The Hale Pack

Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long, I've been sick the whole month of December and I'm still dying well into January. :) 

Today had been a rough day for Derek. He'd failed one of his exams and his boss screamed at him in the middle of the lobby in front of a bunch of customers. Today was bad.

Talia listened as her son complained from his spot at the island in the kitchen. Derek was shy when he wasn't around pack. He didn't like being embarrassed and Talia could tell what happened at work really took a toll on him.

"How about Tacos?" She smiled at him.

"What's tacos have to do with anything?" He sighed, pulling a piece of his bagel apart.

Opening the fridge she replied, "One of your favorites."

Derek just smiled sadly at her, "Sure, sounds great, Mama."

The two sat silently for a while, Derek slowly eating his bagel while his mom cooked. It was close to six now and all he wanted to do was go to bed. It hadn't been long before the two newest members of the pack walked in. Derek groaned, Talia laughing but sending him a look, as they walked toward the kitchen.

"Hi!" Scott called cheerfully."

"How was school?" Talia asked.

Stiles plopped in the chair next to Derek, sending a smile his way. Derek glanced at him, eating the last bite from that half of his bagel pushing the plate toward the younger getting up.

"Look, you already like me." Stiles smiled again.

Derek continued walking out of the kitchen grumbling something that sounded a lot like "Shut up, Stiles." Before disappearing into his room.

Stiles blew air out of his nose in laughter before turning to Talia and asking, "Who's Deaton? Why's mom say I should see him?"

Talia hummed, turning around, "He's our pack emissary, and he's the vet in town."

"What's an emissary?" Scott asked sitting in the seat Derek abandoned.

"Well, an emissary is a druid. He's basically an advisor to a pack. Deaton for us helps to give advice and keeps us connected with the human side." She set a cutting board in front of Stiles and handed him a small knife and a bundle of tomatoes. He began cutting them as she continued, "The relationship between druids and werewolves began in ancient times. Lycaon and his disciples had become the first werewolves. It was said the celtic druids knew how to shapeshift. So Lycaon's kin sought out the druids in the hopes they could make them human again. The druids couldn't reverse the curse, but they did teach Lycaon how to shift back and forth. Ever since then, druids have served as wise counsel for the Wolves ever since."

Scott glanced at Stiles, confusion across his face. "So, was my mom a druid? Is that why she wants me to see him? He's supposed to help me learn or something right?"

Talia shrugged, "If that's what she said, then yes."

Stiles just sighed, continuing to cut the tomatoes.

Dinner came shortly after, Derek sat silently at the end of the table. Laura and Cora were blabbering on about some sale they wanted to go to. Scott was talking to Isaac, who hello? You're a werewolf? But Stiles was focused on the brooding werewolf. He could tell something was wrong and he kind of wanted to ask. The issue being, he doesn't really know Derek. And what he has learned in the short time of knowing him was that he didn't really like to open up to people. He only seemed to really talk to his mother and Laura.

Stiles POV

After dinner Derek helped clean up everything and disappeared again into his room. There was a pain, tight in my chest, as I watched him leave the group of us stuffed in the living room around the coffee table, board game splayed out in front of us. A few rounds of Cards Against Humanity and Sorry later, I found myself heading upstairs. The yells of the pack fading the closer I got to Derek's room. When I got to his room the door was open. I peeked in not seeing him but his window was open. Walking past his desk I saw a bunch of sketch paper and books on architecture open to random pages, abandoned pencils and eraser shavings. I stuck my head out his window to see him sitting on the roof just below his window.

"You can come out here." He said quietly, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand.

I climbed out and plopped down next to him, he offered the bottle to me. "What is it?"

"Wine." He said as I took it from him. "I stole it from Laura."

"Won't she be mad?" I asked before taking a sip, I scrunched my face up at the taste handing the bottle back.

Derek chuckled, "Maybe. I'll pay her back." He laid down.

"I'm gonna be a fancy druid emissary thing."

"A fancy druid emissary thing?" Derek laughed again, "So, you're seeing Deaton?"

"Not yet. But I'm gonna." I laid next to him. "Is he nice?"

Derek nodded with a sigh, "Yeah. Although, you're irritating so maybe he'll hate you."

"Rude." I scoffed, Derek bumping me lightly with his elbow. "You okay?"

Derek just shrugged, "Rough day."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

We sat there in silence for quite a while before Derek's voice broke through the air. "Thanks." He said softly.

"For?"

"Just sitting here with me."

I smiled, my gaze moving from him back to the stars above us. I bit my lip feeling my heart beating out of my chest as I moved to wrap my hand around his. I was worried he was going to yell or freak out or I don't know but instead he squeezed my hand and moved a little closer to me.

The last thing I remember of the night was Derek's sleepy voice, "You'll be a good fancy druid emissary thing."