Wounded Bonds

Stiles woke in a tangle of warmth, Derek's arms wrapped securely around him with one of his legs thrown over Stiles' thigh. He let himself lay there for a second basking in the sense of belonging and love. He could feel his sleeping mate through the bond, a comfortable pressure in the back of his mind.

Working his way slowly out of bed Stiles stood and stretched, back popping and the stitches on his side pulling. Neither really hurt, just a dull ache that reminded him of his adventures from the day before. Turning he found the gaze of his mate resting on the exposed skin of his raised shirt. Smiling, Stiles let his arms drop slowly to his side. Derek raised his eyes, skimming over his chest, lingering on his lips, before meeting his own eyes with a hungry glint.

Derek reached out and tugged Stiles closer for a lingering kiss before slipping out of bed himself. "Laura's bringing Max home this morning. Let me shower and we can go down for breakfast and wait for them."

Stiles was opening his mouth to ask why he couldn't just head on down on his own when he felt the pull of their bond. Derek, for all his outward calm, was raging with the need to keep his mate safe and close. If Derek had his way, Stiles had the feeling that he wouldn't be leaving the room, much less the bed.

He remembered Derek's threat of keeping him in the bed and smiled. His mate knew better than to try to keep him from the action but the strain of separating his wants from the needs of his mate was at times trying for the alpha.

Feeling like taking pity on his struggling mates nerves and not minding the view, Stiles followed Derek into the bathroom and sat on the counter while his alpha showered. The play of water against the hard plains of his body was magical. Stiles felt the need to become a poet just to describe the patterns the water took as it streamed down Derek's back and chest.

The water from the shower wasn't the only thing streaming up the mirrors, Stiles' thought. His mate was hot.

"If you keep thinking things like that, we aren't going to make it down for breakfast." Derek sounded amused but the swirl of emotion that flashed through the bond was something different. It made Stiles' breath catch in his lungs.

This seemed to be his stomach's cue to rumble loudly as if to remind the entire household that there had been no offerings of food for quite some while and its patience was at an end.

Derek stuck his head out and stared at Stiles with shock bordering on roaring laughter. "Two minutes and I'll feed you. Promise."

Nodding, more to himself than the wet werewolf, Stiles went to find something to wear. His drawer in the dresser had somehow filled itself with clothing of his size since last he looked. Stiles wondered briefly which Beta's job it was to run out and buy him clothing. He needed to thank whoever it was because the jeans, graphic tees, and oversized button ups were just his style.

Feeling more like himself than he had since his parents' death, Stiles finished dressing and waited for Derek on the edge of the bed. His mate emerged, hair damp, dressed in dark slacks and a deep blue collared shirt. The alphas always seemed to be dressed to kill. Literarily, Stiles hoped with Gerard and Kate still out there causing trouble for wolves and humans alike.

"Should I dress up more?" Stiles felt comfortable in his clothes but didn't want to let his mate down.

Derek dropped a kiss on the crown of his head. "You're perfect."

The praise, along with the assurance from the bond that his mate meant it, made Stiles beam. It had been a long time since he felt like he belonged. Even the last few years with his parents had been rough with his ADD causing him to struggle in school. As if knowing he needed it, Derek pulled him into a tight hug and repeated his earlier statement, this time adding enough heat to his voice to send shivers down Stiles' spine. "You are perfect."

Derek leaned in for a kiss and Stiles was suddenly ready to forget breakfast all together and feast on other things. He fisted the soft fabric of his mate's shirt in his hands, pulling the wolf closer so that he could deepen the kiss. Suddenly Derek pulled away, head up and alert. "They're here."

Stiles let Derek herd him down the stairs to discover that all the betas had lined up on either side of the hallway, bodies tense and eyes focused on the door. Stopping abruptly enough that Derek bumped into his back, Stiles stared in wonder. He was just about to ask what was going on when the door opened.

Max paused in the threshold of the doorway, his expression as confused as Stiles'. Looking down the row of betas he met Stiles' welcoming smile with one of his own. His first step through the door was tentative but Laura urged him forward with a hand to the small of his back. The first beta, a short dark skinned female, stepped forward and ran her nose gently up the side of Max's neck before stepping back into position.

Max's eyes went wide and he shared a "what the fuck" glance down the hallway with Stiles who could only shrug in response. Another step down the hall equaled another beta stepping forward to scent his neck. He continued down the short hallway pausing as each wolf came forward to add their scent to the rest of the packs'. Isaac and Ames stood almost a fourth of the way down and added a quick hug to their scenting of Max.

Stiles waited until Max was about half way down the hallway before rushing the short distance left between them and throwing his arms around the older man's neck. "I'm so glad you are okay! I was so worried about you."

"At least I had the decency to stay safely tucked away in the hospital. You on the other hand managed to get yourself kidnapped while exposing a plot of Machiavellian proportions.

Stiles could feel the blush working its way up his neck and face. Derek reached around and pulled him to his side before leaning in to run his nose against Max's neck in welcome. "I'm glad you are well. We were all worried about you."

Laura smiled at Derek as she moved to Max's side and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "It's terrifying to find out how delicate you are."

Max and Stiles shared another bonding moment of rolling their eyes and huffing at their perspective mates. "I don't know about you Max but my delicate human body is in dire need of some substance. I bet that hospital food was horrible. After all we've been through you would think that our loving mates would take better care of us helpless little humans."

Max started to smirk at Stiles' obvious joke but both alphas looked wrecked at Stiles' words and before either human could explain the idea of sarcasm to the pack they were whisked away to the dining room by their alphas and the betas were practically tripping over each other to bring them breakfast.

Stiles stared over three plates heaped full of bacon and eggs and around another two that sported a small mountain of pancakes dripping with syrup at Max. His side of the table was completely obscured by the mass of food in front of him and Laura looked as if she was about two seconds from cutting up his pancakes and feeding him.

"You both know that was a joke, right?" Stiles could feel the tension from Derek on his side of the link. "Hey," Stiles reached out and caught his mates chin with his hand and forced him to look him in the eye. "It was a bad joke. We are human and sometimes we don't understand the importance you wolves put on some things. You take wonderful care of us, we feel safe when we are with you, and you provide for us. It was a bad joke, sorry."

Max ate the food off the fork offered by Laura with a completely straight face before agreeing with Stiles. "It was a horrible joke. You always take great care of me." Under the table Max kicked Stiles in the shin. Stiles did his best to say sorry with his facial features alone.

Derek let his head rest on Stiles' shoulder. "Sometimes I don't understand you."

"That makes two of us." The four of them ate in silence while the betas shifted and looked uncomfortable along the walls. "Are they going to sit down and eat or just watch us the whole time?" Stiles didn't even bother to whisper knowing that all the wolves would be able to hear anything he said.

Instead of looking to their alphas, the betas watched both humans until Max let out a groan and motioned toward the buffet. "You are putting me off my food. Grab a plate, get some food and sit down before my nerves get the best of me."

Stiles watched with amusement as the werewolf comedy hour started. All the betas moved as one, fumbling and bumping into each other in their hast to follow Max's directions. The dark naughty part of Stiles enjoyed watching creatures that were usually so agile and graceful look just a little bit clumsy for once. He felt bad about it afterwards but at the time he just smiled into his napkin and relished the moment.

Max still looked a little pale and Stiles knew he didn't look much better; the last few days had taken a toll on them both. The wolves on the other hand all looked like they had just stepped out of a shoot for some upscale magazine. Even Derek's drying hair from the shower looked professionally ruffled and sexy as hell. Stiles crammed another bite into his mouth and tried to stem the flow of self-conscience thoughts that started to bombard him.

Stiles was flooded with images of himself, flicker flashes of his eyes and lips, the way his hands played along the seam of his jeans, the curve of his hip just above the waistband of his jeans, and the crescent shaped scar on his calf where he had cut himself crashing his bike when he was seven. All of the images came through with the taste of Derek's love flowing behind them, wrapping Stiles securely in his mate's devotion.

Blinking away from the flow, his brain still full of the after images and emotions, he looked into the hazel green swirl of his mates' eyes. "You're perfect." Derek whispered against his lips. "I'll tell you as often as needed until you believe." Stiles smiled and leaned against the warmth of his mate and watched as Max curled around Laura as well.

Surrounded by his mate's scent, the thrum of love flowing down their bond, and his pack adding to his sense of comfort just by their presence, Stiles wondered how he was ever afraid of werewolves. If humans could only see just a glimpse of what he had in the last few days, they would never fear them again.

It was a perfect moment, one that Stiles would look back on in the years to come with a smile. But like all moments of perfection it didn't last. Laura's phone let out a high pitched squeal that had most of the betas covering their ears. Derek's phone rang seconds later in the usually preprogramed ringtone.

Both alphas answered in unison, "Alpha Hale." Stiles would have been amused if not for the almost identical looks of intense concentration that sharpened their features.

"Laura, what's happened?" Max cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. Stiles reached under the table and laced his fingers through Derek's hand not needing to look at him to know that his eyes were tinged red, he could feel it through their link.

"Gerard and Kate, along with a group from Human First just attacked the building we were holding Chris and is daughter in. They are both alive but there are a reported fifteen dead and another twenty or so being taken to the hospital." Derek responded before Laura could speak.

Without any sign from the alphas all the betas went into action. Gone was the charming clumsiness from earlier, replaced by a fluid motion that made the betas move as one, weaving in and out of each other's way without a single glance or thought. Derek and Laura both had their phones out and were issuing orders in rapid fire, clipped voices that left no room for argument on the other end.

Isaac popped his head back in the room. "Ready to leave in five alpha." Both Hales were moving toward the front door before the words had even finished leaving the beta's mouth. Stiles' feet tangled in the rungs of the chair as he struggled to follow his mate.

"Derek! I'm coming with you." The alpha turned and seemed to grow in size, his chest expanding as Derek drew himself to his complete height.

"No." His voice was soft but steely. "I almost lost you yesterday. You are still recovering from wounds you received in a car crash as well as an attack on you by a rabid beta. I am not allowing you to endanger yourself again."

"Allowing myself? Who the hell do you think you are?" Stiles went cold with the fury that tightened his chest. He couldn't believe that Derek was pulling this alpha crap on him. He was not going to be the weak partner in the relationship, expected to stay home while his mate went off to fight their battles. "I'm not some weakling that you get to protect. I'm your mate and my place is by your side."

"Not today." Derek stepped forward and placed a quick kiss on Stiles' head. "One day you will forgive me." Quickly turning he followed Laura out of the room and down to the waiting cars.

Stiles was left watching the dust settle with his fist clinched at his sides on the large porch that wrapped around the front of the mansion. Max slipped quietly up to his side and watched the cars disappear down the drive. "I get the feeling that we aren't just going to wait around for them to return."

"I'm not."

"Then I guess we'll need a car."

Stiles followed Max out the back and down the road to where a large barn like structure sat half hidden by a copse of trees and a low rise in the landscape. "I thought you said you didn't have a car." He kept an eye on the way that Max moved, watching for any sign of further damage to his leg. While Stiles wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with his mate, he didn't want Max to pay the price with his health.

"I don't have a car of my own but there are many cars available for pack use. I doubt Laura or Derek would have thought to inform the betas in charge of the garage that we were grounded."

Stiles snorted in agreement. "They are used to everyone just obeying. Derek still has a few things to learn about being mated to me."

"I've never been brave enough to stand up to them like you do. I always kept my head down and followed Laura's lead. Derek was lucky to find you. Hell, the pack is lucky Derek found you. I think you are going to be the shake-up we all need to make relations between wolves and humans better."

Stiles was glad that Max's attention was focused on the entrance of the car barn and not him as he felt the wave of heat roll up his neck and across his face. In a short time he had come to respect Max greatly and hearing his praise was like receiving a cup of cool water while in the desert sun.

A young beta stepped out of the shadows of the large barn like interior to block their path. Stiles had enough time for one nervous, shuttering breath before the wolf asked in a quiet voice if he could be of any assistance.

"We need a car." Max said keeping it simple.

With a uncomfortable frown the beta responded. "All the drivers have been called away, Max. I have two cars available but no one to drive you." He kept his eyes downcast and head tilted in submission as if he had somehow failed in his job.

"That's fine. I know how to drive." Max smiled and patted the young wolf on his shoulder.

"If you could just bring us the keys. We're in a hurry." Stiles added with what he hoped was an innocent smile. The wolf practically dashed off to do their bidding. Stiles had a mental image of a puppy running off to get its ball to play fetch but squashed it down along with the slightly hysterical giggle that threatened to escape.

Glancing sideways at Max he mouthed 'this is too easy' before sliding his hands into his pockets to wait for the betas return. If the wolf called anyone to check if they were allowed to borrow a car, their plan was shot and Stiles tried not to let the tension of that show in his body language.

The beta was back in less than a minute with a pair of dark blue key chains and a smile. "There are only two cars ready to go today. I'm not sure which one would best suit your needs." Motioning them to follow, he led them deeper into the garage to the first car.

It was a Dodge Avenger in a dark blue which Stiles had noticed was the main color of all the Hale pack cars. Deep down he was hoping for something in a fiery red. Max was smiling and reaching for the keys when Stiles saw the other car. "Holy shit. We'll take that one."

Max glanced over at the vehicle and back to Stiles who was trying not to drool at the vision before him. It was sex on wheels, a dark blue Viper that had him itching to speed down the roadway and into the sunset, race across desolate expanses of desert or zigzag through mountain roads. Basically every car commercial he had even seen he wanted to recreate in that dark blue beauty.

"It's not subtle."

"We're not throwing them a surprise party. Fuck subtle." Stiles snatched the keys out of the beta's hand and ran loving hands over the sides of the car.

"Are you planning on making out with it or getting it so we can catch up with the rest of the pack?"

Stiles let a lustful grin spread across his face and enjoyed the amused look and eye roll that Max returned. "When this is all over Derek is taking me out in this baby and teaching me how to drive." And then maybe christen the interior before coming home Stiles added to himself.

"God! I'll have to tell Laura never to use this car after you two are done with it." Max slid into the front seat and the car roared to life. For all his calm demeanor and studious manner, Max drove like a man possessed. Stiles was torn between holding on for dear life and crowing with excitement as Max pealed out of the drive way and flew across the drive toward the open road.

"Shit Max! When all this is over I'm letting you teach me how to drive!" The countryside flew by and the city limits came into view at a rapid pace. Glancing over to peek at the speedometer Stiles knew that while they weren't going to catch up to the rest of the pack, they certainly would not be far behind.

Max slowed down as they reached the city limits and soon they were pulling up behind the rest of the pack vehicles that lined the side of one street in front of a tall building. Stiles quickly hid the smirk at the look of shock on the betas' faces as the two of them stepped out and walked to the front door.

With an air of composed authority that Stiles hoped to one day emulate, Max tossed the keys to the closest beta. "Watch that for us please." The other beta hastened to open the door just in time for the older man to sweep through to the lobby.

"I never knew you were such a bad ass…" Stiles trailed off once he saw the demolition of the front lobby. There were scorch marks across the far wall and much of the furniture was blackened and broken. An alarming series of holes lined the side wall and patches of dark brown were scattered across the floor.

Swallowing the rest of his smartass comments he fell into step with Max as they crossed the lobby battlefield to where a pair of betas flanked either side of a doorway. Except for the extra white in their eyes the betas showed no outward surprise at their appearance and opened the door as they approached.

He did his best not to look at the smears on the walls and stains on the floor as he walked down the hallway to the conference room at the back. Stiles could hear the voices of the wolves down the hallway and feel the aggravation thrumming down the link from his mate. The sudden sense of surprise followed by a loud curse let Stiles know that Derek was aware of his presence.

Derek flung to door open just as they reached the end of the hallway and pulled Stiles into his arms. Max ducked in behind them and walked to Laura's side. Stiles watched as the two siblings seemed to communicate with their eyebrows along while curling around their mates.

Stiles managed to work his way out of Derek's grasp and pulled out a chair before sinking into it. Chris sat at the end of the table his arm in a sling, shirt covered with blood and his left eye swollen and turning an impressive shade of puce. His daughter sat close by his side looking less battered but just as worn. Scott stood protectively over her chair, a supporting hand resting on her shoulder.

Scott seemed to relax with Stiles in the room. His shoulders loosened and the crease between his eyes eased until it was almost gone. A corner of his mouth curled in an attempt at a smile as he sat down next to the dark haired girl, sliding his fingers into hers.

"They tried to kill Allison and her father. I don't understand why your own family would try to kill you." Scott shifted his shoulder so that Allison could better lean against him. Chris looked like his whole world had been turned upside down and shaken. His face morphed from a look of disgust to grudging respect.

"Should I do a quick recap?" asked an older beta with long hair. Without waiting for a reply she briskly restated the facts for the humans that had just entered the room. "Approximately two hours ago Gerard and Kate Argent attacked this facility with an armed group from Humans First. Seven wolves were killed by laced bullets and another twelve have been hospitalized. So far all are listed in good condition. While Gerard managed to escape, we were able to contain many of the others that attacked. Most are being held in the secure wing of the hospital."

"Where are the rest?" asked Max.

"The morgue." The beta smiled just a little when she said that and Stiles had to agree with the feeling. Looking over he noticed Chris' pale complexion and the slight tremor in his hands that rested on the table in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Stiles couldn't help but feel a bit of sorrow for the man. In just a day he had lost everything, from his position as a respected doctor to his wife and family.

Chris raised his head and met Stiles' stare with haunted eyes. "My own sister broke in and held a gun to my daughters head and threatened to kill her. I told her to just take me, to leave Allison alone but she just laughed and said that all traitors needed to be taken out of the bloodline. If it wasn't for…" his voice dropped off as he looked over at Scott who had curled around Allison as if to protect her from the memories that Chris' words brought forth. "Thank you," Chris whispered.

"But why attack you?" Max moved to the table pulling a tablet out of one of the betas hands to take notes. "Going after a member of your own family is harsh but doing it when they are in protective custody is suicidal."

Chris let out a pained, slightly hysterical laugh. "It's all falling apart. The organization is getting too big; people were no longer listening to my father like they did my grandfather. It's becoming more about greed and control than getting rid of you wolves."

Laura started to let out a low growl but let it die in her throat as Max placed a calming hand on her waist. "Your father still seems to have some pull in the organization if he was able to gather up a group of terrorist to try to kill you in less than a day."

Nodding Chris let his head drop back and closed his eyes briefly. "He still has a lot of power but I think it was more the fact that I have information that they don't want to leak out. Information that kept the wolves and humans from becoming closer over the years. Information that would start to erode the power base they have been building up for the last two generations."

Max leaned forward as if scenting prey. Stiles had the sudden realization that the unassuming human who was so kind and soft spoken had a hidden depth to him, a dark side that he was willing to use to protect those he loved. "And you are going to share the information with us now? Am I correct Dr. Venator?"

Chris shifted back and glanced over at his daughter who had moved even closer into Scott's arms. He made a moue of distaste at Allison who was now practically sitting in Scott's lap. Stiles thought they made a cute couple and knew from experience how quickly a bond with a wolf could form but with Chris' background he knew it must be a hard pill to swallow for the man.

"I will share all the information I have in return for protection for myself and complete immunity of all crimes committed by my family for my daughter. I've done everything I could over the years to keep her away from the family business. She has nothing to do with any of this."

Max glanced over his shoulder at Laura and then across the table to Derek. Both nodded. "I don't see that being a problem. What information do you have that is so important, that has kept the wolves and the humans from a closer relationship?"

"True Mates." Chris smiled briefly. "We discovered how to test for them in the human population and then how to block the bond from being able to take place."

The reaction in the room was almost explosive. No, thought Stiles, implosive. He could feel the overwhelming incomprehension coming from Derek and the looks on the rest of the pack's faces showed that they were reeling from the same emotion. Laura slumped into the seat next to Max clutching his hand. Derek pressed up against Stiles' back as if trying to merge them into one being. The rest of the betas made a high pitch whine that could just barely be made out but seemed to cut through the air like cold shards of ice.

"Why?" Laura gasped. "Why would you do that?"

"To weaken the bond between humans and werewolves, to create a divide that my family could use to create fear and loathing until the humans were ready to rise up against you and drive you out for good." Chris shook his head and leaned forward, resting his good elbow on the table. "At least that was my grandfather's plan. It all started to change when I was just a boy. My family started to lose control but my father still plotted."

"How?" Stiles had to know and from the shocked silence in the room he didn't think any of the wolves would be asking the important questions anytime soon. "How did you block it?"

Chris didn't look at Stiles but directly at Max. "With a simple blood test we could find the genetic markers for those humans that possessed the ability to bond with the wolves. After that it was easy to devise a serum that would block that ability. The Argents were given control over most of the human run facilities including medical research and it was easy for my grandfather to have his pet scientists discover a blood disorder that required regular shots to keep it under control."

Laura keened and clutched at Max while Derek's grip tightened on Stiles' shoulder until he had to reach back and pry his mate's fingers loose. "That's why you changed my dosage and schedule. Since I was in a relationship with Laura you couldn't take the chance of the serum wearing off and us discovering that we had a bond."

Max looked like he had more to say on the subject but Laura threw herself into his arms, kissing him soundly. "See! I told you I couldn't love you any more than I do. My heart knew you were the one from me even with them blocking the bond. I knew it all along."

Derek cleared his throat putting the romantic intermission on hold. Stiles had a sudden sense of wrongness that curled in his stomach making it clinch and twist. "That was your grandfather's plan. But you said your father kept plotting. What was his plan?"

"Early on in my career I found a better way to read the genetic codes of those humans that had the ability to bond with an alpha. It took me years but in the end I was reasonably sure that I could match the human with an individual family Pack. I thought it could be used to gather more power. Alphas would give up almost anything to find their true mate, even their power over us. But father saw it as a way to destroy the wolves from the inside."

"God," whispered Max. "The children at the orphanage. He was using them as some sort of experiment."

In a flash Stiles remembered the files of all the children, each color coded. The colors matched directly to the predominate colors of major Packs. "Why? Why did Gerard want orphans like me? What was he planning to do?"

"He was creating biological weapons to use against the pack. An alpha won't survive the death of their mate; we learned that with the death of my great aunt so long ago. Gerard planned to mold those children into living bombs just waiting for the right time to explode, taking out the pack leadership at the same time."

Stiles felt sick. His stomach heaved as he staggered to his feet and out the door. He ran blindly down the hallway and out into the lobby ignoring the cries from his mate behind him. He slammed the bond between them shut as he pushed through the doors and past the betas on the street.

The sunlight glinted off the windows of the buildings around him as he spun momentarily deciding on a direction. The sound of his mate's voice in the building had him taking off away from the sunlight that streamed around him, heading deeper into the shadows and away from Derek.

Gerard may have created him to be a weapon but he would be damned if he let that psychopath use him against the man he loved.

AN: I'm back! Did you miss me? I was on vacation in Las Vegas (we won enough to pay for the hotel and a nice show) and then on to California. We went to Yosemite National Park where my BF discovered that I am NOT the hiker that he is but didn't hold it against me. Then we continued down to Anaheim to visit Disneyland and California Adventures for three days. When I got home my BF proposed! (Jumping up in down while writing this). Funny thing - - - he was planning on doing that in Las Vegas but forgot to pack the ring. I'm not letting him live THAT down anytime soon.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.