Erica made good on her promise, returning with a deck of cards she'd admittedly swiped from the locker of a co-worker named Cora, declaring she wouldn't mind and if she did, Erica could totally take her.
"Besides," she went on as she shuffled them, grinning. "You're her family, so you can get away with it."
She and Stiles played poker as she explained that Cora was Derek's younger sister, a beta, and an S-Dub. She was currently in the woods at the crime scene with a couple other females—both of them alphas—named Braeden and Malia, the three hoping to pick up a scent trail or find any more clues. Erica then distracted Stiles from growing too morose by talking about the S-Dubs themselves, explaining that they handled who came in and out of the city, keeping guard and protecting those within, as well as handling any and all crimes that happened inside the walls.
"Usually it's small shit, like someone complaining over a neighbor's loud music or someone having a few too many at the bar. This is the biggest thing that's happened since I joined."
She didn't dwell too long on that subject, changing instead to how all S-Dubs were once members of the military and had all served overseas at some point before being allowed to join. Since they were all given the task of protecting the most important person in the state and her family, they obviously needed to be well trained and able to handle anything.
"Wait, even the Alpha's kids?" Stiles questioned, remembering Lydia's assumption that Derek—or rather, Captain Hale—was the State Alpha's son. And considering Erica's earlier statement that Cora was Derek's younger sister, she was obviously one of the Alpha's children, too.
Erica nodded, eyes on her cards. "Yep," she stated, popping her "p". "Alpha Hale wanted them to know respect, duty, and what it truly meant to serve, as well as see what it was exactly that they were fighting for and why it was so important for them as Alphas to protect everyone."
He raised his eyebrows, impressed, and seeing the Alpha's point. It wasn't too far off from what the British Alpha Monarchy did, how the Crown Alpha Prince had served overseas, his little brother following in his footsteps. Stiles wondered if it was all State Alphas who did that or if it was just Alpha Hale.
The door opened, Derek stepping inside as though he knew he was being talked about, frowning down at Erica. The blonde turned her head and gave a smile to her boss, not seeming too upset over being busted or apologetic for sharing details about the captain without his permission and behind his back.
"Sup, Boss Man?" she greeted him cheerily, in a tone that spoke more of friends than superior and subordinate. Stiles cocked an eyebrow at it before dismissing it by bobbing both, staring down at the cards in his hand and wringing the back of his neck.
If Derek had a problem with the slightly insubordinate way he was greeted, he didn't comment, simply stating her name in a flat tone in response. "What're you still doing here? Your shift ended hours ago."
She shrugged a shoulder, turning back to her own hand. "Figured I'd keep Stiles company," she answered with a smile, giving the mentioned male a wink. "He had to be bored all by himself in this room while his friend is off making goo-goo eyes at Parrish." She made a face at that, bringing a small smile to Stiles'.
The alpha by the door simply rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest and putting impressive biceps on display. Stiles was hit with a flash of memory from his Dreams, how he'd sometimes dig his claws into those muscles, how it felt to hold on to them as he was pounded into, the force of those thrusts pushing him up along the soft grass he was laying on. His cock twitched in his boxers, passage dampening and hole fluttering, as his wolf whined for a re-creation. Or a real life creation really, since it had yet to happen.
Yet.
Both Derek and Erica snapped their heads to him, nostrils flaring as they caught the scent of his arousal. The alpha's eyes flashed red as they looked him up and down, the blonde beta smirking wickedly, tongue sticking out between white teeth. Embarrassment flooded the omega, killing any and all arousal he'd felt and causing him to sink down in his chair, eyes locked onto his cards while he cleared his throat.
Derek shook his head as though snapping himself out of something, rubbing at his eyes. "Right," he said in a dismissive way, sweeping everything aside with a swipe of his hand. "Erica, your day is done and so is Boyd's. Head home, there's nothing more you can do here."
The blonde turned back to her boss, curls flying about with the motion. "You sure you don't need us at the scene?"
Stiles peered up at that, head still bent, watching as the captain shook his head. Derek refolded his arms, eyes sad and distant but features remaining flat. Yet there was no hiding the way his scent grew morose, the way his shoulders hung in defeat, the way he seemed to shrink into himself just a tiny bit. Stiles tightened his grip on his cards, unintentionally bending them as he fought the urge to go over to the other man and wrap him up in his arms, to caretake until he was feeling better, happier, not so fucking upset. He tried telling himself it was just omega instinct, that it was just in his nature to wanna fix things, especially when it came to an alpha, but he knew that was bullshit.
Sure, he'd felt that same desire whenever Scott or Lydia were bummed about something, a need to make them feel better, but not to the degree he was experiencing at that moment. It was an all-encompassing thing, the muscles in his legs tensed up as though ready to lift him off the chair, his wolf whining and howling louder than ever. His own emotional state was in turmoil, his mind buzzing with a million thoughts regarding helping the alpha, fixing the alpha, making the alpha happy. And he knew he could do it, knew he could ease the other man's distress, simply just by being an omega.
But he didn't have the right to.
Because Derek was still a stranger to him.
Because Derek was the Mate of his brother.
Because Derek was suspect number one in Stuart's death.
Because Derek had run out the room like an asshole seconds after they'd made eye contact for the first time and Stiles had realized the guy was one-hundred percent without a doubt his True Mate.
Right.
Stiles' brows set into a hard frown as he practically glared at his cards—which actually made up a pretty decent hand and were totally undeserving of that kind of scowl but it was better than letting the real reasons for his agitation be known.
"No," Derek answered out loud, voice slightly rougher than Stiles' remembered, something that seemed to make sense when the alpha cleared his throat and went out without the rasp. "The trail is dead and there's nothing else to find there. We're calling it a day."
Erica bit her lower lip, brows pulling into a sad frown, scent overflowing with concern and upset. "You're sure?" she asked lowly, reluctantly. It was then that Stiles remembered Stuart had worked there, had befriended everyone, that he was nearly as important to them as he was to his brother.
Or at least, he had been.
Stiles managed to keep himself from sliding a hand across the table to hold her's in comfort, that earlier need to caretake coming back. Except this time, it wasn't as strong or as overwhelming as the desire to help Derek, this more of a platonic sort of thing. Sure, there was a want to cuddle, but with Erica, it was with clothes on and more due to their animal natures than anything. They were all tactile creatures at heart, Stiles even more so with his omega nature. Although, he was probably more of a physical person just from being him, since Stuart had never really been one for snuggles—something that annoyed the younger twin when he was feeling touch-starved and needy.
Whatever. Point was that, yeah, he wanted to cuddle up to Erica and make her feel better, but nowhere near as bad as he wanted to with Derek. And with the alpha, it was hopefully a clothes off, curled up under the sheets, every possible limb tangled as they rubbed and scent-marked one another kind of comfort snuggle.
Which, again, wasn't gonna happen for several freaking reasons, ones he'd thought of only moments before.
Damn.
"Malia, Cora, and Braeden are all headed home," Derek went on, scratching his scruff-covered jaw. "Laura's on her way here. We're just gonna start fresh tomorrow and hope Fenris finds something he missed in his initial examination."
Erica worried her bottom lip more as she nodded, accepting the decision but clearly not all together happy with it. Dropping her feet from the chair next to her, she turned to face the table and began sweeping up the cards. Stiles tucked his together and held them out to her, she taking them without touching his fingers, small grateful smile on her face that he was sure would've been bigger and more genuine if she didn't smell so upset. He had to remind himself that she was taken, focusing on the Claiming Bite on the side of her neck, forcing himself to remember that it wasn't his job to comfort her but Boyd's. He had no right to extend a soothing hand to anyone there.
Refusing his nature, he stared down at his hands as they fiddled together on top of the table, having nothing to do with them anymore. Derek was taking away his source of entertainment for the past...yeah, he had no idea what time it was, how long he'd been in that room, much less how much time he'd spent with Erica. But he knew it had to have been getting late in the day, his mind roughly guesstimating things based on the fact that he and Lydia had stopped for lunch an hour or so before hitting the first wall outside of Oak Creek, the remembrance of which was causing his stomach to growl.
His eyes darted to the side, peeking at the empty water bottle he had. Erica had gotten him a refill but that was some time ago. Jeeze, all he'd had that afternoon was a couple bottles of water and now that he was thinking of that, he had to fucking pee.
He also needed a damn nap, he thought, suppressing a yawn. Yeah, definitely getting late, considering how tired he was. Then again, it'd been a long, emotional day. He was bound to feel really fucking drained after all he'd been through.
Cards tucked back into their pack, Erica rose to her feet, gathering her own empty bottle along with Stiles', sad smile still on her face. "Hope I'll see you again soon, Doe Eyes," she commented with a fake sort of lightheartedness neither of them seemed to be feeling.
He returned the small smile with a head nod, agreeing to her sentiment before the two exchanged goodbyes and she left, closing the door behind herself. Stiles promptly fixed his eyes on his hands once more, refusing to look at the alpha who was still in the room with him, refusing to think about what had happened the last time they'd been alone together.
But it was his mind, so of course it went straight to obsessing over Derek's behavior during their previous conversation and the fact that the guy had just left after the most life-altering revelation ever. Dick move.
Stiles' scowled down at his hands, watching as his fingers curled into fists. His jaw tightened, teeth clenching, grinding, his skin growing hot with agitation. His wolf pulled back its lip and bared its teeth in its own form of aggravation, a constant low growl rumbling in the back of Stiles' head.
"You owe me an explanation," he fumed, not raising his eyes, not looking at the other man. He knew the second that he did, he'd give in to whatever it was the alpha wanted and he refused to kowtow to anyone at that moment, refused to just be okay with how he was previously treated all because it was his Mate and biology told him to concede and accept Derek's behavior. Fuck. That.
"I owe you several," the older man admitted with a nod of the head as he leaned back against the small section of wall between the door and the two-way mirror. His arms were still folded, ankles crossed, but from the quick peek Stiles allowed himself, he could tell the position wasn't in a defensive manner. The alpha was holding himself together, holding himself back for some reason.
His heart started pounding in his chest and his stomach started flipping as his mind toyed with the idea that maybe Derek was holding himself back because of him. If Stiles had reacted so strongly to the eye contact they'd made, then surely the alpha had felt it, too. And given the fact that he was technically Mated, it was obviously unbecoming and morally wrong to make any move on another wolf, regardless of whether or not their Mate was still alive.
So Stiles got it, he really did. Didn't mean he was all that stoked about it, but he got it.
Shoving all that aside, he focused on Derek's actual words, rubbing the back of his head as they soaked in. Guy had a point, he realized, especially when he remembered the alpha's earlier statement about knowing why Stuart had run off. Seemed like something the couple had in common: they'd both run away from Stiles.
And wasn't that just a kick in the nuts?
Nodding, he dropped his hand to gesture at the other male, finally looking at him fully. "Then you can at least apologize for just taking off on me like that," he pointed out, folding his hands as he gave him a pointed look.
Derek cocked an eyebrow at that, snorting, his head bobbing with the action. "No."
"No?"
"No," he repeated, just as flat as before. "Apologizing means you feel remorse for what you did and that you're sorry for your actions. Which I am not."
What a douche!
He gave the alpha an incredulous look, brow furrowed in confusion and his mouth parted in shock. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Stiles snorted this time, rolling his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. "Are you really gonna act like a dick to me all the time?" he questioned, turning back to the other man, watching as he shrugged like it didn't bother him either way. "You really ought to be nicer to me considering—" He cut himself off, snapping his mouth shut with an audible click. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure how to end that statement, which course to take, what relationship he was gonna allude to in order to make Derek be nicer. Because either one would work. And either one would be a big mistake to bring up.
One of Derek's eyebrows lifted before both drew into a frown, pinning Stiles with a hard look. Light eyes pierced him and he shuffled in his seat under the intensity of it, feeling like the other man's stare was stabbing right through and diving straight into his soul. And maybe it was. Maybe Derek was hoping to find an answer that way, to find whatever it was he was looking for so intensely. The omega wasn't entirely sure what it would be, what would be worth finding, why he would waste his time on a lowly li'l piece of crap like Stiles, but hey. To each their own, right?
Or something.
Whatever. He was getting pretty damn uncomfortable, his hand rubbing the soft hair at the back of his head, throat convulsing as he swallowed hard, eyes flicking back and forth from the table back to the other man, hoping to see his lighter eyes having moved on yet being unable to watch it happen. He felt weak, puny, the pathetic stereotype that surrounded his dynamic, and he kinda hated himself for it.
But still, Derek kept on staring, head tilting to the side in curiosity, reminding Stiles that deep down within, they were all animals.
"Considering what?" the S-Dub questioned, eyes narrowing further as they scrutinized the person across the room from him.
Stiles shifted again, scratching at his forehead. "Considering," he started then stalled, clearing his throat as an excuse for the pause, when really, he still had no idea how to finish it. Considering they were Mates and he needed to treat his fated better? Considering they were related in all technicality and therefore he needed to be nicer to family? Considering Stiles was a guest and it was proper to treat guests with respect?
All of those options seemed pretty damn terrible really, all of them reminders of what they were both trying to avoid talking about. Being Mates. Stuart. Stiles' technically illegal entry into the city.
Shit.
Dropping his hand, he gestured to the alpha. "Considering who we just lost today and now you're being a dick to a grieving twin," he spat out, glaring at the other man. He figured bringing up the dead they shared was the safest route to go—albeit also the most painful, given the way his chest clenched at the reminder of Stuart no longer being with them—because for some strange reason, he felt as though mentioning the Mate thing out loud—any more than he already had at least—would be a bad idea. He wasn't entirely sure why, just convinced that if he stated their true relationship to one another, it would make the whole thing real and that... yeah, that was bad.
Because Stuart.
Shit again.
Derek actually had the decency to look ashamed at that, wincing as he turned his head away. His scent turned remorseful, saddened, and Stiles almost felt apologetic himself at having upset the alpha. Almost, because really, the guy deserved to feel like shit after the way he'd treated his brother-in-law/ True Mate and the fact that he quite possibly be responsible for the death of the male he'd Mated.
The omega felt his wolf whimper at that, although the human part of him wasn't entirely sure why, what reasons the animal had for being distressed himself. Maybe it didn't believe that Derek had done it, maybe it wasn't a fan of the reminder of their Mate's guilt, maybe it didn't like how withdrawn and troubled the alpha was.
Whatever the case, Stiles ignored it, choosing instead to focus on his own emotions, his own gut-feelings about everything. And those feelings were telling him that Derek was clearly guilty over something, especially considering the underlying note of that very emotion hidden within the S-Dub's scent.
Jesus Christ. He really had done it.
Stiles swallowed hard, sinking further in his seat, wrapping his arms around himself and sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. Fuck his life. Seriously, just... He'd finally found his Mate and not only was the guy already taken, he'd been taken by his twin fucking brother, who he'd also killed. Of course it was Stiles' luck for that to happen. Why wouldn't it?
Derek turned back to him, brow furrowed, eyes turned down at the corners as his scent shifted to something more concerned. He pushed himself away from the wall, taking a step towards the table, hand raising in an aborted motion as his lips parted to speak. Only nothing came out. He shut his mouth with an audible snap, grimacing before reopening it, only to be cut off once more, this time by the door opening.
The omega peeked over at the new arrival, catching a glimpse of a tall, slender female dressed in skintight jeans and a black tank, dark hair hanging in thick waves over her shoulders. Dirt was smeared on her hips like she'd wiped her hands on her sides rather than a towel and Stiles caught the scent of pine and dead leaves, mud and oak coming from her, followed by the chemosignals of grief, despair, concern, curiosity, and determination. He sifted through it all, getting to the core of her, finding the unmistakable scents of "alpha" and a familiar note he'd caught from Derek, leading Stiles to believe they were related somehow. Siblings maybe? He was pretty sure Erica had mentioned a sister earlier. Maybe this was Cora?
She turned from where she'd been shutting the door and Stiles quickly averted his gaze, staring at the table once more. He heard the sounds of her stepping over, only to stumble to a stop, a barely audible gasp following. His brow furrowed as he stared at his fiddling fingers, teeth sinking into his bottom lip, a stinging at the back of his eyes telling him he was about to cry and he knew exactly why. Her reaction to seeing Stiles was gonna be the same as it had been for everyone else that day: how much he looked like Stuart.
"Holy shit," she breathed out, a short disbelieving laugh gusting out immediately after before she cleared her throat and seemed to recover from the shock he was scenting. "Sorry. I know everyone told me you two were identical twins, but." She paused, hair swishing as she shook her head, fabric rustling as she folded her arms. "It still doesn't really prepare you for seeing it. It's like—" This time she purposely cut herself off, lips smacking shut to stop herself from finishing the thought.
"Like seeing a dead person sitting at the table," he finished for her lowly, voice thick before he swallowed the lump in his throat.
She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "I was gonna say 'ghost' but. Pretty much." A humorless laugh left her as she shook her head again. "It really is like Stuart is sitting there. I'm sorry, I know it's probably hard to hear about him right now, but this is just blowing my mind over how much you two truly are identical."
"They're not identical," Derek muttered petulantly, leaning back against the wall once more. Stiles risked glancing up at him through his eyelashes, noting how the alpha was frowning down at his shoes, folded arms still keeping him together.
His sister seesawed her head in concession. "Okay, not exactly identical, no," she agreed, gesturing to Stiles. "The scent is different and he doesn't wear glasses, but other than that, pretty damn identical."
Stiles opened his mouth to argue, to point out all the differences between himself and his late twin, only to snap it shut again. Not only would he be speaking out of turn with an alpha—again—but there was no reason for it. Explaining their physical differences was only ever so people could tell them apart and he didn't have to suffer through repeatedly being called "Stuart". But now it was depressingly easy to know which twin he was, since he was the only one still alive.
His chest ached at the realization that accidentally being called his brother's name from then on would hurt like fucking hell.
'Cause this whole thing wasn't shitty enough.
Derek snorted, shaking his head as he stared off to the side, disbelieving look on his face, as though he had no clue how his sister could be so dumb. The expression made Stiles frown in confusion until he realized that the alpha had been Mated to his brother for nearly two years. He would obviously have the guy's face memorized, would know his features as well as his own, so it would be easy for him to tell the subtle differences between his Mate and his Mate's twin.
Then again, his own dad still had issues telling the brothers apart.
Lydia didn't, neither did Scott. So clearly it could be done and who else would be better suited to know who was who than the Mate of one of them.
Although at that point, it was hard to tell whose Mate Derek truly was.
Stiles' wolf grumbled at that, hating the insinuation that Derek was anyone's but theirs. The omega wasn't sure if he was glad he couldn't see the alpha's Claiming Bite or not, if it was better for him to pretend it wasn't there and not deal with the heartbreak of an unspoken rejection or if it was necessary to prove to his wolf that yeah, Derek was taken. Or had been. Whatever. Point was, the guy was off-limits and that indent of teeth proved it.
His wolf grumbled louder and he actively chose to ignore it, instead focusing on the female in the room as she stepped closer and sat opposite him. He not so subtly sat up straighter, pulling his clasped hands closer to his body, keeping his head bowed and his eyes averted from hers, playing the perfect little submissive that Lydia had wanted him to be all afternoon.
"I'm so very sorry for your loss," she stated genuinely, thickly, clearing her throat as she folded her hands on the table in front of herself. "Stu wasn't just a friend, he was family, and I can't imagine how devastated you must be right now."
He shut his eyes tight against the stinging that started up at the back of them once more, fingers clenching as they tangled together. He had no idea what to say, how to react, simply nodded as he licked his lips and pressed them into a hard line. A whimper sounded out but he had no idea where it came from, if someone in the room had made it, if he'd made it, if his wolf had made it, deciding it wasn't all that important and dismissing the noise.
"Laura," Derek said, the name a plead from his lips, although Stiles wasn't sure what exactly he was asking for. The omega assumed it was a request for her to stop, to change the subject, the topic of Stuart and his death obviously a sore spot for the male alpha, too.
"But that's not what I came to talk to you about," she—Laura, he assumed—stated, sitting up straighter and shuffling in her seat. Stiles peeked up at her, only glancing up to her stiffened jawline and her set shoulders, the position giving her an air of authority. Although it made sense if Stiles was right in his assumption that Laura was a sister of Derek's given the similar scents, because that would make her a Hale, too, and another child of the State Alpha.
"With Mom—Alpha Hale," she corrected herself with a small amount of sass and an audible eye roll, unknowingly telling Stiles his theory had been right. "—out of town, I'm Acting Alpha of Oak Creek. I've reviewed both your and Miss Martin's interview papers and everything seems to be in order, especially with Officer Whittemore's testimony on your behalf. Both of you are released from Security Wolf custody and are now able to move about the town, with certain areas being off-limits."
He nodded as he blew out a relieved breath, feeling his shoulders slumping and his body relax. He hadn't released until that moment just how tense he'd been since being taken into custody—with the exception of however long he'd been playing cards with Erica and mentally escaping his current situation. And now that his innocence had been proven, he felt a great pressure being lifted off his chest, relief that he was soon getting out of there and would therefore soon be on his way to finding out who'd killed his brother.
"Okay," Laura breathed out in relief of her own, her body slumping. "Now that I've got that official shit done, think maybe you can actually look at me? No need for formalities. We're family."
His heart skipped a beat at her calling them family, wolf yipping in his head in excitement over the acknowledgment of his relationship with Derek...only for his heart to stop completely and plummet to his stomach. Because she was actually acknowledging the fact that they were family through Derek's Mating to his twin and not the fact that they were Mates themselves.
Goddamn if this wasn't becoming a recurring theme.
He ducked his head further, swallowing a hard lump in his throat, feeling his esophagus seized up on him. He'd always wanted a sister, considered both Allison and Lydia as sort of surrogate ones, and now here was this female telling him that she was, in fact, an actual sister. Through a Mating. That wasn't his.
Laura sifted in her seat, leaning over the table and ducking her own head to try and get in his line of sight—unsuccessfully. "Look, if you're worried about a Mate connection or anything, I've already found the guy."
He hadn't been, but now that she'd brought it up, he was curious. Because her scent didn't carry anyone else's with it, not the way Erica smelled of Boyd and Lahey smelled of his alpha. He quickly glanced up in the hopes of seeing the left side of her neck and a Claiming Bite that may be there, only to have the skin blocked by her thick hair hanging down.
As if sensing his actions, she swept her hair behind her head and to the other side of her neck, tilting her head to put it on display in a manner he'd never seen an alpha give to a lowly omega, especially not one as important as a Hale. "We aren't actually together," she clarified, shrugging her bared shoulder. "It happens sometimes, no biggie. But I know who he is and where he is, so no worries about a connection, okay?"
He nodded, rubbing at the back of his head before deciding to just follow her lead and throw a middle finger to societal standards of conduct. Raising his head, he finally looked at the female's face, taking in her slender jaw, her sharp nose, her bright blue eyes, and her pale skin. He could definitely see the resemblance between the two siblings, could note all the similarities between them that proved their shared genetics.
A slow smile crept along her face, the expression friendly and inviting, putting him at ease and calming his anxious wolf. She leaned over the table, arms folded on top of the metal, getting close as though sharing a secret. "There he is," she said softly, blue eyes sparkling. "I'm Laura."
"Stiles," he replied weakly, a watery smile forming, one he didn't entirely believe yet didn't entirely reject. Because despite only knowing Laura for a few moments, he already liked her. There was just something so calming and friendly about her, something that allowed him to relax despite the high stress situation, and he wondered briefly if it was an alpha thing. Scott and his dad had always been able to soothe him over the years and in more recent times, Lydia had managed to do the same. He also figured maybe it had to do with what she'd said, that they were family, and while his wolf didn't entirely agree with the way she'd connected their dots, it was still eased with the idea of "pack" and "family" and "home" that came with the sentiment.
"Nice to meet you, Stiles," she stated, voice still low, smile growing and causing his own to become more genuine. "Now," she began, sliding back until she was sitting up straight once more. "Have you made arrangements for who you're staying with in town?"
His eyes went wide at that, panic flooding him once again. Oak Creek didn't have any motels or hotels or inns or anything of the like, mainly because it wasn't a tourist destination. People who came to visit the town came with the intent of spending time with someone in particular, someone who would open up their home—and presumably their guest room—to them and allow them to stay there. Not knowing anyone in town meant he had no one to stay with and was most likely gonna wind up sleeping in Lydia's car.
Comfy.
"I, uh," he rasped out, fingers tapping the air. "I dunno. Lydia made all the plans."
Laura nodded, lips pressed together as she took the info in. "Well, from what I understand, Miss Martin will be staying with Officer Parrish for, uh, reasons I'm sure you understand."
Derek snorted in the background, drawing Stiles' attention. The alpha shifted his head from where he'd been still staring off to the side, to tilting it down and staring at the floor, shaking it in a disbelieving manner. Stiles' brow furrowed at the reaction, wondering what the hell exactly was so hard to comprehend about the whole thing. Lydia was fucking awesome. Parrish was a lucky bastard to be her Mate and he damn well better make sure he knew that or Stiles would make him aware of it, omega or not.
"I know!" Laura cried out in excitement, perking up in her seat and pulling Stiles' focus back to her. "Why don't you stay with Derek?"
Stiles' eyes went wide for the second time in as many minutes, snapping them over to the other man. The S-Dub stood there with his jaw dropped, his own eyes popped open and his impressive eyebrows high-fiving his hairline. He sputtered a few times as he dropped his folded arms, finally managing to let out an indignant "Laura!" while taking a step towards her.
She rolled her eyes as she turned to her brother, eyebrow cocked in challenge. "He's family, Derek. More specifically, your family," she reminded him in a harsh tone, eyes narrowing at him. "Where else is gonna stay? Mom's out of town, Cora won't put up with a stranger in the family house, and my guest room is currently filled with Alpha shit."
"I can sleep on a couch," Stiles volunteered, hand in the air.
The Hale siblings both barked out a "no!" at his suggestion, making him drop his hand and lean back in his chair a bit at the force of their two hard looks being leveled on him. Fucking alphas, man.
Laura's eyes softened when she realized she was glaring at him, face apologetic. Derek, on the other hand, kept his eyes narrowed and his jaw tense as he turned his head away again, arms folded once more and leg shaking in agitation. Dick.
"We're not letting you sleep on a couch, Stiles," Laura stated kindly, soothing nerves that had been frayed by two glaring alphas. "You can stay with Derek in his guest room and if he has any objections, he can kiss my Alpha ass." She leveled hard eyes at her brother, the orbs flashing red and making the S-Dub tilt his head to the side ever so slightly. A huge grin formed on her face as she turned back to Stiles, scent alive with joy and victory. "Now. Let's get your stuff and get you settled. I'm sure after the day you've had, you're exhausted and ready for a bite to eat and some sleep."
He nodded dumbly, figuring it was the right response. He honestly wasn't in the mood to eat, but sleep sounded pretty fucking tempting. The sooner he went to bed and drifted off, the sooner that nightmare of a day was over.
Laura rose to her feet and he followed suit, leaving the room after her with Derek trailing behind them both. She led them down the hall, explaining that Stiles would have to be signed out and Derek fill out paperwork stating that Stiles would be staying with him, the omega absently nodding along. The numbness was settling in once again as he remembered what had brought him to the city in the first place and all the shit he'd been through that day. God, it was hard to believe that Stu's email had just showed up the day before, that it'd been a little over twenty-four hours since he'd last heard from his twin.
Okay, less than, he mentally corrected, remembering the text message he'd received in the middle of the night during that fucked up dream. Not that he believed that it was just a dream, but calling it that was easier—and less insane sounding—than twin psychic link image of his brother's last moments.
He shuddered at that, feeling a wave of confusion come from behind, ignoring Derek's puzzlement over his actions. He still wasn't entirely convinced that Derek wasn't responsible for Stu's death and until then, he was keeping the dream/psychic link images to himself.
They headed down to the door that led to the waiting area, the entry to the reception desk open, Lydia standing just outside of it. Her head turned at the sound of their approach, soft smile forming on her features as her eyes met Stiles' before she stepped away from the two men talking inside the room—Parrish and Whittemore from the sounds of it—wrapping a hand around his wrist and pulling him away a couple feet. The Hale siblings watched them depart, Laura seeming to dismiss it as she leaned into the reception room, Derek still watching them with a furrowed brow before his name was called and he stepped into the room.
Lydia glanced back at the room before stopping against the wall with Stiles, her back to the group of S-Dubs as she fixed him with a stare that managed to be both hard yet concerned at the same time, something only she was capable of pulling off. "You okay?" she asked softly, rubbing his forearm.
Stiles nodded, scratching his jaw with his free hand. "Yeah, I guess," he admitted truthfully, gesturing to the other room. "Derek—I'm gonna stay with him."
Her eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a hard line as she released his arm and folded hers across her chest, cocking a hip out. "You really think that's a good idea?" she questioned in a harsh whisper, wordlessly reminding him that Derek was both a suspect and possibly Stiles' Mate and that staying with him was all kinds of stupid.
Not that Stiles needed the reminder but still.
"I'm sure if I ask Jordan, you can—"
"Lyds," he cut her off, peeking over her head at the other room, at Laura who was now leaning against the door frame casually, only her back visible. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing."
And okay, he kinda didn't. But when did he ever really? It was kind of his MO at that point, half-ass a plan and hope for the best. So far it'd worked, had gotten them into Oak Creek and had introduced him to his brother's Mate and Suspect Numero Uno. And now that he was thinking about it, staying with Derek was really the best plan. It would be more convenient to suss the guy out, to search for clues, to figure out who exactly Derek was as a person and if he was capable of murder. Would definitely save him getting caught breaking and entering, would explain away keeping such a close eye on Derek and potentially stalking him.
"I'm staying with Derek," he repeated, hoping to convey his intent with a quirk of the brow.
Lydia pursed her lips as she turned to the side, letting out a heavy sigh that said she thought he was a moron, that it was a terrible plan, that she wanted to argue like hell with him and make him change his mind but she knew there was no talking him out of it and she'd be wasting her time on it. "Fine," she huffed out, turning back to him. "But be careful," she ordered with a harsh whisper and a pointed finger. "And text me in the morning, keep me updated on everything. And you should probably call your dad tonight, too."
Shit. The entire time he'd been at the S-Dub's HQ he'd completely spaced on his dad. He'd probably landed in LA hours ago and had already tried to reach Stiles multiple times, each message growing more frantic and pissed off at his delinquent kid's non-response. Aw, hell, he was fucking in for it for sure.
"Yes, ma'am," he placated, smirking slightly at the light slap to the chest the comment earned him. She turned with a flick of strawberry blonde hair, strutting over to the other room with him trailing after her, sneakers scuffing on the linoleum floor.
Laura stepped out the room, clipboard in hand when they approached, face all business once more. "Everything seems to be in order. Just need you to sign this and you're free to leave."
Stiles nodded as he took hold of the proffered clipboard, slipping the pen off the clip at the top as he glanced over the form. Seemed standard enough, bullshit about understanding the laws of the town, agreement not to go to restricted areas, knowledge that he'd be charged to the fullest extent of the law, blahblahblah. Same shit he signed in Palo Alto in order to attend school there. Uncapping the pen with his teeth, he scribbled his name on the signature line, wrote it out in his usual all-caps scrawl handwriting where it instructed him to print, and added the date. He put the pen back where it'd been then returned the clipboard to Laura.
The alpha female read what he'd written, eyebrows scrunching in confusion then raising in acceptance, muttering about how she was just gonna take his word on the spelling. He just shrugged a shoulder, shoving his hands in the pockets of his khakis. She traded the clipboard with someone in the room—Lahey, from the quick peek Stiles got—for a manila envelope, checking what was written on it before opening it and pouring the contents into her hand.
"Here," she stated, holding out the cell phone that'd slipped out the envelope. "This belongs to you. And this." Reaching back inside the room, she pulled out his duffel and pillow and handed them over to him, he immediately slinging the strap over his shoulder.
He clicked the home button on the screen, nothing happening, remembering how he'd turned his phone off before they'd left Beacon Hills. He slipped it inside his pocket as he gave her a "thanks", feeling a little bit more settled now that he had his stuff back.
Laura gave him a small smile, telling him to take care and she hoped to see him soon. He gave her a weak one back before turning to Derek, who'd been watching the exchange from a spot inside the room. Without a word, the captain moved past his sister and down the hall away from the reception door, leaving Stiles to stand there stunned.
The omega stepped in the direction Derek had gone, only to stop when a slender hand landed on his arm. He followed the line of it to find Lydia staring at him imploringly, jaw tense as she ground out another warning to "be. Careful." He nodded once before scrambling to catch up with the male alpha, watching him using his RFID card to open a metal door at the end of the hall, "EXIT" sign glowing right above it.
The door opened up into a parking lot that was surrounded by a chain-link fence, much like the one that wrapped around school property back home. Derek didn't hesitate, turning to the right and heading straight for a matte black Toyota SUV parked by the back of the building, sign declaring it as reserved for "Captain D. Hale". He unlocked it with the key fob, opening the back passenger side door.
"Throw your stuff in there," he instructed gruffly before stepping around the back of the vehicle to the driver's side.
Stiles did as he was told, tossing his duffel on the seat, pillow on top, and shutting the door, then opening the front one and climbing inside. The interior smelled of leather and pine, a combination of the car itself and the owner. And as the omega pulled the seat belt out to buckle in, he got a whiff of his brother, Stu's scent embedded in the fabric of the belt and the stitches on the seat. His wolf let out a whimper and he wanted nothing more than to bury his nose against the chair and try to seek out more of it, having gone two years without the comforting smell of his twin.
Derek was already behind the wheel when Stiles got settled, sliding the key in the ignition. Seat belt on, the alpha stared out the front window, lips parted as though he was thinking of something to say, only to shake his head and seemingly dismiss it.
"Sorry," he muttered weakly, causing Stiles' brow to draw in confusion, his wolf tilting its head inside his mind.
"For what?"
He turned to face the omega, light green eyes haunted as they flicked back and forth between Stiles' two brown ones. "Everything."
The younger man opened his mouth to reply, cutting himself off when Derek abruptly turned away and started the car up, putting it in gear. Stiles wiped it all away and dismissed it, deciding it wasn't worth getting into it, not when Derek wasn't exactly forthcoming with any sort of explanations about anything. Besides, he had more pressing matters to mull over in his mind, more important information he wanted to glean out of the alpha.
Inhaling deeply, he got a lungful of Derek's scent, the notes of alpha and Mate and home and Derek causing his head to spin and dick to twitch and his passage to dampen and his wolf to whine for a completely different reason. And he was planning on staying with the guy for who the hell knew how long? Shit, maybe Lydia had been right when she'd wordlessly implied that it was a terrible idea.
But then again, staying with Derek made his investigation simpler and would help him find Stu's killer easier, allow the remains of his family to move on with their lives, and help the most recently departed Stilinski get justice and rest in peace. Yeah, for his twin, Stiles would do just about anything, including live with his killer and a guy he may very much wanna fuck despite being off limits.
Fuck, he was screwed. And not in the fun way.