Love Finds A Way (Sterek AU)

Chapter Thirteen

"Watch who you're talking to, Alpha." Stiles snaps at him, and Derek's eyes glow red in anger. Stiles doesn't back down, and he's ashamed to admit that he backed away from Derek in that moment. "You did trap me here. With your stupid mating rituals and your magic and your love. You trapped me here." Stiles yells at him, and Derek backs away as if struck. "And you know what, Derek? I don't care that you trapped me here. I don't because I don't think I want to leave you." Stiles snaps at him, and Derek's eyes go back to their calming green.

"Do you love me?" Derek asks, and Stiles wipes some tears that have fallen off of his face before he looks at Derek. He doesn't say anything at first, he cannot find the words to say anything, so he just nods his head. "Tell me." Derek begs, his voice soft and low like Stiles has never heard before.

"I love you." Stiles tells him, looking up at him. Derek rushes forward to kiss him, and Stiles holds onto him tightly. He misses Scott and the girls, but Derek is his. Derek's his world and no matter what happens he needs to be with him throughout it all. Stiles kisses him like he means it, like he needs Derek to know that he loves him, and Derek pushes him against the wall as he kisses him. "I love you, okay? I'm not going anywhere, even if I could." Stiles assures him, and Derek nods as he kiss him again.

Stiles pulls Derek closer, there's too many emotions going through him at once, and he thinks he's still crying but he's not sure. "I love you." Derek whispers against his mouth, and Stiles smiles as he says it back.

****

Derek's mind is racing around, he has been able to sit still or even think a coherent thought since Stiles came back to him. It's almost too much for him to think about, but he trusts his husband. He listened to his heart, not that he needed to, and he knows that Stiles is telling the truth. It's not that hard to understand, he knows, but he's still somewhat shocked by it all the same.

Stiles is sleeping now, curled up in the bed surrounded by the blankets like he's in a nest, and Derek watches him while he sleeps. He runs his finger over Stiles' jaw, making his husband and mate shift some in sleep, and he leans down to kiss his cheek. He wants so many things with Stiles, but he doesn't feel like he's going to get them. Derek feels as though Stiles is going to disappear away from him too soon for him to realize it.

Derek cannot sleep, he's too on edge with everything happening, and he walks around the cabin. His footsteps are silent despite his large size, and he stares out the window to look out at his land. Derek tries to be a protector, to keep everyone in his pack safe, but he hasn't been able too. He was never meant to be an Alpha, it should have been Laura, but his parents left it to him.

The village is quiet now, the air is still in the mid morning, and Derek can feel his hackles rising as if he can sense danger coming towards them. Stiles groans in his sleep before turning over, and Derek watches him fondly before going back to keep watch. He can see and hear his pack moving around as they begin their day, and he turns to walk over towards Stiles.

Derek leans down to give him a kiss on the cheek,and Stiles sighs in his sleep. Stiles' tattoos look dull on his arms, and Derek traces his arms over them making them brighten up some. "I love you." Derek whispers to him, and Stiles smiles some in sleep as if he heard him. Derek turns to walk out of the cabin, breathing in the cool air while he moves towards the center of the village.

"Derek." Laura calls, and Derek turns to look at his sister who's walking over towards him with a basket in her hands. "Have you found anything else about Mary's son?" She asks, her eyes darting towards where her children play. She's worried about them, about all the children in the pack, and Derek knows it.

"No. We couldn't trace his scent and Stiles doesn't know what it could be." Derek tells her, and she huffs in annoyance. "He told me that he's from the future. I've heard about strong wizards and witches that could send themselves back in time, but only days or hours at a time." Derek confides, and she looks at him curiously. "It explains the way he talks and his odd attire that he came in." Derek says, and Laura nods.

"What year is he from?" She asks, and Derek looks at her before sighing again. He doesn't know if she'll believe him or not, or if she's just humoring him, and he looks at her.

"Two thousand fifteen." He mutters, and Laura's eyes widen at that. Derek sighs as he runs his hand through his hair, and she doesn't say anything after that. Derek didn't really expect her to.

****

Stiles is cleaning up his herbs when he hears the sound of laughter outside of his home, and he opens the door to see Derek's niece and nephew rough housing around in the yard. He smiles fondly at them through the window before he opens the door. "Shouldn't you two be with your mother?" He says, smiling. Deirdre runs up to him for a hug while Conner watches him while he shakes his head, and he moves to run towards the forest.

"No fair! I wasn't ready!" Deirdre complains, and she squirms away from Stiles to chase after him. Stiles smiles at him before he moves to go after them, he figures he's an adult so he should be near him, and he moves to go after them.

"Dee? Conner?" Stiles calls, when he walks after them. The air is thick in the forest, humid and mist, and Stiles turns his head as he looks for them. Stiles sighs in annoyance when they don't answer, they probably think that this is a game, and he walks deeper into the woods to chase them. "Kids? Answer me!" Stiles calls, suddenly getting worried. He shouldn't have let them go into the woods without a wolf.

Stiles takes a breath of relief when he sees them hopping on a wolf that Stiles knows to Peter, and he smiles when Peter pretends to nip at them. "Hello, Peter." Stiles says, softly. Peter turns his head to nod at him, and he moves to look around the woods. Something is off in air, Peter doesn't seem to notice but it makes Stiles' tattoos almost burn his skin. "Children, I think it's time to head back to the cabin. Why don't show you how to make bread or something?" Stiles says, lamely. "Something is out here." He whispers to the wolf, and Peter nudges the children to follow Stiles.

Peter doesn't say anything as he sniffs at the air, and Stiles gives him a pointed look before he drags the children away with him. Stiles pushes the children in front of him, and he is on high alert now because something is wrong. Peter takes off in the other direction without a word, and Stiles watches him before turning back to the kitchen. "Whoever makes it to the Alpha's house first is the winner!" Stiles says, and the children take off running.

Stiles sighs when they get more into the clearing. He stiffens when he feels something hit him on the back of the head, and he doesn't get a chance to scream before he passes out.