This wasn't how Derek saw this going either. He'd predicted he'd be a little hurt about Derek trying to slip off in the night, because Stiles was right, and they both knew it -- he had at least deserved a goodbye, if not an explanation. But there's anger too, and the intensity of it catches him off guard almost as much as the barb about running away. And then Stiles is telling him he doesn't have to leave. He's telling him he doesn't want him to leave and Derek quietly hates that the words mean anything to him at all.

"It's for the best. For everyone."

Stiles gets under his skin, because the teenager always does. There's annoyance, frustration, because he doesn't seem to understand that this is the best choice. No one here needs him. Scott's a True Alpha, and even if he's still young and inexperienced, Stiles is right; he's getting better, learning. He's not a bad Alpha. He's kept his Pack safe.

"Why would you possibly want me to stay, Stiles? Nothing good has come out of me being here."

At least, that's how it feels, even if it's maybe a slight exaggeration. Finding out about the link between Jennifer and Paige weighed heavier than he'd admit to. It was as if he'd somehow been responsible for her crusade, for the innocents she'd killed. There was so much responsibility and running away from it seemed the best choice.

"I can't protect anyone."