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Chapter Text

Peter gasped when Argent grabbed him under the armpit and almost picked him up off the ground completely. He wrapped his arm around his waist, doing his best to keep his insides on the inside where he preferred them. He could see McCall checking in with Brett, Liam and Hayden and the rest of the pack, the True Alpha showing signs of wear and tear. At least Peter wasn’t the only one to get torn up this time.

He only realised Chris was dragging/half carrying him away from his own car and towards his vehicle when he spoke.

“Can you help at all or have you lost the feelings in your legs?”

“What?” His voice sounded slurred and he couldn’t track properly with his vision.

“It looks like one of those things came close to severing your spinal cord – I need to know what sort of medical attention you need.” Peter snorted, managing to turn his head so that he was looking at Argent.

“Like anyone ever gives a shit whether or not I get medical attention,” he managed to say, grunting when Argent leant him up against the tall SUV that they had finally reached.

“I care – shut up,” Argent muttered when Peter gave him a sceptical look. “Jesus, it never ceases to amaze me how you guys heal.” Looking down, Peter could see that even through the shreds of material that was what remained of his shirt, his skin was beginning to knit itself back together. The external damage would repair itself first, then his body would begin working on the inside – no point fixing the inside if it was spilling out.

“Guys? I remember a time when you would have said creatures – or even monsters,” Peter said.

“Yeah, well, that time has passed.” Argent had got the back door of the vehicle open and he carefully tugged and pushed until Peter was able to fall into the backseat. “Legs in please.”

Doing as he was told, Peter’s head lolled back tiredly against the headrest. He really should be asking Argent exactly what he was doing, but he was far too weary. Once Argent had closed the door, he looked out of the window to see that Stiles was stood a little away from the rest of the pack. His face was splattered with blood, his expression stoic and a little cold as he checked the baseball bat he had used with such devastating effect. Scott was talking to Hayden and Liam, taking no notice of his best friend. Peter looked up when Argent was about to climb into the driver’s side.

“Stiles – “

“Do you think he’ll come?” Argent asked, piercing blue eyes looking into Peter’s face and seeing far too much.

“Should still ask,” Peter finally muttered, pleased when Argent – Chris – nodded acceptance and climbed back out of the vehicle. Chris strode across the clearing directly to Stiles, ignoring Scott. That was the norm – ever since the loss of his daughter, Chris had avoided any direct contact with Scott. It was interesting – everyone else seemed to blame Stiles even though he had been possessed at the time, but Chris made it obvious he considered McCall completely to blame.

It mirrored Peter’s feelings on the entire thing. McCall had ignored all of the advice of people who had had previous experience dealing with creatures like the nogitsune, instead insisting that he could control Stiles and keep him from causing too much damage. Allison had been the casualty of his insistence. It was only in the aftermath of her death that Scott had admitted that he was out of his depth, allowing Chris and Peter to figure out just how to get the Nogitsune safely out of Stiles and into captivity once more.

Chris was speaking to Stiles, pointing towards the vehicle and Peter watched as Stiles shook his head. It wasn’t a surprise – the young man had pulled away from everyone once the possession was over. He had physically recovered – mostly – but mentally he seemed to have checked out. He was always there when needed for a fight, showing a brutality and grim purpose that hadn’t been there before. As evidenced by tonight – Peter had seen Stiles take out two of the things that had attacked, dispatching them with skill and ferocity, whilst remaining completely aware of his surroundings. If he had to hazard a guess, Peter would have said that Stiles was calling on some of the memories of the Nogitsune, but he also showed signs of training that he knew Stiles had not received at the hands of anyone within the Hale-McCall Pack. He grunted at that – Hale-McCall Pack was a misnomer. Derek had left with Braeden, finally sick of Beacon Hills and unwilling to remain where he had lost his family. Cora had returned to Peru, preferring to go back to the Pack that had brought her up. The only Hale in the Hale-McCall Pack was Peter and he was on the very edges.

It was the McCall Pack in everything but name.

Perhaps it was time for him to give up – accept the end of his family’s legacy in Beacon Hills. There were other places he could claim territory, and Beacon Hills held nothing but nightmares and bad decisions for him. But he also knew that the lone wolf did not survive for long. There were always hunters out there looking to pick off omegas, and he wasn’t sure just how he would cope mentally if he didn’t have a Pack to call his own. So he clung to the edges, ignoring the scepticism Scott often displayed, the confusion and wariness of the other youngsters when they even bothered to acknowledge his existence. There was nothing left of the once-mighty Hales – Kate had succeeded in obliterating them, even if it had taken years after her initial strike.

The car door opening once more caught his attention and he could sense the irritation coming off of Chris in waves.

“He says he’s fine – that he’s got Roscoe.”

“Yes, well – that doesn’t mean he has anyone waiting for him when he gets home,” Peter replied. The Sheriff hadn’t reacted well to learning about the supernatural, especially when it impacted his job and his town. He loved his son – that was more than obvious – but he couldn’t seem to connect to Stiles any longer. It was painful watching them navigate around each other, both seeming to want to reach out but not knowing how to.

Yet another victim of the Kate and Gerard Argent.

“I told him to follow us.”

“And where are we going?” Peter asked, groaning when his movements caused one of the wounds on his shoulder to reopen.

“Somewhere safe.”

“Like there’s anywhere safe within Beacon Hills.”

“It’s not within Beacon Hills. And it is safe – no one else knows about it,” Chris admitted, securing his seat belt and pressing the ignition button.

“Out of Beacon Hills?”

“I don’t like living within the area – it implies a certain – obligation,” Chris admitted, his eyes meeting Peter’s in the rear-view mirror.

“And you don’t want to be obliged to – ?” Peter let the question hang, curious as to whether or not Chris would answer.

“My allegiance isn’t to McCall if that’s what you’re asking,” Chris said, pulling away and leaving Scott and the pack behind. Turning his head slightly, Peter was able to see the blue Jeep appear in Chris’s wing mirror, Stiles following them at a safe distance.

“I did wonder.”

“Yes, well – I have done what I can to help keep people safe, protect them the way that Allison would have wanted but – “

“But?”

“That’s a conversation for another time – perhaps when you’re not bleeding out on my interior,” Chris said.

“I apologise – I will, of course, pay for a valet to clean the interior,” Peter said, uncomfortably aware that he was bleeding profusely.

“Don’t be stupider than you can help Hale,” Chris grumbled, appearing to be heading towards the county line, his driving assured and confident, effortlessly controlling the large vehicle.

“I was merely – “

“Look, I know what you can and can’t sense – well, some of it. And it’s been quite some time since I thought you and your kind bleeding out was a good thing.”

“I did think that – “ A wave of pain swept over him and Peter fell forward, clutching his stomach.

“Just hang on in there – it won’t be long.” Through the pain and confusion clouding his thought processes, Peter managed to nod. He wondered just when it was that he stopped thinking that Argent – Chris – would happily skewer him with a steel pipe and began to consider him as someone safe to be vulnerable around. It was a quandary, something he picked at in his mind to distract himself from the pain that was becoming all-consuming.

He blacked out before they reached their destination.

“I should call for a doctor.” Stiles ignored Chris’s comment, continuing to mutter over Peter’s body. “I mean, I’ve never seen a wolf react like this.”

“It’s the poison from the Varnach – if you’ll shut the hell up, I might be able to draw more of it out and give him a chance to heal.” Chris nodded silently, taking a seat and watching as the young man continued whatever the hell it was he was doing. He had known that Stiles had been changed by his encounter with the Nogitsune but had never really had the opportunity to find out just what changes had occurred. He also knew that Deaton had labelled Stiles a ‘spark’, remaining as vague and cryptic as he always was as to what that meant.

It looked like Stiles was laying hands on Peter, his long-fingered hands hovering over the main wound in Peter’s side. There was a dim aura around them, and if Chris squinted he thought he could see what looked like dust motes being drawn up from Peter’s wounds into Stiles’ palms. Stiles was sweating, the muttering under his breath becoming frantic. Without thinking, Chris moved from his chair and knelt beside Stiles, wrapping his arms around him to support his body while he worked. Stiles didn’t acknowledge his action, his full attention on Peter but Chris felt a little of the tension leave his body.

He had no idea how long they knelt beside the unconscious werewolf, Stiles unwavering in his intent whilst Chris could do nothing but offer physical support. Suddenly, Stiles slumped into his arms and Chris had to move quickly to stop the young man from falling to the ground. He lifted him and moved him to the other couch, arranging his almost unconscious form as comfortably as he could.

“He should be okay now,” Stiles said, his voice weak. He was pale beneath the natural mild-honey tone of his skin, his moles standing out starkly on his skin.

“What did you do?”

“I drew the poison out as much as I can – don’t worry, it’s safe. It’ll dissipate naturally in the air and we shouldn’t suffer any ill effects.”

“You seem to be suffering some pretty bad effects right now,” Chris said, pushing his hands through the strands of hair sticking damply to Stiles’ forehead.

“Nah – it’s just that I don’t get to practice as much as I should,” Stiles said, dismissing Chris’s words, closing his eyes. Chris realised he was carding his fingers through Stiles’ hair and was about to stop when Stiles murmured contentment, turning his face more towards Chris. Chris continued the motions of his hand, allowing himself to fall into a seated position next to the couch to get more comfortable.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“This is pretty damn good,” Stiles replied, his eyes flickering open and glowing slightly amber in the light. “You must have magic hands or something.”

“I think it’s safe to say that I’m not the one with the magic hands,” Chris said. His hand had strayed from Stiles’ hair until it was stroking his face, fingers smoothing out the frown lines on Stiles’ forehead. He was inordinately pleased when they disappeared, Stiles relaxing into his touch. His breathing was easier, the colour returning to his cheeks. He knew from his investigations into the Stilinskis that Claudia Stilinski was of Italian, English and Spanish descent, explaining the honeyed tone of Stiles’ skin. “Should I do anything else for Peter?”

“No – he’ll sleep it off and be right as rain in the morning. Our resident zombie-wolf will be back to his asshole self, don’t worry.”

“What makes you think that I’d worry?”

“Other than the fact that you’ve allowed him into your private sanctum and sometimes you watch him like you’re starving and he’s a prime steak?” Chris felt himself flush, unaware that anyone had seen his unwilling fascination with Peter Hale. By rights, he should hate Peter but he was clear-headed enough to see that his sister had brought the wrath of the Hales down on herself. He had wondered whether Peter would taint him with the same brush as his family, but so far that had not been the case.

“Don’t worry – no one else knows. It’s not like Scott can see further than the end of his nose anyway and the rest of the puppies wouldn’t have a clue what they were seeing if they could stop navel-gazing long enough to look at anyone else.”

“Trouble in paradise?” he asked, curious. He had never heard Stiles criticise Scott – not even during the whole Romeo and Juliet bullshit that he had had going on with Allison.

“Paradise? Hardly. Scott can’t get over the fact that his human best friend killed people – even if he was possessed when it happened.” Stiles sounded bitter, the frown lines reappearing on his forehead.

“He blames you for the Nogitsune?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Stiles spat out, pushing Chris’s hand away and sitting up. “Useless, human Stiles – can’t even keep out of the way of possession and fucking things up!”

“That was hardly your fault, Stiles – “ Chris began but Stiles talked over him.

“Doesn’t matter! I should have been able to hold off the darkness, been able to at least warn people what was happening to me! But instead I gave in – let that – that thing use me as a meat puppet to kill people! You should hate me – “

“I don’t hate you – “

“You should! It’s my fault Allison died – that Aiden, all of those deputies – that they all died at my hands!”

Chapter Text

Unable to bear the torrent of self-hating words tumbling from Stiles’ mouth, Chris acted without thinking, leaning down and smashing their mouths together. Stiles froze and Chris’s heart sank as he tried to pull away. But then Stiles’ arms were wrapped around his neck and they were kissing each other, mouths smashed together almost painfully. He adjusted his grip – when had he pulled Stiles into his arms? – gentling the kiss until it became slower, more the kind of kiss you gave to someone you wanted to learn everything about.

He tilted his head to get a better angle, swallowing the moan that came from Stiles as he slid his tongue between the soft, pillowy lips only to be met by Stiles’ questing tongue. They exchanged heated breaths as the kiss went on, quiet gasps and the wet sounds of their mouths meeting time and time again the only thing he could hear.

Chris pulled back slightly, licking the taste of Stiles from his lips as they looked into each others’ eyes. Stiles looked debauched, blood still streaked on his face, lips swollen and puffy, eyes glowing with an amber glow.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Stiles said quietly, pressing his hand to his lips.

“I wasn’t planning that,” Chris admitted, his eyes irresistibly drawn to where Stiles was licking his lips, desire burning hot. “I don’t regret it though.”

“I thought – “ Stiles began to say, eyes cutting to the couch where Peter lay.

“Oh don’t stop on my account – that was enough to raise the dead, and I am far from that now,” Peter said. Chris groaned, dropping his head slightly before turning to face the other man. He shifted to allow Stiles to get up, dismayed when Stiles immediately got to his feet and left the room. “That’s a disappointment.” Peter continued.

Ignoring Peter’s statement, Chris got to his feet and walked over to the couch.

Stiles found his way to a bathroom more by luck than anything else, and gratefully closing the door behind him he took several deep breaths. This was yet another reason why he didn’t like to hang around with the pack – the suffocating sense of guilt that threatened to swallow him whole. Talking to Chris had opened wounds that he barely managed to keep closed at the best of times, but straight after using the ‘gifts’ left behind by the Nogitsune, they were so much closer to the surface. He didn’t understand how Chris could stand to be around him – surely every time he looked at Stiles, he must be thinking about the fact that he was responsible for Allison’s death.

He staggered across the room to the sink, running the cold water for a few moments before cupping some in his hands and splashing his face. Bent over the sink, he happened to look up into the mirror into a face he barely recognised. He had been neglecting himself – he knew that – and he deserved to look sick. But he didn’t – in fact, he was damned near glowing with health. His hair was growing too fast for him to even bother trying to buzz it down any longer, he had the makings of a decent beard or at least a goatee, and his skin was no longer in the pallid, sallow looking state it had been when he was possessed.

After a fight, he was always buzzing with energy, but having ‘healed’ Peter – taken the pain, chaos, poison that was hurtling through his system – Stiles himself was fizzing. Part of him fed off all of that chaos – the fighting for their lives, poison, pain, fear. Tonight had been a buffet of delights to part of him and it terrified him even as it invigorated. Feeling Chris’s arms around him, supporting him as he healed Peter, it had taken so much effort not to turn into those big, strong arms and hide from whatever was going on with him for just a little while.

Which was pretty much what he’d done and who knew what else he might have done if Peter hadn’t woken when he did? Not that it wasn’t hot the thought of Peter watching him and Chris kissing, but –

How insane did he have to be to think he even deserved a chance at a relationship with either of them with the amount of blood on his hands? It would make more sense – be fairer – if he let the two of them do something about the chemistry burning between them. Standing back from the pack during meetings had allowed him to observe things that he otherwise might have missed. Like the burgeoning attraction between Chris and Peter. He wouldn’t have thought any of the others might have noticed – apart from maybe Lydia – but it was clear to him that given the chance, Peter and Chris could have something. And if he could bring himself to not be selfish – if he could start making amends for all of the damage he had caused as the Nogitsune – he should walk away and leave them to it. Resolved to his actions, he dried his hands and face on the towel placed to the side and walked back out of the bathroom.

There was no way he should be feeling as good as he did. He vaguely recalled Chris dragging him to his car, Stiles following in that deathtrap of a vehicle, but that was it. Waking up in a place he had never been before and seeing Stiles and Chris Argent locked in a passionate embrace was the last thing he would have expected.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I have any right to feel,” Peter replied, pushing himself to a seated position. Chris was there immediately, offering assistance and plumping cushions so that Peter was comfortable. “Just – what is all of this? I wouldn’t have thought you’d want anything to do with me, let alone seeing to my comforts.”

“Some of us do have the ability to view the past through clear vision. What happened to you and your family – what happened to my family – none of them directly affected me,” Chris said, perching on the couch alongside Peter. “Not to be offensive, but I didn’t know the Hale Pack and the fire appeared to be accidental – at the time. It was only when Kate came to town – what was happening with McCall – that was really when my involvement began. And I can clearly see who was in the wrong.” Chris wiped his hand over his face, seeming to be searching for the right words. “Losing Victoria – and then Allison has given me a small inkling as to how you must have felt and I – your murderous rage was justified.”

“I – “ Peter found himself speechless. “Some of the things I did – “

“I don’t justify all of them – and you have to master your own conscience and demons. But with regard to the Hales and the Argents, I hope we can put an end to hostilities.”

“And that’s all you want?” Peter asked, watching Chris closely. With his return from France, Chris had seemed more settled in his skin, albeit still struggling with grief. And Peter would be lying if he tried to say he hadn’t noticed the looks Chris was giving him. And had taken more than a few of his own. He had never underestimated Chris as an enemy and had a lot of respect and admiration for his skill and appearance. He had just never expected anything to come from it.

Ditto with Stiles.

Peter wasn’t blind to the fact that when he had bitten McCall, he had chosen the wrong teenager that night. And in the times since then, nothing had changed his mind. He could see how the boy had risen to the status of True Alpha – there was a core of almost pure goodness in McCall that was incorruptible. He was one of the real good guys – which meant that Peter could imagine many different ways to take him out without breaking a sweat. Stiles on the other hand – well, the Nogitsune had seen something that Peter had missed and had taken advantage of it. The chaos, brutality and sheer brilliance of its’ actions took Peter’s breath away and he had been slightly awed by what the Nogitsune had achieved.

That didn’t mean he wanted it running around where he lived.

Since the Nogitsune had been dealt with, Peter had watched Stiles. Had seen him withdraw from the pack and his father. He had also seen that there was a darkness in the boy that hadn’t been there in such immense quantities before. Stiles had always seemed to be the kind of person who would do anything and everything for the people that he loved, an attribute that Peter admired. If Peter wasn’t in the McCall Pack – even if on the periphery – Stiles would have made an amazing Left Hand. As it was, before the whole situation with the Nogitsune, he had been more than fulfilling the role of Right Hand, as much as Deaton would allow anyway. The fact that he could cut through the masculine bullshit and posturing and identify who was the best person for a job, how to handle the threats that made their way into Beacon Hills, deal with Derek at his monosyllabic best and not kill Scott when his latest idea would no doubt prove disastrous with the pack meant that Peter had a lot of admiration for him.

Added to this, Stiles had grown into a very attractive young man and if Peter had thought he’d be able to get past his infatuation with Lydia Martin, he might have considered making a pass. As it was, he had settled for friendly and sometimes not so friendly banter, and providing back-up to Stiles when he returned to the battlefield.

“That may not be all that I want,” Chris said, bringing Peter back to himself. “You’re neither blind nor stupid Peter, so don’t pretend you’re not aware of my attraction to you.”

“Just because we like the look of something doesn’t mean we actually intend to do anything about it. And for all that I knew, your interest in me might have been a trap to repay me for the death of your sister at my hands.”

“Understandable.”

“Besides, it would appear that your interests have – shifted – shall we say?”

“I - “ Peter was treated to Chris blushing to the roots of his hairline, his eyes widening. “That wasn’t – well, it was but – “

“I’ll save you the embarrassment of an explanation – I have heard of polyamory Christopher.”

“I hadn’t put a name to it,” Chris admitted, shifting slightly closer on the couch.

“It has happened on more than a few occasions in a stable pack – it was never particularly remarked upon as special.” Peter looked around the room, taking in the comfortable furnishings and lived-in look. “This looks nothing like I’d imagine you would live.”

“Really? Why?”

“You always struck me as the large house, pristine furnishings, almost a show-home.”

“I have learned enough about myself to know that that isn’t what I want. I want somewhere I can let my guard down and relax – and this is it.”

“A den,” Peter said, cocking his head as he heard a noise slightly behind him and to the left. “Are you nesting, Christopher? Building somewhere you can bring someone back to?”

“Is there something wrong with that? Wanting some comfort after spending days and nights fighting?”

“Nothing wrong with it at all,” Peter replied, shifting on the couch and looking over his shoulder. “What do you think, Stiles? Would you want to nest somewhere like this?”

Chapter Text

Standing slightly hidden in the doorway, Stiles watched more than listened to Peter and Chris talking. They looked good together: Peter had lost his shirt somewhere along the way, his broad chest displayed perfectly by the subtle lighting in the room. Chris was perched next to Peter on the couch, his face relaxed and attentive as he listened to what the man was saying.

Stiles felt so alone. And lonely.

He tried to shake it off, knowing that thinking those kinds of thoughts never ended well. He should be used to it by now – his distance from the Pack, the strained tension between him and Scott ever since the incident with the sword when he had literally skewered his best friend for pleasure – they all added to a feeling of being walled behind something other.

Sometimes he wished they had killed him.

“What about it, Stiles? Would you want to nest somewhere like this?” He jolted, realising that whilst he’d been in his head that he’d stepped further into the room and Peter had seen him.

“What?”

“Christopher’s hideaway from the hellhole that is Beacon Hills – is this somewhere you could comfortably rest?” Peter shifted around on the couch so that he could see Stiles clearly, his perceptive gaze making Stiles nervous. Instead of answering, he looked around the large room, taking in the plush yet comfy furnishing, the abundance of pillows, cushions and rugs. Everything seemed to be designed to be inviting – to call to a person, tell them to take a seat and let go of all the pain and anguish that normally rid them constantly.

“It’s nice enough,” he finally said, coming to a halt by the couch. “You look better than you did – I was beginning to think we were going to have to bury you a second time.”

“Yes, about that – when exactly were you planning on letting people know that you have retained some of the Nogitsune’s abilities?”

“What? No, I – “

“Stiles – I was the keeper of Lore in the Hale Pack before it was wiped off the face of the earth. Do you really think I wouldn’t know that the the only reason my insides are not decorating these incredibly nicely stained wooden floors is because you saved me?”

“I don’t – “

“I understand you not telling Deaton – I wouldn’t trust that vet further than I could drag him behind a truck and leave him for dead in the wilds – “

“That’s oddly specific, Peter,” Chris murmured.

“After all, there is much he could have done to prevent many of the situations we have found ourselves in. But not telling your bestie? That doesn’t seem like you,” Peter continued. Chris reached out and took Stiles’ hand, pulling him towards the couch. He knew he should pull away, shouldn’t allow himself to be made comfortable between the two of them, their warmth seeping into his body and making him feel more human than he had in such a long time.

“Scott and I are – there are some things we need to sort out between us,” he finally admitted, sinking back onto the couch and resting his head. He was so tired now, the initial rush from healing Peter seeping out of him and leaving him feeling like his eyes were weighted down.

“I know that it’s tough, but you need to consider the fact that he’s young to be a leader – he’s dealing with a lot of things and perhaps isn’t the best at prioritising,” Chris said, his hand once again carding through Stiles’ hair. He turned his head towards the caress, allowing his eyes to close.

“That doesn’t excuse his blatant neglect of a valuable pack member,” Peter protested, shifting so that the blanket that was covering him was now over Stiles’ lap. “Anyone who cared to look could see that Stiles is running on empty. I can’t believe the Sheriff hasn’t done something before now.”

“My Dad is scared of me,” Stiles muttered, realising too late that he had said it out loud. He’d been aware of it for so long, had tried to avoid thinking about it, and there he was, suddenly blurting it out in front of two men who were far too perceptive.

“That’s not – “

“I can understand that. No parent wants to feel that they have lost their connection to their child, and the Sheriff struggled with the Nogitsune for more reasons than just what happened at the station.”

“Peter!” Chris snapped.

“There’s no point in pretending those things didn’t happen. Just like I can’t pretend that I killed Laura and lost the last of my family for my actions, Stiles is too clever to think he can hide behind the possessed situation. It was still his body, still his hands, still his actions – “

“Enough!” Stiles snapped, pulling away from Chris and turning to glare at Peter. “They weren’t my actions! I was possessed and had no control over what Void did when he took over my body! He stabbed Scott – he planted the bomb that killed those deputies – he was the one responsible for the Oni that killed Allison – I would never – “

It was only when Peter yanked him into his arms and pressed his face into his neck that Stiles realised he was sobbing, his entire body wracked by the painful tears. He threw his arms around Peter’s waist, holding on tightly to the first real physical contact that he’d had in so long. The warmth of Peter’s chest, the strong arms holding him tight somehow made it worse, his chest aching as he was slowly purged of some of the agonies that had been weighing him down for so long.

“Exactly. You had no control over what Void did and you need to acknowledge that and internalise it. It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s about time you let some of this out – it’s okay, we’re here – you’re not alone Stiles.” He followed Peter’s body down into a lying position, head shifting until it was on Peter’s chest where the solid thump of his heartbeat could be easily heard. Alive. Peter was alive because of him, because of what he had done – so much death on his hands but this was something good that he had done with what Void had left behind.

He was aware of Chris’s hand on his back, stroking him gently; Peter’s hands had taken over running through his hair, and beneath his cheek, a quiet rumble much like a cat’s purr soothed him into sleep.

“You took a risk saying all of that,” Chris said, watching Peter. Peter shrugged with one shoulder, careful not to disturb the man sleeping on his chest.

“It needed saying – I am well aware of the way in which guilt can weigh you down, make you feel like you aren’t living, you’re just slogging your way through day after day. Every side glance from people who used to trust you, love you, is another painful slice into your soul.”

“Are you talking about Stiles or yourself?”

“Perhaps both. Before Derek left, it was hard to face him. He might have tried to understand my actions – the actions of an abandoned pack-member who had suffered pain for years with no one to turn to, trapped in their own mind – but underpinning every look he gave me was the knowledge that I killed his alpha – his sister.” Peter sighed. “He might want to forgive me but he would never be able to forget.”

“Do you regret it?” Chris asked when Peter trailed off into silence.

“Killing Laura?”

“Yes.”

“In all honesty, no I don’t regret it. It was something I needed to do to return to life – how can I regret that? She was my niece and I loved her, but as my alpha she failed me in a manner which can never be forgiven. I can mourn her loss whilst still accepting her failings.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Chris admitted, his gaze resting on Stiles once more. “Do you think he’ll get over the whole thing with Void?”

“I think – with help, therapy not provided by someone of dubious reputation like Morrell, and reassurance and love – yes, I think he’ll get over it.”

“Peter – “

“What?”

“You can’t use something like this to – to – “

“To what? Am I attracted to Stiles? Oh absolutely. Am I taking advantage of his distance from McCall and his little band of teen wolves to get closer to him? Yes, Christopher, I am. Not just for myself, but for him too. Humans may not realise it, but many of their actions are those of pack-animals. They need contact, love, affection – all of the things represented by a true pack.”

“You want him to be your pack – away from Scott.”

“Not just him.” Peter maintained his steady gaze as Christopher looked closely at him, letting his emotions show. “I find myself feeling things that I thought were long past – and not just for Stiles.”

“Peter – “

“You keep saying my name like that as if it’s going to stop me. You didn’t know me before the fire, Christopher, otherwise you would realise that there are few people who can get in my way when I truly want something.” Peter allowed himself to look over Chris’s chest admiringly, taking in the sleek muscles beneath the long-sleeved shirt, how the man held himself. Yes – there was much about Christopher that attracted Peter and now that Christopher had made his interest plain, Peter wasn’t going to lose what was within his grasp. “Oh, don’t worry! I don’t plan on going on a mad rampage, try to regain my alpha-hood and get rid of McCall. Part of Stiles’ recovery will involve reaching some kind of closure with McCall and I won’t get in the way of that. But there is no place for us within McCall’s pack and I think you know that.”

“I know that Allison wouldn’t want me to desert the people of Beacon Hills – “

“I’m not talking about desertion – I’m talking about some autonomy. I’m talking about using our skills, our experience, to keep Beacon Hills safe but not necessarily limiting ourselves to that area.”

“You’ve been thinking about something like this for some time,” Christopher said, frowning slightly.

“As the Left Hand of the Pack, I was responsible for ensuring the safety of the Pack as well as liaising with other packs in the neighbouring areas. The world doesn’t end at the border of Beacon Hills.” He watched as Chris leaned back, running his hand over his face as he thought about Peter’s statement.

“The Alpha Pack – “

“The Alpha Pack were a bunch of idiots led by an even bigger idiot. I’m not talking about taking over territories – I’m talking about keeping them safe! When the Hales were in Beacon Hills, we kept the territory safe for the people in our town, but we didn’t ignore the rest of the world. We failed – didn’t see Kate coming – but that doesn’t have to happen again. And I guarantee you that she wasn’t the only hunter out there taking such actions.”

“You want to go vigilante?” Christopher asked, his voice revealing that he wasn’t as averse to the suggestion as Peter might have thought.

“Not vigilante – I have no interest in riding around like a member of the Magnificent Seven, righting wrongs. I will leave that kind of do-goodism to the likes of McCall. I will be blunt as you seem to appreciate that – I want a pack of my own, and I want to be free to keep it safe in whatever way I see fit. I want to be ready to face whatever comes for Beacon Hills without being constrained by a boy who is barely out of his teens holding me back. I want a life – a life like I had before the fire. And I want a family – a pack.”

“And you think – you think Stiles and I – “

“I think that a pack of misfits is not always a bad thing. And that fate is a fickle bitch who likes to play with humans. Why not accept what had been thrown into our path and make it something special?”

Chapter Text

He was relatively accustomed to waking up in someone’s arms. During Void’s possession, he had woke on numerous occasions in his Dad’s arms, the comforting ‘Dad’ smell making him feel safe, as did the strong arms that even in sleep hadn’t released him. Sometimes he had simply lain there, listening to his Dad’s snuffling snores, shifting slightly to allow him to get into a position that didn’t leave his neck in awful positions that caused him to ‘creak’ during the day.

Strange that ever since Void had been expunged, he hadn’t woken like that.

His Dad tried – he hugged Stiles, gave him pats on the back, ruffled his hair – but there was always an edge, a reserve there that Stiles could completely understand. How could his Dad look at him the same when he knew that his son had been weak enough to be possessed? Had killed so many people? Peter could say whatever he liked – and parts of Stiles might agree – but it had been his hands that did the work.

Peter…

Memory slowly surfaced, as did the realisation as to whose arms he was wrapped in. The last thing he remembered was sobbing – feeling as though his very essence was being drained from him as much of the guilt and self-hate had poured out of him as he lay on Peter, with Chris at his back. He had been surrounded by support and it had undone him.

It appeared that they had decided to continue surrounding him. The mattress beneath him was far better than his one at home, and his pillow didn’t rise and fall beneath his chest. An arm was slung over his waist, palm resting limply beneath the hem of his tee-shirt and he was being spooned by a body that radiated heat in a way he associated with werewolves. Shifting his head slightly, Stiles could see that he was indeed lying on Chris’s chest, salt and pepper hair spattered attractively over the broadness that lay beneath his cheek

He contemplated panicking about his position, wondering just how they had managed to get him into bed and why the three of them were together when the palm beneath his tee-shirt shifted, and fingers began tracing patterns on the skin of his lower belly.

“You’re thinking so loud I can practically hear your brain whirring – can we have the freak-out later?” Peter’s voice was a rumble against his back, his breath tickling the nape of Stiles’ neck.

“What makes you think I’m going to have a freak-out?”

“Because your ass cheeks are twitching against my groin!”

“PETER!” Chris’s voice was a welcome distraction from the wave of embarrassment that covered Stiles’ skin in a light flush.

“What?”

“You know very well what – Stiles, ignore him – he’s just trying to get a reaction. Now, can we please get some sleep? Some of us had to fight for bed space last night!” Chris grumbled.

“I did tell you I’d be happy to have Stiles lying on top of me – “

“PETER!”

Okay, okay!” Unsure how to react, Stiles closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

“What do you mean, you don’t know where he is?” Scott faced Lydia, unsure how to answer.

“I mean – after the fight, he drove off. I assumed he went home but when I called to check in with him, the Sheriff said he hadn’t come home.”

“Scott! You just let him drive away?”

“Well, what was I meant to do? I had to check on Hayden and Liam, and Stiles is – well, he’s been pulling away from me for months now! I don’t know how to talk to him, how to – “

“He’s practically your brother! He went through a traumatic event and is there for us every single time! How can you not figure out how to talk to him?” Lydia glared at him and Scott deflated, knowing that she was right. With everything that had gone on – with Allison dying, Chris disappearing to France with Isaac and then returning alone, Derek leaving Beacon Hills – Scott had allowed his relationship with Stiles to flounder and he was ashamed of himself.

“It’s just – Stiles is the one with the words. I just – he knows how I feel about him! I just thought that if he needed something he’d say something!”

“Oh Scott! You can be so blind sometimes!” Lydia threw herself into the armchair and Scott relaxed back in his seat. “Stiles thinks that we’re scared of him after Void! He needs reassurance, not space!”

“I’m not scared of him – I mean, okay, yeah, sometimes I have bad dreams about Void and the sword and everything, but I know that wasn’t Stiles!” Scott protested, struggling to comprehend what Lydia was saying. “Why would I blame him for something like that? I should have noticed what was going on with him – I let him down! I thought he was pulling away because of that!”

“You can be such a dumbass, I don’t understand how you keep going sometimes!” Lydia said, tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair. “Did he leave alone or – “

“He went the same time as Chris and Peter,” Scott replied, happy to leave the subject of Stiles alone. “Although I was kinda surprised that Chris took Peter with him.”

“I’m not,” Lydia replied, lips pursed. “There’s something between them – or at least, something brewing. I’m just starting to wonder if – maybe it’s something I should talk to Stiles about first.”

“Wonder what? What are you wondering? You see more than I do – if there’s something that could harm Stiles – “

“I don’t think they’d hurt him – not intentionally at least.”

“They?”

“Chris. And Peter. They both like Stiles.”

“Everyone likes Stiles – once they get past all the sarcasm anyway,” Scott replied.

“No, I mean they both like like Stiles.”

“Like like – ? Oh, you mean – “

“Bisexuality is more prevalent than you might imagine – and in my research, I’ve seen that wolves have no preferences when it comes to their partners – it’s all about compatibility and pheromones.”

“So they might fight over him?” Slightly stunned, Scott tried to wrap his mind around what Lydia was telling him. Stiles had driven off with Peter and Chris Argent and they were both attracted to Stiles. Did that mean – “Or are you talking about the three of them together?” He tried to keep the shock out of his voice but knew he had failed when Lydia’s eyebrows rose.

“And if I was? It’s none of our business as long as they don’t hurt him and they make him happy. I just want to make sure that they are not taking advantage of his mental state.”

“Chris wouldn’t – “

“Chris might not but I have my doubts about Peter. Hopefully, Chris will make sure that doesn’t happen. Anyway, it’s all supposition at the moment – he could be anywhere. Text him the emergency check in code, see if he responds.”

“Yeah – I’ll do that – “ Scott said, pulling out his cell and sending the text. “Do you think – do you really think Stiles doesn’t blame me? For Void and everything?”

“I think you need to get your head out of your ass and make sure he knows that you don’t blame him.”

The second time he woke up, he was in the bed alone and he breathed a sigh of relief. However nice it had felt to be nestled between Peter and Chris, he needed to figure out where his head was before he considered all of the connotations of that whole scenario.

He deliberately hadn’t revealed the abilities that Void had left behind to Scott or anyone else, mainly because he wasn’t sure what it all meant. So far, it hadn’t been anything dark – he found that he had stronger senses – similar to that of a werewolf he would imagine, so could hear heartbeats and read chemosignals. The healing thing was new – he’d only recently discovered that himself. It had been after a rogue wolf had entered the territory and he’d got a little battered in the fight. He’d expected to awaken the next day bruised and limping, but found that instead, he was energised and ache-free.

That was when he had begun experimenting with things. Dark energy fed him best – no surprise there – but he could heal himself from most minor injuries, and he’d posited that he could extend that to someone else. Hence him trying to heal Peter. It would appear that he was correct – he could heal others. And what a kick in the teeth that would have been to that evil bastard, Void – using his power to heal instead of hurt.

Stiles wanted to see if he could do more to redeem himself although he wasn’t sure he wanted to try to do that around Scott and the Pack. He had hurt them all way too much for them to trust his motivations – he needed space, somewhere new where history wouldn’t stain his fresh start.

“You’re doing it again.” Peter’s voice from the doorway caught his attention and Stiles sat up to face the man as he walked into the room. He was wearing sweatpants and a tight tee-shirt, the stubble on his face a little longer than he normally allowed it to grow. Stiles put his hands into his lap in an attempt to hide his reaction to the picture in front of him, but he knew Peter had guessed why when the other man smirked at him. “Not just thinking bad thoughts then – or not those bad thoughts.”

“Do you always have to be such a creeper wolf?” he asked, refused to be embarrassed by a normal reaction.

“No – but you seem to expect it of me and I do hate to disappoint,” Peter said, taking a seat on the mattress next to Stiles. “You look more rested than I’ve seen you looking in a while. You haven’t been Void-pale for quite some time, but this healthy colour is a good look on you.”

“Void-pale?” he asked, trying not to ogle Peter’s neck.

“Yes – Void was rather pallid and sickly-looking, most likely because you were fighting him constantly. He couldn’t enjoy the boost from the chaos he caused as he had to fight you every step of the way – it’s an interesting conundrum to consider. Now that he’s gone, can you use the chaos that is our lives to good effect?”

“How did you know – “

“That you had retained some of Void’s powers? Because I was the one that did the research into how to get rid of him. And Noshiko and I had a rather – frank – conversation about any information she was with-holding.”

“I wish I’d been there for that – I had a feeling there was more she wasn’t telling us.”

“Noshiko did not enjoy the idea that some of her actions had placed her new home in danger – and wasn’t prepared to take responsibility for a few other things. She and I managed to straighten that out.”

“Is she still in one piece?”

“I may be strong, Stiles, but I’m not quite strong enough to take out a kitsune without some support. I merely got her to see that I wouldn’t always be without a pack backing me up,” Peter said with another smirk before he reached out and ran the back of his hand down Stiles’ cheek. The warm touch – voluntary touch with no hint of fear – had Stiles’ ducking his head to hide his reaction. “You really are touch-starved, my sweetheart. I thought I was suffering but you – how have they not seen this?”

“Because I don’t want them to,” Stiles replied, looking into Peter’s eyes. “They have the right to be scared of me after everything I – Void – did, and I don’t want to add to their trauma by being clingy.”

“It’s not clingy to need your pack to show they are there for you, Stiles,” Peter said, his voice low and reassuring. “But if you aren’t willing to ask McCall and his puppies – perhaps Christopher and I could fill that need for you? And any others?”

“What are you saying?”

“Don’t play coy, Stiles. I think you know full well what I’m saying.” Stiles grabbed Peter’s hand from where it was stroking down his neck, needing the distraction removed for this discussion.

“Are you speaking for you alone or including Chris in this?”

“Oh, Christopher wants to be part of this – don’t you, Christopher?” Stiles looked up to realise that Chris had come into the room whilst he had been distracted, his face guarded as he took in the tableau Stiles and Peter presented.

“We agreed not to pressure him,” Chris said, giving Stiles an assessing look. “If he wants to be involved with – things – then he needs the full picture, and he doesn’t need you distracting him.”

“Am I a distraction, Stiles? Do you find me distracting?” Peter’s voice was even lower, the smooth husky tones making Stiles’ groin tighten in interest.

“You know how distracting you are – and you’re doing it on purpose. What is it you don’t want me questioning, Peter?”

“He’s worried you won’t want what he wants,” Christopher said, coming to the other side of the bed and sitting next to Stiles so that he mirrored Peter. “He wants you – and me – and not just as a casual thing. He wants to rebuild his pack and he wants the both of us to be with him – in every way. Isn’t that right, Peter?”

Chapter Text

Sat between the two of them, Stiles was speechless. He had barely even begun to acknowledge that he was interested in both of them and now this.

“You’ve scared him off now, Christopher,” Peter said, tutting as he got to his feet. “It’s too early for us to panic him with all of this talk. Come downstairs and have some breakfast, Stiles – you need to eat.” Peter retreated from the room quickly and Stiles shared a look with Chris.

“Yes, he’s running,” Chris confirmed.

“What you were saying – about him wanting us to be part of a pack with him – “

“He spoke to me about it last night. You have to know he’s only with Scott out of a lingering sense of responsibility for his family’s former territory – he has no allegiance to the actual Pack.”

“And you?”

“I – it’s complicated.”

“Because of Allison,” Stiles said, lowering his gaze as the familiar guilt took over.

“Yes – but also because of the rest of my family. My experiences in Beacon Hills have hardly been positive. I want to honour Allison’s wishes but I can protect people elsewhere – especially if it means the chance of a life,” Chris said, his hand gently taking Stiles’ chin and lifting it so that they were looking at each other again. “Life is too short to allow other people’s opinions to tie you down – we all know how quickly things can be taken away. And what Peter wants – well, it is something I would savour and appreciate with all of my heart.”

Stiles licked his lips, knowing that Chris was talking about appreciating him – wanted to savour time with him as something precious and important. Stiles couldn’t think of anyone who had wanted that before – he had been infatuated with Lydia, almost to stalker levels which he had apologised for; Malia had been like a fever dream – he still couldn’t honestly say that what they had done in the basement of Eichen House had been truly consensual and informed.

“You can say no any time you like,” Chris said, coming closer until they were directly face to face. He leaned in and Stiles sighed at the gentle touch of their mouths meeting, questing, asking – light as a feather and yet so heavy in meaning.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth – “ he said as Chris licked at his lips, embarrassment making him nervous.

“I don’t care if you don’t,” Chris murmured back before pressing their mouths together again. Stiles closed his eyes, realising the difference between kissing teenage girls and grown men in an instant. Chris knew what he was doing, his lips firm, his tongue gentle as his hands cupped the back of Stiles’ head and held it in position for the passionate taking of his mouth. He was drowning in sensation, his mind racing as his body revved into high gear with want.

Chris bore him back onto the pillows, following him down until he was lying completely atop Stiles, his weight a comforting presence as everything else spiralled away from him.

“Christopher – put him down and let him get something to eat!” Peter’s voice broke through his enthralment and he turned his head towards the door at the same time as Chris did.

“He can’t – “

“I can smell what you two are doing from here!”

“He can!” With a heavy sigh, Chris lifted himself from Stiles’ body, dropping a gentle kiss onto his lips as he did so. “He’s right – I should let you get something to eat and take some time to think about – everything.”

“Right.” Stiles put his hands over his face, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself down.

“I know this might sound slightly ridiculous, but don’t overthink it. Come downstairs and have something to eat – Peter’s right about that.”

“I’m right about all of it!”

“The first thing I’m going to do is soundproof this place so you can’t hear everything that’s said!” Chris said, smiling at Stiles in a way that made his stomach flutter. Chris ran a hand over his cheek before getting to his feet and leaving the room, giving Stiles some much-needed space to think. Or maybe too much space to think. A notification from his phone thankfully caught his attention and he turned to the bedside table and picked it up. It was from Scott – the emergency check-in code. He sighed and realised that he was going to have to go and see his friend – he needed to make sure everything was okay if nothing else. And maybe it would give him some time to think about this whole thing with Peter and Chris.

A quick shower and he walked downstairs, coming to a halt when he saw Peter and Chris at a table. Peter was sat on top of the table, legs spread to allow Chris to get so close that it would be practically impossible to get anything between them. They were kissing – more like devouring each other – and Stiles barely stifled the groan that threatened to escape him. He watched as Peter’s hands slid beneath Chris’s tee-shirt, hiking it up enough that Stiles could see that he had matching dimples at the base of his spine where his jeans were being pushed down his ass. Jesus, they were trying to kill him – he closed his eyes, the visual too much for him to handle.

“You are more than welcome to join us,” Peter’s voice interrupted his musings and he opened his eyes to see that they were both watching him.

“I – I need to check in with Scott. He’s sent the emergency check in code so – “

Peter sighed but Chris nodded his understanding.

“Can you find your way back here afterwards?”

“What?”

“Well – presumably you’re coming back here. So we can all talk.”

“I – yeah, I mean, I tend to be able to find my way back to most places if I’ve been once. I can always – you know, call you if I get lost or anything,” Stiles managed to stutter, his brain finally accepting the fact that Chris and Peter wanted him there. They weren’t just saying that – the fact that they both assumed he would return instead of leaving them in peace went a long way to reassuring him.

“I’m assuming it’s not a big emergency – McCall has never hesitated to call on us as cannon fodder if he thinks it’s something too big for him to beat alone,” Peter snarked and Chris tugged his hair, eyebrows rising at the groan that came out of Peter.

“You like that?”

“Well – “ To Stiles’ shock, Peter was blushing slightly.

“Oh I think we might have to investigate that further when you get back Stiles,” Chris said, grinning evilly.

“You guys can – “

“Oh no – I think we can wait until you’re here. The anticipation will make things all the better,” Chris said, his tone firm. Peter pouted but then nodded.

“I think at least the first time it should be the three of us – just to make sure there’s no misunderstandings about who is wanted. This is the three of us – right?”

“The first time – “

“Just think, Stiles, no concerns about you being younger and having a better refractory period than either of us – we can tag team you to keep you happy!” The smug look on Peter’s face made Stiles realise he was standing there with his mouth wide open.

“Peter – you’ll scare him off!” Chris chided, walking out of the room and returning with a reusable coffee mug with a lid. “Here, take this with you – it will help you wake up and hopefully handle whatever Scott wants to talk to you about.”

Stiles accepted the cup gratefully, gasping when Chris leaned in and kissed him gently on the mouth.

“Drive safe and let us know if you have any problems.” Before Stiles could reply, Peter appeared by his side and was pulling him into a kiss. Fortunately, he didn’t try to deepen it because otherwise, Stiles was pretty sure he would have lost all of his remaining faculties.

He wasn’t sure how he made it to his car but by the time he had regained the use of his brain, he was driving back to Beacon Hills.

Scott looked up when the back door to the veterinary surgery opened and Stiles entered the building. He looked his friend over, trying to see what Lydia had been talking about. Stiles looked good – he was slowly regaining the weight he had lost during the whole Void thing, his eyes were clear and he was no longer pale. But now Scott could see the small lines of worry on his friend’s face, the slight hesitancy in his gait, how he smiled at Scott but wasn’t sure of his reception.

“Bro!” Dropping the instruments he had been cleansing, Scott strode over and pulled Stiles into a hug, relieved beyond measure when the embrace was returned immediately.

“You sent the emergency code but just to me – I wasn’t sure – “

“I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night! Man, I can’t believe I let you drive away without making sure you weren’t hurt or anything. I’ve been such a shit friend to you, Stiles – “

“No, no – Scott, look – “

“Lydia ripped me a new one and I deserved it! Look, come in and sit down,” Scott said, pulling Stiles further into the room and grabbing one of the chairs. “Like, it never occurred to me that you thought I blamed you for what Void did! Dude – you were possessed! You didn’t blame me for anything I did during my first full moons and I had some control over my own body! Why would I blame you for anything Void did? Stiles – you’re my best friend! My brother in everything but blood and I need you know that I couldn’t do any of this without you!”

“Wow, Lydia must have really gone in!”

“She did! And it was deserved!”

“Scott – I’m so sorry for – “

“You don’t have anything to say sorry for! Apart from pulling away from me because I thought you were mad at me! What happened dude? Normally you call me on my shit – not let me get away with it the way things have been lately!”

“I thought – I didn’t think I had the right to – “

“Yeah, okay, the whole guilt thing!” Scott ran his fingers through his hair, vaguely thinking he needed a haircut. “Can we go back to the way we used to be? I don’t mean turn back time because I don’t even know if time travel is possible although if anyone could figure that out it would be you – just, when we used to share everything and tell each other what was going on, and just – get rid of this distance between us?”

“I would like that, Scott – I would like that a lot.” Stiles lowered his head and Scott realised he was trying to hide tears. Damn, how close had he come to losing his best friend forever?

“Stiles, I know I can be an oblivious asshole sometimes but you always used to call me on it. Remember when I first fell in love with Allison?” He made note of the way Stiles flinched at hearing her name and made an instant resolution to talk about her more, let Stiles know that he didn’t have to feel bad. Maybe hiding how sad he had been about losing Allison that way had been a mistake? “I lost the ability to think with anything other than my heart – and my dick, let’s be honest. And, despite being supportive and putting up with how much I talked about her, how she smelled and how soft her hair was and – “

“Yeah, yeah, I remember!”

“Sorry, yeah – you were supportive but you also made sure to tell me when I was going too far, and to remind me that she couldn’t be my everything! Even when Peter was on his murder spree and we were knee deep in all of that shit, you made us make time for call of duty and halo to remind us that we were bros and young and still had a life outside all of the supernatural stuff!”

“Playing Call of Duty was the best way to show you strategy,” Stiles muttered but Scott could see the small smile on his face.

“And you know that about me! You know everything about me – you are the only one who knows about the wet dream I had about – “

“We promised we would never mention that again!” Stiles interrupted. Scott couldn’t stop himself – he pulled Stiles out of the chair and into his embrace again.

“Exactly! Don’t let us lose that again! It’s not just on you – it’s on me too. I need to pay more attention to things, not get lost in the new guys and forget the original people who were there for me from the beginning.”

“Scott – where is all of this coming from?”

“Lydia made me realise that we fought so hard to get you back from Void and I was on the verge of losing you because I was being an inattentive asshole! And I know you and Peter and Chris have something going on but I’m hoping that there’s room for you best bud in there too!”

“You know about – “

“You didn’t have to hide it from me! I mean, I don’t necessarily want details – like what goes where, or who does who, or – “

“Yeah, yeah, I get it!” Stiles slapped him on the shoulder and he grinned. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Stiles had hugged like this, had spent time together like this. And he had missed it. He couldn’t bear to think that he could have lost this just because he was too stupid to see what was right in front of his face. He owed Lydia more than simple thanks. “And it’s new – like, really new. So there are no details about what goes in where or who – “

“I did say no details!”

“Okay buddy!” Stiles pulled out of his embrace and began to wander around the room, picking up various things and putting them down again. “Scott – I don’t know if I can stay in Beacon Hills.”

“What? We were just – “

“I don’t mean going far away – I just mean – there are so many painful memories here, Scott. And I know – now – that you don’t blame me for what Void did but – there is a part of me that blames me. And I need some space to figure things out.”

“You’re leaving? Is this Peter – “

“No. I mean, yes but no. I just – okay, I need you to sit down.”

“Shit. What – “

“There’s something I need to show you.” Scott found his way to the chair, fear running through his veins. What the hell could Stiles have to show him?

Chapter Text

“Stiles – Stiles, man, your hands are glowing..” Scott stiffened in the chair, his eyes glued to his best friends hands.

“I know! Just – hold on!”

“No, I’m serious! Your hands are glowing! In fact, they look hot – are they hot? Are these, like, intense flames? How come you’re not burning? Should I get some water or – “

“Scott, you dumbass, just let me – do this!” Scott couldn’t stop himself from flinching when Stiles moved his hands to just above his head, restraining himself from leaping from the chair – barely.

“Stiles – “

Stiles closed his eyes and hovered his hands above Scott’s head. They didn’t feel hot, but they continued to glow a dull amber colour, similar to a beta’s eyes. Slowly, he became aware of a strange sensation – it was like all of the tension, stress and aches in his body were being drawn out of him, upwards towards Stiles’ hands.

“What – “

“Shut up!” He closed his mouth at Stiles’ command, then his eyes as his body became more relaxed than he could recall in forever.

“How are you – “ Stiles moved his hands and stepped back, and Scott opened his eyes to look at his friend. Stiles looked – well, he looked good. He looked like he had just eaten, his skin was clear, his eyes bright although the tension in his shoulders and the slight frown gave away his apprehension.

“Void kinda left some stuff behind. And I’ve been using it – or trying to use it – to do some good.”

“What did you do?” Scott rolled his shoulders, feeling revitalised and refreshed like he’d gotten a really good night’s sleep, eaten well, and just – chilled for hours. “I feel like I’ve been – “

“Did you know werewolves can still get headaches? Derek used to get migraines – worrying mostly. Not a surprise. But he let me – well, he let me practice on him sometimes. Just little stuff – he was determined to leave but felt guilty about everything that had happened. And we slowly realised that I could – well, kinda feed off of pain and chaos. Not like Void before you worry – “

“I wasn’t worried,” Scott said.

“ – it doesn’t hurt anyone, I swear! And I’m not stealing people’s souls or essence or – “

“Stiles – I’m not worried!”

“What? I mean, yeah cos there’s nothing to be worried about!” Stiles straightened his shoulders and continued speaking. “I talked to Noshiko – just a little – and she said that it seems I’ve been given a boon, or a sort of reward for – huh, surviving I guess? And now I can – I can heal myself a bit, I can take pain away from other people. Last night – last I healed Peter!”

“You healed – wait, Peter was hurt?”

“Yeah, dumbass, Peter was hurt but you didn’t notice! You know, he and Chris don’t have to be there when you call! It wouldn’t hurt for you to show them a little appreciation every now and then!”

“Okay, okay, I know – Lydia already ripped me a new one – I don’t think you need to do it too!”

“Yeah, well – that’s part of why I think it might be a good idea to get out of town for a bit.”

“Because I’m not good at noticing – “

“No, not that. But maybe a little? I have to explore what this means for me Scott, and I don’t think I can do it here in Beacon Hills. You have your hands full with your pack of baby – whatevers – and I need to focus on myself a little bit. So – “

“Yeah, yeah, I can see that,” Scott said, rubbing his chin with his hands. Stiles was right – Scott couldn’t think of the last time he had even acknowledged Peter, let alone thanked him for his help. And Chris – he viewed him as a comrade in arms, but there was possibly still a part of him that couldn’t forget what it had been like when he was with Allison – how threatening the man had been, so intent on terrifying Scott that he had left a lingering impression. Stiles was right – as usual – Scott had just accepted and expected the help of the two older men but never really considered how they felt or thanked them. He had messed up and he could accept that. Or he was trying to. “Do they – so where are you going?”

“We’re not going far – and we’ll still help out when you really need it. To be honest, we haven’t really discussed much but – you need time to bed in as the Alpha and we need time to figure out who we are as a mini pack.”

“Does Peter – is Peter going to try to become an alpha again? Because – “

“I don’t know. But if he does, he will know that I’m not going to sit back and do nothing if he tries to hurt you. And I think – I know he’s ready to move away from Beacon Hills.”

“I can’t sit back while he murders – “

“It won’t be a murder like that!” Stiles protested, looking Scott right in the eye. “You and I both know there are alphas out there who don’t act – nice. And if one of them comes into Peter’s sphere, then I’m not going to mourn the loss of one asshole for an asshole I can convince not to rampage unnecessarily!”

“At least you still admit Peter’s an asshole!” Scott muttered, still slightly uneasy at the thought of Peter murdering someone to become an alpha again. Slightly hypocritical since he had been prepared to murder Peter to become human again but he could accept that about himself.

“Yeah, he’s an asshole but he’s my asshole! Mine and Chris’s!” Stiles blushed a solid red, a small grin spreading across his face.

“Eww, you’re thinking about his ass aren’t you?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to Scottie!”

“I don’t like that he’s gone,” Peter said as soon as Stiles had left and Chris nodded his agreement. He hadn’t wanted Stiles to go but he understood why he had – he needed time to adjust and he definitely needed to talk to Scott. However much Peter disliked and disparaged Scott, he was essentially a good kid – he was just hopelessly naive and not what Chris would consider a natural leader. He was stepping up – there was no doubt of that – but in the meantime, people were struggling and suffering and it wasn’t good enough. Deaton should be doing more, should be guiding him more, but he was so invested in his damned balance that he couldn’t seem to see the fallout of his inaction.

“Neither do I, but he needs to know that we respect him – he’s not going to want to be part of this if we don’t treat him as an equal.” Chris could see that Peter was struggling with the concept and decided it might be a good idea to distract him before the other man decided to follow Stiles. “So – how about we talk a little bit more about what you don’t like – and what you do. I think there's a fair bit of lee-way in the idea that it should be the three of us together before anything happens. And we will definitely discuss it with Stiles - I want to maintain clear communication between the three of us to make sure that this works. But in the meantime...”

“Why, Christopher, how forward of you!” Peter replied with a smirk but the hunger in his eyes took away any potential sting from his words. Chris slid his hand up Peter’s back, telegraphing his move to ensure that this was something Peter wanted – he didn’t want to fall at the first hurdle and although they had shared a few passionate kisses, he knew very little about Peter’s love life. He slid his hands into the hair at the base of Peter’s neck, stroking and gripping his skull with strong fingers and was blessed by what could be described as a purr coming from Peter. “Ah – so you like that. What about – this?”

He grabbed some of the hair and tugged sharply, enough to pull Peter’s head back and the grunt that came out of the other man was – telling. Unable to resist, Chris took Peter’s mouth in a deep kiss, maintaining his hold on his hair as he ravaged him, tongue sweeping in and out of his mouth as he pressed his body as close as he could get between Peter’s legs. Peter wrapped his legs around Chris’s waist, arms coming up around his shoulders and hands stroking through the short strands of Chris’s hair. His hunger for Peter grew, a warmth in his stomach making him bold as he swept his hands up and down the smooth skin of his back, tugging him impossibly closer.

Kissing Peter was nothing like kissing Victoria – or any of his previous, brief interactions with other men. Peter kissed him as if he wanted to eat him, his mouth voracious, his groans loud, strong hands holding Chris close, possessive. Chris allowed his hands to slide around to Peter’s chest, stroking over his pecs before playfully flicking one of his nipples with his fingernail. Peter gasped, pulling back slightly and Chris was about to apologise when he caught a glimpse of Peter’s face. His pupils were wide, barely a hint of the glacial blue showing, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he seemed to realise what he had revealed. Staring into his eyes, Chris deliberately pinched the same nipple between the short nails of his thumb and pointer finger, returning to twist and torment it when it became obvious that Peter was aroused by his actions.

“I don’t think I’ve ever known you to be speechless,” he murmured as he trailed gentle fingers over the other nipple, knowing the dual sensations would be driving Peter slightly insane.

“Christopher – “

“This is fascinating – I can only imagine just how much fun Stiles and I will have with your enhanced capabilities. I would imagine that your senses would be dialled up to ten if we blindfolded you, taking turns playing with different parts of your body. He has such long fingers – I wonder if he is as dextrous with them as I would imagine? I can picture him in my mind, opening you up for me while I play with these delightful morsels. How much torture could you take, I wonder? Would you let me clamp them – squeeze between the evil teeth, twist and torment them before I pull the clamps off with no warning and all of those sensations go rushing to your sensitive – “

“CHRISTOPHER!” Peter’s eyes were glowing beta-blue now and Chris could see that he was struggling to hold back his change. Hair had sprouted at his hairline but his hands and face remained human.

“Oh yes, there’s the animal inside. I have dreamed about that – about fucking you in your beta shift, you fucking me. I have fucked my own hand, imagining that the tightness around my cock was your beautiful ass – “

“I swear, if you don’t get your hand on my dick right now – “Obeying the less than polite request, Chris shoved one hand down the front of Peter’s sleep pants, grasping the hard thrust of his cock in his hand, slicking over the weeping head with his thumb.

“Or would you prefer to be fucking me? Bend me over and fuck me open with this big, beautiful dick of yours? I would be so tight for you, Peter – I’ve barely been fucked and not at all in the last few years.” Pressing their mouths together but not deepening the kiss, Chris continued speaking against Peter’s lips whilst beginning a relentless rhythm with his hand on Peter’s cock, twisting the sensitive nipple with his other hand. “Can you imagine how that would feel? Breaking me open, fucking so deep and hard that your balls are slapping against me, shoving my face into the pillow, holding my hands behind my back so that I can’t do anything but take everything you give me – Stiles beside you, that smooth skin pressed against you as you kiss each other – “

With a guttural groan, Peter came, hot liquid pulsing over Chris’s palm and fingers and splattering over the front of his pants. He lifted his hand to his mouth, sucking his fingers in between his lips and dragging a final moan from Peter.

“Well, that’s embarrassing,” Peter said, sounding out of breath.

“Actually, I thought it was kinda hot,” Chris replied, licking his lips and more than gratified by Peter’s avid gaze.

“Well I think it would be kinda hot if we could move to the bedroom and I could show you how well I have regained the power of speech. And return the favour.”

“That could definitely work for me.”

Chapter Text

Being closer to Scott again and heading back to Chris’s – his – heck, potentially, their – new home should have been the best ending to a day in God knows how long. Should have been.

If he hadn’t been shoved off the road by a giant lizard creature that wasn’t Jackson that is. Touching his hand to his head made him wince and Stiles cursed inwardly when he saw that he was bleeding, although to be fair head wounded tended to bleed more profusely.

Somehow, he wasn’t even remotely surprised to find himself underneath the Nemeton – cutting down the damned tree had not been a good idea when it was done decades ago, but there was a part of him that could definitely appreciate it because damn, that tree seemed to feature a lot in the bad things that happened to him.

The dim light didn’t give him much of a clue as to whether or not his lizard friend was keeping him company, but he didn’t sense another presence. He wasn’t tied up, although sitting up made him feel sick and have to rest before he could rummage through his pockets to try to find his cell phone.

Well, whoever the killer lizard was this time, he was a dumbass because he had left Stiles with his cellphone. A few hours had passed since he left Scott’s, but he couldn’t honestly say how long it would be before Chris and Peter missed him. He hadn’t exactly given them a time to expect him, and he and Scott were known for their marathon game-playing sessions – well, they used to be.

He managed to get to his feet, staggering slightly as the pain in his head made him feel like he was actually going to hurl for a few moments. Concussion – check. He was going to ream this lizard a new ass when he finally saw him again. It wasn’t utterly dark where he was, but he still stumbled over tree roots and dirt as he slowly made his way towards a dim glimmer of light. Hopefully, it was a doorway – he did not want to be doing a Tom Sawyer and wandering around like a lost soul underneath Beacon Hills for the rest of his life. He tripped over some particularly clingy roots, sweating profusely as it jarred his head, before deciding that using the sidewalls of the tunnel or doorway or whatever the fuck this was might be a good idea.

It slowly began to widen until he was standing in a cavern, the walls surprisingly smooth considering that he was underground and he very deliberately did not think about finding his Dad, Chris and Melissa trapped underground with only his baseball bat stopping the whole thing from caving in on them all. There were the makings of a small fire, along with what looked like some camping gear in the form of a sleeping bag, water containers, and a few tins of food, but there was no sign of his kidnapper.

He made his way over to the sleeping bag, finding that a rucksack was placed nearby. Clothes spilled from it – none of them looking particularly clean – but a quick investigation showed that his kidnapper was male and most likely a teenager, which made sense. But who the hell was it? He couldn’t think of anyone unaccounted for – Satomi and Scott communicated regularly concerning new pack members and there was no one unaccounted for as far as Stiles could.

Scowling, he decided that the mystery of who the new lizard was would have to wait – he needed to get out of there and either get back to Scott or return to Peter and Chris. His head was killing him, his vision was beginning to blur disturbingly, and he was heartily sick of always being the one who got kidnapped. It was getting old.

The sounds of someone approaching made him look across the room, realising that there was another corridor leading off from it. The guy who appeared was vaguely recognisable, about the same age as he and Scott, tall, built and quite unselfconscious in his nudity. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of, but still – shouldn’t there be some kind of etiquette where you didn’t meet your kidnap victim with your dick swinging back and forth?

“You woke up sooner than I was expecting – sorry, I had planned to be here to greet you,” the guy said, smiling at Stiles in what was meant to be a friendly fashion.

“I always was an early riser. Actually, that’s a god-damned lie – my Dad would tell you that it would occasionally take the equivalent of a bomb-blast to get me out of bed,” Stiles replied. “Niceties aside, who the hell are you and why did you knock me off the road?”

“Wow, straight to the point. I had heard that – Scott is all bumbling True Alpha and aw-shucks, Ma’am but Stiles. Stiles is a straight-shooter and the power behind the pack.”

“You’ve heard about me?”

“Who hasn’t heard about you in supernatural circles? You’ve somehow convinced them that you got rid of Void – which everyone knows is impossible. That takes some doing.”

“What do you know about Void?”

“Enough to know that I want to be in your Pack – and I’m here to help you take over from Scott and run Beacon Hills.”

“I don’t think Stiles is going to like us doing this,” Chris said and Peter grunted in reply, thumping on the door in front of him with little regard for niceties. He had accepted that Stiles wanted to talk to Scott alone but he had expected that he would return much sooner. Peter could even admit to himself that there was a hint of insecurity in his insistence that they go and see Scott – he didn’t want Scott’s do-goodedness to convince Stiles that being with Chris and Peter was a bad idea. He hated Scott’s moral fibre with every part of his being – perhaps the Left Hand within him? – but he truly felt that there was a time and a place for being the good guy, and this wasn’t it.

“I don’t give a shit – if he didn’t want us to come and provide moral support – “ Chris snorted at his choice of words. “ – or immoral support, then Stiles should have answered his god-damned phone or let us know what was going on. I feel that I have been more than patient.”

“Fair enough,” Chris said, folding his arms over his chest and distracting Peter slightly. Discovering that Chris had a dominant side that he was more than happy to let out in the bedroom had ensured that the majority of the day had passed more than pleasurably, even if they had decided to wait until Stiles was with them before any ‘claiming’ was done. It said a lot about how much control Peter had ceded to Chris that he hadn’t tried to push him – well, not too much.

The door finally opened, Scott’s slack-jawed expression instantly making Peter want to punch him in his crooked face.

“Peter! Chris! Um – hi! I mean, hello – and I keep meaning to say thank you for all the help you’ve been giving the pack and – “

“Can it! Where’s Stiles?” Peter asked crisply, brushing past Scott and entering the house, aware of Chris at his back.

“Stiles? He left hours ago!” Peter cocked his head and looked at Scott carefully, trying to read his expression and body language.

“What do you mean, he left hours ago?”

“I mean, we had a really good talk – about all kinds of things, not just about you three and what you’re doing – or will be doing – or are thinking of doing – “

“For God’s sake!” Chris muttered.

“We cleared the air – about Void and not blaming each other and we bro-hugged it out and everything. And he made me realise that I haven’t been showing you two the appreciation I should for all of the help you’ve been giving me! You’ve pulled my ass out of the fire on more than one occasion and I haven’t even checked in that you’re okay after everything – although, to be fair, you’re both kinda scary and it’s hard to remember that as the alpha I should be – seeing that you’re alright.” Scott’s ramble stopped and Peter realised that he was growling under his breath at the very idea that he would consider Scott being alpha enough to check on him after a fight.

“Back up a minute – he’s gone?” Chris was the voice of reason and Peter tried to concentrate on the important parts of what Scott had spewed out.

“Yeah – he left hours ago. Why – did he not – he said he was going back to wherever you guys were, although he wouldn’t tell me where that was!”

“What time did he leave?” Peter asked, watching as Chris took out his cell and called Stiles’ mobile.

“I dunno – it was around 3 I think because we talked and had lunch, then talked a bit more – “ Scott wasn’t a good enough actor to pretend like this – which meant that Stiles had left when he said he had. “Did he not – has he – “

“No answer from his cell – and he said he would be coming back,” Chris said, a frown creasing his brow.

“I guess he might have gone to check in with his Dad?” Scott offered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his own cell. “I’ll just text – “

“His Dad had a double shift and Stiles said he would be coming right back because there was a lot to talk about,” Peter said, pacing up and down in the kitchen.

“Maybe he had car trouble?” Scott offered and Peter barely restrained himself from launching at the boy, claws first.

“Don’t be ridiculous – who do you think he would have called if he’d had car trouble?” he sneered, adrenaline racing through his body as he tried desperately not to imagine what might have happened to Stiles.

“There’s no need to – “

“There’s every need! Ever since I made the mistake of biting you, this town has been a complete shit-show and – “ Scott’s ringtone interrupted Peter’s diatribe and he waited to hear the voice down the other end of the line.

“SCOTT!! Liam’s having a meltdown and – “

“Not now, Mason, I have to – “

“No, he needs you now! His eyes have changed and he’s one second away from killing someone on the lacrosse team and – “

“Go and deal with your utter failure of a beta – Chris and I will find Stiles!” Peter snapped out, enraged that Scott would even consider putting one of Liam’s tantrums ahead of Stiles’ safety. True, they didn’t know what had happened but he would bet money that it was far more serious than Liam losing at lacrosse practice.

“Mason – I’ll call you back! We have a situation – “ This time it was Chris’s cell that interrupted and Peter saw Stiles’ name flash on the screen.

“Put him on speaker-phone!” Rolling his eyes, Chris did so and Peter was relieved to hear Stiles’ voice.

“Hey, Chris – I was hoping you were still with Peter? Would you guys be able to come and pick me up? I think I might have half-killed someone and I need help deciding whether or not I should bury or burn the body!”

Chapter Text

“What the hell, Stiles?” Scott could barely believe what he was seeing. After a hair-raising drive, with Chris acting like he was in the Indy 500, he had been relieved to be back on his feet. The run to the Nemeton had his mind racing as he tried to imagine what on earth Stiles could have been talking about – he didn’t mean it when he said he had half-killed someone, right?

Arriving at the Nemeton, he’d impatiently waited whilst Chris and Peter had spent what seemed like an inordinate amount of time checking Stiles over for injuries – and kissing him, which had made Scott feel alternately hot and bothered and kinda confused. No matter what he had said to Stiles earlier that day, he hadn’t truly imagined the three of them in a sexual relationship, so seeing the intimacy of them together had been a little mind-blowing. Then Stiles had led them beneath the Nemeton and showed them an unconscious figure on the ground, shrugging at the incredulous look Scott had given him.

“Is he dead?”

“I don’t think so – I didn’t use that much power on him,” Stiles replied.

“What happened?” Peter demanded and Stiles shrugged again.

“He was – is a kanima – knocked me off the road and brought me here. He seemed to think I was still Void and wanted to help me take over your pack, Scott. Was all about us showing power – that kind of shit. He didn’t react well when I told him that Void was gone – hence the state he’s in now.”

“A kanima? Stiles – are you sure? I mean – I know – “

“Scott – as the first one of us to come face-to-face with Jackson when he was in his lizard-phase, I think I know a kanima when I see one!” Stiles snapped from his position between Peter and Chris. “This guy – whoever the hell he is – is most definitely a kanima! And he had some asinine plan to join up with Void and take over Beacon Hills! Now, if that isn’t enough to justify me going just a little ham on his ass, then that chat we had earlier obviously didn’t have quite the effect I was hoping for!”

“No – I’m not doubting you! Well, I mean, I am kinda but – “

“Who the hell is he?” Peter walked over and nudged the limp body on the ground until it was lying on its back.

“I know him!” Scott exclaimed, stepping closer although he avoided getting too near to Peter. The other werewolf was still emanating rage and Scott didn’t want to get into a fight with him. There was a time when he had been confident that he could take Peter on and win, but now he found himself wondering just how much of that had been an act on Peter’s behalf – a deliberate attempt to hide just how strong he was. Scott could feel the coiled strength and Stiles’ words from earlier came to mind.

“You do?”

“That’s – well, I think that’s Theo Raeken! Remember, Stiles, he left years ago when his sister died in an accident at the lake!”

“Jesus, yes!” Stiles replied, pulling Chris reluctantly over. “I remember him now! He was decidedly sketchy then – always a little too smarmy if you ask me – “

“He had just lost his sister – “ Scott protested.

“Just because he had a death in the family doesn’t mean he wasn’t a weird dickhead, Scott,” Stiles replied mildly. “Peter, come away – I think he’s waking up.”

“Don’t you think we should restrain him?” Peter asked, nevertheless taking Stiles’ offered hand and moving away.

“I don’t think that would go down well with the Alpha for the area,” Stiles said, his tone strange.

“You mean me?” Scott said, pointing at his chest.

“Yes, Scott, I mean you. I explained what we plan on doing and this here just reinforces the whole idea. I can already tell that you want to give this guy a chance.”

“And you wouldn’t?” Scott was shocked. He had known that Stiles could be ruthless, but the idea of doing something permanent to an unconscious person, even if that person had attacked Stiles the way he claimed, didn’t sit well with him. “Don’t you think we should talk to him? Try to find out his motivations, how he was changed, why – “

“See, this is exactly what I was talking about! I don’t give a shit about his motivations! He knocked me off the road, bashed me over the head and held me captive. He doesn’t deserve anything other than a dirt-nap!” Stiles snapped.

“Stiles – you don’t mean that!”

“Well if he doesn’t I certainly do!” Peter replied.

“Well that’s no surprise coming from you! You’ve always been a kill first and not care about questions afterwards – “

“Can we all just CALM DOWN!” Scott closed his mouth with a snap at Chris’s words, realising that he had squared up to Peter during his outburst. “If this boy – Theo – is waking up, you need to figure out where you want to take him. We will assist you in getting him there and then we are out of here.”

“What do you mean, out of here? Stiles – I thought we talked about this – “

“We did, Scott. And I thought you understood. While I have this – “ Stiles wriggled his fingers and crackles of what looked like lightning shot from them. “ – I need to figure out what I’m going to do. And I can’t do it here in Beacon Hills. Let’s just say our styles don’t align and leave it at that.”

“But we can work together, we can – “

“Which part of we’re leaving hasn’t made it into your skull, McCall?” Peter sneered. “Stiles has made his choice and it certainly isn’t following your Pollyanna attitude towards danger. You might be prepared to take a chance on a mutant lizard killing machine, but we certainly aren’t. If you need assistance removing this threat from Beacon Hills – permanently – then we are more than happy to help you. But if you intend to put your Pack – and the entire town – in danger by allowing this abomination the chance to cause mayhem, then you’re on your own.”

“Do you agree with him, Chris? Do you think I should put Theo down without giving him a chance to give his side of the story?” Scott hoped that Chris would help the other two to see reason, that they couldn’t decide that they were going to be judge, jury and executioner without giving people a chance. Surely Chris could see that?

“I’m sorry, Scott, but I’m in agreement with Peter and Stiles. This Theo has already made his plans clear – if he had wanted somewhere to live peacefully, or even help with his kanima side, he wouldn’t have kidnapped Stiles. I don’t see how you can’t see that, but as this is your territory you get to make that decision.” Chris gave him a sorrowful look. “You obviously don’t want our help getting Theo back to your apartment – we’ll be in touch with Deaton regarding territory lines.”

“What? I mean, territory lines – “

“You may not run your pack on traditional lines, but I think it would be better for all of us to have clear territory lines between our packs. We’ll be talking to Satomi Ito as well to ensure that treaties can be arranged. We don’t want any trouble, Scott.”

“Satomi? Why does she need to be part of this?”

“You really didn’t listen to a word I said earlier, did you?” Stiles sounded bitter and the line of his mouth was tight. “Me, Peter and Chris are forming our own pack – taking over our own territory – and running things the way that we see fit. We don’t want any bleed over from your territory, especially with your habit of sending threats out of Beacon Hills with a slap on the wrist to cause havoc elsewhere. We won’t be cleaning up your messes just because you don’t want to get your hands dirty, Scott!”

“As a True Alpha – “

“As a True Alpha nothing!” Stiles snapped, pushing Peter out of his way and coming to stand in front of Scott. “There was nothing about being a True Alpha that said you couldn’t keep people safe the best way possible, and sometimes Scott, the best way is to make sure the threat is eliminated completely.”

“That’s not the kind of alpha I want to be – you know that Stiles!”

“Scott, we can respect the fact that that is not the way you wish you run your territory, but you don’t get to make that decision for everyone,” Chris said, his voice quiet. “And there are times when you have to make the hard choice.”

“What does that even mean? I don’t want to be like Peter or Deucalion or – “

“Hey!”

“You know what I mean!”

“You never saw the real alpha I could have been, McCall,” Peter gritted out.

“Well, what I did see, I didn’t like!”

“Scott – the circumstances – “

“I can’t believe you’re making excuses for him! He bit me and – “

“Let it go! For God’s sake, even you have to admit you wouldn’t have a lot of the things you have if it hadn’t been for the bite! And you know Peter was out of his mind!” Stiles sighed. “You need to accept where we all are now, Scott. And I need to accept that what I need from you, I can’t get.”

“I already told you I don’t blame you for what happened with the Nogitsune!”

“Yeah, but it shouldn’t even have been a question, Scott! I was possessed! I thought I was dying, and I was possessed and had to watch what that thing did to people I care about – the last thing I needed once I finally got rid of it was to feel the weight of the guilt you and other people were laying on me!”

“Stiles, I – “

“Look, your new buddy is waking up. You better tend to him.” From his closed-off expression, Scott knew that Stiles wouldn’t listen to anything further he had to say, and he bit back a groan of frustration. If only Stiles would let him explain, would accept that he didn’t have to go with Peter and Chris and act like a bunch of vigilantes, that they could live a peaceful existence.

“Stiles – I don’t want to lose you!” Scott said, realising that his friend didn’t intend to say anything else.

“I don’t want to lose you either, but we don’t always get what we want,” Stiles replied sadly. He turned to Peter and Chris. “Let’s go.”

Scott watched as the three men left the clearing, leaving him with the unconscious form of Theo Raeken and a heavy heart.

Chapter Text

The kanima was always looking for a master – he couldn’t help that, and the Dread Doctors had tried to force the decision on him numerous times. They’d learned the error of their ways and wouldn’t be coming after him – they would be far too busy trying to fix the mess he’d made of their laboratory and their remaining experiments. Theo had run as far and as fast as he could, following the tales of the Void that had was coming to power. When he found out that it was based in Beacon Hills, in a place that used to be his home, he had taken that as a sign.

Watching and waiting on the outskirts of Beacon Hills, he’d been able to figure out who the real power in the town was. And it wasn’t the True Alpha. However much Scott McCall’s reputation was pristine and a draw to many the fact that he seemed to have a moral code that sent dangers away from Beacon Hills to continue rampaging elsewhere convinced Theo that Scott wasn’t someone he could follow. McCall would never be able to master the kanima – it would see him as weak. But Stiles – Stiles Stilinski ordered the Oni to perform deeds that Theo could only admire – taking out the Sheriff’s department with a bomb, killing the daughter of the resident hunter. That was something worthy of a master.

Getting him alone was next to impossible. If he wasn’t working with the pack, or studying, he was with Derek Hale. Theo could see the logic in his actions – he was learning everything he could about Beacon Hills, about what made it a powerful draw to the supernatural. And it was obvious to Theo at least that Stiles was allowing Scott to build the pack before taking over. After all, why would Stiles be second-string to someone as weak as McCall? Supernatural incursions happened frequently, and Theo watched as time and time again, Stiles was there to save the day. More often than not there was bloodshed – some people just wouldn’t be warned off – and Theo had hidden in the trees, watching as Stiles laid waste to creatures that were strong and more experienced than him. Watched as Stiles and Lydia Martin came up with the plans that kept everyone safe, whilst Scott enjoyed the boost to his reputation.

Not that he gloated about it. It was almost as if he didn’t notice. No, McCall wasn’t it.

Sometimes, the excitement of watching Stiles killing was so overwhelming that Theo waited until the pack left and then pleasured himself in the remnants of blood and destruction they left behind. He never came as hard as when he caught Stiles’ scent amidst all of that beautiful mess.

However, Theo almost decided to go for Lydia. She was a beautiful young woman, and he admitted if only to himself that there were times when he imagined what it would be like to be beneath her, all of that red hair around his face as she rode him to completion, screaming like the banshee that she was. But Lydia wasn’t interested in a partner – she had thrown off the whole persona of vapid Girl and fully owned her power. She was more intelligent that most of her teachers and blew through her classes, already in touch with a number of universities regarding mathematical applications of some of her work. She wasn’t going to stick around Beacon Hills and she wasn’t going to be interested in building a pack – she wouldn’t need Theo the way he wanted to be needed.

Which brought him back to Stiles. Despite how powerful he was, his intelligence and his strength, Theo could see a loneliness inside of him that matched his own. He could see how they could mesh together, fill the gaps in each other and become whole.

The situation with the Varnach represented his first opportunity and he cursed when Stiles followed Chris Argent and Peter Hale. He lost them on the outskirts of town and could scent the smell that Chris had placed to make them hard to follow. Clever, but not clever enough. Theo simply waited until Stiles made his way back towards Beacon Hills and trailed him again. He hadn’t been able to get close enough to hear the conversation with the True Alpha – in truth, it didn’t interest him. But when Stiles left there and began to drive away again, Theo knew he needed to act.

It was time for the kanima to finally have a worthy master. And Theo a worthy partner.

Theo was kinda shocked that Stiles had woken so quickly, but it merely confirmed what he had known all along – Stiles was strong and worthy.

“Niceties aside, who the hell are you and why did you knock me off the road?”

“Wow, straight to the point. I had heard that – Scott is all bumbling True Alpha and aw-shucks, Ma’am but Stiles. Stiles is a straight-shooter and the power behind the pack.”

“You’ve heard about me?”

“Who hasn’t heard about you in supernatural circles? You’ve somehow convinced them that you got rid of Void – which everyone knows is impossible. That takes some doing.”

“What do you know about Void?”

“Enough to know that I want to be in your Pack – and I’m here to help you take over from Scott and run Beacon Hills.” Theo was shocked when Stiles threw his head back and laughed.

“You are one crazy motherfucker – obviously, judging by your inner-lizard!” Stiles said, circling Theo as if looking for weakness. This wasn’t the reaction Theo had expected – he had thought Stiles would appreciate seeing Theo’s show of strength in being able to catch him off-guard.

“Wait, no that’s – “

“And why is it always the crazy ones who hit the Nemeton? Why can’t it be someone benign for a change?” Stiles seemed to be talking to himself rather than to Theo, meandering around the small cave as though he was walking through the aisles of a library.

“Why would you want someone benign when you could have – “ The punch to the face took Theo completely by surprise, not least because it wasn’t a normal punch. Somehow, Stiles had added magic to it, throwing Theo backwards until he thumped into the wall and landed on the ground. He pushed himself up, shaking his head to clear it before realising that Stiles had walked over to him.

“I mean, I don’t know quite what it is about me that makes you think that I’m ready to go all Scar on Scott’s ass, but you have got it so wrong and you chose the wrong damned day to do this!” Before Theo could get to his feet, Stiles was grabbing him by his hair and dragging him up until they were face to face. “Now, just how long have you been spying on us?”

“I wasn’t spying – I was getting the lay of the land – I thought you’d – “

“Whatever you thought about me, you got it all wrong!” Theo concentrated hard, calling on the kanima, but before he could complete his transformation Stiles had hit him again, a weird amber glow around his fist as it came towards Theo’s head. It took him longer to get to his feet this time but he managed it, holding onto the wall as he faced Stiles.

“You don’t need to beat me into submission – I’m here, ready to pledge myself to you – to ask you to be my master!”

“You want me to be your master?!” Stiles paused, head cocking to one side as he considered Theo. Determined to show that he could bear up under whatever Stiles wanted to do to him, Theo pulled himself up, straightening his shoulders and pulling them back.

“Of course I want you to be my Master – who else would I want?” Theo licked his lip, tasting blood and unable to hide his visceral response.

“Jesus, is this turning you on?” Stiles sounded incredulous, looking Theo up and down, taking in his obvious erection. Theo preened under his attention, sliding his hand down to his cock and pumping it slightly to show it to full advantage. He knew what a prime specimen he was – the Dread Doctors had used him in all ways, admiring his physique as they held him down and used him for their pleasure. Initially, it had been – painful. His mind had thankfully blanked out a lot of what they had done to him, but slowly he had begun to realise that there was pleasure in pain and begun to enjoy their attentions. That was how he had escaped in the end – he had used their needs against them.

“You could be my master in all ways – I have absolutely no problem in submitting to you, Stiles.”

“I do not mean to kink shame but – for fuck’s sake – of all the – “ Still pumping his cock, Theo stepped forward, bringing himself closer to Stiles and reaching out to run the back of his hand down Stiles’ cheek. His skin was so soft, the flush beneath the skin beautiful. The kanima forced its’ way forward, his hand turning to a claw unbidden and Theo carefully raked it down the side of Stiles’ neck.

“The things I could make you feel – “ he murmured, mesmerised by the look of his transformed hand resting on the skin of his new master. All Stiles needed to say – or even gesture – was his acceptance and they could begin to take over Beacon Hills. Together. And if they could enjoy each other physically as well – all the better. One last step brought Theo fully against Stiles’ body and he leaned his face forward, intending to press their lips together.

The pain that radiated from his balls as he registered that Stiles had kneed him in the groin whited out his brain, and he instinctively grabbed at his crotch as he leaned over in pain. Stiles’ knee smashed into his face and he heard the crunch of his nose breaking even as he fell to the ground. He looked up into Stiles’ face, wondering if this was the beginning of their relationship – master and kanima as well as sexual partners – and the last thing he saw was Stiles’ fist, covered in an amber aura that made it twice its’ normal size, coming towards his face before it all went dark.

“Damn it, where the hell are your clothes?” The annoyed muttering greeted Theo as he returned to consciousness, and he slitted his eyes open to see what was going on. Scott was rummaging through Theo’s rucksack and pulling out clothes, muttering to himself the whole time and Theo wondered where Stiles had gone. Was this a test? Did Stiles want to see if Theo would offer himself to Scott? Or, maybe he was sending Theo in undercover – let him gain Scott’s confidence and then betray him when Stiles’ made his move? That made the most sense. His head ached from where he had hit the ground, and his balls were still sore from the knee that Stiles had smashed into them, but it was a pleasant ache. A reminder of his new master and how he had appreciated the strength of Theo’s body.

Scott was heading towards him and Theo decided it was a good time to ‘wake up’, letting out a piteous groan. Scott came rushing over immediately.

“Dude! I am so sorry! I don’t know what Stiles was thinking beating you up like this – this is so not like him! Well, not like he used to be anyway – here, let me help you up.” Scott helped him to his feet, averting his eyes from Theo’s nakedness and shoving the clothes at him. “Here, I got your clothes for you. Get dressed and I’ll take you back to my apartment and we can talk. Stiles has gone off with Peter and Chris and – man, I don’t even know what the hell to say about all of that.”

Silently, Theo pulled his clothes on, listening to Scott as he rambled on. The information he relayed about the new relationship between Peter, Chris and Stiles was useful and Theo resolved to learn all he could from the True Alpha so that when Stiles came for him, he could report back fully.

He would prove worthy of his new master.

Chapter Text

The deep anger burning inside made it next to impossible to reach any level of calm and Stiles strode into the house, throwing his coat onto the sideboard by the front door without caring whether it landed safely or not.

The journey to pick up his Jeep had been fraught and the rage inside had only built when he had seen the damage that Theo had caused. The fact that despite everything that he had said – after their conversation where he felt like he had finally been getting through to Scott – his best friend had still not listened to him hurt, and Stiles knew he was hiding that pain beneath his rage. But better that than to bleed where others could see him. Safer this way.

Peter had managed to toss the Jeep back onto the road and it was drivable – just – but it was going to take a lot of repairs and Stiles didn’t even want to think about how much it would cost.

He just didn’t want to think.

He turned to face Chris and Peter as they followed him into the house, grabbing Chris as the first one inside by the shoulders as he came close. Stiles hesitated for just a second, wondering whether he should be asking permission before everything within him rebelled at the thought. No – Peter and Chris said they wanted him and if they did, this was part of who he was now. This rage fed his body and kept him safe and whole, yet consumed him at the same time.

He smashed his lips against Chris’s, muffling the moan the man uttered beneath his mouth as he immediately sought entrance. Strong arms wrapped around him and Chris pushed him backwards until he thudded against the wall, their lips crushed together. He poured all of his anger and rage into the kiss, cradling Chris’s head in his hands to ensure the other man couldn’t get away – not that he was protesting. Hands at his hips, then down to his thighs encouraged him to take the smallest jump, wrapping his legs around Chris’s waist as he was pressed into the wall.

He protested mildly when one arm was taken away, only vaguely aware that Peter was stripping Chris of his outer garments, grateful for his forethought even as he complained about not being touched the way he wanted. Needed.

Chris finally pulled his mouth away, looking down into Stiles’ eyes.

“Upstairs.” Stiles nodded, dropping his feet back to the floor and slowly feeling embarrassment begin to seep in. “No – don’t think. Just do.” He looked over Chris’s shoulder to see that Peter was staring at them with frankly avaricious eyes, gleaming bright blue with arousal and possessiveness.

“Okay.” He turned and made his way up the stairs, refusing to let his brain get in the way of what he wanted. He needed Chris and Peter to ground him, make him feel wanted just as he was, take away the sour taste of betrayal that was threatening to overwhelm him.

As he walked down the corridor to the bedroom he had left just that morning (had so much happened in such a short space of time?), he stripped off his hoody and tee-shirt, tossing them aside as he began to work on removing his jeans. A shove from behind sent him tumbling to the bed and he rolled over to see that Peter and Chris had followed him, both men removing their clothes with a deliberateness that was incredibly arousing.

He shoved himself up the bed, wrestling with his pants as he did so, before finally managing to shove them down to his feet. Peter knelt at the end of the bed and yanked off his Converse, tossing them over his shoulder as well as his socks before taking the cuffs of Stiles’ jeans in his hands and pulling. Stiles gasped at the quiet strength as his pants flew off of him, his boxers tangled in the material so that he was suddenly naked on the bed in front of the two men.

Before he could think or worry, Chris had landed on the bed next to him, turning his head towards him and kissing him deeply. He was vaguely aware of Peter between his legs, but his head was spinning as Chris devoured his mouth, hands holding his head so that he couldn’t move.

Warm hands slid up his legs, tugging them further apart just before a hot mouth was at his hip and Peter was sucking up a deep red mark. Stiles pulled away to look down the bed, an involuntary moan escaping him as he watched and felt Peter sucking marks down his hip, moving slowly towards his groin.

“Jesus – “ Then Chris was back, hands pulling Stiles hair to tug back his head whilst he took control of his mouth once more. Stiles could barely think, unable to do anything but respond to the passion Chris was displaying, hands scrabbling for purchase on anything. His cry was muffled by Chris’s mouth when Peter’s hot mouth enveloped his cock, swallowing his whole length down with no preamble so that it felt like his brain whited out at the rush of sensations. One hand managed to find purchase in Peter’s hair, whilst the other grabbed at Chris for balance. Even though he was lying down, he felt like he was falling.

Strong hands were digging into the cheeks of his ass as Peter’s head bobbed up and down, the slight scrape of teeth sending Stiles’ passion flying higher. Chris shifted and threw one of his legs over Stiles’ right leg, pinning him more efficiently to the bed as Peter suddenly disappeared. Stiles could have cried at the sudden lack of sensation, but Peter was back in an instant, the sound of something opening all the warning that Stiles received. Then he was back, one hand holding the length of Stiles’ cock steady for the return of his mouth whilst the other hand burrowed between the cheeks of Stiles’ ass.

“This may be just a little bit cold, sweetheart,” Peter rasped just before the cool sensation of lube being swirled and pressed against his asshole made Stiles’ hips jerk. Chris was running his hands up and down Stiles’ torso, tweaking and pulling his nipples, massaging his sides as Peter released his grip on Stiles’ cock. A sure, steady pressure against his asshole and Stiles groaned at the feel of Peter’s fingers entering his body, aiming unerringly for the small bump of his prostate and stroking it knowledgeably. The twinge of discomfort at the intrusion was mitigated by the flash of sensation, the chaos inside him enjoying the slight pain and making it part of the pleasure.

Peter was relentless, sucking the head of Stiles’ cock whilst his fingers dived in and out of Stiles’ body, scissoring and stroking as he prepared him.

“Stiles – “ Chris’s voice was raspy, his face flushed a deep red as he looked down into Stiles’ face. “ – are you sure?”

“What?” Confused, Stiles tried to figure out what Chris was asking.

“The boy scout wants to make sure he has your enthusiastic consent,” Peter said and Stiles looked down to see the familiar smirk on Peter’s face. Not that he had ever imagined he would see that facial expression from this position. Peter’s lips were swollen and red, and he licked his lips deliberately. “I think I can confirm that you want this – or at least part of you does. Chris just wants to be sure that your head is in sync with your body.”

“Peter – there’s no harm in checking,” Chris said, even as he was pressing insistent kisses on Stiles’ neck, sucking up a bruise of his own just below Stiles’ collar bone.

“You do the checking – I’m going to fuck this delicious body,” Peter said, getting to his feet so that he was standing between Stiles’ spread legs. Chris had hooked his knee behind Stiles’ and Peter simply lifted his other leg until he was spread out in an almost obscene invitation. Despite his words, Peter didn’t move, cocking an eyebrow at Stiles in question. “Well? Do you want me to act the gentleman and pretend that I’m not dying to find out what it’s going to feel like having your tight ass clinging to my cock as I fuck you?”

“No – I mean, yes – hell – “

“I’ll take that as you don’t want me to act the part of a gentleman,” Peter said with another smirk, before tugging Stiles down the bed until he was in a perfect position. Peter pressed Stiles’ foot against his shoulder before sliding smoothly onto the bed. “You might want to brace.”

Almost unbearable pressure as he pushed himself into Stiles’ body, staring into his eyes the entire time. Peter loved the widening of Stiles’ eyes, the wide-open mouth in a silent gasp as he drove himself fully inside until his balls slapped against the cheeks of Stiles’ ass. He paused to give Stiles a moment to adjust, one hand holding onto Stiles’ thigh whilst the other rested on Chris’s hip where he had hooked his leg over Stiles’. The three of them touching, together at this moment of joining – fucking perfect.

“It’s okay, sweetheart – you can take it,” he murmured soothingly, pulling out slightly then pushing back in, feeling the way that Stiles’ body clung to him even as it seemed to resist the intrusion. “You are so delightfully tight – I can feel you holding onto every inch of me as though you never want to let me go. I wonder, have I found a way to silence your mouth and your brain at last?”

“Fuck – “ Stiles managed to utter, his head arching back as Peter thrust his hips sharply just to get a reaction.

“Oh perhaps not – I’ll just have to work a little harder, won’t I?” He leaned down, allowing Stiles’ leg to slide off of his shoulder so that he could lean forwards and kiss Christopher. Stiles’ eyes were glazed over with lust, his hand gripping the sheets tightly as he struggled to adjust to Peter’s entrance. Peter lifted his head, pleased to see that Chris was no longer thinking about the ‘right thing’ and was in the moment. He turned and took Stiles’ mouth in a deep kiss, beginning to move his hips in a circular movement that he could tell was touching Stiles exactly where he needed it. “Chris – show him the joy of four hands would you?” he said, gratified when Chris immediately reached down and took Stiles’ cock into a tight grip, sliding up and down in a rhythm that perfectly matched the movement of Peter’s hips. “Oh yes, that’s perfect – I can tell you’re doing it right because every time you squeeze the head, Stiles squeezes me. So good for me, darling, just lying there and taking it!”

Peter watched as a film of black covered the entirety of Stiles’ eyes his mouth curving in a grin that was far too reminiscent of Void. He crawled further onto the bed so that he could get more power behind his movements and Chris was forced to move his leg. Stiles instantly wrapped both of his legs around Peter’s waists, dragging him closer even as he turned to kiss Chris. Grabbing Stiles by the hips, Peter began to move more powerfully, swinging his hips back and forth until the slapping sounds of their bodies meeting was loud in the quiet of the room. Needing Chris to be as much a part of this as he and Stiles, he slid his hand over the other man’s hip bone and pushed him over so that he was on his back. Chris obliged by immediately shifting closer to Stiles so that they were lying side by side, and Peter took advantage of the position to grab the hard thrust of Chris’s cock where it was jutting from his groin.

He wasn’t coordinated enough to do much – the tight clasp of Stiles’ body was testing his control – but he didn’t need to, Chris jerking his hips so that he was sliding his dick back and forth in Peter’s grip. Pushing himself up slightly, Peter looked down at the bed, at his two partners kissing each other passionately, and couldn’t imagine a better way to start a new pack than this. Stiles’ gasps beneath Chris’s lips were becoming more desperate, his hands once more scrabbling for something to hold onto and Peter realised he needed more.

Releasing Chris, he slid his hands up the bed beneath Stiles’ body, grabbing onto his shoulders from below. He used the solid grip to pull Stiles into the heavy thrusts he was making, sweat rolling down his face as he fucked into Stiles. Stiles was grunting at every entry, no longer able to focus on kissing Chris as Peter fucked him in earnest, barely holding back any of the power within his body.

“Are you going to come for me, Stiles? Are you going to be a good boy and show me how you can come on just my cock taking your body? I think you can – I think you love the way this feels so much that nothing else matter but me fucking you, Chris touching you – nothing else in your mind but the way we are together.” Chris shifted on the bed until he was on his knees, leaning down to take Stiles into his mouth as Peter rested his hand on the back of his head. Stiles’ cries became high pitched, his hips gyrating madly before he convulsed, his body tightening around Peter until he could barely move within the vice-like grip. The sounds Stiles made, feeling Chris’s jaw working as he swallowed Stiles’ climax – it was all too much for Peter to take, and gave several aborted thrusts as he began to come. It felt like the top of his head was blowing off and he folded over the two of his men, overcome with the sensations pummelling his body.

He slumped on top of Stiles, breathing heavily, managing to turn his head to see Chris once more get up on his knees and began to feverishly work his cock, his hand a blur in motion. Chris was a beautiful sight as he gave himself over to his climax, head thrown back in passion as his come splattered over Peter and Stiles, marking them both. He collapsed onto the bed next to the pair of them and Peter managed to lean over to kiss him almost gently on the mouth. Stiles stirred enough to join the kiss until the three of them were sharing soft, sloppy kisses in the aftermath of passion, bodies pressed together, the scent of their passion thick in the air.

Chapter Text

They had a week.

A week where Stiles discovered the mind-bending pleasure of being fucked against the wall, held up by werewolf strength as Peter’s clawed hand held his throat while he stared into Stiles’ eyes with gleaming blue eyes, the sounds of Christopher eating Peter out making it even more mind-destroying in its intensity.

A week of spending time with his men, learning the things that made Christopher cry out; how much Peter liked a little bit of pain with his pleasure; how his own pleasure centres could be overwhelmed when both Peter and Chris fucked him, passionate and rough, marks littering his skin when he showered afterwards.

A week where he discovered that aftercare came not from Chris, but from Peter, who delighted in washing every inch of Stiles’ body, from his hair down to his toes. Christopher was the one who calmed you down mentally – Peter was the caregiver.

A week where he realised that watching was something he really enjoyed, especially when he could stroke his hands through Peter’s hair and litter his face with kisses as Christopher went to town on his body, pounding Peter into the mattress like all the hounds of hell were after him and this was his last chance for pleasure.

A week where he discovered that he and Peter combined could make Christopher lose that composure, hands gripping the sheets as he cried out and moaned beneath their onslaught. Tears unabashedly slid down his cheeks when they had all finally succumbed to pleasure and were tangled together on the bed.

A week where he never slept alone, woke in the arms of someone who loved him every single day, and finally accepted that both Peter and Chris wanted everything about him – whether it be Void-influenced or not.

It was exactly what he needed after everything with Scott and he felt settled for the first time in too long.

Of course, it couldn’t last.

“I’m not an Emissary,” he said, folding his arms over his chest and staring at Peter and Chris.

“Stiles – “

“No, Chris, don’t try to be all reasonable and shit! I am not an emissary – I’ve seen what they do and it doesn’t suit me! I’m not diplomatic and I couldn’t give two shits for the balance of things – there is no way in hell you’re turning me into Deaton mark II!”

“Oh hell no!” Peter stated vehemently, leaning forward in the chair and staring at Stiles intensely. “That is so not what an Emissary is and I apologise for the implied insult if you thought that was what I meant! A real Emissary isn’t interested in the balance – they are all about keeping things safe for their pack using whatever means necessary! You are uniquely positioned being both a Spark and – well, whatever you want to call the gifts the Nogitsune left for you!”

“So, Deaton – “

“Deaton is a Druid first, an Emissary second. That is why he let my family burn and why I wouldn’t trust him further than I could throw him!” Peter said and Stiles reached out and placed his hand on his arm. Peter had talked more about his family, his pack, over the last week than Stiles could ever remember, and he had a much clearer view of just how much Peter had lost.

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.” Peter smirked at Stiles before reaching over and kissing his cheek. “I should have realised that your only true experiences of an Emissary were less than optimum. I hope you will forgive me for my lapse?” Peter gave him a cheeky look from beneath his lashes and Stiles marvelled once again at the difference in the man. Accepting each other as Pack had settled something within Peter, made him more himself than he had been since coming out of the coma, and Stiles was beginning to see who he had been before the fire.

“We’ll have to discuss punishment some other time,” Stiles finally said with a sigh, turning to where Chris was watching the two of them fondly. “Okay, but why me? I don’t understand why Chris can’t be our Emissary? He knows more than I do and – “

“I’m the unofficial Left Hand – we’re too small of a pack to need one at the moment. Chris is – Chris could be our Alpha if he was a wolf instead of just a hunter.”

“Less of the just, Hale,” Chris rumbled in response. “Besides, we all know that the first chance that we get, we’re going to find you an Alpha and make it official.”

“Do we?” Peter said, tilting his head to the side and considering both of them. “I hadn’t – “

“Don’t, Peter. As long as it isn’t Scott – and it isn’t Satomi as well I might add – neither Chris nor I are expecting you to happily remain a Beta. We need an official Alpha to be recognised by other packs and I don’t have an issue as long as you don’t go on the rampage,” Stiles interrupted him. Peter looked momentarily stunned before nodding and leaning back in his chair. “Okay, so, Emissary. What do I have to do?”

“You just have to represent our Pack in liaisons with other Packs. And as Deaton has called this Summit – “

“He’s shitting himself thinking that you’re going to want to take over Beacon Hills,” Peter spoke over Chris and Stile reared back a little in shock.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. He won’t recognise me as a threat because I’m a beta, but you survived a Nogitsune. One of the strongest Supernatural threats out there – Deaton is going to be concerned that you will challenge Scott for his Pack – that his True Alpha won’t be able to hold the territory. And Deaton won’t want to lose the Nemeton. Even chopped down the way it was, it represents something truly powerful and he won’t want to lose the cachet of being part of the Pack that holds that. You have a link to it that he could never have and he’s going to be worried.”

“So, what will he want?”

“He’ll want a commitment that you won’t use your links to the community – your father – to make your claim stronger. And that you won’t try to take over Scott’s pack.” Peter stroked his chin as he spoke, obviously deep in thought.

“Why the hell would I want to take over – “

“Because that’s how Deaton’s mind works. He can’t see that we have all had enough of Beacon Hills – that we just want a place of our own and have no interest in power-plays,” Chris said.

“I’m not going to put my Dad and the people I know in danger just to play games – “

“We know that – and anyone who truly knows you will know that. Deaton just wants it written into whatever treaty we can get into place.”

“And I assume they’ll want us to help them out when the next ugly comes to town?” Stiles said with a sigh.

“Most likely. Although we can put our own provisos in place.”

“Like what?”

“Like the part where Scott insists on allowing dangers to move along with no policing – merely passing the problem down to the next pack that is there.”

“And where he wants everything to be bloodless.”

“And he wants to adopt everyone like they’re puppies at the Veterinary Practice.”

“And he thinks the best of everyone even when it’s obvious that they're a danger.” Stiles scowled at his men.

“Okay, fine, I get it. So basically this is a chance to try to mitigate the naive aspects of Scott’s character and outline what we are willing to do and what we’re not. Yeah?”

“Yes. And with Satomi there, hopefully Scott will realise that we are not simply being blood-thirsty – this is the reality of the supernatural world. Strength is recognised as power – his attitude is liable to make anyone approaching Beacon Hills think that it is ripe for the taking, and living so close we would feel the impact of that. Scott needs to stop thinking of Beacon Hills in isolation and consider the wider consequences of his actions.” Peter nodded along to what Chris was saying. “Satomi has already experienced the overflow of Scott’s actions – fortunately she was able to handle it – but she will not be willing to remain a complete pacifist. Buddhist she may be, but I know enough about her history to be aware that if necessary she will protect her Pack with everything she has.”

“Scott, I know you don’t want to hear this but I’m really beginning to think that you should have listened to Stiles more.” Scott sighed heavily and closed the cage on the kitten he had been hand-feeding. He didn’t want to have this conversation with Lydia again – had, in fact, been actively ignoring and avoiding her but she had turned up at the surgery and he was effectively trapped. Deaton was preparing for the Summit that apparently Stiles, Peter and Chris had insisted on and Scott was the only one working.

“Lydia – “

“Have you been paying attention to what Theo has been up to at all?” Lydia was quite clearly upset – Scott had never seen her looking less than immaculate unless there was supernatural trouble going on and it made him feel uncomfortable. He had been enjoying the week of peace so much that he hadn’t wanted to see if anything was going wrong. She looked good – really good – her glorious hair braided across her head, with strands falling artfully around her face. But she wore no makeup – not that she needed it – and he had never seen her wearing workout gear in public before. The leggings clung to slender legs, the sneakers she was wearing making her ankles look delicate, and the tee-shirt she wore clung slightly to her curves in a way that Scott admitted to himself he found distracting. He had been fighting his attraction to Lydia for a while now – what if Stiles changed his mind about Peter and Chris and came back for Lydia? What kind of friend would Scott be if he had moved in on his best friend’s girl? “Actually, are you paying attention to me at all?”

Scott jerked and realised that he had been staring at Lydia while she had been waiting for him to respond.

“Of course I’m paying attention to you – I mean, looking at you – I mean – what?”

“Sometimes I wonder how you make it through the day at all,” Lydia said testily. “I’m talking about Theo and what he’s been up to?”

“What do you mean? Theo hasn’t caused any – “

“Did you know he took Hayden out on a date?”

“What? No – I knew they went bowling but that was just – “ Scott shook his head, sure that Lydia had misunderstood. Theo had moved in with Scott temporarily and had been keeping his head down. Scott knew he had gone bowling with Hayden but that had just been as friends – Theo was just trying to fit in with the rest of the pack.

“Liam is losing his mind and threatening violence – even Mason hasn’t been able to keep him calm,” Lydia stated clearly. “Scott – Theo is sowing all sorts of discord in the pack and you need to open your eyes and see what he’s up to.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Besides I would have thought you’d be all for Hayden spending time with whoever she wants – independent woman and all that.” Taking a seat opposite Lydia, Scott tried not to notice the scent of her perfume and the underlying smell that was just her. It was – distracting.

“I personally think Hayden and Liam are a little young and intense – and I am all for every girl and woman making up her own mind. But you don’t think it’s a little suspicious that out of everyone, Theo decided to pal up with the only woman in the pack?”

“There’s you.” Scott felt his hackles rise at the thought of Theo making a move on Lydia. No – that was just him feeling protective – it had absolutely nothing to do with his new awareness of Lydia as an attractive woman. Way back when he had kissed Lydia and pissed Stiles off so much that he had put water down for Scott in a dog bowl, he hadn’t felt like this. It was confusing.

“Really? Theo is going for the weaker members of the pack – “

“Hayden isn’t weak,” Scott protested.

“Not physically. But she’s unsure of her place in the pack, her and Liam are new and with everything going on with Stiles leaving the pack, along with Peter and Chris, things feel – tenuous.”

“What does that mean?” Scott asked, his brow furrowed.

“Are you trying to say that you can’t feel it? This – schism between us all? Stiles leaving the pack feels like it’s splintered things more than ever. We rarely see the Sheriff any more; when was the last time you heard from Isaac? You’ve buried your head in the sand, and Theo is – “

“Theo is just trying to find his way! Look, he’s not a danger to us – he’s nothing like Jackson was when he was a kanima,” Scott protested, feeling stung at Lydia’s accusation that he was hiding.

“No, he’s nothing like Jackson because at least we could pull Jackson towards us with his feelings. No one has any clue about Jackson’s feelings and Theo doesn’t have a master. Have you thought about that? He’s wide open to being used by someone the way that Jackson was used by Matt and Gerard!”

“No, it’s not like that! I did talk to Theo – I’m not completely stupid despite what you and Stiles might think! Theo doesn’t need a Master! He’s managed to handle that himself so we don’t have to worry – “

“Scott, will you open your eyes! I don’t know exactly what Theo’s trying to do but – “

“Ms Martin – I hadn’t realised you would be attending the Summit with Scott and I,” Deaton said, having appeared in the doorway. Scott jumped to his feet, feeling unaccountably guilty for being caught sitting down.

“Deaton – we were just – “

“I was discussing with my Alpha my concerns – I wasn’t aware that I needed to go through you,” Lydia said, getting to her feet and facing Deaton.

“Of course – but I would hope that you would understand that Scott has a lot on his mind keeping Beacon Hills safe and that perhaps smaller matters could be dealt with without bothering him.”

“This isn’t a small matter,” Lydia said, bristling at the implied criticism in Deaton’s words.

“If Scott feels that Theo is a good match for the Pack and that he has things under control, you trying to undermine him with the romantic entanglements hardly seems optimum, Ms Martin,” Deaton said. He turned to Scott. “We need to get ready to leave – I have prepared a list of our requirements for a treaty for you to go over on the way.”

“Scott – I’m serious about this. Liam is a ticking time bomb and Theo is – “

“I’m sorry, Lydia, I need to go and meet with Satomi and the others. We can talk about this when I get back.” Rounding the desk, he went to stand next to Deaton, feeling more sure of himself with the man by his side. “Besides, I’m not sure I want to be the kind of Alpha that interferes in the romantic side of things. If Hayden is attracted to Theo then – then I don’t think I should get in the middle of that. She and Liam are young – we all know that sometimes high school romances don’t last. Look at you and Jackson!”

“You’re going to compare – “ Scott could see the flash of temper that crossed Lydia’s face before she regained her composure. “Actually, I’d like to attend this Summit. I haven’t seen Stiles in a while and it would be good to catch up with him. The Sheriff asked me how things were going and it would be nice to be able to tell him that I’ve caught up with Stiles properly.”

“You’ve spoken to the Sheriff?” Deaton asked and Scott saw the scowl on the man’s face, confused by his reaction. “He’s not actually a part of the Pack so I’m not sure he should be – involved – in everything that’s going on.”

“Are you telling me I can’t speak to the Sheriff?” Lydia raised an eyebrow. “Scott, are you seriously thinking we can keep things safe in Beacon Hills without involving the Sheriff?”

“No, I just – “ Deaton shuffled his feet next to Scott and he firmed his shoulders. “The more we can keep law enforcement out of things the better. We don’t need to involve the Sheriff more than necessary – I’d like to keep my Mom out of things as much as possible too. Look at how things went with the Nogitsune! They’re safer if we can keep them uninvolved. This meeting will straighten things out, make sure that Satomi and Stiles know their boundaries.” He looked towards Deaton who nodded his agreement and Scott felt more settled. Lydia’s questioning had made him begin to doubt himself but he was the True Alpha. He knew what was the best way to keep the territory safe, and once he and Deaton had spoken to Satomi and Stiles, everyone would know their place. He took in Lydia’s expression and wasn’t able to stop himself from offering an olive branch. “Of course you can come to the Summit, but just to catch up with Stiles. Okay?”

He was relieved when Lydia nodded, taking a deep breath and turning back to Deaton. “I’ll get everything locked up and we can be on our way.”

Theo didn’t like the fact that the Banshee had been watching him so closely – he had thought he had been more subtle in his actions. Getting close to Hayden had been easy. Liam was a teenage boy with too much power and anger, heavily involved in lacrosse, school and keeping himself under control – paying attention to his girlfriend was low on his list of priorities. Hayden was chafing under the idea that she was defined as Liam’s girlfriend first and a member of the pack second and it was a simple matter to slide in under her defences. Befriending her, flirting a little, just spending time with her – it was easy to begin to slide splinters under her feelings for Liam. Drop subtle hints about how the Pack didn’t feel like a real pack, make her wonder what it would be like if they were with someone who knew what it was to be a real alpha.

She didn’t have the history with Peter Hale that Scott and Lydia did, so when Theo spun a tale of what he had allegedly experienced elsewhere of what it was like to be under the power of a born wolf – the sense of family, belonging – Hayden had lapped it up. It didn’t hurt that Hayden wanted to feel safe – Lydia’s powers were less evident and Scott acted like a human. Knowing the power of Void, a born wolf and a former hunter – Stiles’ pack looked more and more attractive the more that Theo talked about it.

It didn’t hurt that Theo let her make all of the obvious moves – her sitting close at the bowling alley, the obvious attraction she felt for him when he walked her home, the lingering conversation at her front door where he stood just a little too close.

Stiles would be pleased with Theo bringing new Pack members to his attention. And then, maybe, he would see just how much Theo could be an asset to him and realise that he was meant to be Theo’s Master. And Beacon Hills could belong to them.

Chapter Text

Satomi was surprised that it had taken Peter Hale so long to pull away from the pack in Beacon Hills. She remembered him as a very strong-minded young man, always butting heads with his parents and bristling against the restrictions they placed on their family. Things had only got worse when Talia took over as Alpha, with the two of them clashing on what was best for the territory. Talia had been young when she took on the mantle of Alpha, often falling back on the habits of her parents rather than forging her own way. Her caution had been appreciated by many, although others had hoped that she would branch out and take on more modern ideas.

Of course, when the situation between Deucalion and Gerard Argent came to a head, the appreciation for Talia’s caution had grown and most packs had lowered their heads and accepted that the time was not ripe for being more open. Too many feared that Gerard’s hatred of the supernatural would be the response of the rest of the humans.

Satomi had sat back and watched, keeping her own counsel. The loss of the entire Hale Pack had been a shock that had reverberated through the community and it had been difficult not to hate all humans for the actions of the Argents. But hatred was not a path she wished to travel down again and she had restrained herself. She had looked upon Deaton’s actions with a wary eye and been happy that her Emissary was not a druid – she would not have accepted such a dual role in her pack, especially when far too often the balance did not fall in her favour.

The discovery of a True Alpha in Beacon Hills had not surprised her too much. After all, the Nemeton was powerful, and wherever there was such power, protection was also required. She was slightly disheartened to find out that Deaton had such a strong influence on the young Alpha but could understand how it had happened – McCall had lost his father figure relatively early on in life, and with his less than auspicious entry into the world of the supernatural, it was understandable that he turned to someone he trusted. She did wonder just how honest Deaton had been with McCall – would Scott still have viewed his mentor the same if he knew some of the things that the druid had got up to when he was younger? His training had been completed at the same time as his sister and Julia Baccari – did Scott really think that Deaton was completely untouched by the darkness that the two women obviously struggled with? Morrell might be able to straddle the line better than Julia had managed (although with everything that Julia had been through, her ultimate path was not a great surprise), but Druids were not all light and harmony.

She had no intention of getting involved in that particular situation as long as it did not impact her pack or territory adversely – she had learned to be pragmatic over the years and as long as Deaton understood the boundaries of his powers and influence, she would not tarnish his reputation in McCall’s eyes.

However, with Derek Hale having left the country and Peter Hale pulling away from Beacon Hills, she knew that the time had come to ensure the safety of her pack and be more involved. She had been impressed by the boy affected by the Nogitsune – it took strength to survive such possession – and if she were to be completely honest, she would appreciate a treaty with the new Hale pack, regardless of how small it was. The Hale reputation was well known and if there ever was a supernatural reveal, other packs were more likely to flock to the Hales than to a completely new pack, especially one made up entirely of those either still in or just out of their teens.

When she received the invitation to the Summit, she hadn’t realised that Peter was involved with Christopher Argent. She had not been surprised to hear through her sources that he and the Stilinski boy were entangled, but that Peter had let go of his anger at the Argents enough to be involved with one of them – that had been something she had not expected. Her research into Christopher Argent showed that on the surface, he was like any other hunter – rigorous in his defence of humans, prone to a shoot-first, ask questions maybe attitude – but he was not xenophobic as such. Considering who his father was, Christopher came across as quite moderate in his beliefs and attitudes. Finding out that he had lost his daughter to the Nogitsune’s machinations and still fell in love with the Stilinski boy raised him in her estimation – it would seem that he had opened his mind in a way that the likes of Gerard Argent would never have done.

Again, it showed a strength to the new Hale Pack that was not present in the pack beneath Deaton’s directions. McCall might be the Alpha, but the influence of the Druid pervaded all that she had heard of their behaviour. From what she could tell, most of them seemed determined to pretend to be human, which was understandable given their age. She had wondered what effect it might have on the potential for the pack’s longevity, but ultimately that was little concern of hers – as long as the effects of the Nemeton’s call on the supernatural did not bleed over into her territory, she was more than willing to sit back and observe.

She was, however, very interested in the emergence of a new Banshee. There had not been a banshee in the area since Lorraine Martin, and how she had been treated was appalling. That was one thing that the Hales had not handled well – Lorraine should never have been sent to Eichen House and allowed to die the way she had. As the Pack in residence, they should have been there for Lorraine and assisted her not only in her research but in controlling her powers. Somehow, she didn’t see Peter making the same mistake, although his relationship with the new Banshee was rocky according to Satomi’s sources.

All of this ran through her mind as she made her way to the Summit. She chose not to bring her Emissary with her – she preferred that information about her Pack was need-to-know, and Deaton did not need to know who her Emissary was. From her position in the car park, she observed as Deaton arrived with McCall and the Banshee and could hear some of their conversation.

“I hope you will adhere to the instructions you have been given, Ms Martin,” Deaton was saying as they walked towards the diner where the Summit was to be held.

“Instructions? What a delightful way of phrasing what sounded very much like orders, Mr Deaton,” Lydia responded, giving the man a scathing look.

“Lydia – Deaton is just trying to make sure we present a united front – “

“I know what Deaton is trying to do, Scott – I wonder if you can truly say the same!” McCall looked discomfited, eyes flicking between his companions much like a child watching his parents arguing.

“I merely wish to ensure that Scott’s authority is not undermined by your presence and attitude – it’s imperative that we are all on the same page,” Deaton said, placing his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “We all want the same thing after all – for Beacon Hills to be safe in the hands of our True Alpha.”

“I’m not sure we want the same thing at all,” Lydia replied. “Scott, have you forgotten that Stiles is your best friend? You seem to be approaching this as if he’s the enemy all of a sudden!”

“He’s not our enemy, Lydia, but he is going to be looking out for this pseudo pack he’s made with Peter and Chris and I need to look out for us! What if Peter loses his mind again and they drag us into some kind of war?”

“I don’t have a lot of time for Peter Hale – obviously – but I think it’s completely and utterly ridiculous to think that he would go on another rampage! He’s successfully removed everyone he holds responsible for the death of his family – well, nearly everyone!” Satomi’s eyebrows rose as she realised that the Martin girl seemed to have a much clearer idea of Deaton’s responsibilities in what happened to the Hale family than the Alpha did. Unfortunately, McCall didn’t seem to pick up on what she was saying.

“I’m just saying – Peter is not my idea of a sane person at the best of times! I don’t want his actions affecting our pack again! What if he decides to start biting people again? Just because it turned out okay this time – “

“I give up with you Scott!” Lydia said, stalking away from the two men and making her way into the diner and leaving them outside.

“Leave her alone for the moment, Scott,” Deaton said, catching hold of McCall as he would have followed the redhead. “Perhaps she needs some time to calm down!”

“But she doesn’t understand – “

“And we can’t make her!” Deaton turned Scott until he was facing him completely. “Look, you need to be clear-headed in there and keep in mind what we have discussed. Ms Martin may have chosen to forget the danger that Peter Hale represents, but you know better than anyone how dangerous he is. We need to keep him on a leash as much as possible which is the point of this Summit – to mitigate the effects of Peter’s actions now and in the future. That, and secure a favourable treaty with the Ito Pack. We need to get Satomi on side so that we have the majority in any voting situation that arises and to do that, you need to be concentrating. Are we clear?”

“Yeah, but – any dealings I’ve had with Satomi have shown her to be fair and equal in her treatment. Of course she’s going to be on our side because that makes the most sense – right?”

“But of course, Scott, but that doesn’t mean that it would hurt to – flatter her a little,” Deaton replied, smiling kindly down at the boy. Satomi wondered just how untrained McCall was that he couldn’t sense her presence, and furthermore, read how manipulative Deaton was being. “No one knows the full size of Satomi’s pack – she keeps that information locked down – but she could be very influential in treaties with other packs further afield. You need to be looking at the bigger picture more, Scott, and not just Beacon Hills.”

“I don’t want to take on a bigger territory, Deaton – I’d actually like to do less if it were possible! This isn’t the life I wanted and – “

“Yes, yes, I fully understand. You let me handle all of that, hmm?” Deaton steered Scott towards the door of the diner and out of earshot, and Satomi considered what she had overheard. Whether he realised it or not, McCall was on the verge of losing his Banshee – whether it be to Hale or simple by her becoming unaffiliated – and Satomi was more than disappointed in what she had seen. She had known that McCall was not a born wolf, but she had hoped that his experiences would have opened his eyes to their life whereas it had become more and more obvious from her observations that all he wanted was for his life to go back to ‘normal’.

About to get out of her car and head towards the meeting, she froze as her senses told her something – or someone – unexpected was out there. Allowing her alpha vision to take over, she caught movement in the trees behind the diner and realised that the delegates from the McCall pack had been followed to the meeting. Slumping slightly in her seat, she decided she would watch and wait a little longer – she didn’t want to be blind-sided by anything when she finally joined the meeting.

Theo hissed as he made his way to the back of the diner. His superior hearing had enabled him to hear everything that Deaton and Scott had been discussing and his ire was raised. How dare they plot against his Master in such a fashion! And this Satomi Ito, whoever she was, would not escape his wrath! No wonder Stiles had decided that Theo should infiltrate Scott’s pack – he must have realised that they were plotting against him and needed Theo to find out all of the details for him! He was a worthy Master indeed to show such forethought and Theo wouldn’t let him down. He settled on the roof of the diner, trying to think what his next move should be.

Stiles might want him to destroy Scott, Deaton and Lydia immediately or, he might want Theo to wait until this Satomi showed her face. And the collateral damage in the diner – there was no way for him to handle things now without there being some human witnesses. Of course, what Theo knew of Void told him that collateral damage was to be expected – look at what Stiles had done to the Beacon Hills police department. And his father had been there – what strength he had shown to be willing to sacrifice his only parent to gain power! He and Theo had that in common – Theo had not wanted to kill his sister, but when the time came to do it, he had completed the task as expected. Sometimes, you had to be prepared to lose something to gain something bigger.

Should he make an example of the people within the diner to let anyone considering approaching Beacon Hills know what to expect? Stiles obviously didn’t expect a bloodless takeover – why else would he team up with a mad wolf and a former hunter? Peter and Chris were placeholders for Theo – once they had taken over Beacon Hills successfully, no doubt Stiles would get rid of them so that he and Theo could be together, running the pack the way they wanted to.

He froze as his senses alerted him to the fact that there was another supernatural creature in the vicinity. He sniffed the air, picking up the scent of a werewolf and not one that was known to him. That must be this Satomi Ito arriving for the Summit. He was rapidly reaching the point where he needed to make a decision.

Did he kill them all now or wait for Stiles to arrive so that they could do it together? He swished his tail in agitation, his mind racing as he considered his options.

Chapter Text

Deaton surreptitiously checked outside the window of the diner as he followed Scott and Lydia to the back. He had made arrangements with the owner that they could use the space at the back normally reserved for staff, and the early morning meant that they shouldn’t be disturbed. He was a little concerned that things were not progressing according to plan – Lydia should not be here and he didn’t want her disrupting things.

He knew all about Theo’s actions during the past week – what kind of Emissary would he be if he wasn’t aware of such behaviour? But he had deliberately kept Scott in the dark about it all – he needed the Alpha’s mind firmly on track and following Deaton’s plan. If everything went well, the Theo situation would be under control by the end of this very meeting. Scott didn’t want to have to think about what to do with an Unmastered kanima and had no idea of just what an incredible tool Theo could prove to be – now and in the future. And that was as it should be – such power should not be in the hands of children.

Deaton might despise Gerard Argent for his actions, but he could most definitely appreciate the cunning mind behind the man. Theo was fixated on Stiles as his Master – that had become clear to Deaton during a number of conversations he had had with the young man, but he could be swayed, given the right encouragement. Such power as a kanima was better under the control of someone who understood the need to maintain the balance, not someone prone to emotional outbursts such as Stiles.

Perhaps Lydia being here was a good thing.

Stiles was still very attached to the young lady and if he felt she was in danger, he was bound to do whatever it took to protect her. Deaton’s initial plan had been to prod Theo into attacking Satomi, or better still, Chris Argent, but Lydia represented a far better target. Stiles wouldn’t be able to hold back from attacking Theo – again – and no doubt, Hale would go feral if Stiles was threatened. Peter was predictable in that way.

In doing so, Peter would show that he hadn’t changed since his initial rampage upon awakening from his coma, solidifying him as a threat in Scott’s mind, one in need of being put down. Which would remove the last Hale from Beacon Hills and its surrounding areas and ensuring Scott’s claim on the land was not challenged by someone with a stronger link. Once Hale was removed, Stiles would come to heel – suitably humbled – and return to his place by Scott’s side. Of course, Scott wouldn’t be able to trust him fully – not only had he been possessed but he had left Scott behind. There would be no return to Stiles’ irritating questioning of Deaton’s every word, but Scott would be happier.

If Argent survived, it was doubtful he would want to remain in Beacon Hills. The man had lost enough already – losing Peter would destroy him, and his mild infatuation with Stiles wouldn’t keep him there.

And finally, if as planned, Theo was hurt during the exchange, it only made sense for Deaton to be responsible for taking care of him. During which time, Theo would be persuaded to accept Deaton as his Master.

Whichever way this went, Deaton should be rid of at least three of the major stumbling blocks in his way – Peter, Satomi and Chris – whilst retaining the power of the kanima for the McCall Pack. Under his control, of course. Satisfied that he had managed to take into account everything – and with Lydia’s presence no longer an obstacle, Deaton smiled as they entered the small room that had been set aside for them.

“Thank you, Eleanor – we appreciate you allowing us to use this space. As agreed, I will cover the cost of any lost earnings from closing the diner and I will return the keys to you once the meeting is over.” The owner of the diner accepted the roll of cash Alan placed into her hands greedily, nodding her farewells to Lydia and Scott before leaving them alone in the room.

“I didn’t realise you had had to pay for this space!” Scott said, looking around the small room. “I would offer to chip in or – “

“No, no, don’t be silly Scott – this is merely part of my Emissary duties. You needed the meeting space and I felt that this was better than the practice – neutral ground as it were.” Deaton noticed that Lydia was looking around the room with distaste. “Obviously, once the pack is better established, we will be able to arrange more suitable accommodations but in the meantime, this should suffice. Once you begin making treaties with other packs and growing – “

“Deaton, we talked about this! I don’t want the pack to grow – I just want the people who are in the pack to be safe!” Scott protested and Alan barely held back a snarl.

“No, let’s hear him out,” Lydia said and Alan was surprised. “After all, if you have all of these plans for the pack – as the Emissary of course – we should know about them, shouldn’t we?”

“I don’t have plans as such – “

“Oh I doubt that!” Lydia retorted, a patently false smile on her face.

“But with the Nemeton within the territory, Scott will have to accept that other supernatural creatures will come to Beacon Hills. The Alpha Pack are not the only pack who will be interested in trying to come in and take over. Obviously, I’ll try to take as much off of your hands as I can, Scott – “

“How kind of you!” Lydia muttered and Alan gave her a sharp look before continuing to speak.

“ – as I know that you wish to live as normal a life as possible. You can leave all of those things up to me – if you wish, of course.” Scott nodded, looking relieved.

“That makes sense really – Deaton knows far more about this stuff than we do, Lydia. If Stiles would consider coming back – “

“Why did Stiles decide to leave?” Lydia asked and Scott looked shifty for a moment. Alan’s interest sharpened – he thought that Stiles had decided to leave the area because of his relationship with Peter and Christopher, but could there be more behind it that he wasn’t aware of?

“I don’t think he’d want me to tell – “

“So there is something to tell?” Lydia interrupted Scott, folding her arms over her chest and practically squaring off against him.

“Is there something other than his potentially ill-advised relationship behind his decision to move?” Deaton asked. Admittedly, once the possession had been taken care of, Deaton hadn’t spent very much time with Stilinski but surely he hadn’t missed anything important? There had been some question as to how the boy had survived Void’s possession, but apart from what Deaton had analysed as a minimal spark, there was very little of interest about the boy.

“Is that Satomi?” Scott pointed out of the window that overlooked the car park, and Deaton could see that Satomi had arrived. However, instead of heading towards the front door, she seemed to be looking at something on the roof, her eyes flaring red as she looked up.

“She doesn’t appear to have brought her Emissary with her. Never mind – as the Alpha she can sign any agreements that we come to in her own right. What is she looking at?”

A thudding sound on the roof above made Lydia flinch and Alan wondered if things were moving a little too quickly. He had wanted Stilinski, Hale and Argent here for when Theo made his move. He had deliberately ensured that Theo was in the vicinity when he told Scott about where the meeting was to be held, but he hadn’t expected him to act precipitously. He heaved a sigh of relief when a large black SUV appeared in the car park, Satomi turning to watch as it was expertly parked and three men disembarked. Everything was going according to plan.

“It’s bad form to be late,” Chris said, scowling at Stiles and Peter who were grinning unrepentantly.

“Yeah, but it was worth it!” Stiles said and Chris sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to win this argument. Following their discussion of an Emissary’s duties, Peter had felt the need to apologise properly to Stiles for expecting him to understand what was entailed. The apology had initially taken the form of a blow job at the breakfast table, which had quickly degenerated until there were condiments and butter smeared over clothes and body parts, and somehow Chris had found himself on the floor amidst the debris of the broken table.

“You would say it was worth it – my blow-jobs are a work of art even if I do say so myself,” Peter replied, licking his lips as he came to walk alongside Chris. “Come on, Christopher, you know we all needed to relax before this Summit and what better way than – “

“Peter!” Chris recognised Satomi’s voice before he registered her presence, automatically reaching for his firearm at the strident tone. He followed the direction she was pointing and saw the familiar figure of a kanima skittering across the rooftop of the diner.

“Peter – get Stiles inside!” he shouted as he ran to Satomi’s side, keeping a wary eye on the kanima as it crouched on the rooftop, its tail swishing angrily, its reptilian eyes staring at the four people in the car park malevolently. He pulled his weapon, cursing because he knew that the bullets would do nothing against the thick skin of the kanima, seeing out of the corner of his eye Deaton coming out of the diner with Lydia and Scott.

“What are you doing?!” Scott fairly screeched, turning to look up onto the roof as he stumbled out into the car park.

“I thought you had this guy under control?” Chris snapped, keeping his aim steady.

“He’s not doing anything wrong by being here!”

“I don’t recall pack members being invited – no offence Ms Martin!” he replied.

“Theo – come down please!” Scott said, throwing Chris a dark look over his shoulder. “They think you’re a threat but – “

“Scott, watch out!” Stiles threw himself towards Scott, shoving him out of the way as Theo flung himself from the roof, aiming directly for Scott. Chaos erupted, with Chris unable to get a clear shot with Stiles in the middle of everything. He was aware of Satomi and Peter transforming into their beta wolf forms, Deaton thrown into the side of the diner and Lydia rushing towards him, but he couldn’t make out exactly what was going on with the three men on the ground. Theo seemed to be trying to stab at Scott with his tail, whilst Stiles was trying to drag his friend out of the way, not helped by Scott not appearing to understand what was happening.

“Stiles, get out of the damned way!” Christopher shouted, just as Satomi and Peter dived into the fray. He was grateful to see that Peter managed to grab hold of Stiles and practically drag him away from Scott, whilst Satomi managed to push Theo backwards so that Scott could scramble to his feet. With a clear shot, Chris debated quickly whether firing would distract the kanima long enough for them to get to the safety of the building where they could regroup or merely enrage it.

“What the hell – this was meant to be a peaceful – “Scott was spluttering in protest until Satomi rounded on him angrily.

“He’s not a pet lizard – that is a dangerous creature and in case you didn’t realise it, he was trying to kill you!”

“You don’t know – “ Scott suddenly slumped to the ground, a slash mark across his chest proof that the kanima had managed to wound him. “What the – “

“Scott, we need to get you inside!” Lydia had returned to Scott’s side and was trying to help Deaton get him to his feet whilst Satomi joined Peter in herding the kanima away from them.

“Fat lot of good that’s going to do!” Stiles shouted angrily, dashing across the car park towards where the kanima was backing away from Satomi and Peter.

“STILES!” Chris shouted, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to stop the young man but trying nevertheless. Stiles’ face was set in an angry scowl, and he shoved the sleeves of his hoody up his arms as he reached the three creatures facing off against each other.

“I fucking warned you – I warned you and I warned Scott!” he thundered before pushing his hands towards Theo. Chris was stunned to see sparks flashing from Stiles’ fingers, arcing across the gap between him and the kanima and sending it flying backwards until it thudded into the low wall that surrounded the car park.

“What is he doing?!”

“How is he – “ Chris spared a glance at Deaton, realising that the man had had no idea that Stiles still retained some powers from the Nogitsune. Deaton looked stunned and – disappointed? and Chris found himself wondering what the hell was going on.

“Don’t kill him!” Scott slurred as he stood between Lydia and Deaton and Chris could only assume his werewolf physiology was fighting off the venom otherwise he wouldn’t have been on his feet at all. As they watched, Theo jumped to his feet and ran at Stiles, hissing angrily as he threw himself into what looked like a shield of sparks that Stiles created out of nothing. The cry that came from Theo was piteous as he once again fell backwards, but Stiles walked towards him, continuing to throw what looked like arrows of lightning at the creature. “He’s killing him!”

“Shut up Scott!” Lydia shrieked, not taking her eyes off of Stiles as he followed Theo relentlessly, not stopping the barrage of lightning arrows.

“I warned you that Mr Stilinski was beyond our help Scott,” Deaton said and Chris turned on him, shocked at his statement.

“For fuck’s sake, he was protecting Scott!”

“He’s not protecting him now – he’s murdering one of our pack members in cold blood!” Deaton spat back and Chris suddenly realised what was going on.

“Jesus Christ, you planned this!”

“What, no – don’t be ridiculous!” Deaton spluttered. “Scott – he’s trying to sow dissent!”

“Dissent! You evil bastard – what did you think – “ A wailing cry came from across the car park and Chris turned back to see that Stiles was standing directly over Theo, holding him down on the ground, effectively crushing him with the shield of sparks. As the cry petered off, Theo lay still on the ground although Chris could see that he was still breathing. Peter moved towards Stiles from behind, wrapping his arms around him and talking quietly in his ear. Stiles seemed to shake himself, the shield dissipating as if it had never existed as Stiles turned into Peter’s embrace. Satomi approached Theo carefully, kicking the still body before turning back towards the onlookers.

“It would appear we need a cage or something for your pet, Alpha McCall.”

Chapter Text

Scott hung from Deaton’s supportive arms, unable to fully comprehend just what had happened. Everything had been so fast – from the moment Theo had attacked, to Stiles going batshit crazy and throwing lightning from his fingers and taking Theo down. None of this made sense – especially Chris’s accusation against Deaton. The chastising look he was receiving from Satomi made it all worse as it was remininscent of how his mother had been looking at him lately.

“Ms Martin – if you would bring the car over, we can get Theo to - “

“Oh yes, and just where do you plan on taking a powerful kanima?” Deaton spat out venomously, his tone implying that this had been the plan all along.

“Well we sure as shit aren’t leaving him with you!” Chris spat back. Scott avoided Lydia’s gaze as she accepted the keys from Chris and hurried over to the black SUV. Peter was still murmuring in Stiles’ ear and a part of Scott felt resentful of that - he was the one who used to talk Stiles down when he lost his temper; it was his words that used to bring his friend back to himself. It was only since Void that there had been a chasm between them, a gap that Scott found next to impossible to cross.

“I don’t know exactly what you’re implying Argent - “ Deaton began to protest but Satomi put up her hand to stall the arguments.

“Let’s just get him out of a public car park and then we can decide where to put him. Although I find myself in agreement with Mr Argent inasmuch as it doesn’t appear that you and Scott have been supervising him properly if he could plan something like this without you being aware of it.” Satomi considered the two of them and Scott was almost pleased that the residual kanima venom prevented him from squirming under her regard.

“We don’t know that he’s been planning anything!” Deaton replied but even Scott could hear how weak the argument was. Lydia had tried to warn him only that morning that Theo couldn’t be trusted but he had refused to listen to her and he was feeling ashamed of himself. He turned away, watching as Lydia adjusted the seat in the SUV so that she could drive it over to where Theo was lying on the ground. Seconds afterwards, he realised Theo’s eyes were open and he opened his mouth to warn everyone but it was too late – the kanima had leapt up from the ground and was heading directly towards them, hissing as it did so.

There was no time to do anything but watch in horror as Lydia drove straight into Theo at exactly the same time as Stiles seemed to realise what was happening. The blast from his hands threw the kanima and the vehicle into the air in an exploding ball of fire, pieces of Theo splattering all over them as he was blown to smithereens and the car landed on its roof with a loud crash across the car park.

In the hustle and bustle of getting Lydia into the surgery, Peter stood back and watched Deaton. He had always had his doubts about the man – from before Talia became the Hale Alpha in fact. But his parents hadn’t listened to his doubts and neither had his sister. To the cost of all of the Hales. What he had said to Stiles had been the truth – the Druid cared more for his version of the balance than he had for his Pack which was completely wrong. If you were the Emissary for a Pack, you were their advocate, the person who spoke for them in delicate negotiations, the voice of logic and reason when emotions were high. Deaton had never been that for the Hales – he had wormed his way into his position of power by kissing the ass of whoever was Alpha, and Peter was pissed that none of the people in authority had seen through him.

During his ‘mad’ phase as Stiles often described it, he hadn’t cared about getting rid of the man – he had been focused on the Argents as the main culprits behind the fire. But he had wanted to kill the Druid. Only Derek had got in his way and once his nephew had left Beacon Hills, Peter had been too busy to rectify the situation. But now – things were different now. He had seen the avaricious look in Deaton’s eyes when Stiles had used his power to blow up the kanima – he had recognised the desire for power gleaming in those brown eyes and he had decided then and there that it was time that Deaton was dealt with.

The fact that everyone was concerned about whether or not Lydia would survive merely represented an opportunity that Peter wasn’t going to let go to waste. He was fully confident that Stiles would be able to heal her – he knew the power of those hands for himself.

Deaton was rifling through some books in his cabinet when Peter let himself into his office and observed the man. He was muttering to himself – something about a spark and the nogitsune and Peter’s knew his concerns were justified. Deaton hadn’t realised how powerful Stiles was before he was possessed – now that he had been made aware of the powers that Stiles had inherited from Void alongside his own natural talents, he wouldn’t stop until the boy was under his control. He might couch it in terms that made McCall feel better about it all: ensuring that Stiles wasn’t unduly influenced by Peter and Chris; that his destruction of the kanima demonstrated how out of control he was; that his injuring of Lydia showed that he needed to learn discipline and who better than Deaton to provide that? But Peter knew exactly what was going on in that cunning and manipulative mind. Deaton wanted Stiles’ powers for himself – whether he could take them from him, or simply control them. The same way he had obviously planned to have the kanima under his control – Peter was only surprised that Deaton hadn’t managed to get the kanima to accept him as Master in the week Theo had been with Scott.

“I wonder what it is you’re searching for,” he murmured, pleased when Deaton jumped and dropped the tome he had been holding in his hands. “Could it be that you’re wondering just how powerful Stiles is? How you could have missed something – someone so powerful under your very gaze? What you could do with both Stiles and the Nemeton under your control?”

“Peter! You surprised me, that’s all! And I was merely looking for any information that might assist us in healing Ms Martin! Stiles’ powers are – unexpected, and obviously we need to discuss them as soon as possible! But Ms Martin’s predicament is far more important – “

“Cut the bullshit, Deaton! I always saw through you and you knew it! That’s why you did nothing to help or protect me the entire time I was in a coma! You were our Emissary – you should have been there for Derek and Laura, for me but instead you crawled back into your hole and tried to consolidate your power!”

“That’s ridiculous! I was Talia’s Emissary and Laura left before I could reveal my role to her! Of course I would have helped her – helped you – if I had been given the opportunity!” Deaton was sidling towards his desk and Peter was almost tempted to see just what the Druid thought he would be able to do.

Almost.

“I would really much prefer it if you would stand still,” he said, coming to stand in front of the desk. “I find myself feeling slightly distrusting of your motives – all in the name of balance of course.”

“You’ve never understood how important the balance is – how everything must be weighed and measured! Do you think I wanted to allow your family to die? Do you think that if it had been for the greater good, I wouldn’t have stepped in and – “

“Allowed my family to die? Why Deaton, that almost seems to say that you could have done something to prevent it. Is that the case? Were you aware of Kate’s plans? Did you have a chance to save my family and decided that in the scheme of things, it was better to let my entire pack die?”

“I misspoke!” Deaton said, looking slightly grey. “Peter – we need to concentrate on the situation out there. We can talk about this afterwards.”

“Oh I think Stiles has that situation well in hand – he’s quite adept at the healing arts. Surprising really, considering Void was all about chaos. I guess it depends who is in control of the power. And somehow, I think if the power was in your hands, under your control, it would swiftly become twisted and evil once again.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Deaton spat at him, his face twisted with rage. “That kind of power in the hands of a mere child is unacceptable! I simply want to keep the territory safe -- “

“It was safe under my sister, even I knew that much!” Peter thundered, holding himself back by sheer force of will.

“Peter – look, I can help you, I can - “

“I really didn’t think you would be foolish enough to think you could appeal to my better nature – we both know I don’t have one. Do you really think I would trust you after everything? Or that I need anything other than my pack – the pack that understands me, accepts me knowing everything I have done? At least you didn’t attempt to appeal to my mercy,” Peter replied, stepping nonchalantly around the desk so that he was stood directly in front of Deaton. He leaned over slightly, pulling open the drawer the Druid had been attempting to reach earlier. “Interesting – does McCall know that you’re holding weaponised wolf’s bane in the office? Or have you managed to convince the idiot that it’s just in case?”

“Peter – don’t do anything hasty – “

“Oh, this isn’t hasty – this has been coming for a very long time!” Relishing the scent of fear coming from the Druid, Peter slowly allowed his face and claws to transform, the cracking sounds of his bones loud in the silence of the room.

“Don’t do it, Peter.” Scowling, Peter turned to face Chris who had walked into the room. Well, at least his lover wasn’t pointing a gun at him.

“Christopher – “

“Stiles needs you – this can wait,” Chris stated firmly, not even looking in Deaton’s direction. “Come on.”

For just a moment, Peter was of a mind to rip Deaton’s throat out – that’s all it would take. A moment. But then there would be getting out of the veterinary surgery, explaining himself to Stiles and Satomi, dealing with McCall’s outrage. Closing his eyes, he let his transformation slip away before opening them again to look into Deaton’s eyes.

“I suggest you get your affairs in order – this is merely delayed,” he said before patting Deaton patronisingly on the cheek and turning to follow Chris out of the room.

“Judging by the lack of screams and blood, the Druid is still alive?” Satomi asked when Peter and Chris walked into the room. Peter grimaced and she found herself smiling softly. He had grown up a lot since she had last had anything to do with him, and it would appear that Argent and the boy, Stiles, were good for him. There was a time when Peter would have killed the Druid and be damned with the fall-out. “Good – he can answer a few questions for me. Later.”

Peter nodded, before moving forwards to take his place at Stiles’ side. Satomi had watched as Stiles had held his hands over the still body of the red-haired girl, concentrating fiercely until they began to glow. It was as if she could see the injuries healing themselves and she would have expected the task to exhaust the boy. Instead, he looked healthier, almost as if he was feeding off of the girl’s essence rather than fixing the broken bones and bloody scars littered all over her body from the car crash. It was interesting indeed to see what the Nogitsune had left behind.

“What was that about? Have you done something to Dr Deaton?” Scott asked from the chair where they had dumped him when they got to the surgery. He appeared to be regaining the use of his limbs having managed to shift into a more comfortable position.

“No – your Emissary is fully intact, all body parts accounted for,” Peter replied scathingly but Scott continued to give Hale a disbelieving look.

“He’s fine, Scott,” Chris snapped before turning back to Stiles. “I think we should be heading home. I don’t think now is an appropriate time for a Summit.”

“I fully agree, although I think many of my questions and concerns have been answered by the events that have occurred. I offer you treaty, Peter Hale – to you and your Pack.”

“But I’m not an Alpha – “ Peter stuttered, looking shocked.

“I doubt it will take long before you are one in fact as you are in deed. By your actions today you have proven yourself to be a strong pack, even with just the three of you, and I doubt you will remain such a small group for long,” Satomi replied. “I can also see that my lack of involvement in Beacon Hills has allowed a pernicious influence to solidify it’s hold, an action for which I should rightfully bear responsibility. I will meet with you to discuss how we can better handle the territory in the future.”

“Hang on a minute, Beacon Hills is my territory – “ Scott began to splutter but Satomi silenced him with a single look.

“By your actions, Mr McCall, your Banshee would lie here dead. You allowed a dangerous beast to wander unchecked and if it hadn’t been for the strength and powers of the new Hale Pack, we would be facing a far greater danger!”

“They were going to kill Theo – Stiles did kill Theo!”

“Is he truly this unwilling to see the facts before him?” Satomi asked, looking towards the trio of men.

“Unfortunately, although Scott is a good man, he is not a good werewolf. Or Alpha,” Stiles finally responded. “I’m sorry, buddy, but there’s hanging onto your humanity and there’s endangering the people around you – all of the people around you. I may not want to live in Beacon Hills any longer, but my Dad is still here. As are people that I care about.” Stiles sighed from where he stood in the arms of Peter and Chris. “Satomi is right – if you had kept a watch on Theo the way I told you to, if you’d just listened to anyone other than Deaton – “

“I refuse to believe Chris’s allegations that Deaton planned for Theo to attack you!”

“Exactly! You can dismiss Peter as much as you like – “

“Hey!”

“Not now Peter! Chris warned you and you have plenty of reasons to trust him. Instead, you blindly followed Deaton and look where it’s gotten us? I don’t know, man, I thought there was a way for us to work together, to find some common ground, but I don’t think I want to see you for a while, Scott.”

“Stiles, no! It doesn’t have to be like this – we can find our way – “

“I think Stiles has made it plain how he feels, Scott,” Chris said, not unkindly. “We’re going to leave – I need to arrange for our vehicle to be picked up and for the area outside the diner to be cleared of any evidence. Satomi, you have my card – please feel free to call on us at your earliest convenience and we can discuss a treaty.”

Satomi nodded gracefully and watched as the three men left the building, Peter somehow managing to restrain himself from saying anything further. She turned back to look at Lydia who seemed to be coming around.

“Ms Martin – no, please don’t try to sit up.”

“What’s – the last thing I remember was Theo – “

“You took a great risk driving at the kanima like that, but your bravery gave Stiles the opportunity to deal with the kanima once and for all,” Satomi said, holding Lydia’s hand. “You were hurt in the process but Stiles was able to heal the worst of your wounds. He said that you would need to rest but shouldn’t suffer any ill effects from the healing process.”

“Stiles healed me?” Lydia looked around at Scott, stunned.

“He did something,” Scott said bitterly.

“He healed you – using the residual powers the Nogitsune gifted him. However, I think it’s time that we three sat down and discussed the best way for the McCall Pack to operate in the future – it would appear that some changes need to be made.” Scott opened his mouth to protest but once again, Satomi silenced him with a glance. “And I think it would be best if Dr Deaton were not included in the discussions – it has come to my attention that his actions of late have not necessarily been in the best interests of all parties involved.”

Lydia nodded at her, glancing at Scott before accepting Satomi’s help in sitting up.

Chapter Text

Noah took a seat at the table, looking over at Stiles. His son was picking at a scrap of paper on the table, his fingernails bitten down, his expression somber. He wished he knew what to say. Ever since the whole shitshow with the Nogitsune, there had been a chasm between him and Stiles that he had been unable to cross. He loved his son – there was nothing in the world that could stop that – but there were far too many times when he didn’t understand him.

“Son – you know whatever it is, I’ve got your back,” he finally said into the silence. Stiles looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Better than the previous expression but not by much. “Stiles – do you remember that time you decided to help Scott take out that loose tooth? You’d read somewhere about tying a piece of string around it, then tying the other end to the door? You were meant to choose a door that you could slam closed but in your eagerness, you chose one that you pulled. You slammed that door so hard into Scott’s face that he lost three teeth, none of which were the one you wanted to pull.”

“Logically, I thought I’d get a better result if I yanked it hard,” Stiles replied, his smile getting bigger.

“Yeah – and there was Scott, writhing around on the floor, blood gushing from his mouth and you were convinced that not only were you responsible for his crooked jaw but that you’d broken his nose too.”

“That jaw isn’t right,” Stiles murmured, but he looked more comfortable with every word Noah uttered.

“You didn’t want to tell me or Mel, but I came home at just the wrong moment, and what did I do?”

“Got a bag of ice for Scott and some Tylenol, then sat us both down and waited for us to explain.”

“Exactly. By the time Mel got there to collect Scott after her shift, it was all one big adventure and I’d taught you to what?”

“Test twice, do once.”

“Exactly. So – you gonna tell me what door you’ve slammed this time? And just who’s bleeding out on the ground?”

“I’ve left Scott’s pack – and I’ve formed a new one with Chris Argent and Peter Hale.” Noah inhaled sharply, his brain whirling. Was he surprised that Scott and Stiles had effectively split up after an entire lifetime of friendship? Not really. From the time Scott had been bitten, there had been a part of Noah that had wondered just how long Stiles would be willing to play Robin to his Batman. Not helped by Deaton and his whole True Alpha shtick which had widened the gap between the boys. There were more than a few occasions when Noah had wondered if that had been precisely the vet’s plan from the beginning. That was a man who wanted to be the only voice in Scott’s ear. “And Chris, Peter, and I are together – together, together.”

“Oh.” Noah didn’t have any words for Stiles’ addition. They’d had the bisexual coming out conversation – sometime between the Alpha pack and another supernatural disaster. And apart from ensuring that Stiles knew that no matter the sex of his partner, he needed to be safe and keep things consensual at all times, they hadn’t discussed it again. Probably because there had barely been time to take a breath between one fight and another. Peter and Chris – both older than Stiles, both more experienced. For just a moment, Noah wondered if they were taking advantage of Stiles but then he took another look at his son.

Stiles wasn’t a boy any longer. He had been through more than most adults and come out the other side stronger. More sure of himself.

“Is it serious?” Stiles finally met his gaze and nodded.

“Yeah. Like – maybe I don’t have just the one person meant for me in the world and these two are it.”

“Then hold onto it with both hands. The loss of your mother almost killed me – you know that and you know I can never make up to you how much I wasn’t there when you needed me – but I wouldn’t give up a moment that I shared with her.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Somehow, Stiles still wasn’t completely relaxed and Noah prepared himself for whatever was coming next. He had barely seen Stiles in the last week or so – there was always something going down at the station and they were still struggling to replace the staff they had lost in the bombing. “I’m leaving Beacon Hills – I’m not going far, but, yeah, I need some space. Chris has a place just out of town and we’re going to establish some territory there.”

“I see.” Noah stroked his chin, thinking furiously. He could well understand the need for his son to get away from the town – a lot had happened to Stiles in Beacon Hills and he couldn’t blame him for wanting to get away. Admittedly, he had thought it would happen when Stiles went to college but after the Nogitsune it had become apparent that college wasn’t on the cards. “What – what exactly are you going to be doing?”

“Since – well, since I got rid of Void – “ Stiles grimaced at the reminder and Noah reached out and grabbed his son’s hand. “It left some – things – behind.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Not exactly – not bad things. Just – kinda like, powers? Peter’s reaching out in the supernatural community for someone to teach me how to handle them. I – I can heal people Dad. And I can finally defend myself without having to use a baseball bat or just sarcasm!” Stiles gave a wry smile, his fingers gripping Noah’s tightly. “I never realised or accepted just how scared I was to go up against claws and fangs with just my wits and a baseball bat! But it’s different – we’re not sure how powerful I am, but I’m strong enough to flip a car!”

“Oh my God, that was you!” Noah sat back in his chair, still maintaining his grip on Stiles’ hand.

“What?”

“There was a call to the station – fortunately Parrish took the call! Someone said something about a giant lizard and an explosion, flipping an SUV! By the time Parrish got out there, the diner was closed and the car park was suspiciously clean! I should have realised – “ Noah shook his head wryly. “I should have called you immediately but because there was nothing there and I didn’t hear from you, I thought it might have been someone messing with us.”

“Yeah, sorry – I should have contacted you. A lot was going on,” Stiles replied apologetically.

“And Scott? What’s he going to do without you?”

“There’s another alpha – I don’t know if you remember Satomi? Sometimes it’s hard to remember who you’ve met and who you haven’t.”

“I know Satomi – I was less than impressed with some of the things she said during the Void thing, but I know she was there when she was needed to help get rid of it.”

“Yeah – she’s going to mentor Scott, kinda take over his Pack until he’s better prepared for being a leader,” Stiles said. “You’ll like her once you get to know her, I think. She doesn’t take nonsense – and has a very practical approach to all of this stuff. She’s very Zen and used to keeping things on the down-low.”

“It sounds like just what Scott needs – someone to rein his less than practical ideas whilst allowing him to grow into himself,” Noah said thoughtfully. “Will I still get to see you? I mean – if you’re leaving Beacon Hills and going to be busy learning all of this new stuff. Are you still going to have time for your old man?”

Stiles looked at him, meeting his eyes solidly and Noah was relieved to see the love his son had for him still in his eyes. He was grateful – there were too many times when he had let Stiles down and he needed to do better. He would do better.

“Less of the old man – and I’ll always have time for you, Dad. I love you – always have, always will.”

“Right back at you, kiddo.”

It was much less than he had wanted to take but it was all that would fit into his car. It was regretful but there was no place for him within Beacon Hills – at the moment anyway. Once Satomi had grown bored of having to handle Scott, she would move into the background and he could return.

He wasn’t going far – just far enough that they didn’t realise he was still around, considering his future. The situation with Hale had come far too close – if Chris hadn’t come into the room when he had, Deaton was sure that Hale would have tried to kill him.

The small cabin wasn’t much, but it didn’t need to be. It was hidden deep within the Preserve and warded so that it wasn’t easily found and he had laid a false trail leaving Beacon Hills so that if Hale decided he wanted to finish what he had started, he would be led away from where Deaton was.

He heaved a sigh of relief when the cabin came into sight, pulled up in front of it, and left the car. Stretching his senses, he could feel the Nemeton – hidden still but its presence was there. This could be good for him – time away from the constant issues of Beacon Hills to regain his inner balance, consider all of the options and decide what he wanted to do next. Perhaps Satomi had done him a favor.

Grabbing his rucksack from the back seat, he decided that he could unload the car later. He needed a cup of coffee and time to just sit and reflect before he began to make things more homely.

Unlocking the cabin door, he walked in and dumped his bag on the table, looking around the small space. He heard a sound from the back and reached into the rucksack for his gun. He hated to use it but it was better to be safe than sorry – he needed to put up more wards to keep animals away as one of the first things he did.

“Hello, Dr. Deaton.” Alan span to face the front door – which he was positive he had locked behind him – not quite surprised to see Chris Argent walking in as if he owned the place.

“If this is you coming to warn me to stay out of Pack business – “

“No – this is us supporting our Packmate,” came Stiles’ voice and Deaton was less surprised to see the young man coming from the back of the cabin where the bedroom was situated.

“Where is he?” Deaton asked, keeping his hand inside the rucksack so that they didn’t see the weapon.

“Why I’m right here,” Peter said, coming up behind Chris. “Did you really think that this was over?”

“I hoped that you would see sense – that you would finally understand that the territory is bigger than one family, one pack. I did what I had to do and I wouldn’t change things if I could go back.”

“Now that kinda makes this easier – although I admit I wasn’t having any moral qualms about what I was going to do anyway,” Hale said, a smirk crossing his face.

“Scott will – “

“Scott won’t do or think anything. You kindly took care of that situation for us – what did your note say? Scott, I think perhaps it’s time for me to take a step back to enable you to learn from another mentor. I have things I need to learn that will be of benefit to you and will return when I can. Please don’t look for me – this could take some time. Kindest regards, Alan. I thought it was a lovely note, especially because it made it sound like you weren’t running away with your tail between your legs,” Stiles said, quoting the note that Deaton had left for Scott at the surgery from memory. “And of course, along with learning from Satomi, he’s going to be busy taking over your business, keeping it running for your return sometime in the future.”

“And just what would your father think of this? He’s the Sheriff – I don’t think he would condone – “

“Pack justice, Deaton – I’m sure my Dad would understand,” Stiles replied, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. “Especially if he knew the plans you had for me and my newfound powers. Oh yes, I can guess what you would want to do with me and my abilities – especially having gone through your office and seen your notes on Theo. You really are a despicable piece of shit,” Stiles spat out.

“Can we get this over with please?”

“Chris – you’re a hunter! Surely you’re not condoning – “

“I want to go to the farmer’s market and this is holding us up,” Chris said blandly, stepping to one side so that Peter could move towards Deaton. Deaton watched as Peter’s eyes bled red, claws extending from his fingertips with that ridiculous hint of drama that always surrounded the man.

“I’ve been looking forward to this.” Deaton whipped the gun out of the bag, pressing the trigger and flinching slightly at the loud sound in the small room. Peter stepped back and Deaton tried to raise the gun to fire again. His arm wouldn’t move and he felt something trickling down his neck. He lifted his other hand to wipe it away, looking down at it in shock to see that it was covered in blood. “They do say that sometimes it takes the brain a moment or two to catch up with the body when it receives a catastrophic injury.”

“Whu – “ Why couldn’t he speak? What the hell had happened?

“I’d say you made that deep enough – he won’t be coming back as something truly terrifying,” Stiles said in a conversational tone and Peter nodded, looking grimly satisfied. “Messy though.”

“Not our mess to clean up – remember, this isn’t our territory any longer.”

“Peter – “ Chris said chidingly and Alan turned to look at the man, hoping for something that would make this better. Pain spread from his neck and his legs began to give way.

“Fine, I’ll pay for the cleaning crew! But I’m not going through his luggage – there could be all sorts of things in there!” It was only when Stiles stepped over him that Deaton realised he had fallen to the ground, the sound of the gun falling from his grasp loud in his ears. It was getting dark – too dark for the time of day.

“Farmer’s market – the cupboards aren’t going to fill themselves!”

“I’d rather spend the day in bed with the two of you but okay!” Stiles replied, the bantering conversation fading as the three men walked out of the cabin, leaving Deaton to bleed out on the ground.