THE HUNTER'S MATE, sterek/stalec [book 02] [discontinued]

i. a mate of hope

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦

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𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

     "HIS HEART IS FAILING, Stiles!" Jackson's fearful and distressed voice filtering through the phone, static sounding as the service drops and rises at different intervals. "We're not sure if we're going to make it back in time."

     A growl vibrates in my chest and everyone cringes at the malicious edge to it. "You better not let him die, Jackson. If he does, well, let's not find out what I'll do."

     "Stiles." Derek's voice fills my mind, the weakness evident. He really is dying. "It's alright. If I die, you'll still be alright. You have Alexander. Trust me, Sti."

     "No. Derek, you are not dying on me! No way in hell. You're my Mate! Who knows what it will do to myself and Alec. Whatever it is, it won't be good. Damn it, Derek."

     There is silence on the phone and in my mind. Neither of them want to be the first one to say something. They know that, if they're not careful, they are going to set me off. Again, neither of them know what that'll do to me. Nothing has ever really set me off since I was Turned just over a year ago, so we have no clue what will happen. Not even Deaton knows what to expect.

     The pain washing over me through our Mate Bond is enough to knock me to my knees and make growls break free every few seconds. This is barely half the pain of losing your Mate. To counteract this pain, Alec's hand lands on my clenched fist, sending waves of calm through me and allowing me to breathe again. He crouches down beside me and gives me a painful smile. He's feeling it too, but not as much as me. He hasn't been Marked yet, and that means that he is feeling but a sliver of what comes through the Bond between Derek and I.

     "You need to breathe, Stiles," Alec murmurs, making me close my eyes and rest my head on his shoulder. "Worrying and acting out will only put more strain on your Mate Bond, and it will cause Derek to deteriorate faster than he already is. The more stable you are, the slower we will all die. Derek's not the only one with his life on the line tonight."

     "I'm sorry, Alec." My voice is barely above a whisper, but he can hear me due to his Rune. "It just hurts so much, and it feels like I'm dying from the inside out."

     "Hush. It will be alright. You need to take a deep breath and relax. Go get some sleep. Alright, Sti? You're running on fumes, and you need to be rested enough to restore Derek to his natural state."

     "I'm not sure if everyone in this Loft needs to know about my having to do that. It's kind of a private affair. Just like Marking. You'll learn that eventually."

     Alec stares at me, an unamused expression on his face but the corner of his lip tugging up in a smile. "Go get some sleep."

     I smile. "Come with me."

• • •

     The hours pass by quickly as Alec and I lay in the dark, me swaddled in the blankets that still smell of Derek. Alec's steady breathing calms me further. There's not as much pain throbbing through the Mate Bond right now, and that means that Derek, Cora and Jackson are getting closer to Beacon Hills. There's still a small ebb of pain, but nothing overbearing or extreme.

     "Stiles!" Liam's voice cuts through the silence as if it's nothing but paper. "Stiles, get your lazy ass up! He's back!"

     Alec shoots up off the bed beside me, his eyes wide and frantic. He is automatically in a defensive stance, hands already in position and prepared to start flying at a moments notice. I can't help but marvel at my Mate. Even in a half-aware state, he is prepared for a fight. It's muscle memory and instinct that has developed since birth. It's something that is taken for granted by people who can't fight. Having someone who can fight, that is. Once they are gone, the others begin to realise what the other meant to them and how much of a contribution they made to the group.

     Then, Liam's words click in my mind and I jerk up into a sitting position. "Derek's back?"

     Alec's eyes fly to me and a small smile graces his face. "Your Mate is back, Sti. Go get him."

     I leap up from Derek's bed and launch myself out of the door, almost tearing it off the hinges. That scent is making me wild. Smoke and what I believe masculinity to smell like. There's a hint of blood and sickness within his scent, and it makes my eyes burn their deep purple. The steps blur beneath my feet and then they hit solid ground, making me stumble slightly. A flash of darkness spreads across my vision and then a solid mass hits me.

     A nose buries itself in my neck, right on my Mark. "Stiles..."

     "Hey, sourwolf," I breathe, snuggling into his warmth. "It's been a while."

     "Where is he?"

     "Alec? He was upstairs a minute ago. He told me to go get you."

     Derek pulls away and I watch as the colour begins to come back to his face and he begins to fill out again. "I want to meet him."

     I tense in Derek's hold. "Der, are you sure? I mean, you weren't okay when we thought that Valerie was my other Mate. You tried to kill her."

     Footsteps sound on the metal staircase. "Sti, it's fine. He won't get a chance to kill me. I can protect myself, and you know it. Everyone here knows it."

     I look over at him and smile, pulling myself out of Derek's hold. His arms drop to his sides and I have the feeling that his eyes are burning their ruby red despite his weakened state. I watch as Alec strides purposefully towards my first Mate, no scent of fear or disturbance wafting from him. Then, I see the scent blocking Rune on his upper arm. It still hasn't worn off since the other day. Right now, that may be a good thing.

     Derek sniffs, his eyes creasing in amusement. "Scent blocking Rune. Very mature, Half Blood."

     Alec stares at him, not reacting. "Scent blocking Runes take days to wear off. They are very powerful, Wolf Boy."

     I snort in amusement. "You're both going to get along perfectly. Same sense of humour and everything. Awesome."