THE HYBRID'S MATE, sterek [book 01] ✔

iii. presents and a sourwolf

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦: 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧

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     ONE NEW MESSAGE FROM: Isaac

     I cautiously unlock my phone and open the message. After Isaac accidentally sent me a photo of something I have never wanted to see, I have always been wary and a little scared to open a text from the most innocent looking person on the planet. I sigh in relief when I see that it isn't anything like that.

     From: Isaac
     Scott has something planned for tonight. He's out to
     get info about Derek from you. Watch out. Everyone
     but Derek and Peter are in on it. Peter refused to take
     part and Derek is NOT meant to know.

     To: Isaac
     Are Liam and Hayden in on it too?

     From: Isaac
     Well of course. How do you survive, Stiles?

     To: Isaac
     Thankfully with your help.

     I lock my phone and throw it onto my bed, ignoring the next vibration telling me that I have another message. I can't be bothered messaging people when I have to worry about what ever Scott is planning for tonight. Obviously, Scott's plan is going to have either a drunk me or a high me, or maybe both, included in it. The endgame? To get me to admit everything about Derek to everyone who can be bothered to listen.

     All I have to do is wait for the party to start, and then I have to watch my steps throughout the night. After all, I don't want anybody to know about Derek - especially Derek. Imagining that alone makes my heart pound like crazy and tears sting my eyes. All scenarios that could possibly happen, are not the nice kind of scenarios.

• • •

     Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

     I look up from my phone to see Derek at my window, and I have to force myself to stay calm. I open the window and allow Derek to climb through before I shut the window behind him. Derek makes himself comfortable on the chair on the other side of my bed - the same chair that he sat on when Danny came over and I called Derek 'Miguel'.

     "What are you doing, Derek?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be helping Scott get ready for his party?"

     Derek snorts in amusement. "I am not a lapdog. I am a Werewolf."

     "Oh. I thought you were."

     "Stiles."

     I give the grumpy wolf a cheeky smile. "Yes, sourwolf?"

     Said grumpy wolf shakes his head. "Nothing. Hurry up. You're going to be late."

     I roll my eyes and pick up a random hoodie hanging on the back of my chair, putting it on and not noticing it is inside-out until Derek lets out a huff of laughter. I just ignore the Werewolf and crouch down next to my bed, pulling out the wrapped gift I bought the other day. I then notice that Derek is staring at the wrapped object with a frown.

     "What?" I ask. "Haven't seen a present before?"

     "Not for over six years," Derek says quietly, but soon snapping out of his memory trance. "We need to go. Scott said we had to be there five minutes ago."

     "Why didn't you say something?!"

     I grab my phone and keys, sprinting down to my Jeep and jumping into it, Derek climbing into the passenger seat. I start my Jeep and speed to the rocky area in the forest where Scott and I used to go every weekend or so to get drunk. Just as I pull up, I hear a howl come from the forest, signalling the start of a long night.

     I hop out of the Jeep and carry the carefully wrapped gift through the forest, reaching the rocky area in a minute or two. I see Lydia, Malia, Allison, Kira, Erica, and Cora sitting on one side of the giant fire, and Jackson, Boyd, Scott, Theo, Danny, and Peter sitting on the other. Only Liam, Isaac, and Hayden are missing from the picture, and that makes my worry spike for the trio until they appeared at the edge of the forest next to myself and Derek.

     Scott notices the five of us standing in the tree line and waves us over, a wide smile on his face. Myself, Derek, Isaac, Liam and Hayden wander over to the fire and sit around it, Liam and Hayden sitting close together and Isaac squishing in between Hayden and Scott, and Derek and I sitting as far away from each other as we can between Cora and Jackson - which doesn't end up being that far apart.

     "What have you got there, Stiles?" Erica asks, her eyes alight from the flames.

     Everyone turns to look at me - the skinny human - with expecting eyes, making said Human go bright red.

     Scott raises his eyebrows. "Did you get me something?"

     I nod. "Happy birthday, Scott."

     Scott takes the carefully wrapped present and studies it for a moment. The next moment claws sprout from his finger tips and he rips right through the wrapping, almost scratching the object beneath it but missing it by a hair's breadth. He pulls the wrapping away and Isaac throws it into the fire, both their eyes going wide at the object that had been hidden.

     "Stiles, you didn't..." Scott trails off into a stunned silence.

     I grin cheekily. "Don't worry. I didn't spend a fortune on you like I was originally going to."

     "Then how?"

     "That's a secret, my friend."