Please Pick Up Your Phone

by slayer of destiny

When Scott hangs up on Stiles when he is in trouble the human rings Theo for help, the other Alpha gets there are quick as he can, and the time between them allows for them to clear up some misunderstandings between them. Stiles finds somewhere that he can feel safe, protected and loved, and Theo has the chance at having everything that he has wanted for years.

Packs at the beginning of the story:

Theo

Theo

Corey

Mason

Hayden

Scott

Scott

Melissa

Allison

Stiles

Lydia

Kira

Liam

Sheriff

Malia

Parrish

Derek

Derek

Peter

Isaac

Cora

---

Theo wandered through his house waiting for his supper to cook and thinking over the last few weeks. They had been both heaven and hell for him, and he was both relaxed and content and chomping at the bit. To say the dual emotions within him was frustrating was saying something else, it felt as though he was being pulled in several directions, it didn't help that his Wolf and Coyote were scratching at his chest as well.

The Packs of Beacon Hills were working together for the first time since the events with the Dread Doctors, and it was a delicate balance. The Raeken, Hale and McCall packs were needing to work together because something was in Beacon Hills, something big, bad and dangerous, and it was dropping bodies left right and centre.

The balance of the three Packs in Beacon Hills was an incredibly delicate balance and Theo wasn't surprised that something was taking a swing at them considering there wasn't one clearly dominant Pack, it should be Scott, he had the largest Pack and the most varied one, which included the Sheriff, having that link to law enforcement and the link to the hospital through his mother alone threw him leaps ahead of Derek and Theo. But he didn't look into Pack politics, he didn't listen to Stiles trying to tell him that and he thought that all of them getting along was what was best, not realising that he was leaving them all open to attack.

Derek was the one with the most experience and he had Peter on his side as well, he was a little more like Theo in that he understood what was needed to protect the Pack and made the tough choice, but the guy was…tired and defeated when it came down to it he fought, but he just didn't have the will to fight in him, he was too busy looking to the past to look at the future and plan for it.

Theo was looking forward to the future, ready to build a pack and create something lasting and something that was powerful, somewhere that they could feel safe and have a life together. He was lethal and he was more than ready to make the tough choices, but he didn't have a big enough Pack, sure he was an Alpha he could just bite more betas, but he hadn't come across someone who was right for his Pack and who would benefit from the bite, and there was one person that he wanted to switch sides that would not agree with him going around biting people, and so he had to play the long game.

It was that person that had him feeling so twisted up now. Working closely with Stiles, getting to be near him and getting to work on his side was tough, he wanted to be near the human, he wanted to be close to him. Even though they were technically on the same side Stiles still looked at him suspiciously during their talks and he argued with Theo more than he did with everyone else, he had argued with him about pizza topping the other day. It was hard to see the other looking at him with so much suspicion and dislike when Theo wanted him to look at him the exact opposite way.

He wanted to snarl every time Scott dismissed him, he wanted to stand up for the human every time he was so clearly dismissed by his so-called best friend and Alpha and gave off a hurt scent that Scott either didn't smell or didn't care about. He would be surprised if it was the former, the 'True Alpha' was so determined to be human that he denied so many of his instincts and things that his wolf and more importantly his Pack needed, but he was more than happy to take the pluses that came with being supernatural. He abused his power without thinking that that was what he was doing, and he denied his Pack the support that they needed.

It made Theo furious and he just wanted to snatch Stiles away and lock him in his bedroom and prove to him that he was a better Alpha for the smart human than Scott was, prove to him how much he cared for him. Admittedly he wasn't sure that Stiles would enjoy what that would consist of, Theo was aware that he was incredibly different to Stiles' choice of Alpha, his version of proving his worth to Stiles would be with the hearts of his enemies, as many books as Stiles could possibly want, all the food he could want, proving that he could protect his dad and hopefully a lot of sex.

But if anything from the last few weeks had taught him anything Stiles was never going to change his mind about him, and he would never choose him, especially not over Scott.

"Everything ok?" Hayden asked from where she was perched on the kitchen island chomping down some pasta.

"Fine," Theo sighed and Mason snorted from where he was sitting at the table digging through yet another book to try and work out what they were up against.

"That was convincing," Mason muttered without looking up, also spooning a forkful of pasta into his mouth without looking.

"I regret biting you," Theo huffed.

"No you don't," Mason shot him a bright smile.

"You're pining," Corey said as he walked into the kitchen and headed over to his boyfriend.

"Wow, you're all ganging up on me, really?" Theo crossed his arms and flashed his eyes at them.

"Yes yes you big scary Alpha, doesn't mean that we aren't worried about you," Hayden shrugged.

"I have to accept that he doesn't want me, and he will never choose me," Theo shrugged.

"I don't know," Mason frowned putting his book down.

"Mason, I appreciate you trying to lift my ego, but please don't," Theo grit out.

"One, your ego doesn't need any help so I definitely wouldn't be doing that. But secondly, there is something in the way that he looks at you that I can't put my finger on but it isn't hatred, and Liam said that…" Mason cut himself off looking hesitantly at Theo.

Once upon a time, Theo would have thought that it was because he was scared of him, now he could see that Mason wanted to help him but didn't want to get his hopes up as well.

"Liam said that Stiles has been sticking up for some of the suggestions that you are making in their Pack meetings, and he was the one that suggested all of us working together in the first place, emphasising our Pack as well. If he completely did not trust you, or like you, I don't think that he would be doing that,"

Theo wasn't sure what to say to that, his brain spinning and some hope forming in his chest. Thankfully he had a good bond with his Pack and they understood his silence as he helped himself to a bowl of pasta and dropped down at the table with Mason and Corey. They filled the silence between them, and when they left to head home Hayden, Mason and Corey all ran their hands down his arm and nuzzled their cheeks together before leaving.

He didn't want to get his hopes up too much. He wished that the others had been able to stay in the house with him tonight, but they had parents who wanted them home, even if Mason's were questionable about his sexuality and it was something that Theo was keeping a close eye on, ready to step in the moment he thought he needed to. But for tonight it was just going to be him in the Pack House, something that he could thank the Dread Doctors for, he didn't want to know where they got the money from, all that he knew was that they had ensured that he was an emancipated minor with enough money to make sure that his Pack would be comfortable for the rest of his life, and his heir's life as well.

---

His phone going off in the middle of the night was never a good thing and it snapped him awake in a second, his hand already reaching for his bedside table before he was fully opening his eyes. Seeing Stiles' name there had his heart stopping and speeding up at the same time, and he really managed to find the two extremes with the human.

He swiped to answer quickly and raised the phone to his ear, "Stiles?"

"Theo thank fuck, I need help!" He could hear Stiles panting and running down the phone, he could hear his heart thundering in fear and he could hear something chasing after him. He was out of his bed in seconds and racing down the stairs, throwing himself over the edge of the second set of stairs.

"Where are you?" Theo asked as he grabbed his car keys.

"I'm on the preserve, west side of the Hale House," Stiles sobbed down the phone and Theo couldn't hold in his growl even if he had tried to as he started the car and flew out of his drive as fast as he could. "I'm sorry for calling you!"

"Don't apologise for calling me, I'm glad you did," Theo snarled. "I'm on my way to you, Stiles!"

I know I'm not your problem but I need help," Stiles was crying now and Theo could hear him stumbling.

"You're not a fucking problem Stiles, I need you to stay alive till I get to you, ok? Stay on your feet!" Theo had his foot to the floor and if he didn't have supernatural reflexes then he would have crashed, as it was he managed to reach the section of the preserve that he was aiming for and screeched to a halt, throwing himself from the car without even turning it off or shutting the door behind himself he took off at a full sprint with all the speed the Coyote would give him, scenting the air to find Stiles.

"Theo…" Stiles made a sound of pain and the Alpha heard him hitting the floor.

"I'm coming Stiles, stay alive, please stay alive," Theo snarled pushing himself even more. He heard Stiles cry out in pain through the phone and ahead of him, and he dropped the phone digging in even more until Stiles and a…thing came into view in front of him.

The scent of Stiles' blood on the air made him furious and he threw himself at the thing that he was fairly sure was a dragon as it bent over Stiles with its claws glinting in the moonlight. With a furious snarl, he slashed his claws into its back, digging them into the soft sides of the beast before it could start turning and he just started ripping, his fangs dropping and joining in.

The dragon was two and a half sizes bigger than him, and its claws were razor-sharp, but Theo was smaller and faster, able to dodge out of most of the blows from the thing, twisting himself around it in the same movement that he dodged the attack to slice into the thing. He steadily shoved the thing back away from Stiles where he was lying on the floor.

He took a good few swipes from the thing, and he had a good idea that if he wasn't an Alpha those hits would have done some serious damage, as it was they slowed him down a little, but the scent of Stiles' blood and tears on the air and the smell of his fear urged Theo on and finally, he managed to launch himself up a tree and threw himself into a backward flip onto the shoulders of the beast, digging the claws on both hands into its throat as deeply as they would go and slicing in one smooth move.

He was jumping off of the thing's shoulders and hurrying towards Stiles before it was finished going down. He slid to his knees beside Stiles and reached out to take his bloody hands away from his stomach to see the damage.

"It's ok, it was playing with me more than anything else," Stiles assured him.

"This will need bandaging up," Theo said looking at the damage critically. "Can I use your hoodie to bandage it for now?" he asked.

"Sure," Stiles nodded. Theo helped him sit against the tree and stripped his hoodie off of him, using his claws to quickly slice the material into strips to bind around Stiles' stomach.

"Can I carry you?" Theo asked once he was done, going by how heavily Stiles was trembling he didn't think that he would be able to make it through the forest.

"K," Stiles nodded. Theo was worried by how agreeable Stiles was being, but he didn't question it, bending to lift the human from the floor and started hurrying through the forest back to his car, holding him close so that the chill wouldn't sink into the human's body, and because he needed the contact. "I'm sorry I had to call you," Stiles said as Theo jogged, trying hard not to jostle Stiles as he ran.

"Don't apologise, I'm glad you called," Theo shook his head, repeating what he had said earlier. "I'm just glad that I got here in time,"

"You were in bed," Stiles said looking down at Theo's bare chest, bare feet, his sleep pants the only thing that he was wearing.

"It is gone two in the morning," Theo snorted, making it to his car. Stiles reached out to open the door and Theo placed him inside before hurrying around wanting to get the human away from here as quickly as he could. "Do you have your phone to tell Scott I have you?" he asked as he started driving.

"He isn't coming," Stiles muttered as he hunched down into the seat, the scent of sadness flooding the car.

"He isn't coming?" Theo said lowly, having a horrible feeling that he wasn't about to like what Stiles was going to say.

"He…he hung up on me when I called," Stiles licked his lips before speaking, and the scent of shame exploded through the car, and that…that was too much for him. Stiles started at the growl that Theo let out, it was pure Alpha and pure anger, and he turned the car sharply as his wolf and coyote both snarled loudly in his chest, the two of them furious.

"He hung up…he answered…and hung up?" Theo managed to say between his dropped fangs.

"Sorry?" Stiles tried and grimaced when Theo snarled even louder.

"You don't need to apologise! You didn't…you didn't do anything wrong! He should have…I am angry at him, not you!" Theo slammed the car into his driveway and turned the car off.

"Theo?" Stiles asked curiously.

"I can't take you home right now, I need…I need to know you're ok," Theo managed to say, and though it made him exactly the type of Alpha Stiles hated he slammed his way out the car and around to the other side, carefully but firmly pulling Stiles from the car as his full Alpha shift took over him, changing his features to his heavier shift, the step before he became a wolf.

He was relieved that Stiles didn't fight him, in fact, the human was shockingly quiet in his arms as Theo made his way quickly through his house and up to his bedroom, placing the human onto his bed before hurrying to close the door and check that all the windows were shut. It was ridiculous, he had killed the threat to Stiles, but the scent of his blood was filling Theo's nose and the real threat to him was the moron that was supposed to be his friend.

"Hey, Theo?" Stiles said softly as Theo was closing the curtains again.

"Sorry," Theo grumbled lowly, about the most that he could manage to get out.

"Are you…are you protecting me in your den?" Stiles asked, sounding baffled, and of course, he would know the phrases and the words that the wolf and coyote were howling to him.

"Yes, sorry," Theo growled again and then growled lower when Stiles shifted on the bed.

"Woah, it's ok, not challenging you, just going to take my shoes off and look at my stomach," Stiles held his hands out.

"Make…worse…I will…" Theo managed to growl out, snarling annoyed at how much his animal had taken over, the thought of Scott hanging up on Stiles when he was in need though was going round and round in his head.

He sped into the en suite bathroom and sped back out clutching the first aid kit in his hands, and hurried over to Stiles, utterly unhappy for having him out of his eyesight for that long, he placed the first aid kit on the bed and then dropped down to his knees to tug off Stiles' shoes off before grabbing a spare phone from the bedside cabinet and starting it up.

He placed it to the side to boot up before turning to Stiles, motioning to his stomach and leaving it up to Stiles whether he wanted him to look at it or not. The human was looking at him baffled, a scent of confusion coming off of him in a thick cloud, but to Theo's happiness, he trusted him enough to lift his shirt, revealing the makeshift bandage Theo had applied.

Theo motioned to the bed battling to pull his claws back, and slowly Stiles turned to lie down on the bed, a small grimace showing how painful his stomach was feeling. Theo let out a small unhappy rumble in his chest at the grimace. He reached out and lifted Stiles' shirt under his arms and then peeled away the makeshift bandages. Stiles had bled slightly through them, a little more than Theo was happy with but less than he had feared.

"You can…let people know…where you are," Theo growled out, motioning to the phone, tapping in the pin.

"Are you worried that I think you have kidnapped me?" Stiles asked but he took the phone.

"Yes," Theo huffed.

"We're a bit past that," Stiles sighed as he started tapping out a message. He sucked in a breath when Theo cleaned over the wound with antiseptic.

"Sorry, need to clean it," Theo pressed his hand to Stiles' stomach and started sucking his pain, it wasn't as effective as most werewolves could do it, but he was proud of the fact that he could. He carried on cleaning the wound out thoroughly, aware that the dragon thing's claws probably weren't the cleanest, and that he had been injured in the forest and Theo had had to bind it with a dirty hoody, making sure that there was little chance of infection before he started bandaging the wound.

"Lydia said to make sure that I don't scar or I won't be bikini body ready for the summer," Stiles snorted after a message came in.

"I will try my best," Theo snorted.

"Oh hey, you're back," Stiles lifted the phone and then lowered it again, seeing Theo's human features were back. "Lydia said to try your hardest,"

"You did always like that yellow and black bikini your mum had," Theo said absently before grimacing when Stiles moved the phone from in front of his face to look at him.

"You remember that?" The human asked surprised.

"Of course I do, you loved it because it reminded you of…"

"Batman," Stiles smiled. "I didn't think that you would remember something as simple as that," he said, raising the phone back to his face, but there was something in his tone, something that reminded him of his conversation with his betas earlier, and something that had him choosing to take a risk.

"Of course, I remember, I remember most things from when we were kids," Theo said, going back to working on the bandage.

"Right," Stiles snorted.

"I do, ask me something," Theo wasn't one to back away from a challenge, especially one that he knew he could win.

"What were my favourite snacks?" Stiles asked and then frowned at the look Theo gave him. "What?"

"One, lie flat, you will start bleeding again I haven't finished with this, and two, come on make it a little harder! You have been in love with Reece's since we were in diapers!" Theo huffed.

"Fine, favourite colour?"

"Blue,"

"Favourite book?"

"The Hobbit, because of Smaug, though that might have changed after today if it was still your favourite,"

"Favourite show?"

"When I left it was Sabrina the Teenage Witch,"

"Ironically," Stiles snorted. "What did I want to be?"

"Police officer like your dad or an Archaeologist," Theo finished taping the bandage to Stiles' stomach and moved to sit on the side of the bed so that he could look down at Stiles. "Why are you so sure I wouldn't remember?"

"Not like there is any reason you would have," Stiles shrugged turning his eyes away.

"I told you that I came back for you, that wasn't a lie," Theo leant over Stiles, pressing his hands to either side of the human's head so that he had to look at him. "I remember everything Stiles, including my promise that I would come back to you when I had to leave,"

"You also promised to come back and marry me," Stiles snorted before blinking when Theo's expression didn't change. "Theo?"

"You need to not say my name like that," Theo rumbled turning his head to the side.

"Like what?" Stiles asked quietly.

"You know how, I am trying to hold back my wolf and coyote," Theo licked his lips. He should move, the position wasn't helping, especially when he wanted to just lean down and scent Stiles as his, the lingering scent of himself on Stiles' pale skin not helping.

"From doing what?" Stiles pressed, because of course he did.

"From making you choose me, from proving that I am the better choice! From…"

"Woah you don't like me! You don't want me in your pack!" Stiles sat up pressing against Theo's chest to push him away, only to find his wrists captured and those red eyes were burning down into him.

"I want you! I want you in my Pack, I want you in my bed, I want you in my life! And I don't want to let go of you! But I wouldn't force you and you have chosen Scott, I…I want you! I always have!" Theo growled.

"That sounds an awful lot like you're saying…" Stiles started to say because he couldn't help but work his fingers into a gap and prise it open. Theo snarled.

"Don't Stiles! Please!" The please came out as more of a whine, and that was what did it for Stiles, that made him believe that he was telling him the truth.

"What if…"

"What if what?" Theo felt that flicker of hope in his chest again.

"What if I might want to be in your pack, and with you?" Stiles asked softly.

"I'm not the type of Alpha that you want," Theo shook his head.

"Says who?!" Stiles glared at him, actually glared at him.

"I…it's…you want Scott to be your Alpha, I am nothing like him!" Theo sounded frustrated, but his expression was clearly confused as to the path this conversation was taking.

"No, you're not. Theo, my Alpha hung up on me when I needed help, you didn't, I have been arguing with my Alpha about the way he wants to deal with this latest threat, I thought that you didn't want me, and I didn't want to embarrass myself by asking," Stiles huffed.

"You never have to ask, if you want to be part of my Pack, your place is already here and waiting for you," Theo met surprised amber eyes when his human turned to look at him. "It will be there if you want to join in 5 hours or 5 years,"

"You mean that?" Stiles asked quietly and Theo relaxed his grip on Stiles' wrists, lowering them down to his lap and rubbing soothing circles on the flesh, especially over the area where he could feel his pulse thudding away anxiously.

"I mean that Stiles, I want you in my Pack more than anything else, my Pack already loves you, it isn't as though you wouldn't be welcomed by them. I want you in my life, getting to be so close to you but not getting to be near you has been killing me," Theo huffed.

"I…"

"This isn't the first time that Scott has ignored me or hung up on me, it isn't the first time that something else has taken priority over my life being in danger. I couldn't deal with being let down again," Stiles sighed.

"I promise that I won't let you down, that I am not tricking you," Theo said through his anger at Stiles' confession. "I am not tricking you. Don't make a choice now though, I don't want you to feel as though I tricked you. Get some sleep, and in the morning…later in the morning, we will talk about what it is that you want to do, including if you want to spend time with us and get a feel for what it is like in our Pack behind closed doors,"

"Ok," Stiles nodded before looking around, "erm…"

"I need to protect you for a little longer, stay here, please?" Theo requested.

"Ok," Stiles sighed and Theo could smell the tiredness and confusion on him. He helped Stiles get under the covers, settling his duvet around the human and sat down beside the bed, reaching for the phone to update his Pack, his mind already spinning as his heart beat excitedly in his chest. "Are you going to sit guarding over me?" Stiles asked amused as he wiggled a little to get comfortable, much to Theo's delight wiggling himself in his scent.

"Yes," Theo said firmly.

"Theo?" Stiles said after a few beats making the Alpha snort amused.

"Yes?"

"You don't have any humans in your Pack but you have a human first aid kit," Stiles said quietly.

"No humans in my Pack, but humans I care about," Theo turned to look at Stiles, his red eyes glowing in the dark.

"Thank you," Stiles reached out carefully and brushed his fingers against Theo's bare back, his scent calming at the touch and making those plans spin even more in his head as he listened to his human falling asleep.

---

"Morning Stiles," Mason grinned when the older teen walked uncertainly into the kitchen looking around. His heart was beating a little fast in his chest and his heart was in his stomach considering he had woken with Theo not in his room, worrying that last night had all been a weird dream.

"More like afternoon," Liam hurried over to him and rubbed their cheeks together. "Theo called me this morning and let me know what had happened, he thought having me here would help," Liam explained seeing Stiles' questioning look. It was no secret that the two of them had a good relationship considering Stiles had been the one to train Liam how to control his wolf and had been with him every step of the way, it was also no secret that he got on well with Theo the two of them good friends and getting on incredibly well, Theo able to understand the anger that Liam still struggled with better than anyone else. Also, Hayden was here.

"It does," Stiles smiled, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger wolf.

"Are you ok?" Liam asked, concerned snuffling into him.

"I'm ok, a couple of new scratches," Stiles assured him.

"Are we joining Theo's pack?" Liam asked curiously, leading Stiles over to the coffee machine.

"We?" Stiles blinked.

"Where you go, I go," Liam shrugged, pressing a mug into Stiles' hands.

"I…"

"You're up, how are you feeling?" Theo smiled as he walked into the kitchen wiping his hands.

"Is that blood?" Stiles asked, a little concerned looking at the red-stained cloth and the specks of blood covering his still bare chest.

"A little, it is a surprise for you," Theo grinned walking over to them. He ruffled Liam's hair when he saw the beta taking Stiles' pain as he hugged him around his waist still.

"Erm…what is it?" Stiles asked, his curiosity flaring with the grin.

"It is actually pretty cool!" Liam enthused.

"You're not going to eat something till you see are you?" Theo sighed seeing the expression on Stiles' face.

"Nope he's not," Hayden chirped walking into the kitchen with grocery bags.

"Don't listen in, any of you!" Theo barked at the others as he took Stiles' hand and started leading him back to the garage that he had come from.

"Yes, Alpha!" Corey, Mason and Hayden chirped.

"Yes, maybe Alpha," Liam snorted as he moved to help Hayden.

"Cheeky brat," Theo huffed before leading Stiles out the room. "This is either going to be a big mistake or something that will convince you to choose me, but I have to go with my instincts on this considering I have been ignoring them to this point, and hope that they are right," Theo said to Stiles, nervously, the human realised. He had to admit he was getting a little bit worried about what he would find.

"What?" Stiles asked when Theo plucked a box from a table and held it out to Stiles. It had a bow and everything even though it was a wooden box.

"For you," Theo tilted his chin up, looking as cocky as he could manage.

Stiles took a deep breath, Theo's words about making him run or making him stay burning into his mind, but his curiosity got the better of him and he opened the box quickly before sucking in a deep breath.

In the box was an incredibly large heart, the strip of scaled skin around it telling him exactly where it had come from. He looked up at Theo with wide eyes.

"I brought the body back so that you could inspect it if you want, and take anything that you need from it for your potions and cool shit that you make," Theo motioned to a corner where a large lump was lying under sheets.

"You gave me a heart," Stiles blinked down at the thing in the box.

"A little on the nose I know, but hey heart of your enemy has been a decent present for years, why stop now," Theo said. "This is me, as I said, either send you running or convince you to stay,"

"You gave me a heart," Stiles repeated and Theo grimaced.

"I understand, I will make sure that Liam gets you home safe and…" Theo froze when a long-fingered hand settled into the centre of his chest to stop him from walking away, Stiles' other arm was holding the box closely to his chest.

"No you don't understand," Stiles shook his head.

"You…you like it?" Theo asked hopefully.

"Yeah…yes I do," Stiles said with a growing smile before he laughed. "You gave me a heart!"

"You really like it?" Theo asked, perking up even more.

"I am stealing all of the liquid nitrogen that I know Lydia has and I am going to preserve this so I can keep it!" Stiles smiled brightly before looking at Theo intently. "I…"

"When I said that I came back for you, I wasn't joking or playing with you or Scott. I came back for you, I wanted to prove to you that Scott wasn't a good Alpha, that he didn't deserve you. I went about it wrong, and the person that made those choices is still inside of me, but I want to be different, I want to be better, and I am trying. I will never be a gentle, sweet person, this is me," Theo motioned to the heart in the box and the body of the dragon behind him, "but I came back for you. I want to be what you deserve, and I will always protect you, I will always be here for you, whenever you need me,"

"Theo," Stiles said a little breathlessly, hugging the box closer to his chest.

"I will do everything that I can to make sure that you're happy, and I know that I can make you happy, if you give me a chance," Theo stepped closer "I love you, I have for years, and I want to be with you,"

"I can't say that I love you," Stiles said and Theo's face dropped a little, Stiles carefully placed his box down on the counter before reaching out and threading his and Theo's fingers together. "Not yet anyway, but I have feelings for you, I have for a while now, but I thought that you wanted nothing to do with me, that you weren't interested in me, it is what I am used to, and so I tried to distance myself from you but it didn't change my feelings for you,"

"What I did…"

"Is in the past, Scott didn't have to react the way that he did, you were influenced by the Dread Doctors, and you have shown since then that you are trying to be better, that you want to be different. The you, you are now I like, this and everything," Stiles nodded to the heart and the covered dragon thing.

"You will give me a chance?" Theo asked, tightening his hold on Stiles' hand.

"That is what I am saying, and hoping that you will kiss me," Stiles blushed a little but he stepped closer to Theo anyway.

Not that it took much more than that, the Chimera wrapped his arms around Stiles' waist and pressed their lips together, far gentler than Stiles had been expecting but there was still a dominating pressure there, and Stiles found himself sinking into the supernatural beings arms, surrendering himself to the kiss and just soaking it up. He sighed contently against Theo's mouth when they parted so that they could catch their breaths before they pressed their lips together again, Theo wrapped his arms around Stiles' waist and cupped the back of his head, pressing his thumb to Stiles' jaw and tilting his head at just the right angle so that when he slid his tongue into Stiles' mouth everything was just ten times better. Theo tasted him as though he were a man starving, holding him tighter and kissing him deeper, as Stiles felt as though everything had finally lined up for him, he felt as though he was finally in the right place, that he was finally stepping onto the right path.

He felt for the first time since Gerard Argent took him from the lacrosse field a feeling of complete safety washing over him, Theo's hold, his kiss, his words, the knowledge that he would protect him, the surety that he meant it when he said that he would always come for Stiles if he needed him.

When they parted he pressed his forehead to Theo's and cupped his face in his hands as he looked into those sea blue eyes. He smiled brightly and laughed happily when Theo smiled honestly back at him, looking at him like he was something special, something wonderful.

Stiles couldn't stop himself from leaning in and kissing him again, holding him close as he lost himself into the kiss, he was sure that he was never going to get bored of kissing Theo, he was amazed by how it felt to kiss him, and he suddenly understood why people were obsessed with this, and he knew that he was going to become obsessed with it himself. He could easily see himself becoming obsessed with Theo.

When the two of them walked into the kitchen hand in hand, with very kiss bruised lips, Stiles held his box close.

"You really liked the heart?" Hayden snorted.

"Told you he would," Liam laughed.

"Seriously Stiles, we thought you would be at least a little more sane than him," Corey laughed shaking his head.

"He has taste," Theo shrugged leading Stiles over to the table. He pulled Stiles gently down onto his lap and wrapped his arm around his waist, sliding his hand under the shirt that Stiles had borrowed from his dresser before coming down, resting his hand next to the bandage on his stomach and started taking his pain from him.

The others settled around the table as Hayden and Liam quickly filled the table with food, their chatter was light and relieved knowing that the thing that they had been hunting was finally gone, and there was a happy feeling humming down all the pack bonds, including the new bonds from Stiles and Liam and even though they were fragile and still settling they could feel the happiness from everyone, happy that they were part of the pack, and the betas were all happy that their Alpha was so obviously happy. And Stiles and Liam were giving off waves of happiness as well, settling a wonderful feeling over the whole table as they ate.

Stiles and Mason were theorising over what the dragon thing might be, and they were planning on what they could do to investigate it and what might be handy for Stiles' potions, mentioning Lydia joining them in investigating it, and what she would think about it, also excitedly discussing the fact that dragons might be real.

"You can set up your lab thing here, there are a few spare rooms," Theo said when Stiles complained about needing more space to spread out to investigate properly.

"What?" Stiles turned to blink at him.

"Set up here, there is the space, you and Mason are both interested in it and will enjoy it, and it is Pack business so the Pack house is the best place for it. We can buy you whatever you need baby," Theo rubbed Stiles' stomach where his hand was still resting, but he grinned as well. "Plus I will get you over here more and have more chances to seduce you into my bed again,"

"Stiles! Giving out on the first date!" Liam grinned.

"I did not! Don't phrase things so they are technically correct but totally wrong!" Stiles squawked shoving at Theo's face when he made kissy faces at him. "I am going to shove mistletoe in all your stupid protein drinks Raeken!"

The Pack laughed around them as they watched the two bickering at each other, the same sharp exchange of words that they had always had there between them, but the bite was completely gone and instead, there was just a warmth.

---

"Theo," The Sheriff called and the Alpha looked up with wide eyes to see Stiles' father, who owned a gun and definitely carried wolfsbane bullets, walking towards him with a determined expression. Theo genuinely considered turning tail and running, pun intended. It had been two days since the events with Stiles and his human had said that he was going to be telling his dad about what had happened and that Stiles was now going to be part of Theo's Pack.

The Chimera had not seen his human in the two days since Stiles had left the Pack house with Liam, clutching his box so tightly to himself that Theo had wanted nothing more than to pull him back into the house and keep him there, thrilled with how happy he was with the gift. They had been messaging and calling though and Stiles had told him that his dad had asked him some questions and listened to Stiles' explanation, he had been furious over Scott hanging up on him, and had accepted that Stiles was both part of Theo's Pack and with him.

He was a little worried that he had not been as accepting of it as Stiles had made out seeing him walking towards him.

"What are you up to?" It didn't sound like an accusation, but then Theo was sure that the Sheriff was incredibly skilled at interrogating people and could make it feel as though they weren't being interrogated when they were. Normally he wouldn't care at all, and part of him didn't, but he knew that the Sheriff was the most important person to Stiles and if he wanted to make it up there as well he had to get the Sheriff on side and get on with him. With that in mind, he wasn't above some manipulation.

"I was shopping for the things Stiles will need for setting up his lab thing at the Pack House," Theo explained opening one of his bags so that the Sheriff could see the gas burning camp stoves that he had in there.

"Huh, I will admit it will be better than stinking out our kitchen," The Sheriff nodded. "Have you had lunch?"

"Erm…no?" Theo squinted at him, his response coming out more of a question than an answer, it seemed to be all that the Sheriff was waiting for because he nodded, placed his hand on Theo's back and pushed him towards the cafe just down the street.

"Wonderful we can have lunch together and have a chat," The Sheriff nodded.

"Right," Theo looked at him. "Are you going to put wolfsbane into my food when I'm not looking, because I will be able to smell it,"

"No, I won't," The Sheriff snorted and something relaxed on his face and in his scent. Not knowing what he had done Theo realised that he had done something right.

They settled into their seats, ordered their food, waited for their food to be dropped in front of them without saying a word, just sitting looking at each other.

"So, willing to put up with the smell of Stiles' potions?" The Sheriff asked nodding to Theo's many bags.

"Mason is interested in it as well, and it means that I get to see more of Stiles. It will make him happy," Theo shrugged digging into his burger and chips.

"Hmm, it will. You're interested in keeping him happy?" The Sheriff asked digging into his own burger that Theo knew Stiles would go mad about him eating. As though knowing what he was thinking the Sheriff raised an eyebrow at him and pointedly took a bite of the salad that he had ordered as well. "Going to tell him?"

"Yes I am very interested in keeping Stiles happy, I want him to be happy, more importantly, I want him to be happy with me. If I can do something for him to make him happy then I will, big or small," Theo shrugged, "and yes I will tell him,"

"Even though I am his father? And you need to keep me on side to keep him?" The Sheriff threw the challenge out there.

"Yes, it is something that is important to him and I am not going to keep something secret from him that is important to him to win you over, hate me or like me, Stiles is more than intelligent enough to make his own choices and isn't one to be told what to think or do, he's more likely to make your life hell than mine," Theo shrugged again eying the Sheriff.

"Good response, I don't like suck ups," The Sheriff nodded after a long moment.

"I want us to get on for Stiles' sake, you are the most important person to him, Liam next, and I want to make it up there, he is important to me, and I am going to do everything that I can to make sure that he doesn't change his mind on giving me a chance," Theo said honestly.

"That is a little intense," The Sheriff frowned a little.

"I have been in love with Stiles since we were children, even more so since I came back and got to know who he is now, plus my wolf and my coyote both want him,"

"And if he stops wanting you?"

"I will be upset, and I will try everything that I can to fix it, but if he stops wanting me then at the end of the day I want him to be happy and have what he deserves, and he is one of the few people whose happiness that I would put before my own. I want him to be with me because he wants to be, not because I have forced him to, there are lots of ways that I could have made him want me, but I wouldn't do that," Theo admitted openly.

"You're certainly different, and not what I expected for him," The Sheriff snorted.

"I am damaged, I know that, and I am more than aware that my moral compass is more than a little off. I am trying to be a better person, for my Pack and now for Stiles, and they help me find a better balance between myself and my animal. But I can say that I will always protect him and do everything that I can to make sure that he is safe, and by extension you and others that he cares about, and I will make sure that he is happy and has what he wants,"

"This wasn't what I was expecting from this conversation," The Sheriff admitted, finishing his plate and wiping his mouth before he settled back in his seat eyeing Theo. "All I have ever wanted is for him to be happy, after everything that he has been through, especially the last few years I had concerns that he wouldn't ever truly be happy, more than that I have been terrified that he was going to get in the middle of something that was going to result in his death, and I didn't trust Scott to protect him properly or be there when he needed him. Hearing this from you while more than intense…also puts my mind at rest a little. He showed me the heart you gave him and told me what you did,"

"I will always be there to help when he needs me, and probably dogging his steps when he doesn't want me to,"

"Was that pun intentional?"

"Completely?" Theo said dryly. The Sheriff looked at him for a moment before he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"I am feeling much better about this now, I will be keeping an eye on it and if I get any red flags from you I will be having a serious conversation with him and you,"

"Fair," Theo shrugged, then because he was him and Stiles was Stiles to him he added, "maybe you should have had a serious conversation with Scott before now,"

"Excuse me?" The Sheriff narrowed his eyes on Theo, his expression saying that he could not believe that he had said that.

"Scott has been treating Stiles pretty shitty for a while now, and even before you knew about the supernatural from what I have heard Scott's behaviour was bad then. Since I have been here there were times where a serious conversation probably would have been a good thing,"

"Oh? And have you spoken to Scott since you have been here about his treatment of Stiles?" The Sheriff narrowed his eyes even further.

"Yes, I have, on a few occasions, but I don't hold much influence on Scott really, you do, at the least you could have spoken to his mother," Theo shrugged.

"Not the best way to win me over kid,"

"Even if Stiles weren't old enough and more than smart enough to make his own choices, I don't really care if this makes things fraught between us. I would like for us to get on for Stiles' sake, and as I said you are the most important person in his life, however, his happiness and wellbeing will always be my priority over sucking up to you to get you to like me, that isn't me, I call a spade and spade, and I will call it out if I think it will help Stiles. He loves you, but he needs you more than you're around, and he needs you to support him more. Aside from how much this has emotionally hurt him with Scott, physically…if he hadn't called me that night then he would be dead now, it wasn't just a case of Scott not coming around to play anymore, it was a case of Scott ignoring Stiles when he needed him, wasn't the first time it happened. Just seems to me that a chat with Scott would have been the best thing to do, but you never did it," Theo met the Sheriff's blazing eyes.

"I understand that you care about Stiles but…"

"No, I love Stiles, I have for years. If I think that he needs protection from being hurt from anyone, anyone at all, I won't hesitate to step in between, that includes you. I know you love him, and he loves you, but sometimes a serious talk is needed to make people realise that perhaps things need to change a little, that there needs to be a shift before it is too late. As I said, I want us to get on, but Stiles is my priority,"

The Sheriff opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again and something settled across his face. His eyes were still angry and his jaw taught but then he nodded his understanding to Theo.

"I need to get back to the station and make sure Parrish hasn't lit his paperwork on fire," The Sheriff said standing.

"That actually happened?" Theo found himself asking curiously.

"...Once," The sheriff admitted before nodding again to Theo, and wandered off to pay for their lunch before Theo could say anything. Humming to himself he settled back into his seat to finish his plate thinking over the exchange, he wasn't sure how but it seemed to have gone fairly well, and he had managed to get something of approval from the Sheriff. He finished his phone out and text Stiles to let him know what had happened, most of what had happened, smiling to himself when Stiles called and started interrogating him right away.

---

"Did you really get stuff for a lab?!" Stiles demanded as he burst into the house and jogged to where Theo was in the living room, throwing himself at the Alpha who grabbed him around the waist and hugged him close, claiming his lips before Stiles could say anything else. He was happy when Stiles immediately sank into him with a groan, kissing him back, his excitement for the lab clearly forgotten.

At least until Mason started tugging at the back of Stiles' shirt. "He did and it is so cool, you need to come and see it, stop snogging for five minutes!"

Stiles laughed against Theo's lips when the Alpha snarled at his beta who just grumbled back and carried on tugging at Stiles' shirt. "You built me a lab?" he grinned at Theo.

"Of course, I said it made sense, it is through there," Theo nodded to the room that he had changed over.

"Oh yes! I have been dying to get my hands on the dragon thing! Have the preservation runes held up ok?" Stiles asked Mason turning to him, but he linked his fingers with Theo's and tugged him with them as they made their way to the lab.

"They held up really nicely, they are definitely holding up much better than last time, I would say we have a couple more days which should be enough to have a look at it," Mason started chattering away about the runes and the tests that they wanted to run, the possibilities of what 'the dragon thing' was and a million other things that Theo didn't really understand but was just happy to listen to the excitement between his human and beta.

"This is amazing!" Stiles gasped looking around the lab that Theo and Mason had set up.

"If you want to move things around then just get it set up to how you like it, or if you want anything else that you need just let me know, Mason assured me that this covers the basics," Theo shrugged with a smirk when Stiles turned to look at him.

"The basics!" Stiles shook his head.

"He asked for everything that you would need," Mason snorted.

"You, quiet!" Theo barked, rolling his eyes when Mason just grinned at him, puppy dog eyes and all.

"I love it, thank you," Stiles pounced on him, pulling him away from trying to make his beta cower, easily distracted by his human's kisses and warm body pressed against his own, losing himself in the taste, feel and scent of Stiles.

That would hopefully help see him through considering he had been ignored as soon as Mason and Stiles had turned their attention to working out what the dragon thing was and Theo had reached a level of not wanting to freak Stiles out by standing there and staring, plus Mason kept shooting him amused looks. So he had retreated to get on with some of the other crap that he needed to get on with, hoping that Stiles would be hanging around after his research so that they could spend a little more time together.

He was sorting through the headache of some of the more business side of the things that the Dread Doctors had left him, something that though he disliked doing ensured that he and his pack would have a good future when he lifted his head and sniffed the air when he heard the front door opening and listened to the tap tap tap of heels on the floor and the scent of expensive perfume with a hint of death under it filled his senses.

"Theo," Lydia nodded to him as she walked past him and right to the lab room.

"She and Stiles have a weird inbuilt sense for where the other is, it is a little creepy sometimes," Liam said as he dropped down at the table chomping through a bag of chips.

"I feel like that is something I shouldn't be jealous about?" Theo asked Liam.

"Definitely not, they're like…platonic soul mates and best friends," Liam shrugged.

"Right…and she is here why?" Theo tilted his head to listen absently to his human chattering away to Lydia and Mason about their theories.

"Because Stiles is here," Liam said as though it were obvious.

"Right, but this is the Pack House," Theo said as though that were obvious.

"Yeah," Liam nodded, tilting his head like a confused puppy when Theo just looked back at him.

"Yeah?"

"Where Stiles goes, Lydia goes,"

"Do you mean the house, or Pack wise?" Theo blinked.

"Both," Liam shrugged, scrunching his chip bag up.

"Don't dump that on the table, the bin is right there, and what do you mean both?" Theo frowned.

"Both, Lydia will be joining your Pack because Stiles is, and so she will be around the Pack House because it is her Pack House," Liam frowned before he snorted amused. "Stiles didn't tell you,"

"Stiles didn't tell me," Theo huffed before leaning back and shouting, "Stiles!"

"What's up?" His human ambled through with such a happy smile on his face that Theo felt the slight annoyance he had been feeling washing away and leaving just bafflement. "Everything ok?" Stiles asked as Liam started snickering.

"Is there something you meant to mention?" Theo asked, taking Stiles' hand and tugging him into his lap, the human straddling his thighs and seating himself on the meat of the Alpha's thighs with a slight blush, but he settled down comfortably.

"We're staying for dinner?" Stiles said after a few moments of thought.

"That's nice to know I was hoping you would be, but no, something else," Theo chuckled.

"Did you tell Theo I would be joining his Pack Stiles?" Lydia asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway, eyeing them up and watching them with intent eyes.

"I did…didn't I? Did I forget?" Stiles frowned.

"Yeah baby you did," Theo laughed, squeezing Stiles' hips.

"Oh…is that ok?" Stiles asked nervously, worrying at his lip, and Theo couldn't have that. He tugged Stiles into a deep but quick kiss, pulling back and watching hungrily as his human tried to follow him for more.

"It is perfectly ok," Theo assured him.

"Of course it is, I am a plus to have in any pack, me and Stiles together even more so. Now come on Stiles put him down and come finish this, you can slobber over each other during dinner," Lydia flicked her hair over her shoulder as she clicked her way back to the lab.

"The mistress calls," Stiles rolled his eyes and scrunched his nose, leaning forward to kiss Theo.

"Stiles!" Lydia barked.

"Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean I can't! Come on, look at him!" Stiles whined but he climbed off of Theo's lap with one more kiss.

"Don't be rude! I have hookups!"

"Oh, I forgot!" Stiles bobbed his head back in as Lydia grumbled at Mason from the lab.

"What?" Theo looked at him curiously.

"Parrish, Dad, Kira and Malia want to join as well," Stiles said with a smile. "They have clearly seen that you are obviously the better choice as well," he added before dodging back down and into the lab.

"He doesn't realise they are following him does he?" Theo shook his head at Liam who was laughing fondly.

"No he doesn't, doesn't mean we're not going to be loyal to you," Liam said, a little concerned seeing the thoughtful look on Theo's face.

"I'm not worried about that," Theo shook his head. "I can prove to you all that I can be a good Alpha, it does mean that I am the Alpha with the biggest Pack in Beacon Hills now though, if I claim the land then we can hopefully slow down on the crap that is happening and get a chance to be a better Pack,"

"Scott will go from the biggest to the smallest Pack," Liam said thoughtfully.

"What do you think about claiming the land sooner rather than later, will the others understand it or will they think that I am using them and just power-grabbing?" Theo asked Liam leaning back in his seat crossing his arms.

"Why are you asking me?" Liam asked confused.

"Because you're going to be my right hand,"

"What about Stiles?" Liam blinked.

"Stiles is going to be my mate, hopefully, that is a completely different position," Theo shook his head. "So, the others?"

"I…I would say you should talk it through with Stiles first, having him at your back when you announce it to the others will be the best thing to do, the others will listen more. They are trusting you by coming to the Pack with Stiles and trusting his opinion and what he sees in you, talking things through and explaining things to them is the best way to go right now," Liam offered hesitantly.

"Makes sense," Theo hummed thoughtfully.

"Do you really mean that I am going to be your right hand?" Liam asked.

"Yes, I have spoken to the others about it, you aren't stepping on any toes, Corey is my left hand, and Hayden and Mason both know that it isn't the right position for them, it is the right position for you,"

"Thank you," Liam grinned at him.

"Ugh if you're going to go puppy-eyed go do that over Stiles!" Theo rolled his eyes going back to his paperwork.

"But Alpha my Alpha you love me!" Liam cooed wrapping himself around Theo's back and rubbing their cheeks together.

"Stiles! Come and get your damned puppy!" Theo shouted.

---

Stiles was in his pyjamas and ready for bed when heard a tap on the window. Slightly concerned and aware of his heart beating a little in his chest he turned quickly, relaxing when he was met with familiar red eyes.

"Hey there my Alpha," Stiles grinned opening the window for Theo to slip through.

"I do like it when you say that to me," Theo wrapped his arms around Stiles and drew him in for a kiss that he had been longing for all day, or being honest since Stiles had had to go home the day after the attack on the preserve and joining Theo's Pack, it was the first time that they had properly been alone since then, and Theo was going to make the most of it.

Stiles was no better and he eagerly pressed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Theo's neck and holding tightly onto him as they both lost themselves in each other, testing and exploring this new relationship between them and the new closeness between them.

It was nearly half an hour later when Stiles drew Theo over to his bed, their lips kiss bruised, their fingers were linked together and Stiles only let go to slide under his covers with a small shiver while Theo quickly kicked off his boots and peeled off his jacket.

"Are you ok if I…" Theo touched the waistband of his jeans questioningly.

"Yeah, that's fine," Stiles said though his cheeks were bright red as he watched Theo peeling the jeans off, his Chimera Alpha definitely giving him a little bit of a show.

"You're shivering," Theo frowned when he slipped under the covers with Stiles.

"Ugh, I feel the cold really easily, standing in my pyjamas in front of the open window at night no matter how warm you run and how close we were pressed together wasn't the best idea. I feel it really badly since the Nogitsune," Stiles sighed.

Theo slipped closer to him and wrapped his arm around the human who looked more fragile than the Alpha ever wanted to see him looking. He shuffled them easily so that he was resting against Stiles' pillows and headboard and Stiles resting between his legs snuggled to Theo's chest, his arms wrapped around his waist.

"It is a good job that I am more than happy to be your personal space heater then isn't it," Theo said more softly than he meant it to come out as he tugged the duvet over Stiles' shoulders.

"I may be expecting you to do this every night," Stiles sighed contentedly, curling his legs up and tucking them under Theo's left leg, managing to curl himself into the other even more. Theo just shifted with him, wrapping his leg around Stiles making him feel even more protected.

"I wouldn't be arguing with you about that," Theo nuzzled into Stiles' temple and then carried on before the human could overthink himself into a tizzy considering he could hear his heart speeding up at the comment. "I wanted to talk something over with you,"

"Is it about the others joining the Pack? I'm sorry I really thought you would be happy about it and didn't think about…" Stiles found himself being cut off by Theo's lips on his. "That is a better way that someone has stopped me rambling,"

"I better be the only one that stops you rambling this way," Theo grumbled against Stiles' lips, flashing his eyes playfully at him getting a grin in return and Stiles pressing back against him for another kiss.

"Sorry, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Stiles asked settling his head back down onto the Alpha's chest.

"First I am definitely not mad about the others joining the Pack, far from it, I am glad that you're friends are that loyal to you, and I am happy that it is strengthening our Pack and I am sure that I can convince them with my charm that I am the best Alpha," Theo smirked when Stiles laughed against his chest.

"I am sure that you can," Stiles patted his side before making another sound of contentment that made Theo's Wolf and Coyote preen as he settled down against him.

"With them moving over to our Pack though, it makes us the biggest Pack in Beacon Hills," Theo said.

"We could make a play to be the top Pack," Stiles said, and then rolled his eyes when Theo looked at him surprised, he laughed softly when Theo snapped at the finger he poked into his cheek. "Come on, what do you take me for! We have the biggest numbers, you're a strong Alpha who could definitely take on the others and…are you preening?"

"Totally," Theo admitted easily and uncaringly, rubbing his nose into Stiles' temple.

"Ego Wolf," Stiles shook his head. "Anyway, it would also help stabilise this place and stop all this crap from happening as often as it does, it is win win win,"

"And you would be able to back me even if I went against Scott, Mica?" Theo asked, only realising what he said when Stiles lifted his head shocked from his chest.

"I haven't heard that in years," Stiles said softly.

"Is it ok?" Theo asked trying to get a read on Stiles' emotions sniffing the air, but there was so much of a mixture going on that he couldn't pin anything down.

"Yeah, yeah it is," Stiles smiled looking down at him. Cautiously Theo pulled Stiles back down and pressed their lips together gently, the kiss easy and exploring as Stiles relaxed into him again, allowing Theo to wrap him back up in his arms and explore him. They moved as they kissed until they were lying on their sides facing each other, Stiles wrapped tightly in Theo's arms, one of his legs thrown over Stiles to protect him. The human pressed his face into Theo's strong chest, resting his cheek against the delightfully bare chest that had been revealed to him when Stiles had tugged the fabric off of him.

"I will always have your back Theo," Stiles said against his skin. "Just please don't let me down,"

"All I want is for us to be together, have a strong pack and be happy," Theo assured him. "I will always have your back as well,"

"Then we will be just fine," Stiles smiled against Theo's chest, holding onto him even tighter. "Will you stay here tonight, just to sleep, I'm not ready for anything more, but I just want to sleep with you next to me,"

"I would really like that," Theo pressed his nose to Stiles' temple, "I've dreamt about this, I have dreamt about sex and getting to be with you, many different ways, but I dreamt about this as well, just getting to lie with you, holding you and sleeping together,"

"You are…" Stiles shook his head before leaning up to kiss Theo, hoping that that would say what words couldn't.

---

"There had better be meat," Malia huffed, walking right past Theo through the open door and heading for the kitchen.

"They are weres as well Malia, of course, there is meat!" Stiles huffed following right behind her with a handful of bags. "Honestly, you take her to one vegetarian restaurant and she will never forgive me for it," he shook his head at his boyfriend leaning in for a kiss before hurrying off towards the kitchen.

"Hi Theo, thank you for having us all over this is really nice of you and it is going to be really lovely being all together, Stiles said that this is going to be like a real Pack and I appreciate that and I appreciate you taking us in and…"

"Yes yes, keep it moving, hello Alpha," Lydia pushed Kira through the door, nodding to Theo before hurrying the kitsune through to the kitchen.

"Liam! Hurry up with the bags!" Stiles shouted from the kitchen.

"I got held up behind Kira rambling!" Liam whined. "Hey Alpha," he added before racing passed.

"He's so whipped," Parrish snorted stepping into the house as they heard Kira profusely apologising from the kitchen. "Thank you for having us over, this is for you," the deputy handed over a cake box to Theo.

"Thanks," Theo nodded.

"Theo," The Sheriff stepped in last and closed the door, reaching out to pat Theo on the shoulder.

"Well, this is definitely going to make things much more interesting around here," Hayden grinned wrapping herself around her Alpha.

"Good interesting?" He asked her and Corey who just smiled at him.

"Definitely good interesting. A bigger Pack, more people to fill the house, that is always better, especially them. It feels like we have found the missing piece," Corey assured him.

"Sorry!" Stiles shouted following the sound of something smashing.

"Are you ok Mica?" Theo sighed dragging Corey and Hayden into the kitchen with him.

"I've got it!" Liam assured him sweeping around Stiles to clean up the plate. Lydia was leading Kira to another side of the kitchen who was also stammering apologies.

"Really you two in the same vicinity is like hitting the big red button and seeing what will happen," Lydia shook her head.

Theo watched as Malia trotted past in her Coyote form, winding herself around his legs to scent him before she wandered off happily. Parrish, Mason, the Sheriff and then Lydia and Kira were sitting at the table in the corner already chattering, Liam jogged over to Hayden and took her hand and then Corey's to lead them over as well muttering something about it being best to be out of Stiles' field of destruction when he cooked.

Theo wandered over to the kitchen area deciding it was worth the risk, slipping the cake into the fridge on his way to where Stiles was working away.

"Do you want any help?" Theo asked concerned at the amount of food covering the counter that Stiles seemed to be getting ready to cook, or finish cooking going by the smell coming off of some of the dishes.

"No, I enjoy doing this don't worry," Stiles kissed him again as he hurried to do something else, laughing when Theo captured him around the waist and tugged him back to give him a deeper kiss, pushing the boundaries considering all the others were in the room as well, but needing to taste his human. Stiles grinned happily and pecked another kiss to his lips even though Theo had released him before going back to preparing their meal.

Theo hopped up onto the counter near him so that he could watch Stiles and just be near him, ready to help if he needed it, or something went flying, and so that he could take in the others, though Hayden and Corey were leading Lydia, Kira and Parrish out the room to show them around, Liam following considering he was attached to Hayden's waist, Mason was asking the Sheriff a lot of questions and Theo wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't be working in the Sheriff's Department as soon as he could.

Closing his eyes he sucked in a deep breath, breathing in the immediate scent of Stiles filling his house, the scent of food cooking for their first full Pack dinner, the sound of Stiles pottering back and forth, muttering to himself every now and then, and the hummingbird fast beat of his heart that Theo was sure he would be able to pick out from anywhere and in any crowd. The sound of the Pack talking and laughing together filled the house, the bantering going on from upstairs, the soft encouragement from the Sheriff to Mason, Malia sounded like she had found the den room and was itching her ear.

In his chest he could feel the Alpha in him stretching and settling, this was what he had wanted from the start, this was what he had been looking for and needed. He opened his eyes when he felt Stiles pressing between his legs, his human wrapping his arms around his waist as he looked up at him with warm amber eyes that he had hoped but never thought would look at him like that.

"Ok? You're looking very intense," Stiles asked softly.

"Just thinking, Mica, I am happy, the house feels right now," He smiled reassuringly, pulling Stiles closer to kiss his forehead.

"It does feel right doesn't it," Stiles sighed happily, and there was absolutely no blip in his heart. His human pressed his nose to his chest and breathed in his scent for a moment before he turned and went back to cooking, leaving Theo to watch and soak up the feeling.

It was only when things needed plating up that Stiles allowed him to help, and he ordered Theo and Liam around like a drill sergeant, because of course the puppy came jogging over to help Stiles. The others trickled into the room and settled at the table, the scent of the food cooking drawing them as much as the sound of plates and bowls clinking. Lydia organised drinks for everyone and Theo watched happily as his table filled with people.

"Malia come on!" Stiles called absently as he placed more plates down on the table, his hand snapped out and smacked Mason's when he tried to sneak a few potatoes, "Alpha first!" He scolded.

Theo blinked over at him, something warming and heating in his chest at the declaration, the easy acceptance and the natural following of the Pack hierarchy.

"Wha…but Stiles…" Mason pouted.

"No, but Stiles! Alpha eats first!" Stiles waggled his finger at Mason before hurrying away to get more bowls.

"Oh dear lord!" Corey choked on the drink that he had just taken and Mason slapped his hands over his eyes as Malia strolled into the room, in human form and completely naked.

"She's still adjusting," Kira grinned as Parrish, the Sheriff and Liam all looked determinedly down at the table.

"Here," Theo stripped off his shirt, trying to ignore the spicy scent of arousal that came from Stiles at the move and passed the top to Malia. Happily, she shrugged it on, blinking lazily at him as her Alpha's scent covered her, she tilted her head waiting for something more, he tilted his head back.

"Not going to tell me to put underwear on?" she asked.

"If you're not comfortable with it no, as long as you're covered to the point everyone else feels comfortable as well but free enough to feel comfortable yourself that is all that matters," Theo shook his head.

"Oh," She blinked again.

"We could go hunting soon if you wanted, get a deer to bring back for everyone," Theo suggested, grabbing the last few bowls and handing a few to Malia.

"That would be nice," She smiled nodding before making her way over to put the plate on the table and then dropped down between Lydia and Hayden. Stiles pressed against him before he too went over to the table, Theo close behind.

Everyone huffed when Stiles eyed them to make sure they weren't taking food until Theo had filled his plate, and then nodded, and chaos descended, that was the only thing that could describe what happened, and none of them could have been happier as they enjoyed every moment of it.

---

"Stiles? What are you doing with Theo?" Scott frowned coming over to their table. Theo looked to Stiles leaving this up to him and how he wanted to deal with this, how much he wanted to say. Part of him was a little worried that Stiles wouldn't want to tell Scott that they were together, and he was a little worried that this would change what they had.

"We're on a date," Stiles said simply, and Theo couldn't stop the smirk that crossed his face, especially at the expression Scott's face, and Derek's who he could see at another table.

"A date?" Scott spluttered as Theo watched jealousy and anger crossing Derek's face. He met Derek's eyes and flashed his own red eyes at the other Alpha in pure challenge, watching the Hale Alpha suck in deep breaths, no doubt able to smell how his and Stiles' scents were mixing together from where he was sitting. Derek had been too busy looking to the past and what he lost, Theo looked to the future and what he wanted.

"Yes a date, as in a date, we are on a date," Stiles nodded.

"You don't like each other," Scott said as though it was obvious.

"Actually I love Stiles," Theo said easily.

"And I am falling in love with Theo," Stiles said, and Theo couldn't help tightening his hand around Stiles' where they were joined on the table, looking at him happily. There was no blip in his heart.

"Is this a joke?" Scott started to smile looking between them.

"Nope," Stiles popped the p with a shrug.

"But…it is going to be really hard dating the alpha from another Pack while you're in mine," Scott said, and the whine in his voice made Theo want to gut him. Stiles just snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Well there is an easy solution to that," Stiles nodded.

"I'm sorry that it will hurt you breaking up with Theo but…" Theo was a little amused at Derek rolling his eyes behind Scott's back at how much of an idiot he was, even as a low and unhappy grumble started in his chest realising what Stiles was about to say.

"Sorry to stop you there Scott, but I am not breaking up with Theo,"

"You're not?" Scott frowned, looking even more confused, and the moron was so self-absorbed and in love with himself that Theo was definitely considering gutting him with a spoon.

"No, I'm not. I have joined his Pack, I have been part of it for two and a half months now," Stiles shrugged.

"No…you can't have, I would have known!" Scott spluttered.

"Actually no you wouldn't have, you don't spend any time talking to me except when you need something, you don't come to see me, you don't organise anything for the Pack unless we're hunting something or something is going wrong. You wouldn't notice if I had been killed until you needed something from me," Stiles snorted. Theo threaded their fingers together, making sure that Stiles knew he was there for him.

"That isn't true at all! Theo has done something, the way he did when he first got here!" Scott pointed at Theo dramatically, and Theo was more than glad that Stiles' favourite coffee shop was fairly empty, there were a few customers and staff that were looking over with interest but they couldn't hear what was going on thanks to the coffee machines.

"He has done nothing except be here for me, be an amazing boyfriend and Alpha, and be what I needed. You were the one that did something, or didn't as the case may be," Stiles said as he stood and grabbed his cup of coffee.

"What are you talking about Stiles?" Scott huffed as though the human was being unreasonable. Theo might gut him with a cup.

"I called you when I was being chased through the preserve by the dragon thing, three times, and you hung up on me every time. I would have been dead now if Theo hadn't picked up his phone and come for me as quickly as he could. As it is, the thing had sliced up my stomach!" Stiles grit out.

"You were injured?" Derek was over in a flash.

"I thought that you were just ringing because I didn't come to hang out with you," Scott whined. Actually whined.

"Yeah, like that is ok as well! You have dropped out on me way too many times, but I wouldn't call you three times right after each other at stupid o'clock in the morning because of that, I have gotten used to your dick being more important than me! I was literally in mortal danger and you couldn't answer your phone to see why I was calling you so early in the morning!" Stiles growled believably before lifting his shirt and showing Derek, and Scott, the four jagged and still pink cars on his stomach. "And yes, I got injured,"

"Stiles, we're brothers! We can talk about this and sort this out, I will answer next time," Scott smiled winningly, as though that was just going to be it. A low rumble started in Theo's chest, his anger winning out at the way Stiles had and was being treated.

"No Scott, you won't, because you have promised that before and done it again, and I don't care anymore. We're not brothers, and I am not going to chase after you forever like you seemed to think I would. I am hurt and I will miss the friendship that we had, but I am not your doormat Scott, I have found something better, and something that is good for me, and I care for Theo, I am falling in love with him, and I am happy in his pack!" Stiles said firmly and started tugging his growling Alpha away.

"Stiles…"

"By the way, me and Theo have taken Lydia, Liam, Kira, Malia, Dad and Parrish in this split, we're claiming dominant Pack, and if you want to challenge our Pack for it we will wipe the floor with you, and my Alpha will wipe you out," Stiles sneered and Theo felt as though his head was spinning at the words and the expression on his human's face. He meant every word, and Theo wanted nothing more than to snatch his human away and show him just what those words had done to him.

As it was, the expressions on Derek and Scott's faces made him laugh as Stiles tugged him from the cafe.

"I am sorry, our date got interrupted," Stiles sighed. He squawked surprised when Theo snatched him around the waist and spun him around before tugging him in for a deep kiss, trying to press everything that Stiles' words had done to him into it, and he reckoned he managed it when he had to tighten his grip around Stiles' waist when he knees actually buckled.

"Alright Ego Wolf, don't look so smug!" Stiles laughed.

"We weren't done anyway, I had something else planned for after this anyway," Theo said tugging Stiles over to his bike.

"Where are we going?" Theo was happy to note that there were no lingering negative emotions after the confrontation, Stiles was genuinely happy with him, he was happy about their date and there was a scent of relief around him as well.

"I don't know, I think I want to talk about the fact that you're falling in love with me," Theo said after helping Stiles onto the bike behind him, turning to smirk at Stiles even as his heart jumped a little in his chest, glad that his human couldn't hear it.

"Hmm, I am definitely falling in love with you, I realised it the other day when you and Malia came back from hunting," Stiles said against the skin of his neck, wrapping his arms around Theo's waist.

"You have a real thing about seeing me bloody," Theo chuckled.

"My definitely falling in love with you could change to might be falling in love with you depending on what you say next Ego Wolf," Stiles narrowed his eyes at him.

"We're going to a bookstore next, and I am buying you at least five books instead of buying you flowers," Theo offered.

"Definitely falling in love," Stiles pressed his face between Theo's shoulder blades, and the Alpha could hear his heart thundering happily in his chest.

"I thought that might be the answer," Theo said before starting the bike and taking off down the road. "Hearing that makes me happier than you will know," He said just loud enough for the human to hear. Stiles tightened his arms around Theo, squeezing his Alpha tightly, unable to find the words to respond to him but hoped that his touch, scent and the sound of his heartbeat would tell him enough.

"Shut up," Theo snarled at his pack three hours later when he and Stiles walked through the front door, the Alpha's arms piled high with books, and his Pack laughing at him.

"Dude, can you say no to Stiles at all?" Corey teased.

"Yes!" Theo snapped and then huffed, "probably,"

"Why are you all laughing? We have food by the way," Stiles said as he walked in, knocking the door shut with his foot, and holding up the bag of takeaway in his hands.

"They're mocking me," Theo snorted.

"Why?" Stiles asked confused only making the pack laugh more.

"They're mocking me for not being able to say no to you," Theo chuckled.

"I said we didn't have to get all of those books, it is too much and…" Stiles was cut off by Theo's lips.

"You wanted them so they're yours, you will read them all within the week anyway," Theo shook his head before snagging the food bag. He quickly balanced the books and food in one hand before slamming his hand into Malia's chest, lifting her and throwing her over it and across the room where she landed on her feet and one hand in a crouch with a wide grin. Theo just carried on walking while Stiles followed behind him shaking his head.

Honestly to anyone else, it would look brutal and violent but Malia enjoyed being able to express her more wild side, and Theo was more than happy to indulge her. He watched Theo warmly as he got the plates out while Stiles started dividing everything up, he was definitely falling in love with the other, and he didn't think it would be that long before he fell.

---

Stiles stared down in shock at his stomach, the gash there bleeding heavily, too heavily, and he knew that the fact he wasn't feeling any pain from it right now wasn't good, it was pretty bad. His face was splattered with his own blood from where it had spurted out when the wound had opened and it felt too warm, too sticky on his skin. He reached up to try and wipe it off and that was when the pain made itself known, a hurt noise slipping past his lips.

"Stiles…"

The roar that echoed through the yard surely made the bricks of the house tremble and he was sure that the whole of Beacon Hills would have heard it, it was closely followed by two more roars from close by and three howls in the near distance. His Pack was responding to their Alpha's roar, and Stiles knew that meant they were coming. Theo however was already there and his claws slashed an ugly cut across Scott's face before reaching up to catch the 'True Alpha's' hand when he tried to mimic the attack, this only served to make Theo even more furious though as the scent and sight of Stiles' blood on Scott's claws fuelled his anger even higher.

"You dared to touch my Mate! You dared to attack him!" Theo roared in Scott's face before delivering several deadly slashes just as Malia and Mason broke the tree line, they aimed straight for Stiles, the two of them stripping off their tops to press into his stomach to try and stem the bleeding as much as they could.

Malia let out a soft whine when Stiles let out a pained noise at the action and their shirts were quickly soaking in blood. Mason snapped his head around and bared his teeth at Derek when the shell shocked Alpha tried to step closer to Stiles.

"Don't touch him!" Mason who was the least threatening werewolf ever snarled quite believably, and thankfully before he had to back himself up Liam and Parrish flew into the yard at nearly the same time, Corey and Kira only moments behind them.

"He's losing too much blood!" Derek said and tried to step forward again.

"Don't…you…dare!" Stiles managed to get out, baring his teeth which were covered in his own blood from where he had coughed it up.

"Theo!" Malia whined.

Theo slashed his claws out, catching Scott's throat before he slammed his hand right into his chest and sent the other Alpha flying back at least ten feet, knocking him straight through a tree and off his feet.

"If he dies I am going to slaughter everyone that you love, have ever loved, I am going to burn your life to ashes before ripping your throat out Scott McCall," Theo warned as he hurried over to Stiles.

"Hey," Stiles managed to stammer as Theo cupped the back of his head to help support him.

"Take your moron, and get out of here now Hale!" Lydia hissed to Derek as she stepped into the yard and quickly took in what was happening, "or I will scream so hard that your eardrums will never heal!"

Derek cast a look at Stiles who was holding onto Theo's hand with his own trembling one, too pale, and already too weak and tried to take another step forward. The blast of sound Lydia sent at him took him off his feet and he felt an eardrum go, right as a blast of electricity whipped across his face. Lydia and Kira stood shoulder to shoulder, radiating fury, and Parrish stood right behind them…well radiating, the heat was literally pouring off of him as his eyes turned ember orange.

"This…this is bad baby," Theo grimaced lifting the shirts on his mate's stomach to look at the wound. It was too deep, way too deep.

"Tis but…a scratch," Stiles grinned weakly.

"Stiles I…"

"Bite me," Stiles nodded as Derek grabbed Scott and dragged him away from the yard, electricity and fire twining together into a swirl to snap at their heels and make sure that they left fast, this was a moment that they should definitely not be there for.

Hayden threw herself over the fence on the opposite side of the yard to where the two other Alphas had fled, but just as she reached the huddle around Stiles they all heard the shriek of tyres and two bodies hitting metal, and then a couple of pops.

"Did he just shoot them?" Liam looked at Mason wide-eyed, another couple of pops before the car door slammed shut and footsteps hurried towards them.

"Mica, are you sure?" Theo asked, not paying attention to anything else that was happening around them.

"Yeah, I am…not ready to give…in…and I have…a lot to…look forward to…bite me!" Stiles insisted.

"Stiles!" The Sheriff fell down to his knees beside them, Lydia and Liam reaching out to squeeze his shoulders.

"Theo…is going…to bite…me," Stiles smiled shakily taking his dad's hand.

"Will that save him?" The Sheriff asked panicked looking around at the others.

"It might…it depends on… whether I…reject it. It is…my only chance," Stiles said softly.

"Stiles,"

"Look after him…if it doesn't…take," Stiles tightened his hand as much as he could around his father's, though it wasn't tight.

"I will, I will make…make sure…he…he is ok…" The Sheriff managed to promise around the lump in his throat.

"Make sure he…is ok," Stiles looked at Theo who was only able to nod through the tears dripping from his eyes. The human turned and met Lydia's eyes, who despite the tears silently streaming down her own face managed to nod, and Stiles let out a breath, no matter what happened he knew Lydia would make sure that they were ok.

Stiles turned to look at Theo and nodded. The Alpha reached down and pulled Stiles' shirt up his arm to bare his wrist, but froze when Stiles gripped his hand weakly and shook his head.

"Not th…there…here," Stiles shook his head again and then tugged his shirt away from his shoulder to reveal where his neck and shoulder met, his partner looking Stiles wide-eyed.

"Are you sure?" Theo choked.

"You…called..me…mate," Stiles narrowed his eyes.

"I did but…"

"I love you," Stiles managed to say clearly.

"This is…utterly gross and totally romantic, and like walking in on your parents having sex," Hayden muttered with absent horror and awe.

"I love you too," Theo said before tightening his hands around Stiles' arms. "Don't you dare die!" He demanded making Stiles splutter out a laugh before his fangs dropped and he leant forward sinking his teeth deeply into Stiles' neck even as he stepped up drawing Stiles' pain while leaving his teeth in as long as possible, praying for the bite to take.

"Let's move him inside," Theo said softly as he pulled back. Hayden, Corey, Mason, Malia and Liam all jumped forward to catch hold of Stiles, all of them helping draw his pain as soon as they touched him. Lydia, Kira and Parrish hurried ahead of them while the Sheriff kept hold of Stiles' hand even as his son passed out, praying to every deity that would listen that his son would live.

Lydia, Kira and Parrish had thrown all the massive cushions and bean bags that they had bought for the lounge room, reaching out to yank the curtains down from the windows to throw over them to form some sort of protection and make it easier for them to pile close to each other. Parrish lit the fire by sticking his hand right into the middle of the already piled wood, a trick the Stiles loved and only made the Deputy waver for a second, the lump and panic in his throat getting larger, but then the other stumbled through the doors, and he moved to hover around them in case he could help but watched as they lowered Stiles into the centre of the pile of cushions.

As soon as he was down Theo and the Sheriff fussed around trying to make him as comfortable as possible before they all kicked off their shoes and piled in around their injured and hopefully turning packmate, all of them shuffling and wiggling until they were all able to touch a part of Stiles, the weres' carrying on taking his pain as much as they could, but they all allowed Theo and Sheriff the most contact as they watched over him terrified.

---

It had been nearly a whole day since Theo had bitten Stiles, and everyone else had fallen into an exhausted sleep, each of them had fought to stay awake for as long as they could but hadn't been able to hold their eyes open between the stress and emotions that had been going through them. Everyone except for Theo.

He lay awake even with his eyes burning with tiredness watching over his mate. He could feel his wolf and coyote clawing at his chest, both of them howling and scratching at his chest. Part of him wanted to go and slit McCall's throat, his mother's throat, Argent's throat, but he couldn't leave his mate, he couldn't leave him alone. He lay listening to every single beat of Stiles' heart, scenting the air, and watching him closely, waiting for any sign of the change taking him.

Waiting for any sign of him rejecting it.

It was because of this close attention that he was paying that he noticed the moment Stiles' heartbeat changed along with his scent, and Theo lifted his head, moving gently to where he was leaning over Stiles so that when purple eyes snapped open he was the first thing that Stiles saw.

The smile that swept across Stiles' face, easing the slight hint of panic and confusion, warmed that cold part of Theo that he was sure only Stiles could reach to, and he cupped Stiles' face gently, running his thumb over his pale cheek before he leant down and pressed their lips together gently.

"My beautiful Fox mate," Theo pressed their noses together as he looked down into those stunning purple eyes, as beautiful as his human ones.

"Fox?" Stiles tilted his head.

"Hmm, that is what you smell of. You will be perfect, and you and Kira are even more alike," Theo smirked.

"Fox," Stiles smiled before winding his arms around Theo's neck. "Thank you for saving me,"

"You never have to thank me for that!" Theo shook his head.

"I meant it, I love you, Theo, I'm so happy to be your mate," Stiles smiled so brightly and beautifully at him that Theo couldn't resist leaning down to press their lips together again.

"It really is like listening to your parents," Liam grumbled, breaking the two apart with a laugh. Stiles turned and smiled at the others who were watching him like they were worried it would be a dream if they moved, at the smile though they all piled on top of Stiles and their Alpha before pulling back to allow the Sheriff to hug his son close to his chest, squeezing him so tightly that he could have been mistaken for werewolf strength.

"Thank god, thank god you're alive!" The Sheriff pulled back to cup his son's face, looking him over carefully.

"You smell different, what are you?" Liam asked sniffling close to Stiles before yelping and jumping back when Stiles shifted and snapped his newly sharp teeth at him, his eyes glowing bright purple.

"Of course, you can focus your shift already," Theo laughed, settling behind Stiles, wrapping his arms around his waist as his mate laughed. None of them broke the good mood by pointing out that his hands were covering the area that Stiles had been injured.

"Your dad shot both of them," Liam said eagerly.

"Sadly without wolfsbane," The Sheriff grumbled.

"How many bullets?" Stiles asked eagerly.

"Emptied the clip," The Sheriff huffed.

"You were amazing as well," Stiles tilted his head back and kissed Theo's cheek.

"He sliced him and diced him amazingly!" Liam enthused nodding.

"My hero," Stiles smiled tiredly at Theo, sinking a little more into his hold comfortably.

"What are you?" Malia whined as she sniffed the air.

"Fox," Stiles smiled.

"Fox, you mean like the No.."

"Like Kira," Theo flashed his eyes at the Sheriff, stopping his words, but he felt Stiles tensing in his arms, the connection that he had managed to put off when Stiles had first woken jumping into the newly turned Fox's mind again.

"Thank the gods, I am fed up with being the only Fox surrounded by wolves," Kira smiled brightly at Stiles, and he relaxed in Theo's arms again, though he was still feeling a little too tense for Theo's liking.

"Right, bed everyone, we're all exhausted, and Stiles needs a little more sleep. We will have the next few days together, we can all stay here and spend time together. But some rest now," Theo scooped Stiles up into his arms, needing to place his mate somewhere safe now.

"I…" The Sheriff frowned, clearly not happy.

"Liam will show you where your room is dad, Theo and I need a little time together after what has happened and our new bond," Stiles said softly, reaching out his hand and squeezing his Dad's carefully when the Sheriff captured it.

"Are you two bound together now? More so than a normal Alpha bite?" The Sheriff asked looking between them. Stiles went bright red in Theo's arms, remembering his 'dying' request.

"Erm, well, Theo and I are actually, erm well, you see, technically we are married, by were standards," Stiles stammered.

"What?!" The Sheriff spluttered, clearly not having been expecting that!

"It was a mating bite," Stiles shrugged, reaching up to touch the bite that had scarred enough to be visible still, unlike with other turning marks. It would fade over the next few days to a mark that would not so obviously be a bite but would be distinguishable.

"A…"

"I wanted it Dad, dying or not, I wanted it. Theo is it for me, I love him, and I am happy that he gave me the mating bite, and that we are bound together. I am not going to change my mind, I haven't since we joined his Pack six months ago. I just know, the way that mum did with you," Stiles said gently.

"That shouldn't surprise me," The Sheriff managed to smile a little through his shock. "We will need to talk about this,"

"Yes, but not tonight…or this morning more like. I am still tired, too tired for this conversation, I need time with Theo as well," Stiles agreed.

"Ok, night son. I am so so so glad you're still here with me," The Sheriff hugged his son tightly, in Theo's arms and all, and Theo huffed when all of the Betas took that as a signal for them to do the same, one after the other while he just stood there holding Stiles in his arms.

Finally, everyone had said goodnight and wandered off, leaving Theo to follow behind carrying his mate up the stairs to his own bedroom, Stiles' face pressed into his throat where he was relaxing against him.

Theo carefully placed Stiles on his feet once they were in his bedroom, the scent of himself and Stiles mixed together completely in this room now from where Stiles had slept in his bed with him so many nights now. It made the wolf and coyote in him calm down at having Stiles somewhere to himself, somewhere that was just theirs.

He reached out and undid his mate's jeans peeling them down his legs, and reached up to tug his top off, he paused looking at Stiles questioningly when he touched the waist band of Stiles' boxer shorts, but Stiles just smiled and nodded, letting Theo pull the blood-stained fabric from his body. He watched amused as Theo stripped himself off much quicker and was lifting Stiles from his feet again before the Fox knew it.

He said nothing, just rested his head tiredly on Theo's shoulder as his mate carried him through to the en suite, and quickly had the shower on and heating up for them, stepping in still holding Stiles in his arms. Stiles was happy to stay where he was as the water washed down on them, loosening all the blood, dirt and sweat that was coating their skin, smelling strongly to both their noses now that they were paying attention. Theo seemed disinclined to place him down, happy to stand holding him to his chest as the hot water sank into their aching, tired bodies, and Stiles just closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of the hot water, the feeling of Theo's warm, wet skin against his own, and enjoyed the natural scent of Theo becoming more and more clear to his nose as the other scents were washed away, his enhanced senses allowing him to deeply breathe in the wonderful musky scent that was naturally lemony, with a hint of chocolate and what Stiles associated as the sweet spice of ginger.

Inside his chest, his Fox, newly awakened, still a little sleepy and confused was nonetheless rolling on his back happily, belly up at being surrounded by their Alpha, but more importantly their Mate.

Finally, Theo placed Stiles onto his feet and quickly and efficiently they both rubbed themselves down with shower gel, though Stiles swore that they were going to be doing this again, in a much more sexy scenario, because if they didn't those dreams would drive him absolutely mad.

He smiled warmly at his mate when Theo wrapped a large, warm towel around him and dried him off, his eyes saying so much that Stiles could feel his heart beating a little harder in his chest, smiling back when Theo smiled a little more in response to the change. Stiles brushed his teeth quickly while Theo dried off to get rid of the horrid taste he had in his mouth, and with a gentle kiss to Theo's cheek as the Alpha copied him with a scrunched nose, he went out to the bedroom…their bedroom he decided.

He had barely lain tiredly down under their covers, sighing contently at being surrounded by the smell of himself and Theo twined together, when Theo hurried out the bathroom, snapping off the light, and taking a breath when he saw Stiles lying in bed, safe and alive. The Fox reckoned that he would not be being let out of Theo's sight for very long for the next week or so, and he understood completely, especially understanding utterly now what it felt to love your mate, to have your animal calling for them. He wasn't sure he wanted Theo to be far from him for the next few weeks himself.

Theo paused to scoop up their pile of clothes with a scrunched nose of distaste, opening their bedroom door and chucking them down the hallway, before he closed the door again and hurried over to where his mate was lying in bed waiting for him.

They settled into what was their favourite sleeping position, lying facing each other with Stiles' face pressed to Theo's chest, all the better now considering he could clearly hear the comforting thump thump thump of Theo's heartbeat and his scent filled his senses with every breath all the more clearly, he had his arms wrapped around Theo's waist and Theo had his arms wrapped around Stiles' chest, his hand spanned out between Stiles' shoulderblades, his other hand cupping the back of the Fox's head. Theo threw his leg over Stiles and tugged him even closer, Stiles tangling his legs around Theo's other leg. It was only once they were settled and entwined like this that they both let out a breath of relief, lying there holding each other tightly.

"I was terrified, terrified of what my life would look like without you, what I would do without you. I love you so much Mica, I am so glad you're here with me, in my life, my mate," Theo said into the darkness of the room.

"I want our future together, and I didn't want to be cheated of it. The last six months have been the happiest that I have been since before mom died, and I want to have the rest of our lives together Theo. I love you, I love you so much that it burns sometimes, and you make me happier than I will ever be able to say. I am proud to be your beta, I am proud to call you my Alpha. But I will always be proudest to call you my mate," Stiles tilted his head to look into those blue eyes that felt as though they could see into his soul.

He saw how much his words meant to Theo, the little boy who was so hurt and damaged by his parents' treatment of him was still in there, and he knew that in his life Theo had heard too little that he was enough, that he was wanted just as he was, loved just as he was, and that someone was proud to be connected to him. Stiles swore that he would make sure that Theo knew how happy he made him, and how happy Stiles was to be with him every single day of their lives together.

Stiles laughed when warmth washed over him through his bond with Theo, it was new and still settling, but it was so bright and strong, and Theo sent back all the feelings that Stiles had been unconsciously sending down their bond right back at him.

"I am moving in fully by the way," Stiles smiled leaning up to kiss Theo, cupping his face gently in his long-fingered hand.

"Really?" Theo gasped when they parted, unable to stop himself from leaning forward to press quick kisses to Stiles' full lips.

"Really, unless you don't want me?" Stiles grinned teasingly.

"I will always want you," Theo shook his head. "Your dad…"

"Will understand, this is what I want, I am of age so he can't do anything about it, and he should be happy for me, for the fact that I have this in my life. He told me what you said to him when he talked to you in the cafe, and I saw you flashing your eyes at him down there,"

"Are you mad?" Theo asked even though he couldn't smell, or sense any anger in Stiles.

"No. It means a lot that you will stand up for me and protect me from my enemies, it means even more that you will protect me from those I love and care about. Even though he doesn't mean it, we fell into an unhealthy situation, for you to actually say something about it to try and make it better and help me means a lot to me, especially considering everything was so new and you didn't know how he or I would react. It makes me know that you really do love me and that you want to protect me," Stiles smiled.

"I love you," Theo nodded. "You will always be my priority, always Mica," Theo pressed their noses together, closing his eyes and just soaked up the two of them being here together. They fell asleep fairly quickly wrapped around each other, the events of everything that had happened catching up with them, Theo hadn't slept in nearly 48 hours having been watching over his mate, though even now he couldn't fully relax, his hearing absently keeping one ear on Stiles, listening to his heartbeat and making sure that he was still with him.

---

"Hey beautiful," Theo's words had Stiles smiling before he opened his eyes, the Alpha had obviously been awake and heard the change in his heartbeat indicating that he was waking up. Stiles opened his eyes and flashed them from amber to purple to his Alpha, Theo flashing his red eyes back at him before he leaned down and kissed Stiles gently.

The Fox shifted, wiggling a little as he deepened the kiss between them until he could open his legs and Theo settled between his open thighs, the two of them pressed close together from hips to their mouths, and he groaned as his Alpha rocked against him, their hard erections pressing together with perfect pleasure.

It felt as though they were in their own little world, safe within the covers of their bed, their warm bodies wrapped around each other, Stiles wrapped his legs around Theo's waist and gasped at the feeling of their bare skin pressing together, how amazing it felt, especially surrounded by the extra stimulation of the smell and sounds of Theo's pleasure, not to mention his blown red eyes as he looked down at Stiles, panting heavily through kiss swollen lips.

"Are you sure?" Theo asked panting through the pleasure as he pressed his hands to either side of Stiles' head, looking down at his perfect mate. He wasn't sure how he had gotten this lucky, but he was thankful to whoever had brought them together.

"Please, need you," Stiles nodded. Theo slicked his heavy erection up as quickly as he could with the lube from his bedside draw, they had done this before, but it felt different, so different with the mate bond humming between them, feeding a loop of each other's pleasure and emotions, the knowledge that they were each others, that they were bonded for life, just made everything even better, and when Theo slid inside of Stiles' body the two of them groaned against each other's mouths at just how utterly right it felt.

They rocked together, gentle and slow at first, just familiarising themselves with each other especially considering they had been sure that they would never get this again for a few moments, but also learning each other from the new aspect of their relationship and the changes that had taken place.

Theo stared down into Stiles' eyes, locked into them and locking his mate's into his own as he rocked into Stiles' body, pulling back slowly and sliding forward with smooth, slow pushes, there was no rush between them, there was no urge to hurry through it, they both needed the other, needed to know that they were together, and take pleasure from each other, sharing it. Their eyes flickered between their human eyes and their were eyes, showing that the animal and the human were both present in the moment.

Stiles clung onto his mate's body, his fingers buried into Theo's shoulders, his legs wrapped around Theo's waist holding onto his mate to make sure that he couldn't get away from him, not that Theo was going anywhere. The heat built between them, their sweat slicked skin slid together making more nerve ends tingle with pleasure, their breaths mixed together as they panted against each other's mouths, occasionally pressing their lips together in tender, deep kisses, but mostly just resting their foreheads together, existing only in the moment together.

When Stiles came it didn't hit him like a train or slam into him, it washed over him like a tide, flowing up his body until he was spilling between their stomachs with a soft cry, holding onto Theo even tighter as the pleasure washed over him, Theo slid into him one more time, the tight, clenching heat of Stiles' body, the scent of his pleasure, the sound of his pleasure washing over him, and he spilt deep into his mate, coating him with his hot essence before dropping onto the bed beside his mate, wrapping him in his arms and cuddling him close as they both came down from their pleasure.

It was only half an hour later as they just lay together exchanging lazily kisses, not needing to say anything as they lay there tangled together when they heard the raised voices from downstairs. The two of them sighed and looked at each other exasperated before making their way out of the bed, tugging on some clothes before making their way downstairs.

They were shocked to realise one of the raised voices was Mellissa's, the other was the Sheriff, though it sounded as though Lydia was chipping in every now and then where she could. They hurried into the living room and found Mellissa standing there facing the Sheriff, Lydia, Liam and Malia.

"You need to arrest him!" Mellissa shouted seeing Theo.

"Why would I do that? All you have done is stand here and shout at how I am protecting my son's lover, want to tell me from what?" The Sheriff crossed his arms.

"Deaton says he won't fully heal!" Mellissa shouted.

"Really? Good!" Theo hissed walking into the room fully. Mellissa swung at him to slap him as soon as he was within reach but he caught her wrist and held it firmly, getting into her face and flashing his furious red eyes at her. "The only reason I am not snapping your wrist is because Stiles cares for you, even if you have cared very little for him recently!"

"What?" Mellissa jerked back but Theo wouldn't release her.

"For someone who cares to have loved Stiles like a son, you have shown it very little, how many times have you spoken to your son about the way he treats Stiles? How many times have you actually checked in on Stiles, seen how he was doing, made sure he was coping? When he was struggling with not telling his father about what was going on you didn't step in and help him, you didn't offer any support or advice, you didn't try and help him because as far as you could see it meant that your son was safer, so what did it matter if Stiles was ripping himself apart? Your son has treated Stiles like shit for years now! Your son hung up on Stiles three times when he was being chased through the preserve at two in the morning instead of answering his damned phone and seeing why his 'best friend' was so desperately trying to get hold of him.."

"No, no! I…he wouldn't!" Mellissa argued, but the words sounded unsure to everyone's ears.

"He did! And if Stiles hadn't called me he would be dead now! I barely got there in time, I didn't get there in time to prevent Stiles from being injured! And your son is scarred now? Good! I hope every single cut scars so that he remembers what he did! He nearly killed Stiles himself, only me biting Stiles saved him from dying, and even then it was too close. He sliced up his stomach with his fucking claws! That is why I attacked him, that is why he is scarred, because I was protecting my mate!" Theo snarled.

"No, he wouldn't…he…he cares about Stiles…he…"

"He came here because he couldn't believe that I would choose Theo over him, despite the fact that he has been a terrible friend to me since he was turned, he…"

"It is your fault he was turned!" Mellissa spat but then covered her mouth right away with a horrified look on her face as Stiles snapped his mouth shut at her words. The slap was resonating through the room and Mellissa's head snapped to the side before she turned to look at Lydia with a stunned expression on her face, everyone else was looking as stunned, Theo standing right beside Lydia having let go of Mellissa's arm in his shock was looking down at her impressed.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare throw that on Stiles! Scott could have said no! Scott didn't have to go with Stiles that night, and if he is too stupid to know to say no then you're an irresponsible parent for leaving him at him alone at night! Stiles didn't know what was going on, Stiles didn't know that Peter was going to bite him! And Scott has gotten a pretty sweet deal out of it all till now! No asthma, popular in school, the cute girlfriend, I heard that he was looking at being able to get a scholarship because of his Lacrosse skills and because he is Captain to college to do his veterinary course, seems like it worked out terrible for him! Don't you dare blame Stiles, all he has ever done for Scott is be at his side and try and help him until Scott was too busy out fucking a girl from school to answer his phone when Stiles needed him! Your son is a shit, selfish, self-righteous, stupid moron!" Lydia dealt the words out as though they were blows, and each of them hit hard.

"He came here to drag me away from Theo when I said no that I wouldn't be going with him, and that he was starting to scare me, he got angry, and he lashed out when I tried to push him away from dragging me out of the yard. He struck out and he cut my stomach open. Theo had to bite me, and where the change will normally take only ten hours to fully take place, I was unconscious for over 24 hours because of the blood loss and how close to dying I was. That is why Theo attacked him," Stiles took Theo's hand as he came to stand at his side, facing the woman that he had once cared so much for with a tilted chin.

"He wouldn't…"

"Go ask Derek, he was here as well. As it is, I want you out of my house now," Stiles narrowed his eyes. Theo straightened happily next to him at his phrasing.

"No…no I won't I am going to press charges and…"

"And what? The marks have clearly been left by claws, Theo is human, all of us are human, and none of us have any mountain lion sized pets around here, no one will believe Theo did it," Parrish said as he walked into the room.

"Then…I will speak to Chris!" Mellissa nodded.

"If Chris is stupid enough to interfere in Pack business then that will be on him, but I don't think he will be that stupid. We are the dominant Pack in this territory, Scott, an Alpha, came onto another Alpha's den territory and tried to steal his mate, then nearly killed his mate, Theo would have been within his rights to kill Scott if he had wanted to and Chris by Hunter laws wouldn't be able to do anything about it," Stiles shrugged.

"I suggest you leave now Mellissa and keep your son under control, he is lucky I was in a rush to get to Stiles that night," The Sheriff warned.

"I…" Mellissa cast a sad look at Stiles, seeming to want to say something but turned and made her way out, however, Stiles' newly enhanced hearing picked up what she said before she walked out the house, "he lied to me, he said Theo had attacked him,"

There was an uncomfortable silence around them as they stood there for a few moments, the others having trickled down during the argument, but then as ever, Stiles broke the silence. He clapped his hands loudly making everyone jump a little.

"Right I am making an executive decision, we're going to order lunch in and put a film on and just have a lazy day," Stiles announced tugging Theo behind him as he made his way into the kitchen, the others trailing behind.

"Will there be meat?" Malia asked.

"For the last time, I am sorry about the vegetarian restaurant! Yes, there will be meat!" Stiles threw his hands up exasperatedly.

"I'm still tired," Liam whined dropping his head onto Stiles' chest who absently reached up and started running his fingers through his hair while he glared at a smug-looking Malia, Lydia was ordering Mason and Corey around to get the coffee and tea going, and getting juice and water onto the table though Theo had no doubt they would come whining to Stiles about being overworked who would hide them from Lydia's wrath. Parrish had collapsed at the table and gone back to sleep resting his head on it, snoring away loudly, Hayden was in the chair next to him, her feet on his lap, her head on the chair next to the one she was lying across also snoring. The Sheriff picked up Malia's clothes with an exasperated sigh when he tripped over them on his way back from the bathroom, the Coyote stretched and trotted to the french windows to make herself comfortable in the sun coming through them till lunch was delivered.

"Where is Kira?" Theo frowned looking around for his missing Pack member.

"I am so so sorry!" The cry followed a small smashing noise coming from the living room.

"Found her," Theo snorted. "You ok?" He called already heading through to make sure that she didn't give herself a heart attack stressing about whatever she had smashed. Everything that was expensive or important had been moved above hers and Stiles flailing range anyway so he wasn't worried that it was going to be something he would be upset about. Honestly, the Alpha in him had had kittens every single time he had seen her wield her Kantana for the first few months since she had joined his Pack, how she could be so skilled to be able to deflect arrows and bullets with the sword but not walk across a room without knocking into something he didn't know.

"I'm fine!" She grimaced at him motioning to the cheap vase that was smashed on the floor.

"Come on, lazy day, we will clean it up after food," Theo shook his head turning and squinting down a little. She let out a disbelieving giggle, but threw herself onto his back anyway so that he could carry her through to the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed their faces together, scenting her Alpha.

"You two are good for each other," she said softly.

"Yeah, we are," he smiled at his mate as Stiles turned around from the centre of the chaos of trying to organise who wanted what, his mate automatically smiling for him, smiling even brighter as he took in his mate and friend.

He never thought that he would be good for anyone before. But he thought that he was actually good for Stiles, that he made his life better.

---

"Last box," Stiles sighed dropping it down onto Theo's bedroom floor and looking around at the number of boxes with a grimace, before he could say anything Theo put down the box he was holding onto their bed and moved forward to catch Stiles' lips in a kiss.

"Most of these are your books, they will be moving into the library anyway," Theo smiled.

"I can't believe you're making me a library as a moving in present," Stiles shook his head as he wrapped his arms around Theo's shoulders.

"It would have been a surprise if your puppy could keep his mouth shut," Theo rolled his eyes.

"You should have known better than to involve him, he can't keep anything from me," Stiles laughed.

"Hmm, I have learned my lesson, when I propose to you I definitely will not involve him," Theo snorted.

"You don't need to propose, this is enough for me," Stiles shook his head running his hand over his mating bite.

"I don't have to," Theo agreed leaning forward to press a kiss to his mark on Stiles. Lifting his head to kiss his mate, "but I want to, I want to be bound to you every way, including the human way, I was thinking we could go away to get married, a beach somewhere, just us and our pack," Theo smiled as Stiles' scent brightened along with his eyes, clearly also liking the idea.

"That wouldn't be too bad," Stiles grinned.

"Wouldn't be too bad! Charming!" Theo huffed but then his eyes caught on something. "Is that…"

"My heart, of course!" Stiles plucked the glass box from inside the cardboard box it was sitting in at Stiles' feet before he looked around thoughtfully, and then made his way across the room to place it next to a photograph of Stiles and him that Lydia had snapped of them, wrapped around each other and smiling happily, Theo had quickly framed it and put it on the mantle of his fireplace in his bedroom, now their bedroom.

Stiles shuffled things around a little before he stood back and nodded happily, the dragon thing's heart was frozen in the glass box, with the strip of scales preserved and wrapped around it as well.

Theo wrapped his arms around Stiles from behind and pressed kisses to his neck and cheek. "I love you, Mica,"

"I love you too," Stiles turned in his arms and sealed their lips together. They had the rest of their lives together, and neither of them could wait for one day of it.

---

Packs at the end of the story:

Theo

Theo

Corey

Mason

Hayden

Stiles

Liam

Lydia

Sheriff

Parrish

Malia

Kira

Scott

Scott

Melissa

Allison

Derek

Derek

Peter

Isaac

Cora