Chapter Three: Alpha Alert

Derek stayed pressed against Stiles' back, listening to the omega sleep and the tiny snoring sounds he made. Ricky was rubbing Stiles' arm gently, gliding gently up and down in a soothing rhythm that calmed Derek even though they weren't touching each other. Ricky looked over Stiles' slim shoulder and locked on Derek's gaze. The alpha reached out and touched the side of Ricky's jaw gently, feeling Ricky tremble slightly under his touch. Ricky's lips puckered slightly as Derek's finger slipped across his face and over his mouth.

"I can't do this Gari," he whispered and Ricky nodded.

Ever since Stiles reached out to them through the bond and he felt the fear and pain that Stiles was in and there was nothing he could do but run. He dropped everything, leaving his poor brother with all the groceries, which he still didn't know if they got home. All he knew was Stiles was alone and in danger. He needed to be with Stiles and ever since then he desperately needed Stiles to not be apart from him, which might work for a while but pretty soon Stiles was going to snap back from this and carry on, he wasn't going to let Derek coddle him.

"He's not going to leave us, we're going to keep him safe Derek," Ricky said in the silence of the room with only the sound of their heartbeats to keep them company.

"I thought my dad was indestructible," Derek said quietly.

Ricky stayed quiet, waiting for Derek to speak or not speak. Sometimes Derek didn't know what they would have done without Ricky to balance them out. Stiles was always seemingly running head long into something while Derek desperately wanted to wrap him up and hide him away but he couldn't do that without destroying Stiles at a fundamental level. Ricky helped them both to build bridges instead of burn them.

"I know I was too young to know Cordelia but my father, he was the powerhouse behind my mother. He always protected us and made sure that we were always together and happy. He made us laugh and we were always rough housing and fooling around. After he died, the laughter went with him. I can't lose the laughter we have with Stiles, I love you so much Ricky but it would be incomplete without him, same as if I lost you." Derek's arms tightened unconsciously around Stiles who grumbled in annoyance without waking. Derek loosened his grip again and pressed a kiss into the side of Stiles' neck. Stiles purred a little at the gesture and Derek went back to looking at Ricky while his hand still rubbed across the beta's skin, into his shoulder and neck in a continuous loop of comfort.

All he could sense from the beta was an amazing sense of Ricky's acceptance and love; Derek was so worried he would take what the alpha said badly. Derek was glad to see Ricky had settled into this, he'd had such a rough time in the beginning and every once in a while it was still a struggle, it was for all of them.

"How do I let him go Ricky? How am I supposed to be okay with him being out where there is a damn hunter and Stiles has a bull's-eye on his head!"

Ricky sighed and grabbed Derek's hand so he could press a kiss to the alpha's palm. Derek smiled at the pleasant sensation zinging through his body at the sensation. Derek pulled away with a quick smile and pulled Stiles across the bed and tucked him under the blanket gently, pressing another kiss into his omega's forehead and looked over to find Ricky staring at him in confusion. Derek smiled a little as he shifted on the bed and pulled the beta against his chest and leaned down and pressed his lips against Ricky's mouth in a gentle kiss. Ricky arched his body into Derek's chest and the alpha smiled into the sensation of having his other mate so close. He slipped a hand down over Ricky's shoulder and pressed into the beta's lower back and pressed their bodies as closely as he could. He didn't want to do much of anything right now but he needed to be close, he also needed to free up the inner wolf for a second. He needed to dominate someone and Ricky seemed willing. About the time Derek was going to double check, Ricky pulled away from his alpha and whispered in Derek's ear, "I know what you need Der, take it."

Derek looked over to Stiles who was still sleeping before he turned back to Ricky and pressed his forehead to his mate's cheek, "Thank you."

Ricky reached out and tugged Derek down for another kiss. Derek pressed into the kiss hard, pressing his teeth into the plump part of Ricky's lower lip for a second, just enough to nick the skin and cause a drop of blood to well at the wound. Derek pressed his tongue back at the wound to soothe the minor ache before he moved his hand back down to removed Ricky's boxers then his own. He didn't know how far they were going to go but he needed to do this right now. He so rarely needed to be the alpha that the fact that Ricky would let him do this when he needed it so badly was just another way he proved to Derek that he loved him.

Derek set out to mark as much of Ricky's skin as he could with teeth and his tongue, suction and just a little bit of pain. The beta just laid on the bed and let Derek do what he needed, one of Derek's hands was holding both of Ricky's hands above his head near the headboard and after a second Ricky moved to hold the wood in his hands to keep them away from Derek. Derek whispered his thanks; his appreciation to Ricky for somehow understanding what this was for him. Derek proceeded to press his lips into Ricky's skin but also he did a partial shift and allowed his nails to slide down Ricky's chest and across his ribcage. The blood welled from the thin points and it healed almost immediately once more, being the mate of an alpha had its privileges. Derek made sure his teeth didn't sharpen and change as he nipped skin here and there as he moved down Ricky's body then he was staring at Ricky's hardened member, it was straining as if it had a mind of its own. Derek continued touching Ricky, offering pleasure and demanding complete obedience if Ricky wanted the pleasure to continue. Derek was pleased every time when he commanded Ricky to do something like: "Don't move again or I will stop." Ricky would moan and do as he asked. They did their best to stay quiet, not to wake the healing omega next to them while Derek played out the dominance he needed to get out of his system. When Derek pressed Ricky's hands above his head and the beta gripped the bed and the alpha grinned, pleased his beta was willing to listen and be dominated. Derek just wanted to show Ricky how much pleasure he could take away from being at Derek's mercy and under his control. He would never hurt Ricky or Stiles with this alpha-like behavior but he was so pleased to find Ricky here beneath him.

"Please Derek," Ricky whispered.

"Gari, do you want me?"

"Yes," Ricky's whimpers turned into a strangled moan, "Please do it."

Happy to know Ricky was here with him, it was all he could do to finish prepping Ricky then they were together, moaning into each other gently. It didn't take them long at all to find release and when they were panting in the aftermath, Derek whispered into his beta's lips, "I didn't hurt you did I?"

Ricky shook his head and Derek waited a few seconds more before they separated and he tucked himself close to his mate and looked over and smiled when he realized Stiles had stayed asleep the whole time.

"He must have been really exhausted from the fight." Derek whispered.

Ricky nodded as he reached over and ran a finger down the side of Stiles' face before he turned to face Derek. The alpha leaned down and pressed another kiss to the side of Ricky's face and he whispered into the beta's skin, "Thank you Gari, I didn't know how I was going to deal with all that energy. I couldn't just pull all that crap on Stiles without getting a little relief. I love you."

Ricky smiled and reached up to pull him close for another kiss and when they separated the moisture in the beta's eyes were of joy and happiness. "I love you so much Derek and you can pull the alpha stuff on me anytime and I bet you anything that in the bedroom, Stiles is going to love it too."

Derek nodded and pressed close to the beta for a little longer; he wasn't under any delusions that a little nap session was going to be the end of this day. There was a lot of things going on for the holidays and his mom was going all out plus the addition of the hunters, it was going to be a holiday to remember.