A/N NaNoWriMo starts tonight and on top of that, work is killing me right now. I don't know when or if I'll be able to post this month but if everything goes according to plan, I'll come out of November with "Human is Just a Word" and "Gambling Debts" complete and a good chunk of a new story.
We'll be back to a regular posting schedule in December, promise.
Chapter 67
Derek could tell that Melissa didn't trust him. Worse, she was terrified of him. Her heart was beating in fear and he smelled the anxiety all around her.
Derek did his best to stay back, letting John and Stiles handle the situation. He would have just left, they didn't need him here, but that felt wrong. He didn't want to give the impression that he didn't care about the humans.
But when Stiles asked if they were hungry after the long ride, Derek was quick to volunteer to go upstairs and get some leftover dinner for them.
"Everything okay?" Stephen asked, already fixing a tray for him. Ellen and Boyd were with him in the kitchen, not so subtly sniffing the air in hope to gain some information without outright asking. Everybody else was already in the den but Derek felt their eyes on him. If they had it their way, John and Melissa would be here right now but his pack understood that they needed some time to get used to the idea of living with the pack now, especially Melissa who was still injured.
"They had a long ride." He answered vaguely. "Some food and a good night's sleep is all they need."
Before there could be more questions, Derek grabbed the tray and headed back downstairs.
"The pack comes together for the meals, you should join us." Stiles just said to his dad when Derek entered the apartment. "But you don't have to, nobody would be mad if you don't want to jump in head first. Hey, I remember when I first came here, I was terrified, and the pack was smaller back then." For a second his voice became distant and Derek wasn't sure how Stiles felt about his early days with the pack. He had been terrified, that much had been obvious, but now he sounded like it was a fond memory.
John would join the pack meals, Derek was sure of that, but the way Melissa went rigid at the mention of getting near the rest of the pack, Derek doubted that he would see her at his table any time soon.
But knowing with what kind of ideas about werewolves Stiles had come, Derek didn't blame her. Her son had been bitten against his will and then Peter had just abandoned him. Without an alpha Scott had attacked his own mother, leaving her in a coma, and when she woke up she had to learn that Peter had killed her son afterwards.
It really didn't come as a surprise that she didn't trust werewolves in general and Derek as an alpha in particular.
So once he had delivered the food and had made sure that they had everything they needed for now, he excused himself.
Stiles kissed him and used the chance to whisper: "Don't worry, it's going to be okay."
"I know." Derek assured him and after another quick kiss, he left.
He didn't linger to find out if there were comments about the kissing.
The kids were already sleeping and the rest of his pack had settled down in the den as well so Derek just shrugged off his clothes, slipped into his fur and curled in with them.
Hours later Stiles joined them. Derek woke up just enough to mold himself into Stiles' side before he drifted back to sleep.
The next day was Sunday which meant no school and no getting up early.
Today, however, there was a strange tension in the air.
"Pancakes." Erica announced and didn't even bother with clothes before she started swirling though the kitchen. Once mixed the batter needed a few minutes to rest, or so Erica always said and she was the Queen of Pancakes, and she used that time to slip in the bathroom and get some clothes on. But that was more to protect her from splatters of hot oil than for modesty, Derek guessed.
His pack had never been shy but compared to Laura's pack they had been a bunch of prudes. Now clothes were more or less optional. Given how often the wolves shifted from one shape to the other, clothes were rather impractical.
Erica made an extra plate of pancakes for the ones downstairs and while everybody was stuffing their face with pancakes, Stiles grabbed the plate and a bottle of syrup and slipped out of the loft.
Everybody noticed but only Jeremy gave the closing door a puzzled look.
"Where's he going?" He asked Boyd who was cutting a pancake for him.
"His dad and Melissa want pancakes, too." Boyd replied easily.
"Don't they want to eat with us?" Jeremy looked around for somebody to explain it to him. He understood that his mom wouldn't come home to eat with them so the thought of Stiles' dad not wanting to be with them probably was the most horrific thing he could think of.
"They don't know us yet." Derek answered when Boyd threw him a helpless look.
"I want to see them now." Jeremy decided and tried to wiggle his way out of Boyd's lap.
"You'll meet them later." Derek said firmly but it still took some convincing until Jeremy went back to eating his pancake.
Derek could tell that Jeremy wasn't the only one eager to meet Stiles' dad and Melissa, but the adults knew the story behind Melissa's injuries so they understood that she was wary to meet a whole pack.
However, half an hour later John came upstairs with Stiles to bring back the dishes and to thank Erica for the pancakes.
Since John already knew Derek and his old pack introductions were a bit easier but there was still an awkward silence after the names were said and the hands were shook, but then Jeremy, who had been hiding behind Megan's leg, asked loudly: "Why does Stiles' mom not want to see us?"
Stiles and his father shared a pained glance while the rest of the pack backed off a little to give them some space.
"Melissa is not my mom." Stiles crouched down in front of Jeremy who was still mostly staying in the safety behind Megan's leg. "But my dad and me? We care a lot about her."
"Is she pack?" Jeremy asked, glancing up at John but then fixing his eyes on Stiles again.
"Yes." Stiles answered easily and Derek just wanted to kiss him for that. "Yes, she is pack. But it's still new to her and she's a little bit scared."
"Why?"
Derek bit back a groan and most of the adults, especially John, did the same. He wasn't sure if he was ready for a round of why questions but Stiles just grinned at the little boy.
"Because of the big bad wolves around here." He said. Then he leaned in, having a closer look at Jeremy. "Are you a big bad wolf?"
Jeremy shook his head vehemently, a knowing grin already on his face.
At least Megan had the sense to get out of the way when Stiles jumped the little boy and a second later they were rolling on the floor.
John just looked at his son who was now pinned down by a pint-sized werewolf, begging for mercy, then he looked at Derek.
"You really sure about that mate thing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and Derek didn't even bother to hide his smile.
Then, with a shriek, Gina joined in and a second later the twins were in the mix as well. This time Megan wasn't quick enough and went down with them when a wolfy Becky tried to dodge through her legs.
Derek had an eye on the brawl on the floor, Becky and Jeremy knew that they had to be careful when they played with the human pack members but on the other hand, they were kids, but he was more watching John.
Derek wasn't sure what he was reading in John's face but seeing his son playing with the kids did something to the man.
When he excused himself, he didn't want to leave Melissa for too long, John was deep in thoughts but he promised to come upstairs to pick up dinner for himself and Melissa in the evening.
Derek didn't see Melissa the whole day but Stiles assured him that she was doing better.
"She just needs time." Stiles said. He was the only one going downstairs that day but Derek trusted his judgment. The pack would meet her when he said that she was ready for it.
Derek didn't know how it happened but the next day he found himself suddenly alone with the three little ones. The older children were at school, Isaac at campus and the other adults were somewhere in the building, working stuff off the to do list Isaac had left them with. The renovation of the other apartments was still going on and even if Isaac wasn't there all the time, it was his project and the others were just cheap help. Not that anyone minded. Even Sean still showed up every day after school to work with Isaac.
John had been upstairs earlier but he had left with Mark to do some groceries.
"Just us now." Derek said to Gina who hadn't let go of his left leg for a while now. Some days she was just clingy like that and instead of an answer she nodded into the back of his knee.
It was time for Stacy's bottle so Derek stood in the kitchen, Stacy in one arm, fixing the bottle with the other hand, and Gina a little monkey around his leg, when he noticed that one kid was missing.
"Jeremy?" He asked into the loft but even if he couldn't see the den with the kitchen shelves in the way he could tell that there was nobody else with them in the loft.
"Have you seen Jeremy?" He asked Gina but only got a head-shake as an answer. Through the pack bond he could feel that the boy was still close and in no distress so Derek fixed the bottle and started feeding Stacy before he went in search for his little beta.
Gina didn't even bother to walk on her own, she just put her feet on top of his foot and tightened her grip around his leg.
Derek was just glad that Stiles wasn't around to laugh at him. Or Erica, she would take pictures.
With the two kids firmly attached to him, Derek followed the bond in search for the third one.
Of course the beacon in his head lead downstairs to the ajar door of John's and Melissa's apartment. Biting back a curse Derek knocked at the door.
"Melissa?" He asked. "Is Jeremy with you?"
There wasn't an answer so Derek shouldered his way into the apartment.
He wasn't sure who looked more surprised, Melissa, when she saw him with Stacy and the bottle in his arm and Gina the spider monkey around his leg, or Derek himself when he noticed her in the wheelchair at the window with a sleeping wolf pup in her lap.
"I'm sorry." She said with a delay. "I didn't mean to … he just came in and I …" There was sheer horror on her face.
"He was eager to meet you." Derek tried to look as less threatening as possible which shouldn't be hard with two little kids on him. "I told him to not bother you."
Jeremy blinked his eyes open but at the sight of his alpha he hid his face under his paws, he knew exactly that he had been caught doing something he shouldn't be doing.
"I don't mind." She closed her arms protectively around the little ball of fur as if she feared that Derek would do something to him.
"I see that." He adjusted the baby in his arm which Stacy commented with some unhappy half-cries because the bottle had slipped out of her mouth.
"Just sit down until she's finished." Melissa said and then shrank back into her chair, terrified by her own boldness.
"Thank you." Derek sat down and a second later Gina was snuggled in his lap as well. Across from him Jeremy offered his belly for a rub and after a long second Melissa sank her fingers into his soft fur.
Chapter 68 Masterpost