I can't help but feel that these chapters are short. . . but I don't know, if you think they are then my excuse is because I always end up writing at night/one in the morning and I'm tired! Either way, enjoy . . .
Stiles was snarling before he even realised he'd really moved. It was instinct, pure and simple that had him leaping out of Derek's bedroom window. Although he would admit that he did allow himself one moment of regret for having to cut short the little make out session he'd been having with Derek. Seriously, the guy could kiss, so Stiles thought it was probably a warranted thought!That first yelp of pain, a yelp he recognised as Jason's still rang through his ears and his feet pulled him towards the source of the noise instinctively.
He roared, already shifted as he leapt just into the border of trees, tackling the wolf that had Jason pinned to the ground. He slashed his claws downwards through flesh, the sounds of fabric ripping and the other wolf's howl of pain reverberating off of the trees. Stiles thought it was one of the most glorious sounds he'd ever heard, but then that could just be his protective side talking.
He could hear Jason on the ground behind him, whimpering softly in the back of his throat and he could also smell the blood, the scent of it thick and tangible in the air. It clung to the back of his throat, threatened to choke him under the weight of it, so he resorted to his usual tactic of just snarling past the blockage.
He bared his teeth, letting the wolf take over for a second as he grabbed the other wolf by the front of his shirt and slammed him into a tree. He sunk his nails into his flesh, anchoring them together and making the guy cough out his groan of pain as Stiles slammed him into the tree again.
Even through his rage-induced haze he could see that it was the same guy as last time. The one who'd attacked him in the alley – or at least tried to – his first day back in town. And if Stiles had been calm enough to think about it, he probably would have realised that the wolf's earlier declaration that they were on his Pack's territory would mean that he was overstepping his bounds slightly attacking the guy like this. But then on the other hand he could still smell Jason's blood, could see it on the wolf's nails as he reached up to try and claw Stiles' hands off of his chest.
The recognition was clear in his eyes and the scent of fear drifted through Stiles' nostrils, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. His jaw cracked as his fangs grew slightly more, filling his mouth until it felt like his gums were bursting. He roared in the other wolf's face, pressing closer to force his nails further into the guy's chest. He didn't even feel the nails that were raking bloody lines across his own chest and forearms. He was too far gone to feel the pain.
He could feel as well as scent the swell of his Pack behind him and the rustle of leaves that implied Jason was either clambering to his feet or being helped up eased some of the tension from his body slightly. But he only stopped snarling when arms wound their way around his waist. And really, he should have known from the way that the wolf he had pinned relaxed who it was, but he still had a momentary second of panic during which he released the other wolf with one hand and sank his claws into the thigh of the person behind him.
Derek grunted, but said nothing. No doubt because the moment the sound had ghosted over the back of Stiles' neck with his exhaled breath, Stiles' claws had retracted. He could feel what he could only describe as electricity crackling through his body wherever Derek was touching him, or had touched him recently. He could still feel the aftershocks of having Derek's body blanketing his, of having Derek's taste and scent completely filling up his senses.
It had been perfect and even if they did have more things that needed to be said and even if Stiles did know that he probably should explain about Erica eventually, that didn't mean he regretted it. And it definitely didn't mean he didn't want a repeat performance. The only problem was, his brain kept following the treacherous path of if a kiss was that good, how amazing would sex be? And honestly, it was already pretty obvious what he and Derek had been up to in his room just from the state of his clothes and his scent, right then was not a good time to be reacting to Derek's presence like he wanted to.
Although, he would admit to pressing back into Derek's hold slightly.
"It's okay," Derek's voice was a low growl in his ear, his voice still scratchy from sleep and Stiles could smell the tail end of his arousal still hovering around him, clinging to Derek's flesh like the finest cologne. Derek's mouth pressed against the skin just behind his ear, his tongue flicking out to taste it as one of Derek's hands slipped under his shirt, tracing comforting circles on his belly. "He's one of mine, it's okay."
He didn't bother reacting any further than retracting the claws of his other hand from the wolf's chest, not as regretful as he probably should be that he'd attacked a wolf on its own territory. In fact, he wasn't regretful at all.
"I'm not sorry," he said stubbornly, his fingers curling around Derek's forearm in a move that could only be described as possessive.
Derek chuckled for a minute against his neck. "Never thought you would be," he said, his heartbeat pounding truth into his lowly spoken words, "And I have to say it's kind of endearing how willingly you protect your Pack, how seriously you take it."
Stiles smirked, twisting around in Derek's hold so that the Alpha could see his raised eyebrows. "Oh, it's endearing is it?" he asked, wanting to fold his arms across his chest but instead going for winding them around Derek's waist, holding their bodies closer.
He only jumped a little when Derek grabbed his ass and purposefully ignored Maggie's smirk and the smell of her amusement from a few feet away. Derek just smirked right back at him, his eyes practically smouldering.
"This is Kyle," he said, looking over Stiles' shoulder at the werewolf who Stiles had until recently had his nails embedded in, "I sent him out as a scout a few days ago, Kyle this is Stiles, his Alpha Rory and their Pack." He jerked his head in the general direction of Rory when he spoke. "They are guests on our territory until further notice and will be treated as such," he continued, fixing his scout with a very Alpha-y stare, "And as my mate Stiles will be treated with respect, indefinitely, do you understand?"
And Stiles could say that his excuse for Derek's words not clicking in his brain sooner was because he was a little caught up in the fact that the formal tone sounded so weird in Derek's gravelly, slightly sleepy voice. It was adorable and kind of freaky all at the same time.
Then it clicked and he jerked backwards, no doubt only avoiding falling over because Derek's arms were still around him, holding him in place. So really he hadn't moved all that far backwards. He stared up at Derek in surprise and shock, knowing that the scents were cloaking them thickly by now, weighting them down with the pressure of it.
"I'm your mate?" he asked, refusing to admit ever that he squeaked those words out, even though actually chances were he really had done. He thought he was allowed some lee-way though considering.
In his chest his wolf hummed in contentment, but the human part of Stiles – the part of him that would always be human and still reeling from rejection like it was yesterday – was only confused further by the way that Derek looked down at him. It was like he thought Stiles was dumb or something, like he was shocked that Stiles had really not known that.
He kept on staring at Stiles, a deep frown setting into his previously relaxed features and that right there was almost enough to make Stiles completely regret his question. He didn't like seeing Derek so frowny, it reminded him of bad times. Or at least of worse times. "Yes," he said bluntly, even managing to sound a little offended, like Stiles had somehow chosen to be oblivious to this fact.
"Since when?" he couldn't help but ask, but thought that he probably comforted Derek some when he placed his hands back onto the Alpha's waist. He wasn't planning on running, not this time. He deserved his answers and he was past all of that. Or at least, that was what he kept telling himself, because really there would always be that part of him that wanted to bolt.
Derek snorted out a laugh at something he must have seen in Stiles' expression; or maybe he was just trying to lighten the atmosphere that had settled between them. Stiles didn't know, but he hung on the words that came out of Derek's mouth next, clung to them with an almost childish desperation, only scowling a little at how carefree and easily Derek spoke, like it really had always been the most obvious thing in the world. "I probably realised it around about the same time I tried to get you to cut off my arm."
Stiles blinked, "Oh." Because really, that had been quite a while, you would have thought a badass werewolf would have had the balls to say something during that space of time. Apparently not though evidently.