Breakfast with the In-Laws

They were the last to arrive. Derek's parents were sitting at the end of a large table, their hands lightly clasped. The older werewolf's head tilted toward his human mate as he listened to what she was saying with his full attention. Laura and Max sat on the left almost curled in each other's laps. A few other pack members filled in a few of the seats, talking as they waited for the newly mated couple to arrive.

Stiles' attention was immediately drawn to the huge buffet set up along one whole side of the room. He couldn't remember the last time he saw so much food in one place. The smell of eggs, bacon, and other savory choices assaulted his senses as he walked through the door making him stumble for a second.

His erratic movement drew the eye of every wolf in the room making him feel like prey until Derek's body brushed his in a protective gesture. His fear was short lived as all the faces in the room lit up with welcoming smiles.

Laura practically leaped out of her seat to great him with a tight hug and a kiss to his cheek. "Stiles honey. It is so good to see you again. I'm sorry that last night was so confusing. My brother," she smiled as she smacked the back of Derek's head hard enough that the sound echoed, "is a complete idiot. Welcome to the pack."

Stiles didn't even get a chance to mumble his thanks before being swept into Talia's embrace. "He will make you happy," she whispered even though they both knew that all the wolves could hear.

Stiles glanced sideways to see the slight blush on Derek's ears just before the wolf gave his hand a comforting squeeze. Turning he smiled back at the petite blond. "I know he will. I will make sure he does."

Laura laughed, head thrown back and full of abandon. Her mother's laughter was not as vibrant but was heartwarming and rich. Derek's father strolled over and patted Stiles on the shoulder. "You will make him a good mate. He needs someone to keep him grounded, a mate with a good head on his shoulders that won't put up with his crap."

"Dad! You make me sound like I'm an idiot who can't tie his own shoes."

"No, I know you can tie your shoes but you don't have enough sense not to chase your intended through your sister's wedding and mark him in the middle of the dance floor." Sliding his arm around Stiles' shoulder he pulled him away from his son and led him toward the table. "I don't want you to get the wrong impression. Derek tends to be a little hard headed. God knows his mother and I tried. Maybe you will have better luck getting some sense into his thick skull."

"I hear positive reinforcement works wonders." Stiles tried to bite back the words just a little too late as his brain to mouth filter shorted out under stress. Lucky the wolves took it all with good humor and the room once again was filled with laughter.

The group slowly moved toward the buffet table. Having spent the last few months just a mere scrap of bread away from starvation he now stood in front of more food than he could ever remember seeing in awe. It was more than his family's Thanksgivings and Christmases combined.

He stood there with a plate in his hand with no idea where to start. Derek seemed to understand and began to pile food onto Stiles' plate. A large spoonful of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and a bowl of fruit were placed on his dish before he was guided carefully to the table.

Stiles may never have eaten with wolves before but werewolf customs and expectations had been drilled into him and every other human from early childhood on. Alphas ate first.

Stiles sat in front of his brimming plate, fingers twisting the cloth napkin into knots on his lap as he waited for the rest of the Hales to join them at the table. They all seemed to move in slow motion as they chatted and laughed their way through the line. The scent of so much food made his stomach clinch in anticipation and he had to swallow twice as the saliva filled his mouth.

Finally the last of the wolves sat down at the table. Derek's father smiled down at his family and pack from the head of the table. His eyes rested fondly on Laura and Max and then on Derek and Stiles. "It is the rarest of gifts that sit with us today at this table; a true mate." He smiled at Stiles before looking at Laura whose eyes had dropped. "But true love is also a rare gift and never to be taken lightly. I am so happy that both my children have found such a love." He lifted Talia's hand and kissed her wrist gently.

He took a small bite of his eggs and then Laura and Derek took a bite of their breakfast. The eggs had barely passed Derek's lips before Stiles was shoveling the food in his mouth as quickly as he could get it on the fork. He finished off the eggs and the bacon and was half way through the hash browns when he glanced up.

None of the others were eating, all just watching him with shocked pity. Ducking his head as his ears went red Stiles let his fork drop to the table and tucked his hands under his thighs. He wanted to crawl under the table and die.

Derek let his hand rub over the back of his neck as he tried to sooth the tension out of his mate. "Would it be okay if I was excused?" Stiles asked meekly.

"Of course" murmured Derek's father and Stiles was out of the chair and up the stairs before his chair had a chance to rock back on all four legs. He buried his face under a pillow and willed the tears of embarrassment to go away. Hearing the soft tread of footsteps and knowing they were purposely made to warn him, Stiles pulled the covers up and over his head.

The smell of cinnamon preceded Derek into the room causing Stiles to peek out from under the covers even before the bed dipped under his mate's weight. Derek placed the plate, overflowing with food, on the bed side table before slipping under the covers next to Stiles.

"Sorry."

"For what?" Derek curled closer, offering a shoulder to lean on without forcing his way into Stiles' space. Crawling over the last couple of inches, Stiles let his head rest on the edge of Derek's chest and wrapped his arm around his waist.

"I'm sure I'm not the type of mate you envisioned having." At Derek's startled intake of breath, Stiles lifted his head and looked down into wide green eyes. "What did I say?"

"Mate. My mate. I love the sound of that. I know humans need more time before the bond sets in and I know that I've done everything the wrong way but I swear if you just give me a chance I can do right by you. I can be the mate that you need."

"You may not think that in a couple of weeks. I talk too much, say whatever goes through my head before really thinking about it, and I can't sit still to save my life. I'm not mousy or quiet and if you think I am going to just do what you say because you are a werewolf and I'm a human, you have another thing coming."

"I don't want you to ever be afraid of me."

Stiles looked down on his mate letting his thumb form tight circles on the tip of his chin as he cupped his face for a soft kiss. The bond tugged at him, trying to pull him closer, binding the two together. "I don't know how I could ever be afraid of you again."

Derek huffed with quiet laughter before pulling Stiles close and tucking his head under his chin. After a few minutes of lying peacefully side by side Derek whispered, "I just wish I could have protected you more. I wish you hadn't been so afraid of me that you ran away from the Pack home where you would have been safe. Just the thought of you living out on the streets, starving and afraid, makes my wolf want to howl and gnash its teeth."

Reacting to Stiles' increase in heartbeat, Derek rolled them both over. Eyes filled with worry, as if his every instinct was screaming at him to find the thing that made his mate smell like fear and anger and kill it, Derek visible held onto his calm by the thinnest of threads and asked, "What?"