My house has been busier than ever now that Cora is back in town; and strangely enough the house has been feeling more like home to me than ever before. It's extremely weird, but after being out all day running errands or watching the rest of the pack train in the reserve, coming back to my house it's almost as if there's a large weight off of our shoulders and we can breathe a little easier. According to Peter, that's exactly how the Hale house used to make him feel.

"Being pack is more than just a state of mind or a feeling; being pack is….everything. It's the way we move, the way we react to each other, the way we breathe, eat and sleep. Everything we do is in tune with each and our alpha; it shows our strength as a pack. The pack house is a symbol of that bond. A strong bond between pack members helps make the pack house a safe haven for us all. It makes the problems of the outside world seem trivial and ensures us safety from anyone that isn't pack. Being in a pack is all about being able to depend on each other no matter what. That's one way that I know what Scott has isn't a true pack. They're all too independent from each other; too worried about being deemed weak so they never want to ask for help or admit that they need one another. None of them realize that it's that dependence on each other that makes them stronger and makes them pack. I can't really blame them though; their alpha is taking leadership pointers from someone who doesn't understand how a pack is supposed to work."

Thinking back to when we were a part of Scott's pack, what Peter said makes sense. There were plenty of times when Isaac or Jackson would have nightmares and the only people that would realize the something was wrong was me and Peter. I mean sure we had pack meetings, but they were more along the lines of "let's get everyone in a room and awkwardly stare at each other for 45 minutes until someone decided to leave" (which was usually Lydia). It was like that they couldn't stand to be around each other for long periods of time.

Whereas with us, we don't really like to be a part for any long periods of time. We've even gone as far as having our respective parents/guardians request that we all be put in some of the same classes. We used the cover that it would be best for Cora's benefit, considering how long it's been since she was home schooled in the pack she lived with after the fire. For the most part Cora is pretty much caught up with everything that she needs to be, but in some respects she's exactly like her brother socially. While Derek has gotten better at using his words instead of just glaring, well at least he has with me, Cora still prefers to try and glare people into submission. One person that it surprisingly works well on is Jackson.

Jackson and Cora's relationship is something that took us all by surprise, but I mean I guess when you think about it the two them being together makes sense. They're both insanely attractive and complete assholes, but they make it work between them. If there's one thing I know for sure is that Cora's going to give Lydia a run for her money as Queen Bitch of the school and with Jackson by her side there's no doubt in my mind that Cora will win. It seems like most of our pack is filled with power couples: Derek and I, alpha and alpha's mate; Isaac and Allison, omega and former hunter; Erica and Boyd, both bad ass betas; and Jackson and Cora, soon to be newly crowned King and Queen of Beacon Hills High School. The only single person in our pack is Peter and according to him, he has his eyes set on someone; unfortunately he won't tell us who.

My dad is taking everything extremely well; all things considering. It seems like he enjoys having a full house and I suppose the fact that I'm no longer lying to him about what's been going on lately helps, as well as the pack being here. I was still fairly young when my mother passed away and all though we've never really talked much about I can tell sometimes that my dad would've liked to have more children. It was easy to notice considering the way he automatically started fathering Scott after his dad left. Any and everything that he did for me, he made sure that he did for Scott as well. So, in a way, I guess Peter and Derek aren't the only ones that had a drive for (more) family.

Here lately everything has been going great for all of us. But of course, that's when everything went to shit.

The house is finally finished, luckily before school started back, and we were all excited to be able to move in. The house ended up being two stories high and has nine bedrooms. Unfortunately, today is also the day that Scott and his back are supposed to come back. I've been worried about this ever since Derek and the others came back to town. I know that Scott isn't going to be thrilled that Derek is back and an alpha again, but more than anything I know that he'll be pissed that I'm part of Derek's pack and not his anymore. I just hope that Scott will listen to reason and not fly off the handle; because there's one thing that I know for sure, if Derek and the rest of the pack get the smallest inkling that Scott will try to either take me away from them or hurt me, they'll kill him.

Luckily enough for me, Chris has been following the same thought process that I have. With that being said, Chris called Derek and let him know that he's already contacted Scott and set up a meeting with him. He didn't fully tell Scott what the meeting was about, but he made sure he knew that all of his pack members needed to show up. Chris is also allowing us to use his house for the meeting, seeing as how it will be considered a mutual meeting place since he's not picking sides. Not to mention the fact that Chris has taken every precaution that he can to make sure that this is a peaceful meeting, but we can only hope that everything goes well.

(NO POV)

Chris was pacing in his living room, waiting for Scott and his pack to arrive to discuss the "new developments". Of course, what Chris wanted to talk about wasn't really a new development; not really. Derek had been an alpha before, so that wasn't really news, and Beacon Hills has always been Hale territory, so that's not a big deal either. What was going to be a big deal was getting Scott to understand that just because he's an alpha now doesn't mean that he's in charge. By the laws of werewolf territory the elder Alpha is lead alpha; adding into account that Derek is a Hale, there's no way possible that Scott could have any claim on Beacon Hills. As far as other alphas are concerned they would either consider Scott and his pack poaching on Derek's territory and damn them for it, or praise Derek for allowing a territory less alpha and his pack on his land. How all this plays out is completely dependent on Scott's reaction and his behavior; this is what has Chris so worried.

If Scott doesn't take this well and tries to fight Derek for Beacon Hills, Derek will have no choice but to kill him; and not even just because of the territory. The main reason is alphas in surrounding areas. The Hale pack has always been a respected and feared pack, based mainly on the strength of the alpha. If Derek allows Scott to slide with any type of indiscretion then that could bring about all-out war for Beacon Hills; and while the war would only be between werewolves, there's no telling how many humans could potentially get caught up in the mess.

After waiting what seems like hours, Chris hears cars pulling into his drive way and goes to open the door; praying that this meeting goes well. Chris ushers them inside and to the living room.

"So, Mr. Argent, what's this about?" Scott asks as he and the pack get comfortable on one side of the living room. As he sits down Scott can't help but notice the extra chairs in the living room. Who else is joining this meeting? He wonders to himself. Scott tried to call Stiles and the rest of the pack, what he thinks is still his pack, but there was no answer.

Scott isn't that surprised to be honest, after the blowout he had with Isaac, Stiles spends most of his time with him, Peter and Jackson. Scott can't seem to understand why though. When Isaac was first turned he wasn't exactly all that nice to Stiles; and let's not forget the years of torment that Stiles suffered at the hands of Jackson and Peter trying to kill him. And yet, after all of that Stiles still goes out of his way to comfort them and make them feel safe; while Scott, as their alpha, can't bring himself to do the same.

Deaton refers to it as one of Scott's shortcomings as a leader, and tells him that he needs to learn to put his personal vendettas aside if he wants to be a successful alpha. However, Scott just can't seem to do it; how do you get over someone stealing your girlfriend, and now it seems your best friend as well, in Isaac's case; your humanity in Peter's case; and for bullying you for as long as you can remember? Chris eventually speaks up after everyone is seated, breaking into Scott's thoughts.

"Well, Scott, the fact is we need to discuss the fact that Derek has returned to Beacon Hills; as well as Erica, Boyd, and Cora." Chris explains bluntly, figuring that it would be best to get that news out first then jump into the heavy things when Derek and his pack arrives.

Scott snorts. "So, what? He wants to join my pack?" Scott, Aiden, Ethan and Lydia share a laugh, while Danny just looks on in confusion.

Chris calms himself before he does something drastic, like smacking all three of them, and answers Scott's question.

"No, Scott, Derek doesn't want or need to join your pack, that's one of the things we need to discuss when they get here."

Aiden tilts his head in the same manner that a dog would before letting everyone know that Derek's almost to the house.

"What do you mean "they"?" Scott asks, referring to what Chris said. Chris says nothing but walks out of the room to open the door for Derek and his pack. He honestly hoped that Scott wouldn't have picked up on the fact that he said "they".

Scott, sensing that something is up, sits up straighter determined not to be deemed weak in Derek's eyes. While Scott doesn't want to admit it, all he wants is to prove that he's a better alpha than Derek. Scott, along with Peter, Isaac, Stiles and Jackson, was sure that Derek would eventually return to Beacon Hills, and when he did Scott wanted to rub it in his face that he managed to keep his pack together and alive. This was one of the main reasons that Scott listens to Deaton as much as he does.

Scott doesn't have much time to mentally prepare himself for what's to come before Derek and the rest of them are walking in. As soon as Derek walked in, Scott knew. Scott knew that Derek was an alpha, and he knew that this meeting was definitely not about joining pack; this meeting was about how Scott and Derek would work together as alphas in Beacon Hills. It was then that Scott realized why no one answered his call; they're not his pack anymore, they're Derek's.

Scott's suspicions are validated when they walk in behind Derek. As everyone walked in, Erica on Boyd's arm; Allison on Isaac's arm; Cora on Jackson's arm; and Peter by himself, all Scott could do was hope that Stiles wouldn't come in along with them. Surely Stiles wouldn't abandon him like the rest of them did; Stiles and Derek didn't even like each other much less want anything to do with each other. Scott was angry enough that Allison was still with Isaac, but if Stiles was a part of Derek's pack, he didn't know what he would do.

Derek and his pack sat down directly across from Scott and his. Scott couldn't help but notice two things. One being that Chris was still standing by the front door, as if he was waiting for someone and two, there was a spot open between Derek and Jackson. Who could the spot be for? Scott got his answer as Stiles walked into the house. At first, Scott was going to get up and hug his best friend that was until he realized that Stiles wasn't even paying attention to him; no Stiles was completely focused on Derek.

Scott couldn't believe that Stiles would actually pick Derek over him, but then Scott realized the way that Stiles was looking at Derek. This wasn't just look that someone would give their alpha, this was a look that someone would give their significant other. Stiles wasn't just a part of Derek's pack; Stiles and Derek were in a relationship!

Chris could practically see the wheels turning in Scott's head and could tell when he put everything together and realized that Derek and Stiles' relationship was more than just that of an alpha and his pack member. In order to stop an all-out brawl from happening Chris stepped forward and explained everything that he could.

"Ok, first things first. Scott if you haven't already figured it out yet, Derek is an alpha again and his betas have returned to join his pack. But that's not the issue at hand here. The issue is you understanding the significance of Derek being alpha again."

"What's the problem then?" Scott said through clenched teeth, obviously angry at Stiles' choice of alpha and boyfriend.

"No problem, as long as you understand that by Derek being an alpha and a Hale, Beacon Hills is rightfully his territory." Chris informed them.

"What does that mean?" Danny asked.

This time it was Derek that spoke up.

"It basically means that while Scott is an alpha he still has to defer to me. If I should so choose I could make you all leave or make Scott give up his betas; much like Deucalion tried to get me to do. But I won't do any of those. The way I see it is that as long as we can coexist peacefully then no one will be forced from their home." Derek answered calmly.

Derek was the only one besides Chris and Peter that had a full understanding of what was at stake here. He knew that by pushing too hard or being too lenient would make Scott want to act out and prove himself worthy of being the only alpha in Beacon Hills. Derek knew that the only way to make Scott understand the situation fully was to be blunt and tell him everything that could possibly go wrong; all he had to do was wait for someone to ask the question. Derek should've known that it was going to be Lydia that asked.

"Why would we listen to you to begin with? You're not our alpha Scott is."

"Because this is Hale land. Beacon Hills has been in my family for generation after generation; we've lived and died here and it's my family's blood that runs through this town and the reserve. Peter and I have a connection to the land that none of you will ever understand. Every alpha within 200 miles of here knows that this is Hale territory. What do you honestly think will happen if they hear some unknown alpha and his pack are inhabiting it now? It would be an all-out war between you all and whoever decides to come here and challenge you for this land. War means that not only are your lives in danger but so are the lives of every human in Beacon Hills. Can you live with that on your conscious? Knowing that you five are solely responsible for everyone in this town?"

Derek stared Scott's pack down. Danny looked like he was on the verge of being sick just at the thought of a war breaking out, while Lydia, Aiden and Ethan had a look of understanding in that in this case it would be best for them to fade into the background and not cause any trouble. The only one of them whose face showed no emotion was Scott, who was staring at Stiles like they were the only ones in the room; Stiles in turn was looking right back at Scott. It was clear that there was some kind of silent communication going on between the two of them, but no one could decipher what was being said. Derek finally got tired of it and spoke up.

"Scott, did you hear anything I said?" He asked.

Scott finally broke eye contact with Stiles and looked at Derek.

"Yeah, I heard you. It's not like I have a choice in the matter, is there? I either defer to you or put everyone in this town at risk. So, what do we need to do?" Scott said clearly with disdain in his voice. He hoped by him being an alpha now the last thing he would have to do would be to listen to what Derek said.

"We don't have to do anything really. If there's a problem then we meet just like this with Chris being our mediator. Otherwise we don't have to come in contact with each other unless you want to. Peter and I have rebuilt the house and we've all moved in so we'll more than likely spend most of our time there and in the reserve by the house." Derek answered honestly.

Scott nodded his head before looking back at Stiles.

"So, is Derek your best friend now Stiles?"

"What's your problem Scott?" Stiles asked. Stiles knew that Scott wouldn't like the idea of Stiles not being a part of his pack but the whole death glare thing was getting old.

Scott huffed out a laugh before speaking.

"I don't have a problem Stiles. I'm just confused as to why you decided to join Derek's pack. I mean after all you weren't too keen on joining him before. What's changed?"

"Everything's changed Scott. People have died and lives are at stake here. If I'm going to be a part of this then I want to follow an alpha that listens to his pack members and knows what's going on. Look Scott you're like my brother and you always will be, which is partly why you can't be my alpha." Stiles tried to explain to Scott.

"Why not? If we were brothers it would seem like you would support me and not him." Scott practically yelled.

Derek in response to what felt like his mate being threatened tensed up preparing to attack Scott if needed. Stiles feeling Derek tense up placed his hand on Derek's thigh to calm him down; this action was not missed by Scott.

"So, is that it?" he asked gesturing to Stiles and Derek's positions next to each other.

"Derek somehow convinced you that he actually cares about you so you just abandon me at the drop of a hat?"

Derek automatically leans forward getting into a defensive position and also warning Scott that he's close to be torn apart for disrespecting another alpha's mate, but once again Stiles puts a hand on Derek to calm him down before looking back at Scott.

"Look Scott, I know that you're upset but nothing you can say is going to change anything. Scott, I've known you since we were kids. I can't see you as someone to take orders from, ok? I'm sorry but I can't be part of your pack, but that doesn't have to change anything in our relationship." Stiles tried to reason.

Scott gave a pitiful and angry laugh before standing up.

"No, Stiles, it changes everything. How can you claim to be my best friend after you deliberately stab me in the back and then abandon me? Especially now, when I needed your support the most."

Scott shook his head before turning to address Derek.

"If there's an issue you know how to reach me, otherwise stay the hell away from me!" And with that Scott, Lydia, Aiden, Ethan and Danny left Chris' house.

For a while everything was quiet before Stiles spoke up.

"Well, it could have been worse."