A belated Happy New Year!

Chapter 5: Scars

The howl pierced through the night air, making everyone shiver. Even a human would feel goosebumps on their skin from the call of a pained Alpha.

The Alpha roar rendered every werewolf in hearing range motionless. Jackson and Isaac felt their eyes flash in response, respectively blue and golden. Both of them made a deep whining noise. The pack bond was making them feel a pain in their chest that was clearly emanating from their Alpha. It was kind of subdued but they could imagine how crushing it was for the Alpha. Scott, to his surprise, found himself submitting to the Alpha and his eyes flashed golden as well.

Derek felt his vision turn red and his focus zoned solely on the injured human. He forgot all about his environment, about the shifted betas and the full moon. His body moved on its own accord and he rushed towards Stiles before anyone could get their bearings back. He pulled Boyd away from Stiles with one hand and took the human in his arms.

The others were still reeling from the Alpha roar that was heard all over Beacon Hills. Jackson felt the pack bond get stronger as he started to feel the missing betas. He looked over to see Erica shifting back, just her eyes kept flashing golden. Boyd was all human again as well, his eyes looked unfocused but he wasn't growling or attacking anymore.

Jackson shifted his attention to the resurrected Hale sister to see her letting out deep breaths through her mouth. Her eyes were a deep golden but her beta shift had retracted again. She looked at every one of them and her eyes froze on Derek. Jackson could sense multiple emotions coming from the youngest Hale. Distress, anger, joy, fear.. all of it reminded him of Derek when he first saw his sister. They really were siblings.

Jackson shifted his focus back to the Alpha who was cradling the injured human in his arms. Derek barked out, "Get the car! Now!"

He took Stiles in his arms bridal style and moved towards the car. The Alpha halted in his steps as he heard the human trying to say something. Jackson moved closer to the duo and strained his werewolf hearing to listen to Stiles.

".. don't tell my dad." He was breathing heavily, his eyes drooping. "No hospital, they'll call Dad."

"We can take him to Deaton's." Scott was by his best friend's side in an instant. He didn't look much better himself. His shirt was barely hanging on to his body. Multiple cuts adorned the beta's face and arms, but they had already started to heal.

Jackson was the least injured among all of them. So he decided to take upon the responsibility of driving unanimously. He pulled open the driver's side of the jeep, the keys were still in the ignition.

"Isaac, Peter, take them back to the loft and keep an eye on them." Derek gestured to the three rescued betas. His eyes lingered on Cora for a moment longer. She wanted to go with her brother, her eyes held a desperation that would sway Derek on any day. But not now. The human in his arms was more important. He couldn't rest until he would know for sure that Stiles would be fine. His Alpha roar may have snapped them back but he couldn't take a chance.

Jackson started the jeep. He surprisingly found himself praying that Stiles wouldn't bite his head off for driving his beloved jeep. Scott climbed in the passenger seat wordlessly. Somehow, they knew that Derek would want to stay with Stiles as they drove to the vet clinic. Derek climbed in the backseat with Stiles on his lap. The younger boy was on the verge of unconsciousness. Scott immediately turned back to look at his best friend and noticed the black lines passing through Derek's veins. The Alpha was drawing out the human's pain as they drove. Scott reached back to put his hand on Stiles's arm, drawing his pain out as well. Jackson glanced in the rearview mirror and saw both the werewolves touching the human to make him as comfortable as possible with what Stiles loved to call 'werewolf voodoo healing'.

Jackson wanted to drain Stiles's pain too but he had to focus on driving. He decided to focus on the road instead and get them to Deaton's as soon as possible.


It's my fault, it's my fault.. He shouldn't be hurt. Please be okay.

Derek focused on the heartbeat of the human in his arms. He felt somewhat relieved that the heartbeat was still steady. He didn't lose contact with Stiles's skin once. He kept draining the pain away as the jeep got closer to the vet clinic. Stiles was unconscious now.

As soon as the jeep stopped in front of the clinic, Derek wrung the door open. Thankfully, the door didn't come off. Stiles would definitely smack him with a wolfsbane-laced bat if anything happened to his precious Roscoe.

He noticed Jackson and Scott getting out of the jeep as well. Jackson moved towards the clinic's entrance door while Scott moved closer to Derek. His cuts were almost healed but Derek could still smell some fresh blood coming from the beta. He definitely needs to get looked at as well.

They noted the shiny bald head of the veterinarian after stepping in through the doors. The man was calm as ever, not a single crease on his forehead. As soon as he noticed Stiles in Derek's arms, his movements became faster. Scott started to go through the events of the night as Deaton led them towards a room inside. There was a med table on one side with a sheet covering it. Derek laid Stiles down on the bed but he didn't move away. He still held onto one of his hands and kept draining the pain.

Deaton stared to cut away Stiles's shirt as Scott reached the point where Boyd slashed Stiles's side. Deaton just eyed Derek's hand on Stiles's arm once and the black veins. He didn't say anything; just kept stitching up the wounds.

"Why did you bring him here? Why not a hospital? They are definitely more than capable of taking care of an injured human." Deaton's voice was calm and steady. Jackson hated that he couldn't note any change in the vet's heartbeat or scent after they stepped through the doors. The guy gave him serious creeps.

"Stiles insisted." Derek was the one who answered the older man. The Alpha's eyes never left the human.

"He lost some blood but it's not that serious," Deaton said as he pulled off his gloves. "Thankfully, the claws didn't go that deep. I stitched up the wounds as best as I could. Now we just wait for him to wake up. There shouldn't be any side effects or ramifications other than a few scars." The older man stopped in front of Derek and looked him straight in the eyes. "He'll be fine, Alpha Hale."

Derek nodded his head after a moment. "Thank you."

Deaton stepped away from the unconscious human and the Alpha glued to his side. He noticed his apprentice looking dejectedly at his best friend.

"I think I should take a look at you as well, Scott. You don't look like you're doing so well." The veterinarian put a comforting hand on the beta's shoulder and gently guided him away from the room. Scott tried to protest. "Doc, you sure he's gonna be okay?"

His eyes were welling up as he looked at the boy he considered his brother. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Stiles. After he heard what Gerard did to Stiles and the betas, he was devastated. He kept blaming himself for Stiles getting hurt like that. The feisty human just smacked him upside down on the head and demanded curly fries as an apology.

Deaton led Scott away; his reassuring words drifting away as they stepped outside the room. Jackson focused his attention back on his Alpha and the human lying on the table. The Alpha was not scared anymore. He was disappointed, in himself. Jackson knew Derek would blame himself if anything happened to any of them, that's just who he is. He always carried the burden of the world on his shoulders.

He had no idea how to take some guilt off of the older man's shoulders. He saw the state of Derek's back when they were getting Stiles into the clinic. He was still bleeding from the numerous slashes Erica had donned upon him as he got distracted by Stiles's injury. Jackson knows it would be futile to convince the Alpha to get some rest or move away for even a second. He just prayed their pack human recovers soon.


He felt like someone plunged a hot knife on his side. It was burning like hell. His vision was dark.

That's what happens when you fall unconscious.

He tried to focus on his other senses. He couldn't hear anything except for some low murmured voices. He thought one of them could be Scott but couldn't say for sure. Then his focus shifted onto his skin again, particularly, his hand.

Someone was holding his hand.

Old Stiles would pray to every single deity out there for the hand to be Lydia's. But Stiles hadn't thought about the fiery redhead like that for a while. Besides, the hand holding his was definitely not feminine. Stiles tried to move his fingers, but he felt like his body was paralyzed from head to toe. He wasn't sure whether he was successful in moving the fingers to let the person beside him know that he was coming back to the world of the living.

If it was a werewolf, they would already know.

Oh my God, don't tell me it's Jackson! He might be less douchy now but I cannot handle this.

He felt the warm, calloused hand holding his move a little. A thumb brushed over his skin, making the spot tingle with something he couldn't name. Then he heard a voice. A very familiar one.

"Stiles?" It was softer than he had ever heard before but Stiles knew for sure that it was the resident Sourwolf. He slowly opened his eyes and surely, beautiful blue-green eyes met his own. The all-too-familiar thick pair of eyebrows were scrunched up in worry.

"Hey, Sourwolf.." Stiles finally found his voice with some effort. It sounded hoarse and nearly inaudible to his own ears but he was sure the super werewolf senses would be able to pick his words. He could see relief flash over the Alpha's face.

Derek moved closer to Stiles, his hand still gripping the smaller one firmly. He felt like he could finally breathe properly. He had no idea how much time had passed since Stiles got hurt and they came to the clinic. His eyes and mind both were solely focused on the teen laying on the med table in front him. Derek had to listen to the steady rhythm of heartbeats and see the rise and fall of Stiles's chest with his own eyes.

Derek heard movement behind him but he didn't move away. He already knew it was Jackson coming in to check in on them. The pack bond alerted him of the change in his Alpha's mood. Derek was certain that his betas were starting to feel Stiles and Scott through their pack bond as well. His wolf was ready to finally accept the reluctant werewolf and his human friend in their pack.

He would've offered Stiles to officially join his pack long ago. But Scott was still reluctant about being part of the Hale clan after what Peter did. And he didn't want to put Stiles in a position where he would have to disagree with his best friend.

Yes, he was that wishful in thinking that Stiles wouldn't dismiss his offer of joining their pack just because his stubborn best friend didn't want to. The fiery human already helped them so much, always putting himself in danger. Derek was starting to feel hopeful about offering both of them a place in his pack after what happened tonight. Even though his attention was mostly on Stiles after Boyd slashed him, he did feel the effects of his Alpha roar. That was the most powerful roar he had ever let out and he felt Scott's wolf submit to him, not just his betas. Even his sister submitted despite her trying to fight her wolf.

Oh God! Cora!

Now that he knew Stiles would be okay, he could focus on his sister again. A sister he believed to be dead. Peter wasn't the only living family he had left, how great was that?

Derek felt Jackson move closer to the med table and another pair of footsteps joined them soon.

"Stiles!" The beta was looking much better than before. He had another pair of shirt on, without any scratches or holes. He probably had some extra clothes stashed in the clinic considering the amount of time they had to visit the wise vet; lots of these visits had injuries alongside.

Scott rushed to his best friend. He stopped from hugging the life out of Stiles as he watched the pale teen struggle to sit up. Before Scott could move to help Stiles, another figure was right there with their hands on the human's shoulders. Stiles felt Derek and Scott help him sit. His senses were starting to get back to him. The events of the night were flashing in his mind as he recalled how he ended up in the clinic.

"Boyd.." He whispered as his eyes widened a little. "The betas, are they okay? Were they hurt? The third wolf, it was your sister! Where is she? Did you talk to her?" His voice got clearer and louder as his sharp brain soon put together everything that happened. Derek pushed him back on the bed with a firm hand on his shoulders. He adjusted a pillow behind Stiles so he could sit comfortably.

"Calm down. Everyone's fine. I told Peter and Isaac to take them to my loft. Yes, that was my sister. No, I haven't talked to her yet." He felt the teen start to calm with his answers. Derek couldn't help but feel respect for the injured human sitting in front of him. Here he was, scarred and just out of consciousness. And the first thing on his mind is inquiring about Derek's betas and sister.

Jackson was hit with a faint scent of lilacs. He could feel his Alpha giving off a warm sensation. The whole night, everyone was tensed; the Alpha most of all. But now he was finally calm, a little happy even. Was it because of Stiles?

Jackson decided to stay quiet for now. He needed to observe his Alpha and use the pack bond to track his feelings, especially around Stiles.

"Stay with Stiles and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I need to go talk to Cora." Derek said to no one in particular but Jackson knew that he was included in that order. A few months ago, he would've refused to be even near the spastic human. But now, he was growing to respect him more and more. Stiles may not have powers like the rest of them, but his heart was his biggest strength.

Derek turned to leave but he felt a hand grip his arm. He turned back to notice the human look at him with grateful eyes.

"Thank you, Derek. And don't worry, I'm sure it'll all be okay." Stiles still felt very weak but he tried his best to smile at the Alpha. Derek looked at him with wonder for a split second. He put his hand over the one on his arm and gave it a little squeeze.

"Get some rest." He looked at Scott and Jackson one last time before leaving the room.

Jackson could still smell lilacs in the room. He soon realized they were not just coming from his Alpha, but the human on the med table as well. He noticed a small smile lingering on Stiles's face as his eyes tracked the werewolf leaving.