The Pack

Chapter 22: Could-haves & Almosts

Five years later...

Stiles sighed, he was tired. He did not know what to do anymore. He tried everything and it all failed. His pack was slowly disolving, his marriage was crumbling down and he was starting to doubt himself. To doubt his leadership.

He was about to do something that would probably be the dumbest thing he could do but goddammit, he was desperate. And a desperate man does mistakes, terrible mistakes. But just maybe, that time would not be one of them.

He took the stairs to the old room, he hadn't been there for years. Never got himself to do so, he could live peacefully knowing that place was very well hidden from his sight. But of course, he never got what he wanted.

Entering wasn't the problem, his husband had done so many times before. But Stiles had never step a foot in the room since the death of his best friend. He knew Derek meant well when he did what he did, and he also knew that it was an honor to be in that part of the house but that made it impossible bear.

'What the heck am I doing?', He thought as he walked slowly to the room. 'I'm supposed to be planning a way to save my pack and family but instead, I'm going to that old room.'

He opened the door and let the feeling overwhelmed him. So many memories that weren't his, so many tragic stories that weren't his to tell, except one. Out of all the stories in that room, only one was his to tell and were his memories. And it only took one to make him feel weak.

The Alpha Room hadn't change that much since the last time he was there, it was the same redwood color and it had the same statues. The same stories, or almost.

He was shaking as he walked towards one of those statues, he still didn't understand why he was so nervous about. It wasn't like they could judge his actions, heck they couldn't even hear his words let alone judge them.

He stopped to face one of them. He had to admit, they were so goddamn real, he would have to tell Mike that he had a gift, Stiles could feel the gaze of Alex Hale as he watched the immortal statue. The statue of the dead father of his husband, that wasn't his story to share nor to tell. But he couldn't help but stop and look at it. Derek shared many traits with his father, and looking at the statue helped Stiles understand the mind of his husband.

But it wasn't that statue that made Stiles's heart turn. It was the statue to it's right. He had to take a good ten minutes before glancing at it and when he did, he could not take his eyes apart. It was all Derek's idea, it was part of his wedding gift and Stiles knew he made it out of good will and kindness but he just couldn't say thank you.

He had to curse Mike for being so good at his job. The statue did look like him, every little detail was carved with such precision that it scared Stiles to be honest, even the faint scar he had on his right cheek was carved. The posture of the statue was like all the other. Brave, stoic, kind and badass. But Stiles knew he wasn't always like that, he was one of the few who saw him crack.

Stiles lowered his gaze to read what was written on the plaque.

Scott McCall
1994-2018
Alpha of the Hale pack since
2018-2018
Died saving his pack and family
Killed by
Rafael McCall

True Alpha Werewolf and Great friend.

Derek undelined 'McCall', he wanted everyone to know that even if he was the son of the killer of his father, he wasn't the same psycho who just killed for fun. That's the main reason he put his statue right next to his father, to prove his point after he saved his life.