The Bravest of the Pack (Sterek)

Part twenty one

Stiles slowed his pace and took a long breath of fresh air. He needed this. He needed the cool air on his flesh. He needed this peace and freedom which had been missing all his life.

But he also needed Derek.

His chest was heavy and his heart ached. Stiles felt so alone without him. The anger he had felt towards the older man had now been replaced by embarrassment. He'd been so childish. Yes, okay, he was upset because his secret was out. But that wasn't a good enough excuse to act like that. He sighed, Stiles knew he should have told Derek sooner.

The moon hung low in the sky and the stars were beginning to dim, the sun was only hours away from raising again. Time to head back home.

Stiles gently rubbed at his aching neck as he made his way through the thick woods. He didn't even have to look where he was walking to know his way back home at that point. I guess that's something to be proud of.

It was, however, important to at least look at the ground when you walk. Stiles learnt this shortly after falling flat on his face because he tripped on a jagged rock.

He sat for a moment on the damp floor, brushing the dirt from his knees. The teen scrunched his eyebrows together and looked back up to the sky. The world was out to get him.

~~~~~

"Could it have been someone at the school?" Derek asked Scott while pacing across the cold floor of his house.

"No, I would know about it"

"Well.. is there anyone new to town? It must have been someone he spoke to. I doubt a complete stranger would've just waltzed into town and bit him on their way past. That just doesn't happen!" Derek was rambling. Scott noticed he did that a lot when he was worried.

That was what confused Scott the most. Why was Derek so worried? He'd never cared about Stiles before, so why start now? Scott felt almost guilty thinking more about that than about who had bitten him. Almost.

"Scott!" Derek said, waving a hand in the other werewolf's face "Are you even listening to me?"

"I don't need to, Derek. You've been repeating the same things for the past hour. Yes, my tiny brain can grasp the harsh reality that we don't know who turned Stiles" Derek opened his mouth as if he were about to answer back before slowly shutting it again. He had been rambling for a while. His throat was even a bit sore.

"Sorry" he huffed under his breath, "you should go get some sleep. It's almost morning" Scott stood up and patted a hand on Derek's shoulder before taking off. He wanted his bed.

Derek sat back in his favourite chair and let his eyes glue themselves to the sky outside. As tired as he was, he refused to let his eyes fall closed. You never know, the answer could just fly though the door and let him have a day off for once in his life.