek asked.

"Yes. He's stable." Derek let out a sigh of relief and fell into a chair. "Why do you care?"

"Sheriff, can we see him?" Scott asked.

"He's not awake, but sure."

The three entered his room; he was pale and intubated and covered in casts.

"Broken arm," the Sheriff said quietly, "broken wrist, and a few broken ribs."

Derek wanted to grab his hand, but couldn't in front of his father. Suddenly, Stiles moved slightly, opening his eyes.

"Derek," he mumbled.

"I'm here," Derek said, sitting on his bed and stroking his face. "Are you okay?"

"I escaped."

"I see that. How?"

"Wolfsbane. The same stuff they used on Scott and Isaac." He sounded tired and hoarse. Derek smiled at his ingenuity and kissed him before remembering the Sheriff.

"What the fuck is going on?" the Sheriff said.

"Mr. Stilinski," Scott said, "Derek and Stiles are dating. Have been for a few months."

"Jesus Christ," the Sheriff said, rubbing his temples. "Hale, who the hell did this to him?"

"Sheriff, I can't tell you that. Not in detail. But I know who one of them was."

"I saw a few of them," Stiles said. "I could describe them."

"I'll get the police artist," the Sheriff said. "Hale, a word in the hall, please." Derek followed him into the hallway. "I don't know why you chose my son, but be aware that I know how old you are. I saw your file when you were accused of murder. And I'm not afraid to commit murder myself."

"Yes, sir," Derek said.

"Also be aware that the legal age of consent is eighteen in California. Is there anything I should know about you two?"

"Stiles and I are having sex, Sheriff. Quite regularly."

"Hale, that's illegal."

"I know. I should talk to Stiles. Find out as much as I can about the wol—I mean, the people who did this."

The Sheriff frowned. "You will tell me everything you know, Hale, or I will report you for having sex with a minor."

Derek sighed. "Fine, but not here." The Sheriff nodded and was about to leave when Derek thought of something. "Who checked him in?"

The Sheriff nodded behind Derek; he turned and saw Chris Argent. Derek went towards him.

"He stumbled out of the woods and passed out in front of my car," Argent said. "I didn't realize he was your mate. I was just helping an injured teenager."

"An Alpha pack did this to him."

"What?"

"There's an Alpha pack in town and they kidnapped him to trap me. He escaped, thank God, but they're still out there. I know one of them but the rest—"

"Hale, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can't fight them alone. You know how to fight wolves."

"You bit my wife."

"Your sister killed my family."

Argent folded his arms. "That's not my fault."

"Your wife was trying to kill Scott. Kate was just an evil bitch."

"Don't push me, Hale."

Derek huffed. "Look, I just need your help. I can't protect Stiles and fight the Alphas."

Argent rolled his eyes. "Then you'll just have to make a decision." He started to walk away.

"Chris, stop." Argent stopped, looking at Derek. They never called each other by their first names. "Kate slept with me. To get close to my family. That's how she was able to burn the house down."

"I knew she was getting close to you, but…"

"Chris, I need your help on this. Please."

Argent sighed. "Fine. Just let me know what I need to look for."

"You did what?" Scott shouted later that week. They were all together at Derek's house, Stiles propped up on the couch with his arm still in a cast.

"I told Chris Argent everything because we need his help."

"No, we sure as hell don't."

"Scott, he knows how to hunt wolves."

"He's very smart," Peter said. "And he follows to code, unlike Kate or Gerard."

"I can't protect all of you and hunt the Alphas." Derek looked at Stiles. "And I sure as hell can't protect you."

"You don't have to," Stiles said. "You talked to my dad, too."

"WHAT?" Scott said, standing from his chair. "You told the Sheriff about us?"

"Yeah. He threatened to report me."

"For what?"

"The legal age of consent is eighteen, and Stiles is sixteen."

Jackson snorted. "Didn't think about that, did you?"

"I did, Jackson, but decided he was worth the risk."

"That's disgustingly cute," Erica said. "But seriously, what do we do about the Alphas?"

Derek pulled a few pieces of paper from his pocket. "These are copies of the police sketch from Stiles' description. Chris has copies too. Memorize these." He handed them to the pack. "You all remember what Marissa looks like, surely. So, we just need to be aware of them."

"What do they look like wolfed out?" Scott asked. "Do they look like you, or like Peter used to?"

"I don't know," Peter said. "But we know what we look like, and they'll look different than us."

"The police are looking where Stiles said he was kept," Derek said. "But we know they'll need us around. Boyd, Isaac, Jackson, Scott, you go and keep an eye on them. Peter, Erica, keep an eye out around here. Stiles, I'm bringing you upstairs because you're falling asleep." The pack left and Derek helped Stiles to his feet. They carefully made their way upstairs, where Derek put Stiles on their bed.

"Thanks for not carrying me anymore," Stiles said, reaching for some pain killers. He dry-swallowed them and rested his head on the pillow.

"You're perfectly capable of walking. You'd heal faster if—"

"No, Derek. You're not giving me the bite."

"You'll be safer, Stiles."

"No. I don't want to be a wolf." He sighed. "They wanted to bite me. The Alphas, I mean. So that I'd be loyal to them instead of you."

"All the more reason to give you the bite now."

"Derek, I don't want it, okay? And I wanted to be the one to tell my dad about you."

"He was going to report me—"

"I get that, but I wish you'd brought me along for that."

"I'm sorry."

Stiles nodded, closing his eyes. Derek pulled a blanket over him and sat in a chair near the bed. His phone rang; it was Argent.

"What's up?"

"You didn't tell me you'd be sending your wolves here," Argent said. "I accidentally shot Lahey."

"Jesus Christ, Argent."

"I treated him immediately. Jackson's driving him back to your place. And from now on, you need to tell me when you're sending wolves to interfere."

"They weren't interfering, they were keeping an eye on the police. The Sheriff is my boyfriend's dad, if you've forgotten. We need to protect him."

"You need to start trusting me and my daughter."

"You brought Allison?" Derek said incredulously. "That's really dangerous!"

"You let me decide what to do with my daughter, and I'll let you decide what to do with your pack. Boyd and Scott are still here. We'll keep you posted." Argent hung up.

"What happened?" Stiles asked, trying to sit up.

"Don't sit up, Stiles."

"What happened?"

"Argent accidentally shot Isaac." He heard the car pull up. "He's back, I'll go see how he is."

"Take me with you."

"No, you need to sleep."

"Derek Hale, take me downstairs now."

Derek looked at him. "Now I get why they call you Mom. Come on." He helped Stiles off the bed and they went downstairs, where Jackson was just helping Isaac into the living room.

"Isaac, are you okay?" Stiles asked, sitting next to him on the couch.

"Yeah," Isaac said, panting. "I just need a minute."

"Jackson, get him some water." Jackson nodded and left, returning moments later with a glass of water. "What happened?"

"Isaac shifted because he wanted to be able to defend us quickly," Jackson said. He seemed unusually concerned. "Argent shot at him before seeing the rest of us. He was treated immediately but he's still…not okay."

"You shouldn't have done that," Stiles said.

"I know, Mom."

"Why do you all call me that?"

"You're the pack mom," Jackson said. Stiles smiled and blushed. "I should really go back to Scott and Boyd—"

"No one goes anywhere alone," Derek said. "You can take Erica's place. Isaac, you need rest. You too, Stiles."

Derek was falling asleep in his chair next to Stiles a few hours later when his phone rang. It was Argent again.

"Did you shoot another one of my wolves?" he asked.

"No, I shot one of the Alphas. A fast-acting wolfsbane. He's dead for sure."

Derek felt relief flood through him. "Thank you, Chris."

"But now they know you're working with hunters."

"I don't care. I want them all dead."

Argent was silent for a moment. "I can do that."

"Thanks. Isaac is fine, by the way."

"Okay. I'm sending Boyd and Scott back to you. The Alphas fled, so it won't be useful to hang around anymore."

"Bye." He hung up and looked at Stiles, who was watching him. "One of the Alphas is dead. Dying."

"Good. Who killed it?"

"Argent. But that doesn't matter."

"So they know we're working with hunters now?"

"Yes."

"Damn. I thought we could've surprised them." He shifted slightly. "Help me up. I want to check on Isaac."

"I can check on him for you."

"Derek, I am pack mom, I will do the motherly things."

Derek laughed and helped Stiles up. Stiles went to Isaac's room and Derek went downstairs to talk to Peter, who was in the living room.

"Chris killed one of them?" Peter said.

"Yeah. A male. Which means we might be getting a visit from Marissa soon."

"She wouldn't dare. Not now that we're an actual threat."

Jackson came in from the kitchen, where he had been installing tile. He was actually quite a hard worker. "What happened? I was only barely listening."

"Argent killed an Alpha."

"Awesome."

"Now they know we're working with hunters. But that's fine."

Jackson nodded, falling onto the couch. "Tiling is hard."

"Then rest for a bit."

Stiles and Isaac appeared in the threshold, supporting each other. Erica followed close behind, and Derek could hear Scott and Boyd coming closer. Stiles came to sit on his lap. It felt good to have his pack all together like this, especially after a victory.

"Is Isaac alright?" Scott said as soon as he opened the front door.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Isaac said.

"Good," Scott said.

Suddenly, Derek smelled Marissa approaching. He could tell the other wolves smelled it too. He moved Stiles and went towards the front door, Boyd and Peter following. Once on the porch, he could see her standing by some trees.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"You killed one of my pack."

"No, I didn't. Chris Argent did. I've been here the whole time."

"You know this means war, Derek."

"You threatened my pack first. It's only because Stiles is a genius that he didn't die."

"We weren't going to kill him."

Derek scoffed. "As if that matters. You kidnapped part of my pack. We went after you. The police have sketches of all of you, and now Argent knows what you look like."

"Hunters don't worry us."

"A hunter killed one of you."

"Derek, we can end this now. All you have to do is give us Stiles and we'll leave you alone."

"Why do you want Stiles specifically?"

"Because you killed our smartest member. We need a new brain."

"You'll get Stiles over my dead body."

"That can be arranged."

There was a sudden shot; Boyd and Peter yelped and shifted, Derek looked around, and Marissa fell to the ground clutching her stomach. Chris Argent appeared out of the woods, holding a gun.

"Fast-acting wolfsbane," he said, gun still pointed at Marissa. "You'll be dead in half an hour, at most."

"Cure me, Argent."

"Not a chance."

"Cure me or we go after Allison."

Argent's hand shook slightly. "I'd like to see you try. How many are you, with you dead?"

"Four."

"I've killed larger packs. My sister killed nine people in one go."

Marissa looked at Derek. "You'll help me, I know you will."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you told me, once, that you loved me. And I know you, Derek Hale. You mean every word that comes out of your mouth."

"I did love you. But you threatened my boyfriend and my pack."

Stiles, Isaac, and Scott came out to the porch to see what was happening. Marissa smirked when she saw Stiles.

"He doesn't mean it, Stiles," she said. "He told Kate that he loved her, too. You're just here to satisfy his hard-on, and when you've overstayed your welcome, he'll dump you faster than you can think."

"You dumped me, and Kate killed my family," Derek said, instinctively moving in front of Stiles.

Marissa opened her mouth to talk, but a glob of black blood shot out instead. Argent still had his gun pointed at her.

"You'll all die," she said. "We'll kill all of you. And we'll make it especially slow for Stiles and Allison—"

Argent shot again, hitting her in the head this time. She collapsed, twitching slightly before her heart stopped. Everyone was silent. Argent stepped forward and picked up the body, tossing it into his car and closing the trunk. Then he pulled out a couple rifles and handguns from his backseat and handed them to Derek.

"All fully-loaded with the fast-acting wolfsbane," he said. "If you need it. Also, here's some regular bullets," he continued, pulling a box out of his pocket, "for target practice. I'd equip Stiles as well as the wolves."

"Thank you, Chris. What will you do with the body?"

"What I did with the last one: burn it. And I'll tell the Sheriff that there's only four left."

They shook hands and Argent left. Derek brought the guns back into the house, where he locked them into the closet. The pack followed him into the living room.

"No one, and I mean no one, leaves this house alone or without telling me or Peter where you're going," he said sternly. "We'll do target practice tomorrow. Peter and I can already shoot pretty well so we're fine for now. Boyd, you sleep in Isaac's room until he's feeling better. Stiles, you don't leave our room unless I tell you to."

"Hey!" Stiles said.

"I'm looking out for you, that's all."

"Derek—"

"Stiles, just do as I say, okay? The Alpha pack still has four wolves and I'm still scared shitless about it. So do as I say."

"Mom and Dad are fighting again," Erica whispered to Isaac, who chuckled.

"Shut up, Erica," Derek said.

"She's just trying to diffuse the tension," Stiles said.

"I don't care. This is serious."

"Jesus, Derek. Let her make a joke. It's not a big deal."

"You could be dead, and it's not a big deal?"

"Derek, not here, okay?"

Derek glanced at the pack, who all looked very uncomfortable. Exactly how he used to look when his parents fought. He sighed, motioning to the kitchen. Stiles followed him.

"Why are you being such a hard-ass?" Stiles asked.

"Because my pack is in danger."

"Our pack."

Derek frowned. "It's my pack, Stiles."

"You're my boyfriend, and they're my pack. Okay? I care about them just as much as you do."

"That's irrelevant. They're in danger and you're joking around about it."

"Yeah, because I joke about everything."

"Stiles, I don't want them to think this is just another fun adventure."

"They won't, Derek. They get it. Believe it or not, they actually understand the danger they're in."

Derek paced the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. "I just…I can't lose them. I can't lose you."

Stiles stepped forward and kissed him. "You won't lose me. I'm protected by the best pack in the world, and the best Alpha. So just calm down a bit, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being over-protective. But you are injured."

"That's fine. I get that. Just…chill out. The pack's got this."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Stiles grabbed Derek's hand and they went back to the living room.