Fractured Moments
Through half lidded eyes Derek watched as Laura masterly turned the conversation back to the situation at the Pack homes. Many of the other alphas were still upset about the rash of attacks by Humans First. Derek had to agree that it was a pressing matter that had to be dealt with but Laura's reasoning was strong.
"The attacks by Humans First are something that is under investigation, there is no action required on our part as alphas yet. We don't have a target; we don't have a real motive or reason behind their actions. All we can do is react at this point. The Pack Home situation is completely different. We must take action NOW. There is no time to waste on discussion and laying blame. These are children under our care and as alphas we must do everything in our power to keep them safe."
Even though he tried to focus on the meeting, he found himself thinking more and more about his mate that he had left at home. Stiles amazed him at every turn. The human had been abused for so long yet remained open hearted and kind.
Derek loved the way he stood up for his beliefs and was willing, no matter how his heart might stutter with fear, to speak his mind. Shifting a little in his seat Derek tried to NOT think about how Stiles had looked that morning as he left him lying, sheets draped low on his hips, spread across the bed.
His mate seemed to take up more space than his body had mass. When he was awake he was in constant motion, hands flying as if he could paint the air with his words and thoughts, fingers twisting and spinning as they played with fabric, skin, or Derek's favorite his mate's bottom lip. All these things added up to a bundle of energy that made Derek's skin tingle with want and need.
Asleep Stiles was oddly still but managed to take up space just the same. He would sprawl across Derek's chest, head resting against his shoulder and Stiles' leg thrown over his thighs. If he had the bed to himself Stiles would stretch, arms and legs spread like a starfish on the shore with his head tucked under a pillow and the sheets a tangled mess across his lower body.
Less than a week had passed and Stiles had become Derek's whole world. His every breath seemed to be focused on the human, his wants and needs foremost in his mind. Derek felt the bond starting to settle, the pressure to claim and protect no longer so urgent but still there like the warmth of the sun on his skin.
"I think we need a true wolf on site of all Pack Homes," demanded Laura. Many wolves were in agreement but the human representative frowned and shook her head.
"Having a wolf on site will traumatize the children. I don't think it would be in their best interest to expose them to a beta after they have had such a hard time." Many of the wolves nodded sadly accepting the fact that humans seemed to fear them immensely.
"I think given the chance to know a true wolf they would get over their fears quickly. Both my husband and Derek's mate are humans."
"But Derek has the bond between he and his mate that soothes away the fear."
"That doesn't explain away Max. He was nervous around me at first but once he got to know me all the fear went away. I think we should send in a beta, one that enjoys children and give them a chance to get use to having a wolf in their mist. If they are still afraid after a week or so, we can always pull the beta back out."
The human representative looked like she had just sucked on a lemon but could not argue with Laura's logic and nodded her unwilling acceptance. Many of the wolves perked up at this information and murmurs of who to send stalled the meeting for a short period.
Using the lull in the meeting for his own advantage Derek turned his phone on and immediately noticed a message from Stiles. Smiling, feeling invigorated at just the thought of hearing his mate's voice, Derek played the message.
"Hey, Derek." Stiles' voice was cheerful and sunny and a couple of the wolves near him stopped their conversation to eavesdrop on the message. With werewolf hearing Derek was used to not having a private conversation but he found he wasn't even willing to share the sound of his mate's voice with strangers and lifted the corner of his lip in warning. His response was an amused chuckle but at least they pretended not to listen.
"I'm going to lunch with Max in the city. Don't eat the betas while I'm gone. Love ya!" Derek's heart almost burst from his chest with that unexpected declaration and he found himself cradling the phone in his hand, staring at its colorful screen, while the rest of the alphas smiled at him with smug, amused looks.
"Just save it." Laura snapped trying to get the meeting going again. "Then you can listen to it again and again with that goofy smile on your face until the end of time."
The rest of the meeting could have lasted for five minutes or five hours, Derek had lost all sense of time as he replayed in his mind again and again the sound of his mate declaring his love for him. Tonight, he promised himself, he would make everything perfect for his mate.
The meeting was interrupted by one of the Hale betas who entered without knocking and hurried to Laura's side. "Alpha, you need to take this call now." Hearing the panic in the beta's voice Laura stood and excused herself from the meeting.
The door had barely closed behind her when Derek heard his sisters wail, "Oh God, Max!' He was on his feet, the door a shambles behind him as he rushed to his sister's side. Face streaked with tears she pulled him close and buried her face against his chest. "There was a car bomb. He's been taken to Ulv Nade Hospital."
Derek could feel the blood leaving his face as he paled, leaving him cold and trembling next to his sister. "Stiles went with him today." He managed to force through numb lips. Together the two siblings rushed to the car as it pulled around the front, driver already aware of the situation and need for speed. Still Derek wanted to run, to leap over the cars that blocked their way, ignore the lights that slowed them, and cut across buildings and fields to reach Stiles' side. Dear Lord, he prayed, let my mate be okay.
Laura's breath hitched and skipped as she choked on the sobs that managed to escape her. She clung to Derek's arm and drenched his sleeve in tears. Derek remained silent; the only clue to his inner turmoil was his pale features and the tightness of his lips. His eyes told another story, filled with terror and rage at the people behind the attack.
We will hunt them, his wolf whispered. Hunt them like prey.
As they passed Zillarrezko Derek could see the damage down the street. The pack car lay on its side pressed against the glass wall of another building. The bottom of the car was a charred mess but the reinforced passenger cab seemed intact except for the door that was torn off its hinges leaving a gaping hole in its side.
Derek pulled Laura closer so that she wouldn't see out the window. He didn't want her to see the darkening pool of deep red that was spread on the cement next to the car. Humans didn't heal like wolves; the loss of blood could mean their end.
Holding his sister close, Derek found himself in a horrible dilemma, wanting so desperately for the blood not to be Stiles' and hating himself for hoping it was Max's. Pressing lips to his sister's temple he prayed that both humans were alive.
The glistening walls of Ulv Nade Hospital came into view as they turned the next corner, Boyd's bulk plainly visible standing at the ready by the front door. As the car pulled closer Derek could see the burns and tears that covered the betas clothing though his body had long healed the wounds to flesh.
Derek had the door open and was stepping out before the car finished coming to a stop. "They're both alive," Boyd blurted. Derek sagged in relief at the news.
"Tell us everything." Derek commanded taking Boyd by the elbow and dragging him into the building with Laura hot on his heels. "Start with what floor they are on."
"Max is still in surgery but the doctors said that he got here in plenty of time and there will be no lasting damage except for some scarring. The cut was deep but didn't hit the artery. Stiles is bruised and has a slight concussion. He has a few cuts from the glass but he is resting in room 412. I've got betas watching over both of them."
"Take Laura to surgery so that she can see him as soon as he gets out. I'll be in 412." Derek pulled Laura in for a tight hug. "Will you be okay?" Laura managed a wet nod and pulled away.
"I'm fine baby brother. I'll look after my mate, you go look after yours."
Elevators were hell-beasts, Derek decided as the number slowly changed from a one to a two. All hospitals smelled of disease and cleaner but here it seemed to be concentrated in the slowly moving box. The two humans that had stepped into the elevator with him quickly escaped as the door opened at two and the nurse waiting to go up a floor with her elderly patient opted to take the next car.
By the time he reached the fourth floor Derek knew his eyes had gone red. The tips of his claws caught on the fabric of his pants snagging and pulling out threads from the weave. He had his hands on the door, helping them open faster, at the soft bing of the elevator doors.
Nurses and patients turned to look and then stepped away, pressing against the walls to get out of his path as Derek stormed down the hallway. One brave nurse in a bright floral print scrub pointed him down the correct hallway before slipping back behind her desk.
The door to room 412 was closed and two betas stood on either side of it. Derek could hear the sound of two heartbeats in the room as well as a host of machines that beeped and whirled in the background.
The scent of Stiles' blood, faint though it was, filled his nostrils and made him snarl with the need to protect. The heavy door slammed open, swing back until it crashed into the wall. The nurse who was checking Stiles' vitals froze in terror.
"Hi Derek. You need to calm down so you don't scare Laurie. Hey, Laurie." Stiles smiled at his nurse, open and easy, full of charm and good humor even after all that had happened today. "Don't mind my mate. His all 'grrr, snarl' on the best of days but he really is a sweet heart."
"Except when you're hurt." Derek growled before pulling it back a notch and adding, "The idea of losing you makes me…"
Stiles finished the sentence for his mate while smiling once again at the nurse. "All 'grrr, snarl' but on him it looks good. Laurie, could you give us a minute? Thanks!" As soon as the nurse was out the door Derek had Stiles wrapped in his arms, checking him over for any wounds the doctors might have missed.
His mate was covered with bruises and small cuts from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. There was a smallest lump on the side of his head just above the right eye and his lip was busted and swollen. Derek struggled with the urge to just scoop his mate into his arms and take him back to the Hale house where he could guard and protect him from any and all danger.
"Derek, you're growling and your eyes have turned red again. There's nothing here to fight or kill. I'm okay and Max is okay."
"I don't like it here. You're too exposed. I can't protect you."
Stiles let out a long sigh and rested his head against Derek's chest letting his hand run lightly up and down his mate's hip. "You shouldn't need to protect me in a hospital but after today I can see why you feel that way. My doctor said I could go home as long as somebody was there to watch me. I apparently need to be woken up every hour to make sure my brain isn't scrambled."
With a kiss that made the monitors tracking Stiles' heart beat pick up speed, Derek started the push needed to get all the paperwork filled out and signed so he could take his mate home. Fifteen minutes later Stiles was sitting in a wheelchair on the way out of the hospital.
"Amazing how fast they are willing to go to get rid of a riled up alpha wolf. You always complain about humans being afraid of you but as soon as you are around them you get all glow-y eyed and furry. Not a good way to make friends Derek."
Derek pushed Stiles along the hallway, his two betas leading the way and making sure the hall was cleared of all danger. Derek could feel Stiles' emotions through the link. Even though he was acting carefree and flippant on the outside, inside was an emotional turmoil; fear and worry, anger and confusion all jumbled up together.
"We need to stop and check on Max before we go." Stiles reminded him for the third time. Derek had the betas watching Max keep him updated on his brother-in-laws progress but he had agreed as soon as Stiles had first asked. He needed to support Laura as well.
They arrived just as the nurses were placing Max in his bed. The older human was still out from the surgery but they were all assured that he would be awake in less than an hour.
"Everything went perfectly, Alpha Hale. The cut, while jagged and very deep, missed the femoral artery. There was some muscle damage which we were able to repair. He will need some physical therapy to keep the scar tissue from tightening up and causing a permanent limp but other than that you can expect a full recovery."
Laura sagged against Derek in relief. The nurses and doctor finished with Max and hurried out of the room leaving Stiles to deal with both emotionally distraught wolves. "Did either one of you think to call your parents? Someone needs to let the rest of the pack know everyone is okay and you could use someone up here with you Laura."
With a groan at his own stupidity Derek pulled out his phone. With a teary smile Laura hugged Stiles pulling him half way out of the chair. "Gotta breathe here sis!" Laura released him and pulled a chair so that she could sit by Max, folding his limp hand in her own as she pressed kisses against his forehead and cheek.
"They're on their way. They hadn't even been informed of the attack yet." Touching his sister on the shoulder Derek asked, "Do you want us to stay with you until they get here?"
No longer able to hold back her sobs of relief, Laura nodded and clung to Derek as she cried. Stiles rolled himself closer so that he could rub his hand along her back knowing that touch soothed the pack.
Derek's eyes lingered on his mate his pale skin even whiter against the gown they had made him wear. The bouncing of his mate's knee increased as the minutes ticked by until Stiles could remain silent no longer.
"He told me how you two met on a plane. He said it was "gut wrenching terrifying attraction" at first sight." Laura let out a teary bubble of laughter at that.
"It took me almost ten minutes to convince the flight staff that I didn't want him arrested or thrown off the plain because of some perceived insult. That I just wanted them to move him up so that he could sit by my side. I was thinking that if I could just talk to him that I would never feel lonely again."
"You werewolves are such romantics." Max huffed turning his head to the side. His eyes were blurry and didn't seem to track at first but soon enough he found Laura's face and zeroed in on her. "Hey beautiful. Who made you cry?"
"Max!" Derek rolled Stiles quickly out the door to give the two some privacy while they waited for their parents to arrive. Joy radiated down the link in both direction between the two of them.
For a few minutes Derek was content. He could hear the happiness in Laura's voice as she talked to Max in the recovering room. Stiles was a warm presence in his mind and by his side but the tension still slowly rose in his body until he had to move.
Derek couldn't help but pace. There were too many strangers near his wounded mate, areas that he couldn't see, stringent smells that blocked his nose so that he couldn't smell if an enemy approached. Stiles sat almost frozen in his chair and watched his mate prowl the floor in front of him, looming protectively with every strange noise or passing staff member. The arrival of Derek's parents had him sighing with relief.
Once again Stiles was almost crushed by a werewolf hug and a sweet kiss from Derek's mom. Derek growled at his parents as they touched his mate but looked guiltily away when they glanced up at him with amused tolerance.
"You need to take him home son. Get him somewhere that you can protect him until he is healed." Derek caught Stiles' eye roll out of the corner of his eye.
"Max won't be able to go home just yet. We need to get some more of the pack up here." Glancing back at Stiles, feeling uneasy with him out in the open, Derek gave one last nod to his parents and took his mate home.
Once back at the manor Derek carried Stiles all the way up the stairs despite his mate's protests. "I'm cut and bruised Derek. Nothing is broken and I can walk by myself."
Finding himself on the bed Stiles huffed in amusement. "How long is the over protective alpha act going to continue? I know you had a scare but we are okay. Everything is okay now."
"It's not." Derek growled crawling up the bed to pull Stiles against his body running fingers gently along each wound. "It won't be okay until I find who did this to you. Find them and make sure they are never able to hurt you again."
Reaching up Stiles linked his hands behind Derek's neck and pulled him down for another kiss. Within moments the two were a tangle of arms and legs as they mapped out each other's bodies, tasting and touching until they were every inch was burned into their sensory memory.
Stiles was alive. Derek's wolf wanted to howl with joy but happily settled for curling around his warmth and sleeping by his side.