For @blizsquees. Merry Christmas Bliz! May it be filled with much love, laughter, and Sterek :)
Read On AO3
*****
A Courting We Will Go
Erica hands Derek his wolfsbane laced beer and plonks herself down next to him on the bench.
“Have you asked him yet?”
Derek groans, running his hand down his face. “No, Erica.”
“Why not?”
“None of your business.”
“Actually, it is my business. You’re my Alpha, he’s my Emissary. Or he would be if you just freaking asked him!”
Derek grumbles at his beta. “It’s not that simple Erica! There’s a process. I essentially have to court him. I can’t just walk up to him and say, “Yo Stiles! Wanna be my emissary?”
Erica looks at Derek with wide eyes. “You have to court him?”
“Kinda. It's not an overly lengthy process, but I have to make my intention known by bringing him a hard to get spell ingredient, preferably one he needs and then it goes from there.”
“This is perfect!” Erica jumps up from her seat and throws herself into Derek’s lap, both of their beers sloshing out the top of the bottles. “You can court him as your emissary, AND as your loverboy.”
“WHAT??? NO ERICA that’s not …”
“You’ve been pining over Stiles for months, if not years! You can woo him to because our Emissary, and woo him into your bed!”
“I have not been pining!”
Boyd and Isaac walk out of the house and down the back stairs. Isaac snorts. “You so have been pining.”
Boyd nods. “It’s pretty obvious too. Scott noticed.”
Erica starts to cackle. “And he’s a dumb as a box of rocks! Come on Der, you can combine the two! MULTITASKING.”
Derek looks at his betas. “OK. Maybe I have been pining, But it doesn’t work like that. I can’t woo him as my emissary and mate at the same time.”
Boyd shrugs. “So pick one.”
The betas look at their Alpha expectantly. “We’ll go with Emissary first. We need an Emissary.”
Erica looks disappointed. “Can’t you woo him as your mate first? I don’t want to have to endure the pining until after the Emissary wooing is finished.”
Derek sighs. “Be patient sheesh. I’m going to go talk to my mom. You two make sure that Erica behaves.”
Derek gets up from the bench and climbs the stairs to the house. As he shuts the door he hears Isaac whisper, “I can't wait for them to bond, they're so good for each other."
*****
Derek runs over to his parent’s house in the preserve. As he breaks through the treeline he sees his mom Talia waiting on the porch.
“Hello Bun, what brings you over here today?”
Derek runs up the stairs and pulls his mother into a hug and gives her a squeeze. Talia laughs and hugs her son back giving a squeeze of her own.
“You seem happy! What’s gotten into you?”
Derek pulls away from the hug. “I’m going to start the Emissary courtship with Stiles.”
“Oh, darling heart that’s wonderful! You’re here for some information?”
Derek nods, following his mother into the house. The scent of cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger is rich in the air along with the fresh pine from the real Christmas tree standing in the corner of the living room.
Once in the kitchen, Talia pours Derek a coffee and one for herself. “So Bun, what do you want to know?”
Derek savours the flavour of the coffee and takes another sip before answering his mom. “Everything. I think I remember the steps, but I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Tell me what you remember then.”
“So the first step is the initial gift of getting something Stiles needs that’s hard to get. Then if he accepts that gift then the next gift is a copy of the latest bestiary. Then lastly I offer myself as his Alpha.”
Talia smiles at her son. “Good memory Derek! So you need to think of what to get Stiles, my suggestion is to look at his style of magic and get himself that will enhance that. While you do that I’ll make sure Peter has a Hale bestiary ready for the next step. This is so exciting Bun!”
Derek nods slowly as he downs the last of his coffee. “It feels like a long time coming. I mean, my betas say it’s a long time coming.”
“They probably thought that you would have at least asked Stiles out on a date by now.”
“MOM not you too!”
“Oh please Der-Bear, you have never been subtle when you are enamoured with a young man or woman. I’ve seen how you look at him, stealing glances when you think he’s not looking, smiling when he laughs even though you have no idea what he’s laughing at. But I’m glad you are going down the Emissary route first though. It will make your relationship so much stronger once you get together.”
“You seem awfully sure he’s going to accept my gift and then when I ask him out.”
“Bun, I’ve seen how he looks at you too. Now. What are you going to get for your first gift?”
*****
Derek pulls into the parking lot of the vet surgery just as Alan Deaton is about to lock the door for the evening. Alan holds the door open until Derek has entered, closing and locking the door after the wolf.
“What can I do for you, Mr Hale?”
“Sorry I’m here on closing Dr Deaton, but I won’t take too much of your time. I just wanted to ask you the best way to get all the different strains of wolfsbane. Is there a one-stop-shop or something?”
“Let’s take this conversation out the back Derek.”
Deaton lifts the bench to break the mountain ash line and leads Derek into the back office. “Back to your question, there is a one-stop wolfsbane shop actually. But it’s in Argentina.”
Derek’s face falls. “Oh.”
“I’m going to take a guess and say that this is for the first Emissary gift for Mr Stilinski?”
Derek nods.”Not only would it be helpful for the pack, but I think Stiles would love that.”
“I agree. I'm going to give you the name of the Emissary of the Garcia pack. Her name is Este. Not only does she have all the strains, but she’s the only person in the Americas who has a surplus of seeds. If you explain why you want the wolfsbane, and talk some about Stiles, I think she might send seeds too. That’s a mighty fine first Emissary gift.”
Deaton pulls out his address book from the locked bottom drawer in the drug cabinet and a piece of paper from the top of the desk. He writes down Este’s name and her contact details and hands the page to Derek. “Good luck Mr Hale. Stiles will make a wonderful addition to your pack. I believe your wolf and his spark are going to meld very well together and be a very powerful addition to the Hale pack.”
Derek holds the page in his hand gently as if it will shatter. “Thank you, Dr Deaton. I appreciate the help.”
The vet guides the wolf out of the building and closes and locks the door behind Derek. He waves and walks into the now dark office.
Derek walks to his car and pulls out his cell phone. Punching in the number he takes a deep breath and waits for the call to go through. There’s a click.
“Buenas tardes este es Este.”
“Hola, mi nombre es Derek Hale, soy uno de los Alfa en Beacon Hills. Quería hablar contigo sobre tu colección de matanza de lobo, ya que estoy planeando mi oferta de Emisario.”
*****
A week later Stiles Stilinski is in the kitchen of his family home preparing his homegrown vegetables to accompany a large roast beef that is already in the oven. His babica sits at the dining table laughing at her grandson as he tries to chop a carrot while shaking his backside to the music playing from the Bluetooth speaker.
A knock on the door startles Stiles as he’s about to begin chopping another carrot. “Babica can you get that for me? I’m covered in carrot guts.”
“Of course Mischief. For you my boy.” Gabriela Stilinski gets up from her chair and shuffles towards the front door. Opening the door widely she sees a nervous Derek standing there clutching a strong wooden box.
“Derek Hale! My goodness, you have grown up very very handsome. Isn’t he handsome Mieczyslaw? Come! Come!”
Looking like a deer in headlights, Derek walks into the house as Stiles is walking out of the kitchen wiping off his hands on a tea towel.
“Hey, Derek! What brings you here?”
Stiles throws the teatowel back into the kitchen.
Derek takes a deep breath. “Mieczyslaw Stilinski. With this gift, I offer you a place by my side. As my equal. As my partner. As my Emissary. Together we will guide and strengthen our pack, defend our territory, and support our allies. What say you?”
Derek holds the box forward, offering it up to Stiles. The Spark slowly lifts the lid and sees the perfectly wrapped strains of wolfsbane, as well as the numerous packets of seeds. Stiles gasps and runs his fingers over the top of all the packages. Taking a step back he looks up at Derek.
“Alpha Hale. It is my honour to accept your offer, both the gift and place by your side.”
Derek releases the breath he didn’t realise he was holding. “Really?”
Stiles rolls his eyes. “Of course Sourwolf! We’ve always been a good team.”
Derek places down the box and sweeps Stiles up into a hug. Stiles returns the hug eagerly while Gabriela claps.
The men pull away from the hug, Derek squeezes Stiles’ arms. “Your family is invited to our home for dinner on Sunday night to finalise the next steps of our joining.” Turning to Gabriela, “I’d love it if you came as well babcia.”
Stiles smiles brightly. “We will all be there. Dad isn’t working this weekend.”
Grandma Stilinski steps forward and grabs Derek’s arm. “You must tell us what to bring Derek, we must celebrate!”
*****
Sunday morning, Laura and Cora find Derek pacing the kitchen while the brand new Hale bestiary sits on the kitchen bench.
Cora rolls her eyes at her older brother. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor boofhead. What’s got you so worked up?”
Laura raises an eyebrow. “Are you freaking out about tonight? It’ll go smoothly bun. It did for Lydia and me, it will for you and Stiles too.”
Derek stops pacing and looks at his sister in a panic. “What if he backs out?”
Talia sweeps into the room after her daughters. “He’s not going to back out Bun. He’s been telling everyone who will listen how excited he is. This is a big moment for both of you! Now, time to stop freaking out and bring yourself and your stuff over the main house to get ready. Everyone is aiming to be there by 5 pm so we need to get cracking.”
Laura goes upstairs and grabs Derek’s duffle and suit bag and brings them out to the car. Cora follows her out of the door leaving Talia and Derek alone in the kitchen. “My son, look at me.”
Derek looks at his mother, eyes filled with uncertainty.
“Stiles is just as nervous as you sweetheart. Claudia called me earlier laughing because Stiles had the hiccups for an hour. She said that he was scared you would change your mind.”
“I would never mom. He’s it for me.”
“As your Emissary? Or your mate?”
“Both. But I don’t know if could only having him as one and not the other.”
Talia takes her sons hands and gently squeezes them. “My boy, you have nothing to worry about on either count. Trust your mother. Forge your wolf’s bonds, then let the other happen naturally, and they will happen. But one thing at a time hmm?”
Derek smiles at his mom and grabs the book off the countertop, and follows his mother out of his house and to the family car.
*****
The grandfather clock in the hall strikes five, and the entirety of the Hale pack and Stilinski family sit in a circle in the backyard of the main Hale house. There are lights strung through all the trees, the aroma of cooking meat dances in the air, and the excited chatter of the families dulls down after the final clang of the clock.
From either side of the circle, Derek and Stiles make their way through their pack and meet in the middle. Derek is holding the new bestiary in his hands.
“Mieczyslaw Stilinski. To further our bond as wolf and spark, I offer you the complete history of the Hale family and our knowledge of all supernatural lore. Our bestiary is yours, guard it with your life and power, this knowledge not to leave our pack.”
Stiles opens the front page of the bestiary where Derek has put a singularity claw mark in the front cover. Closing his eyes, Stiles places his right index finger onto the claw mark. “My spark and your wolf, together as one.”
The page glows as magic inscribes into the paper the mark of the Emissary. Talia comes and takes the book from Derek and goes back to her seat. The men take a step closer.
“As our final step towards our joining, I pledge myself as your Alpha. To support you at all times. To protect you at all times. My wolf. Your spark. Our pack.”
Derek tilts his head to the right exposing his neck to Stiles while several people in the audience gasp. Stiles runs his hand down Derek’s neck and stops when he can feel the wolf’s pulse under his thumb.
“My spark. Your wolf. Our pack. I pledge myself as your Emissary. To support you at all times. To protect you at all times.”
Stiles squeezes Derek’s neck then removes his hand. Bearing his neck to Derek in return he whispers, “My Alpha.”
Derek lunges forward with fangs bared, pressing them gently into the pale skin of his Emissary. With the tips of his fangs touching the skin, the bond is completed, power surging between the wolf and the spark. Erica, Boyd, and Issac leap from their seats and howl in happiness as they feel the pack bonds strengthen and Stiles bond snapping into place with theirs. The rest of the Hale family then join in, howls ringing out into the night, the Stilinskis cheering and clapping.
As the howls quieten, and the wolves calm, Derek and Stiles are still standing in the middle of the circle, heads bowed, both men smiling widely.
Stiles breaks the silence. “Would it be too soon to tell you that I love you?”
Derek looks at Stiles in surprise and bursts out laughing, pulling Stiles into a hug. His laughter dies down and he looks in adoration and his Spark. “Not too soon at all.”
“Good. Now kiss me Alpha.”
Derek’s smile brightens as he tips Stiles chin gently and places a delicate kiss on his lips. “My Emissary.”
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this Harlequin Romance novel inspired Sterek piece as your gift! I saw that in your likes and immediately latched onto that idea~ Anyway, I hope you like it!!
This mixtape tells a story. Derek and Stiles are a team to be reckoned with against monsters, but their own demons and differences cause them to fall apart. Stiles moves away to escape, and Derek soon follows him once he realizes what he lost, and they work together to patch up their fractured relationship, and finally get their happily ever after. I hope you enjoy it!
Castle: Halsey
“And now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it/Already chocking on my pride, so there’s no use crying about it.”
Take Me to Church: Hozier
“The only heaven I'll be sent to/Is when I'm alone with you/ I was born sick, but I love it”
Natural: Imagine Dragons
“We are the youth/Cut until it bleeds, inside a world without the peace facing/A bit of the truth, the truth”
Demons: Imagine
“Don’t want to let you down/But I am hell bound/Though this is all for you/Don’t want to hide the truth”
Movement: Hozier
“When you move/Honey, I'm put in awe of somethin' so flawed and free”
The Good, The Bad and The Dirty: Panic! At the Disco
“I know what it's like to have to trade/The ones that you love for the ones you hate”
I Found: Amber Run
“And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be/Right in front of me”
Heathens: 21 Pilots
“We don't deal with outsiders very well/They say newcomers have a certain smell/Yeah, I trust issues, not to mention/They say they can smell your intentions”
NFWMB: Hozier
“Nothing fucks with my baby/I'd wanna be felt by you, held by you/Feel the power of your hand on me”
Nervous: Gavin James
“So I won't say I love you if you don't/And no you don't”
Stop and Stare: OneRepublic
“Stop and stare/I think I'm moving but I go nowhere/Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared/But I've become what I can't be, oh”
You Won’t Feel a Thing: The Script
I promise you won't feel a thing, no/'Cause everything the world could throw/I'll stand in front, I'll take the blow for you.”
Human: Christina Perri
“But I’m only human/And I bleed when I fall down/I’m only human/And I crash and I break down”
Boston: Augustana
“I think I need a sunrise/I'm tired of a sunset/Here it's nice in the summer/Some snow would be nice”
Million Words: The Vamps
“Now I'm half a world away from you/But you're always on my mind/There's a million words that I could've said”
I Will Follow You Into the Dark: Death Cab for Cutie
“If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks/Then I'll follow you into the dark”
Next to Me: Imagine Dragons
“And oh, stupid things I do/I'm far from good, it's true/But still I find you/Next to me”
Lay Me Down: Sam Smith
“Can I lay by your side, next to you, you/And make sure you’re alright/I’ll take care of you”
I Was Made for Loving You: Tori Kelly, Ed Sheeran
“Touch my soul and hold it tight/I've been waiting all my life/I won't scar your young heart/Just take my hand”
Home: Phillip Phillips
“Settle down, it'll all be clear/Don't pay no mind to the demons/They fill you with fear”
All This Time: OneRepublic
“All this time/We were waiting for each other/All this time/I was waiting for you”
