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Since aries1972 is sick and concetta has a broken leg, I have decided to post another chapter today as their get-well soon present! Enjoy! And I really want you both a fast recovery!
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'What's going on?' he thought.
Last thing he remembered was reading in the living room. Wherever he looked everything was completely white. It felt like he was trapped in a cloud; like he was floating.
"Sakuvi rim, rimu Moneha."(Come to me, my Spark.)
'That whisper again!' he looked around to see where it was coming from. He knew he should be fighting against it, but something was calming him. This calm was not something he was used to. His thoughts were completely blank.
Different from the usual buzz he was constantly hearing. He didn't feel the need to move. He didn't feel the need to say anything. He was calm. And no matter how many times he wished for this sort of peace of mind, he didn't like it.
"Sakuvi rim."(Come to me.) He growled while he tried to find the source of that voice again.
"Yo! Stilinski! What the fuck is your problem!" He stopped and tensed up.
'Jackson?' He'd recognize that tone anywhere.
"Stilinski!" Jackson's voice reached him again from somewhere, and his breath hitched in his throat when he caught sight of something black from the corner of his eyes. He turned in that direction and frowned when he saw something that looked like an actual tear in the white space around him.
"Stilinski, snap out of it!" Jackson's voice sounded desperate and Stiles' heart skipped a bit.
"Sakuvi rim, rimu Moneha. Sakuvi rim."(Come to me, my Spark. Come to me.) He turned around again only to have his eardrums almost burst when a howl echoed through the silence. A loud crashing sound made him turn around again and his eyes widened when he saw the black scar in the endless white space actually grow.
"STILES!"
"Jackson!" Stiles breathed out when he heard the desperate call and he tried to move towards the growing black tear. He tripped and all of a sudden thunder clashed around him.
"STILES, SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Stiles screamed when thunder roared and all of a sudden everything around him crashed. Next thing he knew he was laying on the cold, hard ground, two hands were gripping his shoulders with a bruising force, and Jackson was telling him to snap out of it. He took in a deep breath and opened his eyes, only to have air hitch in his throat.
"Jackson?" he gasped out and the teen wolf let go of a relieved breath. "What – What's going on?"
How the hell did he find himself in the middle of the forest?
"I'm supposed to be the one asking that," Jackson said as he looked Stiles over with a suspicious stare. Stiles frowned when he saw an already healing cut on Jackson's forehead. When he looked the teen over he found that his designer clothes were dirty and cut, and that there were traces of blood all over his shirt and jeans.
"Jackson, what happened to you?" Stiles asked and Jackson snorted.
"You." Stiles' frown deepened and his gaze darted around again. Jackson frowned and looked around as well. "Stiles, what happened?" he asked and Stiles looked at him again.
"I – I have no idea," he blurted out. "Last thing I remember is taking a book to read back at Derek's. Next thing I know I'm in this white, endless space and – and a voice is calling me, and then you-…" Jackson frowned when Stiles' breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened.
"Stiles?"
"They sent me the dream." Stiles' voice wavered. "They're – they're in my head!"
"Calm down!" Jackson snapped when he heard Stiles' heartbeat speed up and Stiles flinched. "You're back to being yourself. There's no sense in panicking now," Jackson said, trying to sound reassuring.
"But how – what are you doing here either way?" Stiles asked.
"I was in the forest because of the full moon and I didn't feel like going home so I ran around," Jackson explained. "I saw you walking through the woods alone and you did – you didn't seem like your usual self so I tried to stop you. I gotta say, Stilinski, for a human you pack quite a punch." That startled a chuckle out of Stiles. Jackson smirked and Stiles rolled his eyes. The Werewolf looked around before his eyes settled on Stiles again. "Do you think you can stand up?" Jackson asked. "I have a feeling we'd be better off getting out of here." Stiles nodded and allowed Jackson to pull him up to his feet.
"For once we agree on something," Stiles muttered and Jackson snorted. "Thanks, by the way," Stiles said and Jackson raised an eyebrow at him. "For stopping me, from making me snap out of whatever the Elves did to me." Jackson frowned at that.
"Elves?" he asked and Stiles nodded.
"Let's make our way out of this place and I can explain everything to you." Jackson hummed and nodded. They walked side by side, with Jackson throwing glances every second at Stiles to make sure the human teen didn't trip. Not that he would ever admit it.
"You healing alright?" Stiles asked and Jackson raised an eyebrow at him.
"I am."
Stiles nodded. "Good."
Silence settled between them as Stiles looked around and Jackson studied him with a dull stare. "So..."
Stiles tripped making Jackson roll his eyes at him. "You're an idiot."
"I've been told that a couple of times," Stiles drawled and Jackson rolled his eyes.
"So what did you find out?" Jackson asked and Stiles sighed.
"We're dealing with Woodland Elves and to make a long story short they want the Spark," Stiles said and Jackson raised an eyebrow at him. "They want me," Stiles clarified and Jackson's eyebrows touched the line of his hair.
"Why would they want you?" Jackson asked and Stiles looked at him dully.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he drawled and Jackson rolled his eyes.
"Look, Stilinski-" in that moment Jackson came to a sharp stop and quickly placed his hand on his neck.
Stiles hissed when he felt a sting on the back of his neck. He raised his hand and when he looked at what he plucked out of his neck his heart skipped a beat. He looked up at Jackson and found him holding the same needle-like thing in his hand.
"Fuck," Stiles murmured as everything started to sway in front of him.
"Stiles!" Jackson snapped but both of them met the ground.
Before either could say anything, their worlds went black, and silence settled in their minds.
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"No one has seen Stiles anywhere in town! How are the wolves doing?" Melissa's voice came over the line, and John cursed under his breath.
"We have nothing," he spoke into his phone when Peter shook his head at him. They were in the forest while Lydia and Melissa went to town to try and see if anyone saw Stiles.
"Derek!" John frowned when Erica and Boyd ran over to the alpha.
"Go back to the loft," John said into the speaker. "I think we found something." Without waiting for Melissa's answer John broke the line and jogged over to Derek. The others gathered around him as well, and the alpha looked at Erica's outstretched hand.
"What is-"
"It smells like Jackson," Derek said as he held the piece of the cloth in his hand.
"We found it on a tree. There were signs of a struggle," Boyd said and Erica nodded, stepping up beside Derek.
"And we found this as well." The blonde turned to face John, holding out her hand.
He looked at her offered hand and saw two brown needles. He took them carefully and frowned when he saw that tips on each one were darker than the rest of them. He looked at Derek and Peter, and the older werewolf took the needles from John carefully. He brought them to his nose only to flinch back.
"Smells like an anesthetic," Peter observed, examining the needle from every angle he could.
"But why are there two?" Isaac asked and everyone looked first at him and then at Derek.
"Erica, Boyd; take us to where you found this," Derek said and the two nodded. The group broke into a steady run; one John could keep up with. They stopped in a small clearing and Erica looked at them.
"I found the cloth some 50 meters that way," she said and pointed behind the whole group. "And Boyd found the needles here." She pointed to the space under her feet, toeing the ground. Erica moved back when John walked towards her and kneeled. He looked around as he touched the ground.
"Two bodies lay here," he muttered with a frown and looked at Derek. "Can you smell anything?" Derek frowned and looked around. He closed his eyes and concentrated.
"Jackson's scent is strong," he muttered and frowned. In the next moment his eyes snapped open. "Stiles!"
"What?" Scott took a step forward and looked at Derek with wide eyes.
"If you concentrate you can smell Stiles. It's weak and covered by something else, but – but he was here," Derek said as he walked away from them. John walked after him as Derek looked up and into the trees.
"Derek?" John called out.
"I thought of something," Derek muttered. "Stiles said we're dealing with Woodland Elves, right?"
"Derek, what are you thinking?" Peter reproached with a frown and Derek turned to face him.
"We can't scent them. We should be able to scent anything as long as it moves on the ground and avoids water."
"What are you saying?" Isaac asked with a frown. "And why is Stiles' scent so weak."
"His Spark is dulling his scent," Peter said and everyone looked at him. He raised an eyebrow. "What? Deaton's the same; there is a scent, but tracking him is difficult because his powers dull his scent."
"We scented Jackson out without any problems," Erica said and Derek nodded at her. "So why can't we smell the Elves?"
"They don't walk on the ground," John muttered and everyone but Derek looked at him. The alpha nodded while the others frowned.
"The trees," Peter whispered and John nodded at him before he pointed on the ground.
"There are trails around the places where Jackson and Stiles lay that don't belong to anyone here, and they don't seem to lead anywhere, which can mean only one thing."
"They use the trees to move around," Derek concluded.
"But how do we track them then?" Isaac asked and Peter smirked at him.
"Easily," he drawled and looked up. His eyes flashed and he looked at Derek. "We use the trees." Everyone, even Peter and John shivered when Derek's eyes turned red and a grin twisted his handsome features.
"Tonight we hunt."
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"Oh, my God..." Stiles groaned as he woke up.
"About damn time." He sat up quickly and regretted it immediately when everything spun, and he felt like he would puke.
"Jackson?"
"No, the Fairy Godmother," Jackson bit back and Stiles groaned. He looked around and frowned.
"Where the heck are we?" he muttered.
"It looks like a cave to me," Jackson said and Stiles groaned as he leaned back against a wall. His eyes finally adapted to the darkness well enough that he could see Jackson's form in the dark and the other teen's glimmering eyes.
"Caves usually have openings," Stiles said and Jackson snorted.
"Yeah, well ours seems to be sealed shut."
Stiles hummed. "I think it's safe to say that the Elves got us. What I don't understand is why they've kept you alive," Stiles said. He didn't need to see clearly to know Jackson just raised an eyebrow at him.
"Maybe they like me," Jackson droned and Stiles snorted.
"Then don't speak else they might stop." He smirked when Jackson chuckled. Stiles sighed and leaned his head against the wall of the cave. "Out of all the people I thought I'd be trapped in a small, dark place with, you weren't even in my top hundred."
"I won't even ask why you came up with a list of people you'd want to be trapped in a small, dark place with," Jackson muttered and Stiles chuckled.
"I've had a lot of free time and quite a big imagination."
Jackson snorted. "You're one of the most fucked up people I know, Stilinski."
"Takes one to know one," Stiles jibed and Jackson only raised an eyebrow at him.
"I guess it does," Jackson said. That wasn't something Stiles expected. A moment later Jackson sighed and Stiles heard him moving around a bit as if he was looking for a more comfortable position.
"Jackson?"
"Hm?" Stiles bit into his bottom lip.
"I – Why do you hate me so much?"
Jackson was quiet for a few long moments. Stiles thought he wouldn't get an answer, but Jackson finally spoke up.
"I don't hate you," Jackson confessed. "Not really."
"Not really?" Stiles pressed and Jackson sighed.
"I never liked you because – because you were different. You didn't care about popularity, you didn't care what people thought about you. You always did what you wanted, when you wanted, not caring what people would say or think. In a way – in a way I was jealous."
"Jealous!" Stiles cried out incredulously. "Of me?" Jackson snorted.
"I don't think I have to point out how my life's gone until now," he drawled, rubbing his jaw roughly. "You practically know everything about me," he grumbled and Stiles frowned. Sure, he knew everything about Jackson. He was damn good at research. But he still couldn't figure it out.
"But why would you be jealous of me. Sure you have your problems, but you have Lydia, you're popular, you have a great friend and you're the captain of the Lacrosse team. I'm just a hyperactive gay kid."
"I thought you were a stupid kid with a crush on the most beautiful girl in the school. I saw you as someone who was perfectly happy with what he had; someone who lived his life the way he wanted. Someone who did what he wanted, when he wanted, without worrying about what everyone else might say or think."
"That's what I was jealous about. And then these past few days – you came out and all of a sudden everything turns out to be a lie. Your crush on Lydia, your stupidity, you carelessness; everything turns out to be a way for you to mask your sexual orientation and ADHD. Everything I was jealous of suddenly turns out to be nothing more than a well played show for everyone. Underneath it all you turned out to be just as – just as-"
"Just as fucked up as you are?" Stiles finished for Jackson and the werewolf sighed.
"Yeah."
"And that's why you were angry with me," Stiles concluded and Jackson snorted.
"How would you feel if something you believed proved to be a well thought out lie?" Jackson grumbled and Stiles hummed.
"Well since it's me I'd probably bury my head in some book and try to figure out what the hell went wrong."
Jackson choked up a bit and Stiles just knew he was looking at him wide-eyed.
"Look, Jackson. You and me? We're as different as two people can be. Not only our backgrounds; the choices we made, the people we chose to be our friends. We're different in so many ways that in the end, when you sum up everything we are, we're not all that different. You have your life and I have mine. You chose to live your life the way you did, I chose to live my life a bit – well a lot differently."
Jackson chuckled and shook his head.
"But at the end of the day we're just kids. We're just two kids who are trying to find their place in the world. You have a place, whether it's the one you've always wanted or not, and you are free to do what you want with your life. Me? I'm your regular screw up. Beside my dad, I have practically nothing. You say that I stayed true to myself. What would you say if I told you that I don't really know what I really want?" Jackson frowned.
"I thought you wanted this; the pack," he said and Stiles shrugged.
"At one point I may have wanted to be part of the pack. At one point when I lost sight of who I was. I was so focused on Scott, so desperate to keep him as a friend after he became a werewolf that I ended up putting myself in more dangerous situations than it's healthy for anyone, let alone a hyperactive kid."
"I was desperately holding on to the only things I thought defined me that I completely forgot to think about what I wanted. Yes, I was ready to leave. Yes, part of the reason was because all of you; the pack, Derek, Scott, Lydia - all of you simply forgot about me. It showed to me that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I'm practically alone. It made me realize that I don't have a place where I belonged; that I honestly didn't know where I belonged. So I decided to leave." Stiles snorted. "And ended up here instead."
Jackson chuckled. "Trapped inside a small, dark place with the person you never thought you'd be trapped with?" Stiles snickered and Jackson saw his eyes glimmer mischievously.
"Well, not this way at least," Stiles drawled and Jackson raised an eyebrow at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Man, did you see yourself lately? You're like one of the hottest guys in Beacon Hills." Jackson choked up while Stiles laughed.
"You are insane, Stilinski."
"Stiles." Jackson raised an eyebrow at Stiles and the teen shrugged. "Friends don't call each other by their surnames." Jackson was grateful they were in a dark space because suddenly he felt himself blushing.
"Didn't know we're friends," he muttered and Stiles snorted.
"Please. With how many times I pushed my nose in your business we're brothers practically." Jackson stared at Stiles for a moment.
"I wasn't exactly-"
"You're a right ass," Stiles interrupted him and Jackson choked up. "But let's just say it's part of your charm." Jackson saw Stiles wink at him and for the first time in a long while he actually relaxed beside someone who wasn't Danny or Lydia.
"You're not all that bad, Stiles; when you're not a sarcastic, snarky, little son of a bitch." Stiles snickered.
"Sure," he muttered.
In that moment Jackson tensed up and Stiles' eyes widened when he felt the Werewolf crouch in front of him. The rock that was rolled over the entrance to where they were held captive began to move and the two shielded their eyes from the weak light that broke the darkness they were trapped in. Jackson hissed at the Elf that grabbed him but calmed down when Stiles grabbed his shoulders.
"Don't piss them off. They use poisoned blades. I might think of a way for us to get out of here." Jackson swallowed, his eyes shining gold. He nodded minutely and shifted back.
He glared at the Elves and moved forward, growling when one of the Elves grabbed his elbow and his head snapped to the side when Stiles yelped. The second Elf grabbed the human teen and by the wince and the skip of Stiles' heartbeat Jackson could tell the Elf was a bit too rough on the human.
Before Jackson could say anything he was pulled forward and a glimmering blade was thrust under his throat. He spared a glance at Stiles. The Elf was pulling him along, but the human wasn't resisting him. They got out of the caves and were pulled into a circle of Elves. There was a bonfire in the middle of the circle and the two were pushed on the ground.
Jackson immediately moved over to Stiles' side and placed his left hand on Stiles' right shoulder. Stiles threw him a small glance before both looked up and their breaths hitched in their throats. On a throne made out of routs and branches sat a man fit for the wildest of fantasies.
He wore a loincloth made out of some sort of animal skin and he held a long curved blade in his hands. His torso was muscled and strong, and straps of leather were tied around his biceps. His hair was dark, almost black and his skin was sun kissed. He had an oval face with sharp facial lines. High cheekbones accented slanted, pitch black orbs with almost no whites. His ears were pointed and peaked out from under his long hair and on his head was a crown made out of antlers. Over his shoulders he had a pelt; a Wolf pelt.
Jackson growled, but stopped when Stiles grabbed his hand and squeezed.
The other Elves were dressed in animal skin and pelts as well. Some were armed with bows and arrows, some with spears and some with swords and short knives. There were women among them, but they looked just as intimidating as men did. All of them had black hair and pitch black eyes.
Stiles and Jackson tensed up when the Elf stood up, embedded his sword into the ground and looked down at them. A she-Elf moved forward and stood a few feet behind the tall Elf.
"I am Kamish," she spoke with a cutting accent. "I shall translate for you." The tall Elf nodded and looked at them.
"Rim bue Rahash. Grad sibi Qrwe," he said in a language Jackson couldn't place, let alone understand. It was harsh and cutting; much like the blades that were glimmering in the light of the fire.
"I am Rahash; King under the Moon." While Kamish translated his words, Rahash looked at Stiles, and his eyes glimmered with something Stiles didn't like. Jackson barely managed to suppress the growl that threatened to come out of his mouth.
"Kir bue xrxr meneh kir buru, Moneha."
"You are stronger than I thought you were, Spark," Kamish droned. It seemed like she was bored; like she considered neither Stiles nor Jackson worthy of anything.
"Kir bue grt ksr kir bvni mw akw fre. Bvni kir drsi rime."
"You will do well once you are trained in our ways; once you become mine." Kamish smirked down at Stiles, and Jackson's grip on Stiles' shoulder grew tighter.
"Jackson, don't," Stiles warned and Jackson grunted.
"Drsi rime u thra gr kire Frtr bui qwei." Rahash smirked down at Stiles, and the human teen swallowed difficultly and shivered, making Jackson look at him with a frown. "Drsi rime u kvni mahe rth."
"Become mine and not one of your Wolves will be harmed," Kamish spoke with a sneer, straightening to her full height as her eyes glimmered with glee and bloodlust. "Become mine and this pup can walk free."
"No!" Jackson snapped and jumped up.
"Jackson!" Stiles cried out, launched after the teen wolf and wrapped his arms around his chest, holding Jackson back. "Don't do something stupid," Stiles hissed in Jackson's ear and the werewolf looked at him incredulously. Before either could say anything Rahash laughed and they looked at him.
"Kvni bue srt. Rim vrqu kdraga."(The pup is brave. I might keep him for entertainment.) Kamish didn't translate that, but the way everyone laughed made Jackson believe Rahash said nothing good.
"If – If I stay here…!" Stiles called out.
"No!" Jackson snapped and Stiles glared at him before he looked at Rahash again.
"If I stay here, Jackson will be free?" Stiles called out. Kamish translated for Stiles and Rahash looked at the human teen before he nodded with a small smirk.
"Our King promises the pup's safety," Kamish spat out and Stiles nodded.
He let go of Jackson and took a hesitant step forward. Jackson frowned when Stiles' eyes strayed to somewhere up above the throne, and Jackson's heart skipped a beat. He took in a discreet breath and barely suppressed a smirk when several familiar scents tickled his nose.
Stiles let go of a slow breath and took a small step forward.
Rahash stepped forward and raised his right hand. Jackson frowned when he felt a wave of something wash over him and his eyes widened when he saw Stiles' shoulders slowly relax.
"Sakuvi rim, rimu Moneha," (Come to me, my Spark.) Rahash spoke in a low, sultry, seductive voice, and Jackson's eyes widened even more when Stiles' left hand slowly started to rise as he took small steps towards the Elf.
"Sakuvi rim u bui rime." (Come to me and be mine.) Stiles' shoulders relaxed completely and his hand hovered over the King's. "Suk feyi vrin." (We will rule together.)
The moment Stiles' hand landed in the King's, the Elf pulled on his arm, wrapped his huge left arm around Stiles' waist and pulled him close. He bowed down and slammed his lips against Stiles'.
Jackson's eyes almost fell out of their sockets and his jaw hung open while the Elves cheered.
In the next moment a loud howl - a howl more threatening than anything Jackson has ever heard echoed through the night. His breath hitched in his throat when the King's sword suddenly flew out of the ground, twisted in the air and flew directly at the King's back.
"THRA!" Kamish screamed and jumped behind the King, the blade embedding itself into her chest, killing her on the spot.
Several Elves fell forward with arrows sticking out of their backs. A few gunshots echoed through the night and a few more Elves met their ends. In the commotion Stiles pushed himself away from the King just as a huge black wolf jumped out of the shadows to stand in front of Jackson and the Pack followed him, wolfed out and growling at the Elves.
Stiles spat on the ground and wiped his mouth with his hand as he moved backwards towards Derek who was crouching low on the ground, his black fur glimmering in the firelight, his fangs showing and eyes glowing, and low threatening growls reverberating in his chest.
"Rim thra bui kire!" (I will never be yours!) Stiles spat out and Jackson looked at him wide eyed.
"When did you have time to learn their language?" he exclaimed incredulously and Stiles threw him a smirk.
"They have a really poor vocabulary," he said and Jackson snorted and rolled his eyes. Derek huffed lowly and Jackson smirked before he shifted quickly. Stiles looked around. The Elves were aiming arrows at them and others were holding their swords and daggers at the ready.
"Kruvi buru grun," (That was a mistake) Rahash growled and Stiles sneered at him.
"Kruvi grun buru kir oru rim buqu kire," (The mistake was when you thought I would be yours.) he spat out and Rahash hissed at him, his features sharpening and eyeteeth growing longer.
"Really nice friends you have there, Stiles," Peter said with a slight lisp due to the fangs, and Stiles snickered.
"Well, I always had style," he muttered.
"The first chance you get, run," Scott whispered to him and Stiles snorted.
"Yeah, right. Like that's gonna happen," he muttered and everyone, both the wolves and the Elves were shocked when the King's blade flew into Stiles' hand and the human teen smirked at him. "Kir thra krue bun liot Fahtha bi Moneha lr pve." (You shouldn't coat your blade in mountain ash around a Spark that knows how to use it.)
"Care to share?" Erica said.
"The blade is coated in mountain ash," Stiles summarized and the werewolves chuckled.
Derek's chuckling made a shiver run down Stiles' spine. It was like short huffing of wheezing breaths and it was quite funny to hear coming from the muzzle of a huge, black, intimidating Wolf.
"Kire Frtr qri u kir bui rime," (Your wolves will die and you will be mine.) Rahash hissed through his teeth and Stiles frowned at him.
"Kiru bue qrg swar. Kiru thra'ha Frtr u brt u lthi khartqu," (You are a dying race. You cannot face werewolves and our weapons and hope to survive.) Stiles said and the King growled.
"Kire Frtr thra'ha khartqu vhrt re liot." (Your Wolves cannot survive the bite of our blades.)
"Vr kiru swar khartqu vhrt rut xrs?"(Will your race survive the bite of their jaws?) Stiles growled.
The Elves around them were turning around trying to locate the rest of their enemies while the Werewolves crouched lower, ready to attack at a moment's notice. The King sneered at them and straightened slowly to his full, intimidating height.
"Kir bue das, Moneha," (You are crafty, Spark.) he said.
"Rim nr Stiles," (My name is Stiles) the teen bit out and the King smirked at him.
"Rim bvne kn kir bue, Gwetheryrn," (I know who you are, Gwetheryrn.) Stiles' breath hitched in his throat when he heard his given name spoken for the first time since his mother died.
"Stiles?" Derek's low rumble made Stiles flinch. The King grinned at him.
"Ru buqu kri. Kir buqu kri,"(We could be great. You could be great.) he growled seductively and Stiles shook his head.
"Thra." (No.) He looked the King in the eyes. "Thra vn kir." (Not with you.) The King frowned for a second before he smirked.
"Kir fih mni? Ok Frt?" (You chose him? A mere wolf!) He burst into laughter and Stiles growled. Before he could say anything the King stopped laughing and took a small step forward.
"Shar. Rim ksqi kire Frt. Rim krequ kir bui rime, kir krequ kir khaqi." (Very well. I will fight your Wolf. If I win you will be mine, if he wins you walk free.)
"NO!" Stiles snapped and everyone looked at him in shock.
"What? What is it?" Isaac asked, crouching lower when the Elves seemed to prepare to attack them.
"He wants to fight Derek," Stiles said and Derek looked at him. "If Derek's wins we walk free if – if he loses..."
"You stay," Derek growled and his eyes flashed blood-red.
"You're not fighting him," Stiles hissed and glared at Derek.
"Step back, Stiles," Derek rumbled and moved forward only to stop when Stiles ran in front of him, standing between him and the Elf-King.
"Stiles-"
"No!" Stiles shouted and everyone tensed up when the fire in the middle of the circle burned stronger for a moment. "He can't make me stay here, Derek. He can't make me do anything. You don't have to fight him for me, alright?"
"Stiles, step aside," Derek growled warningly. Stiles looked at Rahash over his shoulder when the Elf chuckled mockingly.
"Lomqui kir chaw?" (Do you fear for his life?) Stiles sneered at him.
"Mni thra'ha ksqi rim," (He doesn't have to fight for me.) Stiles hissed at the Elf and Rahash raised an eyebrow at him. "Rim bui kw mne." (I am already his.)
Rahash frowned and slowly took a step forward. Derek growled threateningly, but Stiles sent him a glare as he turned to face the Elf. Rahash was good two heads taller than Stiles, so the teen had to tilt his head back to look at him. Rahash stopped barely a foot in front of him and Stiles gulped. The werewolves were sending worried glances his way. They could hear the mad beating of his heart.
"Kir buqu htrah." (You could be so much more.) Rahash spoke with wonder in the tone of his voice. "Htrah bvn xui Agna Bres."(So much more than a meager alpha mate.) Stiles swallowed and shook his head.
"Rim thra'ha xsi htrah," (I do not want to be more.) he said and Rahash snorted.
"Kir bui xrxr, Moneha. U kir xrxrqu. Nk dru bequ rni Shqr xrxr hu bay brequ Qrwe." (You are strong, Spark. And you will only become stronger. If you indeed remain with this Pack they might become the strongest Pack yet to walk under the moon.) Stiles swallowed over a lump.
"Rim bui gre," (I am leaving.) he said and Rahash chuckled.
"Va. Du kir mn swate xnen." (Yes. But you are already thinking of coming back.) Rahash raised his head and looked at Derek. "Rakhu mni."(Because of him.) Stiles looked at Derek over his shoulder.
The alpha grunted when he saw the unreadable expression on Stiles' face. He couldn't name it. He couldn't place it. But the warmth that spread through his body was something he did recognize.
He was just afraid to name it.
"Mne veru praha cru," (He gave me a reason to come back.) Stiles said and looked up at Rahash.
"Kir bui Grad."(You would be King.) Stiles smiled and took a few steps back before he shook his head.
"Rim thra bui rim." (I wouldn't be me.) Rahash smirked before he snorted and then broke into laughter. Both Elves and werewolves stared at him in shock.
"Kir bue frah, Moneha," (You are special, Spark.) Rahash said once his laughter died down. "Rim bue fah thurui qru kir. Batha bwi thur rim xnen. Kir thra Brese rim draho rime." (I am willing to make a deal with you. ten years from now I will return. If I do not find you Mated to him I shall claim you as my own.) Stiles chuckled and nodded. He raised the sword, hilt pointed towards Rahash and the Elf smirked at him.
"Qru," (Deal.) Stiles said and Rahash smirked. He took his sword and took a few steps back. The werewolves gaped when he bowed his head at Stiles.
"Qwa vnere mashqu kir,"(May your enemies tremble before you.) Rahash said.
"Qwa vnere arn manqu kire bm," (May the blood of your enemies flow down your hands) Stiles answered and Rahash looked at the Elves. He barked an order and the Elves lowered their weapons.
"What's going on?" Erica asked as the Elves turned around and slowly started to walk away into the darkness of the forest carrying their dead with them, with Rahash at the front.
"Stiles, what just happened?" Isaac asked.
"I do believe we're done for tonight," Peter muttered.
"STILES!" the teen yelped when John ran over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Dad! Can't! Breathe!" Stiles gasped out. John moved back and cupped his cheeks, his eyes darting all over him.
"Don't you ever, ever do that again!" John snapped and Stiles rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine, dad," he said only for John to hug him again. Stiles chuckled and simply returned the hug, burying his face in John's shoulder.
"Alright, can someone explain to me what just happened?" Lydia snapped and Stiles and John parted. Stiles shrugged and rubbed the back of his head.
"Nothing much. Basically I made a deal with Rahash." Everyone's faces darkened at that.
"What kind of deal?" Derek growled and Stiles blushed to the roots of his hair.
"Well – I – He - …"
"Stiles!" John snapped and Stiles looked at him from under his bangs. "What deal?" Stiles sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Well, I told him that I – I didn't want to be his because –I said that I was leaving but that – that I'd come back one day and he still wanted to fight for me. Well, to make a long story short, he made a deal with me that they'll come back in 10 years and if I'm not mated until then he'd take me either way. No bloodshed, no Elves anymore and now we can all go home." He turned on his heel and would have marched away had Derek not growled and stopped him by jumping in front of him.
"And you expect of us to believe that?" he grunted and Stiles sighed.
"Derek, they're gone. And they won't come back for 10 years. That gives you damn enough time to find a way to keep them off of your territory."
"He said he'd come back for you," Melissa stressed out and Stiles rolled his eyes.
"And he'll take me if I'm not mated by then. I truly do hope I'll find someone before the 10 years expire," he drawled and everyone rolled their eyes at him.
Everyone but Derek that is.
Stiles' heart was beating a bit too quickly.
He was hiding something.
Something big.
And Derek would find out.
He would.
cut
Derek snorted as he looked around his living room. Jackson and Lydia were sleeping in an armchair with Lydia cradled in Jackson's arms and a blanket around them. Erica and Boyd were on the floor snuggled in another blanket with Erica sleeping half on top of Boyd. Isaac and Scott crashed on the floor as well, completely ignoring the fact that Isaac's room had a perfectly functioning bed. John fell asleep in the middle of the couch with Mellissa on his right and Peter on his left. John's head was resting on Peter's shoulder while Melissa's was resting on John's, and all three of them were snuggled in their respective blankets.
Derek shook his head and looked towards the stairs.
With a deep breath he made his way up. He stopped beside his bedroom but moved on when he found it empty. He walked down the hall and over to Stiles' room. He decided not to knock when he found the door ajar. He pushed them open and found Stiles sitting on his bed, his bags under his feet and an unreadable expression on his face.
"Five days," Stiles whispered and Derek frowned. "Five days ago I was determined to leave and never look back." Derek walked over to the bed slowly and took a seat, his thigh brushing against Stiles'.
"I would ask what changed if I didn't think you'd hit me," Derek spoke in a monotone and Stiles snorted. Derek cracked a small smile.
"Funny, isn't it?" Stiles chuckled. "A lot can happen in five days. You stopped me from leaving, we hung out together more than we did in the past year, and I was almost taken by Woodland Elves-"
"And I still don't understand why they simply left," Derek muttered and Stiles finally looked at him. He raised an eyebrow at the alpha and Derek frowned in confusion.
"Don't you really?" Stiles whispered and Derek's frown deepened. "Derek, he wanted to fight you," Stiles accented and Derek's eyes widened.
"You mean-" Stiles snorted and tilted his head back to look at the message still written on the glass above his bed.
"He was in my head, Derek. He knew. He wanted you to fight for me. Our deal – I made a deal with him. The Deal is – If I'm not mated to you in the next ten years he will come back for me." Derek gulped and looked at his hands.
"You're still determined to leave," he muttered. His whole body shivered when Stiles placed his hand between Derek's and entwined his fingers with his. Derek raised his head and looked at Stiles, and his guts did a flip when the teen smiled at him with his topaz colored eyes full of something Derek was still afraid to name.
"I need to, Derek," Stiles muttered. "But – But I will come back. I will." Derek swallowed and nodded.
"I promised..." His voice was strained and deeper than normal. "I promised that once all of this is over I will let you go." Stiles' breath hitched in his throat when Derek's hold on his hand tightened. Derek heard Stiles' heart skip a beat and he took a deep, wavering breath. "But – But I don't know if I can." His voice broke and Stiles' heartbeat was irregular for just a second.
"You have to. If I don't – If I don't leave I'll never grow, Derek. I'll never see – I'll never see who I really am," Stiles implored and Derek looked in his eyes.
"You're Stiles," he spoke as he looked in Stiles' eyes. "You're a know-it-all; you're sarcastic, snarky, kind, gentle, loving, understanding, strict, out-spoken, hyperactive, hyperaware, intelligent, caring, mischievous, enticing – I can go on until I begin repeating myself, but you are Stiles, and you – you're pack. We were just – I was just too stupid to see it." Stiles' lips stretched into a small smile, but his eyes were glimmering with tears.
"And now you do see it, Derek." He licked his lips when his voice broke. "But I don't. And I don't want to end up being just that. I want – I want to be more. Not just for myself, but for you too; for everyone."
"We don't need you to be more." Derek whispered. "I don't need you to be more." Stiles smiled and leaned forward until he rested his forehead on Derek's shoulder. Derek closed his eyes and leaned his cheek on Stiles' head. The teen was shivering; his heart was beating irregularly, and his scent – god, his scent.
For the first time in a while, Derek could actually smell him perfectly. He took in a deep breath, engraving Stiles' scent into his memory.
"Will you wait for me?" Stiles voice broke and Derek squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
"Forever," he whispered and squeezed Stiles' hand. "Forever if you need me to."
"I don't want to say goodbye," Stiles whispered and Derek turned his head until he buried his nose in Stiles' hair.
"They'll understand," Derek murmured weakly. It felt like something was stuck in his throat; like something was lying on his shoulders.
"I can't get past them. I can't get past my dad." Derek kissed the crown of Stiles' head.
"I promised to help you," Derek said. "And I will." Stiles moved back and looked in Derek's eyes. A lone tear trailed down Stiles' cheek and Derek reached up with his free hand, and gently wiped it away with his thumb. He wanted to kiss him; he wanted to wipe that sadness away from Stiles' face.
But he knew that if he did he would never let the teen go.
Never.
"Try to get some sleep," Derek said and squeezed Stiles' hand. "I'll take care of everything." Stiles' bottom lip quivered and he nodded minutely. "I'll take care of everything," he murmured and slowly let go.
"Derek!" Stiles grabbed Derek's hand as the alpha stood up. Derek looked down at him and his heart clenched. Ever so slowly he leaned forward, cupped Stiles' cheek and gently kissed his forehead. He lingered for a moment, pushing away the mountain of emotions that weighted down on him, took a deep breath as he moved away, and Stiles' grip on his hand grew lax.
"I'll be right back," he pressed out through his teeth and left the room.
Stiles watched the door close, let go of a wavering breath and fisted his hands in his lap. His forehead still burned from Derek's kiss.
'I need to do this,' he thought and a sob escaped his lips. 'I need to leave.' He tilted his head back as moonlight shining down upon him turned his tears into diamonds.
'For all of our sakes.'
cut
Stiles swallowed difficultly and leaned his forehead against the cold surface of the window. His earphones were in his ears and something was playing but he couldn't care less. His mind was plagued with questions and thoughts.
He wondered how his dad reacted to finding him gone. He wondered how the pack reacted when they found him gone.
Did they immediately assume he left? Did they figure out how? Did they get angry with Derek? He stopped himself from calling them at least 10 times. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. In a few hours he'll be at his grandparents' place. He would think of what to do next once he's less emotional; less apt to make a stupid decision.
'I have to do this,' he tried to convince himself. 'They wouldn't have let me go.' Tears gathered in his eyes and he choked back a sob.
'I wouldn't have been able to let go.' He hugged his arms around his waist glad that there was no one sitting beside him. He didn't want company.
As childish as it sounded, he didn't want anyone close right then. He opened his eyes and his heart skipped a beat when he thought he saw something in the woods by to road. All of a sudden the bus started to slow down.
"What's going on?" a young woman two seats away from Stiles wondered, and the teen frowned. He took off his earphones and straightened in his seat. He stood up to look ahead and his breath hitched in his throat.
'Impossible!' he thought as his heart beat in his ears.
The bus stopped.
The other travelers were standing in their places looking at the barricade in front of the bus. The Sheriff's car was there with nine people standing in a line in front of it. Stiles could hardly breathe. While the other travelers whispered among themselves about what was going on, Stiles slowly made his way to the front.
"Would Stiles Stilinski please get off the bus?!" John's voice echoed through the air outside and the bus-driver looked over his shoulder at Stiles who walked over to him.
"Are you this Stiles?" the driver asked and Stiles nodded, his eyes focused on the people in front of them. The door opened and Stiles looked at the driver. "I doubt we'll be able to pass them unless you get out kid. Move it." Stiles swallowed and slowly got off the bus.
With hesitant steps he walked forward and stopped some 10 feet away from them. John smirked at him and took a few steps forward.
"Did you really think we'd let you go without saying goodbye?" he drawled.
And something in Stiles broke.
cut
I've got my ticket for the long way 'round;
two bottles of Whiskey for the way.
cut
"Dad…" he choked out and ran into his father's arms. John chuckled and hugged his son for all it was worth.
"You're an idiot, son," he whispered and Stiles chuckled. He pushed back and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands.
"Yeah. I know," he said and grinned when Melissa took a step forward. She hugged him lovingly and kissed his cheek.
"Take care, Stiles. And stay safe," she whispered and moved back while he nodded.
"You too, Mrs. McCall," he said and she winked at him as Scott stepped forward.
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And I sure would like some sweet company;
and I'm leaving tomorrow, what do you say?
cut
"I'm gonna miss you, dude." Scott pulled Stiles into a tight hug. "Don't forget to write," he choked out and Stiles squeezed him tightly.
"I won't," he whispered and they parted.
Isaac grinned at him as he practically jumped on Stiles. The slightly older teen snickered as Isaac rubbed his head with his hand and rubbed his cheek against Stiles'.
"I'm going to write everything that's going on and send it to you. I might even buy a camera and send you videos," Isaac promised and Stiles laughed as they parted.
"I'd love to see them." He grinned and Isaac's smile would have split his face if it was possible.
"Take care," he said and Stiles nodded while Erica moved forward.
cut
You're gonna miss me by my walk,
You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh;
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
cut
"Don't forget us, Mama-Wolf," she whispered as she hugged Stiles, burying her face in his neck. Stiles hugged her lovingly and took in the smell of her hair.
"I could never forget you," he choked out and Erica smiled at him as she pulled back. Boyd smirked at him and Stiles chuckled as the huge teen pulled him into a hug.
"Take care of them, big guy. I'm counting on you." Boyd nodded and moved back.
Stiles snickered as Lydia glared at him.
"You're one sneaky bastard, you know that, right?" she asked and Stiles chuckled.
"Yeah," he admitted and shrugged. "I know." In the next moment Lydia was all over him, her arms hugging him tightly.
"Don't get killed," she whispered in his ear and Stiles hugged her back tightly.
"I won't," he said and she moved back. Stiles looked at Jackson and the Lacrosse co-captain smirked at him.
"You thought you'd get away just like that?"
Stiles shrugged. "No one ever said all my plans work out perfectly," he said and Jackson snorted. He strutted over to Stiles and pulled him into a one armed hug.
"Call in occasionally," Jackson said and Stiles nodded.
He smirked when Peter sauntered over to him with his hands in his pockets and that amused smirk on his face. Stiles raised an eyebrow at him and spread his arms to the sides.
"No hug for me?" he teased and Peter snorted.
"I thought I was a creepy pedophile," he recalled and Stiles snorted.
"You're a psychopath with narcissistic tendencies. Get your terminology straight," he said and Peter chuckled. He walked over and pulled Stiles into a hug.
"Give the world hell, kid," Peter muttered and Stiles smiled as they parted.
"The world won't know what hit it."
He looked around and his heart skipped a beat. Everyone smirked at him and pointedly looked behind him. Stiles swallowed and ever so slowly turned around.
cut
I've got my ticket for the long way 'round;
the one with the prettiest of views.
cut
His breath hitched in his throat when he found Derek leaning against the bus with his arms crossed over his chest and a small, amused smirk on his face. He shrugged and pushed away from the bus.
"If you can't stop them join them," he said as he walked over to Stiles, his hands pushed deep in the pockets of his leather jacket. "I joined them." Stiles choked on a chuckle as his eyes filled with tears again.
Derek raised an eyebrow at him and Stiles couldn't hold back anymore. He broke into a run, jumped into Derek's arms and kissed him.
And god did it feel good.
cut
It's got mountains, it's got rivers,
It's got sights to give you shivers,
but it sure would be prettier with you.
cut
"Stay safe," Derek whispered in Stiles' ear as he let the teen down. Stiles chuckled and nuzzled his cheek against Derek's. "And come back to us." Stiles took a few steps back and nodded with the silliest grin on his face anyone has ever seen.
"I will," Stiles said and turned around to look at everyone. "I'll come back," he promised as Derek walked over to stand among the others. Stiles didn't even try to hide the tears that threatened to fall.
cut
You're gonna miss me by my hair,
you're gonna miss me everywhere, oh;
you're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
cut
He took a few steps back as the pack, his family smiled at him.
"I'll see you later," he said and they nodded.
"See you later." Stiles entered the bus as John entered the car to move it to the side and the others moved off of the road.
"You ready to go now, kid?" the driver teased and Stiles chuckled.
"Yeah." He looked out the front window and nodded. "I'm ready to go now." The door closed behind him and he walked over to his seat. The bus moved and a honk made Stiles look out the window again. His eyes widened when he saw his dad, Melissa and Lydia follow them with the car. His breath hitched in his throat when he looked out into the forest and saw seven huge, different colored wolves disappear in the shadows of the trees.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
"Watch it kid!" An old man snapped when Stiles rushed to the back, tripping over seats, one bag, and his own two feet.
His dad honked as Melissa and Lydia waved at him and just as they got out of Beacon Hills Stiles looked up and into the distance at a hill overlooking the road, and his breath hitched in his throat as seven wolves stood as one.
The howling he heard made a shiver run down his body and a huge smile decorated his face as he left Beacon Hills behind.
'See you later, guys,' he thought as he fell into a seat and sighed. 'See you later.'
cut
Bye, bye, Stiles!
See you when you come back!