Through the years

45.

A/n: Let's pretend that wolves can cross over mountain ash with the help of a human. It's the only thing I could think of so we're just gonna go with that. Okay? Okay. Thank you!

***

Searching desperately for the two girls and Peter, Stiles walked around the house desperately looking in every direction. Stepping into the kitchen, the boy soon found out that none of the girls nor Peter were there. But, as he was about to leave and search another room, it happened. 

Unknown to him, the pressure cooker which Talia had put on the stove to slowly cook earlier in the evening had been completely forgotten in the frenzy of the moment and so, it had now reached its highest peak of pressure, a result of the added surrounding heat from the flames. Consequently, the pot was unable to behold the high pressure any longer and so, it exploded. 

The pressure finally escaped the confinement of the pot and as it made contact with the flames burning the walls of the kitchen, it created an even greater explosion which was strong enough to throw Stiles backwards. The brunette's body was propelled so strongly, his back collided with the kitchen's window and shattered it before falling down on the ground outside of the house. 

For a moment, the boy was left immobile on the ground, his eyes glassy as he stared up at the stars shining brightly above his head. The air had been completely knocked out of his lungs, so much so that it was painful to even take a single breath. It was as if he had been punched in the stomach. His entire body had taken quite the hit and he knew his back was littered in cuts from breaking through the window. 

His head, which had brutally made contact with the ground, yet again, was pounding to such an extent that it felt as if his head would explode. He was feeling extremely dizzy and it made him feel nauseous as a result. His already two broken ribs were most likely joined by a third one as his entire rib cage was painfully throbbing. 

It took a while for him to regain his senses and realise that he needed to help the pack because they were still trapped inside the house helplessly while he was sprawled on the ground outside. But as he stood back up with much difficulty, his eyes caught sight of Derek, standing only a few feet away from him, tears rolling down his cheeks endlessly as he continuously glanced between Stiles and the burning house. 

"Derek..." Stiles whispered as he staggered towards his mate, his limbs aching to such a point that he didn't even understand how he had managed to lift his body off the floor. "Derek!" he said louder as he approached him when he got no answer, and finally, the wolf looked back at him. 

"S-Stiles!" Derek stammered through a sob as he embraced the brunette carefully. And Stiles' heart broke in a million pieces. "A-Are you okay?" the wolf asked while pulling away and taking a good look at him as he had witnessed his mate being thrown out a window by an unknown blast. Stiles nodded quickly in return, trying his best to conceal his pain. "What happened? Where is everyone else? W-why aren't they getting out of there?" 

"They can't get out." 

"But why?"

"S-Someone put mountain ash all around the house. They can't get out on their own." Stiles explained briefly and somehow, even through his panic, Derek detected that there was something going on with the brunette. 

There was something he wasn't telling him. 

"Who?" Derek asked, his eyes were sharp and he seemed even more alert. But as he asked that, the wolf seemed to have hit the bull's eye as he watched his boyfriend's expression drop. "Do you know who did this? Who is it? You know what, never mind that, we have to help my family get out of there!" Derek brushed the matter off quickly and tried to run to the house but Stiles stopped him before he could, shaking his head.