The Aftermath of Finding your True Mate
Derek watched as his mate was taken away in the back of the large black car. Laura's hand, buried in the fur of his bicep, was all that kept him from running after him and dragging him back. Every instinct howled to keep him close, claim him, protect him, Mark him and mate him.
"Derek, I need you to shift back."
Panting, Derek focused on his sister's voice letting her calm cadence bring him down. His fur was just starting to roll back to smooth skin, claws blunting down to human normal when the City's Second arrived with questions he demanded be answered.
"Alpha Hale, I am sorry to disturb you but I am trying to follow up on the human that caused the commotion today. Am I correct in my understanding that he was found to be underage and sent to the Pack Home? While it is kind of you to take such interest in an unclaimed boy, I need to send some betas over to pick him up for questioning. There have been some Human's First threats and it would be best if we had time to question him so we can gather more information about this attack." The Second's voice was arrogant and cold.
"Attack?" Derek growled as his fur erupted down his spine, lunging to his feet to tower over the beta. "There was no attack. He was frightened and ran into the street. A taxi hit him and could have killed him. Killed my mate."
At the first hint of Derek's roar the waiters fled in every direction as the table Derek was standing beside suddenly became air born with a flick of his wrist only to come crashing down inches from the City's Second.
"Damn it you arrogant fuck. I just had him calmed down. I will be speaking to the Mayor about your incompetence in this matter. That was his True Mate. There was no attack. Did you even stop to listen to the reports of your betas?"
"My apologies Alpha Hale. I was not informed. Sorry to have bothered you at this delicate time." With a simpering bow the City's Second made his escape, had he been in wolf form his tail would surely be tucked between his legs, getting back into his unmarked car and driving away, leaving his betas to clean up the mess.
"We should have just taken him home with us. There is no way that Stiles living at Hale Manor could be any worse than this disaster. You need to stop that story about there being an attack before it gets out to the public, Laura."
"I will Derek but you need to shift back."
Derek's reply was cut off by the arrival of a silver van with blue Hale flags flying. Four impeccable dressed wolves exited the van and immediately started with damage control.
"Alpha Hale," the driver bowed shallowly from the waist to both Derek and Laura before focusing completely on the older Alpha. "If you would be kind enough to fill me in on today's event so that I can start combating any negative aspects with the media."
Derek listened with half an ear as Laura explained again how her brother had just found his True Mate and that the young boy was still underage. The wolf slowly slipped back allowing Derek to reclaim his human form as Laura recounted the panic of his mate and his escape directly into oncoming traffic.
Derek couldn't help but feel he was mostly to blame for Stiles' accident. It was an alpha's job to protect his mate and he had failed miserably within the first few minutes of meeting the young man.
While Laura and the grey suited wolf discussed ways of spinning the story in the best interests of the Hale Pack, Derek watched the others as they cleaned up the mess his carelessness had caused. Had he been paying more attention to his Mate's growing anxiety he could have stopped him before he managed to run into the street.
By the time Laura's media plan had been fleshed out the café owner had been paid off as well as bonuses promised for all the servers working that day. The taxi driver had been given a small white card engraved with dark grey lettering with the instructions to call for the reimbursement of his taxi, any health and hospital needs, and a large sum to cover any pain and suffering that was caused by the day's event.
"Day's events," snorted Derek under his breath. Only in his luck could what should be the most important day of his life be turned into such a giant clusterfuck.
The PR wolves finished almost in perfect synchronization, marred only by the last wolf adding an extra veiled threat to the taxi driver before turning to join the rest on the way back to the van. "Please be advised that causing harm to a True Mate is a crime that holds the most severe punishments. Should any law suits against the Hales be brought out in court we will be sure to file a counter suit for endangering a Mate."
The sudden paling of the driver's face showed that he understood exactly what that threat entailed.
With a last internal sigh at the trouble he caused, Derek allowed himself to be herded by Laura and the suited wolves into the van. The police cleared the way in seconds and they were headed for home before Laura even had time to hand him the extra clothes all Pack vans carried for such an emergency.
"I'm worried about him Laura. He was so afraid of the idea of the Pack House. I feel that I am letting him down somehow by not being by his side. I can't protect him, I can't keep him safe."
The spectrum change in his vision warned Derek that his control was slipping once again. The small van did nothing to contain his pheromones and the driver sped up along the road wanting to unload the agitated alpha as soon as possible.
"Losing it isn't going to help him Derek. You need to keep it together until we can talk to mom and dad. Let's see what they think you should do about your new mate."
Derek tried. He concentrated on his breathing techniques and counting the beats of his heart but all he could see in his mind's eye was that last vision of Stiles, his pale face etched with terror as he looked out the back of the window toward Derek.
They reached the Hale Mansion too late to save the upholstery from the lengthening claws that evaded Derek's attempt at control. Flashing the betas an apologetic smile Laura all but dragged her younger brother into the house.
"It's all wrong Laura. Did you see his face? He was terrified of going to the Hale House. How am I going to gain his trust if my first action as his mate is to send him away to a place that clearly scares him?"
The spectrum shifted again for Derek, tinting the world in reds and oranges, as he lost control of his shift again. "He's MY MATE. He doesn't belong in an orphanage, he belongs with ME." The last word ends in a whine of pain keened through his elongated muzzle.
Laura snarled, lunging forward to grab her brother, eyes flashing red as she slammed him against the wall on the opposite side of the entry hall. Derek thrashed under her grip, his pain filled call echoing until the house was filled with the sounds of his distress. "Calm the fuck down Derek."
"Laura, such language. I have raised you better than that." A blond human with striking hazel green eyes walked into the room. At the sound of her voice both alphas ceased their struggles and turned toward her.
"Sorry mother. Derek's having trouble."
Hurrying over Derek's mother embraced her son, letting him curl his larger form around her as she stroked the black fur that covered his body. "What's happened?"
"I've found my True Mate mother. I've found him."
"Honey, that's wonderful!" Her face took on a radiant smile for a moment before falling into a worried frown. "Is he mated to another? We can buy out any short term contracts. Any alpha will understand and step out of the way."
"He's not contracted," Laura jumped in to explain. "He's an under-aged orphan that has been living on the streets since his family died. He panicked when I called in the HPS and ran out into the street. He was clipped by a passing car and Derek lost it right in the middle of afternoon traffic."
"Where is he now?"
"She sent him to the Pack House. He was so scared of it and still she insisted that he needed to go there." Derek's eyes flashed with anger as he growled at his sister.
"They can take care of him there. They have a state of the art medical facility and take the utmost care of their charges. I visit every year Derek; there is no place in the city that would be better equipped for dealing with him than the Pack House."
"HERE would have been the best place for him. If you are so worried about the impropriety of the whole thing I could just stay in my apartment until Stiles is old enough to complete the Mating."
"No matter where you stayed, the media would have a field day with a seventeen year old living here."
"I don't care, "Derek howled. "He's human and fragile and I need to be able to protect him."
His mother's soft huff pulled Derek's attention away from his sister. "We humans are not as fragile as you think Derek. I have lived with wolves for almost thirty years. Because we do not heal with your speed does not make us weak or fragile. You would be wise to remember that if you want your relationship with this young man to be a happy one."
"I would listen to your mother, Derek. She has always known best about these things." Turning Derek's mothers face lit up. Entering the door way was a tall, broad shouldered alpha. His features were almost identical to Derek's except for the silver in his hair and the pewter grey color of his eyes.
"You're home early dear." With a graceful stride that hid her speed, the blond moved to her husband's side, resting her hand against his arm.
"Yes, well, Derek and his True Mate have made the evening news. I have already been contacted by half the First Alphas in the country to congratulate me on the wonderful news, though many of them are rather obvious in their amusement with Derek's public display today."
Derek felt the heat rise in his face and wished for a second that he had just stayed in his alpha wolf form. "I'm sorry Dad."
"It's okay. The public is eating the whole thing up. They're turning it into a Cinderella love story."
Laura's wild crack of laughter made Derek cringe. "God, I'm never living this down."
"You ARE living a Disney tale. Oh My God – You're Prince Charming with an extra helping of brood and foul temper."
"Shut up Laura." Derek was caught between worry for his mate and the joy of having one. With so many conflicting emotions to choose from he settled for the easiest: pissed. Big sisters are good at that.
"Son, I am so happy for you." Derek was pulled into his father's embrace while Laura gleefully retold the story of how Derek "ran into Stiles".
"Only you could be run over by your True Mate," she giggled as the staff brought out Champagne so that the family could toast to Derek's good fortune.
Derek had just taken his first sip when his father's phone rang. His head snapped up at the mention of his mate's name and then his blood drained from his features.
"What?" His mother pulled tightly on him forcing him to face her. "Derek, what has happened?"
"Stiles. He's gone."
Gerard Argent hung up the phone, slowly unwinding the wires and pulling away the clamps that attached the small device to his chest. Once it was all wrapped up and placed back into a small satchel all that was left were two small metal nubs implanted in the skin of his chest.
Victoria looked on with displeasure. "Using the pacemaker at your age is very dangerous. You should have let me make the call."
"Your concern is touching dear but with dealing with a mess of this magnitude it had to be me bringing the news to the Hales. They have to be convinced that we are as devastated by the events as they are."
Nodding the red head paced back and forth across the large office. "We need to find the boy before they do. Everything we have worked for, every sacrifice we have made will be for nothing if he manages to tell them."
"We'll find him Victoria. We'll find him and end him."