It was three hours later and Stiles was standing outside his old best buddy Scott's with his pack. "This brings back so many memories", Stiles muttered dejectedly.
"What do you mean?" Aiden asked in his protective brotherly voice. The others were looking over at their mage with concern written all over their faces as well.
"Ah it's nothing really. I've never told any of you the reason why I left even though you asked many times", Stiles said quietly while he was preparing some parchment on the wall of Scott's front garden. "Since we're here I guess I might as well tell ya. I spent a year here with the Hale pack and I thought they were my friends. I guess some of them were like Scott and Allison. I mean Scott had been my best friend since we were both in diapers and Allison was cool. It's just when they became a couple they sort of forgot other people existed. Well anyway Gerald Argent came to town, took control of Jackson who was a kanima at the time and turned Allison against us. I did everything I could while hiding my true nature but after the final show down with him not one of them came to see if I was alright. They knew Gerald had captured me and used me as his own personalised punch bag but it didn't matter. After two weeks I'd had enough. I got my dad's blessing and left to finish school while staying with my aunt in Cleveland."
"I always wondered what a young prodigy like you was doing in Cleveland", Josh muttered. It had been he whom had discovered Stiles. He'd sensed the power and lead Griselda to the young mage. They'd become friends quickly and when the school year finished they left to travel together. Both the slightly older members of the trio had connections allowing them to find jobs easily. That's how this new wonderful life had started.
"Yeah that was the beginning of this wacky adventure", Stiles sighed happily. "It was when I met you and Gris that I embraced my birth name Genim. And you know I wouldn't change anything about the past three years. It led me not only to the two best friends a mage can have but also to the muscled Adonis werewolf boyfriend and his equally hot straight brother", Stiles smirked. "Although there was that one time in New Orleans where he joked about becoming gay just to tap our client", Stiles laughed. "You guys are my family and I'd do anything for ya."
"We should send you to visit those English mage more often, you come back all sappy", Aiden chuckled lightly punching his mage's shoulder affectionately while blushing a deep red.
"Oh, speaking of visiting the English mage, they gave me something for you Gris", Stiles gasped searching his pockets before he pulled out an amulet. "The leader of one of the covens said they wanted you to have this. It is supposed to be a powerful protection amulet but they have no idea how it works. They thought a powerful spark like you might be able to tap into the magic and work it out." Stiles handed over the amulet and picking up his brush put the finishing touches to the runes he had been preparing.
"Are you ready?" Josh asked noticing the mage begin to pack things in the backpack at his feet.
"Yeah, I just need to enter the boundaries and we should have all the info we need right here", Stiles nodded. Picking up the parchment and heading up the path to Scott's front door he held the parchment high. After a few steps the parchment glowed white and absorbed in some green wisps from thin air. Stiles pulled the parchment down out of the air when it finished glowing and studied it with a frown as he walked back to his pack biting down on his lip.
"What's wrong? Didn't it work properly?" Ethan asked him.
"No I worked fine. It's just giving me some strange data", Stiles frown deepened. "Ah well we can sort it out later. Two more to visit anyway; it'll probably make sense in the end." He handed the parchment now rolled up into a scroll to his boyfriend who put it in the backpack and hoisted it on to his shoulders.
Stiles arrived with his pack at the Hale house around an hour before dusk. They parked their car behind the others which were all keeping back from the property.
"Last one", Stiles said enthusiastically. "The last piece of the puzzle and we'll know what the situation is", he informed the Hale/McCall pack.
"Great", Lydia sassed. "How long is this going take?"
"About ten minutes to identify the magic", Stiles muttered distracted with starting preparation of another parchment on the hood of the car.
"And then?" Derek growled in irritation.
"And then it depends on what all my research today tells me. Now would you shut the hell up? I need to concentrate", Stiles snapped at the alpha. Stiles heard low growls from his old pack but ignored them. Minutes later when the parchment was completed with the necessary runes Stiles turned and headed towards the Hale house. "Moment of truth now", he muttered as he set off.
Walking with the parchment in the air exactly like he had at Scott's, Stiles realised quickly that something was different here. The paper was not just glowing brighter than at the other sites, it was actually growing hotter. Suddenly it burst into flames and Stiles dropped it before retreating back to the packs. "Genim, tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means", Griselda whispered locking eyes with him. Stiles knew she would have worked it out having been studied in the ways of magic just as well as him. Admittedly they specialised in different areas but the basics were the same. Stiles forte was combat and curses, while Griselda being a spark and not actually a mage performed more as a supportive role rather than main act. She was happy with it as she had told Stiles years ago when they met. She didn't want the pressure of the expectations people throw on him.
"I wish I could tell you different, but both you and Josh already know my conclusions", Stiles admitted in a weary tone. "It's him, it got to be. He's behind it all. I just don't understand how or why. But I'll figure it out, I guess. I have to if I wanna undo the curses."
"Genim, what is it?" Ethan asked with concern as he held his mate close. Aiden wrapped the mage in his protective sideways embraces as well but kept silent.
"I'll doesn't matter. Seriously you stupid but lovable pups it's fine it just means things are going to be more difficult than I thought", Stiles admitted in defeat.
"What? You said you could do it", Liam snorted from beside Jackson's Porsche.
"Watch it arse hole", Aiden snapped while he shifted; his twin a mirror on Stiles' other side. It was freaky how they were so in synch with each other, even if they were twins.
"I can't wait until they push him too far", Josh chuckled from behind the twins.
"Ah, but the Hale alpha is so handsome. Stiles wouldn't scar such beauty, would he?" Griselda murmured dreamily.
"He's a werewolf, and an alpha at that it would heal, probably", Josh teased her.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that", she continued in her absent-minded tone.
"Guy's I'm right here", Stiles whined. "And as much as I'd love to teach old grumpy guts over there some respect. They are our clients; I can't exactly beat them into bloody pulps now can I?"
"Didn't stop you from doing it in Hastings, Nebraska", Griselda commented with a smirk.
"Yeah but they were dicks. We helped them out and then they try to kill Josh because of something so far beyond his control", Stiles waved off the remark. "Or would you rather I let them kill our best friend?"
Griselda didn't reply just raised an eyebrow while pretending to consider it. "You bitch, some friend you are", Josh laughed with her before they were hugging each other affectionately. "Any way the point still stands Genim. They treat you like crap here and I speak for all of us when I say we'd be happy to kick their arses with you if it makes you feel better", Josh grinned.
"Yeah, after the way we took down the alpha pack these guys would be no problem. Plus we've got wolves on our side now as well", Griselda's smile widened.
Stiles just sighed, why were all his friends such drama queens. Sure he might fly of the handle for important matters but that was natural when people he cared about were threatened. It's a natural reaction isn't it? After all that's why all the wolves in the area were shifting and bristling with hostility. "You just had to go and rile them up", Stiles sighed again.
Suddenly a loud whistle rent the air and all the wolves covered their ears. Stiles looked over to see it was Lydia that was demanding people's attention. "As fun as your little discussion is maybe you could focus on the reason we are paying you to be here. What are we supposed to do while you come up with a way to remove the curse?"
"That's a good question. We've nowhere to go", Isaac pointed out.
"And who is the guy behind this? You seem to know him Stiles", Jackson sneered.
"If you must know Jackson", Stiles replied coldly as the temperature around them dropped so rapidly that his breath could be seen as he sneered Jackson's name. "His name is Lucian, mage of the first order, a master of curses. Very few mages have the power and skill to break his enchantments. Maybe I should ask what you did to anger such a powerful and vengeful adversary."
"Never heard of him", Jackson replied carelessly. The others in the pack nodded in agreement, all except Lydia, Kira and Derek.
"At least you're not all as ignorant as the douche over there", Ethan whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"STOP", yelled Scott as the tension for a fight began to creep up again. "We will not fight with Stiles and his pack.
"Get in the car, guys. Scott I can't fix your problems right now but I'm sure you'll find a place to stay tonight and we'll meet you back here tomorrow. After all it's not like you were forced to flee from your home", Stiles glared at his old pack.
"Okay", Scott agreed reluctantly.
"Say ten o'clock. And tomorrow we'll catch up", Stiles smiled at his brother. No matter how much time passed, Stiles just couldn't stay angry with the guy.
"Tomorrow", Scott grinned slightly as he watched Stiles climb in the back of the car between the two wolves.