Shepherd [Sterek]

Chapter 28

Stiles instantly felt the same tension as he and Derek shifted into the Memory world. "I hate this place a little more every time we're here," Stiles grumbles, glancing around at the memories they floated through. Though it was only their third visit, Stiles didn't like it.

"You and me both." Derek agrees, gripping Stiles' hand a little tighter.

"It's this way." Stiles tugs on Derek's hand as the feeling builds. Their last visit wasn't of their own doing, not entirely. Stiles had pulled them into the world on accident two days after they returned home. He was exhausted; they sat together on a couch while Talia and other members of the pack went over the events of the past few months. No one noticed they had fallen asleep until the meeting was over. Stiles and Derek had sat in the memory of Stiles from the wolf sanctuary. It was far better than the boring meeting.

Derek pulled Stiles closer to him as they heard voices arguing from the memory not far from them. However, the argument sounded far too current to be a memory. "That's it."

Worried about what they would enter, Derek braced himself as Stiles pulled him along, stepping effortlessly into the image. They glanced around, finding many faces they didn't know, and as if they all noticed the new presence, the conversation stopped, and everyone turned to Derek and Stiles.

"Oh goody, the problem children are here." Scoffed a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Her fiery red hair, deep blue eyes, and her frown could make any man worry about his life; she stood no taller than five-foot-three at best, and it was evident that she could command any room she walked into.

"Because that's what I needed to hear today." Stiles held back the attitude that he wanted to return to the woman. "I don't need to hear about being the 'problem children' because I'm sure it's some long-winded story that none of us have time for. If you didn't want to see us, you shouldn't make a big fuss in my head that worried me enough to come into this freaky void–memory world. I wanted two days, two days, with my boyfriend where this bullshit supernatural world wasn't the center of attention." He couldn't help himself. Stiles was tired. So damn tired.

"Your life is supernatural. There are no days off." The fiery woman snapped.

"Ruby, give the kid a break. He didn't get a mentor like the rest of us. We're all he has." Jade steps around Ruby, giving Stiles and Derek a smile.

"Don't tell me you're all names after jewels because that's just unoriginal." Stiles groaned.

"The names Thomas, if that makes you feel better." A man with strawberry blond hair stood closer to the back of the room; his hazel eyes and warm smile made Stiles like him a tiny bit.

"We don't have time for introductions! We don't have time for him to figure this out!" Ruby shouted, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "He would have had a mentor had you not fucked up, Jade."

"Oh, so now it's all my fault." Jade laughs. "I didn't have a choice, and you know it. He was going to die if Seth and I hadn't done something. The line would have ended." Stiles' mind flashes to his dreams of watching the incident from when he was a baby.

"You were there. That's why I've dreamed of it. You watched it happen." Stiles breaths looking at the sad look on Jade's face.

"It was a necessary evil, Stiles, and you're about to learn why." Jade looks around the room. "First, I'm going to point you around the room." Stiles only nods, following her gesture to the room.

"Many of the first Shepherds have faded. Thankfully, they made all of their knowledge live within the current Shepherd forever. The tiny woman in the back, that's Gwen; she held the power about fifteen Shepherds before you a good few hundred years ago." Stiles glanced at Gwen; Jade wasn't kidding. The woman was tiny. Stiles guessed her to be no taller than an even five-foot tall. Her hair was gray, but somehow Stiles could picture her with beautiful chestnut collared hair and bright green eyes.