Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think; I would love to know XD I own nothing and no one apart from the following: Ms Scarlet Johnson, Octavian, Jasmine (Jaz), Miguel, Sasha,Janice (J), Jessie, Luna (Lu/LuLu), Grace (Gracie), Olivia Bishop (Olive/Livy, Liv), Skylar Harvelle (Sky), Owen Palmer, Jason, Martin and Callum.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: like everyone else, I have no idea what Stiles' real name is, so I'm going along with what everyone else puts :) and I've made his middle name up XD

Please, please review XD

SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, BUT I'M IN STARTED UNIVERSITY!

Chapter 22 - Part 1

Stiles

It was two days after we had done the shots, after I had won my six hundred dollars, that we had another 'Pack Bonding Day', as Scott would affectionately call it. I had been wrangled into joining yet again, though nothing bad had happened.

Yet.

That morning, everyone gathered at the house after breakfast. For a time, everyone just sat around talking - about things they had been up to with their family, any plans they had in the coming weeks, about school starting up again son. Just really relaxed, day-to-day conversation.

After a few hours, Derek decided it was time to train. It was the first time I had ever seen it. Obviously, I didn't take part. Not that they would let me. Scott and Derek insisted it was because they didn't want me getting hurt, the 'considering what's happened to you' was implied. I just sat on a pile of mats, off to the side of the room in the basement, watching them all spare against each other. It was fascinating, really. I mean, I had seen kids fight at the Agency, but I hadn't seen real training. The fluidity of their movements were astounding, the precision in the attacks, the speed of the defence... It was like nothing I had ever seen before. What made it all the better, was I knew they were good. They wouldn't try and hurt anyone like me.

Lunchtime meant going to Johnny's. When Olivia served us, they all got a bit...sheepish. The two of us couldn't help but snicker. The looks on their faces were priceless when Olivia read out our order before anyone had even said anything. They all seemed a lot more relaxed with Olivia around. Honestly, I didn't realise it was that big of a deal, them thinking I was dating her, I mean. I didn't understand why they got so weird about it anyway...

By the time we got back to Derek's place, it was coming up half past four. Since it was getting later and Derek's Pack were, more than likely, going to stay for dinner, Derek decided it might be good for everyone to just stay the night. Saying it would be a 'good experience for everyone'. I couldn't believe how quick they were to agree but, I suppose, since Derek was their Alpha they had to... I didn't know. That was the only time they left - to get things for the next day, pyjamas and to tell their parents. That was the only time, that day, I was left alone with Derek.

"Want to help me set up?" he asked, leaning against the stairway railing.

Looking at the Alpha, I couldn't believe it was the same man that would join Scott and me in the diner. That Derek had been gruff, a tad rough with all his brute force... This Derek? The Derek I had gotten to know since he rescued me? He was kind, gently. He spoke softly and always made sure I was ok; always made sure I was included. It was still so strange, though I suppose it had only been just over three weeks...

"Wh-What do you want me to do?" I stuttered, fiddling with a loose string on my sleeve.

"Come with me." Derek said, a small smile on his face.

He waited until I could walk next to him, stepping in time with me as we climbed the stairs. He kept little space between us - far enough that it felt comfortable, yet close enough that I could feel the back of his hand brushing mine.

He didn't say anything as we walked. The silence almost calming. I didn't feel pressured into trying to talk, like I did when the others were around. I never felt comfortable around them. If it was Derek, or Scott, or Allison, or all three, or just two of them, I was fine. But all nine of them together? I just felt too cornered. I felt like I was looking over my shoulder, every step I took. I couldn't stop being so on edge.

Derek led me to the top floor of his house, stopping once he reached the small stretch of hallway between our two rooms.

"Just grab as many blankets, duvets and pillows as you can, then we'll take them down to the living room." Derek told me, still smiling gently. "You don't have to get on them with us, if you don't feel comfortable. You can sit on the couch near us, if you want."

"Are you planning on some kind of Puppy Pile, or something?" I snorted.

"Pretty much. It helps brings a Pack closer together; let's our scents mix together so others know which Pack someone belongs to."

Kind of like a family...

Luna and Jessie were spending the night at friends houses. The rest of Derek's family were in the house, but told us they would be staying out of the way. In a way, it made me feel a little more comfortable that there wasn't going to be a lot of people to deal with, but I was a lot more used to Derek's family then I was the majority of Derek's Pack - Scott and Allison excluded, of course.

Derek's Pack all seemed to turn up together, only, about, half an hour after they had all left. As soon as they walked into the living room, they had all practically nosedived onto the nest Derek and I had made. The Betas and Derek all lay on top of all the blankets, duvets and pillows, but I decided I'd take the couch behind them, snuggling down into my own duvet, with Wolfy hidden under the covers with me. The last thing I needed was for Jackson to see him - I'd never live it down!

It was to be a movie night. Hundreds of movies laid out for everyone to choose from. I was guessing, considering how many were there, the movie night was going on into the next day, possibly even longer... Sighing, I just tried not to think about it.

The first movie to be played was The Notebook, mainly because no one wanted to deal with the wrath of Lydia. This way, it was over and done with and we didn't have to suffer through it again - well, not until they decided to have another movie night, I suppose.

I didn't really pay much attention to the movie. I just sat there, staring down at Wolfy through a small gap in my duvet, running my fingers through the fake fur. I wasn't used to all the closeness, I still didn't feel safe. But I was trying, I was trying for Scott and Allison, I was trying for Derek. I thought trying to distract myself with Wolfy would help, though it would relax me a little so I could deal with it all. I couldn't stop feeling so antsy.

I needed to move.

I needed to do something.

I was so used to cleaning, never having time or being allowed to just sit down!

I didn't know what to do with myself... When I was at Scott's house, it was easy. It was just me and my best friend, in a place I was more than familiar with. I felt at home there, I didn't have to keep looking over my shoulder there. I knew Melissa and Scott, I had known them since...well, I couldn't even remember, that was how long I had known them. But, in Derek's house, with the entirety of Derek's Pack? I just felt on edge.

I didn't like the stillness. I didn't like how silent everyone was. At the Agency, whenever it was like that, it meant I was just about to be dragged off by Ms Johnson, or attacked by Octavian's goons, or pounced on by Octavian himself.

Stillness and silence meant bad things would happen.

I didn't realise that my thoughts had started to change my scent, in turn affecting the wolves. I didn't realise how they all started to shift around, anxiously. I didn't realise how the hair on the back of their necks had started to stand on end.

I didn't realise. Not until a hand landed on my knee.

I practically leapt off of the couch. I made myself as small as possible, pressing myself into the back of the couch as hard as I could. I saw Scott's hand, hovering in the air, his eyes full of worry and concern.

I just gave him a shaky smile, trying to relax as much as I could.

They were all watching me. The movie had been paused, all of them turning to look at me. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. What could I say to them? How could I make it better? I could feel myself starting to shake slightly. Not so much that it was noticeable, but enough that your could tell if you knew what you were looking for.

Derek and Scott seemed to be the only ones to notice.

"Why don't we get take out?" Derek suggested, clearing his throat.

"Oooo, can we get Chinese?" Isaac grinned.

Just like that, there attention was captivated. I sat and listened, feeling my body slowly start to unwind. The noise was good, the noise was nice. I just sat back and listened, reaching out to light grab hold of Scott's wrist. Scott didn't even look my way, just turned his hand slowly so he could grab my wrist too. He squeezed gently, knowing that the small bit of reassurance meant so much to me, just knowing he was there for me.

I watched as Derek removed himself from the pile on the floor, walking over to the house phone to get ready to order the food - Chinese, they thought it was a good idea. All everyone had to do was say what they wanted before it was ordered.

"I'll go get it!" I offered. "It's not that far and they always put the food in bags, so it's nothing I can't handle. And it saves having to wait for delivery; you can never tell how long that'll take."

They were hesitant. They all were. None of them seemed to think it was a good idea to let me out of the house, even though the sun was still out.

"Oh, come on! I need out of the house; I need to do something!" I moaned. "I'll take my cell, you can call if I take too long, or I'll call if I think I'm in trouble or something. Come on, please?"

Derek broke. I thought it would take a lot more to break him, not that I thought there would be any chance of him saying yes, but I was wrong. He sighed, agreeing that I could go, as long as I promised to call if I thought something was wrong, even if it was just someone looking at me funny. It didn't matter how small it was, I had to promise.

So I did.

Very quickly, everyone decided what they wanted and Derek ordered.

He gave me the money, telling me to be careful. I just smiled, nodding vigorously, promising I'd be back before it started to get dark.

I practically ran out of the house.

I loved being out of the house. The air was clean and slightly chilly, the sky was this beautiful light orange... It was just so peaceful. I felt so free. I hadn't felt that in a long time whilst being outside. Usually, I was stiff and on guard the entire time, constantly looking around me and assessing everything. Worrying about who could be around the next corner, or in the next store.

I had never been able to enjoy being outside since being at the Agency.

I couldn't say what it was about that day that made me so calm. Maybe it was something in the air? Maybe it was the fact that I was trusted to do this alone? I couldn't tell. I just knew it felt great. I wanted to feel it more often.

It didn't take me long to get to the restaurant and pick up the food. It only took, about, twenty minutes, if that. I would admit, the bags were heavy as hell, but the weight felt good. The walk back to the house would take that long anyway, so it wasn't like the bags would be that much of an issue.

I hadn't long walked out of the restaurant when I saw them. Octavian and his group of thugs.

The five of them always seemed to be together - Octavian, Owen, Jason, Martin and Callum. At the Agency, they would always be together, unless Octavian decided to mess with me. Seeing Owen in the diner, by himself, was kind of a shock to be honest. I had fully expected Octavian to suddenly turn up...

My entire body ran cold. I gripped the handles of the bags tighter, walking faster as I kept my head down, hoping they wouldn't see me.

But of course they did. They saw me and they made their way over to me, following me. I just kept walking. Kept my head down and kept walking, hoping I could get to the house before they did anything.

Yeah, I wish.

I didn't realise how close they had gotten, not until a hand punched the middle of my back, jolting me forward. The bags dropped from my hands - nothing fell out, nothing had burst open, but even I could see the dents in some of the boxes.

I was too worried, wondering if Derek would be mad, that I didn't see the fist coming to the side of my head. The pain was nothing compared to what Ms Johnson would do to me, but the impact still made me stumble, falling to the ground.

For the first time I didn't feel scared. I felt angry. The feeling was steadily rising, almost consuming me... It was such a new feeling.

They continued to hit me. Punching and kicking whatever part of me they could reach. Who the hell did they think they were?!

"Oh, Kitten, this would have been a lot easier for you, if you had just submitted to me." Octavian snickered. "Would have been a lot more enjoyable, too."

"Enjoyable? With that tiny little thing you call a dick?" I chuckled, glancing up at the Pixy. "You're delusional."

Octavian's face grew dark, the smirk dropping from his face. He growled lowly, walking forward to grab me by my hair, yanking my head back. At that angle, I could see his sharp teeth glinting in the light, could see the slight point of his chin.

"What did you say to me?" he hissed.

"You heard me." I grinned. "Besides, who'd ever want to submit to you?"

His hold on my hair tightened, I could feel the points of his claws digging into my scalp. Obviously he didn't like the truth very much...

"Everyone, that's who. Even you in the right situation." Octavian snarled. "I bet you'd submit to anything. Even that piece of shit Alpha. They're probably only using you as a fuck toy."

I could feel my blood rushing, boiling.

I could feel my heart rate speed up.

I could feel my nails pierce the palms of my hands as I fisted them.

"I bet your nothing by Hale's catamite." Octavian whispered.

Everything went black.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in bed.

My head was pounding, a high ringing sounding in my ears. I felt like I had been through the wringer; everything hurt.

I couldn't remember anything. The last thing I could remember was Octavian insulting Derek.

Why can't I remember anything else?

Slowly, I tried to sit up. It just made my head spin, the pressure feeling like it was crushing my skull. My stomach wouldn't settle. It kept flipping, churning, falling. Nothing felt right.

As I moved my legs off of the bed, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I practically flew off the bed, almost collapsing from the pressure in my head. I ran to the bathroom, only just managing to lift the seat of the toilet up before my stomach erupted.

Blood vessels on my temples popped from the strain, my throat almost clogging up. I could hardly breathe. I could barely suck in any air between as I emptied the contents of my stomach.

It hurt. It tasted foul.

I just wanted it to stop. I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Within seconds, I heard the door to the bedroom and the bathroom open. I didn't look up to see who had come walking in. I didn't react as much as I usually would to the hand that was placed on my back, rubbing soothing circles into the muscles. I suppose, if I had, it would have only aggravated my stomach further.

I heard a cupboard door open and shut.

I heard the water running.

Before I knew it a cold, damp cloth was swiping gently at my neck, forehead and face. I could barely feel it on my burning skin.

"Did you guys plough me with whiskey last night, or something?" I groaned, heaving into the bowl of the toilet.

"You didn't drink any alcohol." Derek whispered, carefully. "Stiles, what's the last thing you remember?"

"What kind of question is that?"

My grip on the bowl tightened as I retched again, my knuckles turning an alarming shade of white.

"Just answer me, Stiles." Derek insisted.

"Getting the food last night." I coughed. "Octavian showed up. He was spouting some shit... Did he knock me out?"

"This is bad..."

Swallowing down the feeling in my stomach, I turned slightly to look at Derek. He looked slightly pale, the bags under his eyes far more prominent than I had ever seen them. He was frowning, mouth pulled into a tight line as he tried to focus on moving the cloth against my skin.

"What's bad? What aren't you telling me?" I whispered.

"Stiles, Octavian didn't knock you out." Derek told me.

"What do you mean?"

For a moment, Derek looked hesitant. He glanced off to the side, the debate of whether he should tell me clear in his eyes. Shakily, I moved one hand to rest on his arm.

"What day do you think it is today?" Derek sighed.

"What the-? Thursday." I frowned, heaving again.

"Stiles, today's Friday. And you haven't been knocked out."

"I don't understand..."

"Let's go downstairs and talk."

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