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When Derek's family had been cursed, he was just a puppy. He didn't remember what it was like living as a human anymore. As a wolf, he still had all his intelligence, but it wasn't the same.
The only way to free the family was to find the descendants of those who cursed them and plead his case.
It had to take place on a full moon night, the only time he looked human.
Only...he still didn't know who it was.
He had been searching for years, far and wide, and his research had brought him back to Beacon Hills.
That was why Derek was walking down that narrow street, that night.
His thick black fur made him look more like a big dog than a wolf.
In the silence of the street, sobs echoed as if there had been ten people crying, but it was only one boy, sitting on the street corner, on the sidewalk.
Dafuck?
He had a torn sweatshirt, a bruise on his jaw, and dried blood on his lip.
His cheeks were dirty, with traces of tears.
He was the right age to be one of the descendants. Derek trotted up to him.
The boy was crying in despair, his knees against his chest.
The distinguishing mark was some kind of a mole in the shape of a wolf silhouette. Derek leaned over, trying to get a better sniff and look at the guy’s skin - it was covered in moles, damn him - and his wet nose brushed the boy's cheek.
"Stupid..I'm a stupid-ah!"
He jerked, widening his eyes, big and shiny.
"Hello...are you lost too?" he asked, sniffing, before he wrapped his arms around Derek’s neck and hid his face against his soft fur, bursting into louder tears.
ARGH!
Derek tried to move away, but the boy pulled him again.
"Please don't leave me too-please."
Derek tilted his head.
"I...I thought he loved me," murmured the boy, distraught.
"Well, maybe not love , but…we were friends, and when I told him I was gay, he was so understanding..."
Derek, unseen, rolled his eyes.
"And then, tonight...tonight, he said he wanted to talk ."
Melodramatic teenagers!
The boy looked the dog in the eyes. He seemed to understand him, somehow, which gave him the strength to continue.
"He didn't want to talk. He wanted to fuck ."
Saying it made him feel even dirtier.
You? He’s got a shitty taste
Derek bumped his nose against the guy’s forehead
"He practically jumped on me, and I said no, I swear , I said no! And he..."
What?
"He tried to force me, he said that as a f- fag I would like it," sobbed the boy.
Derek growled, and the boy jumped back, scared.
Oh no, no, I’m not mad at you!
Derek lowered his ears and yelped.
The boy stretched out a tapering hand, white and trembling, toward the dog's head.
The dog dodged the caress and bit his sleeve, pulling d to set him on his feet.
"Where-no, I can't-When I pushed him away he practically threw me out of the car and-and left" New tears started flowing again.
"I don't even know where I am"
I do. Woff!
"And even if I knew, I’m not ready to go back."
Derek let go of his sleeve and he began to push and pull him in one direction.
"Hey, hey...what are you doing?!"
Oh well, he was lost anyway...
And at least the dog wouldn't try to rape him.
Derek guided him to a busier street, which he knew went all the way to the city center. He still remembered the outskirts of the town like he had only been away a couple of weeks, tops.
The boy kept his hand on his back, walking unsteadily by his side.
He should not have taken this detour from the plan, but the boy smelled good , and Derek was more empathetic than usual when he was in animal form.
Plus, he was the right age. It could have been that he or one of his friends was the person Derek had been trying to find.
Good thing there weren't so many cars at that hour, because the boy was distracted, nervous, and scared.
"What do I do now?" muttered the boy, pulling Derek out of his musings.
"I no longer have a home."
Uh?
"We used to be roommates, and I don't want to go back there," his voice trembled.
Sgrunt!
"Of course, I could just go back to my own house, but my father lives somewhere else, plus…he doesn't know that I'm--"
An idiot?
As they continued walking, they arrived in front of a McDonald's.
The boy looked at him nervously, and the dog snorted, before pushing him through the door by bumping his muzzle against his lower back.
"Whoa-wait, hey, I don't think dogs can-"
By then, they were already inside.
The boy covered his eyes from the sudden light.
In a moment, also thanks to how cute the dog was, the employees were around him to check on him.
The boy shielded himself, embarrassed.
He was not used to so much interest.
"What happened to you? Did they attack you? Should we call the police? Do you have anyone to call?"
Derek sat in the corner, quietly.
The boy blinked.
"I-I-I-"
And burst into tears again .
God, this kid is a mess!
Derek patted back to him, nuzzling his palm with his cold, wet nose.
"I need...do you have a bathroom...?"
"Sure, darling, over there"
The boy cast a glance at the dog.
"Will you wait for me...?"
Derek nodded, causing ecstatic squeals from the staff girls.
"Okay," the boy sighed and left.
He reached the bathroom and undressed, cleaning his face, hands and arms.
He threw away his dirty, ruined sweatshirt with ill-concealed disgust, and threw the flimsy jacket he had in his backpack on his T-shirt.
When he returned to the room, there was a purplish bruise on his cheekbone.
Derek was happily munching on a hamburger when the other came back out.
Oh
"Thank you for…letting him stay"
"Oh, you're more than welcome, sugar, he's adorable "
Yes I am. When I want to be.
The boy approached the dog and stroked its head.
"Thank you for staying," he murmured, right before his stomach growled .
Derek yelped, and the waitresses awwed and ran to get together a happy meal.
The boy sat next to the dog, almost inhaling the sandwich.
"That asshole didn't even let me have dinner."
Derek growled.
The asshole could have been a descendant of the man who had cursed them, maybe? In that case, he’d be a double asshole, and Derek might have considered maiming him a little after the guy had got them back in human form.
For his family, of course. Not this nameless guy.
The boy smiled at him.
"I feel better, you know. You almost seem to understand me."
He sighed.
"I'll have to find a place to sleep and then...and then I don't know what I’ll do."
Let's go get the asshole!
"I wish I could just go to him and make him pay, but I'm not the type."
Derek huffed.
Well, lucky for you I am
"I'm going to have to call Lydia..she's going to rip me a new one though."
Sounds good. Exactly what you need. Call her
Derek nodded fervently, bumping his muzzle against his shoulder, and the boy laughed softly.
"You're right, I must. I had it coming, I guess. She never liked that guy."
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and his cautiously optimistic expression fell when he saw that there were no calls or messages.
He sighed, and pressed the button, letting it ring.
"Stiles, hey! What's going on? It’s almost two in the morning!"
Her voice was somewhere between annoyed and anxious.
Derek stretched out his ear.
Stiles, uh. I’d be dramatic too, with a name like that
"Ah-hi, Lydia, sorry about the hour, I…I didn't know who else to call."
".... thanks a lot, huh. What do you want?"
The boy-Stiles-swallowed, chasing back tears, one hand clenched in the dog's fur.
"I don't know where to go, I don't know where I am. I'm lost, and-Lydia, please, help me. You can shout at me later, but now…"
"I'll come and get you, Stiles. Don’t worry. Where are you right now?"
"I..."
Stiles looked at one of the maids.
"Where..."
She gave him the address and Stiles repeated it, stammering slightly.
"I'm sorry to bother you"
"Don’t you dare , Stiles. You cut me off, I didn’t reciprocate. Do you want us to stay on the phone until I get there?"
"I-no, there’s...I'll wait for you inside the McDonald's. I’m safe."
"...okay, baby. I'm coming."
"Thank-thank you"
He did not deserve such kindness, after what he had done to her, but he was not strong enough to reject it.
The dog yowled, putting his paws on Stiles’s legs and pressing his wet nose against his cheek.
Stiles squeezed him.
"Thank you, too."
For God's sake, pull yourself together!
sgrunf!
Stiles could not understand him though, and he remained practically clinging to Derek until the arrival of a beautiful auburn-haired girl who burst into the club like a fury.
Stiles raised his big red eyes at hearing the sound of stilettos on linoleum, but he almost hid behind the dog when he saw Erica.
Shit, he hadn't thought about that.
Lydia's eyes widened when she saw him, and she ran to him for the last few meters.
“Stiles Stilinski why the hell didn‘t you call me sooner?!” she shrieked.
"I-I didn't want to disturb," chirped Stiles.
"Whatever. What the fuck happened??"
"I had an accident-"
The dog grunted and Stiles elbowed him.
"-I was simply walking in the woods and got lost."
He was too ashamed to admit what had really happened, especially to them: one was his ex-girlfriend, the one he used to think was the love of his life, while the other was an ex-outsider turned bully.
"Did a tree slap you in the face then?" asked Erica, bluntly, and Stiles grimaced.
"I fell and hit my face on a root," he retorted dryly.
"Sure you did."
Sgrunf!
"Don’t be a dick, Erica. Are we going or not?"
Stiles stood up, with a bland expression, and so did Derek.
Lydia glanced at him.
"Is this dog yours?"
"No, actually he..."
Woof!
"...can he come with us?"
"In my car ?! Forget it, Stiles. My crush is done and dusted, so I-"
The dog jumped on Erica and licked her face, waggling his tail and planting his huge green eyes in hers.
"Argh! Well...hmpf"
"You owe me, Erica. Let it be this, hm?"
"Why would I even-fine, Jesus, fine . Let's go,” Erica muttered when Lydia threw a deadly glare at her.
Stiles remained attached to the dog. He had never gone anywhere with Erica, and after that night's experience, he was even less confident of people he thought he knew.
He looked at Lydia quizzically.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted your girl time or whatever," he mumbled.
"Don't be silly, Stiles. Erica and I can hang out or go to a party another time.”
Stiles shrugged his shoulders.
He had always thought that Erica had started resenting him so much because he was in love with Lydia and she was jealous, but after they had broken up she hadn’t made any attempt to win him over. Not that it would have made any difference, in light of his own self discovery, but still.
And now she was friends with Lydia, out of all people?!
"If you were with her, in fact, I'm surprised she let you come and get me, honestly."
"No one lets me do things, Stiles. I’m too badass, you should know that."
He looked out the window. The questions would come, he knew. Lydia was too smart for her own good.
"Speaking of friends...why didn't you call your roommate?"
Stiles paled instantly.
Busted.
He wasn't good at lying in normal situation, when he had prepared what he had to say. Let alone in that moment. He hadn't even taken his pill.
"Ah-he-he-"
"It was him, wasn't it?" Erica asked, but it sounded more like a statement.
Stiles's eyes filled with tears, and he lowered his gaze, without answering.
Derek licked his cheek.
"It was me," he murmured. "It's all my fault, mine only."
Stiles stroked the dog’s neck, slowly.
"Sure, I bet you went against his fist on purpose," Erica retorted, while Lydia screeched, "he hit you ?!"
"I deserved it, it's the same thing."
"Stiles, you can't have deserved it, don’t be stupid” Lydia protested.
“It's not something anyone deserves, least of all you!"
"When I agreed to go out with him, I knew what he wanted from me. I went anyway. And then-"
He clenched his jaw.
"And then I didn't even have the balls to follow through."
Two whats followed his words, and Stiles cringed.
"You went out with your roommate? That all-American jock?! He’s queer ?!"
"No, Erica, I'm the queer one. He was simply my roommate, the incredibly open-minded, supportive roommate who invited me to get a drink, and then offered me to get it directly from the tap."
"I knew that fucker was bad news, but I didn’t imagine he’d be such an asshole," Lydia growled.
Stiles lowered his head again.
"I'm the asshole, Lydia. Come on, we're adults , I should have expected that. Anyway, I refused, he insisted, I refused again and he threw me out of the car."
"Expect what, Stiles?” Erica interjected.
“A friend asks you out, without having told you first that he's into guys too, and proposes out of nowhere to have sex, and when you say no he hits you and leaves you there? Sure, that's a very adult thing to do, man."
Lydia was green in the face.
"He's not into guys , he just said...he said..."
"I'm going to fucking rip his dick out!" Lydia shrieked like a banshee, slamming her fist on the dashboard.
Stiles sighed.
"I can't go home. Do you mind if I stay with you until I find another place? I know I shouldn’t ask, but…"
"Yeah, you shouldn’t. In fact, we should have already offered. Of course you can, baby, no problem."
And it was that small endearment, uttered out of nowhere by that cherished voice, that untied the last knot in his chest.
"Thank you," he murmured hoarsely, sobbing quietly.
Derek lay on top of him.
WOF!
I have to meet this guy! Introduce me to him! That's the cursing dick for sure!
Stiles jerked. He had forgotten that he was there, too.
"I don't know what to do with him, though. He has been by my side when I was alone, guided me to safety, and looked over me until now, I can’t just leave him out on the street…"
"I guess he can stay with us a few days. He looks kinda cool, he’s growing on me," Erica replied with a smirk.
Stiles's face lit up.
"Really?!"
Derek yapped, tail wagging and mouth open with his long tongue lolling out.
"Oh, come on, look at him! He’s huge , but still adorable!" trilled Erica.
Stiles blinked.
Did Erica just use the word adorable ?
He stared at her, shocked.
“I think Lydia should decide. I mean, it’s her apartment, and-”
"It’s our apartment, Stiles, and if I didn’t take into account Erica’s wishes that would make me a truly terrible girlfriend, wouldn’t it?” Lydia pointed out, and Stiles blinked, confused.
"Wait, what? Are you saying that you two...?"
Lydia turned to look at him as Erica giggled.
"I didn’t understand how you suddenly became friends, but I’d have never thought...wow."
How could he have missed the signs?
"Uhm...Erica..."
"What”
"Nothing, I…Um…"
"Yeah, I'm queer too, buddy. Lydia is more fluid and open , let’s say."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
WOFF!
"What the fuck, Erica, you didn’t even ask me before you blurted it out!!!"
"Stop screaming all at the same time, you assholes, I’m trying to fucking drive !"
Stiles stared at the back of Erica’s head as if he wanted to look inside.
"You turned into a bully because you wanted to be with me!!! How the hell-"
"Yeah maybe it wasn’t you I wanted to be with, Stiles."
"You were always around me!"
"I was around Lydia , man!"
Stiles almost choked on his saliva.
That was a joke, wasn't it?
"But-but you-I...you’re making fun of me, aren’t you?"
Erica shrugged.
"Feel free to not believe me. It's true, though, even if I’m not proud of me. I was picking on you because I didn't want to admit that I wasn’t straight. It was easier to pretend my resentment came from your rejection and not from you being with the person i was in love with. Besides, you always seemed pretty queer, so not only you weren’t worthy of her, but you were also living the truth I was trying so hard to hide."
"I wasn't queer !!!"
Lydia huffed.
"Newflash, Stiles, you were . You’ve always been, you just didn't know it yet back then."
"I'm sorry, Lydia, if I…"
"Yeah, yeah. Every person I kiss turns gay. It's a curse."
“Luckily, the last time worked well for you,” Erica purred, winking at her, then she threw a glance at Stiles through the rearview mirror and offered him a small smile.
Maybe they could be friends now?
"If you've admitted it, and you’re okay with yourself, you don't hate me anymore?"
"...nah. Never had, not really."
Stiles extended an uncertain hand to her, and Erica squeezed it briefly, holding the steering wheel with the other.
"Wow, this shitty day is ending in a surprisingly... not shitty way," he muttered to himself.
WOFF!
Oh. Yeah. There was the dog, too. Stiles snuggled against the dog.
"Lost a friend...gained two."
The dog touched his cheek with his nose, as it was becoming a habit.
If he had been a man, would those have been kisses?
Stiles laughed softly at his own stupid thoughts.
"I'll have to find a name for you, I can't keep calling you The Dog ."
Bark!
Hi, I'm Derek
"Well, let's see. You look like a wolf..."
Stiles looked into his eyes, so green and intense, they seemed to understand him.
"You look a know-it-all and arrogant self-centered bastard..."
I don't!
"How about Sourwolf ?"
The dog made an URGH sound that made Stiles laugh again.
"Well, we'll see. In the meantime…"
He lowered his voice, speaking directly into Derek’s ear.
"In the meantime, I'm glad you found me, Sourwolf."
He laid his cheek against the animal's side and, in no time, he was asleep.
Damn, how Derek hated his dog-like nature.
He yawned, glanced at the girl sitting in the front, and decided he could deem them safe.
Maybe he could rest a bit, too.
Tomorrow I’ll figure this all out, he thought to himself.
But for now, I’m glad I found you too, Stiles.
*****
When Stiles woke up, the following morning, it was to a cocoon of warmth.
He hadn’t slept so well in months, basically since he had left his father’s house.
Suddenly, everything had shifted, and he felt protected, safe-and loved.
Stiles blinked, opening his eyes slowly.
Golden light was streaming on the pale blue duvet; it was probably still too early to be awake, especially after the eventful night he had, but he still felt refreshed and full of energy.
Gone were his nerves, the fear of uncertainty.
Something was just- right .
He was in Lydia’s guest room, he remembered.
She had taken him in, with Erica, who was apparently her girlfriend now. Man, that had been wild . Stiles would have never seen it coming.
His bladder made itself known, and with a groan he went to get up.
Only-he couldn’t. Something heavy was placed on his chest.
He glanced down at the tuft of black fur poking from under the covers and smiled.
The dog had slept with him.
He ran his fingers through the fur, humming softly.
“Sourwolf…” he called gently “I really, really need to get up.”
A loud groan.
“Five more minutes,” a hoarse voice muttered, and Stiles’s fingers froze.
Wait, what ?
He snapped up, dislodging the-body?-on top of him, and revealing a muscular, tall, brooding guy who levelled him with a deadly glare.
“You couldn’t let me sleep five more minutes, Stiles? Where is the fire?” he growled, before his eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with a huge hand.
Then, he patted his face, his bearded jaw, his neck, his nose.
“Holy shit” he murmured, “holy shit . It is you.”
Stiles, who was still staring at the very attractive and very naked guy towering above him, blinked owlishly at him.
“It’s me? What’s that supposed to mean? Who am I?” he shook his head. “Actually, who are you ! How did you get in my bed ?!” his voice went slightly shrill on the last word.
“ You put me in it” the guy replied, gruffly, crossing his bulging, hairy arms on his impressive chest.
“I put a dog in it! You’re-” Stiles’s shaky hand waved in the air, vaguely. “You’re not a dog. You’re not Sourwolf.”
“That’s not my name. I’m Derek. Hale.”
The guy spoke slowly, as if he was savouring the words. Which would have made sense, if as he was saying, he had been-no! How could Stiles believe something so absurd?!
“You are telling me you were a dog last night and you are human now, is that what you are telling me?”
Sourwolf- Derek nodded, curtly.
“I was born human, and a curse turned me and my whole family. I’ve been searching for the witch who did this to us since I turned sixteen, I’m supposed to beg her descendants to lift the curse. After maiming them a little, if necessary.”
His sharp canines gleamed when he grinned, and Stiles shivered.
“Uhm, okay, well. First things first, I think you need some pants before you go— maim , don’t you agree? I’m not sure they have anything that will fit you in this house, though.”
“Oh, I don’t have to go anywhere. You see, I normally can only turn human for a few hours during the full moon, and that’s definitely not right now, so the only other logical explanation is… you are the descendant.”
Derek’s grin turned feral.
“So it’s just you I have to beg to give me and my family our lives back.”
He slowly crawled up the bed, and Stiles scrambled back, until he was plastered against the headrest.
“Wait, wait! I’m not-there must be a mistake! I’m just a kid, I definitely don’t have magical powers and my family aren’t-I didn’t do anything!”
Derek shrugged.
“Maybe we have to unlock them. Most of the time magic react to extreme, life-or-death situations.”
He slid further, and Stiles shrieked.
The door slammed open.
“Stiles, what the hell, it’s six in the fucking-oooh, who’s this guy?!”
Lydia and Erica, both in pyjama pants and sports bra, were poking their heads in.
“This-this-is Sourwolf. Or so he says,” Stiles stuttered, knees against his chest.
“He wants to maim me!”
Erica smirked and Stiles blushed furiously.
“Not like that!!! He said I’m evil and I destroyed his family and-”
“Whoa, dude, chill. I never said that!”
Derek was staring at him with an amused grin on his face.
Damn, the kid was endearing. And cute.
Lydia, was rubbing her fingers against her temples.
“Okay, it’s way too early for this crap. Now you’re all coming with me to the kitchen, we’ll have some coffee and try to make sense out of this mess.”
As she left the room, she muttered, only to you, Stiles .
*****
“So, one more time, from the beginning, Sourwolf.”
“That’s not my-!”
“Yeah, yeah. Derek Hale. Please repeat your tale of woe.”
Derek explained again about the curse, the witch, the full moon, while Lydia tutted, clicking away on her laptop, and by the time he was almost done, she snapped her fingers.
“Hale! Of course! The fire!”
Stiles, who was still cautiously sitting on the opposite side of the table, arched an eyebrow.
“The fire?”
“Yes, look!” Lydia turned her laptop to show him.
“There was a huge fire at the Hale mansion, and none of the family members escaped with life. However, no body was recovered, so the police just assumed they escaped. Or burned completely, the town is still divided on that.”
Derek was staring at the screen, brow furrowed.
“But we didn’t die. We all escaped,” he said.
“Problem is, we were all turned that night so we couldn’t come back or tell anyone. I’m the only person who turns back to a human on the full moon.”
Lydia hummed.
“Well, that’s a weird coincidence, don’t you think?” she pointed out.
“A witch cursing you just when the shift could save your lives? Doesn’t sound like much of a curse, does it?”
Derek shrugged.
“Hell if I know. That’s what was written in the scroll my family has carried around since the fire. The only clue I had. Which wasn’t much, it has taken me fifteen years to understand that the descendants would be in Beacon Hills…”
The three pairs of shocked eyes turning on him made him blush.
“It’s not my fault! It’s in Polish !”
Stiles gasped.
“Wait, I’m-my family is Polish, originally. I can’t read it, but my grandma can. If you want we could visit her, she might know something about this.”
Derek, who was wearing a flowery dress because that was the only thing they had in his eyes, jumped up in a flurry of organza.
“That’s-! Yes, of course, let’s go! Right now!”
Erica snorted.
“Maybe we should find you a pair of pants, first.”
*****
They went back to the outskirts of the town, where Derek had buried the satchel he carried everywhere with the few things he had left of his family: a few old photos with burned margins, a piece of fabric, a medallion and the scroll.
Derek grabbed the satchel and stood up, jaw clenched.
“I need to do this,” he muttered.
“For my family.”
They walked back to the car in a silence charged with anticipation.
Stiles was certain by then that he wasn’t really going to get maimed, but he was still worried about Derek.
Now that he could see him better in the light of day, he looked younger than Stiles had assessed at first.
He was just carrying such a heavy load, despite his wide shoulders.
When they knocked at his grandmother’s house, Stiles had expected a lot of reactions, but not the one they got.
“Oh, Mieczysław! You found him! Good job, kochanie .”
She patted Stiles’s shoulder before grabbing Derek’s arm.
“Oh, yes, yes, we made a good choice, didn’t we? Oh, such a nice young man you are!”
Derek’s eyes were wide and a little fearful as the old lady pulled him in with surprising strength.
“ Babcia , I don’t understand-”
“Silly boy, of course you don’t. Come in, come in, I’ll make tea and explain everything.”
Lydia and Erica followed closely behind them, equally stunned.
They were all used to the woman’s antics, though.
“So, tell me, piękny , how is Talia? And Peter? That guy is crazy,” she chuckled, and Derek’s jaw dropped.
“How do you-it’s true, then? Your family cursed mine?”
The old lady blinked, looking surprised, before she chuckled and shook her head.
“Curse? Who told you such a thing? No one would have ever cursed your family, especially not your iskry . Our job is to protect you.”
Derek snapped up.
“Then why-”
The old lady huffed.
“Such an impatient młodociany ! Let old Wera tell the story, uh?”
Derek sat back down, fingers clenched around his cup so hard his knuckles had gone white, but didn’t say another word.
Wera seemed appeased.
“Right. So, here’s the thing: your family, Derek, was very powerful. And while most people around here loved you, some envied you, and wanted your power. Me and my family have been your iskry for generations, protecting, supporting and sometimes defending. The fire was one of those times.”
She sighed, putting her hand on Derek’s forearm.
“I was young and naïve. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t. Another family got close to yours, pretending to be your friends, and by the time I realized what their real intentions were, it was too late. They had set fire to your house and were waiting on the other side for you to get out to kill you all. Luckily I have more magic in my little finger than they have brains in their little heads, so I turned you all and you escaped safely. I was supposed to meet up with you later in the forest to explain exactly how to reverse the magic, but a beam fell over me and knocked me unconscious. By the time I woke up, you were long gone and I had no way of finding you.”
Wera offered Derek a small smile.
“I had put a small clause on the magic, though, and I’m glad it worked.”
Stiles looked at her and Derek alternatively.
“What are you talking about, babcia ?”
The woman rolled her eyes.
“ O Boże , sometimes I wonder where my cleverness has gone. You, Mieczysław, you were the anchor for Derek, the key to getting them all back to human.”
Derek stared at Derek.
“Me?! But I’m-he said-”
“The scroll talked about begging and pleading my case to the descendants, not-”
“Tut!”
Wera shut them both up raising a hand, before she grabbed the scroll from the table.
“Here,” she pointed with a slightly trembling finger, “it says bronić , not prosić ! Protect , not beg !”
She smiled.
“You were supposed to protect Stiles, just as I protected your family all those years ago. Only by exchanging kindness with kindness you could go back.”
Derek stared at Stiles, speechless.
“But I didn’t do anything,” he murmured. “He protected me, if anything.”
“You did more than you know,” Lydia interjected.
“You gave him hope.”
Stiles swallowed, eyes slightly shiny, but nodded.
“You saved me, Sourwolf. I’m glad I could do the same for your family in return.”
At those words, Derek gasped.
“My family! I have to go tell them-”
“ Uspokój się , kochanie. They all turned back when you did. I’m sure they’re on their way here.”
She clapped her hands and stood up.
“Okay, off you all go. There are preparations to be made, I have to talk to your emissary and bring him up to speed. We fixed your house after the fire and kept the water and electricity running, but there’s still a lot to be done before you all can go back there.”
Both Derek and Stiles tried to ask more questions, but they were both shut up with a później, później that didn’t leave any room for discussion.
Once they were out, Erica and Lydia decided to go clear out the other guest room they were using as a storage, just in case, leaving Derek and Stiles standing on the sidewalk, still in shock.
“So, your family works for my family,” said Derek after a handful of minutes.
“So, my family has magic,” Stiles replied, in disbelief. “What do we do now?”
Derek smiled.
“Get to know each other properly, I guess.”
He offered Stiles his hand.
“Derek Hale, nice to meet you. I sometimes turn into a huge wolf.”
Stiles grinned, shaking it firmly.
“Stiles Stilinski, likewise. I apparently saved your family with ancient magic.”
*****
Wera looked at the kids laughing, their fingers still intertwined.
They couldn’t see the thin, invisible red string that linked their hands, but she could.
She had since the first time they had been in the same room, even if they were too little to remember they had already met.
It had been their destiny to save each other.
She sighed happily,
She wasn’t going to tell them. They had all the time in the world to find out for themselves, and as everyone knew, Co nagle, to po diable .