Weep little Lion Man

"When you close your eyes and you go to sleep And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat I can hear the things that you're dreaming about When you open up your heart and the truth comes out I hear the secrets that you keep When you're talking in your sleep I hear the secrets that you keep When you're talking in your sleep..."

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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“You’re beyond stubborn, you know that?” Stiles tried to lighten the mood, thought he knew that Derek could feel the faint tremors running through his body. “I don’t want you taking my pain because you think this is your fault. I’ll…I’ll have enough to worry about, I have to know that you’ll be okay.” Shaking his head quickly, Stiles hands clutched at any part of Derek he could reach. “No, I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay, just…I’ll need you safe as well.” Stiles frowned as he tried to think of the moon the night before. “When do you think the fever will start? And how long until the next full moon?”

“You find my stubbornness attractive.” Derek murmured quietly, tugging on the ends of Stiles’ hair. He made a quiet growling noise in warning at him, “Don’t fight me, you won’t win. I’m going to make sure you’re in as little pain as possible. I will do whatever it takes.” He sighed, thumbs massaging small circles against the sides of his neck, “I’d say…by the time the moon rises tonight the fever will have started. It’ll be full force by the time it’s at its highest peak.” Frowning slightly he shook his head, “Full moon is over a week away.” He studied Stiles closely, trying to read everything he knew was hiding behind his eyes. With a faint noise Derek leaned in again, hesitating a moment before kissing him, tugging him closer into his arms.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles closed his eyes again, though this time it was to absorb the touch that Derek offered; the touch that he realized had quickly become a comfort. “Fear of the unknown, that’s all it is.” He muttered, though he wasn’t sure if that was a complete truth or not. Stiles pressed their foreheads together as he nodded. “Okay, a fever I can handle. I’m just going to be really warm. I can do that.” Stiles licked his lips, just barely keeping from chewing his bottom one off. “I can handle pain, I can. I don’t want you in pain too.” His fingers squeezed against the back of Derek’s neck. “I’ll be okay. Is there anything else?”

Derek made a quiet noise as he nudged their foreheads together, bumping their noses together slightly, almost shyly. “I will be taking some of your pain, Stiles. I’m not arguing with you on this one. I put you at risk, I’m going to help you through it.” He scratched the back of Stiles’ neck gently as he sighed, “Fever, pain, and then we wait. By the full moon we’ll know if the change will take hold. “ Derek’s voice was soft as he kept Stiles close, purring quietly as Stiles’ fingers moved over the back of his neck. “I’ll do anything for you, and if it means dragging the Banshee elders here to make them help then I’ll do it. I would go into the middle of the human camp itself if I thought they had the answer.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Closing his eyes for a moment, Stiles ran a hand over his face. “Okay, so we have new information, that’s good. We’ll…we’ll let the runners know.” He rubbed at his eyes before his gaze landed sharply on Derek. “None of that. If you hadn’t pushed me out of there, you know I would have stayed to fight the banshees with you. You did protect me.” He cupped a hand to the back of Derek’s neck, his fingers brushing over the top of their mated mark. “So, it’ll be okay. You just….you just have to tell me what to expect. The less stress the better, right?” He could feel his own fear continuing to bubble in the pit of his stomach but he couldn’t give into it. He need to be strong to show Derek that he’d be fine. “I’m not leaving you. I’m not. I won’t.” He scratched at the back of Derek’s neck.

Unconsciously Derek’s head tipped forward, trying to give Stiles’ more access to the mark growing across his shoulders and skin. The touch served to anchor him as he tried to push through the fog of protective panic coursing through his system. “I put you in danger and hurt you.” He grumbled before sighing faintly, “Stiles. I can smell the fear rolling off of you. You’re not okay.” After a moment he lifted his hands up to cup the back of Stiles’ neck, thumbs brushing over the sides of his throat as he studied him, “I’m not losing you. I’m going to help you through this. No matter the cost.” He brushed his fingers through the hair at the base of Stiles’ hairline, “It’ll start with a fever, the fever usually lasts a day sometimes two. With the fever comes pain, your body goes through physical changes. It’s the pain that makes the change dangerous. But I’ll be there to take as much of your pain as I can.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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A frown creased Stiles brow as he shook his head. That couldn’t be right, all the Hunters had told the colony for years that the only way to be changed was a bite. A snort rose in the back of Stiles’ through as he ran a hand over his face. Of course the Hunters weren’t above lying. “The Hunters always told us it could only come from a bite….it would explain why anyone who ever got scratched never made it out of their holding. They always said they were tryign to help them.” He licked his lips and shook his head one last time, soothing his hands along Derek’s arms until he could squeeze Derek’s hands. Right now he had to focus on Derek, focus on calming him. That he could do. He’d solve the scratch situation next. “Hey, I’m going to be okay. Alright? You know full well that if you hadn’t pushed me out of there I wouldn’t have left. And that’s even if they came from you.” Stiles made Derek look at him. “This isn’t your fault.”

Derek looked a little concerned as he studied Stiles, if the humans believed only a bite could turn them he would need to brief the runners in his living room. Things were dangerous enough with humans living in close proximity to the wolves, but if they didn’t understand how the process began or the truths about the wolves abilities things would be deadly. “A bite would cause the change to set in almost immediately. A scratch is a delayed delivery. There’s…There’s a chance Lydia can help. The Banshees know things…” Derek trailed off hearing the desperation in his own voice. He knew Lydia would only be able to help him make Stiles comfortable when the fever set in, any cures the Banshees once had were erased with the last ‘cleansing’ the humans had done to the forests and all of the creatures in it generations before. Derek made a noise that caught in his throat as he searched Stiles’ face, “This is all my fault, Stiles. I was supposed to protect you.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles didn’t quite follow, but he knew that Derek was scared; he could practically taste it on his tongue. “Okay, okay.” He stood up from Derek’s bed to try and close the distance between them. “Hey, look at me.” Using a firm grip on Derek’s chin, Stiles turned his head to catch his eyes. “I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on, so you need to fill me in.” He pushed his own shirt back into place. “If you’re worried about pain, you don’t have to be. I don’t feel anything yet.” He tried to run his hands over Derek’s arms. “Accidents happen, We don’t even know it was you. It could have been either of the twins as they rushed by or Scott when I got back to the cabin.” He tried to rationalize.

Derek made a faint whining noise as Stiles tugged him by his chin, he tried to avoid eye contact before all but submitting to Stiles’ directions. His hands shook, raising halfway to reach for Stiles’ shirt before dropping to his sides again uselessly, “It doesn’t matter if they’re mine or not…The point is I let you get hurt.” He mumbled quietly, shaking his head as his eyes looked down at the ground again. “You’ve been scratched by a werewolf. If not by an Alpha Wolf.” Derek shook his head as he looked up at him again, “It means either you’re going to become a werewolf…or the scratches could kill you. Even if the werewolf gene didn’t— it’s rare that nothing happens, but even if the gene doesn’t affect you infection could. You know a single scratch can bring a human down faster than anything out here.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles couldn’t help but grab onto Derek’s shoulders when he suddenly found himself off of his own feet. “Derek….come on, I can walk…” He could feel his own panic starting to rise in answer to Derek’s. “No, Derek, it’s just a scratch from branches.” He tugged at his shirt to try and pull it back down into place, shaking his head when Scott took off into the woods. “Where are we going?” Stiles asked softly as he swallowed again to try and push away the fear that was starting to rise higher. He caught sight of the runners before Derek was moving him further into the cabin, though he didn’t know where.

Derek growled at the runners to get them out of the way, baring his fangs when Newt tried to slow him down. When he’d managed to move them out of the way he carried Stiles through the cabin towards the stairs, taking them two at a time up until they were on the third landing where only Derek’s rooms resided. “I’m going….I’m going to take care of you.” He mumbled faintly trying to tamp down his fear as he set Stiles on his bed, stepping back quickly, hands pulled away still looking like he was scared he would hurt Stiles further. He made a faint whining noise before he bit it back, he’d sworn to never hurt Stiles and in his rush to get Stiles from danger he’d put him in more danger than imaginable. It was all his fault.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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“Yea well….we’ll teach me how to fight when we don’t have some kind of dire emergency that’s demanding all of our attention.” Stiles sighed, his eyes closing for a few scant seconds when Derek’s hands moved over his chest. “Hey! Hey!” He said as he pulled at his shirt. “You do realize that we’re in the middle of the yard, right? What are you doing?” He asked as he tried to turn to look down where Derek was staring at. “Hey, it’s okay. I must have just scratched myself on a branch as we ran, it’s fine.” He tried to sooth Derek again by rubbing a hand over Derek’s arm.

“There is always an emergency around here.” Derek grumbled quietly before shaking his head. He brushed his fingers over the still bleeding scars, his hands shaking as he kept the shirt pinned up out of the way. “Stop wiggling.” He frowned as he pressed a hand flat against Stiles’ ribs, trying to spur Stiles’ body into healing itself, the scars continued bleeding. “These aren’t branch scars…You’ve been scratched. I—I scratched you.” Derek’s cheeks flushed as he fruitlessly tried to heal Stiles, growling in a panicked frustration when the scars refused to knit back together. “Stiles…” Derek looked scared for arguably the first time before he called for Scott, sending the younger wolf back into the woods to track down Lydia and bring her back to the cabin for help. Lifting Stiles up into his arms he hurried back into the cabin, holding him as if afraid holding him too tightly would break him.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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With a roll of his eyes, Stiles decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. He knew that Derek was going to have a hard enough time with all the extra people around. Hell, he had only just adjusted to having three humans around; having so many had to be grating on him. “We’ll figure it out. Once the Banshees calm back down we’ll find them a place that isn’t in the cabin. Things will calm down.” He tipped his head as he shrugged a bit. “You made me leave you out there alone…I was scared you wouldn’t come back.” Stiles brow furrowed. “I’m fine? I don’t know. Can I let you know when my heart isn’t in my chest? I can’t exactly feel my legs or arms right now, they’re in the ‘we either run or fight’ mode still.”

With a quiet grumble Derek shook his head a little, “I will come back, Stiles.” He tugged lightly on Stiles’ hair again as he studied his mate’s face, “You have to believe I would never leave you like that. I will be here. Always.” Derek frowned with a quiet grumble vibrating in his chest as he smoothed his hands over Stiles’ shoulders and down his arms, massaging slightly as he swept over his arms. “We need to get you trained to fight…” He mumbled quietly before stepping back a half step to survey Stiles more closely. His head tilted, eyebrows drawing down into a sharp frown, “There’s something…” He moved Stiles’ arm out of the way as he noticed a growing dark stain on the side of his shirt. Without warning he tugged Stiles’ shirt up in order to get a better look, sucking in a sharp hiss when jagged scratches came into view running over the top of Stiles’ ribs and towards his back a few inches in length. 

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles let the press of the cabin behind him hold him up as he kept his hands soothing along Derek’s arms and neck. Anything to help relieve the tension he could feel slowly dissipating. “Well, I’m not leaving you out somewhere just to get hurt yourself, either. Remember, I’m just as stubborn as you are.” Stiles could feel the tension in his own shoulders start to ease.”Counting my father, Melissa, me and the runners? Or just counting the runners?” He tilted his head to the side as he tallied up the numbers. “Every human, we’re looking at twelve all together. Nine runners, my dad, Melissa and me.” With a sigh, Stiles tipped his head back against the cabin. “We’ll find them places to stay within the borders that will keep them safe.”

Derek rolled his eyes as he shook his head, trying to argue with Stiles before he just settled in against Stiles’ surrounding him. “Everyone.” He made an involuntary face as he thought of the number of humans in his cabin. He’d spent his entire life keeping humans out of their grounds, to have them suddenly in his home was going to take some getting used to. “They’ll need to stay in the cabin for the night. The Banshees aren’t likely to cross border lines again, but Lydia isn’t back yet which means they’re not staying down willingly. I don’t want her job harder.” He sighed, tugging Stiles’ hair lightly, studying Stiles closely, “You’re sure you’re alright? I could smell the fear on you when I came into the clearing.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Once the twins were away from them, Stiles relaxed a bit further into Derek’s arms. “Well, I won’t let you get hurt again for me, so we’ll have to be at a stubborn stalemate.” Glancing over his shoulder, Stiles let Derek lead him away from the cabin. “Come on, we’ll go around back until you calm down.” He said even though his own heart was still beating out a frantic rhythm in his chest. He had though, for a few terrifying moments, that Derek wouldn’t come back; and it had almost sent him right back out the doors and after him once the others had been tucked into the cabin. Reaching up, his hand sliding over Derek’s chest slowly, Stiles reached and gently tugged at Derek’s hair. “Everything is okay.” He continued to whisper.

Derek made a grumbling noise as he glared at the twins’ retreating backs, slowly shifting Stiles away from the house. He nodded a little when Stiles suggested moving to the back of the cabin, at least from the angle there wouldn’t be as many prying eyes. “You could have been hurt again. Because of me.” Derek mumbled quietly as he wrapped his arms tighter around his shoulders, trying to keep everything away from him. Slowly Derek’s tense frame relaxed under Stiles’ touches, leaning him against the back of the house as he closed his eyes taking slow breaths. “We’re not leaving this as a stialemate. I’m not risking my mate. Not for anything. I’m not risking you.” He shook his head a little, before his head tilted into Stiles’ hand. Sighing his shoulders dropped, his wolf calming under Stiles’ touches, “Exactly how many humans are in my cabin, again?”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles licked his lips as he watched the scratches starting to knit back together before Derek was putting his shirt back in place; fighting his own angry flash when Derek pulled away from him. His jaw worked as he shook his head as best that he could with the grip that Derek had on his hair. “Not if-” He jumped a bit when he heard the twins and found himself pressed in tightly to Derek’s chest. His hands almost instantly tightening into Derek’s shirt as he let his heart calm down. “Stop instigating!” He shouted at the twins before tipping his head back to look up at Derek. “Everything is alright, Derek.” Stiles soothed his hands along Derek’s sides, avoiding where he had seen the cuts on Derek’s ribs.

Derek shuddered as he held onto Stiles tighter, his arms crossed along the back of his shoulders as he shuddered. His wolf threatening to take over again as he growled over Stiles’ head at the twins, snapping at them both when they passed them. Growling at Newt in the doorway, tugging Stiles away from the porch again, away from the prying eyes crowding in the doorway even though there was no hiding from the figures in the window. “I won’t let you get hurt. I won’t.” Derek grumbled with a quiet low growl. His reactions to Stiles being in danger had grown exponentially from the first time he’d come across him in the woods. It was like a physical link had been drawn linking them together as surely as the marks on his skin noting them as mates bound for life. Slowly Derek started to calm down again, his hold still tight around him in an attempt to keep him close, letting Stiles’ voice and touch soothe the wolf fighting for control.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles’ hands did their own moving, sliding along Derek’s arms as he set him back down on his feet. “M’fine.” He pushed out as he turned to focus on the scratches on Derek’s chest. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” He asked as he pushed the cut pieces of Derek’s shirt aside, trying to duck and to look at all of the cuts. “Derek, are you hurt anywhere else?” Stiles’ voice rung with worry as he tried to pull Derek’s shirt off of him. Already going over what supplies they had in the cabin that he could use while he was tugging Derek slowly towards the stairs of the porch. Stopping when he finally looked up and caught Derek’s eyes. “I’m not leaving you out there alone again, do you understand me?” Stiles said as he slid his hands up to either side of Derek’s neck.

Derek growled quietly as he let Stiles drag him towards the stairs, the wolf in him fighting to take control again. He half twisted out of Stiles’ grabbing hands when he tugged on his shirt, trying to keep from getting blood on him as he kept trying to make sure Stiles wasn’t just lying to him. “I’m fine.” He shook his head as he managed to stop Stiles’ movements and fidgeting, “Stiles, stop. I’m already healing—See?” Letting go of Stiles with one hand long enough to lift up the edge of his shirt to show closing wounds before dropping the shirt again. His eyes flashed bright as he shook his head, hands sliding into Stiles’ hair to hold him in place so he had to meet his eyes, “You will if it means keeping yourself safe. I will never risk your life. Not for anything.” The twins started wolf whistling and cackling as they came up behind Derek causing him to jerk, baring his fangs at them as he growled threateningly, dragging Stiles into his chest protectively his wolfish instincts taking over.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles tensed when he caught sight of everyone in the living room watching out the window; their own tension adding to his. With a quick glance outside, Stiles had to stuff down the urge to punch something. “Dammit.” He muttered as he moved Newt out of the way and made his way out onto the porch; standing between Gally and the door should he get by Derek somehow. His hand resting on the hilt of the blade as he narrowed his eyes at Gally. He jaw clenched when Gally locked eyes with him and growled louder. Stiles glared hard at the red head as Scott grabbed a hold of his arm and hauled him back off for patrol. Waiting just long enough when he left before making it down the stairs to Derek. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Derek’s attention snapped towards the cabin as soon as Stiles stepped outside, growling he bared his teeth at Newt for letting Stiles get passed him before shoving Gally towards Scott for help getting the troublesome wolf out of the way. He closed the last yards across the lawn to reach Stiles in a few long strides, reaching Stiles as he came down the stairs, lifting him up off the last one and down onto the ground as he ignored the bleeding scars criss-crossing over his chest and ribs. He tugged Stiles in close, hands sweeping over his arms and shoulders, lifting them to trace over Stiles’ face. “Are you okay?” He stepped back eyes sweeping over him as if trying to determine if there was anything wrong with him, hands still sweeping over him, touching wherever he could reach as his eyes continued glowing face half morphed. “Stiles tell me you’re okay.”

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles tensed and glared at Newt a bit. “Don’t look so smug, short stack.” He mumbled before he was looking around at all of the others. “I’m fine. Newt’s just an oddball…he won’t hurt anyone. It’s Gally you have to watch out for. He’s got a temper on him.” With a sigh, Stiles ran a hand over his face, putting his knife back where it was. “Come on, we’ll get you all into the living area at least, then I’ll check in with Dad.” With a quick wave, Stiles ushered the runners into the room. “Just try and relax for a few moments. I’ll be right back.” He tugged at the hair at the base of his skull before he mounted the stairs to check in with his dad. Letting him know that the runners were downstairs before he was heading back down; stopping to look out a window to try and see if the others were back yet.

Minho gave Stiles’ retreating back another glare before he glanced around as if trying to find this mysterious Gally. While Stiles was upstairs he’d managed to get the rest of the runners seated, checking them for any wounds gained from the run out of the compound and through the woods. By the time Stiles had come back downstairs Minho and the runners were standing tensely at the living room windows, watching as werewolves started prowling through the trees, stalking towards the cabin. Derek appeared behind them directing around the cabin and onto a patrol, snapping at Gally when the wolf started trying to make a break for the cabin when he caught the scent of the runners. It took both Derek and Scott to shove Gally back away from the cabin, Derek snapping at the wolf with a loud snarl that could be heard through the windows.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles rolled his eyes as he tried to swat at Newt to get him to stay off a bit. “Not in their faces, christ.” He mumbled to himself while he shook his head at Scott. “No, I just need to make sure Dad and your mom are alright. When Derek’s back we’ll figure out where to put these guys.” Chewing harder on his lip, Stiles looked out the window when he heard the call; his body tensing. “Derek’s dealing with Banshees, go on. I’ll keep everyone here safe but you need to go help him and the twins.” As he shifted from foot to foot, Stiles absently moved to the door to look back out it. His hand was flexing around the knife that Derek had given him when they had basically first met.A part of him wanted to run back out there and find Derek, help somehow. “Scott….” Stiles nearly growled when he felt hands on his, pulling him out of the door, turning to see Minho glaring at him again. “Scott, just go. Be careful!”

Once Scott left Newt closed the door behind him, planting himself in front of it with a pointed look at Stiles his arms crossed in front of his chest. Minho pulled Stiles away from the scrawny wolf and the door, “Ease up Stiles.” He nodded at the knife in Stiles’ hand before glancing at the others who were nervously fidgeting with their own weapons. “Go check in with your Dad. I can handle this group for the time being.” He nudged Stiles towards the stairs Scott had come running down moments before. “I promise not to punch the skinny kid, just go.” Newt grumbled at them from the door, scowling like he’d smelled something rotten.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Nodding his understanding of what was going on, Stiles watched as the two of them disappeared through the thicket. His chest and shoulders holding so much tension that he knew he would be sore later; though there was nothing he could do about it at the time. When Minho stepped up behind him, everyone else in formation, he was forced to look away to take care of the situation at had. “Follow me, closely. Weapons down. I promise you’re safe.” Stiles said before he was leading the way, leading the way after ten minutes into the cabin clearing. Nodding to the scouts to let them know this was all of them. “In the cabin, we’ll get you into the living room until Derek get’s back. My dad should be over soon as well.” He said absently as he moved them into the cabin. “Newt!?” He called, seeming to relax when the scrawny wolf came in. “I need you to keep an eye on them, keep them in here until Derek get’s back.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’m going to let my Dad and Melissa know they’re here.”

Newt rolled his eyes at the bossy tone before practically bouncing around the room, getting in the human’s faces as he tried to figure them all out. Minho made a slight face as he shoved the small boy off of him, glaring at Stiles. Newt grinned as he just bounced to the next person. Scott came launching down the stairs, nearly bowling Stiles over as he moved. ”Shit—Sorry, man. Your Dad’s upstairs staying out of the way. You should be doing the same. If you get so much as a scratch Derek’s taking off all our heads.” He jerked in shock as he realized who else was in the room, laughing as he clapped a hand on Minho’s shoulder, “It’s good to see your rotten face.” Shaking his head he dragged Newt off of one of the girls in the group before she could punch him. “Lay off, Newt.” He nudged Stiles towards the stairs, “Go on and check in with your Dad. I need to run the perimeter quick—“ Scott cut off as he turned his head towards the window, Newt striking a similar pose both of them tense. Newt jerked as he made a face, “Derek. That’s your call.” Scott nodded looking at Stiles and the others, “Stay here. Derek’s probably just wanting me to join the twins on sweep up patrol, but just in case don’t do anything stupid.” He directed the last part at Stiles and Newt both before racing out of the door.

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Ghost Town || Sterek

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Stiles heard the howl that came from behind him; somehow he knew without a doubt that it was Derek. Even despite there being other patrols out, Stiles just knew in his bones that that was Derek. Once they were on the path, and once he heard the howls of the twins getting closer, Stiles started to relax a bit; it meant they were close. With a quick turn, he surveyed the group of humans with him and grimaced; seeing them all with their weapons drawn really didn’t make things better. “I know exactly where we’re headed; how do you think I’ve survived out here this whole time?” Stiles grumbled to Minho as he reached out and pushed the gun down. “Keep the weapon low; non-threatening, or you’re going to get all of us killed. They’re friends and they’re coming to help. Coming to them with guns drawn, weapons of any kind drawn, is just going to make everything harder and keep us all out here with the banshees for longer. Just trust me!” He urged them on, slowing once he saw the twins come skidding out from the trees on either side. “I can get them to the cabin. Go and help Derek!”

Minho held a hand up in surrender when Stiles snapped at him, motioning ahead of them towards the sound of the rustling bushes and twigs, “I’m just making sure, Stiles. Don’t snap my head off. We’ll follow your lead.” He hesitated before nodding at the rest of the group, lowering his own weapon to be certain not to anger the wolves crashing towards them. He stayed close to Stiles, hand gripping Stiles arm to drag him out of the way if need be, the large wolf’s warning still ringing in his ears. The twins exchanged a look before nodding, Ethan racing towards the clearing as Aiden paused, motioning towards the path concealed under layers of brush, “Stay on the pathway. We’ve sprung the traps. The scouts will be waiting on the perimeters for you.” Aiden didn’t spare a glance for the humans before following after his brother, their calls answering Derek’s own as they moved through the trees. Minho turned to look over his shoulder at the group, nodding to them, “You heard them. Everyone fall in line, we’ll go two abreast, step in the footsteps of the person ahead of you. Let’s move.”