Chapter Twenty Five: Dreams of the Future

Derek sat cross-legged in front of the pure black wolf, his green eyes locked with its red ones. They were in the middle of the clearing, the one Derek knew where Scott had been bitten by Peter. This is where it all started.

"The other wolves are gone," Derek began. "Abby went back to Colorado with the others. The rest went back to college..."

"And yet, there is more change to come," Talia said.

Then he seemed to fall into that red gaze, and was taken away to somewhere else.

When he opened his eyes, he stood at the edge of a large lake. It was night time, and the moon's reflection rippled along the water's surface. He inhaled the smells of pine and wildflowers, of the distant smell of snow on the distant mountains, and he knew where he was.

Talia stood next to him, still in her wolf form. She was not looking at the moon, but rather over his shoulder, where a large pack of wolves stood.

Derek's gaze took them all in- and his heart nearly stopped when he saw someone familiar.

A young Lyra stepped forward, facing a man who was clearly in charge. Her hair was long and pale in the moonlight, and her eyes held such a bright innocence that made Derek almost wince.

Her father, Derek thought.

"Lyra Peterson," the Alpha began. "You are now of age, and have been brought here to become initiated into the pack. Do you know the words?"

Lyra stood tall. "I swear to always be loyal, to run with my pack and my Alpha, to put the pack's needs above my own, and to always uphold our laws."

The Alpha took a step forward, so he towered over her. Lyra did not drop her gaze.

"And do you swear, when the time is right, to take your position amongst this pack? To carry on the proud traditions that we hold dear?"

"I swear it."

More words were exchanged, but Derek barely heard them. This was not the ways he grew up with. Some wolf packs were traditionalists, which the Petersons were, but his family had never swore upon the old words. Some traditions were lost to time, and others were lost when those who upheld them passed on.

When it was done, Lyra's father had her face the pack. Lyra's mother joined them, and the three of them stood and howled, their features partially shifting. Derek could feel their power, knowing there was a reason the three of them stood before the others like they did. Like the triskelion, with its three swirling branches, there was power in threes, just as three was a powerful number.

And the serious moment was broken by an even younger Abby running into her father's arm, chattering excitedly about her own full moon ceremony. The other children circled close, some cheering on Lyra. Derek saw that one of them was Matt, which made him smile.

When the scene changed back to the Beacon Hills forest, he looked at Talia.

"Why did you show me that?" He paused. "The traditions...?"

Talia shook her head, her gaze intent. "The old traditions were meant to die with the old generation. But some things, my son, are meant to be continued. Bloodlines."

Derek's brow furrowed. "What-? What does this have to do with bloodlines?"

Talia seemed to smile, if such a thing was possible. "Do you understand what the triskelion represents?"

"Alpha, Beta, Omega," Derek said automatically, wondering if his mother had somehow read his thoughts.

The wolf nodded. "There's other variations- Father, Son, Holy Ghost being another well known one. But there's one that continues a bloodline."

When Derek just looked confused, Talia continued, "Father, Mother, and Son."

Derek opened his eyes.

Lyra was sitting on the bed, looking mildly concerned.

"What?" he asked, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

"You were talking in your sleep," she said.

Derek sat up, brows furrowing once more. He never talked in his sleep before. "What did I say?"

"Father, mother, and son."

A shiver shot down Derek's spine.

"Derek... what is going on?"

Derek released a long breath, then began talking.

When he was done telling her about the dream he had been having, Lyra stared at him, not blinking not several minutes.

"So your mother essentially told you to have children to carry on the bloodlines?" she surmised in a surprisingly calm tone.

Derek winced. "I know you said you were ready to talk, but-,"

"Shush," Lyra interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to explain why this was happening. Cora said not to question it, but I still... do."

Lyra was silent for another long moment. "You saw my parents?" she asked in a softer tone.

Derek nodded. "After your initiation. You never told me that."

Lyra shifted so she could stretch out her legs. "It's still... difficult for me to talk about them. It reminds me of the time before... and it reminds me that I'll never get them back, not like I did with Matt or Abby. It hurts."

"I know," Derek said, thinking of how it still hurt to think about Laura and the rest of his family that were lost in the fire. It hurt less to think of his mother, who frequented his dreams too much for him to really miss her now.

"We should talk to Deaton," Lyra muttered, but she looked distracted.

"I'm sorry," Derek said, touching her chin with a knuckle. "If bringing them up hurt you."

Lyra met his gaze, her eyes a deep shade of violet. "Don't apologize. I have just as many good memories about them, if not more." Then she moved closer to him, tucking herself under his chin, resting a hand on his heart.

"I want to talk about having a family," she said, in a stronger tone.

"We'll need extra bedrooms, if Stiles and Scott insist on staying here," Derek mentioned, pleased when she laughed.

"We can kick them out. They need their own bachelor pad. Besides, those other rooms can be... redecorated."

Derek pulled back so he could meet her gaze again. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Lyra breathed, leaning close. "What do you think, Alpha Derek?"

He told her by laying his lips across hers.

Ooo0ooO

A few months later, Lyra paced in front of the clinic. Her eyes were unsure, with memories of what had happened the last time she had stopped here for this reason swimming in her mind. Her throat seemed to close.

And yet, unlike before, she felt her inner wolf encourage her to go, instead of to hide.

Deaton smiled when she walked in, like he always did. "Lyra. As a pleasure."

"What's up, doc?" Lyra asked, grinning at their private joke.

Being exceptionally good natured, Deaton chuckled. "What can I help you with?"

"Well..."

Lyra thought about Derek, and his dreams, and then about her dreams, and what it all meant. Talia had returned to Derek again, telling him to choose, and this time, it was Derek who dreamed about a flower blooming from black soil.

Life, he told her Talia had told him. Only you can choose.

Life, she repeated to herself. So instead of saying anything more, she dropped her hands.

Deaton's eyes followed the movement, and the emissary looked pleased, if not surprised. "And you're...?"

Lyra ended up telling him everything as they stepped into his back room to confirm what she already knew. She laid on that same table, and this time they did not do a simple test.

She shivered when the cool gel touched her lower stomach.

And then there it was, the sound that confirmed everything, as quick as a hummingbird's wing and just as beautiful.

"Life," Deaton said simply, giving her a gentle smile.

Lyra laughed through her tears, and she stood. "I need..."

"Go," Deaton said, waving her away.

Ooo0ooO

Lyra ran through the forest, not caring if branches whipped at her cheeks, or if the wind tore her hair from its ponytail. She wasn't sure if she was breathing, but she could feel her heart flying and she almost laughed at how light it felt.

Then she saw him, resting on the peak with his eyes closed. He heard her coming and when she stopped, breathless, he stared at her with a little smile.

She stepped closer, but her words only came out in a whisper, "I'm pregnant."

Then she was in the air, spinning in the safety of Derek's arms, and that laughter she had felt bubbling inside slipped out. She clinged to him, grinning widely, eyes shining.

"I love you," Derek said, pulling her against him, kissing her soundly.

"I love you, Derek. I love you so much."

Lyra turned when she heard a familiar laugh in the distance, and grinned again when she saw her sister and Isaac. They had come to visit for Derek's birthday the previous week, and she knew Abby was leaving tonight, unless she convinced her to stay.

There was, after all, much to celebrate.

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf.

Author's Note: Next stop- a multi-chapter epilogue!

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