Human is Just a Word 70/85
Chapter 70
Stiles really should have snapped a picture of them huddled together in the remains of that kitchen like some post-apocalyptic survivors, he thought with a little regret. But at least now, after Derek and Lydia had properly bonded, finally, things could settle down in the pack.
He would never get used to Lydia crawling into the den naked, though. By now Stiles himself had succumbed to werewolf sleeping etiquette, he had felt stupid to be the only one wearing something for the night and sleeping with nine more or less grown wolves was hot and not in a sexy way but in a I'm-dying-of-a-heat-stroke kind of way. And fur on his skin felt nice, sue him.
At least he was over his crush on Lydia because he still could admire her beauty but didn't pop an inappropriate boner every time he saw her naked. Which was every night now and with children in the den with them it would just be wrong. That was probably the reason Derek slept in his fur in the den. Stiles loved him no matter the shape but four legs, thick fur and a cold nose didn't do it for him.
Even Melissa got used to the pack slowly. Now whoever was watching the little ones took them downstairs for a while almost every day and Melissa liked having them around even if they tired her out rather quickly.
In the afternoon it was Megan most of the time, she had basically adopted Stacy and Jeremy, and it didn't take her long to take her homework with her. With so many people in the loft, Stiles' room looking like a serial killer's den and most of the building in various states of remodeling, it wasn't easy to find a quiet place to do homework. They had taken over Isaac's or Boyd and Erica's place before but the betas needed their places for themselves from time to time as well.
So Megan brought her homework and soon Lydia joined her. Stiles already used every excuse to check on Melissa and his dad anyway so he was there as well. And when Sean wasn't helping Isaac, he joined them too. And of course Becky and Benny.
John and Boyd one day went out and came back with a large table and more chairs.
"My back aches when I see you crooked over the coffee table or on the floor like that." Was the only thing John had to say to that.
Everybody now could sit properly while doing their homework so Stiles was the last to complain. And it was his father's silent welcome for the kids.
So they sat at the table with books and notes and other various school items while Melissa sat at the side, feeding little Stacy or just keeping her occupied, and Jeremy and Gina running circles around them. It became a common sight.
John and Boyd had hit it off before and now they were often found together. Stiles was just waiting for Boyd to offer his dad a job at the security company he had running with Erica. A job with flexible hours that would allow John to still take Melissa to all her appointments. But Stiles guessed that the beta wanted to give his dad and Melissa some time to settle in first.
The apartments came around nicely, thanks to Isaac and his construction worker skills, wherever those came from, and soon everybody would have their own place. Stiles was looking forward to having a door again he could shut in everybody's face to get some privacy with Derek. He had no illusions that the bed that would come with said door wouldn't be for sleeping and he was looking forward to that, too. The moments he got alone with Derek were few and far between.
With the pack stopping being refugees and slowly starting to actually live here and becoming a pack, Stiles could focus on the big goals. Mainly killing Peter.
But then one day at school Sean pulled Stiles into an empty class room.
Stiles had noticed that his friend was acting kind of off but he had thought it was because of things at home so he hadn't asked.
"I think I feel Isaac in my head." He dropped a bomb Stiles had not seen coming.
"Come again?" He asked but the panicked look on his friend's face told him that yes, he had heard right.
"It started yesterday." Sean was pacing up and down the room, not really looking at Stiles. "At first I didn't really notice but when I woke up this morning he was in my head." He pointed at his head to illustrate his point.
"Do you feel anybody else?"
"No." Sean stopped long enough to shake his head at him before he turned around and walked down to the teacher's desk again.
Stiles took a moment to check the pack bonds, he couldn't feel everybody due to the distance but he did feel the connection to Isaac. Who he didn't feel, however, was Sean.
Stiles was the alpha's mate, he had felt Lydia only seconds after Derek had felt the forming bond. And Lydia had told him that Derek had been the first she had felt in her mind. Pack members bonded to the alpha, the rest of the pack just kinda came with that.
So Sean feeling Isaac and nobody else didn't make sense. Unless …
"What does that mean?" Sean came to a halt in front of Stiles, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Am I becoming pack? Am I pack?"
"Would that be a bad thing?" Stiles asked, testing the waters. If he was right and he was pretty sure that he was, becoming pack was just a side effect of what was happening here.
Sean paused to think about the question. A few months ago he would have been running at this point but on the other hand, a few months ago he wouldn't have formed a bond with the pack.
"No." He finally said. "But my parents would be pissed." He said it as if that wasn't a bad thing either. Stiles grinned at him.
He managed to calm his friend down and send him off to class with the promise to talk about this after school.
Stiles, however, stayed back and called Isaac.
"Do you feel Sean?" He asked instead of a greeting.
"He bonded into the pack yesterday." He answered. "It was only a matter of time."
"Yeah, I know."
Sean spent so much time with the pack, especially Stiles and Isaac, but more Isaac lately, Stiles realized, that Stiles had been waiting for a while now for Sean to become pack by association. What Stiles hadn't predicted, was a different kind of bond.
"Is that a problem?" Isaac asked carefully, probably wondering why Derek hadn't accepted Sean in the pack by now.
"Not a problem." Stiles hurried to say. He chewed at his bottom lip, not sure how to break it to his beta. "It's just that I don't feel him."
"You don't?" There was clear disbelieve in Isaac's voice.
"And it looks like you're the only one he's feeling." Stiles said and then waited for Isaac to figure it out. He was the one who had pointed it out to Derek and now it was Stiles' turn to return the favor. He was probably having way more fun with this than he should but he was glad that the beta wasn't in the same room as him so he couldn't see the big grin on Stiles' face.
There was a long moment of silence at the other end, long enough for Stiles to turn from gleeful to slightly worried.
"Isaac?" He asked.
"I'm here." His voice was small and Stiles wondered if it had been a good idea to tell him over the phone.
There was another long pause before Isaac spoke again.
"Did you explain it to him?"
"No." Stiles hurried to say. "I wanted to be sure first." And unless Isaac told him to, it wasn't his place to tell Sean.
"Could you …" Isaac cleared his throat. "Could you be there when I tell him?"
"Of course." He would hold his beta's hand for this if Isaac needed that. "And Isaac?"
"Yes?"
"Don't let yourself pressure into something you don't want."
"But …"
"Talk to him, he'll understand."
They agreed that Isaac would pick them up after school so they could drive somewhere private to talk. There were too many people around at their place for that kind of talk.
Lydia, the goddess that she was, didn't ask questions when Stiles told her to take the jeep and drive Megan home after school. She just took the keys, gave him a fierce hug and then left to find Megan.
"Why is Isaac picking us up?" Sean did ask questions, though.
"Because we need to talk. About …" He pointed in the general direction of his head, this was nothing he wanted to talk about in the middle of the crowd of students heading towards the exit. The whispers and looks had died down, somewhat, but he didn't want give them more ammunition.
At least now The Wolves, as the other students had dubbed their little group, were all actual pack even if none of them was a werewolf.
Isaac was running late, no surprise there, he was freaking out right now, Stiles felt it through the bond. It was bad enough that he shot Derek an I'm on it to prevent their alpha from rushing to Isaac's rescue.
Need help? Derek answered immediately.
No. Talk later.
When Isaac finally did show up, Sean and Stiles were the only ones left in the parking lot. By now Sean was visibly worried and Stiles didn't want to know what was going on in his head.
"Don't worry, we're not going to put you in a shallow grave or something like that." Stiles tried to joke but the glance Sean shot at him told him clearly that that thought had crossed his mind.
"And it's not some frat initiation bullshit to make you pack either." Stiles added and then ushered Sean into the back of Isaac's car.
Stiles hadn't thought about where to go but Isaac drove them out to the forest they had used on the full moon a few times now. The weather wasn't the best for hiking and the spot was kind of remote so they would be alone out there.
They didn't speak during the drive and even Stiles kept his mouth shut. Through the rear view mirror Isaac kept glancing at Sean as if he had to make sure that the teenager was actually there. He probably thought that Sean would run once he realized what the bond with Isaac meant but Stiles doubted that. Sure, it would be a shock but Sean had come a long way. And what had Derek said? A bond like this didn't form if not both parties were ready for it.
But Stiles still wanted for this to happen without the whole pack witnessing, this was something private. Stiles wasn't even sure if he should be here for this but Isaac had asked him to come so here he was.
Isaac parked the car and then almost ripped off the door in his attempt to get out as quickly as possible. If he just needed to get out of the car or away from Sean, Stiles couldn't tell.
Isaac didn't speak and Sean made sure to keep the car between himself and the agitated werewolf which left Stiles to do something to lessen the tension.
"To make it short." Stiles stepped in front of the car so that he could face both of them. "You." He pointed at Isaac. "Feel him." He pointed at Sean. "And you." He jabbed the air still aiming at Sean before he switched over to Isaac. "Feel him."
Both of them nodded but only Isaac knew where Stiles was heading with this. He looked pained but he also threw hopeful glances at Sean.
"But you." Back to Sean. "Don't feel anybody else from the pack yet."
Stiles spread his arms for the big revelation.
"Congrats, you're mates."
Chapter 71
Masterpost