Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/877160. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: teen_wolf_-_Fandom Relationship: unrequited_Derek_Hale/Stiles_Stilinski, Stiles_Stilinski/surprise_male character Character: Derek_Hale, Stiles_Stilinski, Scott_McCall, Isaac_Lahey, Lydia_Martin, Allison_Argent, Alan_Deaton, Peter_Hale, Alpha_Pack_-_Character, Marin Morrell Additional Tags: Soulmates, dub-con, alpha_pack, Magic, Fuck_Or_Die, kind_of Collections: TWHeatWave Stats: Published: 2013-07-10 Words: 9158 ****** Let our Blood sing ****** by Daughter_of_Scotland Summary The Alpha pack is in town and especially one member of the pack is in grave danger. Stiles is the only one who can save him - but at a cost. Notes Prompt: A forced mating bond develops into a strong loyal relationship The main pairing is a surprise but I will write it in the end notes for any of you who is just too curious. Written AFTER Season 2, so nothing from Season 3 applies Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended. See the end of the work for more notes The thing about soulmates? They’re made for each other. Their DNA is designed in a way that recognizes each other immediately. It doesn’t care about race or gender, age or even species. Soulmates can be born in different times, on different continents. But when, by the slightest chance, they meet, their blood sings. Unfortunately, humans can’t hear that song. Which is why, often soulmates meet but don’t stay together. They never knew what they could have had. Werewolves though… Werewolves know when they meet their mate. They can hear the song of blood. Which is why, when Derek saw Stiles for the first time, he immediately heard it. And his heart broke.   ***   Derek knew, keeping Stiles away was not an option. He needed Scott and Stiles would always stay with him. But every day seemed more like torture; having Stiles around screwed with Derek’s senses, his self-control and his mind. His feelings for the boy were inappropiate at best and wrong at their worst. He was just so young and… Stiles.   Derek sighed as he fell down on the couch in his new loft. He’d gotten it on Peter’s insistence, his name on the lease but with two extra bedrooms – one for Isaac, who spent most of his time at Scott’s, and one for Peter himself who still hadn’t found a way to explain his miraculous healing and the sudden re- appearance after the death of his nurse. They had just finished moving in, Stiles and Scott helping while Boyd and Erica were still missing and Jackson had steadily withdrawn himself before he had left town completely. Lydia was heartbroken and never seen anywhere and Allison… Well. Derek didn’t want to think about her yet. He’d have to talk to the Argents eventually, but not right now. Maybe not even this month. Peter looked at him from the doorway to his bedroom. “Are you alright?” he asked and Derek had to keep himself from shuddering. Sometimes it was still hard for him to hear Peter sound so… normal. Like he had before the fire. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Just thinking.” Peter made a knowing noise. “About Stiles?” Their eyes met. Derek knew that Peter knew about his feelings. “I’ll behave myself,” he said darkly and Peter smiled. “I know, Derek. I never doubted that.” He vanished into his bedroom and closed the door, leaving Derek alone with his agony.   ***   It had to reach this point eventually. Derek had let Stiles in, way farther than he should have. During their strategic meetings about the Alpha pack, Stiles had become a necessary asset, the one who asked the right questions and found a lot of answers. Derek couldn’t help but warm up to him and the boy noticed. It didn’t help that his appearance changed during the last few months, his hair growing out, his muscles building up… Derek caught himself staring on more than one occasion. And so did Stiles, apparently, because one day he stayed behind after a meeting, intend clear in his face. Peter looked at Derek and then walked out, his walk stiff but determined. Dere looked at Stiles and stood up. “What is it, Stiles?” he asked, his voice firmer than he’d expected. Stiles pushed a hand through his hair and moved closer. “So, I know we’re pretty busy right now… There’s a lot of stuff going on, I get that, but I have… I have to say something and I noticed you looking at me and I just… I know, okay? I’ve read a lot about soulmates and I figured that you know it easier than me and for some reason just aren’t saying anything, but…” He stopped and looked at Derek – not up, by now they were the same height – and, with a quick swallow, stepped even closer and moved to crash his lips against Derek’s.   Derek shoved Stiles away before their mouths could meet. “Dude, what the hell?!” the boy protested and Derek shook his head, stepping back. “I’m not your mate, Stiles.” “Bullshit!” Stiles exclaimed. “Of course you are. I feel safe whenever I’m around you, I likeyou. And you like me, too, or you wouldn’t protect me all the time. Or stareat me.” Derek sighed, pain written on his face. “It’s true that you have a mate, Stiles,” he agreed. “But it’s not me. The reason you feel drawn to me is because of my blood. But you’re not mine.” Stiles blinked. “Then who…” His eyes widened in horror and he paled. “No! No way! Not him!” Derek looked away, not ready to see the heartbreak in Stiles’ eyes as he realized who his mate really was. Not wanting to see himself in Stiles’ eyes, because he knew his face showed the exact same hurt. The realization that what they wanted would never happen. “I’m sorry,” Derek whispered as Stiles turned around and fled the loft, not looking back. Derek fell back on the couch, covering his face with his hands. Just this once, he promised himself. Just this once he’d give in to the pain he was feeling. He had known that Stiles was Peter’s mate from the moment he met him. That didn’t stop him from falling in love with the boy. But with Peter being alive and sane, there was no chance he could ever have him. He figured this was just one more chance for the universe to punish him.   ***   Stiles didn’t come to the loft or any meetings for a week. Scott was worried because he didn’t return his calls or let him in; his window was laced with mountain ash and the Sheriff had strict instructions to let him be alone. At the third meeting without him, the group collectively looked at Derek. “What happened?” Isaac asked quietly. “We need Stiles, Derek. It’s too dangerous for him to be alone, too. You need to tell us what’s going on.” Derek looked at the floor and Peter sighed. “Shall I tell them?” the older man asked and Derek met his eyes. “Do you think Stiles wants them to know?” he asked back and Peter gritted his teeth. “He’s not here. I know the news weren’t really…” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Isaac is right,” he continued. “We need him and he’s endangered by being alone all the time. We’re a pack, we need to act like one. He might not be a werewolf but he needs our contact, too. This is not healthy. He might hate us – well, me – for this, but maybe we need to force him to come back.” Derek snorted. “You want to do that? Force him?” Peter narrowed his eyes. “Of course not,” he snapped. “You know I wouldn’t do that. But we needhim.” Scott frowned. “Seriously, what the hell is going on?” he asked. “Did you reject him, Derek? I know how he feels about you, I’m not stupid, even though he never said anything. If you hurt him-“ “It’s not about that,” Derek interrupted him and, after another look at Peter, sighed. “I rejected him,” he admitted. “But not for the reason you think. I did it because he’s not mine to have.” Isaac’s eyes widened as he stared at Peter. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “He’s your mate, isn’t he?” Scott made a choking sound but Peter ignored him as he nodded. “Yes, he is,” he agreed. “And Derek had to tell him. I wanted to wait but… Well.” He sighed and stood up. “I’ll go and talk to him. Hiding like this doesn’t help anyone.” He left the loft, the other three staring after him.   ***   There was a pounding on the Stilinski’s door. Seeing as it was the middle of the night, the Sheriff was not happy to be woken up and grew even more confused as he opened the door and found not only Scott but also Isaac Lahey outside. “What are you boys doing here?” he asked and they shared a quick glance. “Sorry to wake you, Sheriff,” Scott said, sounding a bit breathless. “We need to talk to Stiles. I know,” he added, interrupting the Sheriff’s protests, “it’s late and he doesn’t want to see us but it’s important. We haveto see him right now.” The Sheriff looked at them again, at Scott staring at him and Isaac checking the driveway every few seconds. “Okay,” he said slowly and opened the door wider. “You can come in. Just one thing,” he added, stopping them once more. “Is this dangerous?” The boys shared another look and dread crept up the Sheriff’s spine. “We can’t tell you that,” Isaac said softly. “Just believe us that we’re gonna make sure he’s gonna be okay.” After another minute of staring, the Sheriff let them in. He took a deep breath and violently fought the urge to follow them upstairs and eavesdrop. He really needed to find out what was going on. But he knew he also had to at least try to trust his son, no matter how hard it was.   Stiles was already sitting up in his bed as the boys stormed in. He looked awful, bags under his eyes and his face even paler than normal. “What happened?” he asked. “Is anyone dead?” Scott shook his head. “No, at least not yet,” he answered as Isaac closed the door. “Stiles, was Peter here today?” Stiles’ hands twisted the blanket covering him. “No,” he answered curtly. “Why should he have been here?” Scott swore and Isaac whipped out his phone and fired off a text. Stiles eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?” he asked, getting up and pulling on some jeans and a shirt. “What happened?” Scott held his hands up. “Look, we know, okay?” he said and Stiles bit his lips. “They had to tell us, and, dude, we’re gonna talk about how you didn’t tell me later, okay, because Peter left hours ago to talk to you and apparently that didn’t work out at all. And a few minutes ago we heard a howl. Derek said it was him and he’s in pain.” Stiles paled even more but shook his head. “I don’t care,” he bit out. “I don’t… Just because our DNA thinks we’re perfect for each other doesn’t mean I have to feel that way.” Isaac nodded. “You’re right,” he said simply. “But this is not about that. This is about the fact that someone from our pack is in danger and we need you to save him.” Stiles looked away and saw a shadow in front of his window. With a sigh he swept away the mountain ash line and let Derek in, not looking at him. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Derek,” he murmured. “I don’t know how to help or if I even want to.” Derek stepped in front of him. “He’s dying. You need to go to him.” Stiles shook his head. “I rarely hate anyone, Derek. But him, I hate. I can’t be his mate, I can’t! I’d rather die.” Derek sucked in a deep breath and grabbed Stiles’ shoulders. “Listen to me,” he growled. “I promise you, if you don’t save Peter today, you will neverfind true happiness. You might not be a wolf and can’t feel the bond like we can, but you will notice when he’s gone. You haveto save him.” Stiles stared at Derek before he closed his eyes, his face falling. “How am I even gonna do that?” he whispered. “I can’t just walk in there and tell the freaking Alpha pack that they need to let him go.” Derek leaned forward a bit and hid his face in Stiles’ hair while the boy buried his face in his chest. “Yes, you can,” he answered, whispering just as quietly. “They don’t harm mated pairs. It’s the law.” Stiles let out a sob. But he let go of Derek and swallowed harshly. “Tell me where to go.” ***   When Stiles entered the Alpha’s hideout, he was met with four pairs of glowing red eyes – and Peter’s own yellow ones. The older man’s face twisted in despair when he recognized Stiles. “What are you doing here?” he croaked, his throat raw from all the screaming he had done before. He was chained to a wall, there were open wounds all over his torso and legs and he could barely lift his head anymore. Stiles ignored him and zoomed in on Deucalion instead, keeping Kali, Ennis and the twins in front of him, too. “What are you doing with him?” he asked and was proud that his voice didn’t shake at all. Kali sneered. “He came back from the dead. We want to know how. But he’s not telling us anything so we decided to have a little fun instead.” Stiles shuddered but continued to look at their leader. “Let him go,” he said, lifting his head. “You can’t have him.” The Alpha’s laughed but there was a little hopeful noise from Peter. “Why should we do that, little human?” Deucalion asked, moving closer to Stiles. “We could just kill you, too, instead.” Stiles shook his head and finally looked at Peter, at the hope and trust glowing in his eyes. “It’s the law,” he said and noticed how the twins flinched at this. “You are not allowed to harm a mated pair.” Kali hissed. “You are not mated!” she yelled. “He doesn’t smell like you at all!” Stiles nodded. “Yes, we haven’t mated yet,” he agreed. “But I amhis mate. You have to give him back to me.” Peter exhaled a breath that sounded closer to a sob as the twins rushed to obey Stiles without even waiting for Deucalion’s orders. The older man looked at Stiles with an earnest face. “We apologize for the grievance,” he said gravely. “This does not mean our fight is over. But neither you nor your mate will be harmed further – except in open battle. As is the law.” Stiles nodded and put a hand under Peter’s arm when the twins brought him over. Without a glance back he left the warehouse, Peter limping beside him.   ***   Stiles knew his dad would have left for work by the time he came back home so he brought Peter with him. He wondered where the pack was, but they probably wanted to give them some privacy. Stiles snorted bitterly as he helped Peter upstairs into his room and onto his bed. “I’ll get you some water and something to clean up,” he said, not looking at the other man before leaving for the kitchen. He sent a quick text to the others, telling them that Peter was safe and with him. Relieved answers filled his inbox shortly after but nobody offered to come and help him out with the werewolf in his room. His mate. Whom he had acknowledged. Stiles’ hands shook as he grabbed a bottle of water and then a wet cloth and a towel from the bathroom. “Here, let’s get you cleaned up,” he said and closed the door to his room behind himself. “Dad’s at work so you can rest for a while.” Peter just nodded, took the bottle and drank half of it in one go, before he reached for the cloth. Stiles shook his head and started to clean Peter’s face himself. “Just… Let me. Rest,” the boy said quietly and Peter closed his eyes with a sigh. “Thank you, Stiles,” he said quietly after the boy had gotten rid of most of the visible blood. The wounds were healing slowly but at least they were healing. “I wasn’t sure you would come for me.” Stiles shrugged. “I didn’t want to,” he admitted freely. “But Derek said…” He swallowed, not looking at Peter. “He said I’m the only one who could get you back.” Peter made a small sound in the back of his throat. “He was right.”   They were silent for a while, Stiles clearly uncomfortable sitting on the far edge of the bed while Peter was close to falling asleep. “I don’t trust you,” the boy suddenly said and Peter opened his eyes to look at him. “You’ve attacked Lydia, you killedpeople, you’ve given me nightmares for weeks…” Their eyes met. “You started all this by biting Scott,” Stiles concluded in a whisper. “Do you think I wanted to bite Scott?!” Stiles flinched from Peter who snarled at him. “I was out of my mind with pain and power and the whole forest smelled of you… I followed the scent instinctively and bit what I thought was the scource.” Bitterness washed over the man’s face. “Right when I bit him, I realized he wasn’t you. He wore yourhoodie, nothing more. And I was stuck with a beta I didn’t want instead of my mate. What do you think why I offered you the bite instead of just taking it?” Stiles folded his arms across his chest, not ready to give in. “Then why did you tell Scott to kill me? If you wanted me so bad?” Peter rolled his eyes. “Scott wasn’t supposed to killyou, obviously. He was supposed to bring you to me. I wanted you by my side but he didn’t even manage that little thing…” The look on Peter’s face showed clearly what he thought about Scott’s abilities in that moment. “All I wanted was my mate,” he continued, quieter now. “The only good thing left in my life, the one thing I’d waited for since I was a child.” He looked at Stiles and smiled bitterly. “And you can’t even stand to be near me.” Stiles averted his eyes because he couldn’t dispute that. “Are you going to heal?” he changed the subject and Peter sighed. ”Yes. It will just take a while. It would… Help, if you laid down, too.” Stiles stared at him for a moment but then moved carefully to lay down beside him. “Like this?” Peter licked his lips. “Touching helps, too.” “Oh my god!” Stiles exclaimed and jumped up again. “You’re unbelievable.” Peter jerked back. “Jesus, not like that! You’re sixteen, for God’s sake! Just… My head or something…” Stiles looked at him for a while again, just studying his face, before he sighed. “Move over,” he said, sounding defeated and moved the man carefully so he could sat behind him, against the headboard, Peter between his legs. Peter made another low sound in his throat, it sounded relieved. “Feels better?” Stiles asked, his hands carefully settling on Peter’s hips where he wasn’t hurt. Peter nodded. “I didn’t think you’d do it…” Stiles shrugged lightly. “I’m saddled with a deep helper syndrom. You get used to it.” They were quiet again. This time it was Peter to break the silence again. “They believed that we’re mates,” he started. “But Kali was right. It’s easy to notice that we’re not mated.” Stiles tensed behind him. “What are you saying?” Peter exhaled against heavily. “Stiles. You know what I mean. We have to complete the bond.” Stiles jerked but didn’t stop holding Peter’s hips. “I don’t… I can’t!” There was desperation slowly creeping into his voice and it broke Peter’s heart. “I know. I know, Stiles, and I’m sorry, but I don’t see another way.” “I don’t want it like this,” Stiles sobbed and Peter’s hands tightened on Stiles’. “Neither do I,” the man said through gritted teeth. “I wanted to wait until you’re eighteen before even telling you about this… But we don’t have a choice, Stiles, you knowthat.” Stiles nodded and tried to calm down. “I-I know… But still…” Peter closed his eyes. “You could… Imagine someone else. If you want. Derek. I won’t… I wouldn’t be angry if you did.” Stiles looked down at him, at the pain in the man’s face. “But you’d be hurt,” he stated and didn’t need to see Peter’s nod to know the answer to that question. “I’ve never… I never even kissedsomeone,” Stiles whispered and Peter leaned his head back to look up at him. Studying his face he sighed. “Move over,” he commanded and after a bit of moving around he was kneeling in front of the boy, ignoring the pain that was racing through his body. Slowly Peter lifted a hand and cradled Stiles’ face. “Close your eyes,” he whispered and when Stiles did, trembling but without hesitation, Peter leaned forward, brushing their lips together softly, with only the slightest pressure. A gasp escaped Stiles and Peter pulled back. “Okay?” he asked and Stiles nodded, his eyes still closed. Peter kissed him again, a bit harder, moving his lips and coaxing Stiles into returning the action. He lost track of time then, he only knew that he kept kissing Stiles, his mate, who slowly but surely responded to him and finally opened his mouth so Peter could tangle their tongues together. At some point he’d pushed Stiles down on his back and leaned over him, holding himself up, the only contact between them their mouths and Peter’s hand on Stiles’ face.   Stiles’ hands settled on Peter’s shoulders after a while, just holding him, not moving. “You can touch me,” Peter said against his lips. “Do whatever you feel like doing. We have time.” Stiles shuddered a bit but nodded and pushed Peter up a bit. “Let me get my shirt off,” he murmured and Peter sat back. “Does it still hurt?” Stiles asked after pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the ground. He eyed the slowly healing wounds on Peter’s torso. “We should… Can we do it in a way that it doesn’t hurt you further?” Peter bit back a smile at the consideration. “Yeah, we can just…” He thought for a moment and then sighed. “Let’s just… I know it’s not the way you want it. Neither do I. But, what if we just get the actual bonding over with, no great fooling around before? And when – at any point in the future – you’re ready for more we’ll take our time then?” Stiles bit his lip and thought about it. He didn’t want his first time to be rushed – but he also didn’t want to prolong this unnecessarily. And, to his surprise, he also didn’t like the idea of Peter in too much pain. “Yeah, okay,” he finally said. “Just… Can you make it… Not hurt too much?” Peter’s face twisted and he bent down to kiss Stiles softly. “I’ll do my best so it won’t hurt at all,” he promised and moved back. “Do you have lube?” Stiles swallowed but reached for his drawer and pulled out a half-full bottle. “I’ve been experimenting,” he said, blushing, and Peter did smile this time. “That’s good,” he said. “Then it won’t be too bad for you.” Stiles nodded and settled back against the headboard, taking a deep breath before moving to open his pants and push them down. Then he remembered something. “Wait. I don’t have… Uh, condoms…” Peter shook his head, getting rid of his own pants slowly. “We couldn’t use them anyway,” he explained. “Not for the bonding. But don’t worry, as a werewolf I don’t carry diseases. And you’re not really in the danger of getting pregnant.” Stiles couldn’t help the startled laugh at this and suddenly he felt less tense. “You’re really gonna take care of me, aren’t you?” he asked in wonder and Peter smiled again. “Always,” he promised and kissed the boy again, while ridding them both of their last pieces of clothing. Stiles’ breath hitched in his throat as Peter moved down and their cocks brushed together. “Oh god,” he groaned and took a deep breath. “I’m not promising to hold on very long, no matter the circumstances.” Peter chuckled. “It’s okay,” he assured him. “I’m sure you can go more than one round if you have to.” He pushed his hips down a bit, creating more friction between them. He might want to get it over with fast, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t create at least a bit of a mood beforehand. Stiles whimpered and clung to Peter’s shoulders, digging his nails into his back. “I-I’m gonna… Oh god-“ he cut himself off as he came with a sharp cry, pulsing between them. Peter was actually surprised that it had happened this fast and stared at the mess of cum between them for a moment. Something flared in his chest and Stiles’ eyes flew open. “What was that?” he asked and Peter shook his head. “I’m not sure,” he said. “I think… I think the bond is solidifying? I guess because I’m a werewolf and you’re part of the pack you feel it more than the average human.” Stiles swallowed. “That’s… that’s a good thing, right?” he asked in a small voice and Peter kissed him again. “Yeah, it is,” he assured him and then moved down the bed. “Spread your legs,” he coaxed and Stiles did, his thighs trembling as he moved the way Peter told him to.   “I’m gonna stretch you first,” the man said as he reached for the lube. “I’ll make sure you’re relaxed enough not to hurt you much. I can’t make sure you don’t feel anything at all, but I’ll take the pain away as much as I can. You, uh… You can close your eyes, if you want,” he added, looking away, as he coated his fingers generously. Stiles noticed the pain flashing across Peter’s face, remembered his words about picturing someone else – He closed his eyes. He didn’t think about someone else, though. He’d fantasized about losing his virginity to Derek, but it wasn’t fair to either of them to think of someone else when bonding with his mate. Even if his mate was Peter, a man he hated. Though, thinking back about this night, he wasn’t sure if it was really hate anymore he felt. Stiles cursed the bond. He had researched it enough since meeting Derek that he knew what was happening: His DNA rewrote his feelings since realizing and acknowleding Peter as his mate. It wasn’t just that he was forced to love Peter – after a while he would actually do it. Just because he was supposed to. His feelings for Derek paled in comparison and soon he wouldn’t even remember them. He would still be himself, but loving Peter would just be a part of him, naturally like his love for his parents. Finding your soulmate was never about free will. Only about the perfect match.   Soon Peter had three fingers moving in and out of his hole in a steady pace. At first it had burned; Peter’s fingers so different from his own, but he had noticed the moment the older man started leeching his pain away, letting him relax even more. Stiles was panting and writhing on the bed, his eyes still closed, his dick hardening again. “It’s – it’s okay,” he finally breathed out, scrambling for purchase on the bed, twisting the sheets in his hands. “You can – I’m ready.” There was a moment’s pause before the fingers slid out of him slowly. Stiles took deep breaths to keep himself relaxed. Peter’s weight settled above him, before he was kissed again, deep and thorough. A blunt pressure moved against his hole and Stiles bore down as Peter’s cock breached him. “Oh, fuck,” he groaned. “Fuck, so big, oh god, I can’t, just, please-“ He bit off his babbling as Peter slowly pushed in until he was completely inside Stiles’. They stayed still for a while, until Stiles took a deep breath and rolled his hips. “Fuck!” he cried as stars exploded in front of his closed eyes, the pleasure racing through his body and practically setting the feeling in his chest on fire. “Move, please…” A shaky breath was his answer but soon Peter was slowly pushing in and out of him, letting him get used to the sensation. “So good,” Stiles murmured, grabbing Peter’s hair with one hand and pulling him down to kiss him sloppily. “Feels so good, oh my god, please don’t stop…” He let Peter up again and threw his head back, baring his throat in submission. Stiles opened his eyes when something wet landed on his face. He saw blood trailing from Peter’s mouth, saw his teeth sinking into his lip again and again. With a start he realized that the older man tried to not make a sound as to not rip Stiles from whatever fantasy he might conjur. Stiles couldn’t stop the small smile at the kind gesture and he lifted a hand to stroke Peter’s cheek. “It’s okay,” he whispered roughly. “You can talk… I’m here with you.” Peter exhaled with a loud gasp and his eyes flew open, boring into Stiles’ own. “Stiles,” he rasped and the boy nodded. “Peter,” he whispered and with a groan the man dropped his head to Stiles’ neck, speeding up his thrusts. “God, you feel so good,” the man mumbled into the soft skin, worrying it with his teeth. “So tight and perfect, god, Stiles.” Stiles shuddered and arched his head even more, not even sure what he was craving, just knowing that he needed something. “Please,” he whimpered. “Peter, please!” With one last thrust Peter stilled above him, coming in sharp bursts inside his mate, as his teeth sank into the skin of Stiles’ neck. Stiles cried out, coming untouched between them, even before he was aware he’d been hard again. The bond between them practically exploded and they stared at one another until the flares inside their chests had subsided and only left a warm glow behind. “Wow, that was intense,” Stiles finally breathed out and Peter nodded, looking at the spectacular bite mark he’d left behind on Stiles’ neck. “I’m not sure how you’re gonna cover that up,” he murmured, easing himself off the boy and carefully pulling out. Stiles winced at the sudden empty feeling and then again when he felt Peter’s cum trickling out of him. “Okay, this part of sex is pretty gross,” he complained and Peter chuckled, reaching for the tissues. “Here, let me clean you up and then we – I mean you – can take a shower.” Stiles looked at him and worried his lip between his teeth for a moment while the older man cleaned him up. “We could shower together,” he finally offered and Peter looked up at him again, his eyes dark. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice raspy and Stiles smiled a bit. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Let’s do that.”   ***   Stiles had been worried about seeing Derek again after the bonding. He didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but he knew he couldn’t change anything – and no matter when they met again, Derek would notice what they had done. He also wondered what to tell his dad. He knew there would be questions; about the emergency, Scott and Isaac had come to him with, about the bite mark on his neck… But for once, luck seemed to be on his side. Or something. He and Peter had barely had time to clean themselves up and get dressed before Isaac had called, frantic, telling them that they had found another of the Alpha’s hide outs in the woods. They had been on the road in a matter of minutes and thus the first meeting with the pack was overshadowed by the need to plan. “Woah, what are you doing here?” Stiles asked when he saw Lydia and Allison standing next to the others. They were meeting in the woods, a few miles away from the Alphas. Allison just lifted her weapons silently and Lydia flipped her hair. “I’m not going to let you shut me out again,” she declared and Derek just shrugged, kind of helplessly. “I tried to tell her no,” he explained sullenly and Stiles couldn’t help the grin at that. No one told Lydia no. Peter held himself back, not looking at either of them, and ignoring the glares Lydia sent his way. “What’s our plan?” he asked instead and Derek pointed further into the woods. “They have a cabin over there. We were thinking a surprise attack. We might be able to incapacitate or even kill some of them.” Stiles waited for someone to say something but after a while he realized that no one would. “You all know that this is a terrible idea, right?” he asked, looking them all in the eye. “We’re gonna die! Or at least some of us are. This is not a good plan!” “Erica and Boyd are there,” Isaac said quietly. “I smelled them. We have to… We might be able to get them back.” And just like that, Stiles’ resistance deflated. “Okay then,” he said, sighing, and reached into his jeeps for the bag of mountain ash he had stashed there. “Lydia, how are you –“ He stopped  as she pulled a bottle out of her purse. “Okay then,” he repeated when he identified the Molotov Cocktails. Guessing from the growl behind him, Peter recognized them, too. “Let’s go,” Derek said and led the way.   They hadn’t planned to get separated, and Stiles wasn’t really sure what was going on, but one second he was moving towards the cabin, mountain ash ready in his hand, the next Isaac grabbed his arm and pulled him along while he ran at full speed. There was a loud crash and suddenly Stiles couldn’t hear a thing and there was heat along his back and he was pretty sure he was screaming but he couldn’t hearand then he was falling and there was pressure on him and – he blacked out.   Peter smelled it a second before Derek and he yelled out a desperate “Run!” and for once everyone listened. Peter sprinted back the way he had come from as he heard the bomb going off inside of the cabin, felt the flames licking at him… There was a flash of red before him and without thinking he threw himself over Lydia, crashing her to the ground and tucking her under him, screaming as the flames burned away his coat and shirt, leaving his skin once again in a mess of burned flesh and scars. Lydia fisted her hands in his shirt from under him, her eyes closed and breathing shallowly as to not inhale too much smoke and all he could think of was Stiles, hoping he was alive, feeling the bond between them flare in agony.   Peter didn’t know how much time went by before he couldn’t feel any more flames, only cold night air on his burned skin. He carefully untangled himself from Lydia, moving to sit back on his heels, gasping in pain but checking her over nonetheless. “Are you okay?” he rasped out and she stared at him with wide eyes, nodding slowly. “Yes,” she answered and cleared her throat before standing and moving behind him. He could hear her draw a sharp breath when she saw his back. “You saved me.” It wasn’t a question but Peter nodded anyway. “Of course I did,” he said. “I couldn’t let you die.” “Because you still need me?” she asked bitterly and he twisted around a bit to look at her. “Because you’re Stiles’ friend,” he answered. “And because it’s only a small thing to make up for what I did to you.” They stared at each other for a while before she sighed and pulled him up, his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.” He couldn’t agree more.   ***   Lydia had arrived in her car so Peter laid down in the backseat on his stomach and she drove them back to the loft. “Do you think the others are alright?” she asked after a few minutes of silence. Peter grunted, trying not to move around too much. “I don’t know… I can feel Stiles, still, he’s alive. And Derek, too, I can feel the packbond. The others… We’ll have to see.” She looked at him through the mirror. “You didn’t run after Stiles.” He shook his head. “He was too far away and Isaac was closer. I knew he’d be safe. Or at least as safe as possible.” She hummed and was silent for a while. “So you two are bonded now?” she finally asked. Peter nodded. “Yeah… We had to. It wasn’t how either of us wanted it, but we have to make sure that our bond is recognized. It might keep Stiles safe in some situations.” He smiled bitterly. “The bond is more than just a construct. It changes how we feel; Stiles will fall in love with me eventually. Right now I can be happy he even trusts me.” Lydia didn’t say anything to this, just parked the car at Derek’s loft. She got out and then went to help Peter up the stairs. He visibly relaxed when they came close enough for him to hear the heartbeats inside. “Most of them are already here,” he told her before she opened the door. “Oh, thank god!” Allison cried out as they entered and Scott moved over to relieve Lydia of Peter, leading the man to the couch where he lay down with a hiss. “We weren’t sure if you were alright,” Allison said, looking Lydia over. “I’m fine,” she said, nodding at Peter. “He shielded me from the fire.” Derek lifted an eyebrow as he approached the coach, a bowl with water and some towels in hand. “Quick thinking,” he said and his uncle shrugged, wincing a bit. “You know me, I just love saving people,” he snarked and grit his teeth as Derek cut off the rest of his jacket and shirt and then started to clean the wounds. “What about Isaac and Stiles?” Scott asked but no one answered him. “Guys, seriously!” Derek shrugged. “Isaac’s alive,” he answered. “I can feel him. Stiles…” “Stiles too,” Peter supplied. “It’s… I would know if he wasn’t.” Derek’s hand slipped and he brushed hard against some of the burned flesh, making Peter cry out. “Sorry,” the Alpha murmured and his uncle scoffed. “No, you’re not.”   Ten minutes later, Peter perked up and the other wolves followed. The door swung open, revealing a shirtless Isaac and Stiles, stumbling in. “Oh, thank god, you’re alright,” Scott breathed out and moved over to check them for injuries. Isaac waved him off. “We’re both fine,” he told them, while Stiles made a beeline for Peter, staring at his healing flesh. “I pushed Stiles down and the fire just grazed me, it’s healed already. But we couldn’t find the jeep, so we had to walk back.” Scott flushed. “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t think and just took it so we could get away faster…” He pointed at Allison, Derek and himself. Stiles ignored him and kneeled on the ground, looking Peter over. “What happened to you?” he asked, his voice quivering. Lydia smiled at him. “He saved me,” she explained. “Took the fire for me.” Stiles stared at her and squeezed Peter’s hand so hard, the bones creaked. “Thank you,” he muttered and Peter just shrugged. “Anyone else hurt?” Isaac asked but everyone shook their heads. “Apparently, Peter and Lydia were closest,” Derek said, frowning. “But it doesn’t really make sense. We were all almost at the same distance. It was as if…” “As if the fire was moving fastest towards Peter on purpose,” Stiles finished the sentence, turning so he could look at the others, still holding Peter’s hand. “I don’t think that was a normal fire. I mean, did any of you smell any gasoline or something?” All the werewolves shook their heads and Lydia’s eyes narrowed. “Magic, then? Purposely out to hurt Peter the most?” “They might be angry that I escaped,” Peter agreed. “Which is why it came after me so strongly and not the others.” He sat up gingerly, letting Stiles between his legs. “I think magic is a pretty good guess.” Everyone groaned. “I hate magic,” Scott whined. “What are we supposed to do against it?” “Ward ourselves,” Derek answered grimly. “I’ll talk to Deaton tomorrow. Maybe he can help us.” Stiles stared at him. “Wow, you’re really trusting him now, aren’t you?” Derek returned his stare for a second but then looked away, his hands balling into fists. “We need him. I trust he will want to keep you kids safe, at least, and by extension, the pack and me. It will be fine.” Stiles lowered his eyes, not sure what to say. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Derek but he was probably reeking of Peter and the Alphas had destroyed any chance of talking to him normally before he was confronted with it. “I can’t believe it’s still the same night,” Peter groaned, stretching. “A lot happened. I really need to sleep.” The others nodded. Derek, however, frowned. “You can’t go home, it’s too dangerous right now,” he said. “We’ll all sleep here. Get as many blankets and pillows, we’ll all sleep on the floor.” Isaac grinned. “Like a puppy pile?” Derek rolled his eyes. “We’re not dogs, Isaac. But yes. Something like that. It’ll help in calming us all down. Tomorrow, we’ll plan.” Stiles pulled out his phone and sent a text to his dad. “I’ll say I’m staying with Isaac,” he explained. “And then he might tell me something about the fire tomorrow.” When he looked up and saw the pack stare at him, he rolled his eyes. “They’ll have seen the fire and investigate,” he explained. “So maybe we’ll have some more info.” He thought of something and looked at Derek. “What about Erica and Boyd? Didn’t you say their scent was there?” The Alpha flinched. “Yes, it was,” he answered. “But when the fire came, it vanished. I don’t know if it was a trap or if they…” He didn’t finish but Stiles knew what he meant. He looked away again, at the nest of blankets and pillows the others had made. “Right,” he whispered and laid down. A few minutes later, everyone was huddled together, even Derek. Only Peter was still standing, not sure what to do. Stiles looked at him, then at Derek’s back. “Don’t be an idiot,” he finally said and held his hand out for the older man. “Come down here.” Peter smiled and did, turning Stiles around so he could spoon him from behind, lacing their hands together. “I’m glad you’re okay,” Stiles whispered and Peter nodded. “Me too,” he answered.   ***   The next two days were uneventful. Stiles’ father had nothing to say about the fire – yes, they had been called to the scene but when they arrived, nothing showed that there even had been one. This just further cemented the idea of magic. Deaton had some ideas as well but needed time to research; Lydia offering her help. Stiles had wanted to help, too, but his dad asked him to be home. There were several questions Stiles didn’t know how to answer and he knew his father didn’t believe in his various lies anymore. Which brought him back to Derek’s apartment two days later.   “I want to tell my dad,” he said after he sat down on the couch, next to Peter. Isaac was with Scott and Derek sat in the armchair opposite of them, ignoring their locked hands. “Why now?” he asked and Stiles sighed. “It’s getting too hard to avoid it,” he admitted. “He’s a cop, he knows I’ve been lying to him for a while now. Also, with the bond…” He trailed off. He knew that Derek was hurting, he could practically feel it, and so could Peter. They tried not to rub it in too much but it was getting harder; the bond wanted them to spend as much time together as possible. “He’s human, so he won’t understand when I tell him that Peter is my soulmate,” he continued eventually. “If he knew about wolves, than I think it would be easier to accept that his son is bonded to a man twice his age.” Peter snorted. “He won’t like it anyway,” he argued. “But I see your point. It might also help having the Sheriff on our side. In the future.” Derek scrubbed a hand over his face and thought about it. “You’re probably right,” he said after a while. “Okay, do it. But only after we’re done with the Alphas. We can’t use the distraction right now.” Stiles smiled brightly. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Really, I mean it. This is great. Also… I’d like you to be there when I tell him about it all.” He looked at Peter. “I think we should save the bond for another day.” The man nodded silently. Derek stood up. “Tell your father that you’re gonna tell him soon. That should at least apeace him a while. And when we’re done with this mess I’ll go with you. Maybe Mrs. McCall would be a good idea, too, she can keep him calm.” Stiles nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you, Derek.” He stood and Peter followed him. “I’ll see you at the meeting tonight?” Derek nodded. “Deaton’s gonna be there, too. I think they might have found something.” He moved to his bedroom and Stiles looked after him before Peter ushered him out the door.   They were silent for a while until they were far enough away. “He’s gonna be okay,” Peter said, eventually. Stiles sighed. “I know. I just wish it would be sooner.” He put a hand over his own heart. “It hurts me less and less every day. And we’ve barely bonded. Soon I’ll forget all about him.” Peter stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “You know that I don’t expect that from you, right?” he said lowly. “I know that the bond is forcing you to love me after a while, but I won’t expect you to forget all about your feelings for Derek or Lydia before that. I’m not… I wouldn’t…” Stiles stopped him by squeezing his hand. “I know,” he said simply. “I also don’t expect you to forget your wife.” Peter blinked. “What?” Stiles shrugged. “I found out about her. You loved her, I’m sure, or you wouldn’t have married her. Did you… Did you really mourn her yet? After…?” Peter tried to step back but Stiles held onto him. “I don’t… She was…” He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever meet my mate,” he confessed. “I was 24 years old and lonely, my sister had her husband and cubs but I had no one. I met her, I liked her and after a while we fell in love. We were only married for a year before…” He took another deep breath. “She was pregnant when the fire happened,” he whispered. “It would have been a girl.” Stiles couldn’t stop himself; he moved closer and pulled Peter into a tight hug. The man shuddered into it, burrowing his nose into Stiles’ neck. “It’s okay,” Stiles murmured. “You can talk to me about her. You can cry. You can mourn her, Peter. That’s what the bond is about, too.” He felt wetness on his neck and they continued to stand there, rooted on the spot in an alley, for a long time before either of them let go.   ***   “We figured out who’s the Alpha’s magician,” Lydia said as soon as she and Deaton walked into the Loft. Everyone had already gathered around the table and looked at them expectantly. “It’s Ms. Morrell,” Lydia continued, smiling grimly. “I knew she wasn’t just a guidance counselor…” Stiles groaned. “Is nothing sacred in this town? I don’t even know how often I’ve tried to talk to her without mentioning Werewolves…” Deaton shrugged. “She and I worked for the same organization,” he explained. “But I left a few years ago and Marin stayed behind. I don’t know why she would help the Alpha Pack but I found some residue of her magic at the scene of the fire. It is clearly her.” Derek frowned. “Okay then, we know who attacked us. Does that make it easier or harder to fight her?” Deaton pulled some amulets from a bag. “Easier,” he answered. “You wear this and her magic won’t affect your for 24 hours. So, best would be, only to activate them when you’re going into the fight. I’d ask you not to kill her; I’ll take care of her if you make sure she gets to me.” Derek nodded. “Okay, we can do that. I want to avoid killing humans, anyway, witch or not. But if she’s out of the game, we still have a pack of Alpha’s to fight.” “I’ve thought about that,” Lydia answered, putting her own bag on the table. “We want them dead, but except for Derek or us humans, no one can kill them. We don’t want a second Alpha in town. So, I vote we trap them in a building or something and make sure they can’t get out.” Everyone blinked at her, as she pulled bags of mountain ash and other stuff out. “Stiles can handle the ash,” she continued. Allison will fight with you and I will scout out the best place to trap them. You guys will have to fight them and make sure they’re at the right place at the right time. It won’t matter if one or two of them escape the trap, we can handle them. Just not all of them.” Stiles grinned widely. “I remember why I loved you for so long,” and she laughed. Peter nodded his head. “Very good, Ms. Martin, I expected nothing less.” He looked at Derek. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” Derek thought it all over but nodded after a while. “Yeah, I guess it does. Okay. We’ll need to find the place, Stiles has to prepare the barrier and then we’ll drive them to it, until he only has to close the last gap.” He looked at Lydia and Deaton. “Got a place in mind already?” She grinned at him.   ***   The next afternoon, they had created the barrier around the old warehouse Derek used to live in. It was easily defendable as the pack knew the territory. Stiles was nervous but he believedthat the trap would hold so he was sure it would work. Deaton said so, too. Isaac and Scott were used as bait to draw the Alphas to them; Derek, Peter and Allison were in the middle of the warehouse. As soon as they heard Scott’s howl getting closer, they started to fight each other, Peter against Derek, Allison trying to shoot both of them. They wanted to make it seem as if Peter wanted to become an Alpha himself and Allison using the situation to her advantage. Stiles waited outside, wearing a second amulet to mask his scent so he wouldn’t be discovered. They had all activated their amulets a while ago, all except Scott and Isaac to not arouse suspicion. They pulled them on as soon as they were inside the warehouse, the Alphas and Ms. Morrell close behind them.   With a bang, Stiles closed the heavy door behind the pack, before Ms. Morrel could enter. His friends escaped through the last open window, as planned. As soon as he heard Derek’s howl, Stiles closed the barrier, trapping the Alphas inside. Vicious howls and snarls echoed from within as Stiles stood before his guidance counselor. “This was way easier than I expected,” he told her and she let out a loud scream, throwing a ball of fire at him. Stiles blanched but before he could jump aside, the fire was pulled into his amulet, not hurting him. “Huh,” he said and looked at him. “Neat.” She screamed again and pulled a gun from a holster at her hip but by then Deaton was behind her. He gently took the gun from her and held her close. “It’s over, Marin,” he said in his usual calm tone. “Give up now.” She tried to escape, snarling like the wolves inside, but he just sighed. He pulled out another amulet, slipped it over her head and she fell unconscious. The pack came around the warehouse and they all gathered ‘round to listen to the Alphas tearing the place apart. Not one of them had escaped. “Seriously, this was way too easy,” Stiles said again. “Did any of you expect that?” Everyone shook their heads but Lydia, who had come with Deaton, shrugged. “Time for us to get lucky, I guess,” she said, grinning. “What are we gonna do with them?” Scott asked and Derek locked eyes with Peter for a second. “You kids go home,” the older man said. “Derek and I will take care of it.” Stiles narrowed his eyes. “What are you gonna do?” Peter smiled and squeezed his hand. “Just don’t worry about it.” After a few more minutes, the pack agreed and they all, including Stiles, left the two Hale men alone at the warehouse. Deaton took Ms. Morrell with him to do god knows what with her. Stiles didn’t really care anymore.   Peter and Derek came back to the loft a few hours later, smelling like smoke, but nobody commented on it. They all huddled together on the floor again, falling asleep as a pack, knowing that for now they were safe.     ****** Epilogue ******   Sheriff Stilinski took the news of Werewolves a lot better than expected. He didn’t faint or shoot anybody, just took a large drink and some hours to himself. He then asked to meet the whole pack so they had Dinner at the Stilinski’s place, Melissa helping with the cooking. To be honest, he was way more angry with Melissa for not telling him than with Stiles, which was weird, but Stiles would take whatever help he could. He was still grounded for a month – on paper, because there was no way the Sheriff could keep him away from the pack, which he soon realized. Stiles and Peter’s bond solidified even more during the next few weeks and even though they hadn’t said “I love you” yet, they both knew in their hearts it wouldn’t be long now until they truly felt it. Derek still suffered from a broken heart but he’d known that he’d never have Stiles as a partner and was adjusting – by dating a librarian he’d met after escaping from his own loft one too many times, from the smell of Peter and Stiles together. They hadn’t told the Sheriff yet and decided to wait a while longer – just to be safe. As long as they could. Maybe even until Stiles was 18 and had moved out, Peter suggested, which was met with general laughter.   The rest of the summer was quiet, no hint of danger. The city recovered from the explosion that had taken out a few abandoned warehouses and the losses from the “animal attacks” before. The pack was fine and at peace, growing together. It was a perfect summer. End Notes Endpairing is: Stiles/Peter Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!