It doesn't take very long for Derek to pull up to the animal clinic, Stiles can see Scott's mom's car already parked outside. He probably took it instead of his dirt bike.

As Derek pulls up he lets his eyes slip to look at Stiles. The boy was sitting slouched in the passenger seat and his eyes were lost looking at the foliage outside of the car. His tail was slumped on his lap and Stiles' fingers laid on top of it.

Derek couldn't really understand but for a little while Stiles changed. It was so subtle that Derek couldn't figure out what changed, he just knew something changed for at least a moment. And once Derek looked at the boy he couldn't seem to stop.

His eyes were sort of glued to him. When stiles turned his head to face Derek, Derek quickly turned away, putting the car in park and getting out, walking towards the clinics doors, cursing at himself for staring at Stiles like a kid looking at a puppy.

Longing in a way.

Scott and Deaton were both conversing behind the front desk, quickly turning to see Derek and Stiles enter.

Scott is the first to speak up, "You sure that it was Gerard?"

Derek hears Stiles huff from behind him.

"Well it was definitely Gerard, Scott. I mean no one else has that..." Stiles stops mid thought, "that vibe, you know."

Derek shrugs and Stiles winces once again, "Or, you know wants to shoot me in the shoulder and kill me with a crossbow."

"Oh yeah, that too." Adds Stiles, rubbing his own shoulder blade.

Deaton opens the mountain ash door so that the two supernaturals can go into the room, currently occupied by an unconscious Mason and sleeping Corey.

"Has he been here the whole time?" Asks Scott in a sad voice, glancing at Corey.

Kade comes out of one of the back rooms that holds all of the animal food and equipment, "He refuses to leave his side."

Stiles sighs and gives Kade a quick look.

"Ok enough with killing the mood, what else happened?" Asks Deaton.

"He knew." Stiles says, "He knew I was a werefox."

Derek nods, "And he said something about wanting Stiles, unharmed? I believe, but more like unscathed because he was fine with killing the two of us."

Stiles looks at Derek, his eyes wondering a bit around his face, his green eyes and gruff expression as he talked.

"And he said the same thing Peter said." Mentions Stiles in a soft voice, placing his words carefully.

"Peter said?" Asks Derek through his teeth.

"Yeah, um." Stiles pauses once again, "Mates."

Derek's heart flops, he knew only a little about Mates. Enough to know they were very rare, and since Peter had said that there were 2 (Mason and himself) it had to be impossible, or nearly impossible.

Deaton nods slowly. "I remember him talking about that when Stiles was missing."

Stiles gritted his teeth, feeling them form into fangs. "What did that bastard say when I was missing?" He asks with malice lining his voice.

Scott looks at his friend, who is clenching his fists, "He said you, Mason and Derek were mates."

Derek glances at Stiles once again, feeling his eyes glue to him.

Derek shakes his head before anyone can notice, however Deaton didn't miss, he just chose to ignore until later, when he could talk to Derek alone.

Once Stiles calms down a little Derek speaks up.

"Stiles took my pain." He states. It was an instant regret sort of thing, and Scott's eyes thin into a line.

Stiles was the only one who understood. "I asked him to twist an arrow that lodged itself into his shoulder blade."

Scott's mouth makes an 'O' shape, "And why would you do that?"

"Because," Stiles pauses, "when he got shot he didn't feel it exactly."

"Oh I felt it, for only a second." Derek corrects, "Then it was gone."

Deaton and Scott look at Stiles like there was more to the story, which there was.

"Then I felt it. All of it." Stiles says with a wince, "And I still feel it now."

Deaton looks between the two of them. "Wow." He States.

Stiles' head tilts and his tail swishes behind his back. "What's so surprising that you didn't know before?"

"Nothing." Deaton explains, "Its just that I understand what Peter was talking about now."

Stiles looks at the Vet, "Well then someone explain to me because I don't even know what a 'mate' is."

Scott nods in agreement and Derek sighs, looking at Deaton.

Kade chuckles to himself. The Black Dog has been so quiet that Stiles almost forgot he was there altogether.

"What's so funny?" Asks Derek, glaring at Kade.

"Nothing, nothing." He says before holding back another dry laugh.

Everyone stays silent and Kade sighs.

"What? Was it something I said?" Asks Kade.

Derek rolls his eyes and gives Deaton a quick glance.

Deaton picks up where he left off, "As I was saying," he shoots Kade a quick glare, "Mason came to me with a similar question not too long ago."

Deaton gives the unconscious boy a quick glance before giving his attention back to Derek and Stiles.

"Mates are a complicated concept," he looks at Derek, "One that Derek's family understands very well." Deaton speaks cautiously, not wanting to hurt Derek. Derek just looks down to the ground and Stiles can practically feel the sadness flowing through him.

Deaton continues speaking, "Derek's parents were mates. It starts as a simple interaction, and after a little while pulls start to happen. Sort of like a magnet, from what I've heard."

Suddenly the gears in Stiles' mind start to click in gear and his tail molds itself into his own leg.

"Then both people, supernatural or not, start to feel something towards the other. Confusion in feelings, attraction..." Deaton trials off, obviously not so keen on that subject at the moment.

"But like I said, Mates are rare, let alone 2." Deaton says.

Stiles and Derek sneak glances at each other.

"Mates is kind of like a way that the world pushes two people together, connecting two souls. Of course, mate bonds can be broken, but the result is inevitable death." Deaton says slowly.

Stiles looks at Deaton, "So what you are saying is either Derek or Mason is going to die?"

Deaton glances at Mason, "Well Mason doesn't look so good to begin with, and the fact that you have been around Derek so often you are starting to feel something aren't you?" He looks at the two.

Scott looks up from his corner and at Derek and Stiles. The two of them glanced at each other for a moment.

"Um..." Stiles stutters a little.

Derek's heart beats faster for a second, which earns a look from Stiles.

"I'll take that as a yes." Deaton answers for them.

"What do we do?" Asks Stiles.

"Nothing." Derek states.

"So you are saying that the earth just pulled us," Stiles motions from himself to Derek, "together, without any say. Just randomly mother freaking nature is like, 'hey! Let's put these two together?'"

Deaton shakes his head, "No. The earth, nemeton more likely knows what has happened, it knows what goes on in your guy's lives. You guys felt something before too, even if it was small." Deaton looks at both of the boys and smirks only enough for Kade and Scott to notice.

"How does Mason fit in then?" Asks Derek.

Kade speaks up this time, "Mason was the only one that cared other than Derek when Stiles turned for the first time. It gave them a tie as well."

Deaton nods, "But after Mason came to me I knew he wouldn't be so fortunate."

"Wait why?" Asks Stiles, his gaze falls on Derek.

Deaton looks at Derek as well and Derek looks up from the ground.

---

~A Few Years Before~

It was a long time ago. Scott had just been bitten and Stiles had been looking for Scott's inhaler with him.

That's when Derek met Stiles.

Derek was shaken by his sisters sudden death and the rise of a new alpha, one which was unknown.

Stiles and Scott broke through the foliage searching the ground and having a small conversation about what Stiles knew about werewolves at the time.

Derek had kept an eye on them since he saw them walk into his property. Especially Stiles.

Something about him just felt different.

He smelled odd, it was intriguing, and it scared the hell out of Derek.

"What are you doing? This is private property." Derek remembers saying.

"Oh, we were just leaving." Stiles Says grabbing Scott's sweatshirt as if he were trying to get out of there as fast as possible.

Derek threw Scott's inhaler and the boy caught it single handed.

Ever since that day in the woods Derek had tried to hide even more of his feelings than before, and keep his distance from people.

Especially Stiles.

After a year Derek got sick of the magnetic feeling and talked to Deaton, but of course he was given little to no information.

---
~Present~
Derek knew about the suspicions about Stiles being his mate long before the Peter brought it up a few days ago. And the fact that Stiles knew now scared him as well.

Derek was gay. He realized that after he somehow caught feelings for the spazz when he met him, even if it took a few years for his head to catch up to his heart.

And now Derek didn't know what was going to happen. And he wasn't about to test his luck by telling Stiles about his past.

Derek could feel his heart speed up and Stiles gave him a worried look, causing Derek's eyes to flash, he hid them successfully though.

Maybe a different day he could tell Stiles. Maybe when he could understand him better.

"I just knew something like this would happen." Deaton lied for Derek.

Stiles nods, not catching Deatons lie.

"So what are we going to do about Gerard?" Asks Derek, glad the conversations over.

"Well first we have to figure out why he wants Stiles."

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A/N: longer chapter today. Dropped some more news about the Mates and DEREK?! Derek likes Stiles?! What?! I never knew... yes I did I wrote this XD. Don't forget to vote and comment I love the feedback!🖤