Chapter 6

Stiles flopped down on his bed and blew out a deep breath. The last few days had been crazy. After dealing with Satomi who had finally managed to calm down after a few hours, she decided to stay in town overnight to talk things over with Derek before heading back. Stiles had stayed at the loft after she left for a bit, and they talked about werewolf politics which was truly fascinating, but Stiles was noticing that his feelings for his territory and the 'itch' that came with it were still unclear. Apparently he wasn't done 'growing' yet as his territory kept expanding and as it did, more and more ley lines were involved and he had finally figured out that even when he wasn't consciously connecting to them, they still fed into him and were bringing information to him that he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret.

A quick call to Lizzie had helped some, but she could only advise him about druidic magic and he was definitely getting more than just that. Two days ago he had gone to the grocery store to restock their kitchen when he saw Mrs. Wilhelm, the former librarian, walking through the store aimlessly. Now to be fair, it wasn't the first time she did that, however it was the first time Stiles had seen her at the store since she died. Yep. Passed away peacefully a month ago and apparently she is still shopping for produce.

He hightailed it out of there fairly quickly but he had spotted at least two other ghosts wandering around Beacon Hills since that incident. Strangely enough he hadn't seen any of the people killed recently by the supernatural, for which he was relieved…surprised, but relieved. He didn't need to have to deal with that on top of everything else.

Then yesterday the Alpha of the Marshall pack arrived, sent by Peter who was still out on his trip. Luckily Peter had been a bit more informative with the Alpha after Derek had chewed him out after Satomi told them of his less than full explanation of why she needed to come. David Marshall had quite a bit more information, especially after he talked with Satomi, so when he arrived he was extremely curious about Stiles, while being extremely polite and respectful. It seems that David's aunt Sara had been a Hale cousin, so he already considered Derek family. Word of the Hales destroying the Alpha Pack and a Darach also didn't hurt. A few hours of talking and he had agreed to accept Derek as High Alpha and had asked if his new Emissary Felisha could come to visit with Stiles in a few weeks as she only had basic training. She was a young alchemist who didn't use a magic that their previous Emissary had so she was struggling with some things. Stiles had readily agreed even though he warned that his own skills at alchemy were minimal.

So now they had two packs who accepted them without any trouble and David had offered to reach out to several of his allies who either were already in Stiles' territory or likely to be soon. He had stayed overnight talking long into the evening with Derek before returning home while promising to visit again soon.

It wasn't bad if Stiles was being honest, but there was still some weird tension between him and Derek and he wasn't sure how to manage it. They had only managed one meal with his dad and two lunches at the loft, but both of those times other members of the pack had shown up so it was all business, nothing personal. They were mates for crying out loud! Surely he could get some alone time where Derek couldn't slip away. It was worse than before, back then he could ignore it. Sure Derek's looks were amazing, only a blind person would miss that, but he was a really good person too and Stiles had more than a little crush and while he didn't profess anything like he did with Lydia, it may take a lot but he can learn from his mistakes, the Alpha's avoidance still affected him and knowing that they are supposed to be together but were not…sucks!

Leaping back up Stiles decided he needed to do something. Something strenuous or else he was going to lose it. Remembering hearing that Derek wanted to have the Hale house demolished before they tried building anything, Stiles decided to work off some of his energy and headed downstairs and out the door.

Driving the jeep was slower than opening a portal, but it was therapeutic for him so he liked driving when there was no rush. He made the turn off the main road and drove down the long drive until he was before the ruin of the Hale House.

Getting out he looked around at everything and sighed remembering the last time he was here with the ghosts of the Hales, but he was also happy to know that the ghosts had peacefully moved on so what was left was just wreckage. His dad had mentioned that the town had begun talking about tearing the house down as a hazard so he had told the mayor that Derek was planning to demolish it and the city was satisfied that they didn't have to go through all the cost and trouble of condemning the place. He looked around and caught his wolf tattoo on his forearm looking at the house and Stiles would swear the wolf was upset which was only confirmed when it gave a silent howl that Stiles could still feel before it ran back up his arm and out of sight. The wolf had been fairly quite since the big day but it still managed to remind Stiles that it was there a couple times a day.

Closing his eyes, Stiles reached out for the ley lines and felt the power come to him easily. This place was rich with magical history from the impact of the Hales living here so long. It was comfortable for Stiles standing here, this would be a good place to call home. Opening his eyes, he saw the energies surrounding the clearing and the house and smiled as he reached out. His magic flowed out and over the house, pouring into cracks and crevices, touching the walls, floors, and ceilings as it searched out for anything that could be saved. He found parts of several photographs, a silver spoon deep in a closet, and several small pieces of jewelry in both Laura and Cora's rooms. Gently, he pulled out the items and deposited them at his feet to inspect later.

He was about to begin demo when something caught his eye, a flash or reaction to his touch that shouldn't be there. Opening his eyes he tried to see what it was before realizing it was in the basement. Curious he walked in the house and headed downstairs carefully, less worried about getting hurt, but still cautious. Stepping into the basement he stared at the walls for a moment before he remembered that here was where the Hales died and he swallowed nervously. Turning away he looked with his magical senses and they led to one section of the wall on the corridor that led outside to the woods but he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.

Letting his eyes slip back to normal he stared at the wall. Something had caught his eye and he was going to figure it out. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the wall and the bottom was plain. Looking up he looked past it several times before he finally saw it. A wolf head! Staring, he looked at the carved relief of the wolf head and was surprised how hard it was to see. The carving was about 2 inches tall and it wasn't very deep, you really needed to look for it to spot it, he had no doubt that people could walk by it for years and never see it.

Reaching out, he touched it with his finger and felt a tingle. Magic! How could there be magic he wasn't seeing. Taking a focusing breath he shifted to his magical eyes and focused everything on the carving and he finally found it, a magical thread that was blended so expertly with the natural energies of the house he was surprised he managed to find it. The thread was tied to Hale blood so that simply smearing a drop of Hale blood would trigger it. Unfortunately he didn't have any so instead he grasped the thread and gave it a gentle yank and a six foot section of the wall began dropping into the floor and Stiles jumped back.

The wall moved silently, magically silent he was sure, and in seconds it was completely down and Stiles stared into the room before him in shock. Stepping in carefully he stared at the collection of items stored here that he wasn't suspecting to find. There were several shelves filled with old tomes, books thick with parchment and traces of magic. Other shelves held various objects he would have to study but what surprised him the most was the large chest in the center of the room that looked very out of place.

First, it wasn't as old as everything else, and second, it didn't have the same amount of dust and cobwebs that the rest of the room had, like it had been added later.

Moving forward, carefully looking for any magical residue, he was surprised when there was none so he finally reached out and flicked it open. When nothing happened, he slowly raised the lid but there was still nothing alarming.

Looking down he froze. On the top of the very full trunk was the framed wedding picture of Talia and Robert Hale, untouched and undamaged. Stiles didn't want to touch it, it felt like a violation, but it was necessary so he very carefully and gently lifted the picture up and set it to the side. Underneath he saw several other photo albums, a baby blanket, and some small boxes. He was sure there was more, but he would have to touch things and he didn't want to do that. Making a decision he slid the picture into his backpack befor reverently lowering the lid before he stepped out of the room. A flick of his magic and the wall slid back up and everything looked like it did before.

Stiles stood there for some time, staring at the wall before he finally went up and back outside. Sitting on the ground he knew he was going to have to bring Derek here, but he would need to prepare the Alpha for this. He knew Derek would cherish the items there, even though it would hurt to see them.

Sighing he flung himself back on the ground with a rather intense groan but hey no one was around to see and hear him, and thought how he would do it. "That was rather dramatic" a voice from behind him said with obvious amusement.

Spinning around in shock, Stiles recognized that voice! Stepping out of a fiery portal was Stephen and Wong and they both walked up to the shocked teen. Two hearty hugs later and he finally managed to ask them why they were here.

"We can't visit a friend?" Wong said with a snort and Stephen just smirked.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, we were occupied with a small issue of another dark sorcerer who was trying to help Mordu in destroying sorcerers though I am rather sure he was more interested in removing competition than Mordu's fanaticism. But while it took some time and since you were here, I felt we could finish up before visiting" Stephen explained. "However we are here now, so what happened?" he asks looking at the teen who groans.

"This will take a while" he mutters and then conjures up three chairs and gestures to the sorcerers who just smile and sit down. Stiles then tells them everything that happened, in great detail, including what he learned happened while he was 'out of it'.

By the time he finishes both men look surprised, but Stephen looks thoughtful as well. "I must admit that when we first met I could tell that you were more than a bit unusual, but I had no idea of how much. We don't deal with the magic of the Queens so our paths rarely cross. I have read of the others, Merlin and Morgaine, but I have only met the Grand Enchanter" he admitted to the teen.

"We have been busy" Wong mutters and Stephen nods.

"True. However I am more interested in what this means for you specifically. You are physically bound to this place?" he questioned.

"Yeah" Stiles replies with a sigh. "I mean it's better than being dead or some kind of elemental but I really enjoyed being able to portal around you know?" he tells the two sorcerers who just smile.

"There are worse burdens to great power" Wong says sagely.

"Yeah" Stiles replies not managing to hide the disappointment he is feeling. "Seems I can never leave my territory. Great deal, huh?" he shrugs but both men can tell it is bothering him more than he will admit.

"You have taken on a great burden Stiles" Stephen says gently. "It comes with power, but that power also comes with consequences. You didn't choose this, but you cannot deny who and what you are. Your power might have slept or it might have come out later, you have to live the life you are given. As do we all" he says with a gesture of his hands.

"Would you trust anyone else with this power to keep your home and family safe?" Wong asks carefully and Stiles wants to argue, but he can't. He knows that he would do anything for his dad and the pack, even being bound here while everyone else can leave.

"It does provide us with a unique opportunity" Stephen says with a contemplative look that causes both Wong and Stiles to look at him with confusion. "You said that you were told to build a home, a power center if you will, here, to help stabilize your territory."

"Yes" Stiles says slowly looking at the sorcerer. "I mean I did some stuff at my dad's place. Created a warder and other defenses, but I got the feeling that it wasn't really up to Lizzie's expectations. Derek also talked about rebuilding the Hale house" he told them and all of them glanced over at the wreckage of the house.

"The loss of the London Sanctum was severe. It showed a weakness in the earth's defenses by relying on only three bastions. I was considering establishing some 'back-ups' if you will. What if we built a sanctum here in Beacon Hills, a fourth one along with the primary three?" he asks the other two men who are stunned speechless. "Stiles has to create a home, so why not make it a combination home for him and your pack, as well as a sanctum? It could combine everything you would want as the Arcanist. We could create the window portals that you liked in New York so that even though you could not travel there, you could still view anyplace in the world and send others there. You would also be connected to the other sanctums so we could visit easily" Stephen was getting excited. "The existence of an Arcanist is a major event. I would guess that the Grand Enchanter, who's predecessor helped build the current Sanctums, would be willing to assist in the construction and maybe even give you some lessons" he says looking at Stiles with a smile.

"That would awesome!" Stiles jumps up and dances around excitedly. His disappointment at being bound to the land forgotten. He stops and looks at Wong "Would there be any way to overlap the library so I could still read the books there?" he asks glancing between the two men.

Wong shakes his head and Stiles deflates. "The library is protected and cannot be accessed except from within the local Sanctum."

"Then build your own" Stephen snorts and both of the men look at him in surprise. "They are just books. No reason we can't get copies made. You would probably have to give them something that they would value in exchange for their time making copies, but there's no reason you can't create your own Majestic Library right here. Maybe even get resources from the other domains and make it truly unique" he says clapping his hands together. "I imagine that with a little work on your part, users from all over the world would be begging to visit you here."

Stiles smiles, suddenly feeling excited and they all get to work. Stephen and Wong stay for several hours and help draw up plans and write down ideas. Wong even jumps to the library and pulls several tomes about the original creation of the Sanctums and Stephen offers to reach out to the Grand Enchanter who he met in Germany after helping out with an issue caused by the whole Sokovia crisis. It is dark by the time Stiles gets home and crawls into bed before he remembers the room and that he hasn't told Derek about it yet.

"Thank you again Alpha Flores" Derek told the woman as he and Stiles showed her to the door. Anna Flores had arrived the day after Stephen and Wong had left. She was a few years older than Peter and Stiles got the definite vibe that she and the former Alpha were more than friends at one point. She had spent the first day with just Derek while her two betas had spent the day exploring the town with Erica and Boyd on what turned out to be a double date. The second day Derek had asked Stiles to join them and discovered that Anna had been well informed and was truly fascinated by him as her pack's Emissary was a human who had no real magic ability although the man's son did have druidic magic and he was currently training with a mentor in Montana and would be replacing his father in another year or two when the elder retired.

Alpha Flores had been more than interested in the idea of a new pair of High Alphas and the idea of Stiles' power and influence had been exciting to her. Her pack had more than a few relationships with other supernaturals including the Fae, a gorgon, two pods of merfolk, a Selkie raft, and she was still in contact with a rather powerful, but easy going, Hag from their previous home near Boston. Their pack had come to California about ten years before the Hale fire in part because of the reputation of Talia Hale, but also because many of their allies were interested in the Nemeton. Alpha Flores had offered to help introduce and represent the pack to many of the beings she knew as well as work with Peter to update their bestiary.

Stiles had been a bit concerned but Derek confirmed she wasn't lying and when he looked at her aura, she appeared to be genuine so they spent the rest of the day working on the official treaty between the packs as they would technically be submitting to Derek. Werewolf politics! But the visit had gone well and Derek had suggested a pack summit once the new house was constructed to which Alpha Flores had enthusiastically agreed.

Stiles slumped the moment the door closed behind the foreign Alpha but he was really happy. Derek was really doing well, he never held any information back from Stiles and whenever he met the other Alphas without him, Derek was very detailed when he went over what happened. "So what was the whole 'werewolf only' day?" Stiles asks as Derek brings over two bottles of water and hands the younger man one.

"It seems that Peter and her had a relationship back when he was in college" Derek said with a snort. "Her Alpha at the time, her father, didn't approve especially since she was due to be the next Alpha. So she broke it off and married a guy her father approved of. They divorced a few years later and it appears that she is interested in being 'friends' with Peter" Derek added with a smirk.

Stiles laughed thinking about the Alpha with Peter. The man would definitely have his hands full with her. Not only was she smart and sarcastic, she was an alpha with nearly five years of experience and a very solid pack. Deucalion and his cronies had avoided them knowing that the Flores pack would bring all of their allies to any fight. "She might actually manage to keep Peter in line" Stiles smiles and Derek nods.

"Mostly she talked about what having two High Alphas would do to other magical beings. Apparently the Flores Pack had an ancient tome from when they served a pair of High Alphas several centuries ago which she dug up after Peter's visit" Derek explains. "It seems that when it happens, many others will come to take advantage of the safety provided by the packs. She has heard from several of their allies and contacts that Beacon Hills is now being talked about…a lot" he adds with a look.

Stiles nods before looking serious. "We can talk about that later, right now I really need to tell you something" he says carefully and Derek looks at him giving his full attention to the younger man. "I went out to your house, I know you mentioned arranging to demo the place, but I thought that maybe it would be easier if I used my magic to take care of it."

Pausing he looks nervously at Derek who is staring back with a completely closed off expression. "You used your magic to destroy it?" he asks with a hint of a tremor in his voice.

"I didn't!" Stiles says quickly and sees some of the tension ebb away from the Alpha's shoulders. "I wanted to double check that there were no lingering ghosts or spirits there and there weren't. All traces of them were gone" he said gently and saw the slight tremor in Derek's hand. They hadn't talked about that night and his time with the spirits of his family but Stiles knew that its effect had been profound. "I also wanted to see if there was anything that might still be salvageable in the house" he said slowly then stood up and grabbed his bag. He came back and pulled out the several items that he had managed to gather and placed them reverently on the coffee table in front of them.

Derek stared down at the fragments of his family and felt his stomach knot. That this was all that managed to survive hurt. He and Laura had saved a few things, and he had found a few more when he returned, but the total would have fit in a small box. He felt a tear run down his cheek before he looked over at the young man who was watching him, uncharacteristically silent. "Thank you" he whispered and Stiles looked even more nervous. Derek inhaled and smelled anxiety, guilt, and traces of fear and wasn't sure why Stiles was reacting that way.

"I also found a hidden room in the basement" Stiles said in a rush and Derek stared at him in confusion.

"What?" the Alpha asked, honestly unsure what the teen was talking about.

"There was a room in the basement, magically hidden, with a lot of stuff in it. There was also a trunk that looked like it was put in there around the time of the fire" Stiles said with a heavy sigh before reaching back in his bag and pulling out a framed picture and handing it to Derek.

Turning it over Derek froze. His parent's wedding photo! His vision blurred from the tears welling up but he knew this picture. It had sat on his mother's desk in her office for his entire life. She had once told him that seeing it every day made the work she did worth it. He had been sure it had been lost. He wiped his hand across his face, not quick enough to stop the tears from hitting the glass, but he didn't care. He stared at the picture with his parents looking so happy and young and he swallowed before looking up into the warm amber eyes that were staring at him.

Stiles was quiet as Derek had stared at the picture but when he looked up he was so vulnerable, so open, so still that he didn't hesitate to reach out. He didn't get far before Derek pulled him into a tight embrace and he could hear the barely whispered 'Thank You' repeating over and over. They stayed like that for a while before pulling apart a bit to stare at the picture between them. Derek started talking, sharing bits and pieces about his mother and father while Stiles listened and held his mate.

After a bit Stiles caught Derek's attention and smiled a bit more openly. "There was more in the trunk if you want to go see" he offered tentatively.

Derek couldn't imagine what else would be there but he nodded and they slowly got up and left the loft to head to the house. He had never heard of a secret room, but it didn't really surprise him to learn there was one. He did idly wonder whether Peter ever knew about it.