AN: Let's just get to it. Please forgive me if there are mistakes, I didn't really give a shit about proof reading this chapter. lol
/Oo,..,oO\\
Stiles stood in the kitchen next to Derek, who was sitting reclined in one of the table chairs. He watched as the pack snacked on the cookies that he and Derek had made and fervently swatted Derek's hands away every time he tried to pull him onto his lap. It's not that Stiles didn't want to sit in his lap, or anything, it's just that it was hard enough just standing there with all the looks the pack was giving them. Erica wouldn't stop grinning like some sort of twisted, maniacal cat, and every time Stiles pretended that it wasn't getting to him she would snicker, knowingly.
Scott was chatting with Allison, thank God, instead of casting disapproving glares at Derek. Allison, apparently, was back, pretending like nothing was wrong, and maybe she even believed it herself. She had tried incredibly hard to make amends with the rest of the pack and they seemed to have responded well…well, except for Erica. She still held a grudge even though Boyd had forgiven Allison. It seemed to Stiles that Erica was the type of person to forgive someone only after they've proven themselves again and again to make up for whatever they did. In short, she was a stubborn hard-ass. But, then again, that's what Stiles liked about her.
Jackson had his nose crinkled up ever so slightly and would sniff the air every once in a while. The faces he made would have made Stiles laugh if he wasn't so embarrassed about what he probably smelled. He stole a glance at Derek who just smirked up at him. Asshole! Why wasn't he freaking out like he was?! It was like he was enjoying it! Stiles rolled his eyes and let out a tiny huff which turned into a little squee when Derek finally succeeded in pulling him onto his lap. Stiles didn't miss the raised eyebrow that Lydia shot their way and he blushed a rose-pink. He tried to get up and away but the arm that was thrown around his waist was keeping him in place. After a few more seconds of struggling he finally gave up.
The pack chatted amongst themselves, surprisingly, after that, not even caring about Derek or Stiles like he thought they would. They were eating through the cookies like they were all starving and that the sugary treats were the last food on Earth. Stiles heard a bing and looked up at Jackson who was checking his phone. He gave a disapproving glare at it before he looked up at Derek.
"It looks like Danny isn't coming." He said. His tone sounded more hurt than annoyed, which was strange for Stiles to hear.
"Why not?" Derek asked in his 'controlled tone', although it had undertones of anger. Jackson shrugged and let his fingers skip over his phone, texting Danny. They waited a few seconds in silence before they heard another bing.
"He's meeting up with Jacob." Jackson said. Stiles heard Erica scoff and looked over just in time to see Scott and Isaac share looks at each other. He felt Derek's grip tighten around his waist but when he squirmed uncomfortably Derek instantly relaxed his hand.
"Why does he keep blowing us off for Jacob?" Boyd asked.
"They're dating, hun, why wouldn't he?" Lydia answered, waving a hand, palm up, and rolling her eyes.
"That doesn't mean he can get out of pack activities." Derek growled. That earned a laugh from Erica.
"I hardly think eating crappy cookies at Stiles' house counts as a 'pack activity.'" She said.
"Hey! I- er… We worked really hard on those cookies!" Stiles protested. He felt a familiar rumble come from Derek's chest as he growled at Erica. She rolled her eyes but backed down anyway.
"Hardly!" Lydia chortled, "Look, these ones are burned." She pointed to the cookie that Jackson was currently shoving into his mouth. Derek smirked a smirk to end all smirks. Oh, God…
"We were a little…preoccupied when we were making that batch." He said and Stiles' face lit on fire and burned a hot cherry red. Oh, God, kill him now! Jackson's face paled when he sniffed the air again and realization dawned on him. He made a gagging noise and pushed the half-chewed cookie out of his mouth with his tongue.
"Oh my God! I'm gonna be sick!" Jackson said, overdramatically.
"Please say that by 'preoccupied' you mean making out…" Boyd said, setting down his cookie. Derek just shrugged and shook his head. The pack made disgusted sounds and groaned after throwing the cookies back on the large plate they were placed on. Scott just looked around at everyone with a confused expression.
"What?" he asked. Stiles loved Scott like a brother, but to be honest, the guy was such a dumbass. Isaac leaned over and whispered something into his ear. After a second he finally got it and slowly set down the cookie he was holding.
"Aww, come on!" Stiles whined.
"Yeah, it's not like we jizzed in the dough." Derek added. Stiles just slowly closed his eyes and sighed, covering his eyes with his hand. Derek chuckled and kissed his shoulder. Funny how he thought that helped the situation.
"Riiight…" Lydia said, drawing out the word, "I'm gonna go set up in the living room." She turned to go into the living room and the rest of the pack hurriedly followed her out of the kitchen, their gazes cast anywhere but Stiles and Derek. As soon as they were in the other room Stiles turned and hit Derek on the arm. He just laughed and gave him a pouty face.
"Derek! What the hell?!" Stiles scolded in a loud whisper.
"What?" he asked in a tone of feigned innocence. Stiles glared at him.
"You know what! Do you have to be so… blah in front of everyone?!" Derek didn't answer, just pulled him down into a kiss. Stiles' mind went completely blank for a second when his lips met Derek's, but he recovered quickly and pulled away. "Derek! What if someone sees?"
"Who the hell cares, Stiles? The pack doesn't seem to mind, and, to be honest, I wouldn't give a shit if they did." He answered, trying to pull Stiles down for another kiss, but he just shimmied out of Derek's grasp and tried to escape into the living room. Apparently, however, Derek didn't like that, and Stiles didn't even make it out of the kitchen before he was snatched up and pinned against the wall next to the entryway. Derek was instantly in his personal space and he couldn't help a whimper from escaping him when Derek's leg slid between his.
"Derek, what the- Mmmpf?!" Stiles tried to protest, but was cut off when Derek shoved his tongue into his mouth. He tried to push the werewolf off him but the man was like a damned immovable boulder of muscle and hot skin! The kiss didn't last long before Stiles felt the werewolf's lips pull away from his mouth and move to his neck. The guy had an obsession with his neck… not that Stiles cared. Well, actually he did care in that moment! He moaned and immediately regretted it.
"Derek! We can't do this now, the wolves can hear us!" Stiles whispered in a harsh tone. Derek's head snapped up to look Stiles in the eyes. He slid his leg up and against Stiles groin, causing him to moan again. "Derek!" Stiles scolded, although with his lustful, breathy tone he really didn't sound very threatening. Derek rolled his eyes and moved his head to peek out into the living room. Stiles saw his usual, mischievous smirk appear on his face.
"Oh my God… They can hear us can't they?" Stiles asked in horror. Derek just shrugged and went back to his assault on Stiles' neck. He tried to not make noises when Derek's kisses turned into licks, but it was really hard not to. "Derek, nggn! …Please, stop…" He had to bite his lip when Derek's teeth grazed over his skin. His hands ran up Stiles' sides and back down again to rest on his hips, and to his surprise, Derek actually stopped, but still kept his head in the crook of Stiles' neck. Stiles waited for a moment, half expecting Derek to start back up again, buthe never did.
"Well?..." Derek asked, breaking the silence and looking up into his eyes. Stiles' muscles twitched at the sound of his voice and, for a moment, all he could do was gawk. He regained his composure soon enough, though.
"Well what?" he asked.
"Well, I stopped. That is what you wanted isn't it?" Derek asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice that caused Stiles to gulp. He really didn't want to annoy Derek. Every time he did it wound up having a bad outcome. Although, Stiles didn't really know how he would react now that they're technically in a relationship. Would he still be the short-fused, physical kind of guy he used to be? Stiles thought about it for a minute before deciding it didn't matter. All he knew was that if Derek wanted anything from Stiles he sure as hell better know not to be an asshole.
"I just want to watch the movie." Stiles said. Derek looked at him with hard eyes but they didn't even stand a chance against Stiles' and they soon melted into a caring gaze and Derek smiled.
"Fine," He said, "but we're cuddling." Stiles tried to protest but Derek stopped him before he got the chance with a peck on the lips. "Nothing too bad, Stiles, just cuddling. All I want is to be close to you." His voice was soft and lacked his usual 'tough-guy' tone. Stiles liked it when he spoke to him that way. It made him feel special and wanted… and loved. He heard gagging noises come from the living room and blushed, remembering exactly what they had been talking about not even a few seconds before. The pack could hear them…
He fought through his embarrassment, because he knew, on some level, Derek was right. Why was it such a big deal to Stiles for the pack to not see them being intimate? Maybe he was just shy… or maybe he was a coward. It didn't really matter, though. Derek didn't seem to mind, and as long as he had the werewolf by his side, he was pretty sure he could face anything, as corny as it sounded. Stiles snapped forward and crashed their lips together, smirking into the kiss when Derek let out a grunt of surprise. He didn't waste any time, though, in gripping Stiles' hips tight and pulling their bodies closer together.
Stiles pouted when he had to break the kiss. He would have loved to continue it, but after Derek started grinding against him he knew it kind of defeated the whole purpose of what he was just saying. Instead he took Derek by the hand and led him into the living room. When they arrived, the entire pack stared at them, Erica with that same damn grin. Bitch. Correction, bitch, but he loved her anyway…but only just if she kept that up. Stiles' heart began to pick up at being scrutinized by the pack members. Oh God, why was it so awkward for him?! He was about to have a minor freak-out, but when he felt Derek squeeze his hand, he looked back at him. He gave him a look that said 'don't worry' and Stiles instantly calmed down.
It was no big deal, right? Derek was there, and even though the pack kept giving them looks, none of it mattered. Derek took the lead from there, guiding them to the large leather chair that Isaac had claimed. Derek just growled and bared his fangs and, with a look of fear, Isaac scrambled out of the chair and took a seat on the ground, pouting that he was kicked out of the comfy chair. Stiles smiled and when Derek sat down, he sat next to him, the chair being large enough to almost fit both of them on the seat, and leaned against Derek's chest as he wrapped and arm around his waist.
"What are we watching?" Stiles asked, trying his best to not sound too shaken, which he did pretty well.
"The Last Airbender." Scott said, getting up to press the play button on the DVD player, having never found the remote control after Stiles' dad lost it years ago. Stiles' features stiffened into a look of anger and horror mixed into one.
"Scott…" Stiles said, his voice cold, even if it was a little theatrical, "I hope to God you didn't just say what I though you said. You're my best friend, and it would be a shame to have to get Derek to rip you to pieces." Scott's face paled when he looked from a very serious looking Stiles and a scowling Derek who then began to growl, low and threatening. He swallowed audibly.
"Er..." Scott said with a shaky voice, ejecting the DVD and picking up another movie case, "What I meant to say was Tron: Legacy?…" His voice turned up into a half statement, half question. Stiles smiled with approval.
"Good boy." He said.
/Oo,..,oO\\
Jacob didn't know how long he had been lying on the porch. He was curled into a ball, his knees brought up to his chest, and his face felt raw with dried tears. It was dark outside and he didn't know just how much time had passed since he had gotten there. He knew it hadn't been very long, maybe just a few minutes or so, but it felt like years. When he heard the engine and saw the lights as a car pulled up in the driveway he couldn't even bring himself to move. He just laid there, curled in on himself.
"Jacob?!" he heard someone say after a door slam. It was Danny, finally. The teen ran up to him and fell to his knees, gently laying his hands on his arm. "Jacob, are you alright?! What happened?!" he asked in a hurried and frantic voice.
"Nothing." He responded. That was all that Jacob could think to say.
"Nothing? Don't give me that! Look at your feet!" Danny all but yelled and pointed at Jacob's dirty, bloody feet, "Did you walk here barefoot?!" Jacob had to think about it for a second. He had actually ran there barefoot, having forgotten to put on shoes in his rush to get out of the house. He looked up at Danny and nodded.
"I…" Danny said as if he were going to say something else altogether but seemed to change his mind, "Can you stand?" He tried to help Jacob to his feet but now that their condition was brought to his attention Jacob started to feel how much pain they were actually in.
"I don't think so." He said. Danny just nodded and easily picked him off the ground. He spent an awkward moment fumbling with the keys to get the door open and when he finally managed he brought them inside and shut the door behind him again.
"You're lucky my room is on the ground floor, I don't know if I could carry you up the stairs." Danny said. Jacob smiled despite his mood.
"Are you saying I'm fat?" He asked, his face resting against Danny's shoulder as he carried him.
"God, no, Jacob!" Danny reassured with a laugh. It wasn't a happy laugh, though. It was the kind of laugh that people give when they're not quite sure if it's appropriate to laugh but they don't know what else to do. It made Jacob all the more depressed. He knew that Danny had no idea why he was so upset and he silently thanked whatever was out there that he didn't ask questions. Danny walked them to his room and then gently laid Jacob on his bed. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Jacob nodded and sat up on the edge of the bed.
He'd been in Danny's room many times before but for some reason, under the circumstances, it seemed like it was his first time in the place. It made him feel awkward and out of place. Jacob had taken up twiddling his thumbs, nervously, when Danny came back with a large bowl of water, some wash cloths, and an old-looking, beat-up shoe box. He made a gesture for Jacob to hand his legs over the edge and when he did Danny rolled up the bottoms of his pant legs. He let Danny lift his feet and place them in the warm water. It stung at first, Jacob guessed he put something in the water that would disinfect and help clean the cuts and scrapes, but after a moment it brought nothing but relief.
No words were spoken while Danny took the wash cloths and very gently washed the dirt and blood from his feet, being very careful not to hurt him as he did so. Instead, a very strange atmosphere filled the air, one that fluctuated between a comfortable silence…and an extremely awkward silence. The trickle of the water, which was now a filthy, murky color, was the only sound. It was a small, timid, and quiet sound in reality, but to Jacob it was deafening. Each drop seemed to scream and shout at him about how awkward the whole situation was. He could only imagine what was going through Danny's mind just then. Finally Jacob couldn't take the silence anymore.
"Is this weird?" he asked.
"Uuummm…" Danny said, thinking of something to say, "Yes."
"Do you think I'm crazy?"
"No, I don't think you're crazy, Jacob. Why would I think that?"
"Because I ran here with no shoes and collapsed on your front porch." Jacob was really grateful that Danny's attention was focused on his feet because he really didn't know if he could look Danny in the face without falling apart.
"That doesn't make you crazy, Jacob, it just means that you're upset about…something." A quick caring glance up at Jacob made him feel like he could melt into a puddle. The silence came back and hung around after that while Danny dried his feet off after he was done. Jacob watched as he lifted the lid off of the shoe box. It was filled with fuzzy white socks. Danny took two of them out and slipped them onto Jacob's feet. They were the softest socks Jacob had ever felt. It felt like he had clouds between his toes.
Danny smiled up at Jacob for another quick second that sent warm feelings shooting through Jacob before he gathered up the things he'd brought and slipped out of the room door. Jacob scooted up the bed and made himself comfortable as he waited for him to come back. IT didn't take long, and when he did return he climbed on the bed and laid to Jacob who instantly cuddled into Danny. Danny threw his arms around him and held him close.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Danny asked. Jacob thought about it. He obviously couldn't tell him what was really wrong and how was he supposed to come up with a fitting lie? Silence wasn't a good option either but it seemed like the most appropriate choice. He looked up at Danny with a worried face. "Is that a no?" Danny asked. Jacob nodded his head.
"I mean…it's not like I don't want to tell you it's just…I can't." Danny shifted and stroked Jacob's cheek with his thumb.
"Do you trust me?"
"What?" Jacob asked. He had heard well enough, but had asked none-the-less.
"Do you trust me?" Danny repeated.
"Yes, of course I do."
"You can tell me anything, Jacob. I won't ever judge you, or think any less of you, or think you're crazy." The last part was spoken with a weak laugh that made Jacob smile. Danny was good at that, making him smile, even when he wasn't trying.
"Danny…" Jacob sighed, "You wouldn't…you wouldn't understand."
"I can try. I promise, there is nothing you can tell me that would be farfetched to me." Jacob could hear the smile in his words. Somehow he doubted that 'hey, I'm a necromancer' was something that Danny heard every day. He doubted that he could handle hearing something like that. Then again, he was pretty sure Danny knew about the existence of werewolves, so maybe hearing about other supernatural things wouldn't be such a shock. He thought about it some harder. Could he do it? Should he do it? Could he really tell Danny? He knew Danny cared about him, a lot, but if he told him everything what was to stop him from going to the Alpha?
Danny must have gotten impatient because he spoke up again. He took Jacob's chin in his hand and forced him to look up at him. "You can tell me, Jacob. I promise I'll still care about you just the same as I did before." A large lump was forming in Jacob's throat. He tried to will it away but the effort just made him start to shake a little. Jacob didn't want to run him off but at the same time, he was tired. He was tired of feeling so alone. His necromancy was nothing to be ashamed of…well, aside from some of the things he had done lately. He supposed he would have to tell Danny about that as well. He would have to tell him everything. But was it really worth it?
He didn't want to feel so alone anymore, especially since he didn't know what was happening with his grandpa's spirit and with the corruption in his soul. He needed someone to help him, to understand, or at least try to. Danny had offered and…Jacob had decided.
"All right then," he said, "I'll tell you."
/Oo,..,oO\\
Raven walked along the sidewalk of the neighborhood. A slight breeze caught her long, black hair and tossed it around in gentle waves. She had been in that neighborhood before, when she had been watching the hyperactive one called 'Stiles'. She would be lying if she said she didn't like the teen, even though he was supposed to be the 'enemy'. He reminded her of some of her family back in the Black Hills. She felt her chest tighten a little at the thought. It had been five years since she chose to leave the Unkindness of the Ravens, time that she would never get back. Raven wondered what her family and friends were up to, what they had done over those years. It had been so long…
Dull noises flopped out into the night air as her rubber-soled shoes padded against the concrete. She was curious as to where Falcon had gone. It had been four days since he went on his hunt for Stiles and he still had yet to come back with anything. Raven knew that he wouldn't succeed. She tried to tell the other Tengu, the Hale pack wasn't going to go down so easily. Great Horn seemed to think that after they took out the Roteaugen pack they could do the same to any other pack. He was an idiot. She had seen first-hand what the Hale pack could do.
The Roteaugen pack may have been organized and ruthless while the Hale pack was disorganized and were constantly fighting each other, but the Hale pack's dynamic of the 'dysfunctional yet functional' family always seemed to work in their favor. Each pack member brought something special to the mix, making the pack diverse and unpredictable instead of rigid and oh so unoriginal. In fact, one member in particular played a very important role in the pack, a role that, if removed, could make the whole pack come crumbling down. That pack mate was, of course, the spazzy one, Stiles.
Raven had been watching the Hale pack for quite a while. She had seen the role Stiles took. It was funny how everyone seemed to overlook it, though, even the teen himself. No one truly realized just how important he was. Not to mention that he had a deep connection to the Alpha of the pack. Or rather, the Alpha had a deep connection to him. It seemed like the Alpha had gone and found himself a mate in the unsuspecting teen. She scoffed as she saw a figure in the distance, perched in the branches of a tree overlooking Stile's house. Well, she was right, Falcon was there.
She half-jugged up to the base of the tree and just stood there, not even bothering to acknowledge Falcon's presence. He seemed content to do the same. It also seemed to Raven that Stiles wasn't even aware of just how much he meant to Derek. She knew for a fact via expert espionage that Derek had told Stiles what he meant to him…or at least tried to. The Alpha wasn't very good at verbalizing his emotions she noticed. Regardless, Stiles didn't really show any opposition to his affection. No, he seemed to even welcome it. No matter what happened between the two factions of the Tengu and the Hale pack, it would be interesting to see how it all played out.
Raven jumped and let out a small gasp when Falcon jumped down from the tree right in front of her. She regained her composure very quickly, though, and the cocoa-skinned Frenchman turned to face her. "What are you doing here, Raven?" he asked. Raven always found it so taxing to have to try and figure out what he was saying through his accent. It wasn't too heavy, but it was just heavy enough to annoy her.
"Seeing what's taking you so long." She answered. Falcon scoffed and curled up his lip.
"I am on the hunt vous imbécile, what do you think is taking so long?!" he shot back. She didn't like his tone. Raven never understood the other Tengu's incessant need to try and prove themselves each other's betters. If one was truly better than the other, they should show it deeds and not through empty words.
"And how is that going, Falcon? It's been four days, and what, still no catch?" she said, her tone mocking and laced with venom. Falcon just scowled at her. She smiled in her small victory before taking pity on the poor soul. She never was very good at watching others suffer or fail, even if they deserved it. "Do you need help?" she asked with sincerity.
"I don't need help from the likes of you!" Falcon resisted.
"Oh no, then what are you doing out here?"
"The stupid boy never leaves the house, and when he does he's always accompanied by almost the entire pack!" he huffed out in anger. A moment of silence crept by before he spoke again. "It is impossible to get to him with so many people guarding him!"
"It sounds like you could use a distraction." Raven stated. Falcon raised an eyebrow.
"I suppose I could…" he said, trailing off as if he was pondering the situation. To say Raven was surprised would be an understatement.
"What, so quick to change your tone? I thought you didn't need help?"
"I don't need help," he said, " but that that doesn't mean I couldn't use it." He smirked at his own clever words.
"Alright then, what did you have in mind?"
/Oo,..,oO\\
Derek couldn't help but let his hands wander over Stiles body while they watched…er… whatever it was they were watching at that moment. They had already finished two movies and, to be honest, Derek was far too distracted by the teen curled up in his arms to even care about anything else. Stiles had his head resting against his chest, his eyes half-open and drooping. He looked tired, but then again so did the rest of the pack. It was already eleven thirty-eight at night and most, if not all of the pack had fallen asleep after they descended on the pizza they had ordered like locusts.
He didn't care, though, because the only thing that mattered was that Stiles seemed to be trying to force himself to stay awake to finish the movie. It was so adorable to see his head nod and fall and then shake himself back into consciousness only for it to repeat again. Oh God, he did not just admit to having feeling of adorableness… Actually, he did admit it, because when it came to Stiles, everything Derek thought he knew about himself went flying out the window. Stiles even tried digging his fingers into Derek's shoulder a couple of times, as if he could use him as a physical life-line to keep him from falling asleep. It was so futile, though, and all it did was make Derek smile. He watched as Stiles' head nodded again and his eyes fluttered closed. That time, it seemed, was the breaking point, as Stiles didn't shake himself awake again. Instead he let sleep overtake him and Derek listened as his heart started to even out as he slept. He couldn't help himself, not that he would have tried to stop it, from leaning down and kissing Stiles on the forehead.
He nuzzled his cheek on the top of his head, loving the feeling of his newly grown-out hair. It was possibly the one of the softest things Derek had ever felt, and the chocolate smell that was trapped in his messy locks was enough to drive him to the point of insanity. He inhaled, deeply and slowly, relishing the scent like a connoisseur would relish wine. He let his hands idly stroke up and down Stiles' sides for a moment before he rested his palm over his ribcage. Derek liked to feel Stiles' lungs fill up with air as he breathed. As strange as it was, it made him feel closer to the teen. Like maybe listening to his heart beat and feeling him breath would somehow impossibly bind them together in some way.
He looked up, prying his eyes away from Stiles' perfect, innocent face as he was deep in sleep to look over at the rest of the pack. They all were asleep too. Scott sat against the couch and Allison had her head rested in his lap. Erica was curled up into Boyd's side with Isaac sprawled out over Boyd's feet on the ground. Lydia and Jackson were, of course, laid out in the perfect position on the opposite chair, cuddling each other. Jackson's chin rested on her head and she laid her head and hand against him. Derek couldn't help the feeling of what could only be described as pure happiness overtake him.
It had been so long since he had felt like a true pack. Seeing the pack, his pack, sleeping together…well it brought back memories of his family. He felt an odd feeling of a happy sort of sadness when he thought about them. He loved his family, his old pack, so much, but he had a new pack now. He had people to protect…and people to love. Derek brought his attention back to Stiles when he made a snorting noise and muttered something about evil demon kittens, but his head just flopped back a little and he was soon sleeping soundly again.
Derek sat there cuddling Stiles for about fifteen minutes, listening for the Sheriff's car, when he heard something else. It was a hum. It sounded like someone humming a tune of a song, and it sounded close…too close. He was instantly on defense. It was most likely just someone walking by the house on their way to God knows where, but he was still a little wary. He tightened his grip around Stiles and listened. After a while the humming faded for a full minute before he heard someone start to sing instead. It was so close, too close then for someone to just have been walking by.
Derek's eyes flashed red when he heard something scrape against the side of the house. It sounded like someone was dragging a knife along the side. His eyes flicked over to Scott and Jackson when their heart beats started to pick up. They looked to him, unsure of what was happening, both of them absentmindedly moving to protect their girlfriends just like Derek was trying to protect Stiles. He saw their eyes flash yellow when he heard a voice come from outside.
"Here doggy, doggy!" a woman said. She singsonged it like a lunatic and Derek thought that she and his uncle would get along nicely before he forced himself back into the seriousness of the situation. The other wolves were waking up, already sharp, alert, and ready to attack. The humans of the pack were also blearily sitting up, woken from the stirrings of the others.
"What's going on?" Stiles asked with a yawn. Derek looked down at him, and, as if something deep inside of him activated at seeing his face, he went into full-on protection mode. He got up quickly from the chair, maneuvering so that Stiles wasn't too jarred and went for the door. "Wait here." He told the pack without even turning around. He stopped at the door and peered out the window. A woman stood out in the yard, looking through the bushes. He couldn't really see her face because waves of long, black hair were covering it. She was tall yet thin, even more petite than Lydia surprisingly.
"Snuggles, here doggy!" she singsonged again. She appeared to be looking for something and Derek could only assume it was this…Snuggles. He heard the others creeping up behind him and he turned to glare at them. Why did no one ever listen to him? They didn't seem to care about his threatening looks, however, and were all stealing glances out through the window.
"Who is that?" Lydia asked with curiosity and her ever present air of superiority.
"How should I know?" Derek grumbled.
"What should we do?" Isaac asked.
"Stay here, I'm going to see what she wants." Stiles said, walking towards the door. Derek blocked him with his arm and gripped his shoulder.
"I don't think so Stiles, I'll go." He said. Stiles must be crazy if he thought he'd let him go out there at nearly midnight to see what some crazy-sounding woman was doing in his yard.
"Derek, it's my house. And besides, I'm perfectly capable of holding my own if she turns out to be a crazy.
"You're my boyfriend, Stiles…er, and pack. It's my job to protect you. And no, you're not capable of handling yourself. I'll go." Derek went to open the door and walk out but when he did Stiles just brushed past him and out onto the lawn. "Stiles, damnit!" Derek scolded, running out after him.
"Um, can I help you?" Stiles asked as Derek came up behind him. He gripped his shoulders as if trying to preventing him from moving. He knew that dragging him back to the house wouldn't only look strange to whoever that lady was, but would also be damn near impossible with how stubborn Stiles was. They woman straightened and looked up at them. Derek was caught off guard by just how beautiful she was. Her caramel skin was flawless and her face was young and soft and kind. She stared at them with honey-brown eyes that rivaled Stiles' before she answered.
"I lost my dog, Snuggles." She said. The way she sounded…something was off about her.
"What makes you think it's here?" Derek asked in a harsh voice. She cocked her head a little and pinched her eyebrows together as if trying to figure him out. Stiles elbowed him in the ribs.
"Derek, don't be rude." He said before turning his attention back to the woman. "Did you see it out around here?" he asked. She nodded.
"Yes, I saw him poking around your bushes. I think he's still somewhere around here." The way she had sounded before, like she was a little off, it broke while she was speaking. It sounded like someone accidentally breaking an accent they were trying to speak in. That made Derek all the more suspicious. She was either acting, or really was just crazy in bits and pieces. Neither of the options sat well with Derek, especially when said crazy was so close to Stiles. She took a few steps forward while she was talking. The distance wasn't anything out of social norms, but Derek had to bite back a growl regardless.
"What does he look like?" Stiles asked hesitantly. Derek thought he must have been feeling a weird vibe from her too.
"Oh, you know, he's big, black, with cute pointy ears… and red eyes." She smirked at saying the last part and all the crazy was back in her voice. Derek pulled Stiles closer to him, protectively.
"Right…" Stiles said, drawing out the word, "Who are you exactly?" he asked suspiciously. She smiled and put out her hand.
"My name is Raven." She said. Stiles just let her hand hang out in the air until she dropped it, awkwardly. Derek did growl that time, taking a few steps back and pulling a willing Stiles with him. They backed up to the concrete in from of the door and the pack poured out of the house, surrounding them and looking threating at Raven. She just stood there, her smile long since faded and replaced with a look of…sadness? Derek took his eyes off her for just a second to look at the side of the house. Five long marks ran alongside the house. They looked like claw marks, or…
Derek paled. They were talon marks. "Stiles?" he asked very softly, "Where is the phurbu?"
"Upstairs on my desk." Stiles responded. Derek looked to Erica who got what he wanted right away and, with a nod, ran into the house and up the stairs. Derek saw Raven's gaze shift upward to the roof of the house. "Stiles, go inside." Derek said, pushing him toward the door.
"What? Why?!" he said, trying to dig his heels into the ground and stop Derek from pushing him but he just picked him up and plopped him across the threshold. Derek didn't have time to answer before he heard a commotion behind him. He turned around just in time to Boyd get throw across the lawn. Derek looked up towards the roof. There was a Tengu, a very, very large Tengu perched on the edge, looking down at the pack. It hung over the edge a little, almost like a bat. "Stiles, go!" Derek said, but Stiles had already shrunk back at seeing the large black, white and gold feathered werecreature.
The other humans of the pack ran inside as the betas wolfed out, Erica joining them with the phurbu. The large Tengu shrieked at them and leaped from the roof and took to the skies. Derek watched as Raven just stood there. He expected her to make a move, but she didn't. She just…watched. Derek looked back up to find that he had lost the Tengu. By the looks of the others, they didn't know where it went either.
"Where did it go?!" Scott asked with a little fear in his voice. A tenses moment hung in the air but was broken when a brown, blurry streak and a gust of wind tore through the group and Scott just disappeared. "Scott!" Derek yelled. The damn Tengu moved so fast and it was almost impossible to see in the night sky. After a moment Scott simply fell from the sky, landing on the lawn with a loud thud, making a large and very evident crater. He didn't move and Derek ran to him with the other betas.
"Scott?!" he heard Allison scream. She ran out onto the lawn and knelt down next to him. Derek looked back up into the skies, looking for the Tengu with the others. "Scott, oh my God, Scott!" Allison yelled at him, panicking and shaking his shoulders. Derek was relieved when he heard Scott speak, his voice weak and he sounded out of breath. "Ooowwww…" he moaned.
"Boyd, Isaac, take Scott. Erica, give me the phurbu and then all of you get inside!" Derek commanded. Erica handed him the phurbu but still took the time to protest.
"Are you crazy, Derek, we can't leave you out here alone!" she said.
"Erica, just do it! Go, now!" he shot back. Isaac and Boyd picked up Scott and they all hesitated for a moment, well, except for Jackson, who was already headed for the house. They all followed him soon enough, though, and left Derek out there alone. Derek turned his attention back to Raven when she spoke. He had almost forgotten she was there.
"Falcons can reach speeds of up to two hundred miles per hour while diving for prey." She said, "I doubt you'll be able to resist." She sounded like she actually cared, like she was…concerned. Derek had a hard time pegging just what she was all about, but he didn't really have time to think more about her before he was ripped off the ground and brought up into the air. Large, hooked talons sank into his chest, gripping him while in flight. Derek watched as the ground got further away as they ascended and he had to do something fast or he was never going to survive the fall.
He took the phurbu in hand and slashed up into the white, feathery underside of the Tengu's wing. It shrieked in pain and the red, glowing wound spat out blood as the wing folded involuntarily. They both were sent plummeting to the ground, Derek taking the time to free himself from the grip of the Tengu. The ground rushed towards them and he braced himself as he made contact with the lawn, making another, deeper crater. The earth even cracked as he hit the ground, making small fissures in the lawn.
His back had pain shoot through it and he could barely move, but when he saw the large bird-creature falling toward him he somehow found the strength to roll out of the way. The Tengu hit the ground with greater force than he did, cracking the ground even more. Falcon didn't take any time to recover, however, and sprang back to its feet. Derek struggled to get up and watched as the Tengu flapped its wing. It made pained noises at the action. Good, Derek had crippled it from flying. At least he won't have to worry about any unexpected trips into the sky.
The Tengu was mad and it cawed at him, coming towards him with its talons ready to strike. Derek was still recovering and, even though he tried, he couldn't dodge out of the way. The Tengu's talons tore at his chest. He moved just enough so that the gashes weren't very deep, but they were still pretty bad. He fell to the ground, looking up as Falcon raised its arm up to seemingly finish the job. He felt pathetic in that moment. The fall shouldn't have incapacitated him that much and he should have never been put down that fast. He was useless. If he were to die in that moment, who would protect Stiles and the pack?!
Falcon's arm started to swing down and Derek knew he was about to die but, then, seemingly out of nowhere Stiles was there. He had picked up the phurbu and positioned himself between Falcon and Derek. "Stiles, no!" Derek screamed in a panic. Stiles didn't even flinch when Falcon's talons came down on him. Instead he slashed up with the phurbu. Derek heard the Tengu shriek. Stiles had cut off two of its fingers which had fallen to the ground in a bloody puddle. Falcon recoiled for a moment, but Stiles didn't give him a chance and leaped forward, driving the phurbu into the creature's gut.
Nothing happened for a moment. Stiles and Falcon just stood there, paralyzed, with the phurbu still in its abdomen. Derek watched as the wings on the Tengu's back receded and its form shrank down. The feathers looked like they were dissolving away as the Tengu changed back into human form. Stiles lurched back as the Tengu became a cocoa-skinned man…completely in the nude. He grasped at his stomach and looked at Stiles like he was the devil himself. The other pack members had ran out onto the lawn and surrounded Derek and Stiles, watching as the man just took some very clumsy steps back and then turned and ran into the trees across the road.
"Well." Everyone jumped at hearing Raven's voice. "It seems Eagle was right. Surprising that an Alpha wasn't more of a fight, though. Not much like a wolf and more like a…wani yanpi." She took the time to make a small, forced laugh. The others watched her as she turned her back on them and started walking across the street. "Goodnight!" She called over her shoulder. With that, she disappeared into the same trees that Falcon escaped into. The pack stood stunned on the lawn for a while but Stiles was already down next to Derek, poking at his gashes.
"Ow, Stiles, Jesus!" Derek hissed, swatting away his hands. He looked up at Stiles whose eyes were welled up with tears waiting to be spilled. The look on his face was one of worry and concern. Derek sighed and pulled him into a loose hug, careful not to irritate his wounds. It didn't matter though, they were already healing. As an Alpha, it wouldn't take him nearly as long to heal as it had taken Isaac.
"Are you alright?" Stiles sobbed into his shoulder.
"Relax, Stiles I'm fine." Derek cooed. He rubbed his back and tried to sooth him as he cried. In reality Derek was in a tremendous amount of pain, but at least Stiles was safe.
/Oo,..,oO\\
AN: Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been busy with school and other stuff, but, really, I have been fighting through a particularly nasty bout of depression. I don't really know where it came from but it left me a little unmotivated. I hope it passes soon because I love writing this story and I love my Monkies! Anyway…yeah. I used three different languages in this chapter. Nothing big, just some phrases and words. Cookies to anyone who can find them and translate what they mean! :D (There's one of each.) Meh! If you like my writing, tell me you're a Monkie! Love you my Monkies, see you next chapter! :D *blows kiss*
