Through the years

51.

To say that everything was back to normal after that between Stiles and Derek would be a lie. Because it was far from what they used to have. But it was alright, because Derek understood and he knew that it would take a lot of time for them to work through it. Derek had lost his family so many years ago and yet it was still incredibly painful for him to think of them. It was only natural for Stiles, who had only lost them a month ago, to be grieving till this day. 

In a few days, there will be a full moon. 

It will be the day where Stiles would go through his first shift. They all knew that Stiles was a wolf already but they still had some struggle getting used to the idea. They knew the brunette as a human. Someone who needed protection from the pack. But everything was going to change very soon. Peter and Cora still hadn't talked to Stiles. The brunette had barely left Derek's bedroom, not even going back to his own home, seeking the alpha's presence even though nothing much had happened between them since they had slept together. 

Nobody knew about it either. 

And Stiles and Derek both wanted it to stay that way. 

However, much to what they had both expected, they weren't able to hide much longer. Because, only a week and a half after the two mated again, it happened. The pack had just been relaxing in the living room of the loft for the first time in a while. 

They were all together. 

Stiles was hidden upstairs for a long time but he had decided to spend some time with the pack today. They were all happier than ever when they understood that the brunette would be eating dinner with them all tonight. 

They had missed him so much. 

They were missing his wits and sarcastic remarks. They were missing his jokes, funny or not. They missed his goofy smile and his bright youthful laughter which never failed to make them laugh alongside him. They missed everything about him but they knew it was still too soon to see it all again. Because the brunette was still healing his own mind, slowly but surely. And they knew that one day, sooner or later, they'd see their Stiles again. 

Isaac had decided to celebrate Stiles' efforts by ordering pizza for everyone tonight, much to their delight, and Stiles had taken notice of how they all seemed ever so slightly closer than they used to be. Because they had all spent an entire month together, staying by Stiles' side. Their bond had grown without them noticing, but Stiles had and he felt content to see that. They were slowly looking more and more like a real pack should. 

When there was a knock on the door, they all looked at each other, waiting to see who would have the courage to get their asses up from the couch and open the door to get their pizza. Stiles had slipped into the kitchen to help Derek get the plates and many drinks so they couldn’t ask them to either.

"Open the door." Derek told them when he heard knocking again from the kitchen and finally, with a heavy sigh and a glare thrown at the rest of the pack, Liam was the one to stand up and silently made his way to the door and opened it.

But it was not who he had expected to see at all. 

"Uh, yes?" Liam said, hesitantly as he was faced with a bunch of people he did not know. He couldn't even say that he had ever seen them in town before. From the smell of it, they were all werewolves. A pack of them. There was something familiar in their scent but the beta couldn't seem to be able to put his finger on what it was. When he got no answer in return, Liam arched a brow and gave an awkward cough. "How can I help you?"

"You can't." the oldest man of the bunch scoffed with an air of superiority which irked Liam immediately. 

The man had been the one to knock on the door and was standing tall and proud, arrogance pouring out of his irises in a neverending cascade which rolled down his cheeks to end up in a cocky smirk at the corner of his lips. He was an alpha. That much had been clear from the second Liam had laid eyes on him. He had an oppressive aura which the beta was sure the man used to instigate fear and authority on other wolves facing him.