For My Flesh Had Turned to Fur, and My Thoughts Had Turned to You

Chapter 6

It takes a few days for the official invitation to reach the McCall pack and a few days after that for them to arrive. Talia has made everything as casual and non-threatening as possible, knowing that werewolf tradition and inter-pack laws will mean nothing to the young alpha. Despite that, the rest of the pack out of habit is still tense, lined up in order of hierarchy behind Talia, her mate, and their children. Even the emissary Deaton is waiting off to the side, present if he is needed for any moderating in their discussions.

Even though the McCall pack is small and unfamiliar with werewolf customs, they arrive bearing a gift of meat and fruit, and when their alpha comes to stand in front of Talia, he bears his throat in a sign of respect and good faith. Talia touches his neck reverently and does the same to Alpha McCall, bearing her neck until he touches it.

“Welcome, Alpha McCall. I am Alpha Talia Hale, but you are more than welcome to call me Talia. This is my mate, Nathan,” she gestures to the man standing beside her, “and these are my children, Laura, Derek, Cora, and Blake.” When she calls their name, each wolf steps forward, baring their neck to the visiting alpha. Derek purposefully avoids Alpha McCall’s gaze as he nods at each of them.

“And this,” Talia continues, “is the rest of my pack,” she says as she waves to the others that are standing behind her. “I’m sure they’ll introduce themselves once we’ve sat down to eat.”

Alpha McCall nods. “I am Scott McCall. This is my mother, Melissa,” he says waving a hand to the curly haired woman at his side. “And this is Stiles,” who is standing on his other side. Derek can’t help but focus on Stiles. He’s standing straighter, more confident than Derek remembers him ever being in the woods. The light he remembers seeing in Stiles’s eyes for those few weeks has dulled though, and Derek knows it’s because of him.

Scott decides to introduce the rest of his pack even though Talia hadn’t. There’s Stiles’s father, a small Asian girl named Kira, which Derek can tell right away is a kitsune, a red haired girl named Lydia that doesn’t smell of a wolf, and a brown haired girl named Malia. There’s another very young boy, a werewolf, named Liam.

Each of Scott’s pack bare their throats when introduced, and Talia nods to each of them, her gaze lingering on Stiles. Formal matters taken care of, Talia ushers them toward the table that’s set out full of food prepared for their meeting. The two packs mingle and discuss, the Hale pack introducing themselves to those of the McCall pack.

While Derek’s in line, Scott approaches him, his hand extended for a shake. Derek accepts and when he does, Scott cocks his head and a look of confusion briefly passes over his face, but is quickly replaced with a smile.

“It was Derek, right?” Scott asks.

Derek nods. “Alpha McCall,” he says in greeting, only to have Scott wave him off.

“Please, call me Scott.” He gives Derek a warm grin, and Derek can tell it’s not a sentiment. He would rather be called Scott than anything with a title involved.

“Scott. So…. you seem to have a rather mixed pack.”

Scott scrunches his nose for a moment, but the smile returns quickly as he looks back at his other pack members mingling with those of the Hale pack. Stiles seems to be in a rather engaging conversation with Erica of the Hale pack, but Derek notices that every once in a while, his eyes dart to him and Scott.

“You can tell, huh?” Scott asks, genuinely curious.

“Some of them. Liam smells of a wolf, but the Asian girl…”

“Kira,” Scott supplies helpfully.

“Right. She has the aura of a fox, a kitsune. The red-head doesn’t smell human, but I can’t tell what she is.”