Shepherd [Sterek]

Chapter 32

Stiles knows he isn't truthfully awake when he wakes from his fistful sleep in the middle of a meadow. He's in the memory world.

Stiles takes in his surroundings; glancing to his left, a deep forest runs up the side of a mountain. To his right, a cliff, he can hear waves crashing against the rocky face. Stiles didn't want to know how far down it was to the bottom.

Behind him sat a small Cottage. It reminded him of something out of a fairy tale his mother used to read to him.

Knowing that cliff wasn't an option, and he didn't want to risk getting lost in the forest––who knows what could be waiting for him–– Stiles approached the cabin. Taking in small details in the area.

He now realized that the meadow he'd woke up in also had a Native Indian medicine circle made of rocks. Flat rocks dotted the ground in a pathway that led him to the cabin.

Catching a glimpse of the small plot of turned-up land behind the cabin told Stiles it was a small farm plot. He questioned if it was for food or herds that whichever Shepherd lived here used in spells and rituals.

"How did you find this place?"

Stiles nearly screams as he spins around to find a girl with pitch-black hair contrasting with her ghostly white skin. Stiles is shocked at the almost blood-red color of her lips and that her cheeks hold a pinkish hue.

Though what possibly shocked him the most was her white eyes.

Not a bit of color in them aside from the red veins around the edges.

"I–I don't know. I woke up in the meadow. I promise I wasn't trying to invade your home or anything. I'm still getting used to all of this, so I don't have–"

"I know you have no control over these powers." The girl barked.

Stiles can't help but flinch at her tone. It was already clear that he wasn't supposed to be there. He didn't want to be if he was honest with himself. But he hadn't exactly figured out how to leave the memory world without one of the others helping him. Well, at least when he enters without wanting to.

"Look, if you can just send me home, I will try my hardest never to return," Stiles says, trying to calm the situation.

The girl laughs. "That's not how this works." Any humor she had found in his words wasn't evident in her tone.

"What do you mean?"

"When you're brought here without your consent, it's because the Shepherds of Old want you here. They believe whatever I tell you will make all the difference in your upcoming battle." She's quick to push past him but slows her steps enough to find each other the rocks in the pathway.

Stiles' brows furrow at the thought that the Shepherds of Old brought him here. He was still trying to figure out if they were good or bad. His best guess is that they were most likely neutral in most situations.

"Wait– Upcoming battle?"

Stiles notes that she only steps on them and never on the grass. "Hurry up. I've got far better things to do than talk to you, so let's get this over with."

Stiles nearly trips as he begins to follow her to the cabin. Only when the pathway of rocks ends does she finally walk on the grass for the last ten feet up to the house. Stiles looks at the ground as he walks, realizing that much of the grass seems to create shapes on the ground. Different colors and thicknesses are his most significant clue.

"They are runes." The girl states from next to the door. "They keep unwanted visitors out."

"What kind of unwanted visitors?" Stiles questions as he steps into what he is sure is a circle of the runes.

"Creatures that you'll never have to worry about." Stiles follows her gaze to the forest's edge; he can't see anything but can feel its presence. Stiles shivers as the feeling of whatever the creature is leaves, but the feeling lingers. "They keep the other Shepherds away as well."

"Why would you want them to stay away? I understand some of them don't leave much to be desired," Stiles nearly growls at the thought of Ruby. He wanted to gut the soul.

"That doesn't concern you." The girl sneers and leads Stiles into the cabin.

He shouldn't be surprised, but he is amazed at how large the cabin is inside compared to the outside. "I'll take a wild guess and say that you've used some kind of spell to alter the cabin's interior."

"You'd be correct. Most don't think much of a small rundown cabin built of rocks and a thatched roof."

"I didn't see windows from outside, and the ceiling inside looks solid, so how is there natural light?" Stiles could see the sun rays leaking into the room, dust particles floating around.

"While the interior is altered, the exterior is as well." Stiles follows her gesture to the large windows bay on the other side of the room. He can't stop his feet as he crosses the room and stands before them, looking out over the ocean that crashes against the cliffs.

"Holy shit." He whispers wide-eyed. Stiles didn't know this kind of magic was possible with his powers.

"Come, sit. You're time here is limited, and I don't think you want to have nightmares for the rest of your life when the beast shows back up."

"I thought you said it can't get through the runes."

"Just because it can't, doesn't mean it doesn't try."

Stiles shivered at her words. He didn't like the feeling the beast he didn't see gave him; seeing it would probably give him nightmares. Stiles shakes the feeling and sits before her in a tall, backed chair. It reminded him of some of the furniture from the Victorian era.

"I know you know who I am, but I don't know who you are. That being said and my mother would have my head if I didn't use the manners she drilled into me; I'm Stiles. Hopefully, it's nice to meet you."

"You'd be correct. I know Jade mentioned me, but to formally introduce myself, my name is Rain Archer."