Holding On to You

Chapter 5

"Okay, I'm here!" Stiles announced as he entered the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic, "What's the big emergency?" He walked through the front desk barrier, passing into the operation room. Scott had called him, telling him to come immediately, but Scott wasn't there. Derek stood near Deaton, eyes blaring into Stiles' like an aroused laser, "What the hell is going on?"

Seeing the boy shook his mind, Derek inhaling deeply in hopes it would help him resist, "We have to talk."

Stiles shook his head, "I don't wanna talk to you."

"You're going to have to do a lot more than that if you don't listen very carefully." Deaton warned.

Stiles' eyes ignited, "Who the hell are you to-"

"I'm sorry." apologized Deaton, his warm smile soon returning, "I'm just trying to help you, Stiles."

Stiles didn't necessarily trust this particular veterinarian, but Scott did. For that, he owed him the benefit of the doubt. Derek, on the other hand, he wasn't sure, "Help me with what?"

"As you know well," Deaton began, "werewolves exhibit behaviors considered irrational to the human eye during and before a full moon." Stiles nodded, occasionally glancing at Derek suspiciously, "This Friday is the eclipse, which affects some werewolves differently."

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, "Is Scott-"

"Scott will be fine." Deaton assured him, "From what I understand, Allison is his anchor."

"Yeah, she is." Stiles nodded, "How's that different from a regular full moon?"

"It isn't different for Scott because his anchor to humanity is already a person." Deaton said, "If a werewolf's anchor were to be something else- something inhuman they would involuntarily latch onto a specific person before and during the events of the eclipse."

"Sounds great." Stiles remarked, "What's this got to do with me?"

Deaton glanced at Derek, seeming to request silent permission. He nodded, "I don't mean to sound blunt, but everything." Stiles raised his eyebrows, the confusion seeming to fog his brain, "Derek, what is your anchor during an ordinary full moon?"

"Anger." he stated, transfixed muscles twitching about his body. Little did Derek let off, even standing in the same room as Stiles neared him to the edge.

The boy squinted, insecure body thrashing itself around stilly. Scott was right, it all made sense now. He swallowed nervously and asked, "Why me?"

"That's impossible to know." Deaton replied, "For whatever reason, a wolf's instinct choses their anchor. Derek might not have even known until recently."

"Nineteen days." he blurted, fingers tapping anxiously on his opposing arm. Stiles looked at him strangely, Derek shrugging tensely, "I don't know why but I remember the exact day it started."

"That's normal." Deaton nodded.

"Not that this isn't education and all," Stiles said, Derek's statement and eyeline worrying him slightly, "but I still don't know what I'm doing here."

"The eclipse is a worldly lunar event, werewolves instincts depending upon such circumstances to ground their abilities." Deaton explained, "To effectively keep a wolf's instincts from merging into their human side- to keep them from shifting permanently, throughout the course of the eclipse, they need a human anchor. Not to his own fault, Derek has fixated on you."

The beta's head pointed downward, unable to look Stiles in the eye as he denied him once more. Taken by Derek's recent behavior toward him, the boy believed he knew, but asked despite it, "So what do you expect me to do?"