Kyle's phone pings causing him to snap awake grabbing at his pants that are on the floor next to the bed. His face melting into a warm smile as he opens the message.
From Isaac: Our mate is beautiful. I miss you so much.
Attached are several pictures of Paul. Some in the kitchen eating, others are minutes old and show the battered human sleeping. His face slack and soft. Kyle Pauses on the last picture which shows both Isaac and Paul. Isaac's face partially obscured by Paul's shoulder. Isaac's expression warm and open.
"Whats up pup?" Stiles says from the other bed sitting up with a yawn. "Isaac sent pictures." Kyle replies standing and sitting on Stiles's bed so he can see as well. "His color looks better already." Stiles says as Kyle scrolls through the pictures. He'd chosen not to show Kyle the picture of a dazed and terrified Paul sitting in the bathroom Derek had sent him. "Being home and so close to Isaac is probably helping." Kyle says stopping on one of the pictures showing his slumbering mate. He gently runs his finger along Paul's jaw line. Stiles picks up on the young wolf's melancholy mood. "I'm sorry you can't be with him." "So shitty." Kyle says still gazing at the picture. "After so long he's so close. I could have him in my arms... My mate, I could have my mate in my arms for the first time in years in less than 20 minutes but I can't." "If his memory doesn't come back on its own in a day or two we'll try something else. He's in a fragile state right now. Remember what Derek said he was like when they found him. We can't do anything that will freak him out." "How do we know seeing me will hurt him though? What if it does the opposite and we're just making him suffer. Making both of us suffer for no reason." Kyle counters tossing the phone on his bed and standing up.
As Stiles opens his mouth to respond Kyle sighs. 'I know. I get it. I've waited this long…. He's home now. That's the most important part. Doesn't make being stuck here in this gross hotel room that smells like 500 people much better though." "You know they are going to puppy pile tomorrow." Stiles says. Kyle spins around and glares at Stiles. "Why would you rub that in my face?" "No..maybe. After Paul's asleep…." Stiles says as a grin slowly forms on Kyle's face. "We could sneak in? Kyle asks eyes wide with excitement. Stiles picks up his phone and starts typing. "I don't see why not so long as we're careful to wait until he is asleep. "Given what he's been through I would imagine he sleeps pretty deeply with Isaac wrapped around him" Kyle says hopefully looking at one of the pictures where Paul has both hands clasped tightly to Isaac's forearm that's holding him tight against his mates chest.
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea." Derek says the next night as Stiles and Kyle walk in the front door. Stiles glares at Derek holding Kyles hand. The young wolf looks down doing his best to not look disappointed. He turns to leave but freezes. Closing his eyes he inhales deeply through his nose. "Paul." He whispers opening his eyes to reveal a brilliant yellow glow. He turns to Derek defiance heavy in his expression and stance. Derek's eyes burn red instinctively at the this but quickly return to normal. "You've never challenged me before. I have no right to stand between you and your mate." Derek exhales heavily. "I can't stress how important it is that we don't wake him…...Come on." Derek says leading the way up the stairs towards the puppy pile in progress. "Good to see the ole baby yellows back have not seen them that bright in years." Stiles says squeezing Kyle on the back of the neck. Kyle stays put and lets his breath in and out a few times willing his wolf back. "It was not a challenge Derek. You're my Alpha I would never... I'm having a hard….I just need to be with him." the young wolf looks up beseechingly to where Derek has paused on the stairs. Derek looks back and nods. "Come on." He says with a grin gesturing with his head up the stairs.
As Kyle approaches the bed Isaac looks up at him and grins. He's got Paul pulled tight against his chest as usual. Scott looks up and smiles at Kyle and relinquishes his spot next to Paul gently lifting the arm Paul had slung across him. Slowly moving in next to his slumbering mate Kyle breathes deeply reveling in the scent. Scott lays Paul's arm across the slender wolf and settles next to Kyle pressing the ginger wolf against Paul. Kyle presses against his mate and shudders out a happy sigh. His eyes still bright yellow blinking slowly as Isaac reaches over and strokes his cheek. Everyone on the bed freezes when Paul murmurs sleepily his eyes open for a second before closing. His head moves and finds its customary place on Kyle's shoulder. His arm moves slowly up and down Kyle's bare chest a few times before he sighs with contentment. Overcome with emotion Kyle shudders slightly crying as two years of misery and loss float away. Everyone moves in closer their joy at Paul's return tempered by the suffering they have all experienced during their pack mates absence.
"Come on you two." Stiles whispers hours later nudging Isaac and Kyle. Isaac has Paul wedged between the ginger wolf and has his arm clamped tightly over both. Kyle's eyes eventually open and he yawns quietly. Danny and Scott gently untangle Kyle's legs from Paul's and help him off the bed. "Keep him comfortable?" Kyle asks. Scott rubs his face briefly on Kyle's cheek "We're going to make this right." He whispers before slipping carefully into Kyle's spot next to the slumbering human. Isaac rouses and also yawns looking around bleary eyed. "Heart rates climbing he's going to be up soon." Kyle takes a few steps away from the bed and pauses turning and looking back sadness heavy in his expression. Isaac slides out of the bed gently trying not to shake Paul awake. Danny slips in to Isaac's spot. Isaac puts his arm around Kyle's shoulder's and they follow the rest of the pack out of the room. "What time is it?" Kyle asks softly looking back again at Paul. Danny yawns pulling his phone from the pocket in his sleeping pants. "Little after 5 am." "Who wants coffee?" Stiles says smirking at the several soft "Me's" He gets in reply. As the rest of the pack moves down the hallway Isaac stops next to Kyle pulling the bedroom door partially closed.
"Are you OK?" He asks the shorter wolf. "Yeah." Kyle says with a slight shake of the head before looking up at Isaac. "You look better. I can feel you again on the pack bond." Isaac frowns slightly. He puts his hands on Kyle's shoulders and squeezes gently before sliding them down his arms eventually taking his hands. "Don't say it." Kyle says watching Isaac's sad eyes. "You've suffered more in this life than anyone should ever have to bear. He's back, you're back, we'll all be together soon. That's all that matters." They look at each other in silence a moment before Kyle leans up and kisses Isaac. "Go on before he wakes up. Don't make him wake up without you. I'll text you later." "This is so unfair to you." Isaac says wiping at the wetness in his eyes. "Hey I just got to hold my mate in my arms for hours. My boyfriend is no longer suffering. I'll take this over the past 2 years any day. I'll be OK for now until we're back the way we were. He smells like us now. Not like misery and machines."
"Isaac!" Paul screams. Both wolves turn to race back to the bedroom. Kyle stopping just short of the door. Isaac slams through the door. Paul is on his knees in the bed wide eyes looking around frantically. Peter and Derek race in to the bedroom noticing that Kyle had moved to the wall out of site from the bedroom. "What's wrong?" Isaac says as he leaps on the bed. Paul flings himself at his mate gripping him tightly as he buries his face in Isaac's chest . His breath coming out in choked gasps as his entire body trembles. Scott leans in to him putting his arms around the much smaller human. "It was….it was just a bad dream but...you were gone! And..I thought what they said was true." Paul says finishing in a miserable whimper. "We just stepped away for a minute I promise you are safe." Scott says leaning his head against Paul's when he feels the human press back in to him slightly. Derek steps out into the hallway partially closing the door. "Looks like just a nightmare." He says quietly to Kyle. "Yeah. Can I stay here a bit?" He asks. "I just want to listen. Hear his heart." Derek nods towards the guest room door just up the hall. "Stay in there in case he comes out." "Thanks Derek." Kyle says pulling the Alpha close for a moment before retreating to the empty room. Leaving the sound insulated door cracked open some he lies down on the bed and focuses his hearing.
"I'm OK….I'm Ok…" Paul says after several minutes of both Isaac and Scott holding him tightly between them.
With a deep exhale Paul pulls back a bit and looks up at Isaac. "Hi." Isaac says. "Hey." Paul says with a small grin. "Everyone else went down stairs for an early breakfast. Are you hungry?" Paul looks at the door and shivers tightening his grip on Isaac. "Can...can we eat in here? Do you think someone would be willing to bring it up here?" "I can go get it." Scott says pulling away. "Please don't." Paul says the two wolves frowning when they smell fear jump in their human pack mate's scent." Scott squeezes Paul gently then pulls his phone out. "I'll stay right here. I'll tell the others to come back up too." Scott taps out a quick text with one hand soothing Paul's neck with the other. The two sharing a look when Paul's fear starts to slowly recede.
"Do you want to talk about your dream?" Isaac asks as the rest of the pack filters in sitting in the various places in the room. Paul takes a bite of toast and a long drink of water before replying. "It was one of the guards. He was a squad leader. He is the one who always told me you'd all been killed. It was just a replay of one of the times when he told me they'd killed the last of you." Derek looks at Peter to find the enforcer looking at him pointedly. Derek shakes his head no. "Do you happen to remember his name?" Peter asks conversationally. Derek sighs but says nothing. Paul is silent a moment squinting his eyes a bit. "Fuzzy….Verner….Conrad Verner." Peter hums but says nothing taking a bite from his sandwich. Paul takes a few more bites of his toast before yawning and laying his head against Isaac's shoulder. The two are leaning against the headboard of the bed. Scott gets up and wipes the crumbs from their food off the sheets. "Want to sleep some more?" Isaac asks slipping his arm around the still bruised man. "Yeah." Paul says sliding down to a sleeping position. "I know you guys have stuff to do. I won't ask you to stay but if any of you want to sleep some more…." Derek's phone beeps with an incoming message. "Stiles and I need to go meet with Deaton." "Scott and I can stay." Danny says standing up and placing his plate on the desk. Peter turns and looks towards the sound of retreating footsteps beyond the bedroom door. "I have something I need to check on as well. I'll be back later today. Here." Peter says pulling Paul's phone from his pocket. "Battery is dead but it should be ready to use in an hour or so. Call me if you need anything." Peter plugs Paul's phone in to the charge cable laying on the desk and nods at Paul. "Thanks. Please be careful." The Pack Enforcer makes contact with Paul's haunted eyes and nods again. "Always." With that he turns and leaves the room.