The Fox and The Wolf - Book One {Sterek}

Chapter 7: Part of the Pack

"What the hell Hale? I guess I did smell you. I thought it was just leftover from my dream-" I stopped mid sentence. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"You had a dream about me?" He asked with a smug grin. His eyes moved over my body in what I thought looked like hunger, but I knew I was wrong. His eyes met mine again as he said, "You gained some muscle, I see."

I glanced down at my body and felt a blush creep across my cheekbones. I scowled at him and snapped, "What are you doing here sour wolf?"

A growl sounded in his chest, and I growled right back. He glared at me as he answered my question, "I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting okay."

I rolled my eyes at him, but it didn't seem to be a lie. "Yeah, I'm adjusting great. Just great. I had a dream about the grouchiest wolf in existence, I woke up with a tail, I am suddenly ripped, my sense of smell is out of this freaking world, and I walk into my room, my room, practically naked to find said sour wolf sitting at my desk. Oh, did I mention I now sprout claws and hair and pointy ears? Like, no big deal. That won't happen when I'm not in control in the middle of the school hallway or in a line at the cafe or somewhere else totally public and surrounded by people I know or anything. Im a disaster waiting to happen. I'm perfect," I finished my rant, glowering at him as my arms stopped their flailing. My vision was orange and I knew my fox eyes were showing, but I didn't care.

My hands moved back to the towel at my waist, which had slipped down a little too far. Derek's eyes had been looking there but now he looked up at me again.

"Stiles, relax. Just breathe." He said calmly, slowly rising from the chair and approaching me with his hands up. I could smell my own anxiety as I closed my eyes and did what he said.

I used the same tactic I did at the clinic, picturing the emotion leaving my body through my fingers and toes. I focused on the calm scent Derek was oozing, and on his scent, forest and mint. I opened my eyes slowly and looked into his mossy earth irises, slowly gaining control of my breathing. I sat down on the edge of my bed with a sigh and put my head in my hands.

"I'm fine," I whispered, mostly to myself.

I felt the bed move as he sat down beside me, our arms almost touching. It felt like the air between us was shivering with electricity. He continued to send waves of calm through the air, for my benefit I was sure. I inhaled it and his scent gratefully as I started to come back to myself. I sat up and turned to face him as I opened my eyes again, and jumped a little at his closeness. I only ever saw his face this close when he had me pinned up against a wall in anger. I hated how perfect his face was. Those green eyes with flecks of brown surrounded by long, dark lashes. Lashes any girl would kill for. His dark eye brows that gave him a constant frown, his smooth skin and dark stubble across his square jaw. He had perfectly shaped, high cheekbones and a faultless nose that came to a sharp point.

I had never really looked at his lips before, but I found myself considering them now. I unconsciously moved closer as I stared at them. They were a light pink, and thin. But not too thin. His upper and lower lip were almost the exact same size, and his upper lip formed a perfect little Cupid's bow. I felt myself lick my own lips and stopped suddenly. What the fuck am I doing? I jerked away from him and went to my dresser, pulling out some clean clothes.

I smelled a hint of hurt on the air, but started to doubt myself because it was so faint. I stomped off to the bathroom to get dressed, leaving the brooding wolf on my bed.

* * * *

I still sat on Stiles bed where he had left me, in complete shock. I tried to organize my jumbled thoughts as I heard the rustle of clothes coming from the bathroom. Does Stiles feel the same way about me? He had never quite looked at me like that before. Or my lips. Seeing him lick his lips as he stared at my own so close to my face... it made my insides tingle with heat. My hands were still clutching the sheets where I had grabbed them. To keep myself from grabbing him. To keep myself from running my hands over his perfectly lithe, bare body beside me. I had liked Stiles' body the way it was before, but the transformation hadn't done anything to make it worse, or change it dramatically. He was still perfect... just with a little more muscle.

During his ranting, his towel had slipped dangerously low on his hips and I had been unable to stop myself from staring as it slowly slid lower. If I was a lesser man, I would have been drooling at the sight of the perfect v shape between his delicate hip bones, the hard muscles that resided on his lower abdomen. I felt saliva building up in my mouth as I thought about it. I want him. So bad it hurts. The pull to be near him had increased exponentially since he'd turned. I didn't think it could have gotten worse, but it did. I wasn't going to be able to stay away from him.

But maybe I wouldn't have to if he felt the same way? He had dreamed about me. And the way he was staring at me... it wasn't his usual dumbass look. I pushed those thoughts away, not willing to let myself entertain the prospect. I heard Stiles coming back down the hall and composed myself, plastering a blank expression on my face. He walked in the room and glanced at my eyes, and then away again.

"Did you run here?" He asked. I nodded in response. "Come on then, I'll drive you back. We need to meet Scott anyway."

I followed him out of the house sat in the passenger seat quietly. He drove in his usual, erratic manner as we headed to my loft. When he pulled up to the parking lot, we noticed that Scott's dirt bike wasn't in sight. He must not be here yet. We hopped out of the blue Jeep and headed up the stairs, pulling open the large metal door and stepping inside. I sat on the couch comfortably and watched as the anxious fox paced back and forth in front of me.

"I guess the becoming a werefox didn't effect your ADD and hyperactivity, did it?" I said curiously.

He paused in his pacing and bounced on the balls of his feet as he turned to face me. "No," he answered simply, and went back to pacing.

I sighed and rose from my seat. Might as well get started. He stopped again and looked at me. I smelled his anxiety and nervousness in the air and tried to reassure him.

"Stiles. Everything's going to be fine. You'll learn control. If anything, you're already way more in control than any young wolf I've ever seen, and it's only been a few hours since your first shift." I allowed my sense of calm to waft through the room as I paused. "The first step is to find your anchor."

He nodded at me like he already knew what it might be.