Get Out of Hell (to Find a Demon), a teen wolf fanfic

Teen Wolf || Stalion || Teen Wolf || Get Out of Hell || Teen Wolf || Stalion || Teen Wolf

Title: Get Out of Hell – To Find a Demon

Tags: m/m, good Alpha Pack, Erica Lives, Boyd Lives, Spark Stiles, hurt/comfort, fluff, m/f

Main Pairing: Deucalion/Stiles

Side Pairings: Boyd/Erica, Ennis/Kali

Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Deucalion Blackwood, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Marin Morrell, Ethan Steiner, Aiden Steiner, Kali, Ennis

Summary: Deucalion and his Alpha Pack come to Beacon Hills to kill Gerard. They find Gerard in the middle of torturing three teenagers. And when the pack leaves again, they take Erica and Boyd with them. Stiles stays in contact with Boyd, Erica and the pack and when he doesn't know where to turn after Donovan's death, he calls them.

Get Out of Hell

To Find a Demon

One night in the Argent basement changed Stiles' life forever.

For one, because while the whole supernatural experience had been a disaster and threatening his life constantly, this was the most personal one. Even when he'd been in the pool with Derek, he had felt more certain that they'd get out of it together, he knew what he could do to make them survive. But in that basement, with Boyd and Erica strung up on electricity, helplessly watching while Stiles got the shit kicked out of him? Stiles always talked back, faced every threat head-on. For the first time, he felt like the threat at hand may be too much. He was helpless. Vulnerable. Weak.

And then suddenly, there was this handsome man. There was a noise, a clicking, first, that Stiles hadn't been able to place. A cane. Stiles, still on the ground, followed the cane up, to the hand of a gorgeous man, tall and broad shouldered, with sharp features and dirty-blonde hair.

"Gerard, what a pleasure to see you again," the man's British accent made Stiles shudder.

Or maybe the lack of oxygen was, since he'd received a lot of kicks in the ribs. The scent of blood accompanied the man and his companions and the house upstairs had gone eerily quiet. The handsome man slowly folded his cane and approached Gerard, who actually took an unsure step back. The closest to fear that Stiles had ever seen on him. But before the man paid more attention to Gerard, he paused. Sniffing the air. Werewolf. He turned toward Stiles and frowned behind his tinted sunglasses before bending down. He grabbed Stiles' arm, gently hauling Stiles into a sitting position. Skin on skin and suddenly, black veins crawled up the man's arm. A relieved little noise escaped Stiles as he sagged against the man. He wasn't pushed away either.

"Kali, help the dear to Marin so she can take a look at his injuries," the man instructed. "Aiden, Ethan, I believe I can smell two wolves in distress. Take care of them."

A set of identical twins stepped forward and up to Stiles and though he was hazy from pain and even more so now from the pain-drain, the words 'take care' and the strangers – wolves – approaching his incapacitated pack mates made Stiles' fight return somewhat. He growled in warning and tried to sit up more, just to hiss at the way it sent pain through him again.

"The pup got spirit, Deuc," a mountain of a man commented with a laugh where he'd stepped up to hold Gerard in place and prevent the man from running off. "Even if he's not a wolf."

"Now, now," Deuc murmured, voice soft. "Everything is going to be alright, sweet thing. We'll help you and your friends. My pack-mate here, Kali, is going to help you upstairs to our healer."

A beautiful woman with no shoes and uncomfortably sharp toe-nails approached Stiles, regarding him warily before helping him up. Stiles' eyes lingered on Boyd and Erica, watching how the twins took them down from the torture rig and, in the end, also helped them upstairs.

"Miss Morrell," Stiles blinked blankly at his French teacher once they reached the living room.

"Hello, Stiles," Marin offered him a kind smile. "Help him onto the couch, Kali?"

Kali did as instructed, more or less gently dumping Stiles on the couch. He heaved a sigh and leaned back, but only allowed himself to relax when the twins deposited Erica and Boyd next to him. He turned his head to look at Erica, tired and exhausted. She was alive. Boyd was too.

"I need to…" Stiles struggled up. "I need to get home."

"You need to get to a hospital," one of the twins commented. "You're human."

Stiles glared up at him in defiance and also mild annoyance. "My dad's the sheriff. He probably already has every cop in town searching for me. You left a trail of bodies here. And judging by the sounds Gerard's making right now, your Alpha is planning on taking his sweet time downstairs. I need to get home, if you don't want to be disturbed in… whatever this is."

"You… don't even know who we are," the other twin said, staring at him. "You're way to chill with the murders. Why would you cover for us?"

Stiles gave him a seething stare and pointed at his own face and then at Boyd and Erica. "You will not find me shedding a tear for the bigots who spent the past couple hours torturing us. Fuck Gerard. I don't care who you are, or why you're doing this, but you helped us."

The handsome man – Deuc – slowly walked up the stairs. He stood in front of Stiles and regarded him intensely, gaze somehow boring into Stiles even though he knew the man was blind. Somehow, the man was even more handsome with that splatter of blood across his cheek. Probably because Stiles knew it was the blood of the man who'd just kicked Stiles around.

"You are a fearless little thing, mh?" Deuc asked amused, approaching Stiles.

A hand reached out to cup Stiles' chin, tilt his head toward the Alpha. The hand slowly traced along Stiles' jawline, feeling his face, letting the man get a sense of what Stiles looked like. Stiles allowed it. Mostly because the touch was gentle and warm and stood in such contrast to the only touch he'd been receiving in the past however many hours. His eyelids fluttered shut and he leaned into the touch. There was something buzzing just under his skin, electric and warm too.

"Can you take care of Boyd and Erica?" Stiles asked softly. "They can't go to a hospital. Wolf healing makes that a bitch. But whatever Gerard did limited their healing."

"Stiles," Erica started to protect in surprise.

"We'll be fine, Stiles," Boyd agreed, voice gravely. "We're coming with you."

"Stiles," Deuc repeated curiously. "Very well, Stiles. We'll tend to the pups."

It made Stiles shudder, the way his name fell from the Alpha's lips. "Thanks. I'll be off then."

"Kali, please make sure Stiles makes it home safely," Deuc instructed.

Stiles frowned at that, but then he remembered he'd been grabbed off the lacrosse field and driven here and yeah the way his ribs hurt, he was not looking forward to walking all the way from the Argent home back to his own place. Kali narrowed her eyes at Deuc, but followed the Alpha's command. Before Stiles could get off the couch – after Miss Morrell seemed more or less pleased with her assessment of his injuries, smearing some tincture onto the visible ones and making Stiles drink a disgusting potion of sorts – he found himself hugged by Boyd and Erica.

They hadn't been friends before this. Not really. Sure, Boyd had been the least antagonistic of Derek's feral pups and him and Erica had maybe been growing closer since her seizure in the library, but they weren't friends. Something had changed, shifted between them, down there.

/break\

He'd barely been home when Lydia came barging into his room and then Scott kept bugging him, until Stiles, for reasons beyond his own comprehension – concussion, he probably had a concussion from when Gerard had kicked him in the head, that must be it – drove Lydia not just to a warehouse but into the warehouse, so she could have a True Love's Kiss moment with Jackson. Because Stiles' day hadn't sucked enough, apparently. No, he needed to see his long-time crush really drive home how epic her love with Jackson fucking Whittemore was.

Scott didn't even notice the giant bruise covering nearly his entire face. No, Scott was too busy trailing after Allison like a lost puppy. The remaining Hale Pack just left too. Was Derek even wondering where Erica and Boyd were…? Stiles sat in his Jeep, alone and annoyed.

He was good enough to come save the day, but after all was said and done, he was alone.

Frustrated, he drove back home. There were sirens and police cars all around the Argent home when he passed it. Didn't care. Kept driving. Hoping that Deuc and his pack had the foresight to get out before and also to not leave any evidence behind. Would hate to see his saviors go to prison. He wasn't surprised to find a note on the fridge from his dad. The multiple deaths at the Argent home of course demanded the sheriff's attention. Stiles headed upstairs and showered before collapsing on his bed. The ribs barely hurt anymore. Whatever Miss Morrell had given him had worked wonders. His phone buzzed and for a moment, he thought Scott may be checking in. Instead, he found a new group-chat, horribly named Basement Trio. Stiles snorted, smiling a little.

Erica: Deuc and his pack took us to a hotel

Erica: ms Morrell is takin care of us

Erica: THEY'RE ALL ALPHAS? ALL OF THEM? HOLY SHIT

Stiles stared in surprise, slowly sitting up. That was… interesting. A pack of Alphas. He should steal Peter's laptop to read up on what the Hales knew about this. Asking has never proven to be very effective. Usually, it just got him growled at by Derek and shoved around. Stiles' ribs weren't up for shoving just yet. A small smile spread over his lips when he saw a photo of Boyd and Erica curled together on a hotel bed, giving him a thumbs-up. At least they were fine.

Stiles forced himself up again and grabbed his Jeep keys before making his way to the hotel. He recognized the view out of the window in the picture. That was like the only fancy hotel Beacon Hills had to offer. Which implied this pack had money.

He barely made it into the hotel when he spotted the ridiculously tall, bald one. The one who'd easily held Gerard back, allowed Deuc to have his fun. He sat on one of the sofas in the hotel lobby, with the lady with the scary toe-nails, Kali. They sat comfortably in each other's spaces, drinks from the hotel bar sat on the table next to them. Stiles guessed they were there to watch anyone entering the hotel for potential threats; loose ends from the Argent house, or cops.

"Hey, pup," the tall man laughed and waved him over. "Didn't trust us?"

The laughter was the only thing that made this statement not feel like a threat to Stiles' life. This kind of guy, especially a werewolf, especially an Alpha, could break Stiles in half if he wanted to and having Stiles trail them could easily be annoying enough to make him snap. Kali's eyes were sharp as she regarded Stiles, not speaking, just observing. Her hand trailed down the man's chest.

"I don't even know your name," Stiles shrugged. "Not sure why I should trust you, yeah."

"Ennis," the man offered, clearly amused. "And that's my mate Kali."

Stiles nodded briefly. "I wanna see Boyd and Erica."

"Bossy," Ennis chuckled, his amusement growing. "Third floor, suite 307."

"Ennis," Kali growled in warning, eyes narrowed at her mate.

"What? I'm sure Deuc wants to see the, what was it, fierce or fearless little thing?"

Somehow, it bothered Stiles when Ennis said it. It felt like mockery. When Deuc had called him a fearless little thing earlier, that may have been the single hottest thing Stiles had ever heard. Without another word to the two wolves, Stiles headed for the elevator. He didn't even have to knock on the door, one of the still nameless twins opened it with two raised eyebrows.

"Deuc, it's for you," the wolf called out with a grin. "It's the stubborn human."

Stiles frowned at the wolf and pushed past him. The other twin was sitting on a couch with Deuc and Miss Morrell. Stiles was still wary about that one. Why was his French teacher here? He'd let them take Boyd and Erica with them mostly because he didn't have any other options at the time. Couldn't really bring them home, three hurt teens would definitely make the sheriff investigate and then Boyd and Erica's injuries would heal and he'd have to explain to his dad and he couldn't.

"Stiles," Erica peeked out of one of the bedrooms, grinning at him. "Deuc was just about to order us all dinner. Are you eating with us? How did things with your dad go?"

Stiles waved a dismissive hand at that. "Told him the rivaling team snatched me because they were upset I scored the winning goal. Oh, yeah. You guys totally missed my first time scoring."

"Good for you," Boyd clapped him on the shoulder.

His hand lingered. Scent-marking. Stiles had seen the Hale Pack do it sometimes among each other, but far too rarely. It was instinctual, a pack should do it more naturally. But then they weren't much of a pack, were they? Boyd and Erica sat down with him on the other couch. Good.

"How does Derek not know you guys are missing?" Stiles asked directly.

"I mean," Erica turned to look at Boyd and then shrugged. "We kinda… left his pack."

"You what," Stiles stared wide-eyed at them. "Why. Where do you even…"

"This is too much, Stiles," Boyd sighed. "Derek explained hunters and the full moon to us, but… Even before our principal kidnapped and tortured us, the Argents have been hunting us. We can't keep doing this. We're going to leave Beacon Hills as soon as we're better."

Stiles stared at the two betas in utter bafflement. "What… What's the plan here? Your parents are going to be looking for you. You're betas, you need an Alpha, you can't just… run off together in an attempt of True Love conquers all – which, okay, sure, I just saw True Love break a fucking lizard curse, but that's beside the point – and then, what? You're sixteen, you have no money. You don't even have a car to drive off together and have some kind of shelter. Were you just going to, what? Walk into the woods and see where the road takes you? Are you out of your mind?"

Halfway into his rant did Ennis and Kali enter the apartment to join their pack. Also good. Stiles hadn't liked two Alphas unaccounted for. He turned toward the Alpha Pack, noting the downright delighted look on Deuc's face as he listened. The twins looked a little amused by the chastising Stiles was delivering. Miss Morrell's eyes were too observant for his liking.

"We'll figure something out," Erica was straight-up pouting.

Infuriating wolf. Stiles groaned and rubbed his face, before reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled the teal-colored little leather pouch out and opened it to take a handful of its content. He threw it up into the air and it multiplied to land in a thick, perfect circle around the other couch, effectively containing the pack of Alpha werewolves. Stiles turned his full attention to them, his legs crossed beneath his body and his forearms resting on his knees.

"What the fuck," one of the twins said surprised. "Is he a druid, like you, Marin?"

Marin tilted her head, then shook it. "Not a druid."

"Not overly clever either," the other twin muttered. "Mountain ash doesn't matter, as long as we got our Emissary with us. Marin can just break the line and we'll get out."

"Oh, I'd love to see her try," Stiles offered the broadest, most wicked smile. "Nobody touches my mountain ash, especially not druids. I tinkered enough with it to make it only answer to me."

The relaxed looks on the Alphas slipped some. Marin got up and tried to reach for the mountain ash, just to be unable to touch it. She managed to step over it, it couldn't contain her, but it could also not be manipulated by her. Stiles' distrust in Deaton had made him read up on mountain ash and experiment to make sure he could keep himself protected from the untrustworthy, cryptic bastard.

"Impressive," Deuc's voice sounded pleased. "Powerful too. What do you want, Stiles?"

"Answers," Stiles fixated the Alpha. "I was a little too high on pain earlier to question much. But why. Why did you kill Gerard and his merry men? Why free us? What are you even? A pack of Alphas seems to defy the whole purpose of, ya know, an Alpha? I've had enough experiences with wolves that I'm not having this conversation in any setting where harm can come to me. I've had enough of that for one night, quite frankly, but I do want answers."

"Quite understandable," Deuc said, still looking so damn pleased.

"Okay, different question first: Why, the fuck, do you look so happy about this?" Stiles asked, feeling slightly weirded out. "I'm keeping you contained, you're not getting out of there without my say-so. At the very least you should be angry. In my experience, Alphas tend to get aggressive."

"An Alpha who feels the need to use aggression is insecure in their own abilities, dear boy," Deuc offered casually, leaning back some. "Quiet command over a situation is how one establishes dominance. The way you are doing right now. I'm not necessarily happy with this situation, mind you, but I am quite intrigued and impressed by it. By you."

Oh. Huh. Well, Stiles had no idea what to do with that. He just blinked at the Alpha.

"Who are you," Stiles asked instead. "How does an Alpha Pack work."

"I'm the Alpha of Alphas," Deuc smiled at him, eyes flashing red. "That's how an Alpha Pack works. Alphas who unite under one leader."

"But how," Stiles motioned at them. "An Alpha needs a pack. Betas. That's how they become an Alpha, isn't it? The necessity of a pack needing an Alpha."

The smile did vanish at that and something more serious took over Deucalion's features. "We did all start out with our own packs. Circumstances… changed us. As interesting as I find you, I don't think you are entitled to any such details. But do know that a group of packless Alphas can very much become a pack themselves, if we choose to have these bonds with each other."

"Mh," Stiles nodded, satisfied enough. "Why did you come and slaughter the hunters?"

"If you are concerned that we may be a threat to you, or your betas, rest assured we're not," Deucalion took his glasses off and stared at Stiles with unseeing eyes. "Gerard Argent took my sight. I have been tracking him for years now. Recent reports showed he had finally come out of hiding, to attend his daughter's funeral, and seemingly stayed here. We made our way here as soon as word reached me. I had to repay him for what he did to me."

"Deuc, as in Deucalion Blackwood," Stiles whispered as realization dawned on him.

"You've heard of me?" Deuc cocked an eyebrow, a bemused smirk on his lips.

"I did my homework on the Argents, after I figured out that Kate had laid the Hale Fire," Stiles frowned, mostly talking to himself at this point. "I wanted to know what else they'd done. What kind of threat they are. Were, I suppose. He killed half your pack, tricked you during a supposed treaty meeting. Killed his own men to make it look like your pack did it."

"How did you…" Deucalion looked genuinely surprised at that.

"The injuries on the reports made no sense," Stiles shook his head. "I've seen enough actual werewolf attacks at this point. I don't know how he faked it, but it made no sense to me, everything I could dig up about you made you look like someone genuinely seeking peace, why would you ambush him. Gerard setting a trap on the other hand? Yeah, that I could see."

"You're a very observant young man," Deucalion noted impressed.

"So you came here for your own vengeance," Stiles licked his lips, nodding slowly. "And now?"

"Well, I did promise you to take care of the two pups, so we'll be staying in town for a few days to oversee their recovery, before we're leaving again," Deucalion tilted his head.

Stiles turned toward Boyd and Erica. The Alpha Pack had gotten them out of the basement and if this really was the Deucalion Blackwood he'd read up on during his Argent investigation, he had a hard time believing cruel intend. Well, cruel intend toward other wolves, anyway. Hunters, on the other hand… Biting his lips, Stiles lifted a hand, calling the mountain ash back to him. It curled around his hands for a moment like a pet seeking affection before going back into the satchel.

"Food," Stiles hummed. "I wouldn't mind the food that Erica mentioned."

"You got a set of balls on you, pup," Ennis chuckled.

"I had to make sure you're not a threat," Stiles shrugged unapologetic. "You would have done something similar if the roles were reversed. A strange but powerful pack invading your territory."

"Fair," Kali tilted her head in acknowledgment.

"Very well," Deucalion's smirk was cutting and charming. "Let's order some room service."

Which they did. Ordering practically the entire damn menu, on Deucalion's dime. While eating, Stiles learned that the twins were called Ethan and Aiden. He also learned that Marin had been closer to Beacon Hills by the time the news of Gerard had reached them, since she'd been on the hunt for a rare magic book, so she had come here ahead of her pack to see for herself if the rumors were true, coming to the school undercover, so to speak. It felt… nice. Sitting with them, talking, not eating alone, not being alone in a dark, empty house. And a whole conversation that didn't include Allison's dimples. Stiles felt himself relaxing so easily.

"You need some rest, dear boy," Deucalion commented gently. "You've had quite the day."

Stiles snorted at that. "You don't know the half of it."

Which was true, he had no idea bout the kanima or the weird curse-breaking at the warehouse. Ethan perked up and asked what he meant and suddenly, Stiles, Boyd and Erica found themselves recounting the past couple months that lead up to tonight. It felt so good to talk about it all with someone. All these months of lying to his dad, only getting cryptic shit from Deaton, having Derek block him at every turn too, damn it all, Scott prioritizing his love-life over the danger.

"Your best friend is a werewolf but he's dating an Argent?" Aiden asked baffled.

"The Argent who put like two dozen arrows into us and captured us!" Erica added irritated. "All the more reason not to stay in this hell town."

And damn if Stiles couldn't kind of relate to that. This town was definitely cursed. He reached over to get another slice of pizza to nibble on. Still, running away wasn't an option. Not for him. He had his dad and Scott and someone had to make sure Derek didn't get himself and Isaac and Jackson and Lydia killed. But Boyd and Erica? If they really felt like they could leave their parents behind? Stiles had heard from Erica how overbearing her parents were, how controlling because of her epilepsy. Stiles had caught enough about Boyd too, his parents who never really got over the loss of their daughter, blaming their son for losing her (yes, Stiles had that file case in his room too).

"Where would you even go?" Stiles asked softly when conversation lulled.

"I don't know," Boyd shrugged. "Somewhere new. I'm seventeen. We could pass for eighteen, get jobs, start a new life together somewhere. We can make it work, together."

Urgh. Love birds thinking their love could carry them through hardships. The naivety was near sickening. Stiles heaved a deep sigh. He hoped it'll work out for them somewhere.

"Keep me updated," Stiles urged them. "Text me. Daily. If I stop hearing from you, I will hunt you down myself and you are in for the most obnoxious 'I told you so' rant."

"I can live with that," Erica grinned and nudged him gently.

/break\

Over the following months, the Basement Trio Chat turned into a Blackwood Pack Chat. The first ones to be added were Ethan and Aiden, when Boyd and Erica befriended the other two teens. Ennis followed next. Then Kali and Marin. Deuc was the last one, probably because the Alpha of Alphas didn't want to invade the younger pack members' space.

It had started out with the Alpha Pack offering Boyd and Erica a ride out of town, after a couple days of healing. Erica had sent a selfie of herself and Boyd in the back of Kali's sports-car, Kali driving and Deuc in the passenger seat. Ennis had a large truck, with enough back space for the twins' bikes whenever they were on the road longer.

And then Boyd and Erica had just… stuck around with them. They went to San Francisco, stayed there for a couple days. Bonded more. And when they left again, Boyd and Erica stayed with them.

Three months later, they caught a feral Alpha and the twins held them down so Boyd could kill them. An Alpha pack was made up of Alphas; betas messed with that dynamic. Another month later and Erica killed an oppressive Alpha terrorizing a town, with the help of Kali.

They were absolutely thriving. Meanwhile, Beacon Hills felt like it was just getting worse and worse. A Darach was sacrificing people and Stiles loudly complained to Boyd and Erica about it.

"I just need someone to sex me up," Stiles whined. "Danny offered, but it was a joke. That is. So cruel. Like, I know I'm not in the same league as him, but come on!"

"Don't sell yourself short, Batman," Erica gasped. "Boyd and I would do you in a heartbeat!"

"I'm straight, babe," Boyd argued. "But yes, Stiles. I'd have sex with you to save your life."

"That is so—o sweet of you two," Stiles cooed with a deadpan. "Pity sex. Exactly how any boy wants to lose his virginity. Oh, who am I kidding, there just doesn't seem to be someone who'd be eager to fuck me just for the sake of having sex with me."

"Hey, Stiles," Ethan interjected. "As a gay guy, I gotta tell you, Beacon Hills is out of their mind if nobody wants to bend you over. I'd do it. But also I won't, due to… other reasons."

Stiles blinked confused, wondering what other reasons he could have. Oh, maybe Ethan had a boyfriend now? Wherever they were staying right now. Sighing, Stiles relaxed in his bed.

"Tell me about how things are going with you guys," Stiles prompted. "Take my mind off of this."

And just like that, Boyd, Erica and Ethan launched into a retelling of a wild literal witch hung. Stiles loved their adventures ever since he learned what the Alpha Pack did. They just traveled the states and took out rogue creatures. They'd started with rogue Alphas but soon realized there were other threats that local packs struggled with. It was a good way to channel their more murderous natures. Stiles loved their stories, loved imagining the ruthless look on Deuc's face as he slashed some do-evil type's throat. He may or may not have masturbated to the image of Deuc's wicked grin and Gerard's blood on his face, knowing the Alpha had killed the man. Something was most definitely very wrong with Stiles, but what else was new.

/break\

Stiles was glaring annoyed as he stomped into his room and threw himself onto his bed. He was dialing before he even realized he had his phone in his hand. Everything was going to shit. He felt like he was losing control and like he couldn't breath and was all alone and-

"Darling boy, I don't believe you've ever called me before," Deuc sounded pleased.

The tightness in his chest eased some as that warm voice washed over him and Stiles took a shaky breath. He ran his fingers through his hair, just listening to Deuc breath for a long moment.

"Everything sucks," Stiles whispered. "Derek gave up his Alpha spark to save his sister's life when the Darach had poisoned her. Now there's no Hale Pack anymore. And the Darach took… took my dad. And I died. And now Scott is an Alpha, which is why I'm calling you because what the fuck is a True Alpha, like, I have never heard of that before. You're my Alpha expert."

There was a tense silence in which Stiles could hear Deuc breath in a very contained way. "Sweet boy, I need you to go back a few sentences and tell me what you mean by having died."

Stiles winced and rubbed his face. The noises in the background told him that Deuc's pack was chiming in with their own concerns. If he had more control over his mouth, he would not have said that. But so much had happened and he was just so overwhelmed and lost.

Not long after the Alpha Pack had left, Cora Hale came walking into town, having heard about a Hale Alpha and for a while, it looked like the Hale Pack could stabilize, with Derek, Cora, Peter and Isaac. After Jackson had left for London. But then the Darach had poisoned Cora and Derek did something strange that caused him to give up his Alpha spark to save her life, which was another thing Stiles had to ask Deucalion about because how was that a thing?

"The Darach took my dad," Stiles' voice sounded so damn small and he hated it. "And Melissa and Chris. Deaton performed this ritual with me, Scott and Allison, to… to find them. We kind of died, for a bit, in an ice-bath. We managed to free our parents though."

"Oh, sweetheart," Deucalion's voice was heartbreakingly soft. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm great. Peachy. Just totally love having to trust Deaton, of all people," Stiles snorted. "Listen, this doesn't matter, I don't… I need answers. About Alpha sparks. Derek gave his up to save his sister's life. How is that even possible? And Scott became a 'True Alpha', whatever that means and I don't know… I hate not knowing. Just… Can you…"

"I'll answer all your questions, dearest," Deucalion promised.

Stiles relaxed just a little more, knowing he could trust Deuc. Knowing Deuc would tell him the truth. No half-truths and manipulations, just answers. His eyelids fluttered shut and his breathing evened out the longer Deuc talked, feeling safe with the Alpha's voice in his ear.

/break\

Stiles' hands were shaking, his eyes still burning from all the tears he'd shed. In the hospital, at home. He was going to die. The thing that had killed his mom was going to kill him now. Slowly, he curled together on his bed, legs pulled up against his chest.

"Dearest, it's good to hear from you, hold on a second," Deucalion sounded delighted.

"Batman? It's unfair that you started calling Deuc, you know. I used to have a monopoly on Stiles calls, now I have to squeeze in when you call someone else," Erica complained.

He could hear Boyd, Ethan, Aiden, Ennis, Kali and Marin, all chiming in with a hello of their own. Stiles' heart clenched. He wished they were here. He hadn't wished for that in the past year, always content with them being out and about. At times, he was even glad that Boyd and Erica had left. The Darach may have gone after them, any of the various threats may have hurt them.

"Where are you guys these days?" Stiles asked softly.

Please say California, please say close by. Stiles held his breath. Waiting.

"Quebec. Somewhere in Quebec. Admittedly, I lost track of which town," Deucalion chuckled. "Though we're heading out toward Alaska soon. Why do you ask, sweet boy?"

Ah. That was too far away. And they already had plans where to go after. Stiles couldn't ask them to come here just to see him. Just because he felt lonely. Derek, Peter and Cora had left. After they'd lost the Hale Alpha spark. Even though Stiles had kind of really been getting along well with Derek and even with Peter, the two of them had done so much research together over the course of their Darach investigations, they were really on the same wave-length. But Stiles understood it. They'd lost everything in this damn town, how could they stay? Just to, what? Answer to a teenager? It was degrading, really. No, Cora had grown up in a good pack down south and the pack was apparently willing to take Derek and Peter in too, so they'd packed up and left.

The McCall Pack was just Scott, Stiles, Isaac, Lydia and Allison. Lydia and Allison were still a package deal, best friends. Scott and Allison were too, in a vastly different way. And somewhere along the way, Isaac and Scott had grown close, were best friends now. They were all so sad about losing Stiles, but it felt like a burden to him. Like he had to carry their grief. The same as with his dad and Melissa, really. Like he had to reassure them that he was going to be fine, trying to ease their worries, instead of focusing on his own feelings about this all.

He just wanted someone to feel safe with, someone in whose arms he could break down. Someone he could be weak and vulnerable with. And the first thought that had crossed his mind had been of that basement, of being kicked by Gerard and suddenly, that powerful Alpha coming down the stairs and the pain stopped. The memory of Deucalion kneeling down next to him, gently helping him up and taking his pain. Stiles craved that, craved the way Deuc had made him feel that night. Protected. Safe. Saved. Instead of Stiles always having to do the protecting and saving himself.

"Darling boy? Are you still on the line, or did you fall asleep on me again?"

"No, no, I'm awake," Stiles took a breath, trying to steady his voice, unwilling to give his emotional state away, unwilling to worry them too. "Things have just been… stressful."

"Are you still not sleeping well?" Deucalion asked concerned.

Stiles bit down on a bitter laugh at that. The insomnia was just another symptom of the dementia.

"Yeah," Stiles said instead, truthfully. "Tell me something exciting that happened with you guys."

"We fought a group of wendigos, Kali was being a total badass," Erica chimed in immediately.

And with that, the conversation melted into a familiar, comforting pattern of everyone talking over each other, adding details to describe everything as accurately to Stiles as possible. The longer they talked, the more his worries eased and he found himself relaxing just some, allowing himself to not concentrate on his pending death or the deeply seated loneliness that clung to him. Just for a while.

/break\

So Stiles hadn't died. Not of the dementia, nor of the actual possession because there was a demon in his head that had just made him think he was sick. Sometimes, he wondered what gods he must have pissed off in a past life. He remembered when being tortured in Gerard's basement had been the low-point of his life. Now it ranked like third or fourth place, top.

They exorcised the demon, but at what cost. So many people were killed by it first, including Allison. When all was said and done though, when he had his body back, he did end up calling Erica and Boyd, to tell them and the Blackwood Pack what had been going on. They'd all been so upset and Deucalion, in a surprisingly stern voice, made Stiles swear he would tell them sooner when any such thing happened again. When he was in danger, or feared he'd die. When he needed them. Because they would have come. In a much gentler voice, Deucalion had promised that they would come when he needed them. Stiles had agreed, too disarmed by the promise to argue.

He struggled. After the possession, Stiles was struggling so much. Struggling to be as normal as he could, not to worry his dad, forcing himself through the motions because every time his dad looked at him with sad and concerned eyes, it broke Stiles' heart. He struggled trying to repair things with Scott, but it felt like something had fundamentally been broken when he killed Allison.

The pack didn't even really feel like his anymore. Stiles didn't feel like a part of it anymore.

Erica and Boyd were off with the Blackwood Pack, living their best lives.

Derek, Peter and Cora were in Mexico, having integrated well into Cora's old pack.

Allison was dead.

Isaac had left the country, together with Chris, moving to France, far as Stiles had heard.

Lydia was going to leave after graduation, having told Stiles that she got accepted into Cambridge and that she was going to move to London, to reunite with Jackson.

Kira was gone, swallowed by the desert.

Things with Malia hadn't worked out and now she only had eyes for Theo.

There were Liam and Mason and Hayden and Corey and Theo and a bunch of other strays that Scott was slowly collecting, after the whole deadpool. Packless people Stiles didn't even know. That was now the McCall Pack. And he was being pushed to the fringe, further and further, because the rift between him and Scott was just too large and now Scott had a new best friend and Right Hand in Theo. It felt like Stiles was being replaced, had been replaced. Was no longer needed.

It didn't help that Stiles was seemingly the only person in this damn town who was suspicious of Theo. And like not being believed wasn't hard enough, Theo felt like he needed to intimidate him, sending Donovan after him (Stiles knew it, deep in his guts, that Theo had sent the guy).

The chase and the threats and the fear, the throbbing pain in his shoulder where Donovan had bit him with his hand, it was all too much. His magic lashed out, trying to protect him, pushing Donovan away and leading to his fall into certain death. Only that the body just… disappeared.

Stiles had been tempted to call Deuc, after he'd calmed down a little, but when the body was gone, he started to doubt if it had even happened. His mind was still a mess from the Nogitsune, maybe it hadn't been real. Maybe he'd just imagined it. There was no need to worry the others. He'd just keep quiet about it and pretend like it had all been in his head, even as his shoulder throbbed.

It was when Scott confronted him in the rain that Stiles reached his breaking point.

Scott wanting to believe in the good in Theo had been one thing, his best friend had always believed in the good in everyone, that had once been one of his qualities that Stiles had admired and loved. But to have Scott believe Theo's word over his? To think that Stiles had somehow killed Donovan in cold blood? To have Stiles standing there, begging, asking how to fix something that deep down, Stiles knew was broken beyond repair in that moment. The answer was nothing. There was nothing Stiles could do to fix it. There were no killers in Scott's pack. And it felt like that went beyond Donovan, like Scott still blamed Stiles for Allison's death.

Soaking wet, freezing cold and with his shoulder still aching – infected, he knew it, he just didn't care enough to take care of it, didn't have the energy, couldn't, just couldn't – he returned home to an empty house, his dad out on another call. He didn't even bother changing out of his wet clothes, he just curled together on his bed and let the tears fall that he had been holding in for so long.

You call me. When you need us, you will call me, Mieczysław. Am I understood?

Stiles took a hiccuping breath as he could hear Deucalion's voice echo in his mind. He reached for his phone with shaking hands – from the stress, the anxiety, the cold, everything.

"Darling boy, excellent timing. We have just wrapped up the business with the revenants and were about to call you. Ennis and Erica are dying to tell you all the details," Deucalion chuckled lightly.

It wasn't working. Usually, just hearing Deuc's voice helped calm Stiles down. Not this time. All it did was make the crying start again, a gut-wrenching sob shaking his body. He'd reached his breaking point. No more sarcasm and quip to hide behind, no more fake smiles.

"Stiles, what's going on? What's wrong, sweetheart?" Deucalion's voice was serious now.

"Please," Stiles nearly choked on the foreign word, a plea and beg and half a prayer.

"What do you need?" Deucalion asked, still serious but gently. "Anything, dearest."

"C…" Stiles tried to reign in his labored breath to force words out. "Come and get me. Please."

No, that wasn't what he had meant to say. He just wanted them to come, to be there for him. Not get him. Get him meant leaving. The thought of staying in this town made him feel like he was dying on the inside, like he couldn't breath anymore. There was no surviving this town, anyone who stayed here would inevitably be swallowed whole. Anything this hell town touched died. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to stay. He wanted to feel safe, just once in his life, he wanted to feel safe and protected and taken care of, he was tired, he was so tired, he couldn't do this anymore. He didn't want to feel alone anymore, he didn't want to fight for his place in a pack that didn't want him, he didn't want to atone for sins that weren't his, he didn't want to hurt anymore.

"And you won't, love," Deucalion promised and wait had he said all of that out loud? "We're on our way. We'll be with you tomorrow. I'm staying on the phone with you until you calm down, Stiles. I need you to take a deep, slow breath, we need to slow your breathing down, dearest, okay? Can you take a deep breath for me and hold it? That's it, good boy. Now exhale, slow. You're doing wonderful, just perfect. Now breath in again, just like that."

Stiles sniffed as his breathing slowed down under Deucalion's gentle instructions until exhaustion and pain and the soothing warmth of Deucalion's voice lulled him into sleep.

/break\

For years, Deucalion had been driven by his need for revenge. He built a pack, a strong pack of wolves who would not be taken away from him again, Alphas who were strong enough to hold their own, people who had been broken in similar ways as he had, who understood his pain. And he hunted. Hunted the Argents, desperate to try and find Gerard to get his revenge, but taking out any threat to defenseless supernatural creatures along the way. The Alpha Pack became a type of boogeyman to the supernatural world. If you step out of line, the Demon Wolf will come for you.

And then he finally got his revenge. Gerard Argent, cowering before him as Deucalion slowly ripped him to shreds. What truly infuriated him was that when he finally did find Gerard, the man had been in the middle of torturing two young pups and a defenseless human boy.

Or, at least Stiles had seemed like a defenseless human boy. Mere hours later, in the pack's hotel suite, Stiles proved that he was so much more. To this day, Deucalion still didn't quite know what exactly his powerful, fierce, special boy was, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he impressed Deucalion, left the feared Demon Wolf in awe.

When he left Beacon Hills again, his need for revenge had been sated but his curiosity about the boy who ran with wolves and wielded magic was only just piqued. He also left with the pups. Betas who wanted to leave their pack behind. He'd only meant to tend to their injuries, injuries inflicted by Gerard Argent, after all. Somehow, he grew attached. But at least it wasn't just him; Ennis practically adopted the pups within a week's time. When they reached San Francisco and went to the beach together, facing a feral selkie together, Deucalion knew they all didn't want to leave Erica and Vernon behind in this foreign city, to potentially integrate into the local pack.

And, just perhaps, a tiny part of it was the fact that they provided constant access to Stiles.

They found Alphas to kill for Vernon and Erica, because betas in their pack made things messy. Erica took to Alpha-hood like a fish to water. Vernon wasn't doing bad either. Deucalion found himself proud of the pups and glad he'd made this decision.

Stiles became a constant source of… joy, for Deucalion. Something the Alpha was not used to. But the boy's snarky running commentary on whatever was going on in Beacon Hills, his clever, quick mind, his inquisitive nature, it was all a delight. Considering the way the rest of the pack also came to gather around whenever Vernon or Erica were on the phone with Stiles told Deucalion that he was not the only one who found the boy to be a delight.

And then Stiles started calling him, for information about Alpha sparks. It was the first of many conversations and not all of them were research related. After that, Stiles also started reaching out to the other pack members, especially to Marin, in regards to magic. She became a bit of a long-distance mentor-figure for Stiles, happy to share and teach what she could.

He'd nearly lost his boy, a few months ago. A possession. And Stiles hadn't even told them about it while it happened. Only after. Deucalion hadn't felt that kind of helpless rage since he'd lost his pack and that realization was beyond startling. At some point, he had started to consider Stiles his. Part of his pack, but even beyond that, in a very personally possessive way, Deucalion's alone.

After that, he had to make his boy swear he'd call them if something happened to him again. Knowing Stiles, Deucalion feared the boy wouldn't reach out. He wasn't good at asking for help, wasn't used to receiving help. Always the caretaker, never the one taken care of. Deucalion had spent many long hours talking about their losses with him, how Stiles had handled losing his mother and taking care of his father after, a painful truth given to Deucalion after he'd shared about the loss of his own pack, the cruel details of how Gerard had betrayed him and how, after that, Deucalion had been betrayed by his Right Hand and the remaining pack members, leaving him to fight for his life and kill them himself. Not something he liked to talk about, but somehow he found it surprisingly easy to open up to Stiles. And he found himself rewarded with the same level of trust.

When Stiles called him, breathless and crying and begging, it nearly broke his heart. His eyes were blazing red and he knew his fangs and claws showed too, the wolf clawing at the surface to go and hunt and kill whatever had hurt his mate. They left, post haste, efficiently packing their belongings, checking out of their hotel, filling up the gas tanks and breaking every speed limit on their way back to Beacon Hills, back to Deucalion's boy. The drive was tense and mostly quiet.

"I wonder what happened," Erica whispered at one point.

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out and kill it," Kali declared, the deadly promise of Deucalion's trusted Left Hand ringing true and resonating with the others in the car.

The startling part, the part Deucalion struggled with most all the way to that accursed town, was that Stiles had begged to be taken away from there. The one thing he had never dared to ask of his boy. He'd wished to take Stiles with them back when they first left, with Erica and Vernon. And with every phone-call, every bit that he learned about Stiles and shared with Stiles, he wished to go back and take his boy away from that dreadful town. It was the main reason why they had not gone back once in the past one and a half years since they met Stiles, because Deucalion didn't trust his impeccable control enough not to simply keep Stiles if he got close to the boy again.

But he knew Stiles had his father, was still in high school, had his pack and friends. Deucalion knew he couldn't ask that of Stiles, especially after Stiles had developed a certain sense of loyalty toward the Blackwood Pack. It would have felt unfair, to make a boy as loyal as Stiles choose in his loyalty, prioritize among the people he cared for. Unfair toward Stiles and also unfair toward himself, because the selfish part of Deucalion would not have been able to stand Stiles choosing his hometown, his pack and his family over Deucalion and Deucalion's pack.

And yet he had chosen. Stiles had chosen Deucalion's pack. Had pleaded with Deucalion to come and get him. How could the Alpha of Alphas not drop everything and come running at that request?

Finally, after too many hours of driving, did they reach the Stilinski home. Deucalion took Marin's arm to let his Emissary lead him to the door, his senses clouded by the scent of Stiles, or more accurately by how muddled it was. Misery, anxiety and loneliness clung to it as it led up to the house. Someone rang the doorbell and the jackrabbit heartbeat of Stiles came closer until the door opened. The scent was even more intense, waking the urge to wrap his boy up in safety. So Deucalion let go of Marin and opened his arms, inviting Stiles into a hug if he chose. Stiles practically launched himself at Deucalion, burying his face in the Alpha's chest and wrapping his arms around him. Deucalion laid his own arms around Stiles, pulling him close and tight, until the boy whimpered and flinched. Deucalion nearly let him go, but this up close, he got a better sense of Stiles' scent. Beneath the loneliness, misery and anxiety, there was the foul scent of an infection. His boy wasn't just emotionally hurt, he was also physically hurt. Carefully, he gentled his grip.

"Darling," Deucalion murmured against Stiles' hair. "You're injured. Let's go inside so Marin can take a look at it and take care of it, please."

"No," Stiles grasped out, clinging even tighter onto Deucalion. "Just. Take me away."

"Stiles," Deucalion tried again, more sternly. "I can smell that your injury is bad."

"It's fine," his stubborn boy argued. "I'm fine. I just need to get away from here. Please."

It was the please that wrecked Deucalion. He hadn't even thought this word was in his boy's vocabulary. Gently did Deucalion run a hand down Stiles' spine, folding under Stiles' plea.

"Have you packed your things yet, sweet one?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded against Deucalion's chest. "I… I left my dad a letter. I need… to leave."

"Okay, pup," Deucalion could feel Ennis brush past them, gently touching Stiles. "We're getting your things, you go to the car with Deuc and Marin, yeah?"

"I'll look at your injury in the car, on the way, is that a compromise?" Marin offered.

Both Deucalion and Stiles agreed to it. They returned to the spacious sports car, getting into the back of the car, Stiles in the middle between Alpha and Emissary. They were followed by Vernon and Erica, opening the front doors and getting into the driver and passenger seats.

"Where are we headed, Alpha?" Vernon asked lowly.

Deucalion considered it. His instincts made him want to get his mate as far away from this place as possible, but his vengeful and vindictive side needed the full story first and to then be able to quickly return to Beacon Hills so he could tear whoever had hurt his mate apart to shreds.

"Do you know the way to Silver Lake?" Marin asked. "It's the next town over. We can check into a hotel there, allow Stiles to heal and tell us what happened, before we leave."

Deucalion hummed pleased. A good solution, for now. They wouldn't have to drive too far, his mate would get to rest soon but would still get to know he was safely far enough away from Beacon Hills. Deucalion carefully let his hands wander over Stiles' chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Stiles' breath hitched, his heart jumping in his chest. Deucalion pushed the shirt off of soft skin, feeling some of Stiles' moles on his shoulders, feeling the way Stiles shuddered under his touch.

"Stiles," Marin gasped. "What did that?"

"What is it, Marin?" Deucalion's gaze hardened, turning toward Marin.

"I… I'm unsure what it is," Marin admitted, sounding concerned.

"Bite-mark," Stiles mumbled, leaning into Deucalion for comfort.

He buried his face in Deucalion's neck, the Alpha gladly wrapping his arms around the boy's waist. The car started, telling Deucalion that the others must have gotten all of Stiles' things. Deucalion sat tensely, holding his breath. A bite-mark? Had he received the Bite? Was he… Was he rejecting it?

"What bit you?" Marin asked, sounding tense herself.

"I don't know," Stiles sounded so defeated. "He just… there was suddenly a mouth, in his hand, so many teeth, and he grabbed my shoulder and it just… it bit me..."

"A mouth manifested in his hand?" Marin asked thoughtful. "Did a Lamprey bite you, Stiles?"

"I don't know," Stiles' frustration grew. "He was a chimera. Like, a mix of things."

"Okay, that's okay, Stiles," Marin said in a reassuring voice. "Can you lean forward against Deucalion, so I can take a closer look? Hold him, so he doesn't flinch away?"

Deucalion hummed his agreement and held his boy closer, enjoying the way Stiles buried into him. His boy was so warm in his arms, and this close, Deucalion could smell Stiles' scent, beneath his pain and suffering. The sweet, rich honey and dangerous, wild edge of lightning. The scent that had first caught his attention, when he had stepped into that basement to kill Gerard. The scent that had distracted him from his single-minded focus and made him check on the injured boy instead.

"It's going to be okay, sweet one," Deucalion promised, pressing a kiss to the top of Stiles' head. "We have you now, you're safe with us. I will not let anything or anyone hurt you."

A broken sob came from Stiles, his fingers clawing into Deucalion's shirt as he broke down. While Marin took superficial care of the injury, as much as she could right now, Stiles cried in his arms, tears that he may have been holding back for weeks or months, because his boy was always so strong. So strong for everyone, protecting everyone, but never himself.

"You're safe now," Deucalion whispered warmly. "We'll take care of you, love."

/break\

At one point, Stiles must have cried himself to sleep, wrapped up in Deucalion's warm, safe arms, listening to the Alpha's promises of protection. When he woke up, he was sprawled out on his stomach on top of Deucalion, using the Demon Wolf's chest as his pillow. Boyd and Erica were on either side of them, both having their arms thrown over Stiles. The skin on skin contact was nice. Soothing. Wait. Why wasn't he wearing a shirt? Turning his head a little, he saw the thick bandage wrapped around his shoulder. Oh. Marin must have taken care of the wound.

"How are you feeling, Stiles?" Marin asked concerned from somewhere.

He turned a little more, noticing the twins sitting at the foot-end of the bed and Ennis and Kali on a couch in front of the bed. Marin had gotten up to walk over to the bed, now gently running her fingers through his hair in such a soothing manner that Stiles felt tears prickle in his eyes again.

"Good," Stiles croaked out before coughing.

Ennis approached with a cold water-bottle, the big guy looking ridiculously concerned. "Drink, pup. You cried your body-weight out in tears earlier, you must be dehydrated."

Stiles flushed embarrassed but accepted the water. He carefully sat up and once he did, the others in the bed did too, though Deucalion was quick to lay his arms around Stiles' waist and pull him close, made sure Stiles remained seated on the Alpha's lap. Not like Stiles wanted to be anywhere else. Erica and Boyd leaned in closer too, Boyd resting a hand on Stiles' thigh.

"What happened?" Boyd asked, eyes concerned.

"Who did this to you? Tell me so I can sink my claws into them?" Erica asked, eyes flashing red.

"Holy shit," Stiles whispered, his own eyes widening. "I haven't seen you do the hot Alpha-eye thing yet. I knew you two were Alphas now. But. Damn, red really is your color."

"Don't deflect with flattery, Batman," Erica nudged him gently. "Who did this?"

"Doesn't matter," Stiles shook his head. "He's dead. I killed him."

"What happened?" Deucalion asked, voice stern, the sound vibrating in his chest.

"He… I…" Stiles heaved a sigh and rubbed his face, leaning against Deuc's chest. "Theo sent him after me, to intimidate me. I told you guys I don't trust Theo. I… was right. He, Donovan, he chased me and… and he was trying to kill me… I ran… I tried running, but he kept chasing me and threatening me and I… my magic lashed out and pushed him away and he fell and… died."

"I believe we had an agreement that you would call us when you're in danger," Deucalion growled ever so slightly. "Considering the infection on the bite, this didn't happen yesterday."

The stern disappointment in Deucalion's voice made Stiles keen softly, too raw to put up any walls. He just nuzzled deeper into the Alpha's chest, earning a soft, soothing rumble from Deucalion.

"I meant to," Stiles started to defend himself. "After he, I called the police and I meant to call you, after talking to the… but… but then the… The body was just gone. It was like the whole thing hadn't happened at all and I didn't… I wasn't sure if it really had… I thought… maybe it was just… in my head… that I had imagined it… that it hadn't been real…"

He stared at his fingers, counting them, until Erica reached out to take his hands gently. "Stiles…"

"I… Sometimes, I still struggle with knowing if something is real or a dream," Stiles admitted.

"Oh, darling," Deucalion heaved a sigh, nose buried in Stiles' hair.

"It was real," Stiles whispered sullenly. "Theo used it against me. Told Scott about it, used the fact that I hadn't told Scott – because I didn't even know if it had happened and everyone keeps walking around me on egg-shells anyway, like they're afraid the Nogitsune is still there or could come back, like I'm a ticking time-bomb – but Scott… Scott believed Theo, over me… thought I just… Thought I should have done something different, shouldn't have killed Donovan, like… like I had a choice, because I didn't have, I was defending myself, I didn't… But he blamed me, and…"

Stiles took a shaky breath, rubbing his cheek against Deuc's collarbone. "I can't stay there. I can't. That's not… That's not my pack anymore. Everyone I cared about left or is going to leave and Scott doesn't trust me anymore, he's not… he's not my Alpha… or my friend… anymore. I can't… Can I… Can I stay with you…? Please? I just… I can't stay there anymore, I don't know where to go…"

"You don't have to beg, my love," Deucalion's voice sounded near pained. "Of course you can stay with us. There has always been a place in our pack for you, Stiles."

Stiles couldn't help the relieved sob that escaped him as a tension drained from him that he hadn't even noticed he'd carried. He was safe now. There were people who cared about him. Who wanted to protect him. He buried his face in Deucalion's chest.

"Thank you," Stiles' voice broke a little.

It had just all been too much. Ever since the basement, one horrible thing kept following the other. More and more loss and pain. The possession, the blame for Allison's death, all the people he cared about who had left Beacon Hills already. He'd been strong for so long, head held high and snark on the tip of his tongue in the face of any kind of danger, but now even he had reached his breaking point. What was he being strong for, anyway? There was nothing left, nobody left to be strong for, in that hell town. He was alone and broken and… and desperate.

"Rest, love," Deucalion ordered gently, pressing a kiss to Stiles' temple. "We'll watch over you."

The faintest smile tugged on his lips, warmth filling him. He wasn't alone anymore.

/break\

It was hard to leave his mate's side while Stiles was still injured, but Deucalion had a threat to eliminate. Erica touched his arm gently, gaining his attention.

"We're gonna watch over Stiles while you're gone," Erica offered. "But tear some organ out for me first before you kill him, okay? Nobody hurts my Batman."

"Yeah, we're taking Stiles watch," Ethan sighed. "But make it quick. If he wakes up and you're gone for too much longer than that, he will grow either suspicious or upset, or both."

Deucalion pursed his lips in amusement and placed one last kiss on Stiles' temple, gently running his hand along Stiles' neck to scent-mark his boy. His wolf had been thinking of Stiles as his mate for months now and it was time to make that a reality. He'd take his boy away from this town, court him properly and allow Stiles the fresh start he deserved.

"I want to get a punch in too," Ennis growled when they left the hotel room. "This guy nearly got the pup killed. I like the pup. Nobody tries to kill the people I like."

Kali next to her mate huffed softly, though Deucalion could feel the murderous intent radiating off of her too. The three of them made their way to the cars to drive back to Beacon Hills and find this Theo person. Stiles had been talking about him for months now, how he had told Scott a convenient lie, wormed his way into the pack and gained the fool's trust.

"Are we only killing Theo, or are we also killing McCall?" Kali asked sharply.

Deucalion furrowed his brows. "Too messy. The power-vacuum in Beacon Hills would require us to somehow deal with it and tend to the Alpha-less betas. Stiles has still some attachment to them, he wouldn't want to see them turn feral. And I fear he may also still have too much attachment to Scott to truly want to see him dead. The second that changes, we'll come back though."

"Mercy," Kali spat the word out like it was poison. "Doesn't become you."

"It's not my mercy, Kali," Deucalion chided her. "Enough has been taken from Stiles already, I will not take this away from him too. It is his decision and by his mercy, Scott McCall will live. As soon as he revokes that decision, I will make the boy's death agonizing and slow."

His eyes flashed red and he snarled as his need for vengeance swelled in him.

/break\

When Stiles woke up again, he noted the lack of Deucalion first. The Alpha of Alphas had made a very comfortable pillow. Instead, Boyd and Erica were snuggled up to him from either side. Groaning softly, Stiles rolled over. His eyes scanned the room, checking who else was in the room, wanting to see if Deucalion had just gotten up. No Deucalion. Only Marin and the twins at the table on the couch. Mh. Stiles' eyes narrowed as he sat up fully.

"Good morning, Stiles," Marin smiled at him. "How do you feel?"

Tilting his head, Stiles rolled his shoulder slowly. "Better. Whatever you did is working."

He leaned over Erica to reach his phone on the nightstand, just for her to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him close. Stiles huffed a little as he got mushed into her chest.

"Erica, you're suffocating me with your boobs," Stiles pointed out. "There are worse ways to go, I guess, but it would make Marin's work pointless."

Erica cackled and planted a kiss on his cheek before fully letting him go. Sitting up against the headboard of the bed, Stiles scrolled through his contacts and then dialed. Both Erica and Boyd slowly sat up too, yawning and stretching. Ethan and Aiden were looking at him curiously.

"He—ey, pup," Ennis laughed when the call connected. "We're, uh, getting dinner."

"Right," Stiles rolled his eyes amused. "I know where you guys are, and what you're doing."

"You… know what we're doing?" Ennis asked surprised.

This time, Stiles rolled his eyes even harder. "I literally met you guys when Deuc reached the goal of his eight year long hunt for revenge. Well-aware of the kind of grudge that man can hold and the kind of vengeance he wants if someone hurts his pack. Which. I guess I count as now."

"Stiles, you counted as pack before yesterday," Ennis argued in a softer voice.

Stiles chose not to focus on that. "While you're in Beacon Hills, would you… Can you… Can you get Roscoe for me? I forgot… I wasn't really thinking about her. I don't want to leave her behind."

"Of course, pup," Ennis promised. "And you're fine with what we do?"

"I mean, I would… prefer if he doesn't kill Scott," Stiles sighed and rubbed his face. "It'd break Melissa's heart and she doesn't deserve that. But Theo has had it coming."

"You are a delight, my dear," Deucalion interjected. "We'll make it quick to get back to you."

"Don't make it too quick," Stiles frowned, reaching a hand up to his shoulder.

"Oh, I adore you," Deucalion's voice was a dark purr.

A bright blush lit up Stiles' cheeks and he let himself collapse sideways against Boyd. "Be safe, okay? And… Actually, do bring dinner. I'd kill for a pizza."

"Your wish is my command, love."

Words that made Stiles' heart flutter when they came from the Demon Wolf. The call disconnected and Stiles closed his eyes to lean against Boyd. The Alpha wrapped an arm around Stiles' shoulders. Stiles' eyelids grew heavy and he slipped back into sleep.

/break\

Killing did give Deucalion quite the rush, he won't deny that. And killing to avenge his chosen mate felt even better. He had a pleased grin on his lips when the three of them returned to the hotel in Silver Lake, Ennis having driven Stiles' Jeep, while Kali and Deucalion took the sports car.

"Dearest," Deucalion whispered gently into Stiles' ear, his hand caressing the boy's neck. "We brought your Jeep and we brought enough pizza for the whole pack. You need to eat, sweet one."

Stiles stirred and leaned up into Deucalion's touch. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, love," Deucalion chuckled. "A beta is no match for me."

"Of course not, Demon Wolf," Stiles huffed fondly, forehead resting against Deucalion's shoulder.

Deucalion wrapped his arms around his boy, slowly sitting down on the bed himself so he could pull Stiles into his lap. The boy heaved a pleased sigh and snuggled up to him. It made Deucalion's inner wolf purr in delight, pleased that his chosen mate was so tactile.

"Are you going to join us for dinner, or are you eating in Deuc's lap?" Aiden asked amused.

"Deuc's lap," Stiles declared, dragging his nose along Deucalion's collarbone. "You'll have to physically remove me from here. This is… good. I haven't felt this… safe in years."

Deucalion's heart was soaring at that and his grip on Stiles tightened a little. "You are safe with us, my love. I will not let harm come to you if I can prevent it."

He could feel Stiles' head move from its spot against his shoulder and then there was a press of soft lips against Deucalion's cheek, making the Alpha's heart skip a beat. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, unsure how to proceed from hereon out. Stiles' hand gently cupped his cheek.

"Is that… Is that okay?" Stiles asked, heart racing with nervousness. "I just. It feels like. I mean, you started calling me your love. I figured the 'love' was just, you know, British people always go heavy on pet-names that sound very romantic even when they don't mean them romantic, but the possessive pronoun makes it sound different and you did just go and kill the guy who tried to have me killed and I am currently sitting in your lap, again. So, tell me if I am totally misreading-"

Deucalion grasped Stiles' face gently and then placed a proper kiss on those soft lips. Stiles gave a soft, curious whine, his mouth falling open and allowing Deucalion to explore it, taste his boy.

"You are not misreading anything, my love," Deucalion smiled, pecking Stiles' lips again, soft and short. "I would like to court you to be my mate, though I meant to give you some time to settle into the pack before proposing that to you."

Stiles' heartbeat picked up again at that. "Courting, huh."

"Mhmh," Deucalion nuzzled his face into Stiles' neck, pleased by how willingly the boy bared it for him. "I have a courting gift in my suitcase that I meant to give you after your graduation."

"My graduation?" Stiles tucked his head under Deucalion's chin. "So… you're really interested in me, huh? You would have come to my graduation to sweep me off my feet?"

There was gentle teasing in his voice, causing Deucalion to lean down and nip Stiles' jaw. "Yes."

Again did Stiles' heart jump around wildly. "Okay. Okay that's… Okay."

"I don't expect an answer from you right away, my dear," Deucalion assured him, brushing their cheeks against each other. "How about, for now, we just eat the pizza that Ennis, Kali and I brought, together with our pack? Who, I assume, are all staring intensely at us."

His boy went tense in his arms and then ducked down to hide in Deucalion's arms. "Yeah."

Deucalion laughed and kissed his boy's cheek, completely enamored by him.

/break\

Stiles had expected more judgment, somehow. Or at least some judgment. Instead, none of the Blackwood Pack seemed to have anything against it, no teasing, nothing. Stiles was thirty-three years younger than Deuc, surely the older members of the pack would oppose to that, or at least dislike the idea of a barely legal brat as the Alpha Mate. Instead, there was only acceptance.

"I'm glad I finally get the chance to properly explore your magic with you, Stiles."

Stiles grinned, bouncing back and forth a little where he was sitting with his legs crossed opposite Marin in the living room of their current apartment. Turned out the Blackwood Pack only booked hotels if they stayed for a couple days to a week or two, but if they stayed for multiple weeks, they would rent an apartment or house. Which, Stiles liked both options, honestly. Building a temporary home as much as enjoying the comfort of a fancy hotel.

"I love when they do magic, it's fun to watch," Erica whispered.

She was laying sprawled over Boyd's lap, watching Marin and Stiles with intense interest. Ennis and Kali were in the kitchen, Kali sitting perched on the counter, with Ennis regularly stepping between his mate's knees to kiss her or offer her to taste-test the dinner he was preparing. The twins and Deucalion were currently out for the mission that had brought them to San Francisco.

"Okay, what are we doing today, sensei?" Stiles asked with a grin.

It hadn't taken Marin long to figure out he was a Spark – which had resonated with Stiles, reminded him of what Deaton had said the first time he'd performed magic and damn that bastard. Even before that, Marin had done meditations with Stiles and training his magic in a more general manner, the way she had through the phone already, only that it was so much better in person. But things had honed in after they realized what Stiles was. Deuc had also bought Stiles like every book about Sparks and their magic that they could get their hands on. By now, Stiles had expanded his control, he'd been so limited by what he thought he could do, but damn, he was powerful.

Stiles' hand reached up to the triangular pendant around his neck, engraved with the Blackwood Pack's symbol. The first courting gift that Deuc had gotten for him and Stiles wore it with pride, even more so now that he was officially the Alpha Mate.

"We're doing an advanced tracking spell to find the witches," Marin replied after a beat.

A coven of witches doing human sacrifices had brought them here, a request from a group of good witches, a set of sisters, who had reached out to Marin for backup. The problem was that this coven was masking their magic and scent, so the pack had no luck tracking them so far. Damn, Stiles really did love working with them. It was fun, tracking down bad guys and taking them out, helping others who needed and wanted help. This was the perfect life for Stiles, he got to do all the research, see places, meet people, fight, kill, all with a strong pack that trusted him.

/break\

Deucalion's mate was the most magnificent creature he had ever met. A powerful Spark, who wielded his magic ruthlessly to protect their pack. And he had taken to being the Alpha Mate just as naturally, commandeering the other Alphas around with ease. His power did help with that, but then according to Erica and Boyd, even before Stiles had realized he had magic, he'd held his head high against any threat and never backed down from a fight. All the more reason why he made the perfect Alpha Mate at the Demon Wolf's side.

The most beautiful part was to see his boy blossom though. All the anxiety, the fear of what Beacon Hills had done to him, the guilt and grief that had weighted him down? Finally, Stiles was allowed to heal. To move on from it all and reclaim his life.

"I'm glad you took me away from that hell town," Stiles whispered softly.

They were laying in bed, in their temporary home in Boston. The sounds of the pack waking up and arguing already rose outside their bedroom, but Deucalion wouldn't want it any other way.

"I'm glad you asked me to," Deucalion replied, pressing a kiss to the top of his mate's head. "I had wanted to get you out of Beacon Hills for months, but I never wanted to force you to make that decision. I'm glad you came to it on your own, and that you trusted me to do it."

"I trust you with everything, Demon Wolf," Stiles kissed Deuc's cheek. "I trust you with my life and with our pack. Which, I think we should get up and make sure they don't maul each other…"

Ennis and Boyd were fighting over who made breakfast and what they should be making. Deucalion hummed, not overly concerned, so he tightened his arms around Stiles to keep him in bed. "Leave them be, they won't kill each other over the age-old argument 'pancakes or waffles'. They will simply agree to make both and we will have twenty more minutes in bed together."

Stiles made a soft noise and sat down to straddle Deucalion's lap so he could kiss the Alpha, his arms around his mate's neck, the kiss languished and gentle. His own arms laid around Stiles' waist.

"Ah, ah, ah," Stiles chuckled amused. "In theory, twenty minutes in bed with you sound great, however if we want to leave today before noon, we still got a lot to pack up. And this is one where I want to be on time. I'll never hear the end of it from Peter if we arrive late."

The Hales had extended an invitation for Stiles and the pack to come and visit them and Stiles had been so soft-scented and happy about it. Sighing in defeat, Deucalion placed a last kiss on Stiles' cheek before he accepted his fate for the day. Anything for his mate, he loved how much his boy had healed since leaving Beacon Hills behind and joining their pack.

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: Perfect way to start 2025, considering that me and my best friend more or less ended 2024 by wrapping up our watch of 3A, which just made me crave more Stalion. So, here is more Stalion ;D

Also. It's not even funny how at three points in this story, I had to pry Peter out of it with a fucking crowbar and sternly tell him that This Is NOT A Steter Fic. Sure the OT3 woulda been an option but I did want this one to stay a full Stalion so Peter was forcibly removed from the premises against his will