I pulled back to fully look into Derek's eyes to try and comprehend what he just said. Mates; Derek's wolf claimed me as his mate. While I'm extremely happy and excited at the prospect of being Derek's mate, I can't help but to wonder how Derek's human side feels. I know that here lately we've gotten closer as friends, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he wants me to be his mate.
I guess that I was quiet for too long and Derek was starting to get worried. He whined a little then the red of his eyes slowly faded away until all that was left was the beautiful bluish-green color that they always are. In his eyes I could see the doubt and panic he was feeling on the inside; I had to make sure that both Derek and his wolf wanted to be with me. So, I made a split second decision; I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down closer to me as I shifted up on the tips of my toes; I tentatively kissed him to see just how he would respond to me. At first he was hesitant to reciprocate the kiss, but after a few seconds he kissed back. After a few minutes of kissing we pulled apart breathing heavily, resting our foreheads against each other. Derek gave me a smile that I have been seeing more and more lately; a smile I now realize is for me and me alone. I make him smile like that.
I took a deep breath before pulling away from Derek to look at him fully.
"Did you mean it?" I asked quietly. He stared back at me with a confused look on his face. It occurred to me that he may not know what his wolf said.
"You're wolf said that it wanted me for its mate. Is it just him or is it you too?" In that moment I hoped that Derek would say that it was the both of them and not just some weird wolf thing that he doesn't really want.
Derek looked a little embarrassed and the tips of his ears got adorably red. He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a shaded area where we could sit down. Once we were situated he pulled my hands into his lap and looked me in the eyes while he was speaking.
"Stiles, I don't want to think that it's just my wolf that wants you because I do as well. I've wanted to be with you for a while, but I never wanted to force this life onto you. With everything that's happened in the past few years, I didn't want you to feel like you were trapped in this type of lifestyle for good. I wanted that to be a choice made solely on your own; not based on wanting a relationship with me. But taking into consideration that over the past few months that I've been gone that you've been taking care of betas like they're yours. Protecting them, caring for them, providing them with a safe place to be together; all this just further proves that you are my mate."
And wow. I never knew that Derek felt that way about me much less that it was that serious. Before I could never understand why I felt so protective of Peter, Jackson, and Isaac. I would always get weird looks from everyone else in Scott's pack whenever someone did or said something to one of them and I was quick to defend them; Scott questioned me about a few times, but I couldn't explain it. All I knew was that I would do anything to make sure that they were taken care of and safe regardless of what anyone else felt and/or thought. But now listening to Derek, I understand why I felt that way. In being an alpha's mate, everything you do and/or feel is based off instinct, much like everything revolving around werewolves.
I told Derek about this and asked if my constant overprotectiveness of the betas had anything to do with me being his mate even though he hadn't come back yet.
Derek nodded. "A mate's instincts don't have anything to do with proximity of their mates, but the relationship between the two of them. You said before that the one thing that brought you, Peter, Jackson, and Isaac together was the fact that you all felt closer to me than you did Scott. Right?"
I nodded in agreement before he continued.
"Then that's all that mattered. Regardless of whether or not you realized it, by taking care of them when I was away, you stepped into the role of being my mate, even though you didn't know I was an alpha again. Subconsciously, you have accepted the role so, I guess the real question is, do you want to be with me? Not for my wolf or because of the instincts you have for the pack. But do you want to be with me for me Stiles? Because I don't just want you to be my mate Stiles, I want to be mine in every sense of the word."
By now I have tears streaming down my face. Derek wants me; not just as his mate, but he generally wants to be in a relationship with me. I smiled and pulled Derek close to me, giving him a deep kiss before I answered him.
"Nothing would make me happier."
In that moment I stopped worrying about Deaton's reaction or how I was going to tell Scott about all of this. Because in this moment I realized that as long as I had Derek, my dad, and the rest of the pack, nothing else matters. From now on my life and my happiness are what's important to me, not what everyone else thinks or has to say.
Over the next month or so things have been going fairly smoothly. Derek, Peter, and Jackson have been corresponding with various contractors and the rebuilding is way ahead of schedule. Erica, Isaac, Boyd, I have been picking things out to go in various rooms of the house. So far we've picked out furniture for the family/living room, dining room, and things for the various bedrooms and bathrooms as well. We've also had to make some adjusts in the blueprints for the house.
Since I'm no longer training with Deaton, Peter brought me some of the books he had hidden away that weren't ruined in the fire. Apparently, Talia, Derek's mother and Peter's sister, kept copies her family's books in a secret hidden location in town given the chance that anything happened to the house and they were unable to save them; and for that I'm incredibly grateful. Not only because of the knowledge that I have had the chance to receive, but also because it's s piece of Derek and Peter's past that they can now have to pass on to future generations.
When Peter first told us that there were books that belong to the Hale family initially I was thinking three, maybe four books at the most. What I wasn't expecting was two storage rooms full of books, some of which were hand written, that have been passed on from generation to generation of Hales; there were enough books there to the point that we had to have a library in the downstairs layout. From the time estimates given to us by the contractors, the house should be finished and move in ready by the end of this month; which is surprisingly right before Scott gets back.
Tonight is the night that Derek and I have decided to sit my dad down and explain the whole mating business to him. I don't know how well he's going to take this, but I hope that he takes it as well as the betas did; but I highly doubt that considering that they saw it coming from a mile away. I remember that day after the long talk Derek and I had in the woods behind the house when we went back to my house to tell the pack what their reactions were. Erica, Boyd, and Jackson just seemed amused and happy that we were finally together. Isaac was thrilled at having two "parents" in our pack. And Peter just rolled his eyes and said, "Finally.", before leaving to check on the progress of the demolition of the house. So, if my dad has a reaction anywhere close to that would be amazing. I know that my dad is going to have questions about just what being mated means; I mean I know I did. Thankfully, there was plenty of information in the books that Peter brought me.
According to the information that I found in Taila's books mates are rarity for werewolves. One book in particular states:
"Mates for werewolves are typically people that can help keep the balance in pack. Any werewolf can have a mate but mates to alpha wolves are seen as a second alpha. The second alpha, or Alpha Female, are the general caretakers of the pack. Where the alpha is supposed to be strong and leaders in battle; the "alpha female" is to be kind and protective figures for the pack. In a sense, alpha wolves are the strength physically and the alpha wolf's mates are the strength emotionally."
This is the passage that I picked out to assist in mine and Derek's explanation as what was going to be happening in the next few weeks; because not only am I Derek's mate, but I'm going to be moving into the pack house full-time when it's complete. I know that my dad won't be very excited at the prospect of his seventeen year old son being in a relationship with a twenty-three year old man and then moving into his house; especially considering the fact that the man in question is a werewolf. Don't get me wrong, my dad holds no prejudice against werewolves or Derek for that fact because of everything that has happened to me in the past three years. In fact, I think he mostly blames Scott for the injuries I've had since they were mostly caused in pursuit of helping and/or protecting him. I think it's going to be more along the lines of the fact that I'm underage and his only son. I hope and pray that he understands where I'm coming from.
Not only are Derek and I telling my dad about the whole mating thing tonight, tomorrow we are having a pack meeting with the Argents to discuss a possible treaty between them and the Hale pack. Chris has already formed a treaty with Scott, but that was mainly out of the insistence of Deaton. As per usual, Scott just agreed to whatever Deaton said that should be in the agreement, which mainly states that as long as the pack doesn't cause any problems then they wouldn't be bothered. It was soon after that that Chris decided to take Allison on a trip to clear her head from all the drama that went on with the sacrifices, the Darach, and the alpha pack. I know that Isaac has been missing Allison like crazy so, I know that he's glad that they're coming back.
I was very surprised at Derek's reaction to Allison and Isaac being in a relationship. Taking in consideration that Derek sees Isaac, and the rest of the betas for that matter, and Allison being an Argent, I thought that Derek would have an issue with them being together; but he doesn't. It seems that the time Derek and Cora spent away, Derek spent most of his time getting to know his sister again, but he also spent some time getting to know himself again; particularly after he became an alpha again. In the time he spent away, Derek came to the conclusion that no one was to blame for what happened to his family except Kate. He still very hesitant about working with the Argents, but he's not willing to allow his prejudices to affect Isaac's chance at possibly meeting his mate, and Isaac couldn't be more happy about; although when Erica did mention something about tearing Allison limb from limb if she hurt Isaac, I noticed Derek trying to hide a smirk.
My dad was scheduled to be off at about 6:30 that night so, the rest of the pack graciously left the house (read as Derek growled until they left) to give us some privacy to have the discussion with him. I was extremely nervous about having this talk and couldn't stop moving. I was sitting on the couch beside Derek, bouncing my leg up and down, when he suddenly put his hand on my leg to stop me. I looked up and gave him a small smile.
"Sorry." I whispered. "I'm just nervous about explaining all of this to him."
Derek chuckled slightly before leaning over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. This is your dad; he'll understand." He squeezed my knee reassuringly just as we heard the front door open and my dad walk in.
I half expected Derek to move his hand off my knee and scoot away from me a little bit, but he didn't. If anything he scooted closer to me. My dad walked into the living room and saw how close we were sitting and Derek's hand on my knee. There was an abundance of scenarios going through my mind about what my dad would do. Everything from pulling his gun on Derek, to him screaming and yelling at us for being together; but I definitely wasn't expecting what his reaction was.
He stared at us for about two to three minutes before sighing.
"Ugh, finally. You know you two are about ass self-aware as a wooden door." He said as he walked into the kitchen and then returned with a beer, and sat down in his favorite chair.
"HEY!" I said once he sat down. "I'll have you know I'm plenty self-aware, thank you very much."
My dad chuckled. "Oh really? Then tell me this Stiles. How is it that I realized that you two were a couple before either one of you did?"
And ok, what?
"What?" Derek and I said at the same time.
"Please. The first three weeks Derek came back the two of you would make eye contact from across the room and grin like idiots. I've got to say, I thought you two would come to me with this sooner, but since you didn't it has given me the chance to make up a set of rules that I expect to be abided by, understand?"
Considering he wasn't angry that we were in a relationship and in fact had been expecting this, neither one of us wanted to take a chance on upsetting him or saying/doing something to make him change his mind. So, both Derek and I remained quiet and just nodded.
"Good. Ok, first rule: Stiles is still underage for the next five months so, given that I don't want to see or hear anything inappropriate. Second, we have dinner at least once a week. I don't care if it's just us or if it's the whole pack, but we will be having dinner together. It can be here or at Derek's house once it's finished. And finally, I'm not going to go into an entire speech about it, just be safe."
By the end of his rules my dad had this pained look on his face and then it occurred to me what he was talking about and immediately I blushed.
"Dad! Please, stop. We haven't done…that. Nor have we discussed it so, just no." I exclaimed.
Derek was sitting beside me looking very pale and the tips of his ears had reddened in embarrassment. If I wasn't so embarrassed myself I would've thought it was funny. After reassuring my dad that Derek and I haven't had sex and agreeing to his rules, it was time to tell him about me wanting to move into the house when it was finished and about the whole mating thing.
"Dad, there's some other things we need to talk about." I said cautiously.
He looked at us and nodded his head to signal for us to continue. I nudged Derek letting him know that I wanted him to take the lead as to explaining the situation.
"Sheriff Stilinski." Derek started before my dad interrupted him.
"Derek, you're dating my son, please call me John." He told Derek sincerely.
Derek smiled a little and nodded, then continued.
"Ok, John. When it comes to werewolves and pack dynamics, everyone has a part in the pack. With me, of course, I'm in the alpha. Peter, Jackson, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd are betas and you and Stiles are human pack members."
"Wait." My dad said. "I'm pack?" he questioned.
Derek looked a little confused. "Well, yes. John you allowed for my pack to not only hold meetings here, but practically live here while I was gone and even now. That alone makes you pack, even without you being Stiles' father."
"Wow. Ok, well thanks, I guess." My dad said shocked. I don't think the dynamics that come with being friends with werewolves have fully caught up to him yet.
"No reason for thanks John. Every member of my pack has earned their place just the same as you. After finding out about all this stuff and how much danger Stiles has been in in the past, you could have easily refused to help or even called hunters into town. But much like Stiles, you're too good of a person for that. It doesn't bother you that we're different than you are and you don't see us as monsters, but as people who needed a safe place to meet and be is what made you a member of this pack. If it wasn't for you and Stiles the rest of my pack would still be under the leadership of an alpha they don't trust."
"You mean Scott?" my dad asked.
"Yes, even though they didn't trust him they stayed in his pack because they didn't want to risk becoming an omega, or a lone wolf. Most omegas are viewed as rogue wolves that need to be put down and while in some cases that is true, most of the time they are wolves that have lost or left their pack because they didn't feel safe. Their instincts told them that Stiles would keep them safe, just as Stiles' instincts told him to protect them at any cost."
"But Stiles isn't a werewolf." My dad replied, sounding confused.
"No, he's not. However, he's spent the better part of three years being around them and in a pack of them. Long-term exposure to werewolf lifestyle can cause humans to adapt to certain aspects of werewolf culture. Stiles has always had good instincts, but being around us has led him to focus on his instincts more than he normally would."
"Ok, I guess that makes sense. So, what about Stiles made your betas look to him for protection from Scott." My dad asked.
"Well, that's what we wanted to talk to you about dad." I said tentatively. "In pack dynamics there's beta wolves, humans, the alpha, and the alpha's mate."
I stopped speaking at this point to gauge my dad's reaction. For a moment, he looked confused, but then I saw realization fall over his face as he fully grasped what we were saying.
"So, not only are you and Derek dating, but you're also his mate?" he asked, surprisingly calm. Derek and I both nodded.
"Ok, so what exactly does that mean?" he inquired after a few minutes of silence.
"Well, in most cases, we would set out in a mating ceremony that would tie Stiles and I together forever. Wolves mate for life, and the same goes for werewolves." Derek informed him.
"But wait you in said in most cases. So, what does that mean for you two?"
"Well, as for now Stiles and I are just dating. As far as completing the mating ceremony, I would like to wait until after Stiles is eighteen. Not only will he be of legal age, but it also gives him sometime to research this and make sure that this is something that he wants to do. I would never force Stiles into anything that he didn't want. He's my mate and it's my responsibility to make sure that he's happy and taken care of in any way that I can."
And, wow. Just when I think that Derek can't surprise me anymore, he always seems to find a way. I know that he wouldn't force me into this life, but I also know that there is no other place that I'd rather be than by his side leading the pack with him. Apparently, my thoughts must have shown on my face because I heard my father chuckle and say:
"Well, I don't think any research is going to be needed from the look on Stiles' face."
My dad then got quiet and a sad look came over his face and I knew he was thinking about mom. We don't really talk about her much, but every so often I can catch him looking at me with this somber look on his face and I know that he's thinking about either how much I look/act like mom or how she would've been proud of me.
He looked up at us, with a sad smile on his face.
"Claudia used to have the same look of love on her face that Stiles just had on his when he was looking at you when she was holding Stiles." He stopped talking for a minute to collect himself emotionally.
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Umm, yes. When the house is finished I want to move in there. I know that this is a lot of information and a big step, but you just said yourself that you can see how serious I am about this dad. And I mean most of time would be spent there anyway, this makes things easier than me trying to get home safely every night. You know where it is and who I'm going to be living with, plus Derek is having a bedroom put in for you as well and—"
"Stiles." I immediately stopped talking as my dad spoke up. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and sighed. I could see that this conversation had worn him out, but I could also see that he knew that there was no point in arguing with me about this.
"Ok, I'll make you a deal." He stated. "In the past few months you have been getting in less trouble and your grades have been really good. So, provided that you swear that you will continue to do well and stay out of trouble and you don't skip school in favor and spending all day with Derek, then ok. Fair?"
I nodded my head vigorously. "Definitely fair. Thank you dad." I said getting up to hug him. He held onto you me tightly for a long time. I know that this is hard for him, but at the same time he knows that I need to do this for me and my pack.
When we finally pulled apart he looked over to Derek and reached his hand out for him to shake it; Derek immediately stood and shook his hand.
"Take care of my son Derek." He said deadly serious.
Derek nodded. "I'd die before I allowed anything to happen to him Sheriff. And Stiles is right, there's a bedroom being built for you anytime you want to come and stay. Plus we can still have our pack meetings here if you would like. I know that family is important to you and to Stiles as well. The last thing I want is for you two to fall out because of this."
My dad smiled at that statement. "That's good to hear Derek, thank you. And I may take you two up on that offer to stay at the house. Well, I think that I'm going to go and get some sleep for a while. I ended up picking up an early shift tomorrow morning. I'll see you boys later."
And with that he went upstairs to his room. Derek and I sat back down on the couch to relax for a while before the pack came back. I'm glad that my dad is ok with me moving into the pack house, but at the same time I'm sad to leave him here, but I know that he'll always be there for me no matter what. I just hope that the conversation we're having with the Argents tomorrow will goes as well as the conversation with my dad went.