Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Claudia, John, it is so good you could make it”, Talia says smiling brightly as she opens the door to let the Stilinskis in looking behind them, “And where the little one happens to be?”

“Oh- Stiles went to play with Cora as soon as we arrived”, Claudia answers, glancing back the way they walked up, smiling back at the alpha.

“I am so happy that they get along. It’s good that Cora has a friend”, Claudia says a little sadly, knowing her youngest daughter has been having a hard time getting friends in the kindergarten because she acts a little too much like a wolf.

“I’m just as happy that they are friends. It’s good for both of them”, John joins in the conversation looking back at the yard seeing Stiles running after Cora, who is in her wolf form.

Stiles starts to strip down his own clothes letting them fall on the ground.

“Stiles, honey!” Claudia yells after the boy, “Fold your clothes first.”

Stiles folds his pants quickly, then discarding his shirt in the same pile before shifting to his wolf form and running after Cora who is growling at him playfully. The two small wolves disappear behind the house where they can hear Derek yelling at them.

“Please come on in”, Talia says, giving her guests room to step in.

“Joseph!” Talia calls for her husband who is in the kitchen preparing the food.

“Yes darling?” Joseph answers, popping his head out from the kitchen to hear his wife better.

“How’s the food coming?” Talia asks, leading the Stilinskis to the garden at the back of their house like every past Sunday.

“Almost ready”, Comes Joseph’s answer as he disappears back into the kitchen.

They take a seat at the long table where the family gathers to dine together every Sunday like clockwork. Claudia and John have been coming to the dinner almost fifteen years now, ever since Talia and Claudia became friends back in college.

They are having a quiet conversation about their week when they get interrupted by someone.

“Talia”, Comes a formal greeting, neutral for all of its worth.

Everyone turns to look towards the voice.

“Peter”, She greets back, before turning to look at her friend and her husband, “You must remember my younger brother Peter?”

“Yes, of course”, Claudia nods, shaking Peter’s hand in a greeting, “It’s good to see you Peter. It’s been so long since we last saw each other. What have you been up to?”

“I have been in New York”, Peter answers politely, with a little smirk, “Just finished my degree in law studies. I’m a lawyer now.”

“How did you like the student life?” Claudia asks curiously, remembering fondly her own time.

“It was great, I got so many new acquaintances in the supernatural world. I have thought about starting my own firm, however I will see what I will be doing in the near future”, Peter answers, with a polite smile. 

“That is great, I’m sure you will find out what you want to do. Just take your time. You are still young”, Claudia says encouragingly before a coughing fit takes over her.

John offers her a napkin and she takes it. Only to give it back bloody, Peter notes as he watches. He has no idea what illness could affect like that, to smell so much like death, now that Peter pays special attention to it. His confusion must show on his face since Talia shakes her head ever so slightly. So Peter stays quiet and doesn’t ask about it. Not now, but he takes a mental note to ask about this from his sister later. 

“I will need to use your bathroom”, Claudia says shakily as she gets up with the help of her husband, before excusing herself from the table.

They disappear back inside the house when a little wolf comes running after Cora. The girl flees past the table while laughing, not paying any mind to her uncle. The young boy however slows down as soon as he sees Peter, coming towards Peter. The wolf stops before Peter and looks at him with his big brown amber eyes, before turning back to a human. Now, before Peter is standing a little boy, ten at the most. The little boy eyes Peter suspiciously for a second before sniffing his wrist. As soon as he gets a good sniff the boy is latching himself in Peter’s lap.

“You smell good”, The boy tells him, while settling in a good position in his lap, “Why do you smell so good?”

Peter has a lap full of a puppy. The boy’s hair is a mess on his head and it is sticking to every direction. The dark brown locks look wild and Peter doesn’t bother to try and tame them. The little boy in his lap carries the scent of Claudia and John, so Peter makes the connection that the little boy is theirs. The boy’s white skin is covered in dirt. Usually Peter wouldn’t stand dirt on his clothes but he doesn’t get the urge to push this puppy off of him.

Peter is at a loss for words of the kid. This little wolf, so straight forward, with no sense of self prevention in front of an unknown, older and so powerful wolf, latches himself onto him. But he must admit, the little wolf’s scent is good, like really good. Like earth after rain and cinnamon. Such an innocent thing, Peter thinks as he scents the boy back. Usually puppies are afraid of new people, they are suspicious of strangers and won’t come close to them. Usually puppies stay really close to their parents when there are strangers close by but not this one.

“Stiles”, Talia says scolding, but with warmth behind her voice.

“Where did my mommy go?” The boy, Stiles, asks from Peter, wiggling to turn around in Peter’s lap, still butt naked.

“She had to use the restroom”, Peter answers, eyes wide as he stares at the little creature in his lap. Those huge amber eyes staring right back at him, Stiles’ scent taking an interesting turn.

Stiles stares at him intensively for a minute before squinting his eyes. It seems like he can see straight through Peter. It’s concerning. The boy lets out an excited yelp as he turns to look around only to turn back to Peter. He smells excited but there is something behind the scent. Like he is nervous but doesn’t want to show it.

“Your eyes are so blue. They are so beautiful”, Stiles observes tilting his head thinking hard, “Are your wolf eyes also blue?”

Peter is shocked how observant the little boy is. He is asking all the right questions to fulfill his curiosity, Peter doesn’t see anything bad in that, but he is glad his sister saved him from having to answer the question. He doesn’t want to scare Stiles, not when he smells so divine full of curiosity and not a hint of fear.

And no one in his pack knows that he indeed has blue eyes also in his wolf form. He had a little accident during his time away from the pack home. He hasn’t told Talia about it and if he can help it she will not find out about the change in Peter’s eye. She would not understand and she would only become wary of him. Peter doesn’t need that right now, now that everything is going well for him.

“Stiles, that’s not a polite thing to ask from someone”, Talia scolds the boy, saving Peter from having to answer, “And no. Peter’s wolf eyes aren’t blue. They are yellow. Like Derek’s and Cora’s.”

“What’s your name? How old are you? I haven’t seen you before? Why haven’t I seen you before? You smell like Talia’s pack, but you haven’t been at the family dinners”, Stiles babbles on, a rush of words leaving him breathless as he looks at Peter.

“I’m Peter, I’m Talia’s brother”, Peter answers with a little smile at the strange child, “And I am twenty four.”

“I’m ten. You are fourteen years older. That’s not a lot.”

Peter doesn’t know how to answer as he stares at the little pup still talking in his lap. It is a little strange for Stiles to count their age difference. But the little boy seems a little different compared to other children.

He doesn’t have time to wonder what the age thing is when Cora comes.

“Uncle Peter!” Cora screams running at them and jumping also in Peter’s lap.

“Hey you”, Peter laughs, moving Stiles a little so Cora could fit better.

Cora pokes her uncle at the side. Hard. Peter is impressed at how much power the little girl has in her tiny arms and he says as much. Cora sticks her tongue out before laughing.

“What did you study?” Stiles asks curiously, tilting his head as he stares at Peter with his all seeing eyes.

“Law.”

“Is it interesting? I don’t know what I want to do when I’m a grown up. Maybe I will be a police officer like my daddy, or maybe I would like to be a teacher like mommy. Or I can be a doctor.”

“Stiles breath”, Cora laughs, staring at her friend, “He gets like that when he gets excited.”

“Yeah”, Stiles nods, taking in a deep breath, burying himself in Peter’s neck, and to Peter's surprise he lets the pup scent him.

He never lets anyone close to his neck and now this pup he has known for five minutes is buried there. Talia looks just as surprised but doesn’t commend as she sees Peter’s look. Cora jumps on his lap trying to get Stiles to let go.

“Hey!” John yells from the backdoor making Stiles flinch and move away from Peter’s neck, “What have we talked about this Stiles?”

“That I can’t go sniffing people before asking permission first”, Stiles says, lowering his head, carefully tilting his head in submission to his father.

Peter finds this fascinating. John and Claudia are humans, both of them. Yet they have a werewolf son who seems to have accepted his father as a head of the house. But Peter is worried about how John has gotten Stiles’ submission. A wolf won’t submit just to anyone and John doesn’t strike that much of a leader to Peter. He needs to ask about that from Talia later. 

He lets Stiles slip on the ground and the boy slowly walks to his father.

“But daddy, he smells like sooo good”, Stiles whispers as he is close enough for John to hear it, but Peter hears it since he has a werewolf hearing, so does Cora, “Like you and mommy. Like home.”

“Put your clothes on for heaven’s sake. Were you raised in a barn?” John asks annoyed, that is clear as a day to Peter making him frown.

“Where’s mommy?” Stiles asks looking behind his father not seeing his mother.

“She doesn’t feel good so we decided it’s time to go”, John says, taking hold of Stiles’ hand to lead him to his clothes.

“I don’t want to leave yet. We just got here”, Stiles cries out looking at Cora, the air smelling of panic and anger.

“Your mother doesn’t feel well, we need to go home so she can rest”, John tries to reason, sounding tired, like they have this conversation a lot.

“I don’t want to leave yet!” Stiles yells, yanking his arm, Peter ready to get between the man and his son if the situation becomes more urgent.

“Stiles!” John yells, the air now fully filled with anger which only makes Stiles panic even more, too young to know any better.

“John, we can drop Stiles off later, or he can stay the night”, Talia steps in scenting the distress of the pup.

Peter notes how Talia’s mother instincts seem to work even on Stiles even if the boy is not her child nor officially pack as far as Peter can tell. He could be wrong though as he looks around seeing every wolf ready to step in. Even little Cora in his lap.

John looks at Talia and then back at his son before sighing and nodding: “If he is too much trouble just give me a call.”

“We will, but I’m sure we can manage. Right Stiles?” Talia asks, opening her arms, letting Stiles walk behind her as the boy glares at his father.

“We will be going then”, John says, leaving without saying a goodbye to his son, or even looking at him before disappearing from the view.

Stiles sniffles behind Talia, hands tight in her skirt seeking comfort at the abandonment of his father. The boy looks absolutely pitiful if you ask Peter, as he watches from the side, Cora still in his arms.

“I need to go”, Cora whispers and Peter lets her down.

He watches as her niece walks slowly next to the now silently crying boy taking him in her tiny arms. Comforting, giving him support like a pack member should. Cora lets Stiles hug her tightly, seeking skin contact and comfort. How could a father leave his son like that?

“It’s alright Stiles. We are here. I am here”, Peter hears Cora whisper in Stiles’ ear hugging the little boy tightly and Stiles clutches her hard, afraid to let go.

“Talia?” Peter asks, walking next to his sister, who is standing at the side, ready if Stiles needs anything.

“Not now Peter”, Is her only response not even looking at Peter, eyes hard on the boy and Peter nods.

“Let’s get you clothes so we can eat”, Cora says after a while as Stiles has calmed down, but is still smelling sad.

Stiles nods following Cora and they dress up together before Talia leads them to the table.

Talia sits at the head of the table, like an alpha should, Joseph on her right, Peter takes a seat on the left side of her, as her left hand. The children take seats where they want. Cora seats Stiles between herself and Peter, giving a look to Peter that reads as “keep him safe”. Derek and Laura are opposite of them. 

Peter watches Stiles interact with the pack. Even though the boy has not lived with a pack he knows how to act as a part of it. The alpha takes food first as everyone else waits before she eats, then it’s free for everyone to take. 

But everyone else waits for Stiles to take food. That’s what is interesting to Peter, every person should be higher in the hierarchy than the boy living outside the pack but the pack treats him as part of them. Even Peter notices himself waiting until the boy has taken his first bite. 

All of Talia’s children give some of their food to Stiles’ plate as the boy eats. He offers a grateful smile to them, the scent of sadness slowly changes to happiness. The boy is basically radiating happiness by the dessert as Talia serves him a huge piece of a chocolate cake.

“Do you want to stay the night, darling?” Talia asks from Stiles who nods, smelling grateful, “That’s nice to hear. I will make your usual room ready for you.”

Peter follows Talia inside the house as the night starts to darken as the children stay outside with Joseph.

“So…” Peter starts as they walk in the one of the many spare rooms the Hale house has.

“Stiles isn’t John’s and Claudia’s son”, Talia says as she starts to make the bed fully knowing what her brother is asking, “They couldn’t have children, it broke Claudia. All she has ever wanted was a child. One morning they woke up to find a baby boy at their doorstep. Just left there, no note or nothing. They took care of him until he flashed his eyes for the first time. Then they knew the boy wasn't fully human. They brought him here and I confirmed that the boy is a werewolf.”

“I thought so. Neither one of them smelled supernatural to me”, Peter hums looking at Talia telling her to continue.

“The boy needed a pack so we took him in since Claudia was already pack. John didn’t take the idea well at first that Stiles would spend so much time here. Stiles is…”, Talia stops and turns to look at Peter, “Stiles is a wonderful young boy, so smart and so full of wonder. So tight grip on his wolf that he hasn’t flashed his eyes since he was a baby, shifting happening like he has practiced it for years. Even Derek doesn’t manage his shift as well yet and he is fifteen.”

“I noticed that he is extraordinarily smart for his age”, Peter nods, talking more to himself than Talia.

“He has only once shown his wolf eyes, and they were blue, or so John told us. We all know what that means and it has put John wary of his son.”

“So no one has ever seen his eyes to confirm it?” Peter asks suspiciously, no wolf has such a good grip of their wolf at that age. Cora flashes her eyes all the time, even Derek and Laura have accidents still.

“Claudia, she’s sick. There’s no cure or else I would have offered the bite to her. John didn’t take it well when they found out that Claudia would die. She is his love. He has been focusing on her and the medical bills. I offered to help pay for them, since they are pack but he refused. Stiles has been spending a lot of time here the last year or so since Claudia’s condition has gotten worse.”

“She doesn’t have long”, Peter states, understanding why John would be so on edge, “Does Stiles know?”

“He must smell it, but I don’t think they have told him yet. He is Cora’s age, he is too young to go through the loss of a mother”, Talia says sadly as she puts the pillow down, the bed done, “I don’t want to step over the line and act like his mother since Claudia position is still mother to Stiles- but- but I don’t know what to do.”

“Talia?” Comes a quiet whisper at the door making both of them turn at the voice.

Stiles stands there, staring at them with his big eyes. Peter has no idea for how long the boy has been standing there. He didn’t hear him approach. It makes him wonder- Derek, his nephew doesn’t manage to sneak up on him like this and he has been training for years. But this puppy… this little pup has managed to do it without training.

“Yes, Stiles?” Talia asks falling to her knees to be at the same level as the boy.

“Could I have some of that cake, please?” He asks avoiding looking at the alpha.

“Of course you can. Peter here will come with you and give it to you”, Talia says, nudging Peter to move.

Stiles reaches his hand up, waiting for Peter to take it. And Peter does. He takes the boy’s small hand and leads him through the house to the kitchen. The boy smells happy that Peter holds his hand. 

“Would you like some soda with your cake, darling?” Peter asks and Stiles radiates happiness once more as he nods, taking a seat at the bar stool.

“Thank you”, Stiles says as soon as Peter gives the cake and soda.

“You are welcome, sweetheart.”

Stiles seems to enjoy being called by nicknames, or at least his scent tells Peter so.

“How long will you stay?” Stiles asks as he has eaten half of his cake.

“I’m not leaving, I have finished school”, Peter answers with a smile.

“You’re not?” The boy perks up, “Would you like to be my friend?”

Peter must have taken too much time to answer since the boy’s face falls before he starts rambling.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I understand, not many want to be my friend. I talk too much and I can’t keep still. My only friends are Cora and Derek and Laura. The kids in the town think I’m annoying. But I can’t help it. Even daddy doesn’t like me that much anymore, I’m either too loud or move too much. I just thought since you are Cora’s favorite you would want to be my friend.”

The ten year old explains in a voice full of sadness. It makes Peter’s cold hard break just a little. 

“I would love to be your friend darling”, Peter says sitting next to Stiles to show he is serious.

“Really?” Stiles asks, looking at Peter with eyes wide.

“Of course. You are so smart I can’t wait to get to know you better”, Peter tells the child with  a smile on his face, voice full of amusement.

“I can tell you all about the reproduction cycle of corals”, Stiles says, basically jumping up and down on his stool.

“I would be happy to hear all about it”, Peter says as Stiles climbs in his lap as he is already telling him about it. 

And the boy can talk. He tells Peter about corals for more than a half an hour. Stiles throws his hands in the air as he tells him about what kind of the sea water has to be. Stiles widgets in his lap, playing with Peter’s hands, burying his face in his neck as his rambling starts to slow down.

“Are you tired?” Peter asks, checking the clock seeing it half past nine.

Stiles nods.

“Why do you smell so good?” Stiles asks as Peter is carrying him on the stairs, “Like, no one has ever smelled so good. Mommy smells nice, like flowers. But you…”

“Yes?” Peter asks, “What do I smell like, little one?”

“Like forest and rain”, Stiles takes a good sniff, “It’s calming.”

Stiles brushes his teeth in the bathroom while he makes Peter wait for him outside. He is a big boy and does it himself.

“Want to hear a secret?” Peter asks as he places Stiles in his bed.

Stiles nods eagerly.

“You too smell really good”, Peter whispers, “Like cinnamon and earth after rain. It’s a nice scent.”

“You really think so?” Stiles asks hopefully looking at Peter with so much hope. 

“Yes, it must be one of the best smells I have smelled”, Peter nods, giving a small smile to Stiles. Not one of his facade smiles he gives everyone else.

“Sleep well Peter”, Stiles whispers as Peter turns the lights off and is closing the door.

“You too darling”, And Peter closes the door to a scent of pure happiness.

----

Peter wakes up in the middle of the night when something crawls in his bed. He jumps to sit up, wolfed out. Eyes burning bright blue, claws out, ready to attack whoever is in his bed. Peter scents the room, not smelling any danger. Only anxiousness and the sweet base scent of the pup.

“They are blue”, Comes a tiny voice of Stiles’, sounding reserved.

“What?” Peter asks, still keeping his change up, just in case, against the pup.

“Your eyes. They are blue. Like mine”, Stiles whispers, flashing his own blue eyes at the older wolf.

Peter stares at the pup with bright blue eyes. Stiles is sitting at the end of his bed in his pajamas, fidgeting with his hands as he waits for Peter to speak. The pup smells anxious, terrified. Peter keeps his own emotions closely locked, not giving away anything for the pup to scent.

“How did you get in?” The only thing that leaves Peter mouth as he lets his claws change back but lets his eyes burn blue as he stares at the pup’s blue ones.

Stiles’ scent takes a panicked undertone as he lowers his gaze.

“I.. I... “, Stiles mumbles without looking at Peter, “I picked the lock. I wanted to be with you. I couldn’t sleep. It helps to be close to someone.”

“I locked the door for a reason, you know that pup?” Peter asks, placing himself to lean on the headboard of his bed.

“Are you mad?” Stiles asks worriedly, tears falling down his cheeks, “Daddy always is mad when I go to their bedroom. I…I just don’t like…”

Peter lets Stiles stammer on before the boy falls quiet, quiet sniffles becoming audible after a minute. The older wolf feels a bang of guilt for the pup. He can feel his heart break for the boy crying silently in his bed. The fact that the boy is trying to cry as silently as possible tells so much to Peter about the boy’s home conditions.

“You don’t like what darling?” Peter asks carefully, voice gentle.

Stiles jumps like he forgot that Peter is there, even though he is the one that broke into Peter’s room. His tiny head snaps up as he looks at Peter.

“I don’t like to sleep alone”, The boy whispers.

It is a statement. One that screams desperation from a little pup that has starved for acceptance from someone that understands him. From someone who is not afraid of him for his blue eyes. And the boy sensed that Peter could be that one for him to offer all that. Acceptance, comfort, even love. None of which he gets from his mother or father. No one knows what it feels like to see your reflection in the mirror and see electric blue eyes staring back.

“Do your parents let you sleep with them?” Peter asks, shifting on the bed.

The tiny wolf shakes his head: “Daddy says that I need to learn to sleep alone. I get enough from the pack, that’s what he said one night when mommy was in the hospital.”

They stare at each other for a second before Peter does something he never thought he would do for anyone. Peter pulls his covers aside, letting the pup climb under them with him. The relieved scent of happiness and relief the pup lets out is like a drug for Peter.

Stiles climbs under the covers and lets Peter pull them over them. He wraps his tiny arms around Peter’s chest, hugging the older wolf close as Peter wraps his own arm around the tiny body. Stiles lays on top of Peter’s chest partially, the whole body flushed against the taller one.

“Am I a monster?” Stiles asks after a while after listening to Peter's calm heartbeat.

“Why would you ask that?”

“My eyes are blue. Daddy said monsters have blue eyes because they are evil and do evil stuff”, Stiles whispers, clutching Peter more tightly, tiny body tensing, “After he had drunk his bottle. It smells bad.”

Peter is seething with anger on the inside as he listens to the pup speak of his home, his parents, his father that rejects his son. About a mother who is dying and no one is telling him anything because they think he is too small and too stupid to understand. He tells Peter how he has done his own research of the disease, how he knows his mother doesn’t have long, how his mother has started to smell bad, like death.

“Oh darling”, Peter murmurs in Stiles’ hair kissing it, “I don’t think you are stupid at all. You are the smartest person I have met and you are ten.”

“I’m eleven soon”, Stiles whispers.

“Soon to be eleven years old and you know so much. You know about your mother’s disease even when no one has told you about it. Only smart people look for information they don’t have. And no. You are not a monster even if you have blue eyes. I’m not a monster and I have blue eyes right?”

Stiles takes a long moment to consider all this before he turns to face Peter.

“You are the only one with blue eyes that I have met. Why is that?” 

“You don’t need to worry your pretty head with that just yet. How about I tell you about it when you are a little bit older?” Peter asks, petting Stiles’ soft hair.

“They always say that but they never tell”, Stiles huffs trying to pull away from Peter but Peter pulls him back, not letting go.

“Do you hear me lying?” Peter asks, curious if Stiles can detect a lie.

“No”, Stiles answers finally, frowning, “Adults always lie. But you didn’t. Even Alpha Talia lies all the time, when she doesn’t think I can tell when people are lying.”

“That she does”, Peter laughs and Stiles relaxes in his arms, “I don’t have any need to lie to you. You would only find out later I have lied and you would be angry. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

“I understand why Cora likes you the best”, Stiles whispers as he snuggles Peter’s neck

“Oh yeah”, Peter chuckles as he pulls the pup in.

“But she doesn’t get to have you. You are mine”, Stiles states, taking in a deep breath of Peter’s scent.

Peter tenses under the boy. What is the pup talking about?

“What do you mean?” Peter asks as calmly as he can while Stiles scents him, marking him with his own scent.

“You smell like mine. So you must be mine, right? I won’t let anyone take you from me”, Stiles says, raising his head, eyes bright blue as he stares at Peter, daring him to disagree with him.

“Mate”, Peter whispers in the dark room, feeling his eyes burn to answer to his mate’s claim of possession.

“Mate”, Stiles nods, baring his neck for Peter.

And if Peter was a better person he would have declined, telling Stiles is too young to know for sure about mates. But Peter isn’t so he lets out a quiet growl, telling the pup he approves the gesture.

Peter buries his nose in Stiles’ neck, breathing in deeply. The pure scent of the pup hits him at full force. How could have he missed this? Stiles smells like mate, like home, like his. Peter and his wolf couldn’t be happier at the knowledge of finding their mate and the boy being so much like Peter even if he doesn’t know it yet.

Peter isn’t going to let anyone take Stiles away from him now that he has found him. But he has a dark feeling that Stiles won’t let go of him either. The boy who has faced so much rejection in his short life finds his mate in Peter. In a man who is just as dark and broken as he is.

Any good person would tell Stiles to leave, to not speak of such things at such a young age where they would not know what they are talking about. But Peter isn’t a good person. He is greedy and he doesn’t plan on changing it now even if the whole world is against him. 

In the morning Peter wakes up to the sound of his door opening. He lifts his head up, locking eyes with Talia who is staring at him. Stiles still sleeping next to him, spread out on the bed taking over half of the bed. The look Talia gives him speaks volumes but Peter doesn’t care what his sister thinks about. But against all odds he slowly slips out of the bed, careful not to wake up the boy. Peter takes his sweatpants from the chair next to the bed before walking out of the room after Talia. 

Peter closes the bedroom door behind him quietly before turning to face his sister. 

“Explain yourself”, Talia commands, voice harsh. 

“I haven’t done anything”, Peter defends himself, keeping his body language relaxed. 

“Why is he in your room?” Talia asks.

“Did you know how Stiles is being mistreated at home?” Peter asks back, accusing the alpha of willingly turning a blind eye to Stiles’ situation.

“Mistreated?” Talia asks, confused.

“I assume you have told his parents what a werewolf needs and how they act?” Peter keeps asking.

“Of course I have. Why would you even asks that?”

“Then would you be so kind and explain why the puppy told my crying last night his parents won't let him in their bedroom, leaving him sleeping all alone. I do not believe for a second you didn’t know what was going on in there. His parents are emotionally neglecting him, who knows, maybe even physically”, Peter’s voice raises against his will as he tells his sister what Stiles told him.

“God”, Talia breathes out, running her fingers through her hair, “I never believed it was that bad.”

“So you knew?” Peter asks angrily.

“I knew there were mishaps since they are humans who don’t really understand what it means to be a wolf”, Talia breathes out, “But I didn’t believe…”

“You are making excuses”, Peter hisses, “I saw yesterday how you all treat him. A guilty conscience perhaps?” 

“I’m a good alpha”, Talia argues back, “But he isn’t one of ours. I cannot over step in case they cut us out of his life.”

The door opens behind Peter and Stiles steps on the hallway with big eyes looking at them. His hair is sticking in every direction from sleeping. The boy takes Peter’s hand, standing close to the man while he turns to look at the alpha.

“Alpha, don’t be mad at me”, Stiles sniffles out quietly, “I didn’t want to be a burden.”

“Oh no darling you are not a burden”, Talia rushes to comfort the boy, “I’m not mad at you.”

“But I have been lying to you”, Stiles whispers, not looking at the alpha.

“Stiles, I understand, there is no need to apologize”, Talia says softly while taking the boy in for a hug.

Stiles hugs the alpha back, crying on her shoulder. Peter stands there looking at the scene, anger creeping in his heart. For a long time the boy has put on a brave face for everyone else to not be a burden. Peter wonders how in the hell the boy even knows such a thing. But he has an idea and it makes him even more angry.

“Do you want me to talk to your parents?” Talia asks quietly from the boy.

This seems to upset the boy even more. 

“Don’t, please don’t tell my dad you know”, Stiles cries out.

“Shh, baby I won’t say anything”, Talia assures the boy while shooting a look towards Peter. 

Peter grits his teeth, fits shaking on his sides as he tries not to blow up. He is close to just marching to Stilinski's house and beating some sense into Stiles' father. 

“Mom?” Cora walks up to them, looking confused but already reaching for Stiles.

“Everything is alright baby”, Talia tells her daughter, taking her in a hug as well, “Let’s go get breakfast, huh.”

That seems to brighten Stiles’s mood as the boy lets go of Talia and with a quick glance towards Peter, the boy leaves with Cora to head to the kitchen. Talia gets up from the ground looking after the duo as they head downstairs.

Peter turns on his heels and goes to his room to change clothes, ignoring Talia as she tries to say something. 

“I can drop him off”, Peter offers, as Talia starts packing Stiles’ stuff.

Talia turns to look at Peter, having heard the unspoken statement of how things will go. Talia wants to argue against her brother, but decides against it, knowing Peter will do anything he wants. She nods, giving Peter Stiles’ backpack. 

“You will drop him off, nothing more”, Talia orders. 

“Of course”, Peter nods, but the glint in his eyes says otherwise. 

“Peter I am serious”, Talia says, “I will have you removed from Stiles life if you step out of line. I do not know what has gotten into you, since you have never been known to care about others. But now- now you are caring over this pup you have known for a day.”

“Must be one of life's many mysteries”, Peter snarls back at her, insulted.

But of course Peter won't just drop the kid off. Peter lets Stiles pick the songs during the car ride and just generally goof off like a child he is. It warms Peter’s heart to see Stiles act so carefree and happy. The closer to the house they drive, the more silent Stiles becomes. Peter parks before the house and turns the car off. They just sit there in silence for a long minute.

“I have something for you”, Peter says, opening the glove-box. 

Peter takes out his old phone and hands it to Stiles. Stiles looks at it with wide eyes, not knowing what Peter wants him to say. 

“It is for emergencies only”, Peter states, “Do you know how to use it?”

“Yes”, Stiles nods, gripping the phone against his chest.

“It has my number saved on it”, Peter explains, “Call me whenever you need me, and I will come. Day or night, I am just a phone call away.”

Stiles nods.

“Keep it hidden from your parents”, Peter says.

“But they told me lying is bad”, Stiles argues, his tiny face showing confusion over Peter’s order, “Daddy says lies are bad and if you lie you have something bad to hide.”

Peter laughs. It is so absurd. But as soon as he sees Stiles face and the hurt look Stiles gives him Peter stops.

“Oh darling I am not laughing at you”, Peter rushes to explain, “I would never make fun of you. Do you think it is bad for you to have a phone for emergencies? You are a smart boy Stiles, so tell me, are you doing something bad by having this phone.”

“No”, Stiles answers finally as he stares at the phone.

“Good boy”, Peter praises the younger and the car fills with a scent of pride at the praise, “Now get inside, and hide the phone in a place your parents won't find it.”

Stiles nods, showing the phone at the bottom of his backpack. Peter watches as the boy walks to the front door, waves goodbye to him and goes inside.

----

Peter starts doing school drop off and pick ups just to spend more time with Stiles. The boy seems to appreciate that as he always smiles and babbles on about different topics. Talia stays out of it, but Peter can see it on her face every time he orders Cora to get ready in the mornings for school. 

Stiles spends more and more time at the Hale house. He comes over almost every day after school to play with Cora and to do homework. Stiles stays close to Peter, keeping him always in sight, always just a call away. And Peter doesn’t care that he is a beck and call for the pup. 

“And now you move it up there”, Peter instructs Stiles as he is helping with homework.

“Like this?” Stiles asks as he calculates.

“Just like that, and now you should get your answer”, Peter smiles as he watches Stiles finish the question. 

Stiles closes the notebook and turns to look at Peter. Peter gives his attention to the boy. It is the silent agreement they had made. And as the weeks had turned into months slowly, Stiles had become the center of Peter’s world. He could not imagine his life without the boy. Stiles is everything he could have asked for. The boy is brilliant, he is smart and cunning. Stiles is not afraid to say what is on his mind. Peter has grown to like the other presence in his bed, the young pup sleeping next to him almost every weekend. It is the highlight of his week every time Stiles comes over to the Hale house. 

Talia watches them like a hawk every time Stiles is over. Peter takes that as an insult, like he would ever do anything inappropriate to Stiles. Stiles is still a child, for heaven’s sake, Peter knows that. He isn’t that messed up in his head. He simply enjoys the closeness the pup offers. Stiles has never once indicated anything other than childlike innocence and Peter wants to keep the boy like that as long as he can. Now that he has found him, Peter has all the time in the world to wait for his mate to grow and mature taking his own time. Peter can wait, playing the part of a trusted family member in the boy’s life. 

Peter knows he cannot hide forever the fact that they are mates from Talia. The alpha isn’t a moron by any means, but sometimes she doesn’t want to see what is before her. And Peter has chosen to not point out the fact that Stiles is his mate if their alpha doesn’t want to see it yet. The young age of the boy can play a part in that, but Peter isn’t going to be the first to say it.

What comes to Claudia, her condition has gotten worse as the months slowly passes by. The Stilinski parents finally had a sit down with Stiles and talked to him about what is most likely going to happen in a few months. Stiles took it as well as you would imagine when you tell a child their mother is going to die. The whole pack was there to support Stiles, that was what Claudia had wanted. Peter can smell how fast the disease is taking over, the clear moments getting far fewer. 

He argues with Talia to get Stiles to live with them full time, to get the boy in a stable environment. Talia shoots Peter’s idea down, telling him to stay away from the issue. And Peter had, but the nights he spends outside of the Stilinski household keeps on growing. Peter isn’t going to let anything happen to his boy. 

Once Stiles’ birthday comes, the celebration is held at the Hale house. There’s cake, candy, chips, basically anything a child would want. Peter had made sure that everything was to Stiles’ liking. A huge chocolate cake that Peter paid for, just as Stiles had wanted. Cora voiced how she didn’t get one like that for her birthday but Peter shut her up by promising to get one for her next year. 

“It’s time to cut the cake”, Talia announces to the group, telling them to gather in the dining room. 

John helps Claudia up from the sofa and towards the kitchen. Stiles stays back to help her mother as well. No one seems to notice Peter hovering close to Stiles the whole day. Peter doesn’t remember when was the last time he was excited about birthdays, but he is now. He cannot wait for Stiles to see the cake, and the present he got for the boy. A set of legos the boy had looked at a few times when they had gone to the mall. Stiles had always explained to Peter how much he wanted it, how the Batman Lego set would complete his collection. Stiles had talked the whole way home about what movie it is from, what characters there are and so on. So Peter had gone and bought it for the boy without even looking at the price.

“Oh!” Stiles yells excited as he sees the cake.

John mutters something about indoor-voice but Stiles doesn’t pay any mind to his father. 

“Can I blow the candles?” Stiles asks as Peter helps him sitting on the seat.

“Of course darling, it is your cake”, Peter answers, lighting the eleven candles for Stiles.

Talia turns the lights off, and the pack starts singing happy birthday. The look Stiles gives makes Peter’s heart skip a beat. The pure joy on the boy’s face is nothing like he has ever seen. It is beautiful and Peter wants to see it for the rest of his life. 

“Make a wish darling”, Peter whispers in Stiles’ ear.

Stiles closes his eyes for a second as he makes his wish. He opens his eyes and blows the candles. Everyone cheers, waiting for Stiles to cut the first piece of the cake. Peter helps the boy to cut a piece and after that it is fair game for everyone else. 

Stiles gathers his plate full of the sweets and anything he can reach from his seat. 

“I think that is more than enough Stiles”, John says to his son as the boy is reaching for a cookie. 

Stiles doesn’t answer, he only lets his hand fall to his side, leaving the cookie. Peter takes the cookie and gives it to Stiles, while giving a look towards John. It is Stiles’ day, one cookie won't be the end of it. John shoots an angry look towards Peter but doesn’t say anything as he tends to Claudia.

“How about gifts?” Claudia asks when everyone has gotten something to eat. 

Peter can feel the excitement radiating from Stiles at the mention of gifts. Peter sits next the Stiles as he starts to open the gifts one by one as the guests give them to him. From Cora, Stiles gets his favourite comic book’s newest release. From Talia and Joseph he gets a new bright red hoodie, his favourite colour. Stiles gets action figures, more comic books, and more toys. Peter heads out to get his present, the box being too big to store in the dining room. Once Stiles sees the size of the wrapped box, his eyes widen as he jumps up from his seat to run to Peter. 

“What’s in there?” Stiles asks as Peter hands him the present.

“Open it and see for yourself darling”, Peter says while petting the boy’s head.

Stiles quickly shreds the wrapping paper away from the box before screaming in joy. He jumps up and down, yelling thank you to Peter. Stiles runs to hug Peter

Stiles takes Cora with him as he rushes out of the room to build the lego set he just got. 

“How much were the legos?” John asks Peter as soon as the man sits back down at the table. 

“I didn’t check”, Peter answers, looking straight at John, “It doesn’t matter to me as long as Stiles is happy.”

“Those were almost four hundred dollars, I remember Stiles asking them last Christmas”, John says, sounding angry.

“So?” Peter asks, challenging the man.

“What does a child do with that expensive legos?” John argues, while Claudia is trying to calm him down.

“It was my money that bought the gift, and most of the food here today for Stiles”, Peter states with a hint of superiority in his voice.

This sends the man over the edge. Hinting that he doesn’t have the money to spend on his son. And it is true, every spare cent goes towards Claudia’s medical bills. Peter knows it is a low blow but he doesn’t see how it is John’s problem if he wants to celebrate Stiles by spending his own money on the boy. 

“We are going”, John snaps.

Peter watches as the man yells for Stiles to get his stuff that they are leaving. Talia rushes to mediate the situation to not ruin Stiles’ birthday. In the end, Stiles gets to stay with Hales the weekend. 

The weeks go on, until late one night there is a knock on Peter’s bedroom door.

“Peter we need to go”, Talia knocks on Peter’s door, alerting the man.

Peter jumps up from the bed pulling clothes on. It is late in the night, why on earth Talia would be knocking on his door ordering him around. As Peter pulls his shirt on and opens the door, he can see the worried look on Talia’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Peter asks alarmed.

“It’s Claudia”, Talia whispers brokenly, “She’s gone.”

The world goes silent for Peter. He knows what it means. Call him a bad brother, but he doesn’t care that much that Talia has just lost her best friend. He is more concerned about Stiles. Just the thought of the little boy, sitting alone and mourning in the hospital makes Peter feel things he never thought he would. And before Talia can say anything else, Peter is rushing down the stairs and out the door. He grabs his car keys and he doesn't care if he is pulled over for speeding as he drives to the hospital. 

He parks the car and runs inside the hospital. He knows where Stiles will be, they have visited Claudia together in the hospital. He knows Stiles’ favourite places, the best hiding places when you don’t want anyone to find you. Peter dodges the hospital staff walking down the hallway, there is the continuing mutter of voices, machines beeping that Peter hates. The scent of disinfectant and death, that lingers on the walls of the hospice wing, sends shivers down his spine. He knows Stiles hates it here, and he knows where to find the boy. 

Peter rushes up the emergency stairs to the roof. It is dark but the lights around the hospital illuminate the rooftop enough for Peter to see a small figure sitting at the edge. He carefully walks closer, until blue eyes are staring straight at him.

“Peter”, Stiles cries out as he gets up and runs in Peter’s arms.

“I got you darling”, Peter whispers as he falls on his knees, Stiles in his lap, “I’m here darling.”

“She’s gone”, Stiles cries as he pulls Peter’s shirt, “She…I want my mommy.”

“I know darling”, Peter whispers as he kisses the boy’s temple.

“I don’t want to lose you too”, Stiles whispers after a long silence, clutching on to Peter with all his power. 

“I’m not going anywhere darling”, Peter assures the boy, never letting go.

They stay on the rooftop for a long time. Peter lets Stiles cry in his lap, offering support. Peter doesn’t know how long they stay there, but once the sun starts to rise in the horizon Peter gathers the boy in his arms and gets up. Stiles mumbles against his chest that he doesn’t want to go there, but Peter only kisses the top of the boy’s head as he heads down the stairs. He knows Stiles is tired, and mourning the loss of a mother, but the kid cannot hide from the world. 

Once they reach the room where Claudia was Peter can see the whole pack present. Talia is crying while she is trying to console John. Peter lets Stiles go, watching as the boy walks closer to his father, seeking comfort from the man. As soon as the boy gets close enough John jumps up from his seat, saying he needs to start preparing the funeral. Talia pulls the crying boy in her lap as Cora comes to hug her friend. Peter watches as John disappears from the hallway. 

The funeral is held two weeks later. The whole pack attends to help. John is in no condition to do anything as he shows completely wasted. Talia tries to get him to drink some water to sober up enough to attend his wife’s funeral. Peter stands next to Stiles as they lower the casket. Stiles takes a step backwards, until his back hits Peter’s leg. Peter places his hands on the boy’s shoulders, offering support. Stiles throws a single white lily on top of the casket before they start to fill the hole. Peter helps Stiles wipe the tears. 

It is later that night when Peter's phone rings. Peter’s heart stops as he sees the caller id. He answers the first ring. All he can hear is screaming and things being thrown around. 

“Stiles?” Peter yells on the phone, “Are you alright?”

“Please come get me”, Is all Stiles cries on the phone.

Peter can hear John yelling in the background, slurring his words. He cannot hear clearly what the man is yelling about but he hears the words “burden”, “disappointment”, “murderer”. That is enough for Peter to run out of the house and start his car. 

“Stay on the phone with me darling”, Peter yells on the phone, “Stay on the phone I’m coming.”

A loud thud can be heard of something hitting a wall and breaking. Stiles yelps, and Peter can hear the boy running. More yelling, until the yelling becomes more quiet. 

“Where are you?” Stiles whispers on the phone between his sobs.

“Almost there darling”, Peter promises as he drives through red lights, “Where are you darling?”

“I’m hiding in the closet”, Stiles cries hysterically, “Daddy is angry and… and..”

“Breathe darling I’m almost there”, Peter tries to calm down the boy, “Almost there, just turning the road to your house. Just stay in the closet sweetheart.”

Peter doesn’t even park the car as he jumps out of it as soon as reaches the house. He can hear the yelling through the front door. He doesn’t bother knocking as he kicks the door in. He is furious, he needs to hit something and that something needs to be John. Peter doesn’t even need to look for the man as John comes towards him from the kitchen. The man is drunk out of his mind. The house is a mess, furniture thrown, pictures shattered on the floor. The whole floor is covered in glass shards. 

“Why the hell are you here?” John angrily yells, trying to hit Peter who easily dodges the punch. 

“Did the bastard call you?” John asks angrily, trying to focus on Peter, “Stiles! Peter is here!”

“I am warning you John”, Peter snarls at the man, “I am taking Stiles with me and you will not stop me.”

John tries to hit Peter again but loses his balance as Peter dodges him again. John falls against the wall, hitting his head. The man sinks on the floor, mumbling something Peter cannot understand as he steps over the man.

“Stiles!” Peter yells as he runs up the stairs, “Darling come out. It’s me.”

Peter rushes into Stiles' room to check the closet. It’s empty. His next guess is Claudia’s closet so he rushes there. Before he can call Stiles again the boy opens the closet door, his eyes shining in the phone’s dim light. 

“Come with me darling”, Peter rushes to Stiles to gather the boy in his arms.

Stiles is trembling. He is crying hard and Peter can see bruises all over the boy’s small body. An angry growl fills the quiet room as soon as Peter’s eyes land on Stiles’ beaten form. Stiles cries harder, gripping the phone with white knuckles. 

“Stiles”, Peter whispers, falling on his knees before the boy, “I’m not angry at you darling, never.”

“Peter”, Stiles sobs as he lunges himself in Peter’s arms.

Peter lifts the boy in his arms, carrying the boy out of the room. Stiles is gripping him so hard it almost hurts. From on top of the stairs Peter can see that John isn’t there any longer. He puts Stiles down, telling him to wait for him there, to not move. 

Peter carefully makes his way down the stairs, listening. As soon as he gets half way there are six shots. Burning hot pain pierces his leg as he falls down the stairs. Stiles screams small steps coming closer but Peter yells for Stiles to stay away. 

Peter lifts himself against the wall, looking at his leg. He takes a deep breath before digging his sharp claws in his flesh to get the bullet out. He throws the bullet on the floor, and as soon as the foreign object is out of his body, his body starts healing the wound. Peter gets up and attacks blindly. He doesn’t stop until the man stops moving. 

Without looking back, Peter gets Stiles. The boy is crying in Peter’s arms as he carries him outside, never letting Stiles’ bare feet touch the ground full of broken glass. His car is still running when he steps out. Peter doesn’t bother ordering Stiles to sit on his own. Peter keeps the shaking boy in his lap all the way until they can see the Hale house. 

Talia is standing on the front porch looking worried. 

“Peter what’s going on?” She asks when she sees Stiles in Peter’s arms when they step out of the car.

“Stiles will be staying with us from now on”, Peter states.

It’s not a question. It is a statement of what will happen. 

“Stiles honey, are you alright?” Talia asks worriedly, as she sees Stiles’ bruised face and bare feet.

“John is unfit to parent and I will fight the rest of my life to make sure that man never sees Stiles again”, Peter promises, pulling the crying boy closer.

The indication is clear of what has happened. Peter doesn’t feel like explaining, he is sure Talia understands what went down. 

And from that night forward, Stiles stays with them. Talia makes Stiles’ room ready for him, but in reality the boy doesn’t spend a single night in his own room. Stiles is always sleeping with Peter. After the incident, Stiles hasn’t been apart from Peter longer than the school day. Every waking moment Stiles can be found glued to Peter’s side. 

It is sunday, they are having their regular sunday brunch in the backyard. Stiles is sitting in Peter’s lap, watching the others as Peter keeps running his fingers through Stiles’ hair. It is peaceful. The whole pack has grown accustomed to Stiles being there, adopting him as a pack member. 

Stiles doesn’t want to talk about what happened. He doesn’t want anyone else other than Peter touching him. Not even Cora can touch him. And Stiles has started to show concerning signs of possessiveness over Peter. If someone gets too close to the man Stiles is bearing his teeth at the person. Peter doesn’t encourage this behavior but he doesn’t scold the boy either like Talia does. Talia says that it is not healthy for Stiles to act possessive over Peter, since it could cause unhealthy coping mechanisms to form. 

Talia has talked about getting Stiles a therapist who specializes in the supernatural and could help Stiles work through his feelings. Peter doesn’t support this, always saying there is nothing wrong with how Stiles copes with what is happening. There have been big life changes in the boy’s life in such a short timeframe. And the only constant presence has been Peter, so no wonder if Stiles finds safety with him. Talia doesn’t like it but she hasn’t put her foot down yet about it either. 

Peter doesn’t know what he will do when Talia decides enough is enough. He knows Stiles cannot stick to him for the rest of his life, but for now it is fine. And the alpha still doesn’t know about their stronger bond. Day by day, their bond has been growing stronger. It is stronger than just pack mates, a true mate bond. Peter knows it is still weak compared to a finished bond. And he is afraid of the day when they will finish the bond as it is already so strong, taking all the space in Peter’s life. 

The boy is something special, Peter has to give it to the boy. Peter has studied the mate bond and it should not be like this early on, especially when the other mate is so young. But the bond between them is burning hot, leaving no room to question it. 

“Uncle Peter”, Cora’s voice brings Peter back as he turns to look at the girl, “Can you play ball with me?”

“No”, Stiles’ voice comes, as the boy answers coldly.

“Stiles darling, that’s not nice”, Peter says lightheartedly, “We can play with Cora.”

“I don’t want to”, Stiles argues, giving Peter a defiant look, telling Peter to test him, to go against his order.

Peter has not been known to be one to step back from a challenge. 

“You can sit here and wait for me”, Peter says, trying to lift Stiles off of his lap.

“I said no”, Stiles voice is commanding now, close to an alpha’s command that leaves no room to question it. 

Peter is at a loss of words. This little pup, commands him, expecting him to relent. 

“Stiles that is not how you talk to people”, Peter finally finds his words as he finds it in himself to scold the boy.

Stiles looks taken aback when Peter scolds him, but stays quiet. He lets Peter put him down and leave to play with Cora. But for the rest of the night, Stiles doesn’t say a word to anyone. Not even Peter. 

At the end of the night Peter makes sure the pups have gotten themselves ready for bed. He waits for Stiles to come to his room but watches as the boy walks past Peter’s room, glancing angrily at Peter as he does so. The look is dark, making Peter feel uneasy. He stays awake for a while, listening and waiting if the boy will relent and come to sleep with him but he hears nothing. The house is silent, and he falls asleep to that. 

Peter stirs awake in the middle of the night when he can feel movement next to him. The familiar scent of Stiles hits him and he automatically opens his arms to let the boy crawl in his arms. And Stiles does so. Stiles settles next to him, like every night. Peter is almost back to sleep when he feels Stiles nose touch his neck. 

Before Peter can do or say anything to the boy, Stiles sinks his sharp teeth in his flesh. Peter’s eyes shoot open, all the sleep gone as he can feel the mate bond snap in place. His head is spinning and the whole room feels like it is spinning. His hand shoots to grab Stiles' hair to pull the boy away from his neck, only to cause Stiles to sink his teeth deeper. Peter groans in pain when Stiles lets him go finally. Electric blue eyes are staring at him in the darkness of the room, and Peter knows his eyes are matching. His wolf answers his mate’s call. Peter is holding Stiles’ hair, keeping the boy at the arm’s length away from himself. Peter’s other hand shoots to his neck, feeling the wound already healing. 

“Fuck”, Peter whispers, jumping up from the bed. 

He turns on the lights to see himself from the mirror. 

“Fuck fuck fuck”, Peter curses as he sees already healed mating bite decorating his neck. 

The tiny teeth marks already healed pale teeth marks against his skin. He can see the dark smirk on Stiles’ face through the mirror. 

“You are mine”, Peter can hear Stiles whisper, “And it is time for everyone else to know that.”