Baseball Bats and Sour Wolves

Chapter 40

All the wolves end up joining Stiles' pack, but Scott is still a little reluctant. Of course Stiles wants him in his pack, but not when he doesn't trust Peter, and might do anything to convince Stiles that Peter's evil. Stiles still isn't sure if Alison is going to be a good choice to add to the pack, but he supposes she'll go wherever Scott does.

Jackson will go wherever Lydia goes, and Malia will go wherever Kira goes, Mason will only join the pack if Liam does. Boyd will join the pack, if Erica does. The rest make their own decisions, so it's up to them whether they join the pack, or not. Mason might not even want to join the pack, but he'd still hang around them often enough to be considered pack, Stiles doesn't mind either way.

Liam for his part is conflicted, he wants to join Stiles' pack, but isn't sure how to feel about it if Scott isn't in the pack. He feels loyalty to both of them, but leans more toward Scott because that's who turned him, he leans more toward Stiles because Stiles didn't kidnap him, and throw him in a tub. That, and Stiles actually tried to be helpful to Liam, tried being the key word.

Most of them submit without a problem, but his wolf does seem to have favourites. Scott, unsurprisingly, is not one of them. Peter, and Derek are obviously the wolf's favorites, as well as his own favourites, it knows about their pack bonds before Stiles got the Alpha spark, and it likes them because they both want to protect Stiles.

Because they allowed him to be their Alpha without a spark, or claw to protect them. But they still feel safe with him, the wolf values that, and is quite attached to them.

What is surprising though, is the fact that Isaac and Liam are two other favourites of the wolf's. It mostly likes Peter, Derek, Isaac, and Liam. Stiles finds it kind of funny, the others don't even really notice, expect for maybe Derek, and Peter.

His wolf thinks of Liam as a pup, small and to be protected. His wolf is automatically very protective of Liam, not against the other members of the pack, but it nudges Stiles to watch Liam closer, make sure he's safe. His wolf thinks of Isaac also like a pup, but not as much as Liam. It takes the knowledge that Stiles knows about Isaac's abusive father, and reminds Stiles to be gentler with Isaac.

As for the rest of the pack, Stiles' wolf likes them, just not as much as the other four. Stiles' wolf isn't fond of Scott, in fact, with Scott around his wolf is constantly growling in his mind. The wolf urges Stiles to get the pack away from Scott, but Stiles isn't sure if it's the hurt the wolf feels because Scott refused the wolf, or if it's because the wolf views him as a threat.

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They head back to Derek's loft, Stiles needs to talk to them all. Scott, and Alison come along, even though they haven't talked about joining the pack. Stiles isn't sure if Alison knows that she actually has to join formally, Mason did, and Stiles can feel him through the spark.

"Okay," Stiles claps his hands together, and everyone turns their undivided attention onto him. "Now that we're a pack, I think we need to start spending time together, bonding. It will create trust, and trust is very important." Stiles declares, and he can feel Peter and Derek's approval over their bond.

It scares him when he feel Isaac's approval too, he's been so used to only feeling Peter, and Derek. Stiles casts a subtle glance at Isaac, he's smiling softly, and glancing around the room with soft eyes. Isaac looks happy, Stiles feels himself smile, and send his own happiness down the bond toward Isaac.

Isaac pauses, eyes shooting to look up at Stiles, he looks confused. Stiles just smiles, and continues addressing the rest of the pack.

"We'll start with pack nights, maybe twice a week, or so. From there we'll see if there's any major problems anyone has with another pack member, if there is a problem then we fix it, together. Does that work for everyone?" Stiles states, and the pack nods.

"I think it's a great idea." Erica smiles, and Stiles nods.

"I thought it might be, we can all get to know each other better anyways." Stiles shrugs, Scott is in the corner of the room, he's scowling. "Okay, well, I guess we should all head home. Get some rest, school tomorrow." Stiles grins, while the others groan.

Stiles smiles, heading over to Scott, Alison is the only one sitting with him. Liam is close by, but not as close as he used to be to his Alpha. 

"Have you guys thought about being a part of the pack yet?" Stiles inquires, Alison looks up at him with wide eyes.

"I can be in the pack?" She looks startled at the very idea, like she thought Stiles wasn't going to accept her into the pack.

"Yes, if you want to be, but we're going to have to sit down with Erica, Boyd, Derek, and Peter, and anyone else who doesn't trust you right now. You need to regain their trust, Erica and Boyd more than anyone else." Stiles explains sternly, Alison tears up and nods.

Stiles turns to Scott, Scott is watching their interaction with a frown.

"Why does she need to regain their trust?" Scott demands, Stiles can feel Peter's annoyance over the bond, and it almost makes him laugh.

"Because Alison knew that Erica, Boyd, and I were in the basement with Gerard. She knew that Gerard was torturing Erica and Boyd. She shot Derek, and Peter just doesn't trust her to begin with," Stiles explains, he turns to Alison. "No one blames you for Gerard manipulating you when you were vulnerable, but people need to be able to trust you, especially if you're going to be in the pack." Alison nods, Stiles can feel the wolf growl in his head.

Stiles nods to the both of them, and walks away with a frown. He'll talk to Scott about joining the pack in a day or two, for now he needs to figure out why the wolf is growling. 

Stiles closes his eyes, focusing on the wolf spark, it shows itself in the form of a wolf. Stiles tilts his head at the wolf, sending his confusion to the wolf, the wolf growls louder.

You mean to let that hunter into the pack after what she did to the Betas, after what she did to you?

"If Erica, and Boyd are okay with it then yes. She was grieving her Mother, and manipulated by Gerard, I can't fault her for that. Her actions were still her own, and I don't excuse them." Stiles explains, the wolf snarls at him.

She harmed you, your pack members. How can you forgive that?

"I'm not sure I can," Stiles says simply. "But I'll learn to, it's not like I trust her now anyways. She'll have to earn it, and if she doesn't then she can't be in the pack." The wolf tilts its head at Stiles.

You are different from the other young Alpha, more understanding. You don't see in black and white. The wolf muses, Stiles smiles at the wolf and sits on the floor.

"No, I don't. Now come give me some love." Stiles opens his arms, and the wolf sniffs.

Very different. If wolves could laugh, that's what Stiles' wolf would be doing.

The wolf lunges at him, and Stiles wraps his arms around the wolf, playing with the fur behind the wolf's head. Stiles buries his face in the wolf's fur, and sighs.