"You're so dead", chuckled Aiden as the mage flicked his wrist at the Hale/McCall pack.
"Stiles!?" the mage heard multiple voices call. Closely followed by the sound of bodies hitting the shield he had conjured to contain his ungrateful clients. He turned his head at the old nickname and swore loudly when he saw all his old pack. Evidently Isaac, Scott and Allison had moved towards him and hit the purple mist only to be thrown backwards.
"Guys", Stiles nodded. "Give me a minute would you?" he added before turning away without an answer to glare at his new friends. "Would one of you like to explain why you have summoned me to Beacon Hills?"
Josh exchanged a look with Griselda before he attempted to answer, "Well this is the Hale/McCall pack and they have requested your help with a mage problem."
"So you guys just accepted a job here without even putting it passed me?" Stiles asked for clarification.
"Isn't that the way things normally work?" Griselda asked confused. They'd worked this way for the last three years and there had never been a problem.
"Yes it is", Stiles admitted. "I just never expected to be back here. If I'd known we were coming here I could have been better prepared. You see this is where I'm from. These guys," Stiles waved his hand at the pack assembled along the opposite wall. "These guys are the friends I left when I ran." A look of understanding crept upon the face of the four newcomers as they began to understand the problem.
"Well Genim you have said for the past couple of years that you wanted to come back to set things right. This could be your chance to do that", Ethan murmured as he walked other and pulled his boyfriend into a deep kiss. Josh followed him and threw an arm over the mage's shoulders, giving them a supportive squeeze.
"If this is too much we can always leave", Josh said quietly, aware that all those with supernaturally enhanced senses will be able to hear regardless.
"No it's okay", Stiles mumbled. "If they contacted you guys then they must have a reason and you're right we've been heading back this way for a while anyways." Stiles turned towards his old pack and dissolved the barrier. "So does someone beside the Jackson junior puppy want to explain the situation to me?"
Scott instantly moved forward to hug his best friend but stopped when the twins growled and flashed crimson red wolf eyes and fangs at him. "I can't Scott. Not just yet. I've dealt with the issues I had when I left but I can't just step back into how things were. I need time to adjust to being back. Now I'm here to do a job. Why don't you fill me in on the specifics so I can get started?"
Scott pouted obviously hurt by the reaction he got from his best friend, from his brother in all but blood but pushed it aside to deal with later. "Yeah, okay. Well we've called for you because we have a mage problem. Curses have been placed on every pack member's home and anytime one of the pack gets close enough it activates. At first they were just a nuisance and we left them alone hoping they would go away."
"Hmm", Stiles mused. "Well that was your first mistake. Curses grow stronger the longer they are left unchecked. How long ago were they placed?"
Scott looked over at Lydia who had taken Stiles place as the brains when he left. Lydia answered in a snobby tone much like she would have before Stiles left, "Around three weeks now."
"Okay and which home is the worst affected?" Stiles asked as he chewed his bottom lip.
"Mine", Derek growled at the teen while glaring at him. Ethan and Aiden were growling in the back of their throats at the hostility.
"Boys", Stiles reprimanded them softly as he pulled them back behind him by their jean waistbands. "I love the macho protection thing, you know that but do you honestly think I'm not able to protect myself? Was yours the first one to be cursed?" Stiles asked Derek despite the glare.
"No, mine was the last", Derek growled back.
"Well that makes no sense. Why would the loft's curse escalate so fast?" Stiles mused.
"He isn't talking about his loft you dumbass", Jackson sneered.
"He rebuilt the Hale mansion", Lydia supplied to Stiles' confused look.
Stiles groaned as that was worst possible news and face palmed himself. "You guys are unbelievable. How could you all be so stupid? How long has the Hale manor been cursed?"
"Don't call us stupid", Liam growled as he moved towards the mage. Suddenly he found himself suspended in mid air choking. Stiles spun round confused when he heard two alphas roar instead of one.
Looking into Scott and Derek's red glowing eyes he released the beta. "Better watch out pup. Next time I won't be so nice. Lip off to me again and I'll do far more than strangle you. You think you heal quick, well maybe I'll see just how fast that healing grows back your crown jewels", Stiles threatened the beta. "Be happy to show you that as well if you're interested Jackson. Now would someone answer the damn question? How long has the Hale manor been cursed?"
"A week", Lydia answered.
Stiles swore again under his breath before he started pulling at his hair. Ethan moved beside him and restrained his hands. "Okay that's enough information to start with. Griselda can you get the address of each pack member from Lydia, the strawberry blond over there", Stiles asked as he started to come up with a plan. "First we visit all of the houses and see what sort of strength these curses pack. We'll leave the Hale manor till last visit. I think we should tackle that one first before it grows any stronger."
"Stiles, wait. Can't we talk?" Scott pleaded with his best friend.
"Of course we can Scott, but you brought me into do a job and I'm going to start doing it because evidently you've let the situation go on for far too long. Now my job is going to take a lot longer than it should", Stiles told his best friend. "Why don't we just meet up at the Hale manor this evening and I can give you my professional estimate of the job's difficulty? We can have a cosy catch up and get to know each other again session at Sourwolf's. Well we can if I can break the curse."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Derek growled.
"Of course you do", Stiles smiled sweetly. "Would you like me to remove the curse or not?"
"Yes", Derek admitted darkly.
"Wonderful we understand each other then. Josh would you and Aiden mind getting the usual supplies?" Stiles asked with an air of leadership he had never shown before.
"Of course. I'll get a little extra, just in case", Josh replied while Aiden nodded.
"That puts you with me, dear wolfie", Stiles snickered.
"Do you have to call me that? You know I hate it", Ethan muttered while he embraced his boyfriend again.
"Until we come up with something better", Stiles smirked before he stole a kiss.