THE DEVIL WITHIN, stiles stilinski

xxii. familial problems

     "Holy shit."

     And, with that, Derek and Lydia pass out. I fly forward and grab Lydia from Derek's arms, holding her close to my own body while my eyes turn molten orange and I stop Derek in mid fall. He starts to hover and I walk up the stairs, his body following me. I walk into the room next to mine - Derek's room - and place him on the bed, laying Lydia next to him.

     My Mates have gotten closer than they ever were before they knew about me, and it is making me happy. Almost as happy as the days my children were born. The instant they were born I knew that Ina was a Kasai Kitsune, and that Max was a Umi Kitsune - Fire and Ocean. They were said to be opposites, but they are as close as myself and my former lover, a Tengoku Kitsune, were.

     Fire and Ocean.

     Void and Celestial.

     Everyone thinks they would battle for supremacy, but that is not the case. One cannot live without the other. One cannot exist without the other. Light must have Dark. Ups must have their downs. Water must have Fire. Destruction must have its opposite, Creation. Everything has its opposite, no matter whether it be living or dead.

     Regression to the mean, as Deaton once said. It's a bit of a technical way of saying things will always even out. It is like saying that things can't always be bad. So, no matter how good or bad things get, they will always come back to the middle. Well, in most cases, yes everything will come back to the middle, but with my life it has either been one extreme or pretty close to it.

     Maybe it's time for a change.

• • •

     Nothing could get better, but it could get worse. My children, my brother, my adoptive siblings, my Mates, my Blood Bonded, and my Pack. All under the same roof; all having a meal together. Yes, we have human food. Yes, we have blood. Yes, we have human flesh. I'm joking there. No human flesh that has been cut from anyone anyway.

     Although, ever since the Blood Moon, I have been having a minor craving for human flesh thanks to my Ghoul and Wendigo sides. As I said before, my Werejaguar/Werehyena side does not desire human flesh at all. Oh well. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a tiny bit of craving coming from there, but I wouldn't know.

     "Hey, Sti," Derek says lowly, nudging me. "Are you alright? You seem a bit under the weather."

     I look up at Derek and smile. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just having my children here is bringing up memories of Serenity. It's slightly tormenting, but it's not as bad as it was when she first got murdered so long ago."

     "Hey, it's going to be alright. You have your family and your Pack here. Although, I'm pretty sure Pack are family, and family are Pack. Am I right?"

     "Yes, sourwolf. You're right. Ina and Max are Pack, and so is Alek. My children and my brother. I never thought I'd see the day when they would be together."

     "You are seeing it. It's not a dream."

     "When is a dream not a dream?"

     Derek's eyes turn dark. "Riddles, Stiles? Really?"

     I shrug. "It's not a riddle. I'm asking a question.

     "A dream is not reality, but who's to say which is which?" Lydia inquires, looking up at Derek and myself with bright eyes. "There are instances where a dream feels like reality, and then you wake up. Then there are the instances where reality feels too good to be true and it turns out to be a dream."

     "Now you're making me think that this is a dream, Lyds."

     "Ten fingers. It's not a dream. I promise, Sti. None of this is a dream."

     My ears catch faint but rapid sounds. "If this isn't a dream, then tell me something. Why do you have more than one heartbeat?"

     Everything goes silent and Lydia looks slightly worried. I meet her green eyes and tilt my head to the side, waiting for the answer that I already know, but that I want to hear for myself. I look over at Derek to see him focused intently on his food, ignoring my stare until I grasp the back of his neck gently and lift his head up, my eyes kind and warm.

     "Do you two want to tell me here, or should we go somewhere private?" I ask, my eyes flitting around the room and staring everyone in the Pack down until they return to their meals and conversations. "I'm guessing the last one. Now, come on. This conversation is not waiting until later."

     I stand up and walk up to my room, Derek and Lydia following me. They walk into my room and I shut the door, my eyes burning orange as I sound proof the room. Lydia sits on my bed and Derek on my window sill, but he doesn't remain there for long. He moves over onto the bed with Lydia and I, an arm wrapped around her waist.

     "This is why you're so close lately," I say, my eyes lightening with each word. "I knew it was something, but I couldn't lay my finger on it. Until I heard the heartbeat."

     Lydia stares at the bedspread. "Stiles..."

     "Why do you sound sorry? There's no need for it, Lyds."

     Her eyes shoot up to mine with surprise, and even Derek looks slightly shocked.

     "Did you both think I would be mad at you?"

     They nod.

     "Why in the world would I?"

     Derek swallows before answering. "Because it's not yours."

     "Oh, Der. You have a really thick skull don't you? You are both my Mates. Remember?"

     Lydia's eyes brighten. "So, you're not mad?"

     I take both of their hands, squeezing them. "Lydia, Derek, I'm not mad. I'm ecstatic, and kind of confused to be honest."

     "Oh. You don't know when it happened. I'm about a month along. So, when you went crazy."

     "Well, that makes sense. Now, onto the other confusing bit within this whole relationship."

     Derek picks up on where I'm heading and his eyes seem to laugh. "You don't know what you are to the baby."

     I nod. "Exactly. You're the father, and, Lydia, you're the mother. That just leaves me."

     Lydia squeezes my hand. "You're still the baby's father, Sti. Just not biologically. You and Derek will raise it together. They will know that Derek is their biological father, but they will know that you are also their father because you are both Derek's and mine Mate."