Stiles woke up feeling like he had swallowed a sponge covered in shit. His mouth and throat were dry and tasted awful. Blinking blearily, he looked around and saw Derek had crawled into the bed with him at some point in the night. Stiles couldn't help the jump in his stomach when he realized this was the first night they'd spent together. It might not have been hot and sexy like he'd fantasized about, but it had been sweet and romantic at times. Derek had taken such good care of him and deserved his rest.

The alpha was gorgeous even while asleep. He looked so much younger without his eyebrows in motion and his face relaxed. His long lashes created shadows under his eyes that Stiles could stare at for hours. The stubble on his face was so perfect it looked like each stubble (stub?) had been placed there by the gods of beauty. Those lips that had kissed him so tenderly throughout the night were slightly open and tempted him. If he didn't have shit breath.

He could lay here forever, staring at his mate. There was an itch, a need, under his skin to feel Derek's flesh on his. Just a touch. He needed him. It was a new feeling, something that had been growing for a while, but it was getting more intense. When he was near Derek, he wanted his touch, his attention, his beautiful green eyes on him. Damn, he sounded like a nut job.

Stiles wondered if he could get up yet. But he didn't want to disturb Derek so maybe he would wait until he woke up. It was no hardship to lay there and stare at his mate, continuing to wonder at their future. Would his injuries put off the Claiming? Would he still want to claim Stiles with all the trouble? He knew it was silly to think that way, but he might need to hear it from Derek just in case. Why was his brain doing this?

"Whatever you are thinking, stop," his mate's gravelly voice interrupted him. Derek could smell the worry leaking from his mate in buckets. "Tell me what's going on."

Stiles put his hand in front of his mouth so he didn't gross Derek out. "I'm just worried that you might figure out I am more trouble than I am worth," his voice was a low whisper.

"You are worth everything, so a little trouble is nothing. I get you forever, this is just a hiccup. Now that that's taken care of, what do you need?" Derek considered his worries natural and knew his own worries would probably sound much the same as they progressed in their relationship. But they both needed to know they were in this for the long run and wouldn't run at the first sign of trouble. "How is your pain?"

Stiles shrugged. "I'm sore. Mostly, I want to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Did the doc or nurse mention anything about getting out of bed?" He knew he had been pretty out of it the night before and couldn't remember exact details. All he knew for sure was that he'd been sure Derek's kisses could cure anything and his mate had no problem indulging him with as many kisses as he wanted.

"At the last visit, the doctor said as long as you didn't have a fever, and your pain was under control, you could move around slowly," Derek told him. He knew just from their proximity that Stiles didn't have a fever, but he gently laid his hand on his forehead then cheek just to make sure. He was cool to the touch with no hint of clamminess. "You feel good to me."

"Yeah I do," Stiles snarked, waggling his eyebrows.

Derek chuckled and proceeded to help his mate from the bed. Getting him into the bathroom, he got him settled and gave him a few minutes privacy while he called the nurse then guided him back to bed.

By noon, Stiles was listening to the discharge instructions from the doctor as Derek helped him into a wheelchair. The doctor told them to stick close to each other. Studies had shown that humans tended to heal faster when they were near their shifter mate. Something about the balance of their body chemistries blending to create the perfect environment for healing. The doctor said that already Stiles' healing was nearly miraculous. Stiles couldn't help beaming with yet another piece of evidence that he was Derek's mate. He couldn't fight the fear in the back of his mind that said at some point Derek was going to say 'oops, sorry, you're not my mate'. He was pretty sure Derek knew this because he just gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek and tucked the blanket his dad had brought him from home tighter around him.

The drive to the pack house was a breeze in Derek's Camaro. The thing drove like it was on clouds, nothing at all like his jeep (though he would never admit to it). His dad had only hesitated a second when Derek and Peter brought up Stiles staying at the pack house. Stiles may have flailed and hit Creepy Uncle Peter (he honestly didn't remember calling the quiet man that and turned bright red when he was told the story in humiliating detail) in his joy at the prospect of moving in with his mate. As much as Theo tried to tear Stiles and Derek apart with his attempt at a forced Claiming, he'd only succeeded in pushing them closer.

At the pack house, they were greeted by the entire pack. Scott was there, opening the door of the Camaro and helping Stiles out as Derek came around to gather him in his arms. Boyd grabbed the bag from the hospital and quickly filled Derek in on the search for Theo. There was still no sign of him anywhere. Derek delivered Stiles to the couch in the main family room, Erica sitting next to him gingerly and telling him about how his dad had stopped by to drop off clothes and things he might need.

"He didn't look incredibly happy about you moving in, but you know I sweet talked him… well, I did until Boyd started growling at him. Anyway, he brought your laptop and school stuff, some clothes and books he said you might want. He even brought your coffee mug, how cute is that?" Erica bounced and then cringed, petting Stiles hair when he winced at the pain her movement caused. "Sorry Batman. I am just so excited to finally have you here!"

He grinned weakly. He had been feeling so much better, but was now feeling like the short trip from the hospital to the house had taken more out of him than he realized. "You're fine Catwoman. I'm just a bit sore. I'm excited to be here too," he said. He sighed happily when Derek's hand landed on the back of his neck and began leeching away his pain. "Thanks," he said looking up at his mate standing behind the couch.

Derek smiled and winked at him as he continued discussing the strategy to find Theo with Peter and Boyd. "Deucalion hasn't heard anything and none of his pack have found any new scents. Keep the perimeter checks going, always in pairs, nobody goes alone. Peter, stay in touch with the Sheriff, he has your cell phone number as the contact for the pack. Every update gets sent along to the pack leaders," he reminded. The pack leaders included Derek, Peter, Boyd, Cora, and Aiden. Each had proven themselves to the pack and shown that the pack came first. Derek put his trust in each of them and knew if he wasn't there, they would run the pack just how he would want it run.

Stiles made it through the rest of the afternoon with the pack, watching movies and eating whenever Derek and Erica thought he needed something. Which was way too often. When Derek asked if he'd like to go to bed, Stiles immediately agreed.

They made their way up to Derek's room and he couldn't believe this was where he was staying now. Forever even. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked around, his eyes blinking slowly. He was much more tired than he thought he would be. Also, secretly (or not so secretly), he wanted to get away from the pack so he could spend alone time with his mate.

He found himself craving Derek, his time and attention, his touch. Just being near him fed something in him, something he didn't understand. Maybe if he got some guts, he would ask Derek about it. He'd never heard of something like this happening when one mate was human. The mating bond between two shifters was well known, but obviously, he wasn't a shifter. A picture shot through his mind of Theo's claws piercing his side. No. That couldn't happen, could it? Before he knew it, panic descended on him. He couldn't be turning into a wolf, could he? He hadn't planned for that! He didn't want to be a shifter if it meant being one of Theo's. Whoever bit a wolf was their alpha, their leader. They felt distinct loyalty to that shifter and tended to spend most of their lives near them.

Derek heard his mate's heart racing and quickly made his way to him, hoping to derail the panic attack before it really took hold. "Stiles, love, look at me. You are safe and I am here, I will protect you," he said, keeping his voice firm and strong.

Stiles was able to grasp onto the words and pull himself back through the building anxiety. "Derek. Theo… did he change me with his claws?" he gasped out.

Understanding his mate's sudden worries, he quickly jumped in to erase them. "No, sweet boy, that can't happen. Do you hear me?" Seeing Stiles nod and watching his eyes begin to clear, he continued. "Theo isn't an alpha, first and foremost. Second, he didn't bite you. An alpha has to bite with the intent to change the person. So, an attack like Theo did, even had he been an alpha, wouldn't have done anything. Does that help?"

Stiles nodded again. He figured now would be a good time to address the rest of his fears. "Um, so you know I love our relationship, right? And I am enjoying all of our time together and getting to know you. You're an amazing person, Derek and I care about you so much."

The alpha's stomach twisted. Why did this sound like a breakup speech? "I care about you too, Stiles, so very much."

He smiled at the words. Derek always seemed to say the right thing. "Well, I had a question about how I feel about you." He saw the scared look on Derek's face and groaned, scrubbing at his face. "Shit, I'm not saying this right. I feel like I'm addicted to you," he said in a rush. "I crave you like a freaking drug, time with you and touching you. I don't understand it. I know shifters will have a mating bond and this can happen, but I've never heard of it happening between a shifter and human pairing. Do you have any idea what this means? Because not even Google could help me. And that is a scary thing," he finished, eyes wide. He took a deep breath and let it out in a gust, relieved to have that all off his chest.

"That been building up for a while, has it?" Derek gave him a sweet smile.

Stiles nodded, a weak smile lifting his lips in return. He moaned again, this time because Derek had leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his lips, his tongue swiping across his bottom lip possessively before pulling back.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise, that for us it is different. Mating with an alpha brings up different circumstances. If you think about your research – which I know has been vast," Derek teased. "You'll realize alpha's don't typically mate with humans. Alpha mates tend to be other shifters, even other species are more common to mate with than humans. As an alpha, our bond is stronger, it pulls differently. I, too, feel a strong need for you, your touch, your scent, things like that. It will get even deeper after the Claiming. Does it scare you?" he was hesitant to ask, but he had to know. It could get pretty intense and he didn't want any reason for his mate to run, even emotionally.

Stiles took his words seriously and thought for a moment. Did it scare him? A bit, yeah. He was used to caring about people; Scott, his dad, Lydia. But he wasn't used to needing them or anyone, really. With his dad having his job and his friends having their mates, he was used to depending on himself. Now he found himself depending on Derek's place in his life. Needing him close. He knew it was partially a protective mechanism. He didn't like depending on someone else when they could easily walk away, leaving him broken. And this was stronger than any friendship he'd ever had, so it was that much more of a risk. He looked down at his hands. "It does scare me. I feel vulnerable with this need for you. I don't like that I could end up really hurt if this falls through."

Derek took his mate's hand, understanding completely. He needed to claim his mate and soon. Once his teeth sank into that beautiful, long neck, the bond would be complete and there would be no more worries. Stiles would be as sure of Derek as Derek was about Stiles. "That took a lot of courage to tell me, thank you. I get it, I do. I feel unsure sometimes too. I wish there were some magic words I could say that would ease that doubt and worry in you. All I can say is I love you and I will do everything in my power to prove that day after day. If there is something I can do, please tell me," he offered. That would be optimal, he thought. If Stiles had a trigger, so to speak, like Derek and his protective streak, then Derek could address it.

Stiles shook his head. "I wish there was something that could take this away, but I don't think there is. There is something you could do, though," he said, a twinkle in his eyes.

Derek was taken by his mate's whiskey brown eyes that were suddenly looking at him with unabashed hunger. He let out a low growl. "And what would that be, my sweet mate?"

"Kiss me," Stiles whispered.

Derek groaned. "Yes," he said.

Helping Stiles to lay down on the bed, settled on a pillow, he leaned over him, making sure to not put pressure on Stiles' side. Gently, he kissed him, just pecks at first. When Stiles whined in protest, he chuckled and nipped his lips with his own, loving the little noises escaping Stiles. He could drown in that sweet summer scent of his mate, fuller now that he was aroused. With each nip, Stile's already full lips became swollen and moist and Derek pulled back to look, groaning in response. "So sexy. Those lips drive me crazy, mate." He knew his voice was gruff, but he couldn't help it. It was getting harder to control his near desperate need for his mate. And he wasn't just talking about the hardness of his cock. Which was about as hard as marble. He swiped his tongue across Stiles' soft lower lip, pleased when his mate opened to him. Delicious. Stiles tasted of the hot cocoa he and Erica had shared earlier. Warm, sweet, his. Plunging his tongue deep, he explored his mate's mouth, urging him to do his own exploring and growling when Stiles did just that. The sound of their lips connecting filled his head to the beat of Stiles' pounding heart against his own.

"Touch me," Stiles pulled back enough to say before tilting his head to deepen their contact. His alpha mate didn't hesitate, running his hands down Stiles' hips and across his thighs.

"I want to taste you," Derek whispered hotly against his lips.

"You are," Stiles said, confused.

"Elsewhere," was all he was told. "Trust me?"

"Always."

His chest vibrating with a pleased sound, Derek quickly but carefully divested himself and his mate of their clothes. He noticed immediately when Stiles became uncomfortable, his scent filled with fear and doubt. Derek mentally cursed whatever had caused his mate to doubt his appeal. "You are beautiful, mate. Strong shoulders," he leaned down and nibbled on the body part in question. "A beautifully formed chest," he nipped at Stile's nipples, suckling them until his mate writhed. He made sure to leech Stiles' pain occasionally so it didn't disrupt their time together. "Abs that are lean," said abs were licked and his belly button was treated to a plunging tongue. "Hips that drive me fucking insane," he rumbled, stopping to suck deep bruises into the pale skin at his hips. Something drove him wild about this part of his mate's body. He loved the tiny sway these hips had when he walked. The way his pants fit against them. Switching to the other hip, he lay his arm across his mate's stomach to hold him down as Stiles began to buck and whine at the sensation.

"Derek, please," Stiles whimpered. He was drowning in the need burning through his body. Derek's mouth was firm and hot and apparently determined to devour him from head to toe. His little descriptions of Stiles' body was as heart-warming as it was cock-raising. And boy was his cock raised. He was so freaking hard, he thought he might come at any moment. "Please."

"Soon, mate, very soon," Derek promised. "Thighs that are strong and propel your body around the lacrosse field like a gazelle." He massaged and kissed each one before he sat back.

"A drunk gazelle on acid," Stiles murmured drily.

Derek's eyes glowed red for a moment. "Please don't insult my mate. He is beloved and precious, even if he doesn't believe it."

Stiles felt tears burn his eyes. "I love you," he whispered.

A blinding smile lit Derek's face. "I love you," he returned, leaning down for a searing kiss, dominating his mouth for a long minute. Leaning up again, he gazed at his mate's cock, long, lean and pale like he was. The head was a deep pink and had a small pearl of pre-come at the tip. He swiped his thumb through it and put it in his mouth, the flavor of his mate bursting across his tongue like fireworks. He savored the taste as Stiles bucked and screeched. "You have a delicious cock. Now, my beautiful mate. Hands and knees."

"Huh? What now? Huh?" Stiles was lost as he tried to wrap his mind around what Derek wanted. He had just had his finger on his cock and he wanted what now?

Derek rubbed Stiles' hip comfortingly. "Hands and knees, mate. It'll be okay. Trust me."

"O-Okay," Stiles tried not to think and just did what Derek asked. He eased over onto his hands and knees feeling even more exposed than he had with his cock hanging out in front of Derek.

The alpha soothed his mate with long strokes of his hand up and down his back, nearly panting at the sight of his pale, firm ass raised in the air. "Stiles, dear god, you are so gorgeous. This ass," he nearly whimpered. His hands couldn't stop and a second later, he was reverently cupping the perfect, round globes in his hands, his mouth dipping to kiss the small dimple at the top of each cheek. "Perfection," he whispered. "I have to taste you." Knowing Stiles would only protest if he waited any longer, he slid his tongue down the crack of his ass. He pulled his cheeks apart, his tongue sliding unheeded inside. Hearing Stiles whine loud and long as he pushed his ass out toward Derek, he knew Stiles was fine with what he was doing. Derek's cock was throbbing unbearably as he continued to lick at Stiles' hole. His mate was delicious and beautiful, true perfection and he had to have more. Firming his tongue, he began thrusting at Stiles' tight hole, pushing into it as much as he could. Knowing he was the first and only one to touch him here made his possessive streak roar with triumph.

Stiles moaned, unable to control the noises he made. He had thought of this act before, of course he had, but he hadn't thought it would happen. And now, Derek was licking and stabbing at his ass like he was the tastiest of desserts. Feeling his tongue breech his hole, he groaned raggedly. "More," he whimpered.

Derek growled against his ass, causing his mate to yell his name, and began plunging his tongue in and out of his mate. His taste was heady and full, and he couldn't get enough. This taste, this scent was the center of his mate, the place where his wolf wanted to claim as his own.

"Gonna come," Stiles panted.

Reaching under him, Derek grabbed his cock and stroked him briskly, using his ample pre-come to smooth the way. Jabbing his tongue deeper and deeper, he felt his balls draw up as his own orgasm approached. Within a few seconds, Stiles ass suddenly tightened on his tongue as he came, a hoarse scream filling the air. Derek hummed into his ass with pleasure as he stroked him through it until Stiles' upper half collapsed weakly against the bed. The alpha sat up and used the come on his hand to stroke his own cock, rubbing the head against Stiles' pucker, feeling it catch on the loosened hole. With a growling roar, he came, spurts of come painting his mate's ass, marking him for all shifters to know. He belonged to Derek. The thought alone ripped another, smaller, orgasm from him. Unable to help himself, he smeared his come with shaking fingers across Stiles hole, trying to push some into him. After another minute, his mate dropped the rest of the way to the bed. Derek stopped his marking and leaned over to kiss his mate before heading into the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth and got it warm, returning to the bed to clean his mate. He didn't clean him thoroughly, though he would never admit it. He wanted his mate to retain his scent for as long as possible. Returning the cloth, he headed back to the bed and manipulated Stiles' body until he could get the comforter out from under him. He rolled it up to put it in the hamper and crawled in bed, pulling the sheet and his favorite thin blanket over himself and his mate.

Derek stared at Stiles, knowing he had a stupid, goofy grin on his face. His mate opened an eye and peered at him, immediately turning red.

"You look way too smug," he commented.

Derek shrugged and grinned unrepentantly. "My mate is pleased. What more could I ask for?"

Stiles looked to be contemplating his answer. "True. Okay, fine. You can be smug. For now. That was… um, it was really amazing, Derek," he finished quietly with a small smile, his face still pink.

"It really, really was," he agreed, reaching over to smooth his hand through his mate's dark hair. "Thank you for sharing yourself with me."

"Thank you," was the sleepy reply.

"Get some rest, my love," Derek told him, smiling as his mate snuggled even further under the blankets. Then shifted again. And again. Clearly unable to get comfortable, Derek took charge. "Turn over," he instructed. Stiles did and Derek pulled his back to his chest, spooning him and twining their legs together. Stiles grabbed his hand and pulled it to his heart.

"Mmm. Better."

"Good," Derek whispered. He lay there, watching over his precious mate until his breathing evened out. His mate would sleep soundly without pain and without interruption. He felt more complete than he ever had in his life. And the amazing thing was, it would only get better. When he drifted off, he still had a ghost of a smile across his face.

. ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ .

The next morning, Derek could tell something was off about his mate. He hadn't smiled yet and usually, even if he was tired, he would give him a tired grin or make some silly joke guaranteed to make his grumpy-wolf smile. He thought they had figured out their issues the night before. He couldn't help the knot that formed in his stomach at the thought of another obstacle. But he would do what he needed to do to ease all of Stiles' worries before they became one.

After breakfast, he pulled his mate into his office, settling them on the cushioned window seat. "Talk to me, mate. Something is wrong and I can't fix it if I don't know what it is."

Stiles sighed. He knew this conversation needed to happen, but he didn't know how Derek would handle it. Hell, he still didn't know how to handle it. "There has been something I wanted to talk to you about, but I don't know how you will feel about it, so I've been avoiding it. After last night's conversation, I am thinking it needs to be addressed," he said quietly, squeezing Derek's hand in his.

"Stiles, love, there is nothing you can say to me that would change how I feel or how much I want to be with you, okay?" Derek's green eyes were piercing into him, filled with love and assurance.

"Thanks," he whispered. "Um. So, there are certain decisions to be made when it comes to mating with a shifter. And I, um," he sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand. "I, um. Damn it! I'm just not sure I am ready to make that decision."

Though he was completely lost, Derek could see how much this was hurting his mate and tried his hardest to figure out what he was referring to. Decisions that had to be made before mating… conversation last night… Theo possibly changing him with his claws. Ohhhh. "Sweet boy, if you aren't ready to make the decision on the Bite, that is perfectly fine!"

Stiles slumped in utter relief. "Really? Because I thought it was something that happened right after the Claiming. Especially because you are an alpha."

Derek gathered him close, kissing the top of his head. "It all depends on the couple. While we tend to keep to traditions on most things pertaining to the Claiming, personal choice is still recognized and respected. The Bite is a big deal. Erica and Boyd chose to do it the night of the Claiming but that was due to her health condition. My aunt and Peter waited until they were ready for kids and she took the Bite before they started trying to conceive. It is all up to the couple. If you want to wait and think more or if you don't want to at all, that is perfectly fine. I never want you to think you have to do something you don't want to," he said sincerely. He would never force the decision on his mate. There was a time in shifter history that, yes, a mate was expected to accept the Bite. It was the only way to survive at that time. But now, it was as much a personal decision as the Claiming itself.

Stiles closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. "So, you being the alpha doesn't have any bearing on the issue? You aren't expected to have a shifter mate?"

Shaking his head, Derek rocked his mate. "If we were a traditional, old fashioned pack, yes, it would be expected. Our pack? No way. We make our own choices."

"Well, thank god for that. I choose you," Stiles said, leaning back so he could fit his lips to Derek's.

They kissed for several long minutes, long drugging kisses, short passionate kisses. Finally leaning away, Derek nuzzled their noses together. "I choose you, mate. Today, tomorrow, and every day of forever."

"Aww, sappy-wolf, I love you too," Stiles said with a grin before leaning in for more kisses.