Broken and Returned

chapter 10

*Derek's pov*

Stiles is completely torn up. I promised him I was going to leave whoever did this alone, but I think we both know that I'm not going to. He isn't the same, he refuses to speak most the time. It's almost like he's afraid to talk, like he will get hurt if he speaks too often.

Every time I move he flinches, I get whiplash just watching him jerk back so hard. I can't comprehend how he was able to pull that tree stunt when he can't sit up without passing out.

Stiles thinks I don't see when he tears up, or when he tries to get up when I'm 'sleeping'. I don't know what those people did, but they broke my mate. I won't let this go unanswered, but I have to help him first.

It's been two weeks since the tree accident, and I haven't left his house. Surprisingly, neither Stiles nor the Sheriff has forced me to leave. Scott drops by a lot and just watches tv with Stiles, but Stiles eyes glaze over as soon as it starts. Scott and I can both smell the sadness and fear still radiating off of him, and he will only shrug when we try to talk to him.

After Scott leaves, I sit down next to Stiles.

I nudge him quickly, "Are you hungry?"

His eyes stay closed and he shakes his head slightly.

I sigh and just stare at him, "Its been two week Sti, I need you to talk to me."

He breathes heavily and opens his eyes. "There is nothing to talk about."

My eyes flash red in sporadic anger, "Nothing to talk about my ass. You were gone for too long and have changed too much to not talk. Do you know how awful it felt to not see you everyday? To not hear your sarcastic comments on every fucking thing I say? How crappy it feels when the pack hates me and I have no one to talk to? It sucks, and I know nothing could compare to what you've been through so just tell me. I want to be able to understand Sti, so so bad."

He smells angry and sad now, but he only spoke a fragment like he usually does.

This time my heart sunk, he pulls his arm over his eyes and whispered, "You guys have been fine without me."

I roared and he scrambles off the couch.

My eyes wouldn't change back while I was yelling, "Don't ever assume we were fine. Losing you was the most painful thing I have gone through in a long fucking time, and it almost killed Scott and your dad. It took everything in my power not to kill every person that spoke your name. Scott didn't go to school for months, and your dad never slept. We never stopped searching, and it nearly tore us apart."

I shouldn't have yelled.

Stiles had tears waterfalling down his face, and he was struggling to back up the stairs, away from me. Instead, he just fell into the bathroom, slamming it shut. I heard the click of the lock, and rushed to the door.

"Sti-", my voice breaking as he was choking out sobs, "Stiles I'm so sorry, please open the door."

Stiles opens the door slowly after what seemed like forever and just stared at me.

"Stiles, I shouldn't of yel-", I begin, but Stiles stumbles forward and slams into me, hugging me fiercely.

His left over tears were soaked up by my shirt, but I didn't mind one bit. This was the first time he's initiated any kind of physical contact, it made my wolf happy. I run circles on his back soothingly and without thinking, lean down and kiss his forehead. Stiles froze when I did this and backed up slightly, studying me.

I tried to change the subject. "How about some food?"

Stiles nodded quickly and I tried to hide my surprise.

He wasn't hungry a minute ago.

I shuffled into the kitchen and began to make some sandwiches, and thats when I smelled it.

Blood.

I shoved the plates back onto the table and scrambled to find Stiles. When I ran into the room, he stared at me with wide eyes and had a questioning look in his eyes.

Moving quickly, I rip off his shirt and look for what injury I could've missed. Stiles was trying to twist out of my grasp, and that's when I saw it. The fear in his eyes while trying to get away from me was enough, my hand snatched his and pulled the bandages off that covered his lower right abdomen. I showed no emotion when I saw the bullet wounds bleeding heavily, obviously being dug into. There wasn't any other damage done to his other scars, which meant he had just done it, but it was enough to make my wolf go into protective mode.

Stiles pulls his wrist back to eliminate the contact between us while I was still in shock. I took a deep breath and reached my hand out, gesturing for him to come back to me. He wouldn't look me in the eyes now.

"Stiles." My voice was stoic.

I stepped toward him and he stepped back.

"Stiles." I said it again, the emotion finally showing thick in my voice.

He steps back again as I step forward. Before he can react, I snatch his waist and pull him into a hug. Stiles was frozen at first, but relaxed into my arms after a while.

Tears flooded my eyes at last as I pleaded for him to hear me, "I'm here Stiles, I'm here."

Stiles broke down finally, crying himself to sleep in my arms after multiple hours of me reassuring that he wasn't nothing, and that he meant more than he thought he did.

When I believed Stiles was asleep, I bent down to kiss his forehead softly and I mumbled softly, "I love you Stiles, more than anything."

I moved to go sit back in my designated chair, my heart heavy from the nights events, when I heard him move.

The rustle of blankets pulled my attention to Stiles staring at me from across the room, his words stopping my heart completely, "I love you too Derek."