Changing Patterns

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Derek stepped toward the stairs anxiously before stopping himself and shaking his head. The man turns on his heal and headed for the kitchen pulling open the over door and letting it hang downward as a still warm pot pie sits in the middle with a piece of garlic toast to its side. Derek drops his head and let's his shoulders relax, pulling out the diner and closing the oven and placing his diner on the counter behind him. Derek enjoyed his meal and moved back at about 12:30 to grab his bag and move up the stairs.

He'd have checked on everyone on his way to his own master bedroom if not for their rooms being on the right side of the home and his on the left. Derek does stop at Stiles's door and listens. Small snoring can be heard before he pushes open the door lightly and finds him curled on his side holding onto a pillow for comfort. Derek closes the door behind him and passes the library, restroom, music room, many more spare bedrooms, and finally the end of the hall. The master bedroom where Derek drops his bags down and silently closes his door.

    The alpha sighs and lifts his hands to run threw his raven black hair, followed by a low growl. Derek drops his hands down and turns toward his connected restroom, pulling off his shirt as he starts toward it. Derek tosses aside his shirt and starts on his belt as he enters the restroom, in the mirror he sees his back. Red lines are all that remain, slowly fading from his back. His meeting wasn't all that peaceful. The hunters wanted proof that he would do anything to prove his pack to be peaceful, that he'd protect them and the land and people of beacon hills. And his price was a well off beating, one he wouldn't fight back against.

    Out of character, clearly, even to himself. Derek watches the red lashed lines fade to a lower pink. With that he turned away and growled low in his throat leaning over to the shower and twisting the facet on. Then unbuttoning his pants, the zipper next as the water slowly heated up. Derek stripped himself of his remaining clothes and climbed into the shower. The water falling down over his shoulders as he bows his head, warm water poured over his neck and further his head. Hair sticking to his face and back muscles loosening with the warm comfort.

    Derek leans a hand in the wall and rolls his shoulders lightly- another pained growl escaping his lips. (Shower scene woohoo- don't really know how to write, washes up and drys off wrapping his lower boy in a towel and stepping into his room to dress and head to bed. Cool.)

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"Morning!" Derek called as the first of his pups came running down the stairs.

Erica quickly slung her arms around the man's waist, her hold pushing the two back a few steps. Derek's hold on his coffee mug stayed strong as his hands popped out to the sides, although the coffee within the mug didn't stay put. Some of the dark liquid spilled and splashed on the floor, Erica not give it more then a blink before continuing her hug. Derek's hands hover a moment before his left, holding a piece of toast, found her back.

"Dammit Erica." He hissed under his breath looking down at the spilt mess.

"Sorry!" She muttered backing up and releasing her alpha. The man nodded at the mess.

"Clean it up." He ordered, earning a groan and compliance despite her want to just ignore the mess.

Derek sighed through his nose and moved from the kitchen. Quickly entering the connected living room after passing an already set dinning table. Derek paused as the sight of a fruit-salad, stack of toast, and sticky note on the table. Stepping closer and reading the note that read, pancakes in the oven had to run- sorry guys. Derek studied the note trying to figure out the hand writing and find whose day it was to make breakfast. Erica joins him and takes the paper from his hand reading it.

"I'll get them." She said lightly as he continued into the connected living room.

"Who made breakfast?" The alpha asks sliding down into his arm chair and settling his coffee on his knee. Erica returned with a shrug.

"Stiles, like always." She says blandly.

'Like always?... Derek thinks as he watches the girl lay down the piled pancake plate with a gentle smile. 'I thought we did days... Derek hummed lightly and returned to his book, which he know held up with one hand.

Slowly member after member came down the steps, hugging, waving, or nodding a hello to their alpha. Scott specifically flashed his red eyes which Derek mimicked as a power motion between the two. Scott didn't take much of the alpha role, more like a background leader, while Derek is the packs alpha. Allison was the last to join them, all slowly migrating to the table once she had. Isaac settled next to Scott, Cora at his side with Erica, Boyd, Lydia, Ethan, Jackson, and so on continuing around the table till reaching the head of the table seat. Derek sat down on the dusty and clearly not been sat in recently seat. Grumbling slightly as he'd wiped it down.

Isaac seemed odd, leaning side to side and trying to peer into the kitchen through the bar window. "Isaac?" Lydia asks concerned.

"Huh?" He doesn't even acknowledge the girl, "sorry- um. One sec." The boy quickly pushes back out of his seat and nearly jogs into the kitchen, swinging back out instantly and running up the stairs. After a moment his loud foot steps, running, as presumed quite the talk around the room as he stops a little more then half way down the stairs; in clear visibility, to ask in a worried tone.

"Where's stiles?" There's no answer, rather, even a few shrugs. Some don't even stop eating or look up from their plates. Derek's brown pinched at the sight.

"Thee was a note that said he had to run out Isaac, I'm sure he's alright." Derek confirmed with a small nod, he new the two were close.

"Oh.." the boy responded almost sadly as he makes his slow way back to the dinning table and plops down in his seat.

Time flies by, several pack members having finished and found their way to the living room. Scott's beta even showing up and joining them in the house, he'd taken a pancake. Clatter on the floor above quieted the room, everyone looking around and searching for the culprits- except no one was missing. Derek stood from his seat and blankly sniffed the air. Stiles's scent no where to be found, but neither an intruders scent, the only indication that someone was upstairs being the creaking floorboards and clear footsteps above.

Derek instantly growled, Jackson hissing along with many other yellow eyes flaring. Someone was in their home, someone who new how to mask their scent, and that was not going to stand.

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