Chapter Text
"It's a time for celebration, really," said the handsome man on TV. Stiles rolled his eyes as he watched the interview. "Our country is coming out of a civil war. We were able to save it from destruction from some truly evil people, and we showed the world that even though our country is deeply divided on many issues, we can come together and put aside basic differences."
The interviewer nodded as she smiled. "But there are still many who are wholeheartedly against Werewolves 'coming out of the moonlight' so-to-speak. The revelation that werewolves exist forced the nation to restructure from a state-system to territories and most of the people in charge are, in fact, werewolves. Your mother being one of them."
The handsome man seemed unfazed by the covert anti-Werewolf sentiment hiding between the reporter's words. "What they're not understanding is that each territory has one Werewolf leader and one human leader who work in tandem to ensure peace. Werewolves just want to coexist alongside humans. There were people who came out in droves to protest a little girl going to school just because she was black and the school she was going to was predominately white. We look back at that and think that those people were ignorant and racist. There were people who stood outside courthouses with signs condemning people because they were gay. We look back on that and think see that they were homophobic and ignorant. And the people who don't see that this new system is better are guilty of the same backwards way of thinking that affected previous civil rights issues. There will always be people who dislike others because they're slightly different. I think the fact that we're more than a decade out of a civil war against a man like Gerard Argent is proof positive of that."
"And how do you respond to the claim that this new system subverted democracy, since it established a monarchy system of dynastic rule among people who fought in the war?" the interviewer asked.
Again, the man's smile covered the annoyance he felt. "The old system allowed for a man like Gerard Argent to become incredibly powerful and then millions of people were killed. Humans and Werewolves alike."
"Statistically speaking, more humans died than werewolves," she said.
"But Lauren, statistically speaking, there are more humans in this nation than there are werewolves. A higher percentage of the people killed during the Hunters War were Werewolves. But I think that instead of nitpicking the details of how many of which species died, we should be, as a community and as a country, looking at how to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again and how to help the people whose lives have been completely upended by the Hunters. Which, if we're keeping score, and I'm quite sure that you are… they were all human." The banner beneath the man reappeared. The words Beta Derek Hale, Werewolf Knight faded as the network cut to commercial break.
Stiles sneered. He could tell that the reporter was being incredibly racist and completely lacked journalistic tact, but he had to admit that he rather enjoyed watching Derek Hale being given this line of questioning on national TV. He stood up, turning around to see Ana, one of the children in his care staring at the image of Derek on the screen. "He's so brave…" she said.
"He's a douche," Stiles replied. He squatted down so he could be eye level to her. "Why aren't you in bed, little one?"
"I had a bad dream," she said.
Stiles wasn't surprised. Ana often had bad dreams. "Was it the same one?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, it was different."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ana shook her head again. "Follow me," he said, holding out his hand. She grasped it and he led her to the kitchen of the orphanage. This was a nearly nightly routine for them. Stiles grabbed a loaf of bread and took some jelly out of the fridge. Ana was allergic to peanuts, so he always put honey on her sandwich instead. He cut the crusts off before cutting the sandwich in half diagonally, which Ana insisted made it taste better. He gave one half to Ana and bit into the other half. "Where's Mr. Derek?" she asked after swallowing her first bite.
"He's in Los Angeles right now," Stiles replied.
"Why doesn't he come here more often?" Ana asked.
"Because I don't want him to be here," Stiles said.
"Is it because he's…" Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to search her six-year-old vocabulary for the right word to use. Instead, she borrowed from Stiles'. "A douche?"
Stiles laughed. "Yep. It's because he's a douche."
"But he's a knight and a prince! And you two are getting married!" Ana exclaimed. He smiled at her. He wished he could view this entire situation through her eyes. But it was so much more complicated than she or anyone else even knew.
Stiles utterly despised the man he'd just been watching on television. It wasn't because Derek Hale was a Werewolf. It was because he and Derek Hale were bethrothed.
The new moon made the darkness of night seem all the more terrifying, considering the horrors people knew to exist in the world. Lord John Stilinski, the leading General of the Hunters War stood outside his car waiting for his visitor to arrive. He leaned down and looked into the mirror, unable to see much, but adjusted his collar as he stood up just to be sure. A rustling sound could be heard to his right. His head jerked in the direction as he saw a set of glowing red eyes flanked by another set of glowing blue ones.
As they approached, John could see the red eyes belonged to Talia Hale. She was formerly the Alpha of Beacon Hills, a small town in Northern California, but was elected as the head Werewolf of the Territory of California after the war. He had only met her once before, but they communicated often since she was his counterpart. John had been the winningest General in the fight against the Hunters. "Alpha Hale," John said, bowing his head. "It's an honor to meet you."
"Lord Stilinski," Talia replied. "The honor is all mine."
"It's a shame we don't meet more often," John said. "We do rule California together."
"Well, if you're serious about your proposal, we'll become family," Talia said. "We'll be seeing each other quite often."
"I'm very serious. Our people are still divided," John said. "We need to show them that we can work side-by-side just like we did during the war."
"I agree. My son, Derek, has agreed to marry Stanisław and unite our families," Talia said. The blue-eyed beta who stood behind her stepped forward. He saluted John.
"Hello Derek," John said. "It's good to see you again."
"Thank you, General," Derek replied, showing the same serene smile his mother had.
"So where is your son?" Talia asked.
John shifted slightly. "He's at his Orphanage. He sort of refused to come."
Talia gave a light laugh. "He's not happy about the arranged marriage, is he?"
John shook his head. "No he is not… In his words, 'Why do I have to submit to an outdated centuries-old practice that completely invalidates the notions of love and autonomy?' So I decided that this particular act of diplomacy had better be left to those better equipped to handle it."
"He's probably just nervous. He'll come around," Derek said.
"It won't be a difficult sell to the public. Both Derek and Stanisław are well-liked by the people. The PR practically takes care of itself," Talia said. "We just need to have them seen in public before we make the announcement. It needs to look organic."
"I agree. But it will be easier to convince my son to go along with this if we call him Stiles instead of Stanisław," John pointed out.
Stiles knew he needed to go to bed soon, but waited until Ana was once again falling asleep. He gingerly picked her up, carrying her back into the room with the other beds. He couldn't wait for the new wing to be done so that the children in his care would have more room. As he pulled the blanket over Ana, he looked around. Everyone else was sleeping soundly. He smiled as he quietly stepped out of the room and went upstairs to his suite. He was to have his first public outing with Derek the next day. His best friend, Scott, was going to watch over the children in his absence. He didn't want to leave them, though… least of all to play happy couple with Derek Hale.
Snippets of Derek's interview were already being shown on other news stations as Stiles flipped through the channels. Each time he saw Derek's face, he felt angrier and angrier at the situation he was in. Why couldn't Derek have been betrothed to someone who could keep up with is vapid socialite career? Stiles had an orphanage to run and had done a very good job of staying out of the limelight for the majority of the time since the War. Occasionally paparazzi would show up on the grounds of the orphanage and Stiles would call the police to have them removed, or he'd be seen out shopping for supplies and end up on the cover of some gossip rag. But that was the price of being Royal. He didn't care what was said about him, so long as it didn't affect his kids.
Stiles fell asleep crunching numbers in his head and preparing lists of information Scott would need, since many of the staff members were off during the weekends.
The next morning, Stiles woke up to a young boy sitting at the foot of his bed. It startled him at first, which caused the boy to cry. Immediately his protective instincts kicked in and he began doing everything he could to calm the little boy down. "Jacob, what's wrong?"
"Devin said that you're leaving and you're not coming back and I told him he was being stupid so he hit me for calling him stupid. But I didn't call him stupid, but I just said he was being stupid," Jacob said, speaking so quickly that Stiles feared he would pass out from lack of oxygen. "But he said that you're leaving us to go be with that Derek guy and I told Devin that you're not going to leave us because you love us and he said that Derek is your Knight and you love him more than us."
"Word travels fast here, doesn't it," Stiles chuckled as he patted a smooth spot on the bed inviting Jacob to sit there. He was always impressed at how effectively information spread within the walls of the orphanage. "I'm not leaving you guys forever. Just for a few days. I have something important to do then I'll be back. And I'm going to tell Devin not to hit you. And there's no way I would ever love Derek more than I love each of you."
More tears welled up in Jacob's eyes. "But three days is a long time…"
Stiles wiped them away with his thumb as he smiled at the young boy. "Yeah, it sort of is… but you know what happens when I come back, right?" Jacob shook his head. "I'm bringing presents!"
"Will you bring me a book?" Jacob asked.
"Of course I will, buddy," Stiles replied. "But you've got to be really good while I'm gone. Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kira will tell me if you weren't."
Jacob's face lit up with a huge grin. "I'll be the best."
"You're an overachiever, Jacob," Stiles said, mussing up the kid's hair. "I love it. Now go get ready for breakfast."
As soon as Jacob was gone, Stiles quickly showered and dressed before heading down to the dining hall. He had 34 children in his care. They, along with the staff members who helped him run the orphanage, were his family.
Staff members served the food before sitting among them. Though Stiles didn't hold any religious beliefs, several of the kids did, and as such, Stiles always gave them an opportunity to say a prayer before each meal. As soon as that was over, the kids began digging in.
"So Derek Hale, huh?" one of the staff members said as the din of the kids eating began to fill the dining hall.
"Is there anyone who doesn't know?" Stiles asked exasperatedly.
"I didn't know you two were even dating!" she said. "I must admit that I'm incredibly jealous!"
"Don't be," Stiles replied flatly.
"If you get tired of him, feel free to send him over to me!" she added.
"I'll definitely keep that in mind," Stiles said as he filled his fork with scrambled eggs.
None of them knew that this was arranged. They all thought he'd carried on a secret romance with the son of California's highest-ranking Werewolf. The press was already running wild with the idea of the Hale/Stilinski wedding and Stiles had been instructed to act as though the information regarding his relationship with Derek had been "leaked". What was worse was that today, at their first public outing, Stiles would need to act as though he were happy about being with Derek. The press was billing this as a modern day fairy tale romance, complete with a knight—who just so happened to also be a Werewolf prince.
Though Derek had offered to pick him up, Stiles declined. He would rather have bitten down on a cyanide pill than actually spend three hours alone with Derek in a car. He decided that angry rock music was the most appropriate soundtrack to his drive to the event in San Diego. They were there to open a park to commemorate the decade of peace since the war. Stiles was also going to meet many of the other Alphas of California.
Derek was there waiting as Stiles parked his car. It wasn't his first time meeting Derek, but it was their first time seeing one another since the information about their upcoming nuptials had been released. Photographers were there to capture the moment. Stiles stared at himself in the rearview mirror. "Time to earn that Academy Award, Stiles. Make them think you're happy." He affixed a convincing, yet entirely fake smile to his face and opened the door, stepping out to the awaiting applause. Stiles could hear one reporter narrating the event into a microphone. "Stanisław 'Stiles' Stilinski is stepping out of his car. His doting fiancé is there to embrace him."
Stiles opened his arms, signaling to Derek that it was time to start the performance. Derek hugged Stiles tightly before bringing him in for a kiss. Stiles kissed back, feeling the need to gargle bleach once they parted. He had never reviled someone so much as he did Derek.
Derek put his hand at the small of Stiles' back guiding him through the throngs of reporters being held back by security guards as they thrust microphones at the couple, snapped photographs, and shouted their incredibly invasive questions. As they walked over to the red carpet, Derek leaned over. "We have to give interviews to CNN and NBC. The BBC sent a correspondent, but I've not gotten word that she has arrived yet."
"How long is this going to last?" Stiles asked. "I just got here and my cheeks are already hurting from the fake smiling."
"Keep smiling," Derek said. "We're seated on the dais next to our parents, in full view of the press."
"Do I have to talk to you the entire time?" Stiles asked, making no point to hide how unhappy he was at the situation.
"I'd prefer it," Derek replied. "It will allow me to get to know you a bit better."
"We don't know each other at all," Stiles pointed out. "How am I supposed to answer questions about our relationship? This is really the first instance of us spending any significant amount of time together."
"Just follow my lead," Derek suggested.
They reached the area where CNN had set up camp. The camera men instructed them where to stand and the reporter began asking them questions. "This seems like a match made in heaven," she began. Stiles stifled the urge to roll his eyes, reminding himself that this was being broadcast on live television. "How did it come about?"
My father doesn't know the meaning of the term 'parental boundaries', Stiles thought. But Derek spoke up, flashing that nauseatingly perfect smile of his. "It just sort of happened. It's like any good love story. Werewolf meets boy and falls head over heels."
Stiles felt his stomach churn at that comment. "And Stiles, you've really been out of the spotlight in recent years, whereas Derek is travelling around and very much in the public eye. How has that affected the way you two interact."
Fuck, he thought. He knew he needed to be the one to answer, because it would look strange if he deferred to Derek. "Honestly, with technology being what it is, it's really not difficult to carry on a relationship, even when he's travelling all over the place. I've always been a very private person, and I'm usually pretty busy with my orphanage, so we make it work." Nailed it.
"Speaking of the orphanage," the reporter began. "How have the kids reacted to the news?"
Ana called him a douche, Stiles thought. Derek jumped in before he could reply. "They're pretty excited."
"One last question and I'll let you go. Your two families are arguably the most powerful and most important families in California. There's got to be a lot of pressure for you guys to have kids. Have you discussed that?" the reporter asked.
Stiles had to stop himself from asking what cracker jack box this reporter got her degree from if she honestly thought that they'd even be able to have kids. "I've currently got 34 kids, so I think my hands are full," Stiles said curtly.
"I think it's important that we figure ourselves out as a married couple before we open that can of worms," Derek said, adding a slightly more diplomatic tone to Stiles' answer.
"Thank you both for your time and congratulations on your engagement!" the reporter said before signing off.
As they walked toward the NBC tent, Derek muttered, "You didn't have to be so rude."
"It's not any of her business," Stiles replied through gritted teeth as he smiled and waved at the fans. He looked out into the crowds, seeing people who were holding signs that said things like "Marry me instead, Derek Hale!" and "Back off my future Werewolf husband!" Stiles wanted to shout to them that if they wanted Derek, they could have them. He was, however, amused that there was another group of fans holding similar signs that threatened Derek bodily harm for taking Stiles off the market. "If you're looking for a more cooperative fiancé, I think you have your volunteer pool right there."
"I'm not engaged to them, Stiles. I'm betrothed to you," Derek said as the producers approached them, affixing microphones to their lapels and showing them where to stand for their second interview. Stiles decided to pause this conversation, not wanting any of it to be recorded.
The correspondent approached and greeted them. "I'm going to make this as painless for you guys as possible. I'm sure you're sick of having cameras in your face. It's just going to be a few questions about short term and long term plans and I am going to ask one question about Derek's political career. Is that alright?"
"Of course," Derek said. "Just as long as you don't give me the Lauren Williams treatment."
"That was despicable what she did. On behalf of all journalists I apologize," he said.
I thought it was hilarious, Stiles thought.
The camera man announced that they were ready to start filming. He counted them down and then pointed at the correspondent, Jason who began his interview. "I'm Jason Duchene reporting live from the grand opening of the Derek Hale Peace Park. Derek is no longer California's most eligible bachelor as I'm currently standing here with him and his fiancé, Lord Stanisław Stilinski."
"It's 'Stiles', actually," Stiles corrected as politely as possible.
"I do apologize about that," Jason replied. "So both of you are members of the Californian Royal families. Have you known each other for a long time?"
"We met at our parents' coronations," Derek replied. "But we're both really busy so we didn't spend too much time together."
"And Stiles, it's well known that your orphanage is very close to your heart. Are you going to be able to continue to run it while still fulfilling your royal duties once married?"
Stiles pursed his lips. It bothered him that everyone seemed to think that because he was human, he was going to play the role of the doting wife. "There really isn't a force on this planet that will get me to abandon the kids in my care."
Jason seemed taken aback at the strong word choice given as a response to the question. "Well, the public seems to be wholeheartedly supportive of this marriage. How has the People's response affected you?"
"It's great to know that everyone is happy for us," Derek said.
"One last question and I'll let you guys get going. Your sister, Laura, was next in line as Alpha in the Hale family. Last we heard she abdicated her position as Heir Apparent and it passed to you. Are you at all nervous about the idea of becoming the territory's next reigning monarch? You're already a decorated Knight, and you fought during the war, but many people are calling you a politician now. Is there any truth behind that claim?"
"Honestly, my family was just as shocked as the public was. I love my sister but I definitely understand her reasons and it has been rather strange having to step up and take over in that manner, but my mom is the Alpha right now and she's still quite young and healthy so I don't foresee me actually becoming Alpha for a very long time. So until then, I can simply spend time with my soon-to-be husband and work on more pressing diplomatic issues that we're facing. We are still trying to rebuild after the war. It's been a decade, but we still have so much more to do and we can't afford not to continue with the progress we've made toward full integration between humans and werewolves. But I am currently and will continue to be first and foremost a Knight ready to protect and defend the people of this territory if the need arises."
"So you're saying that you're a lover and a fighter?"
Derek chuckled. "I guess you could put it like that… yeah."
"And as if we didn't already think Stiles was a lucky man to have you! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us," Jason said before addressing the camera. "Reporting live from Los Angeles, I'm Jason Duchene for NBC news." When the cameraman gave the all clear, producers walked over to take the microphones from them and Jason thanked them once again before they continued down the red carpet.
They posed together for several photo opportunities and signed a few autographs before security ushered them past the chaotic mess and into the park toward the dais where Stiles saw his father and Derek's mother and younger sister, Cora. "Where is Laura?" Stiles asked.
"She didn't want to come," Derek replied.
Stiles understood why. Laura had been a great leader. Both she and Derek fought directly under Stiles' father during the war. Like her mother, she was capable of a full-wolf transformation. However during one of the last great battles, she was forced to watch as Gerard Argent himself cut her Mate in half with a broadsword. Laura tore Gerard to shreds, nearly completely losing control. It took three Alphas to pull her off of his remains and Talia herself had to force her out of her shift. The psychological toll it took on her severed her connection to her wolf, possibly permanently There were very few people who actually knew any of that. The story that was allowed to go public was that Laura simply wanted to focus on charity work and no longer wished to inherit the throne of Alpha.
As they approached, Cora smiled brightly at Derek. Stiles bowed respectfully to Talia and took his seat near his father. "I trust you behaved," John said quietly.
"As well as could be expected," Stiles replied.
"So that's a no?" John asked.
"The interviews went great," Derek assured him.
"How was your ride here?" Talia asked Stiles.
"It was lovely," Stiles replied politely. "It was a nice, scenic ride all by myself—which is how I intended to stay for the next few years, actually. Funny how things change like that."
Talia moved her chair backwards and indicated for Stiles to do the same. She leaned behind John and said, "I understand that this isn't the ideal situation for you, Stiles. I truly wish there were another way, but we have to model peaceful coexistence between our species and this is the best way we can."
"I get it, your majesty," Stiles replied. "And I'm willing to go through with the marriage but we need to dispel these circulating notions that I'm just going to be the doting housewife. That might work for Prince William and Princess Kate, but it's not going to work for me. I can't abandon my kids."
"Nobody is asking you to," John interjected. "We're just asking that you are convincing enough to the public that until the wedding happens, nobody suspects that this is anything more than a case of true love."
"And I'll do that as long as you recognize that you whored me out for the sake of a political statement," Stiles said. "So if we're all clear on what this really is, let's enjoy a grand opening, shall we?"
"That's enough, Stiles," John growled.
Talia frowned and they all moved back to the table. Derek leaned over. "We've got three days to spend together. Let's just get through this event and we can go somewhere that's just the two of us and really sit down and talk."
Stiles didn't respond. Instead, he continued smiling his fake smile, looking out over the growing crowd. The seating chart had been drawn up specifically to mix the Werewolf and human guests. This whole charade was about unity, after all, and segregating the Werewolf and human populations at this event was counterintuitive. When the last of the guests had been seated, Talia and John stood up and approached the podium and microphone, Everyone stood up and bowed to them, Derek, Cora, and Stiles included. John and Talia gave everyone permission to be seated.
Stiles gazed into the crowd and was able to pick out a few familiar faces. Nearly every Werewolf leader from across the country was here, and any human who was anyone of note seemed to be there as well. "Thank you and welcome to the grand opening event for the park dedicated to a brave and distinguished man who I had the pleasure of leading into battle during the War many times. And I'm not just doting on him because he's soon to be my son-in-law!"
The crowd laughed. Derek did to, so Stiles faked one and continued half-heartedly paying attention.
"The Hunters War devastated many regions in the United Territories of North America and in the decade since it ended, my son Derek has become a champion of Werewolf rights and through his organization The Hale Harvest, he has managed to help feed and clothe thousands of families who lost everything in Gerard Argent's pursuit of genocide and destruction." The crowd broke into applause. Stiles turned to Derek and flashed a smile. It must have seemed convincing enough because several people in the front rows gave a collected "aww" as Derek placed his arm around Stiles, giving him a gentle hug. Talia gave them both an approving glance before continuing with her speech. "As you all know, our sons are engaged and no one is happier than we are to see them so in love and so happy." The crowd erupted into even louder applause.
People began chanting "Now kiss!" All eyes on them, Stiles knew that he'd have to make this one even more convincing than the one in the parking lot. He leaned toward Derek and kissed him deeply, eliciting a few whistles from the crowd and yet more deafening applause.
When the kiss broke, the couple looked out over the crowd who were giving them a standing ovation. Knowing that there were werewolves who would be able to hear his snarky commentary, Stiles kept it to himself and instead continued his rather stellar acting.
"This park and our sons' love will forever serve as a reminder of what we can accomplish when humans and Werewolves work together," Talia said.
More applause erupted. When it finally died down, a man stood up. It happened in a blur to Stiles. He shouted a call for human supremacy and pulled out his gun, aiming it at the dais. "Gerard Argent's dream lives on!" he yelled. Talia pushed Cora and John out of the way as Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles and pulled him to the ground. Stiles watched as a bullet whizzed through the air where his head had been just moments prior. Werewolves nearby quickly took the man down, but everyone was shaken.
Derek looked into Stiles' eyes. "Are you alright?"
"You saved my life," Stiles stammered. "Why did you do that?"
"You're my fiancé," Derek replied, standing up when someone shouted that the coast was clear. He extended his arm to help pull Stiles up, but Stiles refused it, choosing to get up on his own.
Everyone looked at Talia and John, both of whom seemed livid. "How was he allowed to get in here?" she demanded.
The Werewolf who had been in charge of security looked just as confused as everyone else. "I'm not sure, Your Majesty. But we'll find out."
"No," Talia said. "I want to question him myself."
"I don't think that's a good idea," the Werewolf said cautiously.
"He attempted to kill the Royal Families," Talia replied severely. "He will answer to me and Lord Stilinski and nobody else."
John looked over at Derek. "Get Stiles out of here. Go somewhere safe."
"Take Cora," Talia added.
Derek nodded, grabbing Stiles' hand and pulling him away. Stiles tried to wriggle out of Derek's grip, but to no use. Cora followed swiftly behind them. Stiles kept yelling at Derek to let him go, but Derek didn't until he was forcing Stiles and Cora into the car. "Where the fuck are we going?" Stiles demanded.
"We have a vacation home outside of Salinas. It's the closest Hale compound to us, and there's really no safer place on earth," Derek replied. Stiles got out his cell phone and began dialing. "Who are you calling?"
"I need to let Scott know that I'm alright. The kids will be worried about me," Stiles replied.
"Not yet," Derek said.
"You might be my fiancé, but you're not my boss, Derek. I have kids who watch the news. They're going to be worried. They deserve to know that I'm alright," Stiles said, dialing Scott's cell.
"Stiles!" Scott breathed. "You're alright!"
"Yeah. It was a close call. Are they alright?" Stiles asked.
"Ana tried to lock herself in the dormitories, but Kira and I were able to get her out and calm her down," Scott assured him.
"Schedule her an emergency meeting with the psychologist," Stiles told her. "She watched her parents get gunned down. This will likely bring up old issues."
"Will do," Scott replied. "Is there any way you can get here sooner?"
"I'll do my best," Stiles promised.
"They'll appreciate it," Scott said.
"Tell them I love them. I'll be home soon," Stiles said before hanging up.
He stared out the window as he watched the reddish mountains pass by en route to the Hale Compound. "Are you going to do the opposite of what I say for the duration of our relationship?" Derek asked.
"If it will annoy you, then yes," Stiles replied.
"Do you think this is fun and games for me?" Derek asked.
"Actually, I think this entire situation is perfect for you," Stiles said.
"No, actually," Derek said. "It's not. I don't particularly like you, either. But I have a duty to my family to go through with this, so I will. Plenty of people in arranged marriages end up happy with one another in time, even if that person wasn't their first choice."
"Derek, you wouldn't be my millionth choice!" Stiles spat, causing Cora to giggle in the back seat. Her laughter ceased when Stiles continued. "You are going to get to continue doing everything you ever wanted and enjoy in all the celebrity this brings while I'm stuck trying to dodge the spotlight. Marriage was never part of my plan. My kids need me more than anyone else would and now, I'm stuck having to marry the person I hate most because my dad thought it'd be a good idea to whore me out to the Hales."
"You don't even know me, Stiles. You don't know anything about me. How could you possibly hate me that much?" Derek demanded. "And you're not the only one who got whored out, Stiles. This marriage wasn't what I wanted either, but when my mother asked me to, I went with it because she's my Alpha. So instead of fighting me on this, why don't you accept that we're in a bad situation and just start trying to get to know me and what I actually stand for instead of jumping to conclusions that aren't true?"
"I don't care to get to know you. I was given no choice in any of this. I was simply told that I had to marry you. And now everyone just seems to think that I'm going to give up my orphanage to come play happy hubby with you as you go from one territory to another repeating the same old tired rhetoric about Human/Werewolf coexistence," Stiles said. "In case you haven't noticed, our species are coexisting. There are a few people who don't want us to, but they're the very vast minority and nobody takes them seriously anyway."
"Marrying me doesn't mean you have to give up your orphanage, Stiles," Derek said softly.
"But it's going to make keeping it open that much harder. Do you know how hard I work to get donations to keep that place running? Do you understand the difficulty in placing kids in homes where they're going to be loved and helped the way they need to be helped? Several of my kids lost their parents in the War. They watched as Werewolves tore apart their fathers and Hunters raped and killed their mothers. Do you know what kind of effect it's going to have no those kids to see me marrying you?" Stiles asked. "Humans weren't the only ones who committed atrocities during that War. You and I both know this. You and I also know that the Alphas stole the memories of what the Werewolves did from anyone who witnessed it."
"I'm not like those Werewolves," Derek said.
"Really? Then show me your eyes," Stiles said.
Derek was chilled by this request. "How did you know about my eyes?" he demanded.
"My father told me. I know what it means, too," Stiles replied.
"I killed to defend innocent people," Derek asserted.
Stiles laughed. "So nobody innocent met their death by your claws? Not a single person? You're the only Werewolf in history to have his eyes just randomly turn blue one day with no rhyme or reason why?"
"The universe doesn't define things by human notions of right or wrong. I only killed Hunters in battle, Stiles. And I never took a life if there was any other course of action available to me. Whether or not you want to believe that is up to you," Derek said, ending the conversation.
The rest of the five-hour drive was spent in silence, but Stiles preferred it that way. As they pulled up, Derek extended his claws and inserted them into an ornate Celtic-looking symbol outside the gate. He turned it forward then backwards. It glowed blue for a moment before the gate swung open, allowing them to drive up to the large mansion set deep within the property.
The mansion was huge. It was one of the largest homes Stiles had ever seen before. "Hale money goes back pretty far, I guess, huh?" Stiles thought out loud.
"Even before we implemented the new system of government, the Hale family was seen as royalty among Werewolves," Cora said. "The Alphas of our family have always had the power of a full-wolf transformation."
"Wasn't Laura able to fully transform?" Stiles asked.
"Occasionally, betas can learn how by having complete mastery over their inner wolf," Derek said as he began sniffing the air.
"Derek, what is it?" Cora asked.
"Do you smell that?"
"Smell what?"
"I smell someone… Somebody is in here."
Stiles' phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered it, studying Derek and Cora as they both tried to figure out the source of the strange scent. "Stiles, where are you guys?"
"Derek brought us to the Hale vacation home outside Salinas," Stiles replied.
"Get back in the car and leave… now," John said. There was a panic in his voice that unnerved Stiles and caused knots to twist in his gut. Not much panicked his father.
"I can't say over the phone, Stiles. Just please… listen to me for once," John begged.
"Where should we go?" Stiles asked.
"The Bunker," John answered. "Talia and I will meet you there."
Stiles hung up and looked at the two werewolves who were eyeing him with panic. "We've got to go now."
"Stiles…" Derek said, pointedly glancing down at the human's chest. Stiles looked down to see a red laser aimed right over his heart. There was someone pointing a gun at him.
"If any of you moves a single muscle, young Lord Stilinski gets 30 rounds in his chest," came a woman's voice.