Perigee

Chapter 7

“You die?” I replied, staring at him. My anger was rising. “What do you mean ‘you die’? Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t want you to worry… or feel rushed,” Stiles admitted.

“Well, you failed because now I’m worried and I feel rushed. We have less than five years to figure out what every symbol on your body means… even with this book, none of it makes any sense. And if I don’t succeed… I lose you forever,” I said. I could feel my claws were extending.

“Derek… focus,” Stiles ordered.

I closed my eyes and tried to reign in the transformation. It was hard because the full moon was approaching. “What do we do?” I growled.

“We talk to your boss.”

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“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” Mr. Deaton mused as we walked through the door. I flipped the “Open” sign to “Closed” and locked the door behind us.

“We need you to tell us everything you know,” I told him. “We’ve tried the book. None of it makes sense. But first, I need to know… how do you know all of this?”

Deaton motioned for us to go into the small staff lounge. He poured some coffee and passed me a cup. I set it on the table without drinking it. “How long have you and Stiles been linked?” he asked.

“I’ve been seeing him since I was four years old,” I told him.

He sighed. “And what has Stiles told you about where he comes from?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. He can’t remember it.”

Deaton sighed again. “Our race is a very powerful one. We have existed for eons and occasionally, we’ve meddled somewhat in human history. Primitive peoples saw us as gods. They worshipped[GMA1]  us and we had to stop it, but we needed a way to ensure that things went along as they should, so we chose to only appear to werewolves. Certain powerful lines have caught our attention and we team up with them to help ensure that other supernatural forces stay in check. But to send that much raw power into this world can be dangerous, so we bind the magic of those selected to go, using spells tattooed onto their skin. We then teach the werewolf the language so that they can read the spells and free us, allowing us to help them if needed. But occasionally, the binding magic can go wrong. Our language is complex. Tiny mistakes can have drastic consequences. I think that in Stiles’ case, One or more of the symbols was placed incorrectly causing him to appear to you too soon… and lose his memory of our home world.”

“So what does this mean?” I asked.

“It means that the longer Stiles stays bound, the more likely he is to forget the rules. We’ve established the rules for a reason, Derek,” Deaton replied. “We can’t just give this sort of power over for free. We have to know that the person who gets it can handle it. I know you two love each other… have you?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I retorted. Stiles shifted uncomfortably.

“If you consummate your love before he’s unbound, he becomes trapped. No matter what you do, you can’t unbind him,” Deaton told me.

“How are you able to see me?” Stiles asked, wanting to change the subject. I didn’t blame him. The last thing I wanted to discuss with my boss was sex.

“After the werewolf I was assigned to protect died, I lost my power… but enough of my magic remains that I can see you,” Deaton replied.

“Is that why your tattoos are gone?” Stiles asked.