THE HYBRID'S MATE, sterek [book 01] ✔

v. coffee and confusion

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

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     ONE NEW MESSAGE FROM: Scotty

     I groan and reach for my phone. Well, I try to. My arms are trapped between my own body and someone else's. I open my eyes, but close them almost instantly due to the blinding light. I open my eyes again, slowly this time, and look up at the person who is holding me. My eyes widen slightly when I see Peter's eyes looking right back at me.

     "Peter?" I mumble. "What the hell is going on?"

     "A lot of things, Stiles," Peter replies, not expanding on any of it. "That's not of import at the moment."

     "You think? I wake up and we're basically cuddling in the middle of the forest. That needs explaining, nothing else."

     "Yes, well..."

     Peter lets me go and sits up slowly, wincing slightly at the pull of his muscles. I sit up and look around. I see Scott, Kira, Allison, and Isaac asleep in a pile, Allison in between the males with a content smile on her face, and Kira on the other side of Scott, half laying on him; Boyd and Erica half awake drinking coffee, the latter all but sitting on Boyd; Theo, Cora, Malia, and Jackson sleeping soundly only meters away from Peter and I; Liam and Hayden walking back into the clearing with a couple bags; Ethan asleep on his back with Danny half on top of him; Aiden and Lydia laying quietly close to Ethan and Danny; and Derek still asleep not too far from me.

     It is as if me just noticing him wakes the Alpha, his eyes fluttering open and a small growl leaving him at the bright sunlight. He sits up and stretches, his bones popping and something that sounds like a contented purr to me leaving the Alpha. I must make a small noise because Derek's eyes dart over to me and the his eyebrows raise in question.

     "Something funny, Stiles?" Derek asks.

     I smirk. "You purred, sourwolf. I thought you were a Werewolf, not some so of Werecat."

     Peter chuckles and even Derek cracks a small smile, shaking his head and moving to get coffee. I yawn and my eyes squeeze shut, opening a moment later to two cups of coffee being offered to me. I take the coffees and mumble my thanks, giving one cup to the former Alpha and starting to drink my own.

     Within half-an-hour of me waking, everyone else is awake and drinking their owns cups of bitter, caffeinated liquid. There are a few conversations going on about what happened last night, but they are all funny stories. Like how Isaac was a bit too drunk and tripped over a log, his face landing in Derek's lap. The Alpha didn't look too pleased to have that mentioned. Then how I got dared to give one of the Werewolves a lap dance. Both myself and the former Alpha go slightly red at the hazy memory.

     The someone starts to bring up what I said about Derek. One look from the Alpha shuts them up. I look between the two wolves in confusion, but said nothing. My confusion is broken when Peter gives me a look that makes me realise that Scott's plan had worked the previous night, but I don't let it show one little bit.

     It is then that I remember the text from Scott.

     From: Scotty
     I'm sorry about what happened tonight. I didn't
     know that's how major it was. If I had known I
     wouldn't have done anything like that. I'm so sorry,
     Stiles. I'll make it up to you.

     To: Scotty
     Don't worry about it. He would have found out
     eventually. It's fine.

     From: Scotty
     Stiles, I know it isn't fine. You look like you're about
     to cry.

     To: Scotty
     I always look like that when I wake up.

     From: Scotty
     Oh. Yeah okay. Just...tell me if there's anything I can
     do if that changes.

     To: Scotty
     He said he's fine, Scott. Stop before you make him cry
     or hit you. I would not like to see him cry again. - Peter

     I notice that Scott looks over at myself and Peter, his eyes widening seeing the position we are in. I am all but sitting on Peter with an empty look on my face, and Peter is trying to get a response out of me. Derek must notice Scott staring at the two of us as he looks over at us too, his eyes going hard at the sight of his uncle holding the vulnerable teen that is me, but, when he realises my state, they soften and he goes back to drinking his coffee.

     Pretty soon, everyone is hyped on caffeine and starting to get their bits and pieces together, the girls somehow getting all their stuff packed before the males even got up. They then left in groups - Scott, Kira, Isaac, and Allison; Boyd and Erica; Theo, Malia, Jackson, and Cora; Liam and Hayden; Ethan, Danny, Aiden, and Lydia. Eventually, only Derek, Peter and I are left in the rocky clearing.

    "This just got awkward," Peter says, a strange look on his face.