Derek's POV
It's been over a week since we beat the nogitsune and Stiles has yet to be seen. I wish I could say the first day with him away was the worst but it hadn't been. In fact I found it harder to deal with Stiles being gone the longer the week went on. It's funny until he was gone I didn't feel anything in particular towards the hyperactive teen but the moment I heard he was dead I realised how much he meant. It was just like the fire. It was like a member of my family had been taken away. The pack have spent most of the week moping around my loft wallowing in the loss.
I wake up realising it is Saturday morning and that I am awake earlier than usual. Turning over I try going back to sleep but it doesn't work. After almost an hour of trying I give up and got out of bed. Quickly showering and grabbing a cup of coffee I pick up my phone surprised to find I have a message from Scott.
Hale preserve 11am. Be there. Scott
Looking at the time I saw it is only ten thirty so I have woke up at rather an opportune time. Grabbing my leather jacket I check I have my keys and wallet in the pockets before I leave for the Camero.
Arriving outside my old burnt out home I see Scott's bike and Allison's car here already. Sniffing the air I locate their scents and follow them into the forest. After following my nose for five minutes I see them in an unremarkable part of the preserve my family used to own.
"What are we doing here?" I grunt as I reached the group.
"Have you seen this?" Isaac answers my question with his own; pointing to the tree they all seemed to have gathered round. I look at the tree in question and feel my eyes widen. Scratched recently into the bark is the word Sourwolf. Only one person would dare call me that.
"Where is he?" I snap quickly trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. I obviously fail if the emotions I smell are anything to go by.
"No idea", Scott answers. "I got a message at midnight showing me this tree along with the time." Scott is anxiously looking around and sniffing the air.
"Calm it boys. It's only ten to eleven", Lydia instructs when I start looking around anxiously as well. Eleven o'clock comes and goes. We stay by the tree until half past waiting before anyone voices concern.
"Where is he?" Allison expresses her concern while looking around herself now. "What's that over there? See that tree?" she points to a tree a few hundred feet away and we move over to inspect it. From a few feet away I see the word Scottie carved into its trunk.
"Has anyone looked around the area?" I ask looking around. They all shake their heads. "Spread out and look for anymore with words carved in to them", I tell them as I start heading off to the right. It only takes a few seconds before I hear Lydia cry out in excitement.
"Over here", her shrill voice calls. Running over I see the words Queen Bee. Okay so that's three pack member's nicknames that Stiles uses carved into the tree trunks in the middle of the preserve. Why though? It doesn't make any sense.
"Did anyone just see that?" Kira asks while not turning her eyes away from the west.
"What? What do you think you saw?" Scott asks her.
"I think I saw a flash of red moving between the trees. Almost like a red hoodie", she whispers back. We all follow her gaze and gasp as we see what she means. Without a word we are all off and moving towards the red. The forest is flooded with disappointment when we all reached the tree with the red hidden behind it. There is nobody here, not even a scent trail to follow. The red flashes we saw was just red hoodie swaying in the slight breeze from its position on the lowest branch. Reaching up Scott snags the hoodie and sniffs it. "No scent", he informs us. I hadn't expected there to be but the fact that there is no scent is starting to worry me.
Isaac suddenly reaches forward and snatches a piece of paper from the pocket. Unfolding it he shows us the word Huntress. Four down and two left, three if we include him, I think quietly but keep it to myself. Without a word we spread out again looking for another message from him. As I make my way through the preserve I find myself grinding my teeth together in frustration. What is with the nicknames laid out in the preserve? Something about it is making my skin crawl. "Here", Allison calls and I hear the pack moving towards her.
Lying on the ground in front of here is the word Curly spelt out in large broken tree branches. That leaves only Kira's nickname to be found. I look around as something suddenly occurs to me. "Has anyone noticed where we are?" I ask.
"The messages led us round in a circle, haven't they?" Lydia answers confidently.
I nod and lead the pack to the right again in a slight loop running with my heart beating fast we approach the cars we left parked by the house. There in front of the house is the word Vixen dug into the dirt.
"Well that was a complete waste of time", Isaac mutters. "What was the point of us going around in a circle?"
"There must be a reason. Just like I'm sure the names mean something. Maybe there is a pattern or something?" Allison mumbles.
"Well if you ignore the fact Derek was put first it fits the order he meet us in", Lydia says pursing her lips.
"But he knew Isaac long before Allison came to Beacon Hills", Scott pointed out.
"Well in theory but if you look at when he attempted to build a friendship with the person the pattern works, with the exception of Derek", Lydia expands her theory.
"How rude of you Queen Bee to ignore the grumpy Sourwolf's position as first in line", Stiles' voice playfully floats around us. "But quite astute of you to notice the pattern." I whip my head around looking for him but I can't hone my senses in on his voice or scent. The voice seems to emanating from the air around us and the only scents are the pack members I've been running through the preserve with.
"Stiles?" Scott calls out to the surrounding forest. "Where are you?"
"Does it matter?" Stiles replies still in that playful care free tone.
"We've missed you Stiles", Lydia says quietly. "It's been a week."
"Only to you guys. And? What's your point Queen Bee?" Stiles laughs.
"You tell us where you are right now or so help me I will make your life hell", Lydia screams in frustration at the game Stiles seems to be playing.
"Interesting you think you can make my life as painful as the experiences I've already been through", Stiles asks his tone turning dark. "Lydia Martin you might have scared me before but I promise you there is nothing you can do to my life to make it worse than it's been recently. I had hoped finally returning things would be better but maybe I should just leave again."
"No", I growl. "Just tell us where you are."
"I'll give you a clue", Stiles' voice drops back to its playful tone. Suddenly the sound of something speeding towards the group from above has us all looking up. "I guess you found me then", Stiles chuckles as we spot him fifty feet above us sitting on a branch of one of the closest trees.
"Stiles", I cry happily and luckily my voice mixes in with the others so no one realises just how elated I am at seeing the teen. "How did you get up there?"
"Doesn't matter", Stiles tells us as he remains firmly sitting on the branch making no attempt to get down.
"Are you going to stay up there all day?" Isaac calls up from the base of the tree.
"No", Stiles smirks. "I'll come down when I'm ready. Now Curly you asked about my reason for the circle. There really wasn't a reason except it was kinda fun to watch you guys following your tails."
"Would you get down here Stiles so we can hug you?" Kira smiles up at him before blushing.
"Hmm I don't know if that's a good idea. I'm still getting used to my new abilities", Stiles chews his bottom lip. "It's the reason I'm up here actually. I'm sure Deaton warned you I would be different but I don't think even he knows how true that is. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Is that we can't track you by scent or sound?" Isaac mutters. Stiles nods and winks at him.
"So what you are saying is you brought us out here so you could play games with us and then just get us to leave you alone?" Lydia asks in a voice that is cold and calculating.
"Basically yes", Stiles replies. "I wanted you to know I'm back, I just can't come back yet if you know what I mean."
"Deaton was right he is clearly very different. The Stiles we know would never do that to us", Allison mutters annoyed yet patient. "Can't one of you werewolves just go up and bring him down?"
"I'll do it", I growl as I wolf out and jump at the tree. Sticking my claws into the bark I start climbing my way up to the teen who smirks back at me.
"Tut tut Sourwolf. You shouldn't have done that", Stiles smirks mischievously. I reach his branch and jump at him confident I can land on my feet and not hurt the boy. Suddenly I slip straight through a golden mist that surrounds the teen and smack into the tree behind. I fall hard to the base of the tree and roar in pain as I break my arm from the less than perfect landing. I look to see the bone at my elbow has snapped and is sticking out my arm. The pack is gathers around me looking anxious and a few of them queasy. Suddenly a golden mist forms next to me and from it Stiles materialises. The pack around me gasp in shock and I try to move. To reach out and grab the playful teen. Whether I do it in shock, anger or tenderness I don't know but it jars my arm and I'm snarling from the pain before I get anywhere close.
"Brace yourself Derek because this is going to hurt", Stiles warns me as he grabs my broken arm and twists it so it is back in the correct position for the bone to heal. I claw at his arm in blind rage and snap my teeth for the few seconds it takes before I feel the pain loosen. My eyes follow the hand on my shoulder up to Scott, the veins in his arm turning black as he draws away my pain. It is at this point I realise I have maimed Stiles who now has five long claws marks stretching the length of his arm.
"Oh god, I'm sorry Stiles", I rush to apologise knowing that an apology in no way makes up for me injuring him when he was just helping me.
"For what?" Stiles smiles down at me.
"For those", I grunt too ashamed to look him in the eye.
"Ah them, they're nothing. I've had worse." The truth of it in his voice has me swallowing dryly. "Besides they've already healed", he adds helping me to stand.
"What do you mean they've already healed?" I ask as I grab his other arm and try to take away his pain only to find he isn't in any pain.
"I mean just that", he says as he pulls up the tattered sleeve of his shirt that reveals nothing but pale unmarked skin with a few spots of golden honey coloured substance with a metallic scent. The moment I am sure he is actually fine I throw my arms around him trying to hug him for dear life. The pack takes this opportunity to throw themselves at him as well, hugging any part of him they can reach as hard as I am. To be honest I worry one of us will go too far and hurt him but a part of me reminds me that this is indeed a new Stiles. Unfortunately we end up in a pile on the forest floor, Stiles having vanished in golden mist again before he appears in his tree again.
"Look guys. I'm glad you all missed me and all that but please understand that this adjustment is difficult for me. I've lost almost everything that makes me, well me. I guess you could say it's like when you were bitten or learnt about the supernatural shit that goes on here. I've got this whole over side to myself and its volatile and unstable. I need to find a way to control it but for that to happen I need time and some space", Stiles rambles on.
"What are you saying?" Isaac asks with his lip trembling.
"Are you leaving again?" Scott whines and I only just manage to keep my wolf from whining with him.
"No man. No. That's not what I'm saying dude", Stiles runs a hand through his hair. "It's just touching; any touching at the moment is bad touching. I'm serious that attempted hug was a bad idea. I know it's difficult for you guys because of the scenting instinct but that new part of me took over. I managed to move away but that new side of me, its instincts were ready for a fight. You don't want that, trust me. It'll make psycho murdering alpha Peter look like an overly affectionate grandma."
A/N: Would really apprecaiste some feedback on this chapter. Does everyone like my nicknames for the pack? Next chapter we learn Deaton's.