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Chapter Text

Mate, mate, mate…

            Steve couldn’t believe it. Here he was with a broken bottle pressed against his throat, pinned to a dirty boathouse wall, with Eddie Munson’s crazy scared eyes staring into his, and his wolf was chanting about a mate! Suddenly though, Steve could scent it, incense, musk, and an underlying sweetness coming from his mate. From Eddie. This was a revelation to be sure, but not the right fucking time. He distantly heard Dustin calling to Eddie, trying to calm him, letting him know Steve wasn’t going to hurt him. Of course he wouldn’t hurt him, could never hurt his mate. But he couldn’t say any of that. No one knew he was a werewolf, that werewolves even existed, let alone that Eddie was his human mate.

            As Eddie backed away, Steve silently watched as the group spoke, trying to get the story from Eddie and convince him they believed him. Meanwhile, Steve was still reeling from his realization, and trying not to take big sniffs of Eddie’s scent like a creep. He did, however, gently scent the room with calming pheromones for everyone, especially Eddie, and it seemed to work. They made a plan for Eddie to stay hidden while the rest of the group figured out what to do about more Upside-Down shit they had to deal with and re-group with the rest of the Party. They left Eddie at Reefer Rick’s with a walkie talkie (after having him power off his phone so the cops couldn’t ping his location) and the promise of food.

            Walking away from Eddie made Steve anxious, he already felt connected to the man even though they hadn’t really spoken, biology working to create a bond that Steve felt, but Eddie wouldn’t. He pushed the feeling down, trying focus on the shitstorm at hand. He shook his head as he started the car and the group set off to the trailer park to try and see if they could get any answers.

            Steve Harrington… why couldn’t Eddie stop thinking about him. Sure, he had known who Steve was before today, who didn’t? He was the King of Hawkins High, Captain of the Basketball team, co-Captain of the Swim team, and party animal. Also, unfairly handsome, and rich. Although, if Eddie was being honest, he didn’t really hear much about Steve the past few years until he met Dustin and his friends Mike and Lucas when they joined his DnD group, the Hellfire Club. After that, it was all about how Steve was a badass, a great guy, super cool to hang out with. They seemed to worship Harrington, and Eddie was skeptical to say the least. The Steve he knew of in high school had surrounded himself with douchebags, and while he hadn’t personally meted out any bullying to Eddie and his friends, he also hadn’t stepped in to put it to a stop. And then, after he and Mike’s sister Nancy had broken up, and the late Billy Hargrove had taken over as Keg King, Steve seemed to melt into the background at school. Eddie had found himself a bit jealous over the hero worship Henderson and the guys seemed to have for Steve. He was used to being the one his little DnD nerd sheep looked up to.

            But now, there was something about Steve he couldn’t put his finger on. The way he was so calm with a broken bottle held to his throat, how he simply accepted the story Eddie told, stepped in to help without a second thought. Also, if Eddie was honest, there was also a scent from Steve that he couldn’t stop thinking about. It reminded him of a mossy forest, earthy and grounding, with hints of musk. He had never smelled anything like it before and it was almost intoxicating. It was mostly that scent that had calmed him enough to be able to tell his story without having a complete breakdown. Eddie figured he was just exhausted and crashing from coming down off of the adrenaline that had been surging through him ever since whatever happened to Chrissy happened and he had fled the trailer. God, he hoped he could finally sleep without having to relive that again, but he was doubtful.

            One week later and Steve was looking into his reflection in his bathroom mirror. He sighed and started rolling bandages around his unblemished torso in an attempt to pretend that the bites from the demobats weren’t already healed up. At least this time he didn’t have to fake bruises and cuts from getting punched in the face. He had gotten really good at special effects makeup over the past few years to avoid questions of why he was already healed so quickly. Thank God for YouTube! He usually kept to himself for a few days after the incidents to “rest”, but really it was so when he emerged, he could reasonably be a little less battered and not having to fake the swelling, just the cuts and bruises. This time he just needed to use a little makeup on his neck to mimic the ring of bruising from the demobat’s tail trying to choke him to death.

Fucking demobats. Even being a werewolf, they would have killed him if Nancy, Robin, and Eddie hadn’t jumped into the lake and come after him. And he couldn’t even think of what the fuckers had done to Eddie without crying. It had killed him to leave Eddie and Dustin as decoys when he and the girls had gone after Vecna. When he got back to the trailer and heard Dustin crying Eddie’s name he had sprinted to where he could tell they were huddled on the ground. One look at Eddie and he had almost lost it and shifted right then and there, the closest he had come to losing control of the shift since his first time. His mate was on the ground wounded, bleeding out, and he didn’t keep him safe! It was only when Nancy moved to try and stop the flow of blood that he moved his feet and scooped him up gently to get him back through the gate.

Once they were back in real Hawkins things moved quickly. They raced to get Eddie and Dustin to the hospital as Dustin had injured his leg jumping back through the gate to get to Eddie after he had cut the rope. And of course, Eddie needed medical help as soon as possible, so Steve drove like a Nascar driver to get them to the hospital. When they got there he grabbed Eddie and sprinted as if he weighed nothing while Nancy and Robin helped get Dustin into the Emergency Department. Steve used the force of his aura to ensure that Eddie and Dustin were seen immediately. They were both taken in back right away and Steve, Robin, and Nancy were left in the waiting room covered in blood and Upside-Down grime.

As they were sitting there, an ambulance pulled up and before they knew what was happening Max was being wheeled past them with Lucas and Erica by her side. “Sinclair! What happened!” Steve looked at them frantically, he had hoped everyone else was okay.

Lucas looked back at Steve and then rushed over crushing him with a hug as he sobbed while Nancy and Robin hugged Erica. “Jason Carver happened! He and his goons showed up. One almost broke Erica’s arm outside so she couldn’t warn me, and Jason came into the house and thought I was hurting Max. She was floating at that point, and I couldn’t get to her to put her Walkman on her. We started fighting, at one point he had a gun on me, and he stepped on the Walkman and broke it. I finally was able to knock him out, but I didn’t have the music, Max started to break. And then it stopped, and she fell. Her arms and legs were broken, but she’s still alive.” He broke off sobbing while Steve held him. He wanted to tell him everything would be okay, but he couldn’t get anything past the lump in his throat, the ache in his chest. He had failed! Three of the group were injured and it was all his fault. All because he didn’t reveal his true nature.

Now, looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help but hate himself a little bit. People joked with him that while he could take on and kill interdimensional monsters, he regularly got his ass handed to him in fights with people. And they weren’t wrong, but they didn’t know the reason. The fact that with the monsters he didn’t have to hold back like he did with humans. With the monsters he could let out a bit of that primal strength he couldn’t let out with a human. Given the fact that even without shifting he could punch clear through a wall, he would easily kill a person if he wasn’t careful. It was better to just let them kick his ass and make sure he took the brunt of the beatings to ensure his friends were safe. After all, he healed within a day with no lasting damage, faster if he shifted. Steve was an Alpha, and it was in his DNA to protect his Pack, even if they didn’t know they were his Pack. The group liked to joke that he was the group mom, but he didn’t dispute it because he recognized it was the only way he could let out his Alpha tendencies.

He finished getting dressed and brushed his hair, taking care with his appearance. He had been at Eddie’s bedside almost non-stop since he was admitted to the hospital, but today was discharge day. Eddie had healed quicker than the doctors had expected and while he still need to take it easy, he no longer needed to be in the hospital. And, since Hopper, miraculously back from the dead having been sprung from a Soviet prison by Joyce Byers and their friend Murray, had gotten the shadowy government agency that knew about the Upside-Down to clear Eddie’s name he was free to go and not to jail. Hopper had also gotten each member of the Party a payout for all of the anguish and heartache of the past few years and all they had to do was sign an NDA, which was no issue. I mean, who would they tell that would believe them. The government was also in the process of getting Wayne and Eddie a new house since the trailer had been torn in two, but Wayne was staying in a hotel until everything was set. Which was perfect for Steve, because it gave him the excuse he needed to offer Eddie to stay with him. Only he knew that it was because Eddie was his mate.

As much as he wanted Eddie to stay in the Master Bedroom with him, he knew he needed to take things slowly, so he had gathered as many of Eddie’s things he could from the destroyed trailer, including his beloved guitar, and made one of the guest rooms as comfortable and welcoming as possible. The more comfortable he made it for Eddie, the longer he would want to stay, and if Steve had anything to do about it, it would be forever.

            Being with Eddie throughout the Battle of Vecna and later sitting at his bedside in the hospital had just solidified for Steve that Eddie was his mate, not only his mate, but his Fated Mate which was extremely rare. This meant that he wasn’t a Chosen Mate the way most shifters were mates, but that Eddie was specifically meant for him. But the tricky part lay in Eddie being human. If he was a shifter, he’d also feel the pull, scent Steve’s intent. As a human, Steve would need to “woo” him, if he was even open to it seeing as Steve was a guy. With shifters it wasn’t an issue. Your mate was your mate, especially with Fated Mates. There was no stigma. Unfortunately, though, human society was still backwards in that respect. Steve had no qualms about his mate being a man, but it would be heartbreaking if that was a deal breaker for Eddie. It would mean Steve would be mateless for life. Once a shifter knows they have a Fated Mate, they could never mate another. Sex, maybe if they never slept with their Fated Mate, but mating, never.

            Turning his thoughts away from that depressing prospect, Steve gave his appearance one last look and started to head out to go pick up Eddie.

            Eddie was all packed up and waiting for Steve to get to the hospital and pick him up. Luckily he didn’t have much to pack and carry down to the lobby, but the nurses insisted on him being wheeled down, so now he was sitting in the wheelchair with a nurse sitting next to him on a waiting room chair and a couple of bags down by his feet. He was sitting quietly thinking about staying with Steve. He was a little nervous to be honest. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Steve, in fact it was the complete opposite. He liked him maybe too much. That was the problem. As far as he knew Steve was straight as can be, and well, Eddie wasn’t. The last thing he needed was for Steve to figure out he had a big fat crush on him. Talk about awkward! Just then he noticed movement outside and looked to see Steve’s BMW pull up outside the doors. He looked to the nurse, “There’s my ride.”

            The nurse, who was only a bit older than Eddie looked outside and then looked back at Eddie incredulously, “Steve Harrington is your ride? Wow, lucky guy!” Eddie chuckled a little. Looks like the Harrington charm had a far reach. Once they got out to the car Eddie stood up while the nurse gave Steve the aftercare instruction sheet to Steve along with some bandages and other wound care items. Eddie went to bend to grab his things to put them in the car, but Steve must’ve teleported back to the trunk area of the car because he was there in an instant taking the bags from Eddie and placing them in the trunk for him. As Steve took Eddie’s elbow to steer him to the passenger seat and help him get settled and buckled in, Eddie caught more of the mossy scent that he now associated with Steve, but also another scent intertwined of warm bread. He thought maybe Steve had gone to bakery or something earlier in the day.

            Meanwhile, Steve was reaching over to buckle Eddie in so he didn’t pull at his stitches and trying to cover the fact that he was breathing in Eddie’s incense laden and sweet scent. It would make him dizzy if he let it. He finally straightened and moved to go to the driver’s seat waving at the nurse still on the sidewalk, “Bye Melanie, see you around.” And if he chose to ignore the way her heart rate picked up, or the way her scent thickened suddenly, then that was no one’s business but his. “All set?” He asked as he slid into the driver’s seat.

            “Yes, please. So sick of being in the hospital. I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. They come and check on you every hour or two, even at night. Hard to sleep like that.” Eddie did look pretty tired with some major bags under his eyes.

            “Okay, let’s get you home and situated and then I can order some pizza and you can eat then get some rest. Sound like a plan?”

            “Sounds like heaven! Let’s rock!” Eddie’s smile lit up his face and Steve just knew he would do whatever he could to keep that smile in place.

            Steve was walking down the hall upstairs in his house with Eddie’s bags. “Here’s your room, it has its own bathroom, and it should be pretty stocked. Just let me know if you need anything else.” He opened the door and let Eddie step through first.

            “Oh. My. God! Steve, what did you do?” He was standing in the doorway with his hand on his forehead looking around in shock. Steve had not only brought in Eddie’s things, but he had set everything up the way he remembered from Eddie’s room, even putting his posters up for him and hanging the guitar on its hooks on the wall.

            “I just wanted you to be comfortable here. Is it okay?” Now that Eddie was seeing the room, he was little nervous he may have overstepped and made Eddie uncomfortable.

            Eddie turned to look at him with tears in his eyes, “Okay? It’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me!” He threw his arms around Steve and gave him a big hug. When he did, Steve’s knees went slightly weak as he was able to finally fully scent his mate, up close, at the crook of his neck. “Oh, sorry! I just…thank you Steve.” Eddie withdrew from Steve a bit awkwardly, and Steve had to bite down a whine at the loss of the heat from his mate.

            “It’s fine, I’m just glad you like it. Why don’t you get settled in and I’ll order the pizza. If you’re up to it, we can watch a movie while we eat.”

            “Sounds perfect, and thanks again. For everything.” Eddie was still looking a little teary eyed.

            “It’s my pleasure Eddie. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

            About an hour later Eddie heard the doorbell ring as he was getting dressed after his shower. He figured it was the pizza, so he hurried as much as his injuries let him because he was pretty hungry. The new bandages he put on after the shower were a little bulky because he had to put them on himself instead of a nurse doing it, but he thought he did a pretty good job all things considered. He didn’t think he’d need them much longer. The wounds seemed to be healing fairly quickly. As he walked down the stairs his mouth started to water at the scent of the pizza and he walked into the kitchen. Steve was busy getting out plates and napkins and didn’t notice Eddie in the doorway. He stopped and was just staring at Steve, the way the sunlight caressed him, made him almost glow like an angel. He was Eddie’s angel, taking care of him even though he didn’t need to. Eddie already knew he had a big crush on Steve, but now he knew it was more than that. He was falling in love with the man. With the straight man. He steeled himself to keep his emotions off of his face as entered the kitchen, “Hey Harrington! Need any help with anything?”

            Steve, of course, had known Eddie was there the whole time. He couldn’t miss his mate’s scent. He would be able to find him in a crowded room by that scent alone. After all these years though, he was an expert at pretending he couldn’t tell someone was behind him or scent their intent. Right now though, there was another scent mixed in with Eddie’s usual scent, and it took him a moment to figure out what it was. It was the heady musky scent of arousal. He had scented it from Eddie a couple times before, during the battle, but had forced himself to ignore it as it wasn’t the time or place. Plus, they had always been around other people, so it could have been his reaction to someone else. This time though, it was just the two of them. Just the thought that Eddie might actually want him made his heart sing. He was still going to take things slowly; Eddie was still injured for one and there was the whole werewolf thing for two. “Hey Eddie, how are you feeling? Everything good?”

            “Yeah, great, thanks! Your water pressure is awesome. It felt pretty damn good to finally get clean. Sponge baths can only do so much, you know?” Eddie tugged a strand of his hair to cover his mouth as a nervous habit, which Steve thought was adorable. Especially since Eddie was already dressed for bed in comfy flannel pajama bottoms and a well-worn, soft Metallica shirt.

            “What about your bandages? Need a hand with those?”

            “Nope, got them on already. Don’t think I’ll need them that much longer though.”

            Steve tried to smile at that, “That’s good Eddie,” but he was a bit sad. He had been looking forward to helping with the bandages at least once so that he could get close to his mate. “Well, I got a Pepperoni Pizza, and one with Canadian Bacon and Black olives. Is that okay?”

            “Hell yes! I like both of those, can I have one of each?” Eddie had a big smile on his face.

            “Of course you can, do you want a Pepsi or water?”

            “I’ll take a water that way I can take my meds and sleep after the movie.”

            “Okay, I’ll bring everything to the living room, why don’t you go pick out a movie for us. I have a big DVD/ BluRay collection, or you can stream something.” Eddie turned to leave the room right as Steve’s cell phone started to ring. He looked at the name before picking it up, “Hey Robs! What’s up?”

            “Hey Steve, just wanted to check in on Eddie. How’s he doing?”

            “Seems to be doing okay, he settled in a bit and we are getting ready to eat and watch a movie before he goes up to rest. Want to talk to him?”

            “No, that’s okay. Just tell him I wanted to say hi and I can call him tomorrow so he can get his rest. Talk to you later.”

            “Okay Robin, talk to you later.” After he hung up the call, Steve gathered everything on a large serving tray and went into the living room. “Hey, Robin wanted me to tell you hi and that she called to check up on you. She said she’ll call you tomorrow after you have a chance to get some rest.”

            “That Buckley is something else. Alright Harrington, pizza me. I’m starved!” Eddie made grabby hands at Steve which he found adorably cute. He laughed, “Here you go, here’s your drink too. There’s plenty more, so let me know if you want another slice or two.”

            Eddie looked up with his cheeks comically already stuffed with pizza and nodded which made Steve laugh out loud at the sight. “Easy now, don’t choke. You won’t like it if I need to give you the Heimlich!”

            Just then the movie started and Steve looked up to see what Eddie had picked. Looked like he had gone old school picking one of Steve’s favorites, the original John Carpenter Halloween. It was going to be a good night!

            After pizza, ice cream, and the movie Steve cleaned up the living room and then walked Eddie upstairs to his room. At the door he held Eddie’s bicep, “I’m going to be right down there at the end of the hall. Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Eddie nodded, and with a little squeeze, Steve let him turn and go into the room shutting the door behind him. He inhaled deeply before moving off to his own bed for the night. He was too keyed up to sleep yet, but he figured he could waste some time watching some mindless YouTube videos. Anything to keep his mind off of the fact that his mate was sleeping just down the hall from him.

            Steve had finally dozed off when he heard a knocking on his bedroom door. He looked at his phone on the bedside, it was after 1am. He got up and opened his door to see Eddie standing there with tears streaming down his face. “Eddie! Are you okay? What’s wrong? Come in.”

            When Eddie looked up from the ground, his eyes went wide and round as he noticed Steve standing there shirtless in low slung grey sweatpants. He shook his head and stepped inside. Steve filed the reaction away for later and led him to sit on the edge of the bed. They sat side by side with Steve’s arm around him rubbing his shoulder and trying to offer comfort. He subconsciously started to send calming pheromones into the room and Eddie slowly relaxed into Steve’s side.

            “What’s wrong? What happened?” Steve asked softly.

            “It’s the first night without the heavy-duty meds that helped me sleep. Sleep without dreaming.” Eddie let out a little sob.

            “Oh baby, it’s okay. You’re here with me. You’re safe.” Steve cooed and soothed as best he could, trying to make his mate feel better. He could feel Eddie start to relax even more. “Do you want to talk about it?” He could feel Eddie shake his head no. “Do you want to stay in here with me?”  Eddie looked at him with his eyes glossy with tears, “Is that okay? You don’t mind?” “Of course it’s okay baby, I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t.” This time Eddie heard the nickname, and it made his stomach flip with butterflies. He took a shaky breath, “I would like that if it’s okay with you.”

            Steve moved them to the side of the bed and got Eddie settled in and covered up before climbing in next to him. He reached over and gathered Eddie close to him, “Is this okay?”

            Eddie looked at him a little shyly, “Yes, thank you. I feel better already.” With Steve’s steady breathing and strong safe arms, Eddie swiftly drifted off to sleep. Steve followed shortly behind with a smile on his face feeling the best he had in years with his mate in his arms.

            A ray of sunshine woke Eddie from a deep sleep. He felt more rested than he had since before the whole Spring Break situation with Vecna. He looked over and felt his breath catch in his throat. Steve was still sleeping peacefully, cuddling Eddie into his side. His face was so relaxed and beautiful Eddie wished he was an artist so he could paint him. He shifted a bit and couldn’t help himself from pushing a stray strand of hair from Steve’s face back behind his ear. As his hand dropped, he noticed Steve had woken up and was looking at him with a small smile. His heart began to race, while blood rushed down south at just how sexy Steve looked in the morning with his tousled hair and sleepy eyes.

            Steve woke to Eddie’s scent surrounding him, and it was with a jolt of delight that he also scented Eddie’s arousal. He smiled as he felt Eddie’s light touch smoothing his hair, “Morning Princess. Sleep well?” He could hear Eddie’s heart rate pick up at the nickname. Ah, so he likes it.

            Eddie gulped and steeled himself deciding to give as good as he was getting with the flirting, “Best ever Big Boy, thanks.” He purred, stretching his body down the length of Steve’s body, and then stopping shocked when he felt Steve’s erection against his hip. It didn’t feel just like morning wood, but he couldn’t be sure. But, oh how he wanted to be the cause.

            In his pursuit of Eddie, Steve was willing to use all of his gifts shamelessly with the exception of pushing his aura. So, his heightened sense of smell and hearing helped him determine that Eddie wouldn’t necessarily be against being with him. He decided to start with small touches and see how receptive Eddie would be. He moved his hand up to Eddies face a caressed his cheek with the back of his knuckles while looking him in the eyes. Eddie’s breath hitched and his eyes closed while he leaned into the touch. “I’m glad you got some rest. Are you hungry? I can make us some breakfast.”

            After a deep breath, Eddie opened his eyes, “That would be great, thanks. Do I have time for a quick shower first?”

            “Of course, I’ll make us some bacon and pancakes. Take your time, I can keep it warm for you.” Steve got up to use the restroom before heading downstairs and he could feel the weight of Eddie’s eyes on his back, so he let out a little smirk he didn’t have to hide.

            About ten minutes later he was cleaned up and heading back down the hall when he heard a voice coming from Eddie’s room. He stopped and used his wolf’s hearing to figure out if everything was okay or if maybe Eddie was calling for him from the bathroom. Steve had a vision of Eddie having fallen in the shower. Just as he was about to open the door to go check on him, he heard the unmistakable sound of Eddie touching himself at a furious pace. At first, he thought Eddie was on the phone, but unless he was having phone sex that wasn’t the case. As he was turning to leave and give him some privacy he heard, “Fuck, Steve. Yes, just like that! Fuck me! Harder! Ungggghhhh!” And he knew Eddie had just come thinking of him. It took everything in him to just turn and walk away, he hurried downstairs to put some distance between them because he didn’t know if he could stay away from his mate if he caught a whiff of the scent of Eddie’s orgasm. It took him a good five minutes of wresting his wolf’s instincts to calm down enough to start breakfast knowing Eddie needed the food to help him heal.

            Eddie finally made his way downstairs, having to force himself when his stomach grumbled in hunger. He felt acutely embarrassed that he had touched himself thinking about Steve. It wasn’t like the man would ever know, but Eddie felt like it was rude or something to masturbate to a friend, especially if he was straight. But that was the confusing thing, was Steve entirely straight? It was not something he normally would presume, but with all of the pet names and cuddling he was starting to question it.

            “Hey, there you are! Ready to eat?” Steve started grabbing plates out of the warming drawer of the oven. They were piled with crisp bacon and perfect golden pancakes. “There’s coffee over on the table in the thermos carafe if you want to make yourself a cup.”

            “Thanks, it smells great.” Eddie made his way over to the table and started to fix his coffee with some creamer and sugar. His stomach growled again when Steve put his plate in front of him. The two of them settled in to eat, making small talk, while Eddie slowly relaxed again. As soon as he was done eating, he heard his phone ringing from his sweatpants pocket.

Steve got up to start clearing the table, “Why don’t you go ahead and get that while I clean up?”

            Eddie nodded and pulled out his phone seeing it was Robin. He answered the call as he walked into the living room, “Hey Robin. What’s up?”

            “Hey Eddie, is Steve taking good care of you over there? If he’s not, you let me know and I’ll throttle him for you!”

            He chuckled a bit, “Oh Robin, he’s taking very good care of me. But thank you for offering to commit bodily harm on your best friend on my behalf. I could almost swoon!” Eddie kept walking upstairs to have a bit more privacy for the rest of the conversation he needed to have with Robin. Once he reached his room he laid back on the bed, “Oh my god Robin! I don’t know if staying here was such a good idea!”

            “Why Eddie, what’s wrong?” Robin was sounding worried, “Are you sure Steve is taking good care of you, for real?”

            “That’s just it Robin, he’s too good! The little Harrington crush I told you about when we were planning the Battle has ballooned into a MAJOR crush, maybe even more. He’s so protective, and sweet, and he let me sleep with him last night—”

            “Wait, what! Eddie, he what?” She sounded breathless.

            “Not like that Rob, I had a nightmare, and he took care of me and cuddled me all night. And then he’s been using pet names like baby and Princess. And I am about to combust! I don’t know what to do, if I stay here, I’m torturing myself. If I leave, I’ll hurt his feelings. Did you know he went to my trailer and got all my stuff and set it up here in the guest room for me just the way it was in my old room?”

            “No, I didn’t. I know he told me he wanted to make sure you were comfortable, but he didn’t tell he did all that. Hmmmm.”

            “Look, Rob, I know he has an overinflated protective streak, it’s undeniable. But is there any way that he’s maybe not completely one hundred percent straight? Any chance?” Eddie tried to keep the desperate note out of his voice, but she heard it any way.

            “I don’t know Eddie, is there anything else that happened?”

            “Well, I wasn’t going to say, but this morning when we woke up, I couldn’t help myself and I tucked some of his hair behind his ear before I knew he was awake. When I looked back at his face, his eyes were open, and he was smiling. That’s when he called me Princess. Then when I was stretching, I noticed he was very excited if you know what I mean.”

            “Ewwww! Eddie! Lesbian here, don’t need to think about Steve’s dick, thanks.”

            “Sorry, but there’s more. Non dick related. He reached over and caressed my cheek with the back of his knuckles.”

            “He what???” She was practically yelling at this point.

            “Yeah, it felt like it meant something. But I can’t assume, you know. I have only ever heard of him being with girls, so I don’t know.”

            “Eddie, listen, the caress? It means something. It definitely means something. It’s one of his Harrington moves. He only does that when he is really into someone. The last person that I know of was Nancy.”

            “Oh my god! Seriously?” Eddie could barely catch his breath, and in the back of his mind he realized that his wounds were no longer hurting him, but he ignored the thought as he was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Steve Harrington might actually like him back.

Chapter Text

            While Eddie was upstairs Steve cleaned up the breakfast mess. And was having a pretty serious discussion with himself, or rather with his wolf. The wolf was urging him to Claim his mate, didn’t understand why he hadn’t yet. Steve tried to convey that with Eddie it’s different. He was human and he was injured. He couldn’t just send out his intent using pheromones and then have Eddie understand. There needed to be time and a pretty intense conversation. But he was pretty sure by the end of the day he was going to at least try and kiss the man. It was all he could think of since waking up. He knew that Eddie would likely be okay with at least that if the morning was anything to go by. He definitely couldn’t just do nothing. Frankly, it was astounding that he had been able to hold back for as long as he had, which he just put down to not be able to focus on mating properly with everything that had gone on and Eddie having been in the hospital. In reality it was because Steve was one of the strongest Alphas, even if he didn’t exert his power often. Eddie was gone so long that Steve figured he had taken a nap, so he settled on the couch to watch a movie. He put on one of his comfort movies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The movie held one of the few positive memories of him and his father spending time together.  It was around the time that Sir Gawain was “trapped” in Castle Anthrax that Eddie came back downstairs.

            “Holy Grail? Oh my god, I love this movie!” Eddie plopped down next to Steve a little more forcefully than he would have expected given his injuries, but it didn’t seem like Eddie was hurting so he didn’t say anything.

            “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. Do you want me to start it over? I don’t mind.”

            “Sure, if that’s okay with you. It’s one of my comfort movies from when I was younger. Me and Uncle Wayne used to watch it all the time since we didn’t have a lot of movies.” Eddie grabbed the blanket folded on the back of the couch and Steve was pleasantly surprised to be covered under it with Eddie as he grabbed the remote to restart the movie. They enjoyed laughing at the movie, especially the Black Knight, and before he knew it, Eddie was cuddled up to his side and by the end of the movie Steve knew he was going to try and kiss him. But he didn’t get the chance as the doorbell started ringing. Eddie could have sworn he heard a whispered “Fuck!” from Steve as he got up to answer the door.

            Of course, when he opened the door it was the whole Party (minus Max and Lucas) standing on his doorstep. As the kids pushed into the foyer Dustin asked where Eddie was, and Steve pointed to the living room resignedly. Robin came in with Nancy and Jonathan behind her, “Hey Steve, thought we’d come by and check on Eddie. How’s he doing?”

            “Robin, you know how he is. You talked to him this morning!”

            Robin waited until Nancy and Jonathan walked away before saying softly, “Someone’s a little grumpy, any particular reason why?” He grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs to his room. She was his best friend and if he couldn’t tell her about him being a werewolf, he could at least tell her about his feelings for Eddie.

            They sat on his bed, and he looked her in the eyes, “There’s something I need to tell you. Before I do though, I need you to keep it to yourself. Not because I am ashamed or hiding it, but because the timing isn’t right for anyone to know yet. Okay?”

            “Of course, Steve! Whatever you need. Are you okay?” This was a serious side of Steve she normally only saw when they were dealing with an active Upside-Down threat, so she was a bit nervous.

            “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing bad. At all. In fact, it’s kind of awesome and wonderful. Let me start by saying that I know everyone is used to seeing me date girls, but that’s only because I have never met a man in real life who gave me those same romantic feelings. If anyone had ever asked me, I would have said I was bisexual, but no one ever did.” He took a chance to look at Robin and was surprised to see she had tears in her eyes.

            “Oh Steve! Welcome to the club!” She gave him a big hug and he patted her back. “You should have told me before!”

            “Like I said, it was kind of a non-issue because it seemed like I would only find girls that gave me that feeling, at least here in Hawkins. But I was wrong.” He gave her a significant look.

            “You found someone, didn’t you? A man?” and she hoped that it was Eddie, that would be just perfect.

            “I did, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. It’s someone you know. And it’s not just a crush. I am fucking in love with him.” That was an understatement, but he couldn’t tell her about Fated Mates. “And that’s why I was a bit grumpy at the door, because I was about two seconds away from finally kissing him when the doorbell rang.”

            “Oh my god! It’s Eddie!” Her hands flew up to her cheeks and her smile was so big it looked like it would split her face in half.

            “Yes, it’s Eddie.”

            Robin threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly, “You guys are perfect together, the right mix of things in common and opposites attract. Sorry we busted in, but I’m sure it will be okay. When we go back down I’ll try to make sure we don’t stay too long. For what it’s worth, I think everyone else will be happy when you guys get together. Don’t worry about that.”

            “Well, I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. I’m pretty sure he at least likes me a little, but that doesn’t mean we are sure to be together.”  Steve knew he still had to tell Eddie about being a werewolf and he wasn’t quite sure how the man would react.

            Robin’s eyes sparkled, and from the way her bright summer scent shifted sharper he could tell there was something she wasn’t telling him as she just hugged him tightly and pulled him along to go back downstairs. As they got to the living room Dustin exclaimed, “There you guys are! What were you doing?”

            Steve cleared his throat, “Just catching up. What’s going on here?”

            Eddie looked up with what could only be described as puppy dog eyes, “The kids want me to do a one-shot DnD campaign for them. Can we play here, please?”

            “Of course! When?” As if Steve could ever say no to Eddie, but they didn’t know that.

            Dustin looked incredulous, “Really? I’ve asked about a million times, and you always said no. Eddie asks once and you say yes right away? What the hell man?”

            “You get mauled nearly to death by demobats and we’ll talk Henderson.” Steve ruffled his curls.

            Just then Robin spoke up, “Alright, ten-minute call and then we have to head out. We want to let Eddie get his rest and not be overwhelmed. Plus, I have to get home and get ready for my shift at the movie theater.”

            Steve sent her a silent thank you as the rest of the kids grumbled good-naturedly. “You guys still didn’t say when you want to play the game.”

            Eddie spoke up this time, “How about Saturday? That gives me four days to get it all set up and fine-tuned.”

            “That’s fine with me. And anyone who wants to stay the night can stay. Bring your swimming clothes and we can use the pool and jacuzzi.”

            Steve found himself smiling at the shouts of “yes!” from the group and his heart warmed at the big smile he got from Eddie.

            After the group headed out excited about DnD and the sleepover Steve suggested to Eddie that he make a list and Steve would order some groceries so that he had some snacks and other things that Eddie liked in the house. As Eddie was making the list on his phone to text to Steve, Steve’s own phone buzzed with an incoming text from Joyce Byers asking about Eddie and asking if they needed anything. He smiled to himself, Joyce was more of a mom to him these days than his own mom and it warmed his heart. He let her know they were okay and thanked her for checking in. She invited them to dinner whenever Eddie was feeling up to it and he texted back that they would love that. He looked forward to family dinners with the Byers- Hopper clan as the Party had decided that they all needed to stick together, even if Vecna/ Henry was gone for good. Which Steve was grateful for, it got lonely in his house all by himself. Although, with Eddie there it was feeling more like a home than it had in years.

            His phone buzzed again, but this time it was the list from Eddie. He smiled when he saw the crazy mix of snack choices. He had beef jerky (which Steve loved), a variety of chocolate and candy, green olives, pickles, two different kinds of ice cream, and an assortment of chips and crackers. Plus, he requested Dr. Pepper and Canada Dry Ginger Ale. He texted back You got it, Babe! And went upstairs to his Mac to order off of the list because it was easier than using the app on his phone. On his way out of the room he didn’t miss Eddie’s shy smile as he read Steve’s text, and it made him feel warm inside.

            A couple of hours later Steve and Eddie were sitting at the dining room table playing cards when the doorbell rang. Steve went to answer the door and start bringing the grocery bags in, he had also ordered regular things he needed like more eggs, milk, bread etc. Eddie came to lend a hand, but Steve wouldn’t let him. Before Eddie could protest, he offered a compromise, “How about I bring them in, and you start to put things away? If you don’t know where something goes, just put it on the island.”

            “Okay, I can do that.” And there was that smile again. The one that melted Steve’s heart and made him want to wrap Eddie in a cocoon and keep him safe forever. They worked in a comfortable silence with Steve helping to put things away once it was all in the kitchen. He left out the ingredients to make a lasagna for dinner thinking that it was his ultimate comfort meal and might make Eddie feel good about being there with Steve.

            Eddie sat at a stool at the island, sipping his Dr. Pepper over ice and watching Steve work as he chopped onions and garlic, browned the ground beef and Italian sausage, made the sauce and the cheese mixture, and boiled the lasagna pasta. He was a bit in awe of the multi-tasking going on. But of course, Steve was a good cook on top of everything else. Eddie hadn’t seen the man not be good at something yet. “Wow! I didn’t know you could cook Harrington. Color me impressed.”

            Steve looked up through his bangs from chopping the fresh herbs for the sauce, “Well, if I didn’t want to live on take-out for the past 5 years I had to learn to cook. Food Network and YouTube kind of saved my ass. There was a lot of trial and error, some inedible meals that I ended up ordering out after burning or oversalting. But I manage mostly edible meals nowadays. I try to keep it fairly simple though.”

            “Well, it smells delicious. I can’t wait to eat!”

            “It’s going to be a while, it has to bake and then set before we cut it, or else it will be mush. If you want to learn some basic dishes, I’d love to teach you.” Steve gave Eddie a little wink that started his heart racing.

            “Might have to take you up on that. All I can make are things out of a box, can, or the microwave freezer section.”

            “We can start after I get the lasagna in the oven. We can make brownies, they’re still from a box, but I like to add things to them to make them a little more special.” Steve moved over to the saucepan on the stove with his chopped herbs and dropped them in. Eddie took the opportunity to ogle Steve’s ass in his black skinny jeans. Steve sucked in a breath as the musky scent of Eddie’s arousal hit him like a wave wanting to pull him underwater. He took a moment to still his own breathing. He started to gather all of the different components of the lasagna to start layering the ingredients and pre-heated the bottom part of his double oven. He came back to the island opposite of Eddie with everything and started assembling the casserole.

            Eddie had pulled out his phone and was streaming his favorite playlist and softly singing along with Ghost’s Mary on a Cross. Steve hadn’t heard the song before, but he found himself liking the beat. But then he really listened to the lyrics and found his face heating,

            You go down just like Holy Mary

            Mary on a, Mary on a cross

            Not just another Bloody Mary

            Mary on a, Mary on a cross

            If you choose to run away with me

            I will tickle you internally

            And I see nothing wrong with that

When Eddie looked up at Steve, it was with a little smirk and a wink. That wink almost broke Steve. He wanted to reach right across the island and pull Eddie into his arms and kiss him senseless. Instead, he just continued to layer the lasagna and when it was finally ready, he put it in the oven and set the timer.

            “Are you ready to learn how to make some kick ass brownies?”

            “Hell yeah! Brownies are one of my favorite desserts! What are we putting in them?”

            Steve walked over to the pantry and cam back with the box of brownie mix and his bin of baking supplies. “You can look through the bin and pick out what you want to use.”

            Eddie opened bin and his mouth dropped open. It looked like Steve had robbed the baking aisle of the store. There were multiple types of chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, marshmallows, and even caramel drizzle. He picked some mint chocolate chips and tiny marshmallows that were probably for hot chocolate, but he wanted to try them anyways. Steve looked over the selection and made an approving noise.

            “Alright, let’s start with the wet ingredients. Go ahead and crack the eggs into the mixing bowl and start to whisk them, just until they are broken up and a consistent yellow color. Then we can add the oil and water.” He watched Eddie clumsily crack the eggs into the bowl and have to pick out bits of shell, and then start to whisk way to aggressively.

            “Eddie, hold on! You have to slow down a little and keep some of the egg in the bowl!” Steve laughed and then moved to stand behind Eddie and wrap his arms around the other man, one hand on Eddie’s holding the whisk. He used the excuse of “teaching” to get close to his mate. He could feel Eddie’s heart rate pick up and his scent start to get musky again. He slowly started to move their hands to whisk the eggs. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and gently turned Eddie in his arms, mindful of his injuries, and leaned him against the counter. He cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes hoping to find consent for a kiss. What he saw took his breath away. Eddie’s pupils were blown with desire with a deep pink in his cheeks and his breathing rapid. Steve raised his eyebrows and Eddie nodded. Steve slowly moved forward giving his mate plenty of time to move, to stop him, if he wanted to. But God did he hope he didn’t want to stop him. He caressed the side of Eddie’s cheek as Eddie grasped his shirt at his waist. As their lips touched, it took all of Steve’s will to not just ravish the man on the kitchen island right then.

            At first the kiss was soft, gentle. Then Eddie moaned into Steve’s mouth and that was all the encouragement Steve and his wolf needed to deepen the kiss. As he licked into Eddie’s mouth his wolf began to chant

            Mine, mine, mine!!!

            “Yes, Steve. Yours, always yours!” Eddie said breathily against Steve’s lips. It took Steve a moment to realize what happened. When he did, he was shocked. He pulled back and Eddie whined at the loss of contact. “Eddie, I didn’t say that out loud.”

            “Wait, what? Did I imagine it? Oh God. I’m so sorry!” Eddie started to pull away, but Steve couldn’t let him go. “There’s nothing to be sorry for Eds. It’s just, there are some things we need to talk about. Some things you need to know about me. Let’s put the eggs in the fridge. The brownies are going to have to wait.

Chapter Text

Steve was freaking out, but in a good way. There was no way Eddie should have already been able to hear Steve’s wolf, not without the mating and the Claiming bite. Except for one way. If Eddie was a Suppressed Wolf. A wolf who never shifted. He looked at Eddie whose eyes were wide and nervous looking like he had done something wrong. Steve took both of his hands and sat him on the couch in the living room while he cleaned up in the kitchen as a way to collect his thoughts. It had never crossed his mind that Eddie was Suppressed. It changed things a little. The talk about Steve’s true nature would have to happen sooner and also breaking the news about Eddie’s true nature. Which, to be honest, may be even harder for him to accept.

            Eddie was sitting quietly on the couch replaying what happened in the kitchen over and over in his mind. He couldn’t think of what he had done wrong. Steve had kissed him. It had to do with him responding to Steve saying mine, mine, mine. Eddie responded, sure that’s what he heard, but Steve said he didn’t say it. No, wait. He had said he didn’t say it out loud. What did that mean? Just then Steve walked into the living room and sat on the coffee table facing Eddie and grabbed both of his hands.

            Taking a deep breath, “Eddie. There are some things about me that you don’t know. That almost no one knows.” It was the first time Eddie had ever seen Steve truly nervous, and it scared him a little.

            “Is this where you tell me that you’re a serial killer in hiding, or you secretly like Barry Manilow?” Eddie joked trying to lift the tension. It works a little, Steve’s lips curve upwards slightly.

            “No, smart ass.” Steve sighed, “You know how over the past few years we’ve been in the thick of all of the gnarly shit from the Upside- Down. Monsters and Russians? And for me personally, Billy Hargrove beating my face in, and before that Jonathan having a go at me. Think about the monsters and then think about the fights I have gotten into with humans.” Eddie thought about it. There was something Steve wanted him to figure out. He hadn’t seen the aftermath of the fights Steve had with Jonathan, Billy, and the Russians, but he had heard the details from the others. Sounded like they were all surprised that Steve hadn’t been laid out in the hospital. Then, he thought of the stories of him fighting the Demogorgon, the Demodogs, and then him witnessing Steve annihilating a Demobat with his bare hands and his teeth. Barely injured in most those cases, except the bat bites.

            “Well, from what I heard, the regular fights you got your shit rocked. But with the monsters it wasn’t so bad. I never put that together before.” Steve looked at him like he was the best student in class.

            “Yes. That’s the difference. I’m going to show you something while I explain as much as I can.” He let go of Eddie’s hands and pulled his shirt over his head revealing his toned pecs and his bandaged torso. Eddie let his eyes linger as he realized Steve was removing his bandages. He was going to show Eddie his Demobat bites. Eddie was morbidly curious to see if they looked like his own wounds. When the last of the gauze was removed, his mouth dropped in shock. There wasn’t a wound, scar, or scratch on Steve’s perfect golden skin.

            “What. The. Fuck. Where are your bat bites? There’s nothing there!” Eddie reached out a finger to feel where he knew the skin should at least be puckered with scar tissue. Steve sucked in a breath, but let Eddie explore. There was no explanation that Eddie could think of for the fact that there were no marks left by the bats. His own bites were still red and raw, and he was there when Steve was bitten, had seen the blood firsthand.

            Steve, to Eddie’s disappointment, put his shirt back on. “What I am about to tell you is something I have never told anyone. No one outside of my family knows this information. I need you to understand that, and that there is a reason I am telling you now.”

            “Okay, you can trust me. I won’t say anything.” Steve could tell from his scent that Eddie was nervous, but he was also determined to be seen as trustworthy.

            “You’re going to have to bear with me. I am going to try to tell you everything in the easiest to understand way. So, the reason I heal so fast has to do with who I am. Who my family is. There are more than just regular humans in the world. There are those of us who have another side. Shifters. I’m a werewolf Eddie.” Steve held his breath for a moment waiting for Eddie’s reaction. A loud guffaw was not what he was expecting.

            “Good one Steve, you almost got me! I admit that you not having scars from your bites is something I can’t really wrap my head around, but a werewolf? Seriously man?” Eddie was still chuckling and had to wipe tears from under his eyes from laughing so hard.

            “I’m serious Eddie, dead serious. I guess I’ll have to show you. I’m not going to fully shift, not yet. But just remember I won’t hurt you, okay.” Eddie had stopped laughing but was still looking amused until he noticed that Steve’s teeth were noticeably longer and sharper than ever before, and instead of his normal hazel eyes they were bright gold.

            “Holy shit! Oh my god!” He looked like he was going to pass out. Steve dialed back the partial shift and reached for Eddie sitting next to him on the couch and cuddling him to his side. “Shhhh, it’s okay. It’s still me. The same person I have been my whole life. You’re safe, you’re okay. I’m here for you. You just know more about me.” He continued to whisper comfort in Eddie’s ear, pumping out calming pheromones. Soon Eddie relaxed enough that Steve could sense that he was calm enough to maybe hear the rest.

            “So, werewolves, Shifters, we have our natures passed to us through our ancestors. My grandfather and father are both wolves, my mother is not. We can’t pass it through a bite. We aren’t mindless creatures when shifted, we are in control of our shift…even during a full moon. Most of what Hollywood has put out there, while entertaining, is complete bullshit. I can shift into a wolf, or my Lycan form. I will shift for you later and let you see for yourself. As you already know, I have accelerated healing, but my healing is pretty much instant if I shift. Silver has no effect on me either.” Steve took a deep breath and looked at Eddie again. His eyes were wide, but not frightened and his scent was back to normal.

            “Why tell me? Why now?” Eddie seemed super confused.

            “As you can tell from when I was kissing you, I have deep feelings for you.” Understatement.

            “You were with Nancy though, and you never told her. Right?” He was confused trying to put the puzzle together without all of the pieces.

            “No, I never told her. She didn’t need to know. You do. See, Shifter wolves mate. For life. There are two types of mates. Chosen, and Fated which is rarer. Fated Mates are where our wolf senses another compatible person that we can be with, that is meant for us, and we are meant for them. Nancy was not my Fated Mate. You are, Eddie.” Steve held his breath, waiting for the reaction.

            For all that Eddie was normally so loud and dramatic, his reaction was small and quiet. “Me? I’m your Fated Mate? Are you sure?”

            “Oh, sweetheart. I am so sure. Not only am I completely enamored of you, my wolf is almost obsessed with you.”

            Eddie stood up and started pacing around the living room. “This is a lot. It’s a lot, right? I mean, I’ve liked you for a while. But we just kissed for the first time tonight!”

            “I know it can be overwhelming, and I am sorry. I held off on this as long as I could—” “How long? How long have you known I was your Fated Mate?”

            “Well, I’ve known since we met in the boathouse..” Steve looked a little sheepish.

            “You mean when I held the fucking bottle up to your throat? Jesus!” Eddie looked shocked.

            “That was the first time I was ever close enough to scent you properly. As soon as I caught a whiff my wolf started chanting that you were my mate. If it were up to him, I would have Claimed you right then. Of course, that was not an option with everything going on and the fact that you are a human male. With another Shifter it would have been instantaneous. They would smell my intent and reciprocate since we are Fated and that would have been that. I’m actually glad though, this way we had a chance to get to know each other.” Steve shrugged as he explained.

            “What do you mean by Claiming? And why were you so shocked when I heard you earlier saying that I was yours?” Eddie sat back down ready to get more answers.

            “Well, Claiming is similar to getting married for humans except there is no divorce. When the time is right, usually during sex, the couple exchanged Claiming bites if they are both Shifters. If only one is a Shifter, the wolf is the only one who can put a Claiming bite on their mate.” Steve noticed that Eddie had gone bright red at the explanation. “As for why I was shocked you heard my wolf as we were kissing, I need you to keep an open mind, okay? I mean, this can’t be any weirder for you than finding out about the Upside-Down, right?”

            Eddie gave a little laugh, “Okay. I’ll try. After the Upside-Down I guess almost anything else is possible”

            “So, I wasn’t going to spring all this on you yet. I was going to try and woo you. Make sure that you saw me as a romantic partner, someone you wanted to be with. But you hearing my wolf sped up the timeline. There is a segment of Shifters we call Suppressed Wolves. They are wolves who never shifted during puberty like the rest of us. There was an ancestor in their history that failed to pass on the dominant wolf gene and passed on the recessive gene which needs to be triggered. Suppressed wolves can hear their mate’s wolves when their minds are particularly open and receptive. Like when we were kissing.”

            “Wait, are you telling me I’m a werewolf? I don’t know if I can take much more of this! Is this a big prank on me or something?” Eddie started looking like he was going to hyperventilate.

            Steve looked a little sad. He didn’t want to cause his mate distress, but he knew Eddie had to know all of this information. “I would never intentionally lie to you or hurt you. This is all true. You can prove it to yourself. I want you to unwrap your bandages.”

            “What, why?” Eddie looked a little scared.

            “Please, humor me?” Steve looked at him expectantly, and Eddie never could say no to Steve, so he took off his shirt and started to unwrap the bandages. He looked down expecting to see the red raw wounds. Instead, he saw faint marks and scars where the wounds used to be. He looked up at Steve, his mouth hanging open in shock. Steve was looking at him as if he already knew.

            “How? I don’t understand!” Eddie was beginning to spiral when Steve put his hands on his shoulders, grounding him into the moment.

            “I suspected you were healing quickly when you didn’t seem to be in as much pain as the day went on, but I didn’t give it much thought until I realized you were Suppressed. Suppressed wolves will heal quickly when in the presence of their mates and/ or Alpha. And I am both. Being around me and my pheromones sped up the healing for you.” Steve had a gentle smile on his face. “I know this is a lot, but there’s more. Do you think you can handle it?”

            Eddie paused his movements as he had been feeling his torso where the wounds had been, marveling at the skin that wasn’t even tender to the touch. He grabbed one of Steve’s hands, “It is. It is a lot. But I can handle it. If I could handle the Upside-Down, I can handle this. Besides, it seems like we’re in this together, right Big Boy?”

            Steve felt the butterflies start fluttering in his stomach again and took a deep breath. Eddie could smell a musky scent in the air now but didn’t know what it meant.

            “Well, the first thing you need to know is what I meant by your shift being triggered. It’s the Claiming bite. Once you are Claimed, your wolf will shift. I would never do that to you without your full knowledge and consent. There are Suppressed wolves who never want to be Claimed because they don’t want to become full Shifters. As much as I feel compelled to Claim you, I would never do that unless you want it too. We can still be mates if you want you just wouldn’t shift.” He took a deep breath trying to calm down at the thought that Eddie might not want to be Claimed, might not even want to be mates with Steve. “It’s a big decision to be Claimed, to Shift, hell to even be my mate. I get it. I’ll give you all the time you need.”

            “Oh Steve, I know I’m reeling a bit from all of the new information, but there’s nothing I want more than to be with you. It might take some time to come to terms with possibly being a Shifter, but it’s not no. I mean, who could turn down the chance to be with you and be a badass werewolf?” Eddie’s cheeky grin was back on his face full force and Steve’s let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. Eddie wanted him, wanted to be with him. He was so happy he felt like his heart would burst. He leaned over and took Eddie into his arms hugging him close and nuzzling his hair.

            “I am so fucking happy Eds. So glad that you want me too.” He let out a happy sigh.

            “How could I not? I think I’ve been a little in love with you since the very first time I saw you walking the halls in school, jealous of whatever girl you had hanging off your arm that week.”

            “Well, that brings me to the next thing I need to tell you. So, I know everyone knows I live here alone. That I have for a long time. But no one but my family knows why my parents left. When I was 14, I went through my first Shift. My father couldn’t handle it.” Steve took a deep breath; he had never talked out loud about why he was always by himself in the giant house.

            Eddie looked confused, “Didn’t you say he was a werewolf? Why would your Shift bother him?”

            “There are two types of wolves Eddie, Alphas, and Betas. My grandfather is an Alpha, THE Alpha leader of our large Pack. My father is a Beta. He can never take over the Pack. I am an Alpha and next in line to lead the Pack. He couldn’t handle being subordinate to his teenage son.” Steve looked so sad, Eddie started to feel tears in his own eyes, thinking back to his own parents abandoning him and having to go live with his Uncle Wayne. He loved Wayne, to be sure, but nothing changes that feeling of sadness when your parents abandon you. He reached over and gave Steve a comforting squeeze, relieved when he felt him relax a bit.

            “The day after my shift my parents packed their things and left. As the Alpha, this house, the Pack House, was mine and so were all the trust funds and holdings. I had everything I needed materially, but didn’t have the one thing I desperately needed, my parents. I had no guidance; I didn’t know what I was doing. I missed being in a Pack, so I threw parties trying to fill the void. And so, King Steve was born. I was acting the way I thought an Alpha should; cocky, arrogant, a bit cruel. I never really had an example of what a good Alpha should be.” He took a pause to collect himself. It always upset him to think of how he had been back then.

            “How is an Alpha supposed to be?” Eddie asked, genuinely curious.

            Steve looked at him with a gentle smile, “An Alpha should want to protect his loved ones or those who need it most. Not make things worse for them. An Alpha is supposed to lead, not follow like I did with going along with whatever Tommy and Carol wanted to do. An Alpha should be a safe haven not the cause of hurt or distress. My real Alpha instincts didn’t really kick in until that night at the Byers house when the Demogorgon showed up. I almost ran, but I couldn’t ignore my instincts screaming at me to go back in and help. That night started the change in me even though I couldn’t see it myself. And even though it hurt a year later, it is almost a relief that Nancy broke up with me. She wasn’t my mate, but she was a big part of me becoming someone I can live with instead of the self- loathing from before. The kids were another big part of me changing. The night at the junkyard with the Demodogs, Billy beating the shit out of me, and then in the tunnels, really showed me that protecting others was what made me feel at peace.” Eddie reached up and caressed Steve’s cheek.

            “And you are so good at it Steve. With everything that has happened, you always stood in front of everyone, taking the damage for them.”

            “Except for you, Max, and Dustin.” Steve’s voice sounded thick, but he was trying his hardest not to cry.

            “None, of that! You are only one person. You can’t be in three places at once! All anyone can do is ask you to do your best and your best is pretty fucking amazing!” Eddie wasn’t about to let Steve beat himself up over things he couldn’t help. Steve gave him a little smile.

            “Anyway, um. After the second go around with the Upside-Down, my grandfather finally figured out my dad had left me here alone and wanted me to go back to Illinois to live with him, but by then I couldn’t leave. I had already started creating my own Pack.”

            “The kids?” Eddie asked.

            Steve nodded, “The kids, Nancy and Jonathan, Hopper and Joyce. And now Robin, Argyle, and of course, you. You’re all my Pack. I have to stay, to protect. To love.”

            “A Pack doesn’t have to be werewolves?” Eddie looked very confused.

            “No, a Pack can be all human except for one wolf. There is a bond that’s created, even the humans feel it. They may not know what it is or why, but they feel connected for life. The rest of the Party thinks it’s just shared trauma, and that’s part of it, but there’s also a Pack Bond. Because of the bond already being formed, my grandfather just asked that I come to him one weekend a month to learn more about what an Alpha should be. I still go out there, because now I am learning how to run the larger Pack. At some point I will be Pack Alpha, but not for many years to come.” He looked sideways at Eddie who had a feeling there was more to that last statement.

            “What aren’t you telling me about that? If I am supposed to make some sort of decision, I need to know everything.”

            Steve took a deep breath, “Well, not only do we heal quickly, but we also age slower than a typical human. Once we reach our full maturity, that is when it slows down. Let me show you something.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his photos. “Here, take a look at this.” He handed his phone to Eddie.

            The photo was of a man who looked to be in his 40’s with Steve’s same eyes and easy smile. “Your dad?” he asked.

            “No. Not my dad. My grandfather. He’s 87 years old in that photo. He will probably live another 100 years if not more.” Steve chuckled a bit as he took the phone back.

            Eddie was in shock. There was no way. How the hell was his life right now? Here with Steve, them being mates, him being a secret werewolf, and now crazy longevity. His head was spinning. “I think I need to lay down.”

            “Okay, I think this is probably enough for now. The timer for the lasagna is about to go off. How about I finish the brownies while you rest and think up some questions for me over dinner?” Eddie nodded. Steve got up to let Eddie lay down on the couch and went and got him a pillow and blanket. When he had tucked him in, Steve pressed a comforting kiss to his forehead. “I love you, Eddie Munson.”

            “I love you too Steve Harrington.”

Chapter Text

            Steve was just setting the lasagna on the table after letting it rest when he felt two arms snake around his waist and give a little squeeze. “Hey gorgeous, dinner smells divine.” Eddie’s sleep roughened voice was so sexy.

            Steve turned, still in Eddie’s arms, “Well, I hope it tastes as good as it smells. Hungry?”

            “Starved.”

            “Let me just grab the garlic bread and the salad and we will be all set.” Steve turned back to the kitchen and Eddie pulled out his phone to connect to the wireless speakers and pulled up once of his playlists. He picked his ‘90’s Mixtape and hit shuffle. The first song to start playing was Lake of Fire from Nirvana’s Unplugged session. When Steve came back to the table, they settled in and started serving up the food. Eddie literally moaned when he tasted the first bite of the lasagna.

            “Oh Steve, if I didn’t already love you, this would convince me to fall for you. So good!” Eddie took another bite and made a little happy noise.

            Steve chuckled, “Glad I can bring something to the relationship.”

            “Considering I can barely boil water, it’s a definite plus that you can cook. Is this homemade garlic bread too?” Eddie took a bite of the crunchy, buttery, and garlicky bread.

            “Yeah, I had some in the freezer from the last time I baked bread. One of my grandmother’s recipes. She’s a doll, you’ll love her.” Steve said after he swallowed a bite of food. The way his Adam’s Apple bobbed was almost enough to distract Eddie from what he’d just said.

            “I’m going to meet her?” His voice sounded small, apprehensive.

            “Of course, if you’re going to be my mate that is.” Now Steve looked a bit nervous, like he wasn’t sure if Eddie had really meant it earlier when he said he wanted to be with him.

            “I do, want to be your mate that is. But I’ve never been in a relationship where I had to meet the guys’ family. Won’t they be disappointed that I am a man and not a woman? I mean, I know things have come a long way, but you have this big legacy and destiny.” Eddie was searching Steve’s face for reassurance, his scent a little burnt on edges as if readying himself for disappointment.

            “Disappointed? No, never. They’d be angrier if I let my mate go because he was a man. Mates are a big deal, Chosen or Fated. It doesn’t matter the gender, what matters is the love and the bond.” Steve smiled and patted Eddie’s hand. Eddie let out the breath he was holding and started to eat again. “At some point we’ll need to go out to Illinois so you can meet everyone. The only ones you likely won’t meet are my parents as I haven’t even seen them in five years and my grandfather has banned them from the Pack House until they make amends after they left me here alone.” Steve tried to not look disappointed in that fact.

            “It’s okay Stevie, I’m sure meeting everyone else will be great.” Eddie flashed his brightest smile.

            “So, any questions about what we talked about earlier?” Steve continued eating, letting Eddie steer the conversation.

            “Well, I do have a question about you, if that’s okay?”

            “Of course, whatever you want to know. You’re my mate, I want you know to know everything about me.” Steve smiled at Eddie encouragingly.

            “Well, it’s about your smell. I mean, I guess scent? Whenever I’m around you there’s this very specific scent, like a mossy warm forest and sometimes a musky scent mixed in with it. Then the other day, when you were buckling me into the car you smelled like fresh baked bread. What does all that mean? I figure it’s a werewolf thing, but I don’t smell anyone else that way and I don’t know what the scents mean.” Eddie looked a little embarrassed, so Steve took his hand and traced soothing shapes on the back of it with his thumb.

            “It’s okay. Really, it is. The mossy, forest scent? That’s me, my scent. A Shifter has a specific scent to them, it helps Packs and mates locate them. I could pick you out of crowd blindfolded based on your scent alone. The baked bread is a note in my scent from when I am feeling protective in a soft way about a loved one or Packmate. Not during a fight but taking care of someone when they aren’t feeling well or are injured. I probably smelled like a damn bakery when you were in the hospital. The, um musky scent?” Steve cleared his throat but forced himself to continue as Eddie deserved to know, “That’s the scent of arousal. It’s uncontrollable, and I am sorry if now that you know that you’re uncomfortable.”

            Now it was Eddie’s turn to squeeze Steve’s hand and give him comfort. “No way, not uncomfortable at all. It actually is pretty empowering to know you react to me that way. But…oh god! That means you know about me too!” His face flushed and he covered his face with his free hand. Steve grabbed that hand and lowered it, “I did, but like you, I am so glad I affect you that way. It was what gave me the push to kiss you today. That it wasn’t one-sided. But since you haven’t Shifted, I didn’t know you’d picked up on my scents. This is the first time I’ve heard of a Suppressed Wolf being able to scent their mate before mating, or even physical contact. It must be because we are Fated. I’ll have to ask my grandfather. I do know that if you decide to be Claimed and Shift you will be able to scent everyone, even humans, and it will be overwhelming at first, but I will be with you to help with the adjustment.” Eddie nodded, and they went back to eating quietly. But Steve could tell there was still more that he wanted to ask about.

            Eddie cleared his throat, “I have another question. It may sound weird, but, um what about anatomy. Down there? Is it the same?”

            Steve let out a small huff of a laugh, “Yeah, it’s the same. Larger than the average human, and Alphas tend to be bigger still. The Shift changes that.”

            “So, if I…?” Eddie started to blush again.

            “Bigger, yep. It’s going to be like a second puberty for you with new hormones too.” Steve let Eddie ponder as he kept eating dinner.

            “How much? I mean, how much did you…?”

            “I grew about 3.5 inches. Overnight. But I’m an Alpha. That’s not necessarily what happens to everyone. I think the average is about 2 inches if I remember correctly.” Steve had an amused look on his face. He leaned over to Eddie when he scented his arousal, “If you’re a good boy, maybe I’ll show you after dinner.” He whispered in his ear and then winked, loving when he could see Eddie visibly shudder.

            Eddie had always heard whispers about King Steve and his giant dick but figured those girls probably didn’t have a lot to compare to, he did, and he was eager to see if those girls were right. He couldn’t bring himself to speak yet, so he just nodded and had a dumbstruck look on his face. And if he started eating a little faster, and if his scent got even muskier, well, no one could hold that against him, right?

            After dinner and cleaning up Eddie and Steve were back on the couch finishing up their brownies and just sitting close and cuddling each other, basking in the fact that they could be close now. The only thing that could make Steve give this up would be Eddie himself telling him he no longer wanted to be together and didn’t want to be his mate. He finally felt at peace, able to care for and protect his mate.

            “So, is there anything else about Claiming and Shifting I need to know?” Eddie asked, turning in Steve’s arms to look him in the eye.

            “Well, I definitely want to Shift for you before you make your decision, it’s only fair. And the other thing that I didn’t get into yet is the Mind Link.”

            “Mind Link? What’s that?”

            “Think of it like a walkie talkie in your mind that links you to your mate, and to the Pack, the big Pack. It’s not always on, it’s not mind reading. You need to open yourself to it to broadcast and to receive. Earlier, when you heard my wolf, that was an echo of a mind link. I think, because we’ve so closely bonded already, you picked up on my wolf broadcasting.” Steve, waited for Eddie’s reaction, and was not let down.

            “Dude, that’s metal as fuck! We can use mind powers to communicate. That’s awesome!” Eddie was already talking like he was open to the Claiming and the Shift. It gave Steve a warm feeling in his chest.

            Eventually, Steve couldn’t help himself. He turned to face Eddie, “Can I kiss you?”

            Pink tinged Eddie’s cheeks, “I’ve been waiting for you do kiss me again. Yes, please kiss me Steve.”

            The kiss started out sweetly, with Steve cradling Eddie’s face in his hands. Eddie’s hands were fisted in the front of Steve’s shirt, holding him as close as he could. Soon though, the passion ratcheted up and both of them were breathing hard, hearts beating as if they were running through the Upside- Down again. Steve effortlessly lifted Eddie and settled him so that he was straddling is lap. Eddie gasped at being handled so easily, and at the apparently very large bulge in Steve’s pants. One of Steve’s hands moved to Eddie’s hair, smoothing it, lightly scratching his scalp. Eddie was leaning into the touches, loving the feeling of Steve playing with his hair. Meanwhile, Eddie was running his hands up Steve’s shirt, reveling in the feeling of Steve’s warm, soft skin under his hands.

            Steve broke off the kissing, “Are you okay to take this upstairs to my room?” He grinned at the thickening of Eddie’s scent and the increase in his heart rate at that question. Even though his body was saying yes, Steve still needed the verbal consent to go forward.

            “Yes, I can’t think of anything I want more at this moment.” And before he knew what was happening, Eddie was being gathered in Steve’s arms and he was racing them upstairs at a dead run. When they reached Steve’s room, he was placed on the bed with Steve standing in front of him. “Oh my God! What- how?”

            Steve let out a hearty laugh at Eddie’s stammering and confused face. “Benefits of being a Shifter. First time I’ve been able to do that. Never could before because it was too ‘inhuman’.”

            Eddie got a cheeky grin on his face, “Oh those poor girls and what they missed out on!” He clasped his hands in front of him melodramatically.

            “Forget those girls, I know I have,” Steve purrs as he uses his index finger to tip Eddie’s chin back so he can look him in the eyes before he kisses him, and Eddie melts. “I think you’ve been a good boy, and a good boy gets rewarded. Do you agree?”

            “Yes, a good boy. Your good boy.” Eddie murmurs. He almost can’t hear himself over the rushing in his ears.

            “Glad we’re on the same page, Princess. I want to make you feel good, is that okay with you? I want to taste you.” Steve looked eager to get his mouth on Eddie. And all Eddie could manage after that mental image was a quiet, “Yes.”

            Steve deftly slid Eddie’s pants and underwear down his hips and off of his legs, then helped him out of his shirt, the bat bites faded even more by now, just barely visible. He took a moment to take in the beautiful sight that was Eddie Munson. Lithe but with defined muscles, a patchwork of tattoos of black ink, and a large, pretty cock, pink and standing at attention. Steve fairly licked his lips like the Big Bad Wolf at the sight, and Eddie felt a little like Little Red Riding Hood. And he was more than okay with it. Steve had never been with a man before, but he knew what he liked, he had watched porn, and he had the benefit of his senses to help him figure out what Eddie would like. He sank to his knees and proceeded to give Eddie the best head of his life. Strong hands kneaded Eddie’s hips, holding him in place as Steve licked, kissed, and sucked his way up and down Eddie’s shaft. Eddie found his hands in Steve’s hair holding on for dear life, feeling a bit embarrassed when he could feel his orgasm coming on like a freight train. “Steve, I’m close, I’m going to---unnnngh.” Steve just increased his efforts and easily swallowed down everything Eddie gave him. Then he looked up at Eddie from the floor, licked his lips, and winked. And Eddie could have come again right then if his recovery time was faster. He had to settle for a full body shudder. “That was the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life Stevie-boy.”

            “I aim to please, mate. It’s literally in my DNA after all.” Steve chuckled and gathered Eddie up in his arms to settled them both in the bed, laying under the covers.

            “So do I. Can I taste you? I have literally been waiting since high school to get a piece of Steve Harrington so I can see if he lives up to the hype.” Eddie shot him a cheeky grin.

            “Sure, who am I to deny you fulfilling your lifelong dreams of sucking my dick?” That earned him a good-natured swat on the shoulder. He lifted himself off of the bed and pulled his shirt off, exposing his luscious body for Eddie to worship. Eddie pulled Steve’s pants and boxers off and his eyes got as big as saucers, and he was just about drooling as he took in what Steve was working with. It was easily the largest cock he had ever seen, in real life or in porn. The girls were right, and there was no way he was going to be able to deep throat that girthy monster, but he was willing to give it a try. He figured that’s why he had hands, right?

            Eddie took Steve in his hand, marveling at the fact that he could just barely wrap his fingers all the way around. His dick twitched at the thought of being fucked, ruined even, by Steve. He was all for it. After a couple of strokes that had small moans escaping Steve’s lips, he started licking and tasting from the base all the way to the head. He teased, swirling his tongue for a few moments, before opening his lips and sucking the tip. That and his tongue swiping the slit earned him even more moans and a little lift of Steve’s hips. He held Steve in place, but knew he was only able to do that because Steve was letting him, and that was kind of hot. He lowered his head, taking in as much as he could, which was about halfway down, and using his hands to fill the rest of the space before bobbing up and down, sucking and swirling. He looked up to Steve staring at him with so much lust it was breathtaking and empowering for Eddie to know he was the cause for Steve’s sexed out expression. How had anyone had him in their bed and let him go? That was unfathomable to Eddie. He kept up his ministrations, even though his jaw was aching, because by God he was finally going to get a taste of Steve. Soon he could feel the other boy start to tense up, his legs going rigid, “Eddie, I’m close, so good Eds. So close!”

Eddie started to speed up a bit and before he knew it, Steve was spilling into his mouth and the taste was unlike any other time he had been in this situation. It was sweet, not unlike a thick nectar, and absolutely delicious. Maybe that was another werewolf thing? He wiped his mouth and looked at Steve as he moved up the bed to snuggle next to him. His eyes were heavy lidded, his chest still heaving.

            “Oh my God, Eddie! That was amazing, the best! No one has ever made me feel so good, thank you baby.” Steve was now hugging Eddie close and rubbing his shoulder in a loving way. Eddie nuzzled his way under Steve’s chin, reveling in his scent now that he knew it’s significance. His mate. In that moment, Eddie knew he would be Steve’s mate, let him Claim him, Shift, just to be able to be like this forever. He noticed Steve also breathing him in.

            “Steve, what do I smell like to you?” Eddie was genuinely curious.

            “You smell like incense and something sweet, like berries. You smell delicious, and it’s all I can do to keep my nose out of your neck, scenting you like a creep.” Steve smiled lovingly.

            “It’s okay Steve, now you can smell me all you want. I give you permission.” Eddie winked.

            Steve’s smile turned into a laugh, “Oh what a benevolent act of mercy, love. You may regret that one day though. I can’t get enough of you, you know.”

            “I’m counting on it, baby. I feel the same.” Eddie reached up and kissed him lightly. “Can you do me a favor?”

            “Anything sweetheart, anything.”

            “Can you shift for me?” Eddie held his breath a moment.

            Steve nodded, “Of course, it’s only fair since I am asking so much of you. You can stay here. And remember, it’s still me. Nothing to worry about, okay?” He tried to swallow down the excitement of sharing this with his mate, something only his Pack members have ever seen. “Okay, here it goes.”

Chapter Text

Eddie sat on the edge of the bed transfixed as Steve stood in the middle of the room. He wasn’t sure what to expect. In the movies werewolves often looked like it was painful to change. He didn’t really want to see Steve in any kind of pain, but he knew he needed to see this to understand what he was getting into.

            “Are you ready Eds?”

            A nod was all Eddie could muster with the nerves making him a bit jittery and on edge. He noticed Steve raise to his full height, realizing that he often must slouch to look smaller because Eddie didn’t think he had ever seen him look so tall and majestic. Suddenly there was a slight glow and a golden flash and before him, on all fours, was an enormous wolf with caramel colored fur and bright golden eyes. He made a little strangled noise, and subconsciously moved further back onto the bed. The wolf slowly moved towards him, as if he was worried about spooking him. Once he reached Eddie, he delicately nudged his leg with his snout. Eddie hesitantly put his hand down towards the wolf’s (Steve’s) head. Steve pressed his nose into Eddie’s palm and lightly licked his hand. “Can I touch you, Steve? Is it okay?”

            Steve responded with a small huff that Eddie took as a yes. He brushed his hands over the incredibly soft fur of his head, even scratching lightly. Steve whined a bit, showing he liked the touch. After a few minutes, he stepped back and transformed into his human form. “Eddie,” he said breathlessly. “Are, are you okay?”

            “Oh my God, Steve! That was amazing! I can’t stop shaking because it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen!” Eddie’s eyes were as wide as saucers.

            “Can you handle my other form? I really want to show you, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.” Steve looked expectant and a little nervous.

            “Yes, of course! What was it called? Lycan?”

            Steve nodded, “Yeah. And it’s different that my wolf form, almost a cross between wolf and human. Some think it’s a bit scary looking, which I can understand. But just like with the wolf, it’s still me.” With that he stepped back and again there was a glow and the flash, but instead of dropping lower, Steve’s form shot up, impossibly tall. When Eddie could focus on him again, he gasped. He had to be over seven feet tall, broader with more muscle and definition, and covered with the same caramel colored fur. The fur on his head looked more like a soft mane and funnily enough had a bit of human Steve’s style with two pointed ears sticking out of the top. He had a long snout with razor sharp long teeth and the same golden eyes. Eddie’s eyes traveled down and noticed the long wicked claws at the end of his hands before his eyes snagged on Steve’s flaccid cock laying nested in the fur. He lost time just gazing at it and the attention must’ve done something for Steve as it twitched before Eddie tore his gaze away and looked into Steve’s golden eyes. He wore what would be considered a smirk if a snout could smirk. After a few long moments, Steve began to glow again and soon was back in his human form. He walked to Eddie and wrapped him in his arms, “Are you still willing to be with me? After seeing all of that?”

            “Of course, with wolves, without wolves, I want to be with you, Steve. Always.” He tilted his head up for a kiss and Steve complied. He pressed a chaste, loving kiss to Eddie’s lips.

            “We’ve had a lot of excitement today, why don’t we get some rest?” Steve scooped Eddie up, pulled the covers back and placed him gently in the bed against the pillows. It would never get old for Eddie how easily Steve could pick up or manhandle him. He loved it. They snuggled into the most comfortable bed Eddie has ever slept in, with Steve’s arms around him and his head resting on Steve’s chest.

            “So, Eds. If you are up to it, I’d like to go to the hospital tomorrow and see Max. And I was thinking we could invite Robin along. She’s my best friend and I’d like to tell her about us before anyone else finds out. Are you okay with that?” Steve was tracing shapes into Eddie’s shoulder with his fingers, so Eddie was already getting sleepy and a bit hazy, but he nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.”

            “Good, we’ll stop at the bakery first to get donuts for the nurses and the chocolate croissants Max and Lucas like.” He kissed Eddies forehead and reached over to turn out the lights, “Good night, Princess.”

            “Good night, Stevie.” And with a little sigh, they both drifted off to sleep.

            It was about ten in the morning when Eddie woke up, still in Steve’s arms, but turned away from him. They must’ve shifted in the night, but it warmed his heart that Steve had still reached out to hold him. He wriggled a little to get out from under his arm without waking him to go to the restroom, but he heard a little groan despite his best efforts. “Where’re you going Eds?” Steve’s raspy morning voice gave Eddie a little shiver.

            “Just going to use the bathroom, then I thought I’d make some breakfast for us. I figure I can try some simple scrambled eggs since you taught me how to whisk properly yesterday,” Eddie answered with a little laugh. His heart melted a bit at the fond smile on Steve’s face.

            “Okay, I’ll come down and help with the bacon and toast if you want.”

            “Sure,” Eddie levered himself out of the bed, still naked from the night before, and walked to the bathroom. He could feel Steve’s hungry eyes on him and groaned internally at the flush now covering his whole body as he scented Steve’s musky scent. Which, in turn, he knew probably sent his own musky scent into the room. He hurried into the bathroom so that he could get the day started. A few minutes later, Eddie came out of the bathroom and went to the guest room to get dressed. He figured Steve had already gone downstairs since the bed was empty and made.

            Sure enough, Steve was in the kitchen sliding a baking sheet into the oven. “Whatcha making Big Boy?”

            “Hey there sweetheart, I like to bake the bacon on a drip rack. It makes the bacon super crispy, it gets rid of a lot of the grease, and you don’t have to babysit it while it’s cooking.”

            “I’ve never heard of that, but it makes sense.” Eddie walked over to the fridge to get out the eggs and milk. He set them on the counter, then pulled the mixing bowl and whisk from the drying rack.

            “If you’re okay with doing the eggs on your own, I’m going to go up and grab a quick shower, be back in ten.”

            “Yeah, of course! I should be okay.” Eddie started to crack the eggs into the bowl, doing a bit better than the day before. Although he almost dropped one on the floor when Steve hugged him from behind and kissed his neck before heading upstairs.

            Steve reached into the shower and turned on the water, undressing while the water warmed. He stepped in and made quick work of washing his hair and then while his conditioner was sitting, he started to scrub down with his loofah. He tried to ignore the fact that his mind kept trying to replay images from the night before and his dick was trying to respond. He needed to make the shower quick and getting himself excited would not help. He also had to figure out how he was going to tell Eddie that he wanted to wait to have sex with him until he decided whether or not he for sure wanted to be Claimed. With it undecided he knew his wolf would want to Claim him the first time they were intimate in that way. With a hard no, it would be easier to calm his wolf. Or with a yes, they could make a plan. Maybe he would tell him over breakfast. Afterall, he was determined to be better at communicating with his mate now that he didn’t need to keep any secrets from him. He rinsed out his hair and walked back into his room to get dressed for the day. He picked dark wash, slim fit jeans, a light blue button up with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and a white crew neck undershirt. He added his Apple Watch, a small gold chain necklace, and decided to wear his diamond stud earrings that he hadn’t worn in years. He sometimes forgot that he even had pierced ears. But Eddie had multiple ear piercings and Steve thought they looked hot, so maybe Eddie would think the same. He wanted to look good for Eddie. He grabbed his white low top Converse shoes and headed back downstairs.

            When he entered the kitchen, he actually could feel himself blushed as Eddie’s jaw dropped when he saw him. He saw his eyes flicker over his earrings and the unmistakable scent of musk. The earrings were a good choice apparently. “Hey there Eds,” He walked over to take the bacon out of the oven and throw some bread in the toaster. Eddie was still just standing there staring at him with his mouth open and the spatula still clutched in his hand. “Eddie?”

            Eddie slowly put the spatula down, turned off the stove, then rushed into Steve’s arms, fairly devouring his mouth with his arms thrown around his neck. It took him a moment, but soon Steve was kissing back fervently, his arms tight around Eddie’s waist. After a couple of minutes the toast popped up, and they took that as a cue to break the kiss. “Jesus Steve, you clean up real nice.” Eddie murmured into his neck.

            “Thanks Princess, wanted to look nice for you.” Steve had a huge grin on his face. “Are we ready to eat? I texted Robin that we’d pick her pick up before we head out to the bakery for Max and Lucas.”

            “Yeah, of course. Let’s just get this all plated up.” They sat at the island eating and just making small talk. Sometimes sharing small touches and soft looks. It was domestic, and stable, and safe, and everything Eddie had always craved. Steve took a steadying breath, “So, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, just so you know where I’m at in my head. It’s about the Claiming. I think we should wait to have sex until you decide one way or another about if you want it. It would be easier to deal with my wolf that way.” He nervously looked up at Eddie to see his reaction.

            “Oh Steve,” Eddie cupped his cheek and leaned forward to kiss him gently, “I already decided. I’m yours and I’m all in. If that means mating, Claiming, and Shifting I’m all for it.”

            “Really? You have no idea how happy you just made me! I love you so much!” Steve wrapped his arms around his mate and gave him a passionate kiss. Eddie responded by running his hands up and down his back, giving in to the soothing feeling of Steve under his hands. Eventually they went back to eating, noting that it was getting later than they thought.

            Steve stood after eating his last bite, “Why don’t you go up and change and I’ll clean up and put the dishes in the dishwasher?”

            “Okay, I’ll be down soon.” Eddie headed upstairs, hoping he could find something to wear to be able to stand next to Steve and not embarrass him. When he came back downstairs, his hair was up, and he was wearing his nicest pair of black skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red and black flannel buttoned halfway. He also had on his least beat up Doc Martens that he had splurged on a couple of years ago. And, if the change of Steve’s scent meant anything, then he hadn’t done half bad.

            Suddenly he heard a quiet growl and Steve was standing right in front of him, scenting his neck and nuzzling him. “You look good enough to eat Little Red. I’ve never seen your hair up before. Your neck looks delicious!”

            “I know it’s hard to tear yourself away, love. But Robin is waiting. You can taste my neck later, I promise.” Eddie couldn’t help the way his heart surged at how Steve looked like he wanted to eat him, right then and there. He reluctantly let Eddie go and grabbed his phone, wallet, keys, and sunglasses.

            “Alright, let’s go. Can you text her we’re on the way?”

            Ten minutes later, Steve pulled up in the Buckley driveway and honked twice for Robin. They only had to wait a couple of minutes before she came stumbling out the door and hopped in the back seat. “Hey guys! How are things going?”

            Steve and Eddie shared a look, but they didn’t say anything yet. They wanted to wait until after visiting Max before telling Robin they were together. So, Steve just said evenly, “Pretty good. How about for you? Anything new on the Vickie front?” That got Robin going on a tangent about how she just couldn’t tell if Vickie was into girls at all or her in particular. Since he couldn’t tell Robin that he knew Vickie was into her because of his wolf senses, he just tried to convince her that there were signals she just was missing out on. They pulled up to the bakery and got out of the car. Robin was following Steve inside when Eddie said he wanted to go next door to the Hallmark store and get a little something for Max. Robin decided she would go in with Eddie and see if there was anything she might want to get Max as a get well present.

            “Okay. I’ll meet you back out here in a few minutes.” They went their separate ways and Steve made quick work of his order because he already knew what he wanted. He had just finished paying and grabbed the bag with the pastries when he heard a scream from outside. He ran out and saw Robin on the sidewalk screaming and trying to hit the back of a large man, who had Eddie pinned to the brick wall outside of the Hallmark store. He dropped his bag and ran to Eddie, grabbing the man, spinning him, and pinning him to the wall with his forearm at his throat.

            “You don’t touch my mate! You don’t look at my mate! You don’t even breathe near my mate!” He started growling deep in his chest as he struggled not to change on the street in broad daylight. He was pushing his aura so hard that the man looked like he was going to pass out. He had to blink down the blind rage he felt when he saw someone hurting his mate. He felt Eddie patting his back, trying to soothe him, get him to let the guy go.

            “It’s okay Steve. I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me, he just scared me a little. Please, let him go.” And it was the calming words, touch, and scent of his mate that allowed him to walk away from the precipice. He let the man go and watched him sink down to the sidewalk. He registered that Robin was on the phone talking to someone. She hung up and came over to them, “I called 911, they’re sending someone right over. But we need to stay and give statements.” She gave Steve a searching look that said they were going to have to have a serious talk later.

            Steve turned to Eddie, breathing hard. He started to pat him all over, making sure he wasn’t hurt. “I’m okay, Steve. Really, I am” Eddie soothed.

            “You’re sure? I’ll fucking kill him if he hurt you.” Steve growled.

            “I’m good Big Boy, really, I am. Let’s just settle a bit before the cops get here, okay?” Eddie was rubbing Steve’s back with one hand and getting him to calm down while Robin walked back over to the front of the bakery and grabbed the bag Steve dropped. She took it and the bag from Hallmark and put them in Steve’s car while they waited for the cops. They didn’t have to wait too much longer, gratefully seeing the squad car pulling in. They were surprised to see Hopper lever himself out of the front seat though.

            “So, my first call back in the saddle and it’s you three? What the hell is going on?” Hopper said with an amused tone.

            “You’re back on the force? Since when?” Robin asked.

            Hopper shrugged, “Since the last Chief’s wife decided she didn’t want to live in Hawkins anymore. Not that I blame her. With my experience they offered me the job.”

            Robin nodded, “Makes sense.”

            “Okay, who wants to tell me what happened?” Hopper looked between the three of them.

            Eddie cleared his throat, and making sure Steve was okay, moved closer to Hopper. “Well, Steve was in the bakery getting pastries to take to the hospital and me and Robin were in Hallmark looking for a little gift for Max. When we came out, this guy” He gestured to the man who was still sitting dazed on the pavement, “grabbed me” Steve let out a soft growl at that, “He pushed me up against the wall saying he didn’t care if the cops had cleared me, that I was a murderer, and he was going to send me to my judgement. I couldn’t say anything because he had me by my throat.” He reached out to take Steve’s arm when he heard him growl again hearing that, looking like he wanted to move over to the guy and throttle him.

            “I started to scream; I was so scared Hop! I didn’t know if he was going to kill Eddie right in front of me. I tried hitting him on his back to get him to let go, but he wouldn’t.” Robin still looked shaken.

            Hopper paused writing in his notebook to ask, “How did you guys get him to stop?”

            Steve cleared his throat, but his voice sounded strained and bit gravelly, “I was in the bakery, and I heard screaming. I ran out and pulled the guy off of Eddie and pinned him to the wall while Robin called 911. I think it scared him because he didn’t expect anyone to jump in.”

            Hopper snorted, “Yeah, you could say you scared him alright. Looks like he pissed himself.” He walked over to the man and stood him up, looking through his pockets for ID. “So, Mr. Jacobs. You fancy yourself as more qualified to mete out justice than the legal system. The legal system that deemed Eddie Munson innocent of the accusations? That I personally know him to be innocent of? Let’s take a ride out to the station, shall we?” At that, he was putting the cuffs on and manhandling the dazed man to his squad car while reading him his rights. After he secured his charge, he came back and told them they were free to go, but that he’d call them if he needed any other information.

            The trio made their way back to the car, and a silence fell over them as Steve pulled out of the parking lot to head to the hospital.

            “So, are we going to talk about what happened back there?” Robin quietly asked from the back seat. Steve looked at Eddie who was gazing out of the passenger window, then looked at Robin in the rearview mirror.

            “After the hospital Rob. I promise. It’s going to be a conversation we’ll want to be comfortable for. We can go back to my place and talk over lunch.” He knew she had a million questions, but she bit them back, somehow sensing that it was a serious subject.

            They pulled into the hospital, and all three quickly wrote some messages and signed the card that Robin had picked out to go with the cuddly bear Eddie had gotten. It was brown and wearing a little Metallica t-shirt. It was perfectly Eddie. When they got up to Max’s floor, Steve stopped at the nurse’s station to drop off the donuts and charm them a bit. The nurses were all a bit in love with him from all the time he had spent there when they first got back from the Upside-Down. One of the young nurses, Cara, looked at Eddie, “It’s good to see you looking well. Someone must be taking good care of you!” Eddie blushed a little and looked over at Steve, “Yes, definitely being taken care of. Five stars!” They all laughed a bit while Steve, Eddie, and Robin walked over to Max’s room.

            When they looked in the room, they were glad Steve got a full dozen of the chocolate croissants, because it looked like the whole Party had the same idea. All of the kids, and Nancy and Jonathan were in the room, and luckily Max was alone in a double room so there was plenty of space. Robin knocked on the side of the door, “Room for three more?” The whole room let out sounds of delight, with the kids running over and hugging them.

            “Eddie! Oh my God, you look so much better!” Dustin was clinging to Eddie’s side, a bit misty eyed.

            “Thanks Henderson. Steve’s been taking real good care of me.” He gave a loving look to Steve that Nancy didn’t miss across the room. She was perceptive, but she also knew there was a time and place, and this wasn’t it. So, she just smiled softly.

            “Okay gremlins, I have chocolate croissants for everyone, but Max gets first pick!” Steve walked over to the bed and opened the box for her and Lucas, because Lucas was going to have to help her eat it as her arms and legs were casted.

            “Thanks Steve, my favorite.”

            “I know, Max. I know.” He ruffled her hair as Lucas picked two for them and then he set the box on the little side table for everyone else to help themselves.

            Eddie handed the small gift bag to Erica who was standing next to the bed, “Can you open this with Max?” She nodded, her mouth full, and took the bag to Max. The redhead squealed with delight when she saw the bear in his shirt and teared up when she read the card.

            “Thanks you guys. Everyone. I know I don’t say it, but you aren’t just my friends, you’re my family. And you saved me.” She gave them a watery smile.

            With those words, Steve knew. He knew he had to tell them about being a Pack, about the bond. About himself, and about Eddie. He would start with Robin of course, because she deserved that. But he knew he couldn’t hide from his Pack any longer.

            Everyone stayed for another hour or so before the nurses came and said that visiting hours were over. Lucas was allowed to stay as that was a pre-arranged agreement and his mom was coming to get him after work at about eight. The rest of the kids piled into Nancy’s station wagon while Steve, Eddie, and Robin got back into Steve’s car for the ride back to his house.

            When they trooped inside, Steve asked, “Okay, are we doing a late lunch? Or early dinner?”

            “What’s the difference food wise?” Robin asked.

            “Lunch is sandwiches and chips, dinner is marinated grilled chicken, salad, and a baked potato.”

            Eddie looked up from where he was setting his shoes down, “I vote for dinner.”

            “Me too,” Robin said, “Can we swim while you grill?”

            Eddie looked at Steve panicked, and he knew he was thinking of the fact that his wounds were healed, much too quickly to be normal. Steve lifted his eyebrows at Eddie, silently asking if they wanted to have the conversation before eating. Eddie thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

            “Yeah, Robin. That’s fine. I think you left your swimsuit here last time. It should be in “your” room in the dresser. But first I think we all need to sit down and talk.” Steve ushered them into the living room.

            Robin suddenly looked intrigued, “About what happened at the bakery?”

            Steve took a steadying breath as Robin and Eddie sat on the couch. He stayed standing on the other side of the coffee table from them. “Yeah, and more. You see, there is a reason that I reacted the way I did. Eddie and I are together.”

            Robin giggled, “I figured. You both confided in me, and then you went all feral on that asshole for touching him.”

            Eddie turned a bright shade of red and looked down at his hands clenched in his hands. He then looked up at Steve nervously. He had only kept this secret for a day, he couldn’t imagine how Steve felt about to tell his best friend something so big that he had kept secret his whole life.

            “I guess that’s fair enough. But there is a reason, beyond being together, that I reacted that way. Eddie’s not just my boyfriend, he’s my mate. Robin, I’m being serious right now. I’m different, I’m not completely human.”

            “What? Did those bats give you some sort of Upside-Down powers or something? Are you a Vamp now? Should we call El?” Robin was starting to spiral, so Eddie reached over and grabbed her hands to try and ground her. Steve walked around the coffee table and knelt down in front of her and cupped her face in his hands.

            “No, Robin. Not the Upside- Down. I was born the way I am. I’m a Shifter, a werewolf. Have been all my life, Shifted for the first time when I was 14. Since before you knew me. It’s not a new thing.” Steve looked deep in her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t see fear. She searched his eyes, and he shifted them gold for her.

            “Oh my God, Steve! You’re serious? And you didn’t tell me? Your best friend?” She swatted him on his shoulder. Again, not a response he was expecting. He expected more disbelief, but he figured after everything they had seen, werewolves were the next logical step for her. She was already ready to believe the bats had turned him into a Vamp.

            Steve stood back up and started pacing, “Rob, it’s not something I can tell everyone. It’s not just me, it’s my whole family, my whole Pack. Keeping it quiet keeps us safe. But, finding Eddie, and knowing he is my Fated Mate, I had to tell him because it’s as much his story now as it is mine.”

            “Fated Mate? What’s that mean?” Robin looked a bit dazed but still curious, “And for the record, you know I won’t tell anyone about this, right? I would never put you in danger, Russians could torture me, and I wouldn’t say anything.”

            “I know Rob, I know. Eddie, can you take off your shirt?”

            Rob jerked her hands out of Eddie’s. “Whoa, wait! No kinky shit with me here!”

            “Shut up, as if! Look at him Robin and remember why he was in the hospital.” Steve looked at her with an indulgent look in his eyes.

            She raked her eyes over his torso, not realizing the significance for a moment and then her eyes went wide, and her hand flew to her mouth. “You’re healed? You’re already healed? How?” She reached out hesitantly to touch him, looking at him for the okay. Eddie nodded and she gently ran her fingertips up his ribs. “There’re not even any scars. This is amazing.” She whispered.

            “Because he is my Fated Mate, and he has been around me and my pheromones, he was able to heal quickly. But there’s more.” He paused as if thinking how he was going to say the next part. “You see, there are Shifters who have their first Shift during puberty like I did, and there are Shifters who don’t. They are called Suppressed Wolves; their Shift needs to be triggered. Triggered by their mate, with a Claiming bite. Eddie is Suppressed.”

            Eddie was surprised by Robin throwing her arms around him and squealing. “Oh my God! You too? Have you already Shifted?” Robin was adapting much better than either of the men had thought she would.

            Eddie looked at Steve shyly, “No, not yet. But I want to. I want Steve to Claim me. More than anything.” And Steve thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest, knowing his sweet boy wanted him in that way. He dropped down on the couch next to Eddie. Putting his arm around him and hugging him close, “And I want to Claim you more than anything. To be your mate, your Alpha.” He nuzzled Eddie’s neck.

            “Alpha? What’s that mean?” Robin asked.

            “There are two types of Shifters, Alphas, and Betas. Both are important to the health and welfare of the Pack. Alphas are the leaders, under the main Alpha. So, my Alpha right now is my grandfather who leads the large Pack in Illinois. The Betas provide the stability needed in the Pack. There are more Betas in a Pack than Alphas.”

            Eddie added in, “One day Steve will take over from his grandfather and run the large Pack, right love?”

            “Yes. But not for a long time.” Steve kissed Eddie’s cheek.

            Robin looked confused, “Why are you taking over from your grandfather, what about your dad. I know you don’t talk much about him, but I know he’s still alive, right?”

            Steve sighed and leaned back into the couch cushions. “Yeah, he’s still alive. He can’t run the Pack as he’s a Beta. And especially since he banned from the Pack House for abandoning me when I Shifted and turned out to be an Alpha, his Alpha. He couldn’t handle his teen son being an Alpha and someday reaching a position of authority over him.” Steve sounded bitter to his own ears. “Him and my mom leaving are the reason you guys got stuck with King Steve for a few years. I told Eddie this story already, but I was adrift, no guidance. Didn’t know how and Alpha should be, and I acted out. One of the silver linings to the Upside- Down was it forcing me into learning how to be a good Alpha. The other of course was meeting all of you.”

            “Awwwww, Dingus. You do care! Love you too Wolfie!” Robin giggled good naturedly.

            “Already with the wolf jokes?” He ruffled her hair before giving her a hug.

            “Actually, I came to decision today at the hospital. When Max said we were her family. We are, but she doesn’t know how right she is. I need them all to come over because I need to tell them all of this. But also, that we are already a Pack of our own. There’s a bond that just gets stronger over time, and they need to know.”

            Eddie cleared his throat, “When do you want them to come over?”

            “If they can make it tonight, how about seven? We’ll have snack and drinks. We need to use the main group chat so Hopper and Joyce are included. Have Lucas and Max FaceTime in with earphones so they can join too. Robin, can you send that text? Tell them it’s a Code Purple, so they know it’s important but not an emergency? If anyone needs a ride, I can go get them.” He stood to go to the kitchen to get started on dinner.

            “Yeah, I’ll send it. Then do you want to swim Eddie?” Robin was already tapping out the text to everyone.

            “Hell yeah! I haven’t been in a pool in forever!” He went upstairs to see if Steve had some board shorts he could borrow. When he came back down, Robin was gone, probably changing. He walked into the kitchen to see Steve staring out the back window gripping the edge of the counter so hard his knuckles were white.

            “Are you okay?” Eddie asked quietly. Steve spun around and took in Eddie in his black and red board shorts, his eyes widening and breathing in hard through his nose, taking in Eddie’s scent to calm himself.

            “You look fantastic in those shorts. Consider them yours now. They look better on you than they ever did on me.” Steve said with a small smile, but a hungry look in his eyes.

            “Somehow, I doubt that, but thank you. You looked like you were thinking pretty hard there. All good?” Eddie couldn’t help but worry.

            “Nothing bad, I hope. Just nervous how the Party is going to react. First to us being together, I don’t think that will be bad at all, then to the werewolf stuff, and also being part of a Pack. I also still need to call my grandfather and let him know I found you and that you are Suppressed. We are going to need to go to Illinois as soon as possible after I tell him so he can meet you and get you registered as my mate. If you still want to, I can Claim you when we get there so you are in a safe place to shift for the first time with plenty of people around who understand.”

            “First, I don’t think you have anything to worry about with the Party. On any front. Next, I will go anywhere with you that you need me to go. And I have not and will never change my mind about being Claimed by you. But I don’t want to be Claimed around other people.” Eddie looked nervous suddenly.

            Steve wrapped his arms around him, “No sweet baby, no one will be there when I Claim you! Just that there will people there to talk to after. I would never put you on display like that. You’re mine, only mine.” Steve growled the last part, and it made something warm loosen inside of Eddie. Just then robin clattered into the kitchen, “Are we swimming, or what?”

            Eddie pulled away from Steve and followed Robin out the back door, “Yeah, we’re swimming.”

            Later, after Robin and Eddie swam and Steve grilled their dinner, they sat on the patio to eat and make small talk until it was time to get cleaned up before everyone arrived. Steve was a bit nervous, but excited too. He hoped all went well, but with Eddie and Robin there, he didn’t think he had anything to worry about.

Chapter Text

Steve was pacing in the living room, waiting for the Party to show up. Even though he was trying to stay calm, he was a ball of nerves. But he knew it was time to clue everyone in on his true self. He was lost in thought when the doorbell pealed. He opened the door and let in the first arrivals, Dustin, Mike, Erica, Nancy, and Jonathan. “Hey guys, thanks for coming by.” Steve let them all in and ushered them into the living room where he had snacks and drinks set out. They all looked at him with curiosity, but they knew they wouldn’t get any information out of him until the rest of the group showed up. Just then Robin and Eddie came in a greeted everyone. The doorbell rang again, and this time Eddie went and opened the door for Hopper, Joyce, Will, and El. They joined the rest of the group and Robin grabbed Steve’s iPad to FaceTime with Max and Lucas at the hospital, setting it up on the mantel so they could see everyone.

            After making sure that everyone was in the room. He stood and pulled Eddie to his right side, holding his hand, with Robin on his left side for support. “Hey everyone, thanks for coming. I’ve got some things that are pretty important to talk to you all about.” He paused, feeling more anxious than he had in a long time, running his free hand through his hair nervously. Eddie squeezed his hand and whispered, “We’ve got this Big Boy.” And it made Steve so happy and relieved that Eddie was supporting him.

            “Is everything okay? Is it Upside Down related? Do you or Eddie have Demobat rabies or something?” Dustin sounded worried and like he was about to start spiraling.

            Eleven looked at Dustin, then back at Steve, “No, it isn’t the Upside Down. It’s different. I feel it.”

            Nancy pointedly looked at Steve and Eddie holding hands but didn’t say anything. She knew they had to be the ones to tell everyone.

            A loud clap cut through the murmuring of the younger members of the Party, “Okay! The best way for us to find out what is going on is for everyone to shut up and let Steve talk!”

            Steve laughed, “Thanks Hop! Anyway, um. El’s right, it has nothing to do with the Upside Down, and no, Henderson, we do not have rabies! Of any kind, thank you very much!” Robin whispered under breath so only Steve and Eddie could hear, “Fleas on the other hand...” And Steve elbowed her while Eddie cackled.

            “As I was saying. The first bit of news is that, well, Eddie and I are together. As a couple.” And he lifted their clasped hands and kissed the back of Eddie’s hand and smiled as Eddie leaned his head to rest on Steve’s shoulder with a big smile of his own before whooping and saying, “I bagged King Steve! Eat your hearts out ladies of Hawkins!” And they all laughed through their surprised and shocked expressions. Afterall, Eddie was Eddie.

            “Oh my god! This is the best day of my life! I am so excited, this is awesome!” Dustin looked like he was going to pass out from how excited he was. Next to him Will was quietly standing, but with tears in his eyes and a soft smile as Joyce with her own smile squeezed his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. He met Steve’s eyes and smiled even wider and gave a little laugh.

            Soon everyone was crowded around the couple with hugs and congratulations, “Well, there’s more if you guys are ready to hear it.” Steve tried to get everyone’s attention.

            “What? Is Eddie pregnant or something?” Mike shouted out and everyone guffawed.

            “No, but it is pretty life altering just the same. For all of us.” He looked to Eddie and Robin for their support and took a deep breath. “You guys are going to have a lot of questions, but please let me get through everything then you can ask as many questions as you want. I have been keeping a pretty big secret from all of you. It’s because the secret wasn’t only mine. It was the secret of my entire family, and if it got out, we would be hunted down. Especially by the military.” He looked around knowing that once his secret was out, there was no going back. It was time though, no matter how nervous or scared he was. Especially now that he had his mate.

            “I’m a werewolf.” He paused to see how everyone was taking it. It was clear that most were confused, but Hop, Nancy, and Mike seemed to look as if it was a big joke. “I know it’s hard to believe without proof, but that’s why I am going to show you all what so very few people have ever seen. Please know, that it is still me. I am rational when I am Shifted, and I will never hurt any one of you. Eddie has already seen, and he can reassure you.”

            Eddie looked at Steve with love and understanding in his eyes, knowing revealing his secret was so hard for him, “He’s telling the truth. And he’s magnificent.”

            Everyone backed up a bit, not knowing what to expect. Still thinking that their friend was playing a weird joke on them. Steve let go of Eddie’s hand and motioned for him and Robin to join everyone else. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back calling his wolf. When the Shift completed, he heard nothing. He opened his eyes to make sure everyone was still there and was greeted with the Party being speechless for the first time, most of their mouths hanging open. Then, the only sound he heard was Lucas whispering to Max about what was happening through the iPad. He looked to Eddie who had a delighted almost childlike joy on his face and Robin who had known but hadn’t seen and saw the awe in her eyes.

            “Oh, my fucking God!” Dustin exclaimed. Everyone laughed a second later when Steve huffed in disapproval at the language. “Yep, that’s Steve!” Mike laughed. Hopper looked like a strong wind would knock him over, but Joyce came closer and asked, “Can I touch you Steve?” He nodded and lowered his head to let her touch him. She put her hand through his fur and exclaimed at how soft it was. One by one the others asked permission and took turns touching him and making sure he was really a Shifted wolf. When they had all finished, he stepped back again and changed into his human form.

            “Before we get to questions, there is another form I have. It is my Lycan, and it can be intimidating. But the same as before, it is still me. Everyone is safe, I won’t hurt anyone. I am still in control.” He called his Lycan and a moment later he is towering over everyone. And if he thought everyone looked shocked when they saw his wolf, that was nothing compared to their reaction to his Lycan. This time, a few of them looked scared, even Erica. He looked at Eddie and motioned him over to his side. When he was in reach, he gently grabbed his hand and nuzzled his hair, hoping the show of affection would release some of the tension.  When Eddie reached up and caressed his snout, he allowed himself to close his eyes and rumble in contentment, almost like a deep purr from his chest. He stepped back again and again changed to his human form.

            Eddie ran back over to him and threw his arms around him in a bear hug, “You did so good baby. I am so proud of you!” And he gave him a quick kiss of support. They separated from each other and took in the reactions of everyone else.

            “Holy Shit, Steve! What the fuck was that?” Mike was starting to sputter, while Nancy was standing next to him and Jonathan with a shocked face.

            Dustin looked at everyone else then came to stand next to Steve and Robin joined him standing next to Eddie. “That was badass, Mike. That’s what that was!” Looked up at Steve with absolute hero worship in his eyes. Steve gave him a quick side hug and ruffled his curls a bit. Everyone started to talk all at once and Hopper had to clap for attention again.

            “Well, I guess we can take a break here for some questions, but there is more. So let’s keep it a bit brief. Then we can Q&A the night away afterwards”

            Dustin looked at him and asked, “How did you become a werewolf? Were you bitten? Are you sure it wasn’t some Upside Down bullshit?”

            “I was born this way Henderson. You can’t become a werewolf. You can only be born a werewolf. My dad is a Shifter.” Steve’s scent slightly soured at the thought of his father, so Eddie grabbed his hand again to send him some comfort.

            Mike raised his hand, “What about like, silver? Can you touch it?”

            “Yeah, I can. In fact, the horror movie stuff Not true. Full moon can’t make me change, I am always in control of myself, can’t make more werewolves, except for the old-fashioned way,” with that he gave a little wink that the adults all laughed at.

            Hopper cleared his throat, “Why couldn’t you fight the monsters like that? It would have helped.”

            “I guess the same reason you tried to hide El for so long? Fear that the secret would get out, to the wrong people, to the military or government, and then my whole Pack would be targeted and hunted or experimented on.” Steve sighed, “I really am sorry that I couldn’t tell you all before now. There were a million times I wanted to, believe me. Especially when Henderson here would razz me about never winning fights.” With that he gave Dustin a cheeky grin.

            Eleven raised her hand to ask her question, the way she had been taught when she recently started to go to school. When he looked her way, she asked, “Why now?”

            Again, Eddie squeezed his hand in encouragement. “Well, that bring us to the next part of my, our news. Recently, I realized something. There are a couple of ways that a Pack can be formed. The first is Shifters related and non- related who come together in a territory with an agreed upon hierarchy for safety. That is the Pack I have in Illinois that my grandfather runs. The other way is for a Shifter to bond with humans and create a Pack. Over the years, the things we have been through together have bonded us. Have made us the Party, a family, and a Pack. Our Pack. I am an Alpha and you are my Pack. You needed to know that.”

            Dustin is the first to speak up, again, “So all it takes is one werewolf to make a Pack with humans?”

            “Generally, yes. But our Pack is going to be a bit different. For Shifters, we have mates. And we mate for life. There are Chosen Mates and Fated Mates. Like their names, a Chosen Mate is someone that a Shifter builds a connection with, and their wolf agrees to let them Mate and Claim. I’m not going to get into the details, because they are private, but if a Shifter Claims a Mate, it is an unbreakable bond. There is literally a mental and emotional bond between the two. This can be two Shifters or a Shifter and a human. A Fated Mate is a bit different. It is your wolf recognizing that there is one person who is your perfect match. Once a Shifter knows they have a Fated Mate, they can never Claim anyone else.” He stopped to look at Eddie, “Eddie is my Fated Mate. There is no one else for me.” There was a chorus of “awwws”.

            “Well, that’s a relief!” Dustin was smiling really big, “we don’t have to worry about you guys breaking up and making it awkward!”

            Eddie looked at him incredulously, “That’s what you were worried about? Not the existence of werewolves, but us maybe breaking up even though we just got together?”

            Dustin couldn’t help but giggle, “Yeah, man. I mean I love both of you guys, I wouldn’t be able to choose sides.” And the rest of the younger Party members nodded in agreement with Mike piping up, “It would be worse than when Steve and Nancy broke up. She’s my sister and I love her, but we’re all so close now. I wouldn’t be able to choose now. I’d feel stuck in the middle.” He looked over at Nancy nervously, but she just gave him a little hug and said, “I get it. I feel the same too. And I am glad that won’t happen with Eddie and Steve.” Jonathan reached over and squeezed her hand.

            “Now that we were able to set you all at ease on that part, there’s more.” Hopper looked at him sharply, “More? Geez Harrington!” They all laughed.

            “Hey Hop, I’m baring my soul here! It’s a lot!” Steve laughed. “So, the reason I said that our Pack is different is the addition of Eddie. With Shifters, we normally Shift for the first time in puberty. For me, I was 14. Some Shifters don’t Shift in puberty though. Some never Shift. These are Suppressed Wolves. They inherited the recessive Shifting gene instead of the dominant one. They need to have their Shift triggered. By being Claimed.” He looked at Eddie.

            Eddie cleared his throat, “So not only am I a ‘Satanist, formerly accused murderer, according to Hawkins’, according to Stevie here, I am also a Suppressed Wolf.”

            The room exploded. They rushed Eddie hugging him and chattering excitedly, then turning to Steve and hugging him too.

            Steve got them to quiet down a bit, “Okay, you guys are going to kill me, but there’s more.”

            “More?!” Hopper bellowed making everyone laugh.

            “Yes, more! So, I know I told you all that we are a Pack, but I didn’t tell you everything about that. You all have a choice to make. We are Pack, no matter what. But there is a way to give you guys some of the benefits of being Pack, even though you’re not Shifters. There are family bonding bites. It’s different than the Claiming bite, but it gives some of the same perks. Shifters live an incredibly long time and don’t get sick and have accelerated healing and senses. Now, for humans you would get a some of that too. Won’t be the same as a full Shifter, but definitely more enhanced than a non-bonded human. Also, you would be safe from other Shifters and be able to put off an aura to discourage other humans from trying anything. But, like I said, it’s your choice and you all are Pack no matter what. Eddie and I are leaving to go to my Pack on Sunday to register him as my Mate and we’ll be gone for a few days, hopefully not longer. Take that time to think about it, talk about it together, call or text me with questions. You don’t need to decide right away. And, if any of you say no, you can always change your mind later.” He nervously rubbed his hands together.

            Max spoke up from the iPad, “Is there a chance the bonding bite could help me heal?” Everyone turned and looked at Steve expectantly.

            “I think so, I really do. Eddie, can you show them?” Eddie nodded and pulled his shirt over his head. Lucas exclaimed “Oh my God! You’re healed? Max, Eddie’s healed. No scars or anything!”

            Steve held up his hand to calm the excited chatter at the possibility that Max could be healed. “Eddie obviously doesn’t have his Claiming Bite yet, but his wolf recognizes me as his Mate, but also his Alpha. My pheromones have been enough to heal him. With a bonding bite though, each of you would recognize me as Alpha, and this would accelerate healing. If Max decides to do this, when I get back, I will need to spend a lot of time with her to make sure she heals.”

            Max piped up, “Well, I don’t know about any of you losers, but I’m in!” They all started chattering again with Steve reminding them it is a big, life altering, lifelong decision. After they seemed to run out of steam, he asked, “Are there any more questions right now?”

            Dustin nodded and asked, “Can we still play DnD tomorrow before you guys leave?” Eddie laughed, delighted, “Sure can shrimp! But don’t think I’m going to take it easy on you guys just because we’re Pack!”

Chapter Text

Steve smiled softly as he looked over at Eddie dozing in the passenger seat of his BMW X5 with the seat back fully reclined and a pillow between him and the door. For this longer trip Steve wanted the comfort of a bigger vehicle, so he pulled the seldom used SUV out of the garage. He was glad Eddie was getting some rest. The DnD game went late the night before, but everyone had a blast, so it was worth it. They had been on the road for about an hour and still had another 5 hours until they reached Pack Land. He was so excited to introduce his Eddie to his Grandfather, as the patriarch of the Harrington family and as Pack Alpha. He had already called ahead to let his Grandfather and Grandmother know he was coming, but he kept his Fated Mate a surprise. He is sure Eddie was going to charm them just like he had charmed his own smaller Pack. The other benefits for Claiming Eddie at the Main Pack House were to officially register him as wolf of their Pack and his Mate, as well as the use of the Claiming amenities they offer. There are scent proof rooms so that a new Shifter can rest without being overwhelmed with scents as they acclimate, as well as secluded areas outside to be able to Shift and practice things like shifting back and forth and fighting in all three forms, human, wolf, and Lycan.

            Another hour down the highway and Eddie is startled awake by a growl. This time it wasn’t Steve though, it was his own stomach. “Stevie, can we-“ “Already on it love, we can stop at the next exit that has food.” Steve reached over for Eddie’s hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

            “Okay Mr. Psychic mind reader, what do I want to eat?” Eddie raised the seat back upright and looked at Steve with a challenging smirk and a lifted brow.

            Steve made a show of sniffing the air in Eddie’s direction, “I think you want me to find you a Wendy’s so you can have a Baconator with fries and a Chocolate Frosty!”

            “I could definitely go for that; I was just thinking burger and fries.” Eddie laughed.

            Steve laughed, “Okay, so that’s my lunch order. Are you okay with that?”

            “Yep. Sounds good to me. The right balance of meat, carbs, and sweet.” Eddie licked his lips.

            Once they had eaten and filled the gas tank, they were back on the road singing along with Eddie’s road trip playlist that had everything from Iron Maiden to Venga Boys and everything in between. Steve loved that although Eddie’s preferred music was metal, he appreciated an eclectic mix. Steve himself only disliked Country and the more hard-core genres of music like thrash metal or hard-core rap. He liked to be able to sing along.

            Soon Eddie was noticing that things were getting more lush and green with rolling hills and small stands of trees, not the denser forests and craggy hills of Hawkins. It felt peaceful to him. “How far are we from Pack Lands?” he asked Steve.

            “Actually, we crossed into Pack Territory about 10 minutes ago.”

            Eddie looked at the GPS on the dash, “But that says we are still 2 hours from our destination. How much land does the Pack have.”

            Steve thought for a second, “I’m not sure anymore, I know Gramps buys more land all the time, so it’s always changing. I’m sure it’s one of the things he and I will discuss when I’m there, but it’s in the tens of thousands of acres for sure.”

            Eddie looked stunned, “Seriously? That’s a bit crazy to try to wrap my head around.”

            “Well, it is the largest Pack in North America. I think there is a Pack in Russia that might be bigger. Not sure on that one, but here? Yeah. We’re the biggest Pack.” Steve looked proud because they were the largest Pack, but in his opinion the best run Pack too.

            “And you’re going to run it all someday?” Eddie’s voice was hushed as if still processing the enormity.

            Steve gave him a reassuring look, “We are going to run it someday. Someday in the far, far future. Don’t worry. We will know what to do when the time comes. I have been training for this since I was 16 and I am already my Grandfather’s second. Actually, I am lucky this is the age of technology, otherwise I would have already had to move to the Pack House. But with the internet and cell phones, I am able to stay in Hawkins for the time being.”

            Eddie was quiet for a moment, thinking before asking, “I know you said your Grandparents would like me and not have any issues with me being a guy, but what about everyone else? I just want to know what to expect.” He looked a bit lost at that moment.

            Steve squeezed his hand in a comforting way, “Sweets, they will have zero issues with you being a guy. We have a lot of same sex mates in the Pack. The connection is the important part, not the gender. I am sure you will charm them all in no time.”

            They finally pulled up to the Pack House and parked in a reserved spot that had Steve’s name on it. When they got out of the car, Steve pulled Eddie close to him, nuzzling the spot between is neck and shoulder, making sure to also scent mark him, making sure his specific scent was noticeable, so that instantly all the other Shifters would know Eddie was his mate. When they finally separated, Steve said they could leave their luggage and they needed to find the Pack Alpha and get the introductions done first thing. They held hands as they entered the house, and Steve steered them to the office where he was sure his Grandparents were waiting for him.

            “Stevie my boy!” The Alpha from the photo Steve had shown him was approaching the couple, and even though Eddie had been nervous about his reception in the Pack, nothing but warmth was coming from the man and woman in the room. Alfred “Al” Harrington was a tall man, about the same height as Steve, with the same warm brown eyes, Chestnut hair, and bright smile. In fact, he looked like he could have been Steve’s older brother. He wrapped Steve in a tight hug that made Eddie’s eyes a little misty. Just then a hand came up and gripped Al’s shoulder and he moved back to let Emilia “Em” Harrington get in for a hug with Steve. She was a slight woman with dark brown hair falling in waves behind her shoulders and bright green eyes sparkling with affection for her grandson. After they parted, the eyes of the two older Shifters settled on Eddie, and he could see their noses twitch as they scented the air around him. Both of their eyes grew wide as they looked back at Steve, and his Grandmother had tears in her eyes and a huge smile split her face.

            “Oh, my sweet boy! Come here, let me get a look at you!” Em grabbed Eddie by the hands and moved them further into the room and settled them on the sofa as the others trailed over to them.

            “Gramps, Gran, this is Eddie Munson. My Fated Mate.” Em squealed as she hugged Eddie and Al came to stand in front of him and clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. “We are so pleased to meet you Eddie. So very pleased.” He said with emotion thick in his voice. Eddie looked up at Steve, almost speechless. His voice quivered a bit, “Thank you. I am so happy to be here meeting you and with Steve.” He gave a bright sunny smile to Steve who sucked in a breath at the sight of it. He could never get used to way Eddie’s smiles made him feel, warm and loved.

            “There’s, um, there’s more. Eddie is also Suppressed. He has agreed to Mate and be Claimed and Shift. So, we are here for introductions, but also to do that. Here, with you all. Then register him as my Mate and a Wolf of the Pack.” Steve looked a bit nervous, but he had no need for nerves as both his grandparents were overjoyed and giving both men hugs and scenting them as Pack.

            The group chatted for a bit longer talking about the logistics of Eddie settling in as a Pack, and Steve letting his Alpha know that his smaller Pack was told his secret and offered the option to take on the Pack bonding bite. After many reassurances that they knew the necessity and were able to keep the secret, Al was appeased and happy to incorporate the smaller Pack into the sphere of his Pack’s protection. There was pride in Steve radiating off the man in waves that made Eddie a little dizzy, but so happy for Steve. Em cleared her throat, “Steve, do your parents know? About you and Eddie? Being Mates?” She looked sad.

            “No, and I don’t plan on telling them. I haven’t seen or talked to them in five years. They know what they need to do, and they aren’t doing it. They don’t deserve our consideration.” Steve had a steely look and quality to his voice that brooked no argument. She patted his arm and quietly said, “I understand. I wish things were different, but I understand.” She had a glassy look to her eyes that she quickly blinked away, “Why don’t you boys go get settled in before dinner and the Pack meeting tonight? You must be tired.”

            Steve hugged her and then Al, “Thank you.” Both Em and Al then hugged Eddie, with Em whispering in his ear, “Welcome to the family and the Pack Eddie.” He hugged them back with his own whispered thanks.

            Once Steve and Eddie retrieved their bags, they made their way through the Pack House with Steve giving him a mini guided tour, “I’ll really show you around once we’re settled, maybe tomorrow morning since we have the Pack meeting tonight. Sound good?” He squeezed Eddie’s hand when Eddie hummed in the affirmative. Just as they rounded a corner, Steve registered the scent of someone he really had been hoping to avoid. “Marcus.” He said curtly. In front of them was another Shifter. He was taller than Eddie, but shorter and stockier than Steve. He had olive toned skin, short black curly hair, and brown eyes so dark they were almost black. Those eyes gave Eddie a shiver, they were cruel and paired with the smirk on his otherwise handsome face gave him a dangerous air.

            “Well, well, well. Look who the wolf dragged in. Didn’t know we were going to be graced with your presence this week. Off your schedule?” Steve didn’t answer, just gave the other Shifter a steely stare. Marcus sniffed the air around Eddie and looked him up and down slowly, “And who is this delightful creature?”

            Steve responded through gritted teeth, “This is Eddie, my Mate. Eddie, this is Marcus.” He didn’t let go of Eddie’s hand for a handshake and pulled him away so that Marcus couldn’t come any closer, “Let’s get settled in sweetheart.” Steve didn’t miss Eddie’s confusion and knew he’d have to explain once they were somewhere private.

            Finally, the pair reached Steve’s room, and Eddie was awestruck when he took it in. It had a heavy dark walnut four poster bed with curtains and blood red bedding, a huge fireplace with a carved granite facing and mantle, heavy dressers, and nightstands to match the bed and two gold upholstered overstuffed chairs near the fireplace with a small low table between them. And the cherry on top was the view visible out the sliding glass doors leading to a private balcony. There were rolling hills leading to a thickly wooded area with a bubbling brook cutting through the trees, down the hills, and past the house.

            Eddie turned to look at Steve, “First off. Wow. This is a gorgeous room.” He crossed over to sit on the bed and kind of wiggled around to test how comfy it was. “Now, as much as I would rather explore the room, or take a nap, care to let me in on what the fuck that was with Marcus?”

            “Oh my God, Eddie. He’s such a fucking dick.” Steve sat next to Eddie and grabbed his hand. “Do you remember Billy Hargrove, Max’s stepbrother?”

            “Yeah, he bought from sometimes. Mostly pot, sometimes something a bit stronger. We never hung out though. He seemed like a total asshole.”

Steve nodded. “He was. He had this weird obsession with being King of Hawkins High, and decided he needed to challenge me for it. I didn’t care about it, but he couldn’t get that. He was always trying to rile me up, start something. And of course, he and I got into that fight the night the kids and I fought the Demodogs. Well, think of Marcus as the Shifter version of Billy. He’s always been pissed that I was next in line to run the Pack. He feels like it’s unfair because he lives here, and I am allowed to stay in Hawkins and have my own Pack. And I get that, but it’s also about succession and ability. He is a selfish asshole who only wants to run the Pack for what he would get out of it. Even if weren’t in the picture, he would be the last one my Grandfather would consider to succeed him. And believe me, we’ve talked about it. His mom is originally from Greece, and he spent some time living there after he graduated high school. I had hoped he would stay there and join their Pack, but no such luck. He came back and became a thorn in my side.” He stopped to look into Eddie’s eyes, “I don’t like the way he reacted to you. I need you to stay by side until you’re Claimed. I don’t trust him; I was hoping he wouldn’t be here at all.”

“I will. I will stay by your side. I love you; I’m not going anywhere.” He planted a soft kiss on Steve’s lips. It started out chaste, but then Steve pulled him closer deepening the kiss, inhaling Eddie’s scent.

My Mate, my love!!!

            “Yes, Stevie. Your Mate.” Eddie mumbled against Steve’s lips. He locked his hands behind Steve’s neck as they continued making out and Steve was caressing Eddie’s back in soothing circles. Soon Steve noticed a sizeable tent in Eddie’s jeans, so he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and pulled them and his boxer briefs down around his thighs. He gently gripped his cock at the base while squeezing and pulsing. Eddie’s breath caught in his throat at the sensation, his hips bucking slightly. God, Steve couldn’t wait to Claim his Mate. He was so responsive; he couldn’t wait to see him writhing below him in pleasure. He started to slowly stroke the beautiful cock in his hand, keeping a slow consistent pace, and swiping across the tip with his thumb on the upstroke. Eddie was panting now and moving his hips to get a bit of extra friction, “Faster, Steve. Please!” Steve took mercy on him and picked up the pace while kissing him senseless. After a few more minutes Eddie gasped, tensed, and spilled over Steve’s fingers. As he was trying to catch his breath and stop trembling, Steve did one of the hottest things he had ever seen and licked his fingers clean, all while staring Eddie in the eyes. If he could have gotten it up again so fast, he would’ve been ready for another round.

            After that, Steve settled them back on the bed and curled around Eddie as the big spoon, taking comfort in the warmth of his Mate. “Steve, what about you? I want to make you feel good too, baby.”

            “I know, but I do feel good, with you here in my arms, I feel terrific. Go ahead and take a nap, I will set an alarm on my phone to wake us in an hour so we can freshen up and go down to the meeting. I want to show my Mate off.” With that they both drifted off, no nightmares to bother them.

            “You look gorgeous Eddie. Don’t be nervous, everyone is going to love you. I promise. And if someone doesn’t, that’s their problem and they have terrible taste.” Eddie turned from the mirror, having just finished putting his hair up in a bun, leaving his bangs and some tendrils to curl softly around his face. He had on a burgundy silk button up with slim fit black slacks and chunky black Chelsea boots. He and Steve had gone clothes shopping for the trip the day before, before the kids came over for DnD. He stuck with his signature rings and added some stacked silver bracelets, a watch with a black leather band that Steve insisted he buy him (some kind of Rolex with a price tag that made Eddie gag) some silver studs in his ears and a couple of silver chains around his neck. With his pale skin and ruddy red lips, Steve was tempted to just keep him closeted away from other’s eyes for the night, but they had a responsibility. He came up behind Eddie as he had turned back to the mirror and scent marked him again since he had showered. He wanted no doubt to linger in anyone’s mind over who’s Mate Eddie was. He looked at the two of them in the mirror. It had been a conscious decision to coordinate, not match. He wanted to exude their togetherness; it was important. Shifter politics demanded it. Eddie needed to be accepted as his Mate, and partner in running the Pack one day. He was wearing a black silk button up shirt with narrow burgundy stripes, similar black slim fit slacks, black matte dress shoes, and a matching Rolex. The day before while they were shopping, he had also gotten a trim, so his hair felt on point. He knew his scent was contented but a bit anxious and that wouldn’t do, so he instead focused on scenting confident and in control.

            The couple made their way down to the Meeting Room hand in hand, smiling at people passing them by, stopping for introductions as warranted. They entered into the room, and Steve led Eddie to the front next to his Grandparents. They sat and looked out over the crowded room, faces facing them with curiosity. Steve guessed that it hadn’t made the rounds yet that Eddie was his Mate. They sat holding hands waiting for Al to start the meeting.

            “Welcome all. Let’s get this meeting started with old business. Sarah? The floor is yours.” Al looked over to a tall, handsome woman in a brown pants suit sitting at the end of the row of chairs they were in on their raised platform.

            “Thank you, Alpha. As you all know, we have been in talks with the Pack of Nova Scotia to plan a summer convention and we have solidified the dates. It will be held here the first week in August, we will send out email blasts to remind everyone. If you are a member of the performer’s guild, please make sure that you coordinate with Shelly so we can hammer out the details of the entertainment. That’s all for old news, Alpha.”

            “Thank you Sarah, and now for new business-“He was cut off by a voice in the audience. When Steve looked out, he saw Marcus standing,

            “I issue a challenge for Succession to Primus Alpha and rights to his Mate to Steven Harrington!” There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose.

Chapter Text

            Eddie couldn’t hear anything through the rushing in his ears. All he could do was stare at Steve standing still next to him as the rest of the room was awash in movement and too bright lights. He reached out to touch Steve and that’s when reality crashed back into him, everyone’s voices too loud and hard to understand. “Jesus H. Christ! What the fuck Steve? What does he mean?”

            Steve finally looked at him calmly, squeezed his hand, then looked back at Marcus who was also standing still in a raging river of people. The look in Steve’s eye was one of confidence, determination, and a bit of rage. He knew he had to stand confident in this moment and not give into the fury inside. Not give Marcus the satisfaction. But to include Eddie in all this, he would not forgive. His scent was still his familiar mix of mossy and earthy green forest, but now with the tinge of smoke like a forest fire. It didn’t bode well for the one standing in the path of the inferno.

            Em, standing on Eddie’s other side said to Eddie, “Marcus has just challenged Steve to one-on-one combat for the right to succeed as Pack Alpha after Al. And the right to Mate you if he wins.” She added with a wide-eyed look as she looked like she wanted to throw up at the idea.

            Eddie could understand the feeling as his insides roiled with the thought of someone other than Steve touching him that way let alone Mating and Claiming him. “But I’m Steve’s Fated Mate. How could he even do that?” Em put an arm around him and hugged him close, while Steve still held his hand, “I know you are, but you are still Unmated and Unclaimed. You and Steve are Fated, but you can still be Mated and Claimed by another Shifter.”

            He looked at Steve who gave him a reassuring look. Before holding his free hand in the air to silence the crowd. His voice boomed in the resulting silence, “I accept the challenge. And when I win, Marcus Engle will be banished from this Pack to never set foot in North America again.” The crowd exploded again.

            Finally, the Pack Alpha quieted everyone down. “We will meet in the arena in one hour for the challenge. As is custom in the archaic challenge for an Unclaimed Mate, Steve and Eddie will be chaperoned to ensure the act does not take place before the challenge.” He looked to Eddie and Steve with a bit of an apology on his face, while Steve just reassured him with a small nod. He grabbed Eddie’s hand and led him over to Sarah and her Mate Harry and asked them to accompany them to their room.

            Once back in their room, Sarah and Harry moved to the far corner to give the pair as much privacy as possible, even though as Shifters they would still see and smell everything. Eddie looked up at Steve nervously, his entire being shaking with the thought of losing him. And being Mated against his will to someone he didn’t know and didn’t trust. “Steve, I can’t Mate with him. I won’t.”

            Steve hugged him close. “Oh honey, you won’t have to. And not just because I am going to win and thoroughly beat his ass into submission, you have a choice. By trying to claim rights to you, he knows that whether or not he Claims you, I won’t be able to Mate and Claim you or anyone else if he were to win. So, even if you ran off and he never saw you again, he knows I couldn’t be with you in that way, and neither could any other Shifter as he would have the right to Claim you. And he doesn’t know this because he doesn’t know you’re Suppressed, but you would never be able to Shift.”

            Eddie’s breath caught in his throat and did the only thing he could think to do and reached up and kissed him while smoothing his hair behind his ears. “This is all so confusing! I feel like I am drowning, and I can’t get my head above water.” He can feel his tears stinging his eyes and he tries to blink them away so that Steve can’t see them.

            “Eds, if I had thought for one second, he would have challenged me for the right to my Mate, I would’ve Mated and Claimed you at home, I swear! I expected a challenge to succession at some point, but never expected this. To be honest, it’s a bit too calculated and has too much forethought for Marcus. The man is an idiot. A cruel and ruthless idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.” Steve had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

            Eddie pulled him back to the moment, “I’m worried. Are you going to be okay? I don’t like the idea of you having to fight. Even if you are a badass Shifter.”

            Steve just chuckled and said in Eddie’s ear, “I haven’t been fighting the Upside-Down for all these years to be beaten by a loser wannabe.” He straightened up and walked to the other side of the room, opening the drawers, and pulling out what looked like a pair of martial arts pants and a button down Gi top, both black and trimmed in red. “I need to get ready for the Challenge. You can keep company with Sarah and Harry, they’re safe. I promise. In fact, Marcus is the only asshole in the Pack. Everyone else is loving and supportive.”

            “Why is that? What’s different about him?” Eddie was truly curious.

            Steve looked thoughtful, “I could say it’s because he was raised in a different Pack most of his life and just joined ours when he moved to the States permanently, but we have others who joined later in life who don’t act like him. I just think it’s how he is. He’s always been jealous, petty, entitled. You name it. Actually, he’s a lot like King Steve now that I think of it.” He sighed, “So glad I left that douchebag back in High School.” Eddie laughed, “Me too.”

            Twenty minutes later, and the Pack is gathered in what Eddie would classify to be a small indoor arena with a wooden floor in the middle of raised bleachers. Steve, Eddie, and Steve’s Grandparents are standing on one side, while Marcus and his friends Anthony and Dennis are on the opposite side. Al is giving Steve a last-minute pep talk. “Look, Steve. Be efficient, be precise, and be ruthless. You know he won’t pull any punches.”

            “Yeah, I know Gramps. He’s been wanting this for years. I have too much to fight for to not win.” His gaze slid over to Eddie, who just squeezed his hand and looked at him with all the love he could give.

            As Al and Em moved to the center of the ring, Eddie whispered low, “This guy’s got nothing on a Demogorgon, Fuck him up Stevie!” And he crashed his lips into Steve’s for the most passionate kiss of his life, so far. Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie and returned the kiss with as much passion and love, “I know Eds. It’s good I’ve got rhythm, I’m gonna beat his ass like a fucking drum!” He laughed trying to lighten the mood, and Eddie snickered along with him. He didn’t want to let him go, but it was time for Steve to meet everyone else in the center of the ring. Eddie moved back to chairs and sat in his seat with his heart beating wildly in his chest, worried to death about Steve and their future. He tried his best to project confidence though so that everyone else wouldn’t know how nervous and anxious he was. And he did have faith in Steve, he really did. But they didn’t need to be put through all this. Damn that Marcus!

            Eddie’s head snapped up as Al’s voice boomed through the arena. “Tonight, we are gathered for a Challenge for the succession to Primus Alpha and rights to an Unclaimed Mate by Marcus Engle to Steven Harrington. The first five minutes of the Challenge will be un-Shifted, human form. After that, both men are able to Shift as they wish. The first to force Submission wins.” Al steps back while Steve takes off his Gi top and hands it to him, putting his impressive physique on display. With his height advantage, he has a longer reach than the shorter man, and he is leaner with more defined muscles screaming strength. With him on display, and his chest hair gleaming in the lights, Eddie would be swooning in any other situation. By the murmurs and shuffling from the stands, he knows he’s not the only one.

            Marcus elects to keep his shirt on, which does and does not surprise Eddie. It surprises him because he thought with all his posturing, he would be confident enough to follow Steve’s lead and try to keep pace. But he’s unsurprised because who would want to try to compete with what Steve has on display. Em had explained that a lot of Shifter politics and Challenges comes down to perception. True strength, yes. But also, the perception of strength. That’s why Steve had to carefully regulate his reaction to all of this. He has trained to exude actual confidence and even a certain ruthlessness in these situations. Marcus on the other hand just seems to be playing at feeling confident and in control.

            The two men meet in the middle, sizing each other up. “Ready to get your shit rocked Pretty Boy? I can’t wait to take your Pack and your Mate.” Marcus sneered, barely masking his nerves.

            Steve just looked Marcus in the eyes, “It’s so pathetic, really. We all know you hate me because deep down you want to be me.”  With that he took a step back into his ready stance, arms up loose in a guard as he waited for the bell to sound. He knew that Marcus hadn’t seen him train since he was a pup of 16, still trying to master his body and how to use it. Meanwhile, as part of his Alpha training, his Grandfather had been sending him videos of the others training to keep him up on their abilities. For example, he knew that while Marcus was right-handed, he favored using his left hand to catch his opponents off guard. He also knew the man had a bit of a glass jaw, but he wasn’t looking to knock him out, he was looking for nothing less than total submission.

            The bell sounded, and Steve made the decision to let Marcus come to him. Sure enough he faked a roundhouse with his right but jabbed with his left which Steve easily dodged, side stepping and slammed his fist into the other man’s ribs. Given Marcus was a Shifter, it wasn’t as bad of a hit had Steve hit a non-Shifter, but the other man still wheezed as the air was punched out of him. Before he could let him catch his breath, Steve kicked at the side of his knee with the side of his foot, hoping to drive him down to the ground, but Marcus was faster than he seemed and just shifted on his feet and shuffled back. Steve again waited for Marcus to make a move. He was watching all his little tells, he telegraphed when he was going for a kick with an upward tilt of his chin, and the first time Steve didn’t realize it and the kick caught him in the solar plexus. However, the next kick he was ready for, and he caught Marcus’ leg and punched him as hard as he could in the inner thigh knowing he connected with the bone. He then hooked his heel behind the other man’s planted foot and pushed him backwards onto the wooden floor. Marcus rolled up from the floor and caught Steve with an upper cut to the chin, and a left hook to his right eye. Steve hooked his left arm around Marcus’ right arm and pulled back opening up his chest and slammed on his sternum with the side of his fist in a hammer strike, once, twice, three times hearing a loud crack before the five-minute bell sounded. As they were pulling apart, Marcus leaned in and said, “By the way Pretty Boy, your Father says hi.” And he winked as he walked away.

            Back on Steve’s side of the arena, Eddie gasps when he sees the shiner Steve’s got, but Steve just smirks and says, “You should see the other guy babe.” And it’s true, even though Marcus got him good in the eye, Steve did more damage where you can’t really see it. “Gramps, can I talk to you?” They walk a couple feet away, and Steve pitches his voice low enough no one can hear it, “You need to get my parents here. As soon as possible.”

            “What? Why would we do that? Richard and Elise aren’t welcome until they do right by you. We all made that decision years ago. A decision you reinforced earlier today.” Al looked flabbergasted.

            Steve clenched his jaw in barely concealed rage. “I told Eddie earlier that Marcus is an idiot, and I didn’t think all this was his idea. Maybe the Challenge, I could see that a mile away. But going after Eddie? And I was right. As he went to walk away after the first round, he told me my Father says hi. He fucking set this up. I want him here. I need to deal with him once and for all.”

            “Goddamn, I knew my son was a moron, but I didn’t think he was suicidal. I’ll send Percy and his detail to go get them. They aren’t too far from here. Should be here by morning. Just keep your head in the game, don’t let it distract you. That’s what Marcus wants.” Gramps patted him on the back and the 30 second warning for the next round sounded. Steve walked back over to Eddie, who marveled that his eye was almost healed already.

            Steve wrapped his arms tightly around Eddie and breathed in his scent to even him out. “I love you Eds, it will all be okay. I promise.” He placed a sweet kiss on his forehead.

            “I love you too, and just remember. You fought Demogorgons, Demodogs, and Demobats and helped flambe Vecna. This is a piece of cake. Give him hell baby!” Eddie gave him a cheeky wink and a big smacking kiss.

            Steve joined Al and Marcus in the center of the ring once again. Al’s voice boomed throughout the arena, “From here on out, both combatants can fight in any form they wish. The object is submission.”

            Al stepped away and both men got in their ready position. Marcus’ eyes flicked to Steve’s nearly healed black eye and widened a bit. The healing was fast, even for a Shifter. What he didn’t know was the Eddie’s scent as Steve’s Fated Mate helped to accelerate his healing. It wasn’t a one-way street.

            Marcus leered past Steve, presumably at Eddie, then looked back at his opponent and nearly growled, “I can’t wait to take apart your sweet Mate. Having him beg me for my cock and screaming my name.”

            Steve had been playing this game for far too long, both as a Shifter, and as King Steve, to take the bait. But Marcus should have been scared at the Shift in his eyes. They didn’t shift Gold like they did when Steve had shifted for Eddie or the Pack. They Shifted crimson. Very few Alphas could reach the level of rage needed for such a Shift and stay contained. By the time they have gotten to that level, they needed to be tranquilized because they were feral, snarling beasts. That should have terrified Marcus that this was who he was currently facing. Of course, oblivious idiot that he was he poked the wolf and didn’t know he was inches away from being devoured.

            Both men stepped back to ready themselves for combat once again. Giving Marcus one last glare, Steve called his Lycan. He looked over and saw Marcus had done the same. His Lycan was impressive if he wasn’t compared with Steve. Again, he was shorter than Steve by about half a foot, stockier, and his black fur had a slight wave to it. He opened his snout and ribbons of saliva connected his upper and lower teeth as he growled. Steve knew it was all Alpha postering. He just ignored it and concentrated on the task at hand. Eddie and his Pack were counting on him. He could feel the barely contained rage thrumming through his veins. He was looking for submission, but he could hardly help the need to rip and rend his enemy limb from limb. He flicked his right hand, extending his razor-sharp claws in an aggressive manner. For most this would be all the warning someone would need to turn tail, especially paired with the crimson eyes. But, again, Marcus was an idiot. He probably thought Steve was nothing but an empty-headed heir apparent, not knowing the countless hours Steve had put in over the years training in all three of his forms while also fighting interdimensional creatures. He trained as a human for the Upside-Down, a wolf for speed, and Lycan for viciousness.

            The bell for the round rang, and Steve once again let Marcus come to him. From the videos he had watched, he knew Marcus tended to come in with big, sweeping strikes that were powerful, but left him open to someone stepping into his space and striking.  Predictably, he rushed Steve coming down with a sweeping downward swat like a grizzly bear. Steve pushed forward before Marcus could change his trajectory and raked his claws across his chest causing four bloody stripes to bloom. He pressed his advantage to grab the other Lycan by the throat and throw him like a ragdoll to the floor several feet away.

            Marcus doesn’t stay down for long, surging up and running back to Steve, charging at him, and throwing him to the ground trying to straddle him and claw him in the face. Steve grabbed his hand and forced the claws away hearing the cracking of Marcus' fingers and his wrist. He hated Marcus and let that show through his eyes and scent. He twisted at his hips and threw the other Lycan off of him. Marcus skittered away, finally seeing the fury in Steve’s eyes. As Marcus started to run, Steve Shifted to his wolf form for speed and chased him around the arena with a renewed fury. How dare he put everyone through this? Use Eddie as a tool, as a means to an end that would never happen? Team with his Father to hurt him? The only outcome would be his total submission and banishment. The bastard is lucky that he doesn’t take his head for this. As Steve was closing on Marcus’ heels, he leaped and Shifted to his Lycan in midair. He collided with Marcus sending him to the ground, pinned and immobile.

            Steve pushed his aura and forced Marcus to Shift to human, still holding him in place by his throat. Looking into his eyes, Steve also Shifted to human, eyes still crimson. He moved to stand, lifting Marcus into a standing position, still scruffing him by the neck like a pup. He once again pushed his aura, this time for submission. “SUBMIT” and the man dropped to his knees like a sack of potatoes and bared his neck, unable to move from his position. At that moment Steve heard shuffling and movement from all around. He looked into the stands and was shocked at what he saw. Every person in the arena, other than his Gramps and Eddie, were kneeling and baring their throats to him. Gramps was still standing but gripping the back of his chair like he would break it, but with a huge smile on his face. Eddie was unaffected because he was not a Shifter or Mated yet. Steve turned in a circle in awe, before realizing he was still pushing his aura. He released it and everyone was able to move again and sit back in their seats. There was a lot of murmuring. No one had ever seen such a thing, causing an entire Pack to submit at the same time was unheard of.

            Al came up to where Steve and Marcus were, Marcus still on his knees, now looking down in shame. Al clapped his hand on Steve’s shoulder and whispered, “Well done, my boy.” He spoke into the microphone, “As we can see, the victor in the Challenge for succession and for the Unclaimed Mate is Steve Harrington by total submission!” Steve could hear his Gran say to Eddie, “OF EVERYONE!”, and Eddie laughing. Steve looked down at Marcus, “You have 24 hours to leave North America. You are lucky I don’t take your life for this. And if you ever come near my Mate, or me again, I will not hesitate. Is that clear?” Steve growled.

            Marcus looked up with tears staining his cheeks, “Yes Alpha.”

Chapter Text

Steve grabbed Eddie’s hand and led him away from the throng, parting the crowd like the Red Sea. There were some amused looks as the rest of the Pack was picking up the scent of arousal coming from both men. It was something about the aftermath of such a stressful situation that just seemed to bring desire to the surface. All Eddie could think about was how commanding Steve had been through the whole ordeal and how sexy he was defending him and the Pack. And Steve had the deep instinctual need to make sure his mate was safe and unharmed and Claim him. They finally entered the room, Steve punching the code into the door lock, and as soon as they were in the door, his lips crashed into Eddie’s, the kiss searing and possessive. He found himself shoved up against the door by Eddie and being fairly devoured as his love moved from his lips to his jaw, and down his neck sucking, kissing, and nipping the sensitive skin. Suddenly he was released as Eddie knelt before him, reaching for the waistband of his pants, and releasing the knotted drawstring and tugging the soft loose fabric down his hips and letting them fall to pool at his ankles.

            For a moment all Eddie did was lean into Steve’s groin, nose buried in his pubic hair, arms circled around his hips and hands kneading his ass. His breath was a cooling touch on Steve’s erection, waiting for attention. Steve placed a hand on Eddie’s head and tipped it back so he could look in his eyes. “Eddie, are you okay?”.

            “I’m better than okay sweetheart. I just needed to know I could still touch you. Still do this.” And with that he licked all the way from Steve’s balls to the head of his cock. He started to lightly suck on the tip as his left hand started to stroke along the shaft. He pulled his mouth back, “You have no idea how fucking hot that whole Challenge was. Nerve-wracking, yes. But incredibly hot. Thank you for defending me, saving the Pack from that prick. I love you.” And with that he attempted to get as much of Steve into his mouth as possible.

            Steve groaned with pleasure, tipping his head back to rest on the door as he let himself be carried away with the passion Eddie was stirring in him. He felt the familiar heat of his orgasm building in his groin, begging for release. With reluctance, he tipped Eddie’s head away, “Baby, I want to do this right. I need to Mate, you, Claim you. Let’s get cleaned up and I’ll make you feel so good.” He helped Eddie stand to make their way to the spacious bathroom. He started the water in the shower enclosure as Eddie took in the large claw foot tub in the middle of the room. Steve noticed the interest in the tub in Eddie’s gaze, “We can take a nice bubble bath later, would you like that?” he asked, stroking the other man’s arm down to his fingertips, then intertwining their hands.

            “A bubble bath, with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen? Hmmm, let me think…” Eddie’s eyes glinted with mischievous mirth.

            Steve leaned in and whispered against Eddie’s lips, “Sexiest? Only if you haven’t ever looked in the mirror, sweetheart.”

            Eddie’s cheeks went up in flames, “So, smooth babe. No wonder the girls always went crazy for you.” Steve just grunted amusedly and guided them into the steamy shower. The shower was luxurious with a central rain shower head, and numerous shower heads on the walls. There was also a bench along one side that could easily fit two people. Steve wasted no time making sure Eddie was relaxed by grabbing the shampoo and lathering up Eddie’s long curls. Facing Eddie, with his soapy hands buried in his hair, Steve couldn’t help but tilt his head and nuzzle him in the crook of his neck, getting a full, deep breath of his scent. The sweet incense combined with his arousal made his head swim. He moaned, “Baby, you smell like heaven, like home, like love. I can’t wait to smell you when I’ve Claimed you.”

            Eddie turned his head to look into Steve’s eyes, “Will it change?”

            “Yeah, our scents will combine a bit. We will still have a bit of our own scents, but with hints of each other. Think of two notes in the same harmony. It helps others to know you’re Mated, even without seeing the Mark, and helps them know who your Mate is.”

            “I’m so excited Steve, to finally be yours. We’re doing it tonight, right?” Eddie was pliant in Steve’s hands as he rinsed out the shampoo and started with the conditioner. Eddie grabbed the shampoo to use on Steve as his conditioner sat. Steve ended up sitting on the bench for Eddie to see to his hair, and he leaned his head into Eddie’s abs, running his hands up and down the other man’s hips and thighs.

            “If you’re still sure, yes. I want to Mate and Claim you. You will Shift right with the Claiming bite, enough at least at first to be able to bite me too. I will help you through your Shift.” Steve sighed as Eddie rinsed out his hair and massaged the conditioner in, then leaned back into the spray and rinsed his own hair from the conditioner.

            Eddie leaned back in with a soft, sweet kiss, “There’s nothing more I want right now than to be yours,” in a breathy, sultry voice that shot right to Steve’s cock, making it twitch in anticipation. They quickly finished cleaning up, then exited the shower drying each other with large, fluffy towels warm from the heated towel rack. Eddie sighed, “You’re spoiling me Stevie!”

            Steve hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Eddie’s head as they stood facing the mirror. “That’s my job sweetheart. To love you, protect you, and spoil you. And you spoil me too, with your love, affection, and attention.”

            Eddie turned in his arms to face him, bringing both hands up to cup his cheeks, “How did I get so lucky?” he asked with tears in his eyes. Steve shook his head, “No darling. I am the lucky one.” With that, he picked his Mate up and carried him into the bedroom and laid him down, moving away to start the fire in the fireplace, light candles around the room and dimming the lights, and playing a romantic playlist he had curated for this occasion. As the first strains of Etta James’ ‘At Last’ played, he moved back over to the bed, laying next to Eddie and caressing his torso, while gently kissing him, trying to put all of his feelings into the kiss. Eddie kissed him back with abandon, turning slightly to snake his leg out from the towel still around his waist to wrap around Steve’s lower body seeking as much skin on skin contact as possible as Steve had already shed his towel, his perfect body on display.

            Soon enough their touches became heated, almost feverish, hands roaming everywhere exploring, knowing they didn’t need to hold back this time and wanting to sear this experience in their minds. It was not just special, but life altering for the both of them. Eddie had thought he’d be nervous, but all he could think about was being with his Stevie, forever.

            Steve worked hard to make sure that Eddie was almost out of his mind with pleasure. He wanted this to be the best orgasm either of them ever had, wanted their Mating to be special, their Claiming to live up to their expectations. He took his time and prepped Eddie to make love, to make sure there was only pleasure and no pain. From Eddie’s moans as he worked his cock and continued his ministrations getting him ready, he seemed to be on the right track. When he finally felt it was time, he lined himself up and looked Eddie in the eyes, “Are you ready my love?” He touched the side of Eddie’s neck, “This is where you’ll wear my Mark. And you’ll do the same for me.”

            “I’m ready, please Steve, make me yours!” Eddie moaned. Steve kissed him with all the passion inside him as he started to slowly push forward, he saw stars for a moment as he entered Eddie’s tight, hot body. He continued to move slowly, letting Eddie adjust, as he knew he was probably larger than Eddie had ever experienced. For his part, Eddie felt that he was being split in half, but in the most intense and wonderful way. He couldn’t help but moan and keen in absolute bliss. When Steve was finally fully seated, Eddie linked his ankles around him and pulled him flush with his body. He could feel Steve shudder, “Move Stevie, you can move.” Steve kissed him again and starting to thrust in and out, finding a consistent motion and Eddie thought, ‘he was right, he does have rhythm,” before all thoughts were pushed out of his head replaced by utter bliss. Each thrust, each motion, brought Steve up against his prostate jolting him and building inside him an orgasmic feeling stronger than any other he had felt before.

            Steve for his part, was trying to last as long as could to make this a memorable experience, but the fact that this was his Fated Mate he was going to Claim, and how tight and beautiful Eddie was, he felt himself hurtling towards the edge. He was trying his hardest to time them to finish at the same time, and he could feel himself so close, “Eddie, I’m close. Wanna, wanna come together. Are you close?”

            “Yes, baby. So close. So good.” Eddie looked up at Steve with absolute love and adoration in his eyes. Steve continued moving, rocking into Eddie, loving Eddie, holding him close as the other man’s breathing became faster, more shallow, small sexy whines accenting it all.  With a last thrust shoving them both over into their orgasms, Steve Shifted his teeth and set them against Eddie’s neck, and at the height of his orgasm, while Eddie was also still coming, he sank his teeth into his love, Marking him as his Mate. Claiming him for his whole life, for his forever.

            As Eddie felt the Claiming Bite, his body felt warmer than he had ever felt before. A tingling in his gums, was the first feeling that he was Shifting. He remembered that Steve had said to trust and follow his instincts. His instincts were telling him to sink his teeth into Steve’s neck the way Steve had just done. He felt euphoric, tasting Steve on his tongue was a revelation. He removed his teeth and licked the essence of Steve from his lips, as they both came down from their clouds of pleasure. Holding each other tightly, feeling their connection lock into place.

            “Eddie, are you okay?” Steve wanted to make sure he was still with him, not too overwhelmed.

            Eddie ran his hands through Steve’s hair, “Better than okay, baby. Better than okay.”

            “Good, because we probably only have about a minute before you start to Shift. We should get ready.” Steve pulled Eddie off of the bed and to the middle of the room.

            Eddie stood on wobbly legs. “Is it going to hurt?”

            “No, it won’t hurt. It will feel tingly at first. The first Shift is involuntary, but later I will help you learn to control it. To turn back, you literally just think about being human again. Do you want me to Shift with you? Or stay human?”

            “Can you be human until I Shift and then Shift after?” Eddie looked a little nervous now.

            Steve wrapped him in a hug. “Of course! My wolf can’t wait to meet your wolf. You know, they’re Mates too.”

            Suddenly Eddie’s eyes went wide and Steve knew it was starting. “It’s okay baby, just let it happen, let it flow.”

            Gulping Eddie nodded as he closed his eyes and just tried to relax and let whatever was going to happen, happen. He felt the tingling increasing with intensity, and then almost a full body shake, and when he opened his eyes, he was looking up at Steve from a much lower perspective than usual. He looked down and saw he had paws and ran his tongue over his new fangs.

            Steve was breathless when Eddie Shifted. He didn’t think he had ever seen a more beautiful wolf. He was larger than the average Beta wolf, although still smaller than Steve’s wolf. His fur was a lustrous midnight blue/ black and soft to the touch when Steve stroked his head. Eddie let out a small whine and leaned into the touch. And Steve was at a loss for words when he looked into his eyes. Whereas Steve’s eyes were a warm gold when Shifted, Eddie’s were a sparkling silver. It looked like the stars themselves were captured for his eyes. “You’re mesmerizing my love,” he whispered. “Would you like me to Shift now?” Eddie huffed and nodded his head.

            Stepping back, Steve called his wolf and Shifted in an instant. As soon as his wolf came forward, he moved to Eddie and nuzzled the smaller wolf, scenting him and bringing him as close as possible. Showing his devotion and promise to protect his Mate. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Steve Shifted back to human. “Eddie, just think about being human again and you can Shift back. Then you can try on your Lycan form.”

            Eddie closed his eyes, thought about Shifting to human, and was elated when he opened them and he was back to being Eddie the Human. “Oh my God, Steve! That was amazing! I can’t wait to show our Pack!” He started giggling at the thought of Dustin’s face when he saw him Shift for the first time.

            With a big kiss, Steve grabbed him a big hug, “You did so well sweetheart! Your wolf is magnificent! Are you ready for your Lycan form?”

            “I think so, will it feel like Shifting to my wolf?” Eddie looked a little nervous, the Lycan was so much more than the wolf.

            Steve nodded, “Should feel about the same. You’ll feel a little off balance at first maybe because of the increased muscle mass and being so much taller, but we’ll work to get you comfortable and in fighting form soon enough.”

            Eddie stepped away and called his Lycan form, this time he kept his eyes open and was shocked at the sudden realization he was standing a good foot taller than normal. He looked at his hands that were now the size of dinner plates and tipped in razor sharp claws. His fur was the same midnight blue/ black, but longer and silkier. He touched his head and felt that the fur was a bit longer like a mane and had some wave to it like his natural curls. Steve made a noise, and he could feel his ears twitch in that direction. His senses were starting to come alive. He looked at Steve who now was also in his Lycan form, standing about six inches taller than Eddie. He, again, came up to Eddie to be near him. He reached for the Beta, and wrapped his arms around him, stroking his mane, and scenting him in this form too. After a while, Steve Shifted back and encouraged Eddie to do the same. “You were just as beautiful in that form Eddie, so gorgeous, my Mate.” He kissed him deeply and led him back to the bed. “You can stay here, nice and warm for a minute. I am going to call down to the kitchen to order us some dinner, as we missed out on eating with everyone.”

            “I guess we were a little busy, weren’t we?” Eddie remarked cheekily. “Yeah, we were my sweet Mate.” Steve kissed Eddie’s forehead sweetly, “I can’t believe I finally get to call you my Mate. I love you.”

            “I love you too.” Eddie snuggled back into the plush covers and waited for the food to arrive. Once it came and they ate, they shared a sweet bubble bath and then they cuddled into each other’s arms and slept peacefully through the night.  Steve knew the morning and less pleasant things were on the horizon, but for now, he got to bask in the afterglow of their Mating, and he was going to enjoy it.

Chapter Text

Eddie hadn’t really thought about what it would be like when he woke up his first morning as a Shifter. It was like he had been living his life slightly out of focus, but now everything was in 8k Ultra High Definition. Colors were brighter, sounds were crisper, and he could smell things he never did before. He never thought of marble having a smell, but it did; it was the smell of a cold cave. When Steve woke him up with languorous kisses, all he wanted to do was lay in bed with his Mate all day and explore their bond. But no, they are up, showered and dressed to go handle the fallout from what happened yesterday.

            Steve turned away from the full-length mirror in their room where he was finishing getting ready. He looked delicious in slim fit navy slacks, a light blue and white stripped dress shirt with French cuffs, and a suit vest buttoned up with a pocket watch. Eddie salivated as Steve rolled his sleeves up to his forearms and fastened his watch on his wrist. “It really pisses me off that I have to spend our first day Mated with my asshole father and dealing with his betrayal. I am so sorry Eddie.”

            Eddie paused buttoning his own leather vest over a blood red button up and black skinny jeans. This outfit was one of the ones they bought for after the Shift that was a few sizes bigger than he used to need as Steve was right, he woke up and had grown, everywhere. He’s still not as tall or as big as Steve, but he’s a couple inches taller, his chest and back are broader, and his legs are more defined. He was still getting used to seeing the world from a different angle. “I know baby, it’s not your fault. Let’s deal with this shit and get back to our regularly scheduled programming.”

Steve laughed brightly and scooped his Mate up giving him a firm kiss. “Eds, have I told you I love you?”

“A fair few times, Alpha. But I will never say no to hearing it again.” Eddie gave him a cheeky smile that earned him another kiss.

Walking the halls of the Pack House was a bit overwhelming for Eddie to say the least. The scents that were vying for his attention were making him a bit crazy. Steve had scented a handkerchief for him that he could hold to his nose once it became too much. They made their way to the Pack Office, having already had breakfast sent up to the room. Steve paused with his hand on the knob to give Eddie a reassuring nod before he schooled his features into a blank look.  He took a breath and opened the door ready to just get this dealt with.

Eddie walked in behind his Mate and took in the scene before him. The man that he assumed to be Steve’s dad was seated in a chair, cuffed to the armrest. He didn’t really look like Steve or Al; he favored Em more in coloring. He had a slight build, pale skin, mousey brown hair, and green eyes that were narrowed in contempt even in his precarious situation. He was sporting a black eye that shows he tried to fight the summons to come to the Pack House. His suit was rumpled and creased, tie askew, and there were blood drops on the collar below an injection point in his neck. Eddie figured that was how he got him to comply, they had to sedate him. The smell coming from the man was acrid, like burning hair, and Eddie had to hold his handkerchief to his nose to dull the scent.

            Richard Harrington looked at Steve, eyes homed in on the Mating Mark on his neck, then swung to Eddie where he spotted the same. He tried to brave his way through, but his scent shifted terrified. He knew they knew what he had done. No one had discussed anything with him, preferring to subdue him and bring him in. He had just woken minutes before Steve and Eddie arrived. He tried to sneer, “So, son. Finally found a bitch, huh?” That was the wrong thing to say. Steve’s eyes narrowed, scent going furious/ dangerous.

            Al was the one to respond, “Richard, if you value your life, you need to shut up.” He knew his son was just trying to use false bravado to get under Steve’s skin, but he had faith in Steve to hold it together long enough to deal with what needed to be done. Steve guided Eddie to the small loveseat along the wall on the right side of the room where they sat together as a united front against his father, Steve’s arm around Eddie pumping out calming pheromones as he felt Eddie getting overwhelmed by his father’s scent.

            Picking up some papers, Al rounded the desk to stand near Steve. He handed them to his grandson to read. It was Marcus’ statement admitting to the plan for the Challenge both for position and Mate. It detailed how Richard had influenced him in the Challenge for the past few months, and how when Marcus told him about Eddie he added in the Challenge for the Unmated Shifter. Steve put effort in to control his scent to not give anything away as he read in black and white about his father’s ultimate betrayal, his hands shaking with the strain to not simply rip the man’s head from his shoulders. He stood, towering over his father, letting his eyes shift crimson, “You not only conspired with another Shifter to Challenge me for my position in the Pack, but to try and take my Fated Mate from me. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you where you sit.” The last sentence was a guttural growl from his chest which gave Eddie goosebumps all over his body. He knew he shouldn’t find it hot, but damn if he didn’t. The barest scent of arousal floated in the room, causing Steve’s head to whip around to him, while Al did his best not to smile. All Eddie could do was shrug and think of things other than his Mate getting growly and protective, of him and the Pack.

            Richard made an almost whimpering sound when Steve’s crimson eyes found him again. “Your Fated Mate? I-I didn’t know.” He looked almost apologetic in his terror. He had never seen this side of Steve, having left him before his son started displaying his true Alpha protectiveness. Another Shifter that was standing towards the corner of the room cleared his throat. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair, dressed in business casual clothes, and holding a carved wooden box. Al looked at the man with kindness, “Thank you Jeremiah. Can you set the tools up and we will see if Steve has need of them.” With that the Beta started to unpack the items from the box onto Al’s side table near the fireplace. He then started a fire getting it nice and hot. When Richard saw the items being pulled from the box he shrank down in his seat, pumping out despair into the room which made everyone but Steve recoil.

            Voice even, eyes narrowed, Steve rounded on his Father. “For the act of betrayal of your Pack that would be enough for banishment from the Pack and its lands. But you took it further, conspiring against your only son, being petty and vindictive against me for the crime of being born what you weren’t, an Alpha. Your cowardice robbed me of the guidance and development I should have had from my parents, robbed me of a loving relationship with my mother. For that there is no forgiveness. Grandfather, please read the punishment, and father be glad I am not taking your head.” With that Steve stepped back next to Eddie still seated and laid a protective hand on his Mate’s shoulder.

            Al cleared his throat. “As Primus Alpha, I hereby impose the following punishments for your crimes against the Pack, the future Primus Alpha, and his Mate. You are banished from the Pack and all Pack Lands. You are Wolf’s Head, outlaw, to be killed on sight if you breach our borders. You relinquish any and all claims on property or assets originating from the Pack. If you yourself have not earned it, it is no longer yours. This includes the real estate company and its subsidiaries as they were started with Pack funds. Additionally, you are to be Marked as Wolf’s Head so all other Packs know your status. If another Pack wishes to take you in, so be it, but they will no longer be welcome with us. And they will know that.” This whole time, Richard looked like he was about to combust with how red his face was getting, “You can’t do that! What are we supposed to do?”

            Now Steve looked with contempt at the man who was supposed to love him, “I don’t know dad, get a job?” Just then, Jeremiah stepped back from the table where he been setting up, and Eddie noticed that there was an iron branding tool heating in the fireplace. Al got a blank look on his face for a moment, and two large burly men came into the office. Eddie got the idea he had just seen the man Mind Link. It was something he and Steve hadn’t gotten to try yet, but he was definitely curious. The men came to either side of Richard and held him down while exposing the side of his neck. Steve gave Eddie’s shoulder another squeeze, looking at him with sorrow but determination before moving forward to grab the iron brand. As he pulled it out, Eddie could see that the brand was red hot and in the shape of a Full Moon broken in two like a broken heart.

            In that moment Eddie realized what was going to happen and he felt sadness for Steve that this is what it had come to. He felt nothing for Richard though who had brought this on himself. He watched Steve take a steadying breath, knowing his Mate did not really want to have to hurt anyone like this but knowing it was necessary. One of the men moved aside while still ensuring Richard didn’t move. Steve scruffed his father by the back of his neck with one hand and applied the sizzling brand to the side of his throat branding him a traitor.

Chapter Text

After Steve’s dad was taken away, presumably to never be seen again, Steve took Eddie on a tour of the compound. He figured his grandfather could take care of the particulars; he was newly mated after all. The first place Steve showed Eddie was the massive library. It looked like something out of Beauty and the Beast; four stories tall, soaring shelves, ladders to reach the top, armchairs everywhere, and a giant fireplace. There were also plenty of desks wired with outlets and charging ports to accommodate modern methods of research. Steve watched with fond amusement as Eddie stood gape mouthed and took it in. “This is the largest Pack library in the world, and the largest private library in the U.S. There is a whole section on Shifters, so if you want to check anything out to read up on your new life, you can. If we take them home, we can just overnight them back when you’re done.”

            Eddie looked at him with shining eyes, and Steve could feel the wonder through the bond, “This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

            “As far as you’re concerned, this isn’t even the best part. Come with me.” Steve grabbed Eddie’s hand and made his way to a closed door to the right of the room. “Now, I had this room re-fitted when you agreed to be my Mate. If there is anything you want changed, let me know. And if you like it, we can do the same thing in the basement at home.” Eddie was curious what could possibly be behind the door. Steve opened the door and motioned for Eddie to enter.

            “Oh my God, Stevie! This is amazing!” Eddie thought nothing could beat the library, but this room was beyond anything he could have dreamed up. It was a fully equipped Dungeons & Dragons room. The walls were painted to resemble stone walls of a castle, with tapestries, family crests, and coats of arms displayed. On the far side of the room was another large fireplace with the Harrington and Munson family crests hung above the mantle, and a large shield with nails hammered through it and a nail bat resting on the mantle. Eddie knew they were replicas of the ones they had taken to the Upside Down because the real ones were at home, but it made him tear up just the same to see the tools they used to save the world proudly displayed. The middle of the room boasted a huge gaming table with the center sunken in, LED touchscreens, lights, and cubbies for all of the accessories. There was even a plush “throne” for the Dungeon Master. Along the side of the room were overstuffed blood red leather couches and armchairs. In the corner was a small kitchenette for snacks during the game.

            Steve looked at Eddie with love written all over his face, “Do you like it?”

            “Do I like it? This is amazing!” Eddie whirled and jumped into his arms, wrapping his legs around his waist, and kissing him soundly in his excitement. Steve strode further into the room, settling on one of the couches, keeping Eddie in place straddling him. They continued kissing  with Steve running his hands up and down his Mate’s back, he knows they should stop as they’re both starting to have a big problem, but it feels so good to finally be Mated he can’t find it in him to stop. The door opening, makes the decision for him and they startle apart, “Don’t stop on my account!” a male voice laughs.

            “Jonah!” Steve lifts Eddie up as he stands and keeps an arm around his shoulder for a moment, before moving forward to greet the newcomer. They give each other a “bro hug”, and Steve turns back to motion Eddie closer. “Eddie, this is Jonah. He’s a good friend of mine and my sparring partner when I train on my trips back. Jonah, this is my Fated Mate, Eddie.” Steve was beaming with pride as Eddie reached forward to shake the other Alpha’s hand.

            Jonah shook his hand enthusiastically. “It’s so good to meet you! Steve told me about the two of you and I’ve been waiting for a chance to get to know you. Congratulations you two. Sorry you had to deal with Marcus though. That was a bit shit.”

            Eddie had a tentative smile on his face when he first shook Jonah’s hand, but the enthusiasm of the other man was infectious and the smile on his broad open face was genuine. Eddie gave him a warm grin, “Thank you. It’s been great meeting this side of Steve’s life. Mess with Marcus notwithstanding.”

            “And my father. That’s a shitshow.” Steve motioned for his friend to sit in an armchair near the couch they had been sitting on, and the shorter man ran his hand through his short sandy curls and had a concerned look on his face.

            “Richard? What has that waste of fur done now?” Jonah sighed, already sounding over whatever Richard Harrington had done.

            Steve rubbed his hand down his face, “Not much unless treason and betrayal of one’s Alpha and Pack mean anything to you.”

            “Wait, what? What the fuck did he do?” Jonah’s eyes were as big as dinner plates.

            Eddie grabbed Steve’s hand as he could feel the fury start to build up again, and his scent was going burnt at the edges. It helped as Steve started to pull it back a bit. “Well, found out that he was the one to encourage Marcus to not only challenge me for my position, but when he found out about Eddie…”

            “Holy shit, that absolute wanker! He tried to take your Fated Mate from you?” Jonah was looking about as furious as Steve had felt. Jonah always had Steve’s back and Steve could tell he was livid by the fact that the slight British accent he carried from his childhood started to become more prominent.

            “Yeah, he claimed to not know that we are Fated, but I don’t know if I believe him. Not that it matters anyway.” Steve sighed, thinking of the fact that his own flesh and blood could act in such a way.

            Jonah pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was getting a headache, “What are you going to do with him?”

            “It’s already been done. He’s a Wolf’s Head.” He sighed and a hint of guilt and despair came through the bond, “Had to brand him myself.” Eddie had never heard Steve sound so despondent. He knew Steve had done what was necessary, but it didn’t mean the Alpha had to like it.

            He rubbed Steve’s arm to reassure him, and Jonah got over his shock enough to say, “Hey man, it’s not your fault. He knew what he was doing. What he was risking. You did what you had to do according to our laws. Hell, in other Packs they would have taken his head for this.”

            “I know. It’s just, he failed me in every way a father can fail a Shifter, short of actually physically harming me, but he’s still my dad. It’s hard to sever that, but I need to if we’re going to be happy.” Steve took a deep breath and packed all of those emotions away for the moment. “I still need to show Eddie the rest of the grounds, why don’t you and Shelly join us and Gramps and Gran for dinner tonight?”

            “Yeah, that sounds good!” They all stood, and Jonah clapped Steve on the back and shook Eddie’s hand again, “It was so good to meet you, Eddie! I feel like we’re going to get along really well, and I think you and Shelly will get along like a house on fire.” They walked him to the door with more goodbyes. When he was gone, Eddie leaned in and asked, “Stevie, are you okay?”

            Knowing he needed to be honest with his Mate, “Not completely, not yet. But I will be. With you by my side, how could I not be?” With a sweet kiss they left the DnD room to continue their tour.

            After having lunch in the large dining room, and showing Eddie the theater room, communal living spaces, and the large closed in sun porch, Steve led Eddie outside to walk the grounds. Soon they ended up following the creek they can see from their room window. Walking hand in hand through the trees, Eddie is amazed at all the new scents. The rich earthy scent of the soil, the green mossy scent, the hardy woody scent of the trees, the fresh clean scent of the creek rushing by. He can also smell various small animals around him, a rabbit, a couple of squirrels, who all know better than to come close to the Shifters. As they climb the hill, the trees thin and Eddie looks down into a small valley with a clear blue lake surrounded by fields of springtime wildflowers blooming in soft colors.

            By the shore of the lake Steve turned to Eddie, “Close your eyes, and take a deep breath through your nose. Tell me what you smell.”

            Eddie closed his eyes to comply, “I smell the soil, the trees, the water, some small animals, and of course the flowers. Mostly daisies and some buttercups.”

            Eddie suddenly felt Steve’s hands on either side of his face, felt his breath on his lips, all his senses caught up in his Mate. “Now what do you smell Eds?”

            In a breathless whisper, “Home.” and was overwhelmed by Steve kissing him senseless, like he was a starving man and Eddie was a buffet. Like he couldn’t get enough.

            Steve laid them down on the soft ground cover, under the dense trees, kissing him, hands roaming, memorizing the feel of his Mate’s body. He lavished attention on the new Mark on Eddie’s neck, the other man keening with the wave of pleasure released, overwhelmed by the pheromones of his aroused Alpha. The men separated enough for Steve to remove both of their clothes, laying them aside and taking a moment to appreciate Eddie laid out on the mossy turf, looking like someone out of a fairy tale. Leaning down, he traced the tattoo on his collarbone with his tongue, sucking the skin and lightly nipping here and there loving the little whimpers the actions drew. He made his way down his Mate’s torso to his sensitive nipples, licking them and nibbling to draw them tight causing Eddie to bow up into him, chasing the sensation when he pulled away. His hands gripped Eddie’s hips to hold him still as he kissed his way down his happy trail, marveling at how soft his skin was. Finally settling between his legs, he peppered small kisses and love bites at the crease between his groin and his thighs, loving the sounds coming from the other man. A particularly loud sound from when he sucked his balls in his mouth made Steve moan and precum start to leak from his own cock. Eddie’s hands tangled in his hair, hips jerking upward, and Steve finally gave in and put his mouth where his Mate was desperate for it to be. He licked him from taint to tip, before taking the head between his lips and licking it all around, swirling his tongue into the slit, reveling in the salty taste of his Mate. When that got a positive response, he lowered himself slowly, taking more and more of the shaft until the tip hit the back of his throat and his forehead was pressed to the wiry curls at Eddie’s base. He stayed there, not moving for a few moments, getting used to his Mate’s increased length and girth. Slowly he started to move up and down, sucking gently and swirling his tongue around the shaft.

            As Steve was working magic with his mouth, Eddie was slowly losing his mind with all of the new sensations filling his senses. The strength in the hands gripping his thighs, the feel of the silky soft hair in his grip as his Mate pleasured him, the scent of the forest earthy and clean competing with the intoxicating scent of Steve’s overwhelming arousal. Not for the first time, Eddie felt like pinching himself, how was this his life? A bullied queer kid from the trailer park, recently accused of multiple murders he didn’t commit; now he was a Shifter, Mated not just to one of the most powerful Alphas in the world, but his high school crush, Steve Harrington himself. And more than that, they were in love. His Mate, his Alpha, was currently between his legs, pleasuring him like there was nowhere else he’d rather be, and Eddie was over the moon with it.

            Steve brought Eddie to the brink before moving away, eliciting a whimper from his Mate. “Shhh, it’s okay,” he soothed as he searched through his pockets. Finding the small packet of lube, he returned to his love, to begin to prep him, Eddie enthusiastically bucking into his fingers. When he was sufficiently prepped, Steve eased himself into what had become his favorite place in the world. Not only did it feel wonderful, physically, but being connected to Eddie was comfort, and safety, and love like he had never experienced. Like Eddie had said, home. As Steve rocked into his Mate, finding a rhythm that was stealing their breath, he heard Eddie in his head for the first time,

            My Mate, my love. Mine, mine, mine. I love you, Stevie.

            Yes, Eddie my love, my Mate. Yours, only yours. I love you Eds.

The emotions shared through their Mind Link pushed both men over the edge, shouting their completion and love for the whole forest to hear. And, as they lay there, in each other’s arms, they knew there was nowhere else they’d rather be.

Chapter Text

That night the newly Mated pair joined Al and Emelia and Jonah and his Mate Shelly for dinner in the dining hall. As they made their way to the table at the front of the room reserved for the Alpha Primus and his guests, they felt the weight of the stares of the Pack. Steve held Eddie’s hand in his, giving supportive squeezes, “They’re just curious sweetheart,” he whispered, “most of them have only seen you during the meeting and the Challenge. You’re my Mate and will help me lead one day, it’s natural for them to be interested in knowing about you.”

            Eddie gave him a small smile, “I know. I guess everything with Marcus and your father has me on edge. I know all Shifters aren’t like them, that there are shitty people everywhere. I’ll get used to it though.”

            They finally made it to the table after Steve having to stop and greet a few Shifters and properly introduce Eddie to them. When they got to their seats, the other four were already seated and had their drinks. Eddie was sitting between Steve and Emelia and was glad. She helped him feel at ease. Before long, he was in a conversation with Emelia and Shelly about his new senses and how it felt to Shift for the first time. Both of the women had Shifted much younger and had known they were Shifters their whole lives, so it was a vastly different experience to Eddie’s.

            Steve was deep in conversation with Al and Jonah about everything that happened with his father and Marcus. While he seemed outwardly calm, Eddie could feel his Mate’s anxiety through their bond. He decided to see if he could give off calming pheromones like Steve did. When he saw the Alpha’s eyes go slightly unfocused, he realized he may have overdone it. He stopped and leaned away from Steve to give him space, but before he could move far Steve reached out and wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and held him in place. “Thank you, baby. That helped,” and placed a peck on his cheek. Everyone else decided to act like it hadn’t happened.

            Eddie found himself having a great time with everyone but had to stifle a few yawns over dessert. By his fourth yawn, Steve took his hand, kissing his knuckles, “I need to get Sleeping Beauty to bed. Have a good night, everyone.” They all said their good nights and the couple made their way back to their room. While Eddie was showering Steve decided to start a fire in the fireplace and bring blankets, cushions, and pillows to the plush rug in front of the fire. He just wanted to cuddle his Mate after a long few days. Once he was done setting up, he joined Eddie in the shower, luxuriating in the freedom to take care of him. He washed his back for him and shampooed his long curly hair. As he was waiting for the conditioner to set in Eddie’s hair, he wrapped his arms around the shorter man and just held him, taking in his scent. They both finished getting clean and dried off before heading to the bedroom. Eddie made to go to the bed, but Steve tugged him towards the plush pile in front of the fireplace.  Clapping his hands in delight, Eddie gave him a sweet kiss before they collapsed into their little love nest.

            They laid holding each other close, basking in the glow of each other and the firelight eventually dozing off without thoughts of the outside world to bother them.

***

            The rest of the week was a whirlwind of meeting with other Shifters, Steve working with Eddie to become more and more comfortable with shifting and fighting in all forms, and just spending time together and with Steve’s grandparents. By the end of the week though, both men were getting antsy.

            “Eds, I think we need to get back to Hawkins tomorrow. I’ve never been away from the Pack and my territory this long. I know we talked to everyone at home, and everything is good, but I have this nagging need to get back and make sure for myself.”

            “Oh, thank God! I thought it was just me. The last few days it’s been like an itch I can’t scratch to get home. And I never thought I would be anxious to get back to Hawkins, that’s for sure.” Eddie looked relieved to be able to talk about it.

            Steve looked thoughtful, “Well, it makes sense since the Pack is as much yours as mine now, the same with the territory. But I do feel bad if I’ve trapped you into living somewhere you hate.” He looked down, feeling a bit unsure. “Maybe once the kids leave for college, we can find somewhere else too?” He didn’t really want to give up his territory, but for Eddie he would. It couldn’t be too far from the main Pack, but if Eddie hated Hawkins, they could find another area nearby, or just finally move to Illinois like his grandparents have always wanted.

            “No, my love, it’s different now. Who I am, who we are is different. I want to stay and make it better. It’s our territory, we get to shape it. I won’t let any small-town bigots run us out.” He gave his Mate a tight hug, hoping to convey his sincerity.

            Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Steve nodded into the crook of Eddie’s neck. “Thank you. Let’s go tell Gramps and Gran.”

            Knuckles ready to knock on the office door, Steve paused when he heard voices inside. He knocked anyway and went inside when his Gran told him, “Come in.”

            His Gramps was on the phone, but quickly finished his call. “Good afternoon boys!”

            Giving his grandparents hugs, followed by Eddie giving them his own hugs, they all sat in the sitting area. He could tell they were Mind Linking and waited for them to finish. “As much as we love being here, we need to get back home.”

            Emelia sighed, “We know. We were just talking about it. You will both be missed.”

            “Yes, you will. We’ve loved getting to know you Eddie, you make our Steve so happy and it’s a blessing to have you as part of our Pack. I know there’s been a lot of drama, but I hope that won’t scare you away from coming back.” Al looked Eddie in the eyes to show his sincerity.

            Eddie’s smile said it all. “I have felt such a wonderful sense of family and acceptance here, there is no way you could scare me off. In fact, you may regret welcoming me given that you’re now stuck with me!” They all laughed.

            Tucking Eddie into his side, Steve reassured his grandparents, “I am planning on bringing Eddie for every visit. I also want to bring my Pack to the summer convention if that’s okay?”

            “Absolutely! That would be wonderful, dear! Why don’t we have dinner in our private quarters tonight as a sendoff. We can invite Jonah and Shelly if you like.” Emelia was happy the two younger couples had seemed to hit it off.

            “That would be great, thanks Gran!” and with a kiss on her cheek and a goodbye to Al, the young men headed off to walk the grounds one last time before they left.

            Dinner that night was a joyful occasion full of laughter and fun. Eddie and Shelly got along together like they had known each other their entire lives. They traded numbers and promised to stay in touch, which wouldn’t be hard since Jonah was Steve’s best friend in the Pack and would be his right hand when he succeeded his grandfather. After a wonderful dinner of chicken pot pie with a spice cake for dessert all cooked by Emelia Steve and Eddie say their goodbyes as they had an early start the next day, wanting to get back to Hawkins by the afternoon.

            The drive back to Hawkins was uneventful as they snacked, listened to the road trip playlist, and talked about plans for the future. It was when they were talking about the summer Pack convention that Eddie looked the most thoughtful. “Hey, Beautiful Boy? What’s on your mind?” Steve noticed that Eddie seemed like he was thinking about something but hesitating to bring it up.

            “Well, I was thinking about how there is the Pack Performance Guild, it was mentioned at that Pack Meeting before all hell broke loose. Do you think I could join it? The guys from Corroded Coffin are all pretty much gone from Hawkins now, and I’d like to play again.” Eddie looked hopeful.

            “Of course, you can join it! That would be amazing. We can email the president of the Guild when we get home.” Steve sent him a proud smile.

            “I was also thinking, I know Mike has been learning to play the guitar and I told him I’d help him, and Robin already has musical aptitude, and I’m pretty sure Will would be able to learn an instrument too. Do you think all of us could start a band of our own and play at the Convention this summer?”

            “Hell yeah you could! Maybe ask the other kids too and see if anyone else wants in? You guys have until August so I think you could get a couple songs together for sure.” That earned him a big kiss on the cheek from a very excited Mate.

            The rest of the drive Eddie talked excitedly about getting the band together and what songs they could cover that the Pack would like. Steve was just so happy to see Eddie practically sparkling with excitement. Everything seemed to be settling in so nicely, until they pulled up to their house. Immediately both Shifters knew someone had been in their den. Someone wasn’t Pack. Someone who was still there.

Chapter Text

Steve parked the car in the driveway, cautiously scenting the air. He didn’t recognize the scents of the Shifters, so they weren’t Pack, but there was something familiar about them. He was trying to keep his head at the fact that his territory had been invaded, Eddie being with him was helping him not Shift right there in the front yard in full view of the neighbors. All he knew was that they sure as hell weren’t waltzing in the front door. Luckily, like all Shifters, he had a hidden entrance. His happened to be an underground tunnel from his pool house to his basement. The trapdoor in the pool house was hidden under the rug beneath the sofa, and the exit into the basement was what looked like a utility door in the room that housed the furnace unit. He held Eddie’s hand close through their journey into the house. Once they reached the basement, they Shifted into their Lycans. He knew the other Shifters would scent them, but hopefully they wouldn’t know exactly where they were coming from so they could get the drop on the intruders. He couldn’t imagine who it could be. It wasn’t his father or Marcus, that’s for sure, but maybe they had hired Rogues to assassinate him and his Mate. He wasn’t taking a chance, not with Eddie, that’s for damn sure!

            As they moved to the stairs leading to the kitchen, Eddie shot Steve a nervous look, and Steve worked hard to change his scent to one of confidenceprotect rather than ragefuryanger. Getting closer to the intruders he couldn’t help but have the nagging feeling of familiarity of their scents getting stronger and he was irritated he couldn’t pinpoint why. At least now he could tell there were two of them, one male and one female. It seemed that they were in the living room, and not Shifted. They finally made it through the kitchen door with Eddie behind him so he could remain between him and the unknown Shifters, and they were crossing the floor when Steve crouched ready to pounce on the Shifter male in front of him with his back to him and his Mate. Suddenly the man whirled around and pinned him with a look that stopped him in his tracks; he had the same deep brown eyes as his Mate! It was then that it clicked, the Shifters in their den smelled familiar because they were Eddie’s family.

            When the male saw that Steve realized they were family, he held both hands up in front of him in pseudo surrender after waving his companion forward. Steve took a moment to Mind Link with Eddie, ‘Eddie, they smell like you. Like family. Any idea who they are?’

            ‘No idea babe. As far as I know, Wayne is my only family. Mom died when I was a baby, and Dad died in jail when I was 14, that’s why I lived with Wayne.’

              Steve squeezed his hand and Mind Linked that it seemed safe for them to Shift to human. They took a moment to Shift. Steve let a bit of a growl into his voice, still not knowing why two Shifters thought it was a good idea to enter their den without introductions or an invitation. There has been blood shed for much less. “Who are you? And why are you in our den?”

            The female Shifter, who looked to be in about her 40’s, drew herself up to her full height of around 5’10”, and pushed back her curly dark hair, Eddie’s hair he thought, “Our apologies for trespassing. We weren’t thinking, only wishing to see you, Eddie, and you weren’t here.” The Beta tilted her head to the side showing her submission to Steve as Alpha and in his territory.

            The male Shifter, looking slightly older than his Mate, (their bites were fully on display), also tilted his head to the side in submission, as even though he was an Alpha, he was in another Alpha’s den without permission. “Yes, our most humble apologies,” they both had a lilting accent Steve couldn’t quite place. “We are Eddie’s grandparents, his Grand Pere and his Grand Mere, Julien and Delphine Broussard. Eddie, your mother Belle was our daughter.”

            Eddie sucked in a breath; he had never known his mother’s parents were still alive. And apparently Shifters? He moved to Steve’s side to get a better look at them. His grandmother was tall, but slender with big green eyes, pale skin, a bright smile she was finally showing, and waist length hair that was identical to his own. They both looked young, but he knew for Shifters that could be deceiving. His grandfather was taller with broad shoulders, black close cropped styled hair, and the same roman nose and wide dark brown eyes Eddie saw every time he looked in the mirror.

            Eddie noticed his grandmother was crying, tears silently streaming down her face as she moved towards him, her eyes cutting over to Steve to ask his permission to hug his Mate. Steve stepped away, letting Eddie make that decision for himself. He felt a bit unsure, but still opened his arms to the older Shifter. When they hugged, he felt a sense of comfort that had come to him from getting to know the Pack. The feeling of belonging together. After a few moments, he felt another pair of arms circle them and realized it was his grandfather. They stayed in their embrace until Eddie pulled away and moved further into the living room to sit on the couch and grabbed Steve’s hand to have him sit next to him. Julien and Delphine took the loveseat opposite, clasping hands.

            “Like we said before, we are truly sorry that we invaded your territory.” And she truly did look remorseful for that major faux pas.

            Steve’s hands were literally still shaking from the adrenaline of repressing his fight reflexes when he scrubbed one down his face in an effort to control himself. “I forgive you, but only because you are Eddie’s family. You will be welcome to visit in the future, but only with our knowledge.”

            “Of course, we just were too excited and desperate that when we got here, and when you weren’t here we didn’t think through our actions.” Delphine looked properly chastened for their lapse in etiquette and judgement, knowing that if Steve were a different kind of Alpha they could have been maimed or killed even if they were his Mate’s long-lost family. Both older Shifters could feel the power thrumming under the young Alpha’s surface.

            Eddie looked at his grandparents confused, “How did you find me? And why now? I never even knew your names let alone that you were still alive.”

            Julien took a deep breath, “When you went through your first Shift, we could feel it. But we had no idea where your father had taken you, we never did know. We didn’t even know if you were alive. We knew you were Suppressed if you were alive, like your mother had been, because we didn’t feel you Shift when you would have. Your mother never Shifted because she chose to be with your father rather than another Shifter, and then she died when you were born, and your father took you away from the hospital in the middle of the night and we never saw you or heard anything about you until we felt your Shift.”

            Delphine jumped in at that point, “We never gave up hope, but we knew that chances of you finding a Shifter Mate were low, so we were happily surprised with your Shift.” She smiled at Steve before continuing the story, “We have a family friend back home in New Orleans, Catherine Laveau, the many times great- granddaughter of the voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, who is an accomplished witch. She was able to do a location spell to try and find you. She was able to home in on where your signature was strongest which was somewhere in Illinois. But the location kept changing as we drove; you must’ve been on your way back. She did another spell to find the signature of where your Pack was and that is how she found this home, so we came here. We thought you’d be here by the time we got here.”

            Eddie gasped, “There are witches? Like real life witches that can do magic?”

            With a tinkling laugh Delphine gave him a fond look, “Cher, you can believe in Shifters and that you are one, but witches are far-fetched?”

            “I guess you’re right. I just never thought of it before. Did you know about witches Steve?”

            Steve shook his head, “No. I just figured Shifters were it. But if there are witches, are there other preternatural species? Like vampires and spirits?”

            Julien was the one who answered this time, “Catherine insists there are spirits, both of people who have passed and spirits who have never been living, but I’ve never seen one. As far as vampires, they are real, but small in numbers, even smaller than Shifters. They have their own rules and hierarchy. You’ll probably never come across one.”

            With a curious look at their Mating Marks, Delphine asked, “How did you two meet?”

            Steve gave the sanitized version of events from Spring Break, “When we found Eddie in the boathouse, he was so frightened he pushed me up against the wall and held a broken bottle to my throat. That was the first time I was able to scent him properly, and I knew.”

            Julien and Delphine looked shocked, “Fated Mates?” Delphine whispered.

            Eddie nodded. “Yes. We had known of each other for years, but never were close enough for Steve to know before that day. And of course, with trying to evade the serial killer on the loose, and then recovering after the earthquake and all, it wasn’t until I got out of the hospital that he even told me.”

            “My local Pack also knows now. I had kept being a Shifter from them until now, but they needed to know. And we are going to Pack bond now that we are back from Illinois.” Steve kissed the back of Eddie’s knuckles.

            “Wait, you have more than one Pack? And you were in Illinois? Is your last name Harrington?” Julien was looking at Steve intensely.

            “Yes. Al Harrington of the Illinois Pack is my Grandfather and Alpha Primus. I am next in line.”

            Delphine and Julien looked at each other, obviously Mind Linking. Delphine took a deep breath, “This is all so strange, Cher, your mother was promised to Steve’s father as Mate by our Alpha Primus at the time, Fabien Boudreaux. It was to secure an alliance. Although, Al Harrington said later that he was under the impression it was a love match as the two had spent time together at the annual convention. It was scheming between Richard and Fabien apparently. We couldn’t defy our Alpha, but we hoped she would find a way out. She ran off with your father instead and we aren’t sure which decision would have ended better. Both men were real pieces of work. We only got to see her right before you were born, she somehow convinced your father to let us come for the birth. She had bruises all along her right side and her face, but she tried to tell us she fell. We were in the process of making plans to get you both home with us when she passed away, and you were taken.” She ended with a sob.

            Steve looked over at Eddie, feeling and scenting his distress, and was alarmed at how pale his Mate looked. They were all shocked at the broken wail he let out as he launched himself over to the loveseat and hugged his grandparents close.

Chapter Text

Wanting to let Eddie have some time with his grandparents, Steve was in the kitchen prepping a dinner for all of them. He had already let the Party Pack group text know they were back, and they’d like to have them all to the house the next night. Everyone was very excited to come over. He wanted to ask Eddie about having his Uncle Wayne come by also, he thought it was past time that Wayne was let in on Shifters and that his nephew was one. There was the added fact that Wayne was automatically part of Eddie’s pack by being part of his family, so he was likewise a member of the Party Pack. If he wanted a bonding bite, he would have the same opportunity.

            As he chopped the veggies for the chicken primavera he was making, thankful they had stopped at the store on their way home, he was making mental plans for giving Max the bonding bite that weekend and spending time with her to accelerate her healing. She could see light and dark, and blurry shapes, but he hoped he could help her get her full sight back. He was pretty sure her arms and legs would heal well, it’s her eyes he wasn’t too sure about. As he continued his prep work, he could hear occasional laughter from the other room, and through his bond with Eddie he could feel his Mate’s contentment. It made his heart swell that Eddie had even more people to love, and that would love him back. It seemed like he had a lot of extended family and another Pack that was waiting to love him too.

            Once dinner was ready to be plated, he called everyone into the dining room where he had set out four place settings and lit some candles for atmosphere. He sat at the head of the table with Eddie to his right and across from Julien with Delphine at his right.

            “This smells wonderful Steve, thank you for inviting us to stay for dinner.” Delphine was truly impressed that the Alpha seemed to be a good cook.

            “You’re very welcome. I am happy to have you both here, but I am not just inviting you for dinner. I would like if you stayed here during your time in Hawkins. We have plenty of space.” Eddie whipped his head to look at Steve with a happy but surprised smile on his face.

            Julien himself looked a little surprised, “Are you certain? We can just as easily stay at the hotel.”

            “I am, certain that is. You are Eddie’s family, my in-laws if you will, and I would love if you were here with him. With us. So, we can all get to know each other. I am also planning on having Wayne come to the Pack get together tomorrow. I am going to tell him about Shifters and, Eddie, I would like you to tell him about you being a Wolf. Then I am going to offer him a bonding bite with the rest of the Pack. He took care of my Mate and made sure he was loved growing up when his father failed him. He is Pack,” Steve said definitively.

            Eddie, not being able to contain himself, rose out of his seat and threw his arms around his Alpha with a happy little sob. “Thank you, Steve! That’s amazing!” He sat back down after Steve gave his waist a little squeeze and pressed a kiss into his hair. “I was hoping we would be able to tell Wayne at some point. I just hope he won’t have an aneurysm or something when he finds out about everything.”

            Delphine reached out and clasped Julien’s hand, “We would also like to meet Wayne. We never did before, your father never even told us he had a brother. It would be nice to meet the man who took care of you when we couldn’t.”

            “You’ll love him Grand Mere! He’s the best. I hope he will take the bonding bite, then I won’t have to worry about him as much.” Eddie looked hopeful and happy.

            The four Shifters talk comfortably through dinner, and then dessert, munching on cookies and sipping on herbal tea. Soon enough it was time for bed, and Steve and Eddie were exhausted from the travel and excitement of the day. They got Julien and Delphine settled in the guest room furthest from their room after the older couple retrieved their things from their rental car they had parked down the street. Steve insisted that they move the car to the driveway. They all said good night, and Steve and Eddie made their way to their room.

            Once the door was closed and locked behind them, Eddie pulled Steve close, “Thank you for letting them stay here. I really want to get to know them.”

            “Of course, they’re your family, so they’re my family now too. Plus, I could scent their sincerity. They are being truthful about everything.” Steve wrapped his arms around his Mate, scenting him and nuzzling his Mating Mark, “I need to take a shower, care to join me?”

            Eddie laughed, “If I ever say no to that question, I want you to take me out back and shoot me, okay?”

            “Deal.” Steve laughed and picked Eddie up as if he weighed nothing and carried him into the bathroom. Eddie stripped as Steve warmed up the water for them, and then stepped over to the Alpha reaching to his belt buckle. He slowly started to undress his Mate who just let him. He unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it over his shoulders and off before returning to his pants. He unbuttoned and unzipped the jeans and slid to his knees as his pushed the pants and boxer briefs down Steve’s long legs. He lifted each leg and pulled them off for him, taking a moment to take in the glory of his Mate; he was all chiseled muscle, soft hair, and arousal waiting for Eddie to feast on. Steve put one hand on his shoulder, guiding him back to standing and led them under the hot water of the shower.  They took a couple of moments to let the hot water cascade over them before they simply couldn’t keep their hands to themselves anymore. Soon Eddie found himself held up against the old tile of the shower by his Mate as his mouth was devoured and he was being pleasured out of his mind. With a bit off shout, he came with his cock being completely untouched, Steve nailing his prostate with each thrust, as Steve followed a moment later. They stayed like that as they caught their breath with the water cascading over them like a waterfall.

            Eddie leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder as he set him down and the Alpha started to clean them up. He had learned that this part, the aftercare, was important for Steve, and he suspected it was due to his nature as an Alpha. Pushing his wet hair out of his face, he whispered into Steve’s ear, “I’ve never had anyone better, love,” and nipped his earlobe.

            He felt Steve shiver before he heard him in his head, with a tinge of jealousy…

                        And you never will, you’re mine.

And with a low growl he set his teeth in Eddie’s Mark and bit down, not enough to break the skin, but enough to remind Eddie who his Mate was; as if he could forget. The bite caused pleasure to shoot straight to his dick and he came again just from that. It was the physical feeling of Steve’s teeth in his neck, and the psychological feeling of knowing this was his Alpha. He thought back…

                        And you’re mine, Alpha.

With a growl of his own he reasserted his own claim by also biting his Mate. While Steve didn’t come again, he did moan low and guttural before he put his hands on Eddie’s shoulders and slowly guided him to his knees, giving him plenty of time to stop. He silently asked for his consent, and Eddie nodded taking his cock as far as he could, wringing another delicious moan from Steve’s lips.

            “Oh God! Eddie! Your lips are magic, I’m not going to last!”

            All Eddie did was increase his movements and start using his hand to stimulate what his mouth couldn’t reach, working Steve to his orgasm with a singlemindedness he rarely gave any other task. All the warning he got that Steve was going to come was a single tap on the top of his head, but he stayed where he was. Soon he felt the heat of his Mate’s release, and he worked to swallow it down, but a bit escaped and dribbled down his chin. He looked up at Steve and stuck out his tongue to lick it clean. Steve knocked his head back, “Eds, you’re going to kill me.”

            Eddie giggled, and stood up to clean himself off, again. They finally got out and dried off, changing into comfy flannel pj pants, staying shirtless, and crawled into bed. Eddie found himself as the little spoon, with Steve’s arms circling his waist, and he couldn’t help the contented little smirk on his face as they both drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

           Waking in the morning, Steve was a bit confused, smelling cooking bacon wafting through his home and seeing Eddie still sleeping next to him. That’s when he remembered that his Mate’s grandparents were staying with them and must have started breakfast. He carefully got out of bed to dress in comfortable sweats and a t-shirt before freshening up in the bathroom and making his way downstairs, the scent of fresh coffee helping to wake him up. When he walked into the kitchen, he saw Delphine frying eggs while Julien was putting slices of bread into the toaster. “Good morning, thank you for making breakfast.” Steve said as he stifled a wide yawn.

            “Morning cher! I am glad you don’t mind us taking over your kitchen, it’s a small way to say thank you.” Delphine’s lilting accent settled something in Steve’s Alpha brain, starting to accept the older Shifters as family. Julien smiled a toothy grin and poured a mug of hot coffee for Steve to doctor up before asking, “Do you think Eddie will be up soon? Or should we wait on making his eggs?”

            “Eddie’s up already grand pere,” the wolf himself answered as he walked down the last few steps. “How could I sleep with the heavenly scent of bacon and coffee in the house and the lack of my Mate next to me?” He paused to give Steve a peck on the cheek before hugging each of his grandparents. Soon enough they were all sitting at the island, digging into the breakfast Delphine had made.

            “These eggs are delicious, Delphine. What did you season them with?” Steve really thought they were probably the best eggs he had ever had.

            “Thank you! I used sea salt, black pepper, and a bit of Cajun seasoning.” The men all hummed appreciatively as they finished their meal.

            They were still finishing their meal when Eddie asked, “What’s the plan for today?”

            Taking a moment to finish swallowing his sip of coffee, Steve answered, having thought the day before how he wanted things to go. “I am going to see Max and Lucas at the hospital and if they are still amenable to the pack bonding bite, I will do that and spend extra time there to help kick start Max’s healing. In the meantime, I thought you could have Wayne over to explain everything and meet your grandparents. You can Mind Link me if you need anything or need me to come home. If all goes well, and I am sure it will because Wayne loves you, he can stay for the Pack Meeting tonight and decide if he wants the bite too.”

            Eddie looked a little apprehensive, “Are you sure I should explain things to Wayne by myself? I am still pretty new with all of this.”

            Eddie, I may be your Alpha, but we are partners. Do you want me to be with you when you talk to Wayne?

            Yes, please. I just don’t know how he will react. I know he loves me, but this is a lot. Plus, introducing him to my grandparents too?

            Of course, I will be here. Let me go to the hospital early and I will be back by the afternoon so that I can be here for you.

            Coming out of the Mind Link, Steve looked at the Broussards. “Okay, change of plans. I will go see Max and Lucas now and be back to be here for the conversation with Wayne.” He looked a little confused at the soft expression on Julien’s face and the tears in Delphine’s eyes before she hugged him and whispered in his ear, “You are a good Alpha, Steve.” Steve excused himself to head upstairs to shower and change to get to the hospital as soon as visiting hours started. A short while later he came back down dressed casually in some dark wash jeans, black Doc Martens, and a red t-shirt. He topped it off with a light, grey jacket and stopped to put his phone, keys, and wallet in its pockets. He kissed Eddie goodbye as he stood at the sink washing the breakfast dishes and gave a slightly un-Alpha like yelp when his Mate swatted his ass as he walked away. He gave a quick farewell to the older Shifters and headed out to his car.

            On the way to the hospital he listened to the ‘80’s Metal Gods playlist that Eddie put together for him. It had all of Eddie’s favorite bands from the time, and soon he found himself bobbing his head to Rainbow in the Dark by Dio and enjoying learning about his Mate’s taste in music. Soon enough he pulled into the hospital parking lot and was heading through the lobby and up to Max’s floor in the elevator. He knocked when he reached her door and turned the knob when he heard her say, “Come in”.

            He noticed Lucas was indeed there, which let him kill two birds with one stone if the boy also wanted the Pack Bite. He sat on the chair next to the bed, opposite of Lucas. “Okay guys. You know why I’m here, right?”

            Lucas looked up, a bit nervous, but Max nodded enthusiastically, “Yep. Ready to get this show on the road Steve. I am looking forward to getting out of this bed.”

            Licking his lips, Lucas also nodded and squeezed Max’s hand, “We’re ready whenever you are Steve.”

            “Do you have any questions? This is your chance to ask before we do this.” Steve looked at each of them, “This is a big thing. A life long thing. A long life thing.” And he smiled when the teens chuckled at his little joke.

            Clearing her throat, Max spoke up “I know you said you’ll be our Alpha. Does that mean you’re our boss? Like we have to do everything you say?”

            Steve was quick to respond, to explain. “No! Not at all! With a Pack of Wolves it’s different, the Alpha’s word is law, but if it’s a good Alpha they will always include others in the decision. For you guys, when it comes to danger or Pack things, I may insist on handling situations a particular way, but no more than I always have. You’ll just know where it’s coming from now. The biggest thing for everyone who takes the Bite though is being able to sense each other, and you guys won’t be able to Mind Link like Shifters, but you will be able to sense moods or if one of you is in trouble. With you gremlins that should come in handy, especially with all of the trouble Henderson gets into.” They all giggle a bit at that since it’s true.

            “Now, the traditional place for a Pack Bond is the back of the neck, but we can also use the wrist if you want. Especially for you Lucas, since your hair is so short, you won’t be able to hide it the way Max, Mike, Robin, or some of the others can with their longer hair.” The Alpha started to smile when Lucas started to shake his head, “No, Steve. I don’t want to hide it. I know you said it heals pretty quick, and I want to have mine in the same place as the rest of the Pack. If we meet with Shifters out in the world, I want to show off that I am part of this Pack.”

            Steve’s heart felt like it was going to burst with pride and love for his young friend. “Okay then. Max, it’s going to need to be your neck because of the casts, are you okay with that?”

            Max rolled her eyes, “Yes Steve! I am so okay with that, I’ve been ready for this since you told us about it!”

            Steve moved closer to Max on the bed after making sure the door was still closed, using the remote for the bed to pull her into a sitting position. He gently moved the hair away from the back of her neck, and let his teeth shift for the Bite. This bite was different than a Mating Bite, the pheromones he was putting out were of family, hearth, and home. He could see both “pups” visibly relax. He took a deep breath and smoothly slid his fangs into the sensitive skin at the back of Max’s neck, making sure the bite was deep enough to scar properly, but trying not to hurt the young girl. She sighed softly, but did not seem like she was in pain. He released her and licked the wound to help it heal quickly, by the end of the day it should look like an old scar. She laid back with her eyes closed, breathing a bit heavily, processing the new sensations. Unlike Eddie, the humans won’t have any physical changes, but they will have new mental connections and a more sensitive sense of smell to process. And for Max, her body will ramp up the healing process. What would likely take months should only take weeks now.

            Stepping away from the bed the Alpha lets Lucas come forward to hold Max’s hand, “Max, are you okay?”

            The redhead opened her eyes, and for the first time since coming to the hospital seemed to really be able to focus, looking Lucas right in the eyes. “I feel incredible Lucas. I can feel this energy humming through me. It’s like I can feel my body healing.” She looked at Steve, “I can feel you in the back of my head. It feels like a bright, warm light. I don’t know how, but I just know it’s you.” Steve nodded with a huge smile on his face. She continued, “I can feel someone else too. A different energy, happy and energetic. Like a giant smile in my mind.” She thought for a second, “Eddie! It’s Eddie! I can feel him too!”

            Steve laughed, while Lucas looked incredulous. “Yeah, that sounds about right. And after tonight you’ll be able to feel the rest of the Pack too. Over time you’ll be able to compartmentalize it so it’s not a distraction. But it’s nice being able to reach out to your Packmates.” Looking at Lucas he smiled softly, “Are you ready Lucas?” The boy nodded with a quiet wonder on his face. “Lucas, I need your verbal consent for this.”

            Clearing his throat, the boy answered with surety, “Yes. I’m ready Steve.” Steve led him back to his chair, standing to his side as Lucas tipped his chin to his chest. Just like with Max he gave him the Pack Bite, making him go slightly boneless when he released him. After a few moments, Max exclaimed, “I can feel you now too, Lucas! A bright light shining, like sunlight in a field!”

            Taking a bit of time to acclimate, Lucas finally opened his eyes. “Oh my God! I can feel you too Max, and you too Steve. Eddie not as strong though.”

            “That’s because we’re here in the room with you. No matter where we are, we will be able to feel each other, but the closer we are, the stronger it is.” Lucas nodded, “That makes sense. What does it feel like for you?”

            “I sense you guys the way you sense me. And of course, the connection with Eddie is stronger because he’s my Mate. But because I am the Pack Alpha, it’s like there are strings or rope connecting us all. It’s like a web that will just get bigger when we add everyone in. It’s kind of amazing actually. With my family Pack, it was already established when I was born, and I was automatically part of it. Creating a Pack with Bonding Bites is a whole new experience.” Steve sat in his chair holding Max’s hand. “I’m going to stay for a couple more hours to kickstart your healing. I’ll come visit every day and hopefully you can be good as new soon.”

            Max got a haughty look on her face, “Good. Now you can tell us all about what happened on your trip to Illinois!” Steve groaned, but obliged keeping it G rated for the kids.

***

            Eddie was nervously pacing in the living room, waiting to feel when Max and Lucas became Pack, when he first felt Max burst into his awareness and the satisfaction of his Alpha at the same time. He stood still exploring the new connection for a few minutes when he felt a connection to Lucas flare into being and he just couldn’t help but push a bit of his happiness into those connections, ecstatic when they pulsed happiness back. He was so happy he started bouncing up and down like a little kid. A sweet laugh startled him a bit as he forgot Delphine was sitting on the couch flipping through one of Eddie’s fantasy graphic novels.

            “How does it feel, mon pettit cher, to be building your very own Pack?” She patted the couch next to her as an invitation.

            Eddie made the decision to answer honestly, no matter how vulnerable it made him feel. “Honestly? It’s amazing. Growing up I really only had Wayne, who is great! But, I only had him and a few friends. Then I met the Party and we really clicked before I knew about all of the Shifter stuff, and I thought that was the pinnacle of feeling like I belonged. But now, being part of the large Pack and building our own Bonded Pack with the Party, and meeting you and grand pere, it’s like nothing else I ever felt. Nothing I ever could let myself dream of. The only piece missing is Uncle Wayne. I just hope he handles this all well and will join us in the Pack.”

            Delphine wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “From everything you and Steve have said, Wayne sounds like a wonderful man. Even if he didn’t officially join the Pack, I am sure he will be okay with everything and still be here for you. But I have a feeling he will follow whatever your lead is. You are the Mate of the Alpha, the main Beta, and second in command of the Pack, lead through love and it will never steer you wrong.”

Chapter Text

           Walking in the door of the house Steve was tackled by a bundle of energy in the shape of his Mate. Eddie jumped into his arms, wrapping his legs around him, and peppered his face with kisses. The Alpha laughed as he grabbed his Mate around the waist to make sure he didn’t fall as he set his keys on the door side table and toed his shoes off. “Hey baby, I guess I don’t have to ask if you missed me.”

            “Oh my God, Stevie! Feeling Max and Lucas get their bites was so cool! I can feel them still.” His eyes were shining as he dropped his legs but kept his arms around his Mate.

            “You will always feel them. And the others too when they get their bites. Eventually you will learn how to kind of mute the feeling when you need to, but if there’s ever a feeling of strong distress, it’s been my experience that those will come through.” Steve walked them into the living room and sat them on the couch. Holding Eddie’s hand, he talked about how the bonding went with him and his grandparents. “It’s kind of amazing. By the time I left the hospital, Max said she could see sharper edges to shapes and the blurriness was reduced. I’m hopeful it won’t be long before she’s healed enough to be released. Eventually I think she will be fully recovered.”

            All three of the other Shifters looked amazed. Delphine and Julien had been told the extent of her injuries by Eddie after he told them how he was able to heal so quickly, thanks to being around Steve. Eddie had tears streaming down his face, “Really? Red is going to be okay?” Steve wiped away his tears with his thumbs, cupping his cheeks and pressing a sweet kiss to his lips, “Yes, baby. She’s going to be okay. I think better than okay.” Just then the doorbell rang. Letting Eddie go, he got up to answer the door knowing it was Wayne by the man’s scent coming through on a draft.

            Opening the door, his face was sporting a big welcoming smile. “Wayne! Come on in!” He stuck his hand out to the older man and patted him on the back guiding him inside. They walked into the living room together, and luckily Eddie had told him about his mom’s parents being there, so he wasn’t surprised right off the bat. There would be enough revelations for the man without that being one of them.

            Moving into the room, Wayne pulled Eddie into a hug and then turned to the Shifters and he was taken aback a bit. “You’re Belle’s parents?”

            Julien walked over and offered his hand, “Yes, Julien and Delphine. Belle was our daughter.”

            “B-but you look so young!” Belle had been about Wayne’s age, and he looked at least 20 years older than her parents.

            Eddie looked a little non-plussed. Steve broke in, “Why don’t I get us all some drinks and then we can talk about that a bit. What do you guys want? We have beer, wine, cola, juices, or water.”

            Clearing his throat Wayne answered, “I’ll take a beer, thanks. I feel like I might need it.” Everyone else said what they would like and Steve went to the kitchen to grab the drinks with Delphine following to help him.

***

            Sitting back in his seat, Wayne scrubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t said anything in the over one hour since the Shifters had started telling their story. Shit, he hadn’t even been able to say anything since Steve and Eddie started telling Wayne and the Broussard’s about the Upside Down, stressing the need to keep it quiet under pain of NDAs being enforced by the Feds and the government maybe finding out about Shifters. He finally sighed, and looking at Steve, and then Eddie, “So, you’re telling me there is or was an alternate dimension under Hawkins that you all have fought off and on top of that the four of you, and who knows how many others are Shifters that can turn into wolves. And Eddie, Steve is your Mate and Alpha. Did I get that right?”

            Eddie pushed down his nerves and gave Wayne his patented dimpled smile, “You got it!” Wayne just nodded and drained the rest of his second beer. Steve gave Eddie a little nod of encouragement. “Well, Uncle Wayne. There’s a bit more.” He started picking at his cuticles before he forced himself to continue, “You know how we said the Party is a Pack. In addition to the large Pack Steve’s grandfather runs? Well, that isn’t just metaphorical. It’s literal. We’ve all formed Pack Bonds, and the rest of the Party is coming over tonight to receive the Bonding Bite from Steve. He already gave it to Max and Lucas at the hospital today. It’s going to help Red heal.” He looked down at his feet like he was losing his nerve. Steve reached over and squeezed his hand and sent comfort through their bond and in his scent. Eddie took a deep breath. “Well, we already consider you Pack, but we were wondering if…if you’d like to become an officially bonded Packmember.” He chanced a look at his Uncle’s face and was heartened to see that there wasn’t just flat denial there.

            “Well son, what all does that mean?” Wayne asked carefully. He trusted Eddie, and by extension Steve, but he was prudent enough of a man to not just blindly go along either. Eddie gestured for Steve to explain it while the Broussards added some details or just reinforced what Steve was saying.

            At the end of the explanation Steve looked at the older man, “The bottom-line Uncle Wayne, is that with or without the Bite you are still family, still Pack. And you always will be. Like I told the others, not taking the Bite will not diminish you in the Pack. And if you say no tonight, that doesn’t have to be no forever.”

            Eddie was startled when his Uncle got to his feet, worried the man was going to just walk out the front door, possibly forever. But his fears were laid to rest when the man said, “I think this decision calls for a smoke break. Mind if I step outside of a moment or two?” Steve smiled, “Be my guest. There’s a table and chairs and there should be a small ashtray still out there from my dad and his cigars. Take all of the time you need. Let us know if you have any questions.” Wayne patted his shoulder as he moved towards the backdoor and ruffled his nephew’s hair affectionately. Once the sliding door closed, Eddie let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding forever.

            Steve chuckled a bit as he planted a peck on Eddie’s cheek. “That went better than I expected. At least he didn’t run away screaming when you shifted for him.”

            Eddie poked him in the ribs as his grandparents nodded with big smiles of their own. “Yeah, well, that’s not really Wayne’s style. He could be internally freaking out though.”

            Julien scoffed, shaking his head. “Non cher, his scent is steady. No fear, just some confusion which is to be expected. And a bit of worry, but I think that is more for you. Parents always worry about their kids, no matter their age.” His eyes took on a bit of sadness at that.

            Delphine stood and started walking to the kitchen, “Why don’t I make us all some lunch? Is everyone good with grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches?” They are agreed grilled cheese sounded great, and Steve walked into the kitchen with her saying he would make homemade tomato bisque to go with it, and Eddie’s heart just sang loving that his Mate liked to cook for them. Of course, Steve felt that, and sent a wink at Eddie over his shoulder. It wasn’t long before lunch was just about ready, and Eddie went to the backyard to let Uncle Wayne know.

            “Uncle Wayne?” Eddie was careful to let his uncle know he wasn’t alone. “Lunch is ready, but if you need more time we can keep yours warm for you.”

            Wayne shook his head, “No kid, no need. I’m good. I’ll come in.” He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and followed his nephew inside. He sighed when he smelled the bacon and laughed to himself. Bacon was one of his favorite foods, but his doctor was always on him to limit it due to his cholesterol. If he were to take Steve up on getting the Bonding Bite, he wouldn’t need to worry about that anymore. That is definitely an added bonus.

            They all sat down and started eating, complimenting Delphine and Steve on lunch. Wayne was amazed when he found out that the rye bread on the sandwiches was homemade by Steve. The Alpha actually blushed, “Yeah, my Gran taught me when I was younger, so I bake in big batches every once in a while, and freeze it. I have one freezer downstairs just for bread and dough.”

            Eddie couldn’t help but shoot probing looks at his uncle with nearly every bite. The older man knew his curiosity was driving him crazy, but he couldn’t help but prolong it. He waited until they were all done with their lunch, and just sipping on their drinks, he had gone with sweet tea this time.

            “So, uh Steve. This Bonding Bite. Does it mean I have to follow everything you say? I have to admit, I am pretty independent and set in my ways.” He narrowed his eyes in a playful way.

            Steve laughed, a full belly laugh. “No way! You know the rest of the Party! You think they would blindly follow? Nah. As Alpha I would never impose my will like that unless it was an emergency involving Pack safety. And even then, I don’t and won’t just demand. We all have strengths and a good Pack leader listens more than he talks.”

            Wayne slaps both hands on his knees, “Welp. I guess I’m in then.”

            “R-really? You’ll do it?” Eddie sputtered.

            “Yep. I will. I’d be a fool not to. A connected loyal community and the chance to be closer to my favorite nephew?” Eddie launched himself into Wayne’s arms, “I’m your only nephew, you old coot!” he laughed. His happiness infecting everyone in the room. Wayne laughed too, “I don’t know about that anymore, seems Steve is giving you a run for your money now. Better watch your back!”

            “Yeah, Eds! Better watch out, I’ve never had an uncle before, this will be fun. What do you say Uncle Wayne, is a fishing trip in our future?” He had a smirk on his face that Eddie just wanted to kiss right off.

            “Definitely Steve. Maybe you, me, and Julien can actually get this one on a boat.” Eddie made a face that caused Delphine to pat his arm, “Don’t worry cher, I don’t like boats or fishing either. If they go fishing we can keep each other company. Go shopping in the City.” Eddie smiled and nodded, “That would be great Gran Mere.”

***

            Steve and Delphine spent the rest of the afternoon prepping dinner for the Pack, having decided on a few rib roasts with mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and some of Steve’s homemade dinner rolls. Delphine used some of his brioche for a giant bread pudding for dessert. Steve was so happy he had put in not just the double oven under the range, but another double wall oven. Otherwise, dinner would have taken forever. Just as they were putting the last roast in the oven, the doorbell rang. Steve could hear Eddie answering the door, and a chorus of voices. It sounded like everyone got to the house at the same time.

            Dustin busted into the kitchen, “Steve! How was it? Tell me everything! I already saw Eddie’s Mating Bite, it looks like you took a chunk out of him!”

            “Slow down man! There’s a whole story, we’ll tell you all over dinner. Come and meet Eddie’s grandmother first. Or, since she’s from New Orleans, Gran Mere. Delphine Broussard, this is Dustin Henderson. My little brother.” He beamed with pride as Dustin smiled and charmed his way through the introduction. Little man had come a long way. Steve gestured for Dustin to help set out the drinks on the island for everyone to grab, then he walked into the living room to see that everyone was chatting. Hopper and Joyce were talking with Julien and Wayne in one corner, Hop looking like he was explaining something; probably about the Upside Down. The kids were haranguing Robin, knowing that she knew the details of their trip to Illinois that Eddie had said they needed to wait to hear. Eddie, Jonathan, and Nancy were sitting on the sofa, Nancy examining his Mating Bite with her journalist face on, curiosity all over her face. Seeing everyone, except Max and Lucas of course, together gave Steve a settled feeling and a warm glow in his chest. He always felt best when he knew his Pack was together and safe.

            Sitting around the table, breaking bread and sharing a meal, there is a feeling of contentment that Steve revels in. And the biggest part of that is his Mate at his side. They took turns telling the story of their trip to Illinois, again being careful to keep everything PG even if Eddie has a mischievous gleam in his eye and uses the Mind Link to fill in the salacious details, making Steve have to concentrate to not get hard at the dinner table. Everyone groans, laughs, and cheers at the appropriate spots. Dustin is very vocal about his thoughts on Marcus and his father and what he’d like to do to them. Steve reminded him that they are full grown Shifters and Dustin reminded Steve that they fought off creatures from the Upside Down and he won’t hesitate if he sees either of them.

            After dessert and coffee, they all moved to the living room. Steve stood while everyone settled in on couches, armchairs, or the floor. “So, today I went to the hospital to see Max and of course Lucas was with her. I gave them both the Bonding Bites and spent a few hours with them to kickstart Max’s healing. Tonight, I am offering the rest of you, including Wayne, the option to take the Bite. Before I ask if anyone wants to go through with it, are there any questions?”

            The only hand in the air was Will’s. “Will it hurt?”

            “I don’t know, to be honest. You guys can call Max and Lucas and ask first if you want.”

            Dustin looked confused. “But you and Eddie traded Bites, why can’t you tell us if it hurts.”

            Steve’s face flushed bright red as Eddie and the Broussards grinned. Eddie jumped in to save Steve from his embarrassment, “Because, Henderson, they are Mating bites. We were doing something at the time that was a pretty damn good distraction.” Dustin still looked confused, while everyone else had their own “ah-ha” moment. Even El seemed to understand, but that might be because she had peeked in on the Mates minds at the wrong time before their trip.

Dustin looked at Mike, “I still don’t get it.”

          Rolling his eyes, Mike was about to open his mouth and answer when Hopper cleared his throat. He still remembered the three-inch rule for bedroom doors that Hopper had for him and Eleven. Luckily, Robin didn’t have to worry about that and jumped in, “It was basically their wedding night dude. What do you think they were doing?”

          Right on cue, Dustin’s face turned red, “Oh…oh! Ewwwww! That’s like thinking about my parents doing it!” Everyone busted out laughing at his reaction, with Steve covering his face with his hands.

         The Alpha clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, “If you guys want, we can get Max and Lucas on FaceTime.” There were nods all around, and Will grabbed the iPad and dialed up Lucas’ phone. When they were connected, Will asked, “Hey guys. We are getting ready for the Bonding Bites, and we were wondering if it hurt?”

         Max shook her head, “No. Actually it was really relaxing. And it felt like really serene.” Lucas chimed in, “It was kind of amazing, a feeling of belonging I never had before. And then feeling the connection to Steve, Eddie, and Max is kind of amazing. I can’t wait to feel it with all of you too.”

        With the reassurance of Max and Lucas, everyone in the room agreed to take the Bonding Bite, including Uncle Wayne. They were finally going to be a fully bonded Pack. Steve had everyone line up, kids first, then the older teens, and then the adults. He had Eddie and his grandparents standing by to guide each person after they received the Bite to a seat so they could acclimate to the changes. Each person was given a choice between having their Bite on the back of their neck or on their wrist. Everyone chose the back of their neck. Max and Lucas showed off their Bites and everyone marveled that they were already healed, and you could barely see them unless you already knew to look. Steve cleared his throat, “Yeah, that’s going to change. All Bonded Pack members and Shifters will be able to see them clearly and right away. It’s kind of the point, to show that you are part of a Pack and not to mess with you. But to the average person, they really won’t notice. Are we ready to start?” He looked at his Pack and noticed there were some nerves but mostly everyone was excited. It hit him that his Pack trusted him, and Eddie gave him a fond look when he felt the glow that shot through his Mate’s chest.

       The first in line, was of course, Dustin. He had to put both hands on his shoulders and press down to get him to stop bouncing up and down, but he had to admit he was thrilled to finally be connected to his “little brother” in a very real way.  The joy he felt with each little connection he created was something second only to his Mating with Eddie. After each Bite, he shared a loving look with his Mate, knowing they would both do anything to protect their Pack.

       Hopper was the last to receive his Bite. Steve was excited as he had a somewhat fatherly connection to the older police Chief who had been there for him more than his own father. He gave him a fond hug before setting his teeth in the back of the man’s neck. Immediately he tensed, sensing that something was different. He felt a spike of adrenaline, and his awareness of Hopper flared bright in his mind. Brighter than the others, other than Eddie. He pulled away as quick as he could without hurting the man. “Shit!” He had never heard of this happening before. Everyone looked at him, puzzled. Until they heard a deep whine come from Hopper. Steve looked at everyone, “Give us some room! He’s Shifting!” They all moved back, but he could hear and feel their confusion. Steve looked to the other three Shifters in the room, “Shift with us. It will help him, he wasn’t prepared.” They all gathered around Hopper and started their own Shifts as his teeth elongated, a snout protruded from his face, fur sprouted, and then he dropped down onto four legs panting. Suddenly there were five wolves standing in the living room surrounded by a quiet crowd. After giving Hopper some time to adjust, Steve gently scents the new Beta as his Alpha noticing it helping the other wolf relax even more. Stepping back, Steve Shifted back to human as did the three other Shifters. Addressing Hopper, “To change back, just think about being human again. Focus on being back in that form.” The grey wolf nodded, stepping back a bit. Within a few moments he was back standing on two feet.

       Leveling a look at Steve, the new Shifter asked, “What the hell was that about?”

       “You must have been a Suppressed Wolf. There was no way for me to know, since you aren’t my Mate the way Eddie is. Also, I have never heard of a Shift being triggering in a Suppressed Wolf by a Bonding Bite. I’m sorry. I feel like I took your choice away.” Steve said sheepishly.

       He found himself wrapped in the strong arms of his father figure, smelling his new scent of fresh ground coffee and cigars. “None of that Steve, you didn’t know. I’m okay with it though. It will take some getting used to, but it’s okay. I’m okay kid.” He patted his Alpha’s back and stepped over to Joyce. “Are you okay with this?”

       Standing on her toes, Joyce kissed him soundly. “I am. I love you.” There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone started talking at once. Steve gave them some time before he got their attention again. “So, despite the curve ball of another Shifter, I think that all went pretty well. Hopper, you’ll need to talk to Eddie about what to expect tonight. You’re basically going to go through a second puberty but all in one night. He just did it, so he’d be the best one to talk to about it. And now that you’re a Shifter, we need to get you over to Illinois to register with the main Pack. I was going to wait to take you all this summer for the convention, but if you can all come this weekend that would probably be for the best.”

      Joyce looked at all of the students, “Don’t you all have Monday off? Some teacher work day or something?”

      Jonathan answered, “Yeah. And a half day on Friday since it’s the end of the school quarter.”

     Steve let out a breath he was holding. “Okay. We’ll all go to the large Pack this weekend and I’ll introduce you all. We’ll see how Max is doing by then. Maybe she can go too if she’s healed enough. And Hop, that will give me and Gramps a chance to teach you about Shifting and learning how to use your new forms.”

     After everyone was seated, and talking about feeling their connection to each other, Eddie looked around and didn’t see Steve anywhere. Excusing himself from Hopper, he looked everywhere on the first floor, and then ran upstairs when he still didn’t find his Mate. He found him sitting on the floor of their bathroom, in the dark, with his head leaning back against the cool wall. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” Eddie dropped down to the floor in front of Steve and placed a hand on his knee.

     Opening his eyes, Steve nodded slightly. “Yeah, Eds. I’m okay. Just trying to manage all of the new connections in my head. For you guys, it’s just like little points of light, small pulses of consciousness that isn’t your own. Like with the big Pack for me. But being the Alpha of this Pack, everything is interconnected and clamoring for my attention. It might have been too many all at once. And then having Hopper end up being a Shifter… just need to try to mute it a bit. But I’m okay. Go on back down and be with everyone. I’ll be down in a minute.”

     “No way. Nu-uh. I am staying right here with you until you’re ready to head back down.” Eddie scooted over to sit next to his Mate and guided Steve to lean on him. He would be there to support his Alpha, figuratively and literally.

***

            Steve was finally able to quiet the din of the new connections and had made it back downstairs. He received looks of understating from Delphine and Julien. They had been talking with various members of the Pack, explaining certain aspects of Pack life. Delphine was talking to Joyce and Hopper, “You are very lucky you have an Alpha like Steve, and that the large Pack has an Alpha like Al Harrington. Not all Alphas are kind and generous. Our old Alpha was an awful person, only caring for his own power, position, and wealth. He would compel members to do his bidding all of the time.”

            Mike was scowling, “Compel?”

            Steve answered the question in his voice, “Shifters can push their auras. It’s how I got the doctors to take care of Eddie after the demobats. Alphas can overpower other Shifters and compel them to do what they want. And Pack Alphas can compel even other Alphas. It should only be used in emergencies though. But you all as Bonded Humans, are immune to Alphas outside of the Pack now. And anyone in the large Pack that abuses the ability is severely punished. So, you have nothing to worry about.” Mike let out a small sigh of relief that he hadn’t meant to vocalize.

            Eddie piped up, “Yeah, considering Steve got an entire arena of Shifters to submit all at once, no one is going to mess with you guys!” Everyone kind of laughed, but the Broussards looked super impressed. They had heard about the challenge earlier, but they were still shocked that an Alpha so young could pull that off.

            They spent the next few hours pack bonding and getting used to the new feelings. Not just their connections to each other, but a new strength they all felt. Wayne mentioned his bum knee not hurting him at all, even though it had been bothering him that morning. Hopper’s ankle that had been broken in the Russian prison he said felt good as new. Everyone’s little aches and pains they just had gotten used to living with had disappeared. They all felt brand new, and Steve quipped to the kids, “Yeah, and now you all won’t get sick anymore either. No more colds or getting the flu. So, no more sick days from school.” They all groaned good naturedly.

            Finally, the time came for everyone to head back home, but they scheduled a Pack Night for the next night to talk about their trip to Illinois. After everyone that was leaving left, Eddie got Wayne settled into his room, that he had never really used, because he wanted his uncle nearby, at least for the night. Steve was already thinking about asking the older man to move in, he just wanted to time it right. He always wanted a full Pack House. When the Broussards also turned in, he scooped Eddie up bridal style from Wayne’s room, after saying their good nights and carried him off to their room. It had been a long day, and after changing and getting cleaned up, the Mates settled in for some much-needed cuddles and scenting.

Chapter Text

             Eyes still closed against the morning light, Eddie slowly became aware of sweet kisses tracing his tattoos and a strong hand around his cock, stroking in a slow, and languorous rhythm. This. This was his favorite way to wake up. Keeping his eyes closed he started to match the rhythm of the hand, fucking into it on every stroke. Steve chuckled in his ear, “Morning, love.” Eddie tried to answer, but between the hand on his cock and the Alpha’s hardness rutting against his thigh, all he could do was let out a breathy moan. His ability to communicate didn’t improve when his Mate sucked one of his nipples into his warm mouth giving it a gentle nibble and laving it with his warm, wet tongue. When Steve removed his mouth, he subconsciously arched upwards trying to chase the sensation. Using his strength Steve held him in place as he moved south to engulf him fully, swirling his tongue around the head of his cock, before sucking while bobbing up and down his length. Eddie tangled both hands in his own hair to keep from grabbing the back of Steve’s head and holding him place while bucking his hips. To his surprise his Alpha grabbed his hands and put them in his hair and motioned for him to use him as he wished. When Eddie realized what he was being given he almost came immediately. Giving himself over to the heat coiled in his belly he thrust his hips upwards feeling the tip of his cock hitting the back of Steve’s throat, reveling in the other man’s enthusiasm as evidenced by his moans verging on growls and the pure lust Eddie could feel through the bond. As a courtesy he tapped his Mate’s head to let him know he was about to come, but that just made him redouble his efforts. Suddenly with a tingling felt from the tips of his toes to the top of his head Eddie rushed off of the cliff of pleasure, coming for what felt like hours, but was in reality only moments.

            Laying there, catching his breath, Eddie is aware of his Mate moving back up the bed and gathering him in his arms. Reaching down between Steve’s legs, wanting to return the favor, he is surprised to find that the earlier erection has gone down, but the stickiness of his spend is there. “Didn’t wait for me Big Boy?” and the answering blush on the Alpha’s cheeks told him what he wanted to know.

            “Couldn’t help it, Eds. You’re so fucking sexy. Feeling you go over the edge physically and through the bond set me off.” Steve continued to softly rub circles into Eddie’s shoulder, basking in the come down.

            Huffing, and making a little disappointed face, Eddie looked his Mate up and down, “I guess you’ll just have to let me get my mouth on you later then.”

            “Anytime, love. Anytime.” Steve gave him a quick peck before rolling out of bed. He held his hand out for Eddie, “Shower?”

            Eddie took his hand, “Okay, but only if I get to wash your hair for you.”

            Laughing, Steve led him to the en suite, “Why would I ever say no to that?”

            Stumbling into the kitchen, giggling after their shower, giving each other little fond shoves and kisses, they were reminded they aren’t alone in the home when they heard a throat clear from the armchair in the living room.

            “Uncle Wayne! Good morning, I didn’t see you there!” Eddie ran over to hug his uncle.

            “I figured, boy. Good to see you two are still in the honeymoon phase.” He chuckled taking another sip of his coffee. Steve could smell the coffee and it smelled different than normal.

            “I don’t think I’ll ever get over the honeymoon phase with your nephew Uncle Wayne.” Steve Looked at Eddie so fondly it almost brought a tear to the older man’s eye to see how loved his Eddie was. “I do have a question though, why does your coffee smell different?”

            Just then Delphine swept into the room with a tray of beignets and more coffee with Julien following with plates and napkins. “Good morning boys!” she chirped, “I can answer your question. It’s coffee with chicory, a New Orleans staple.” She and Julien set everything on the table and got to serving breakfast out.

            Sitting on the couch, Eddie took a sip of the coffee and hummed in delight, “This is delicious!” Steve went to go to the kitchen and brought back the sugar, and Julien chuckled, “You won’t be needing that! When you eat beignets with coffee and chicory, you dunk the beignet, and the powdered sugar sweetens the coffee.” He demonstrated, and soon they were all dunking the hot, sweet pastries in their cups.

            “Do you like it, Steve?” Delphine asked, trying not to laugh when the young Alpha looked up with a powdered sugar mustache.

            Eddie noticed and used his napkin to wipe his love’s lips before giving him a small chaste kiss. Steve smiled, “Yes! It’s so good! Did you make the beignets or is there somewhere nearby to buy them?”

            Delphine looked proud, “We made them!”

            “Can I get the recipe? I’d love to be able to make these too!” Steve looked like an excited kid. He blossomed under the attention of older, parental figures and it hurt Eddie’s heart that his own parents abandoned and betrayed him.

            With a bright smile, Delphine answered, “Of course. I’ll give you the recipe and we can also make a batch together!” The smile on Steve’s face was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, bright and warm for everyone lucky enough to see it. He nodded around a bite of sweet pastry, and everyone continued enjoying their breakfast.

***

            Afternoon found everyone pitching in to get ready for the Pack Night. Delphine and Eddie were cutting up a mountain of fruit, Wayne was whipping up his “world famous” BBQ sauce for the chicken that was marinating in the fridge until it was time to throw it on the grill. Julien had grabbed the coolers and was busy filling them with the bags of ice he and Wayne had grabbed at the store, and Steve was busy making his potato salad and had pulled out his frozen Sally Lund buns to be baked before the meal.

            Steve felt so content with the feeling of Pack in his home, he wasn’t aware he was humming softly until Eddie reached out through the Mind Link,

            Baby, I love seeing you so happy.

            I am happy, love. I love having pack around. This house was so empty for so long. But, even if it’s just you and me I’d still be the happiest I’ve ever been.

            You make me so happy too, Stevie. You don’t even know.

            The feeling of love through their bond felt so warm and soft it felt like Steve was submerged in a relaxing bath. He startled slightly when the doorbell suddenly pealed. He had been so lost in thought and his tasks he hadn’t realized it was time for everyone to start showing up. He wiped his hands off on a kitchen towel and headed over to answer the door, the bell that was continuing to ring, giving Steve a good idea it was Dustin on his doorstep. “Henderson!” he yelled when he opened the door seeing Dustin, Mike, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle, “I literally have sensitive hearing, it is not necessary to repeatedly ring the bell!”

            “Geez Steve, so touchy!” Dustin pushed his way in, and Steve kind of liked how he didn’t treat him any different knowing he was a Shifter and an Alpha. He stood aside letting everyone else in and looked up when he heard a car pull into the driveway noting it was Hopper and Joyce with Will, El, Lucas, Erica, and…Max!!! He practically sprinted out to the car opening the back door and picking Max up in a careful hug.

            Hitting him lightly on the arm, she looked him full in the face with her bright blue eyes that saw everything, “You don’t have to be careful with me Steve! I’m good! Your wolf juju is strong!” She laughed when he hugged her even tighter and carried her off to the house with everyone trailing behind. He finally set her on the couch, sitting on the table opposite her holding both her hands.

            “I can’t believe no one told me you were getting released!” He looked at Hopper and Joyce a little accusingly.

            Hopper cleared his throat, as a Shifter now he felt uneasy about upsetting his Alpha, even if the Alpha was like one of his kids, “We didn’t know until this morning. The doctors couldn’t believe her progress. They still want her to come in for physical therapy, but I think that’s going to be more about keeping up appearances than anything. We thought it’d be a good surprise to just show up with her…”

            Standing, Steve walked over and clapped the older man on the shoulder and let out his pleased pheromones to put him at ease. “It’s the best surprise!” He leaned in to give him and Joyce hugs and gave a little squeeze to Lucas who was looking like a kid on Christmas having Max doing so well. He looked back at Max now surrounded by the rest of the Pack, everyone giving her little hugs and touches, ensuring themselves she was really there. That’s one thing about the Bonding Bites, it made even humans act a little more wolf-like, at least when with Pack. His eyes started to get a little misty seeing Max curled up to Eddie’s side with his arm around her cuddling her close and placing little kisses in her hair every so often. It made him long for the future when they could have their own pups. There were enough same sex Mates in the Shifter world that adoption or surrogacy were fairly common. In their case, due to being in line as Alpha of the Illinois Pack, they would likely do surrogacy at least once, but he envisioned a big mixed pack of bio kids and taking in pups that need a home. He just wanted a house full to the brim with love and laughter. He had already practically adopted the pups he made Pack, so what were a few more?

            Moving to the kitchen, Steve grabbed the chicken out of the fridge and walked outside to get the grill going. Hopper grabbed a couple beers and followed him out. “Hey Steve, you mind if we talk?”

            Pausing, Steve looked at the older man, “Anytime. What’s on your mind?”

            Hop sat on one of the patio chairs and took a swig of the beer he kept after handing the other one to Steve. “It’s about Joyce.”

            “Joyce? What about her? Is everything okay?” Steve hadn’t noticed feeling that anything was wrong.

            Shaking his head, Hop responded, “No. Nothing is wrong. It’s just, I am feeling this overwhelming urge to bite her whenever we’re close. I don’t want to hurt her.”

            “Oh! That makes sense!” when Hopper gave him a confused look he continued to explain. “Your wolf sees her as your Mate and wants you to give her a Mating Bite. Like I gave Eddie.”

            “Okay, but she already has a Bite from you. Can she still get a Mating Bite?” he looked worried. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Joyce in any way, intentional or not.

            “Yes, she can still get a Mating Bite. It’s completely different. She’ll still be Pack, but she’ll be your Mate too. Have you talked to her about it at all?” Steve checked the grill and seeing it was ready started using tongs to place the chicken, making sure the pieces didn’t touch. “I recommend talking to her about it, seeing how she feels about taking your Bite. If you want, I can be there with you, or you can talk to her alone and I can answer any questions she might have after. It’s up to you. You two already have a strong bond outside of being Pack, I’m pretty sure she’d say yes.”

            Hopper sighed, and Steve could feel the anxiety rolling off of the other Shifter, his scent taking on a slightly sour note compared to his normal tobacco and coffee scent. “What if she says no?”

            Sitting next to Hopper, Steve reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “It would still be okay. Just like when I asked you all to take the Pack Bite, no might be more like not right now. Just talk to her. Joyce loves you, whether she takes your Bite or not. I had to ask Eddie knowing he could possibly say no, so I understand how nerve wracking it can be, but your wolf won’t leave you alone until you at least ask. Believe me.”

            Nodding, Hopper stood to head back inside, “I’ll talk to her tonight since we are heading to Illinois in a few days.”

            “Sounds good. If she says yes, you can do it there and we can have a big feast for you guys.” Steve took a swig from his beer as he checked on the chicken. Hopper nodded and went back inside. Steve continued grilling and drinking his beer, enjoying the relative quiet until he heard the back door open. He scented his Mate before he saw him, and his heart sped up a bit. It made him smile that Eddie was bringing him a huge tray with foil to hold the cooked chicken when it was ready. Setting the tray on the able, Eddie came and wrapped his arms around his Mate.

            “I’ve always loved a man who can cook.” He kissed the back of Steve’s neck, giving his goosebumps.

            Turning to face Eddie, Steve quipped, “Well, one of us needs to be able to keep us fed darling.” They both laughed as Eddie was still a disaster in the kitchen, even though it was on the list. Steve figured between him, Delphine, and Julien they could whip Eddie into a decent cook. Maybe find him a specialty to focus on.

            After giving Steve a quick kiss, Eddie mentioned why he had come outside, “Everything else is ready to go, so whenever the chicken is ready, we can eat. Do you know how much longer? Dustin looks like he’s going to gnaw his own arm off if he has to wait any longer.”

            “Should be done in about 10 minutes or so. That’s why I did boneless/ skinless thighs and breasts, so they would cook faster. One of the things about feeding teenagers is not to let them wait too long. Can you go set one of the ovens to warm so we can keep what doesn’t go on plates in the first wave warm?” When Eddie nodded, Steve kissed his cheek before he turned to go.

            Sometime later Steve was struggling with the back door and the full tray when Jonathan happened to notice him and rushed to open it for him. Steve gave him a grateful look, “Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”

            “Hey, no problem. Least I can do with you feeding us all. Anything else you need?”

            Shaking his head, Steve headed to the island in the kitchen, “Just let everyone know they can come make their plates?” Steve set down the tray on a hot pad while Jonathan told everyone to come and get it. As he predicted, Dustin was the first in line. He jumped out of the way before he was stampeded by his younger packmates. Wayne chuckled, “They can all eat their weight at that age.”

            Hopper laughed, “Yeah. You should see our grocery bill.” Joyce chimed in, “And I coupon!”

            Listening to the discussion, Steve realized that he forgot to tell everyone that each household in the Pack got a monthly stipend, their portion of revenue from Pack businesses. What individuals earned was theirs, but the revenue from Pack holdings or businesses was divvied out. He cleared his throat, “Hey, everyone? Um. I forgot something important about being part of the Pack. Let’s just say you all won’t have to worry about sky high grocery bills anymore. Each of you will receive a monthly stipend for being part of the Pack. We will need to talk to Gramps when we get to Illinois to figure out how much and how to deal with the kids since their parents aren’t all Pack, but it’s a significant amount.”

            Wayne tried to interject, “Steve, we don’t want your money-“

            The Alpha held up a hand. “It’s not my money Wayne. It’s Pack money. Any money that comes in from businesses the Pack owns, real estate holdings, investments, etc. it portioned out to pack members. We all receive a share. Your money is still yours, but Pack money is ours.” He turned to look at the kids, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle “that means you guys can go to college wherever you want. Money is not an issue.”

            There was silence for a beat, then suddenly a wall of noise crested over all of them. The excitement was palpable; Nancy literally had tears in her eyes. Jonathan pulled her close as they swayed together. Steve knew she had gotten into Emerson in Boston, and that she had been thinking she’d have to take out loans, he could feel her relief and the relief of the others through the pack bond. He was a little lost in thought when he felt a punch to his right bicep. He looked and of course it was Robin. “Dingus! Why didn’t you tell me?” She was practically sobbing when she threw herself in his arms.

            “I truly forgot Robs. But at least I know you all really wanted to join the Pack and not just for the money!” That got a watery smile out of her, and she gave a bit of a squeeze before settling back in his embrace, he didn’t miss the little, whispered, “Thank you.”

            Suddenly there was a piercing whistle that made all of the Shifters cringe a bit, Joyce was standing by the island wanting their attention. “Okay, thank you Steve for everything. This new information definitely makes things a bit easier. And we hope you know being in the Pack was enough without the stipend.” She came closer and tucked herself under his arm along with Robin for a quick hug. He hugged her back with a quiet, “I know.”

            She stepped back, “Now, let’s all thank Steve and then dig into this amazing looking dinner so we can plan our Pack trip!” There was a chorus of “Thank you, Steve!” and then a line of his packmates waiting to give him hugs as soon as Robin let him go to start plating her food. The last in line was Dustin who had tears in his eyes.

            “You okay, Henderson?” Steve was a little worried for his little “brother”.

            “Better than okay, Steve. This means that I might get to actually go to MIT when I graduate, even if a scholarship isn’t in the cards. Knowing that, just takes so much pressure off.” He wrapped his arms around Steve’s middle as he sniffled the rest of his tears away. Steve bent down to whisper in his ears, “Even without the stipend, all of you would have gone to college for free. I love you guys.” That almost started a new round of tears, but Dustin pulled himself together and moved over to the food line.

            Baby, you okay?

            Yeah, Eds. I’m okay. I just didn’t think that today would be this emotional.

            Why don’t you go find a seat, I’ll bring you something to eat.

            Are you sure? You don’t have to wait on me.

            I know, sweetheart. But I want to.

            Okay, love you.

            Love you too.

            Steve found a seat on the pool deck at the patio chair next to Robin and across from Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle. There was an empty seat next to him for Eddie. He noticed that Nancy was fiddling with her tab on the top of her soda can, looking a little nervous. “What’s wrong, Nance? You okay?”

            She looked up, a little startled at being called out. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just strange, you know. Now that I know I got into school, and I have the means to go without it being a struggle or needing massive loans, I feel…”

            Robin chimed in, “Like you don’t really want to leave anymore?”

            Nancy nodded, “Exactly. I’ve been waiting my whole life it seems like, to get out into the world, but now, I just don’t want to lose this.”

            Just then Eddie showed up with plates for himself and Steve and set them down before sitting and picking up the beer Steve had brought out for him. He took a sip and looked at Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, and Argyle, “I know what you guys mean, but you’re Pack. You always will be.”

            “Eddie’s right. No matter where you or any of the little shits end up, you’re all Pack. We’ll come and visit, and when you’re home for breaks the Pack house is always here for you. We are bonded, and nothing can change that now. Nothing. I am the Alpha, and I will protect this Pack until my last breath, even from itself. So, no thinking about going to school closer Nance. Or not going at all Robs. Each of you will have a chance to fulfill your dreams. And after school, if you happen to get jobs in Chicago or Indianapolis to be closer, I won’t stand in your way.” He smirked when Nancy flushed, knowing he had hit the nail on the head.

            Jonathan nodded in agreement, “It’ll be okay Nancy. Me and Argyle will be only a few hours away at NYU.”

            Robin chimed in, “I guess we’re all going to be on the East coast then? I heard yesterday from Boston University that I got in.” Her cheeks were a bit pink when the whole table erupted in cheers. Steve grabbed her close, “I’m so proud of you Robs!”

            “Way to go Birdie!” Argyle lifted his Coke in salute. As often as the mellow man was high, surprisingly he didn’t usually drink alcohol. They all lifted their drinks, “To Birdie!”

            They all finally tucked into their food, everyone praising the dishes, and making their way inside to get seconds. Steve made sure to let Wayne know that he loved the barbeque sauce and would love a copy of the recipe. Wayne laughed and said he’d write it down for him. After dinner, they all sat in the living room with their desserts and tea, coffee, or other drinks. Steve stood and got their attention.

            “So, it’s a long drive to the Pack lands in Illinois, and a lot of you still have school these days. I figured we could leave right after school on Friday since it’s a half day, and most of you could drive back on Monday since you already have the day off.”

            Dustin interrupted, “What do you mean come back on Monday? That barely gives us two days out there!”

            The kids all started to talk over each other voicing their need to spend more time in Illinois. Steve waited for them to peter out, “I know it’s not a lot of time. I wish we could have more, but I don’t know if missing any school would be okay for those of you whose parents are not here and don’t know about everything going on.”

            “It’s okay with us for Will, El, and Jonathan.” Joyce spoke up, “And I can talk to Karen and the Sinclairs for Nancy, Mike, and Lucas.”

            Dustin piped up, “And you know my mom loves you Steve, all you’d have to do is ask and tell her it was for educational purposes, and I bet I could get the whole week off.”

            “My mom wouldn’t care. She’s working so much anyway. I’ll just tell her you’re taking me for some fancy physical therapy. From what you mentioned of the Pack house out there, it’s probably not far off. I’d love to do some horseback riding” Max smirked, knowing they had Steve weakening.

            Pinching the bridge of his nose, Steve looked at Eddie who just smiled and shrugged. “Okay. If all of you can get permission from your parents, we can go for the week. Now, our Pack isn’t big on formality, but you have to know a few rules. My grandfather, Al, is the Alpha Primus. That means it’s his Pack, he’s in charge. If he directs you to do something it is likely for your safety as he’s not heavy handed and you need to listen. That goes for all of you. When we are there, I am his second. The same goes for me. You are all my personal Pack, but this is going to be bigger than that. Any questions?”

            With the murmurs of no, they broke off into groups. Joyce was talking with the kids about getting their parents on board, while Hopper, Wayne, and the Broussards discussed what vehicles to take and who would drive. Steve got a text just then and smiled while reading it. He grabbed Eddie’s hand and dragged him to the driveway.

            “Okay, now I know you miss your van. It was lived in and ‘metal’ in a very well-loved way. I hope this is okay.” He turned his Mate to face the driveway and stepped back, “Ta-da!”

            “No way! No fucking way! Oh my God!” Eddie couldn’t stop almost hyperventilating at what he saw sitting there. It was a brand new, black Sprinter van with red accents and a personalized license plate that just said “BATZ”. It even had a huge red bow on the hood.

            Steve looked a little sheepish, “I know it’s not your normal taste, but I tried to make it as metal as possible. I just thought it would make trips like this easier, plus we could use it to go camping too if we ever want to. Oooph!” Luckily, he had stellar balance because he suddenly had his arms full of Eddie. An Eddie peppering his face with kisses as he was laughing.

            “I love it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Eddie jumped down, “Can I get in?”

            “Of course! It should be open and the keys inside. You explore it, and I’ll go tell everyone to come out and see it. We should be able to eliminate at least one extra car for the trip since we have this monstrosity!” He laughed as his Mate scampered off to check out his new ride. He got the Passenger van that can fit around 12 people, but they could also take out some seats in favor of cargo space.

            A few minutes later everyone poured out the front door, oohing and aahhing at Eddie’s new van. Eddie jogged over and gathered the kids, “Come check out the ‘Batz Mobile’!” When everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions, he laughed and pointed at the personalized front license plate. Everyone started laughing, Argyle and Jonathan patting Steve on the back. “Nice joke, Dingus!” Robin elbowed him in the ribs as he chuckled. The kids and older teens were climbing all through the van when Hopper and Wayne approached him.

            Wayne clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder, “Pretty nice gift Steve. I can tell he loves it.”

            Fighting a blush, Steve looked at the older men, “It’s nothing. I knew he missed his van even though I told him to use one of my cars whenever he wanted. And this way we don’t need as many cars when the whole Pack needs to go on a road trip.”

            “Yeah,” Hopper took a swig of his beer, “We should only need the van and my Ford Excursion and we should be good.” The three men talked logistics for the trip while everyone else started to head back inside. Eventually Nancy joined them and agreed leaving Friday afternoon from Steve’s would be the best. That gave them two days to get the parents all on board, which Joyce and Hopper were going to start on first thing in the morning.

            Steve delegated getting road trip snacks to Nancy and Robin, knowing better than to trust Eddie with that or they would have nothing but sugar for the whole trip. Steve was making the arrangements for rooms to be ready for their arrival at the Pack House the next day, and Delphine and Julien had volunteered to work with Eddie and Wayne on figuring out who would ride with whom. All in all it didn’t seem like it was going to be too hard to get everyone ready for the trip, and Steve could feel not only his own excitement, but everyone else’s excitement too.

***

            By Friday morning, they had already gotten all the parents on board for the extended trip. Even though the Wheelers, the Sinclairs, and Mrs. Henderson didn’t know the details of what happened on Spring Break they knew the kids had been through a lot and felt that they should have some time to relax a bit. It didn’t hurt that all the kids were stellar students and in no danger of falling behind. Eddie on the other hand… he needed all the help he could get to pass and finally graduate, but Nancy and Robin promised to help him.

            Steve had made sure all of the snacks and entertainment was packed into the van the night before, and the kids’ parents had already dropped off their bags to be packed up so they just needed to make sure all of the adults were ready to go, and they could leave right after school. Steve was a little nervous bringing both parts of his world together, but he was more excited than anything. He knew everyone would love the Pack House, and the kids would especially love the DnD room (Eddie already had a campaign ready to go to break it in). He couldn’t wait until Nancy and Robin saw the library, and Hopper was going to love the training facilities. There was even a pub style lounge for the adults in the Pack to hang out at night and play pool or darts. This was going to be a fun trip. He had a feeling that the Broussards, Hopper and Joyce, and Wayne were going to get along great with his grandparents.          

            By the time the afternoon came, all they were waiting on were the kids to get out of school and the parents to drop them off. Steve could feel the excitement coming through the bond from Eddie as the time for the final bell got closer and closer. He was catching a ride home with Nancy as she knew that Steve, Wayne, and the Broussards were busy packing and the van needed to stay home that day to get packed up. Once Steve could feel the Pack get closer, he decided to meet them all out front because he just couldn’t wait to get going. He had already spoken to Karen Wheeler on the phone that morning and made sure to give her the number for the Pack House just in case, all she and the other parents knew was it was his grandparents’ farm they were staying at. She knew to ask for Al or Em if he wasn’t available. The same for the Sinclairs and Mrs. Henderson.

            When Hopper’s SUV pulled up, it truly seemed like a clown car as everyone piled out. The only one not with them was Max. “Where’s Max?” Steve was a little concerned.

            Jonathan reassured him, “Nancy, Eddie, and Robin went with her to her house to grab her things. Her mom still hasn’t shown up, so she couldn’t drop them off this morning.” Steve and Hopper shared a knowing look. They were pretty sure that Mrs. Mayfield wasn’t going to be around much. Steve had already been considering having Max move in with he and Eddie, but he just hadn’t said anything yet. He was sure Eddie would agree and had been planning on discussing it with him on this trip. He quickly reached out to his Mate.

            Everything okay babe?

            Hey Sweetheart, yeah, we’re good. We will be home soon. Um. Max’s mom’s stuff is all gone from the trailer though. We kind of had to talk her down from a panic attack.

            Oh, shit. Did she leave a note or anything?

            Nope. Just cut and run. Probably doesn’t even know Max got out of the hospital.

            Okay. We have a lot to discuss, but we can do that when we get to Illinois. But don’t worry and tell Max not to worry. I have a plan. See you soon.

            Alright, see you soon. Love you.

            Love you too.

            “Hey Hop, you got a minute?” Steve motioned for the older man to follow him to the other side of the yard, away from where everyone else was gathered still trying to figure out who is riding with whom.

            “What’s up?” Hopper pulled out a cigarette. He had been trying to quit, but since becoming a Shifter he figured it didn’t matter anymore, the cigarettes wouldn’t kill him.

            “Can you tell me what I would need to do to take custody of an abandoned teenager?” He gave the Chief a look.

            Hopper scrubbed a weary hand over his face, “Max?”

            “Yeah, Max. Eddie just told me that when they got to the trailer all of Mrs. Mayfield’s things were gone. I guess Max hadn’t seen her in a while. I had already been thinking of talking to Eddie about Max moving in, but I think the timeline just got moved up.” Steve looked the Chief right in the eyes, all protective Alpha, making the new Shifter stand straight and put his cigarette out.

            “Well, we would need to determine if her mother truly isn’t coming back. Usually, we would need to get CPS involved, and she would have to go into the system until or unless a family member was found to take her in. But I think we can forgo some of that.  Between our government contacts and you being you, I don’t think it would be hard to be able to have Max move in with you and Eddie. Not hard at all.” Hop nodded decisively, letting his Alpha know he would do whatever necessary to make it happen.

            Steve clapped a hand on Hopper’s shoulder, “Okay. Okay, we can make it happen. Let me talk with Eddie, but there’s no world I know of where he would ever say no.” They stood like that for a moment before joining the others. Soon enough, Nancy’s car pulled up spilling her, Eddie, Robin, and Max. Everyone pretended not to notice Max’s red rimmed eyes, except for Steve. He grabbed her in a tight hold and let his calming pheromones wash over her. He leaned down and whispered, “It’s okay Max. We’ve got you. We’ve got you.” Nuzzling her head into his chest, he heard her sniff and she just nodded before moving away.

            “Thanks, Steve. I know.” With that she pulled herself together and went to join the other kids over by Eddie’s van. Eddie came up behind him and rested his chin on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I think I know what you want to talk about, and I am on board. One hundred percent.”

            Steve twisted around and kissed his Mate, “I love you, so much.” They quickly pulled apart when they heard groans and wolf whistles. “Okay gremlins,” Steve growled, “Find your seats in the van. You all are riding with Eddie, Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, and Argyle. The rest of us will be in Hopper’s Excursion. I hope you all used the restroom already.” There was a chorus of yes, while they all scrambled to find their seats. He gave Eddie one last kiss and sent him off to the van with a playful swat to the ass. “Have fun!”

            “We will. You have fun in the adult car!” Eddie laughed as he climbed up into the driver’s seat. He already had the address plugged into the navigation, but Steve decided he would lead in Hopper’s car anyway since he knew the way blindfolded.

            Finally, they all were loaded and ready to start their trip. Hopper started driving and would switch with Steve about halfway through. Eddie and Argyle were going to share driving duties in the van since they both had experience driving them. They all pulled out of the driveway and started on their way. Steve and Hopper were quiet in the front seat, just enjoying the drive, Wayne and Julien were talking about the fishing down in Louisiana with the Shifter inviting his grandson’s uncle to come down for a fishing trip that summer. Delphine was talking to Joyce about the Café du Monde in Jackson Square and the chicory coffee and beignets they sold there. Joyce sounded excited about visiting New Orleans and Steve nudged Hopper with his elbow while smiling. The Chief just nodded and smirked knowing that Steve was now thinking about planning a trip down South.

            In the van, it was total chaos and Eddie loved it. Between his road trip playlist playing, the kids chattering loudly about DnD, comics, movies, and what the Pack House was going to be like and Robin’s rambling with Nancy he felt like he was in his element. The only quiet ones were Jonathan and Argyle, and he was pretty sure it was because they were still a bit baked and just riding the high. They had been driving a couple hours when Dustin piped up from the back, “Hey Eddie! Can we stop soon. I need the bathroom!” There were a few other voices who also chimed in on needing to stop. He wasn’t surprised as the kids were sucking down sodas like they might never see another one. He called Steve on the phone, not wanting to Mind Link while he was driving.

            Steve answered, “Hey, Babe. What’s up?” Eddie shivered at the hint of a growl in his Mate’s voice. He knew he was doing it just to get a rise out of him. Well, two could play at that game. Luckily no one was paying too much attention, even though they were on speaker. “Well, Big Boy,” Eddie started, and started pulsing just the slightest bit of lust through their bond. He could hear the subtle intake of air from his Mate. “The kids need to stop for a bathroom break. Think you can do that for us?” He added the least bit of a purr at the end of his question, and if he had been next to his Mate, he would have fluttered his eyelashes and rubbed against his side. Just to be a little shit.

            He wasn’t ready for Steve to respond by deepening his voice, “Anything for you sweet thing,” and shooting pure want through the bond. It took him so off guard that he swerved slightly, jostling everyone on board getting groans and a few “what the hells” from the Party. All he heard on the phone line was a chuckle. “Baby, be careful! We’ll stop in a couple minutes. I know where a truck stop is.”

            Eddie took a steadying breath, “Okay, asshole. You’re lucky I love you.”

            “Don’t I know it.” And with that Steve hung up. Eddie startled when a hand clasped his shoulder. He looked up to see it was Robin.

            “Dingus messing with you?” She sat in the passenger seat and grabbed the bag of Sour Patch Kids sitting in the cup holder.

            He nodded, “A bit. We were kinda going back and forth.”

            “Hmmm.” She smirked knowingly at his pink cheeks as she sipped from her water bottle. “So, when’s he going to make an honest man out of you?”

            If Eddie had been drinking, he would have had a spit take. “W-what?” he laughed, “we’re already Bonded Mates.”

            “Yeah, but aren’t you guys going to get married? Like, the human way?” when he just looked confused, she continued, “Please don’t tell me you haven’t talked about it!”

            “Birdie, sweet Birdie. I haven’t even thought about it. Between figuring out we were Mates, I was a Suppressed Shifter, the Challenge from Marcus, officially Mating and Shifting, meeting my grandparents, the Pack Bonding Bites, and finding out Hop was Suppressed too we haven’t really had a lot of time to talk or really think about what the future looks like. Besides, I don’t even know if that is something Shifters do.” He sighed, realizing now that Robin said something he actually wanted to marry his Mate.

            “They do. Get married I mean. I was talking to your Grand Mere and she mentioned she and your Grand Pere got married after their Mating and were able to invite all of their human friends too. The New Orleans shin dig she mentioned makes me want to crash a Cajun wedding.” At this, Eddie had a new conversation he wanted to have with his grandparents. He tried to lock down his feelings about marrying Steve for the time being so the man in question didn’t feel them through the bond. He needed to sort them out first. I mean, what if he got in his head about it, and Steve didn’t even want to get married?

            He startled a little when Robin poked him in the shoulder, “Hey, they’re exiting. You should probably follow.”

            “Oh, oh yeah.” He turned on his blinker and followed Hopper. They pulled into the truck stop, both vehicles pulling up to the pumps while everyone filed out to find restrooms and buy even more snacks. The kids were bottomless pits, and the Shifters weren’t that far behind having super-fast metabolisms.

            As he was standing at the pump, waiting for the van’s gigantic tank to fill up, Eddie felt his Mate’s strong arms reach around his waist and pull him into a spooning hug. He shivered when Steve whispered into his ear, low and sexy, “Hello, my Mate.” Eddie tipped his head back, silently asking for a kiss. He turned in Steve’s arms to continue kissing his love, his arms looped around Steve’s neck. For once in his life, he didn’t care if anyone saw him kissing another man in public. That was the freedom of being a Shifter, of Pack. Knowing they were safe to be themselves. If anyone had a problem with them, they could handle it.

            They had been wrapped up together for a few minutes when the pump clicked off, finished fueling the van. Eddie unwrapped from Steve to put the nozzle back in place. When he turned back around, he noticed Steve was walking back to Hopper’s car, but there was a small bouquet wedged in the driver’s side door handle; it was made up of small white carnations, purple amaryllis, red rose buds, and baby’s breath. He pulled the flowers to his nose and scented the deep floral scents, wholly different now that he was a Shifter. They were deeper and more complex, and underneath them all he could scent his Mate.

            I love them. Thank you!

            I love you!

            I can’t wait to thank you in person…

            I can’t wait either, love.

            Just then, everyone poured back out of the truck stop and into the vehicles. Luckily, Eddie had already used the restroom, so they could all get going. Argyle offered to drive, but Eddie was having too much fun driving his new van, so he climbed back into the driver’s seat. Besides, he knew they would be there in a couple hours. He could make it. Looking over at Hopper’s car, he noticed Steve was driving now. Which made sense since he knew the way so well.

            Back on the highway, the atmosphere in the Excursion was light years away from the continued chaos of the van. Everyone was either reading, listening to their own music, or napping. Steve didn’t mind. He was busy thinking anyway about the conversation he had with Robin when he had ducked into the truck stop to use the restroom. She stopped him on the way out and dragged him to an empty corner.

            “What do mean by not talking to Eddie about getting married?” she practically hissed. He looked and felt bewildered for a moment. They were Mates. In his eyes and the eyes of the Pack they were married. He even told her as much.

            “Yeah,” she started, “but he was raised human. And Shifters do get married according to Eddie’s grandparents. Don’t you think it’s something to consider?”

            He was quiet for a moment, “Honestly, it’s not something I had thought about, but I’m not against it. I guess you talked to Eds about it since you know we haven’t talked about getting married.” She nodded, so he continued. “Did he seem like it was something he wanted?”

            “Honestly, he said the same thing you did, but at the end it seemed like something he didn’t realize he wanted until just then.” Knowing she just gave her best friend a lot to think about, she just squeezed his arm and walked over to the Slushie machine.

            Now sitting in the car, he started mulling over the idea. The more he thinks about it, the more he likes it. Especially now that same sex marriage is legal, he can show all of Hawkins that Eddie is his. That gives him a little thrill, the idea of letting everyone know. Making sure no one will think of Eddie without also thinking of Steve. He looked down at the navigation, realizing they crossed into Pack lands quite a while ago and they are only a few miles from the Pack House, he turned to tell Hop who was in his own world in the passenger seat when he heard a loud explosion, the entire car lifted up and the whole world went black.

Chapter Text

            Steve felt like he was swimming underwater in a deep dark lake, like when he went looking for Water Gate in Lover’s Lake. Only this time there was no glowing red gate, there was nothing and he didn’t even know which way was up. He was starting to panic, worrying he was going to drown, not able to get a breath of air. He started to swim in the direction he felt might be the surface, only to find nothing but an endless darkness. Surely there had to be a way out. A way up. Gradually he realized it wasn’t silent anymore. He could hear voices. At first, they were muffled, the water buffering the sound. He couldn’t make out words, but it finally gave him a direction to swim.

            He swam what felt like an eternity, willing himself to keep going even though he was exhausted. He suddenly heard a voice clearly, “Steve! Please Steve! Wake up!” It was Eddie! It was his Mate! He needed to get to his Mate, make sure he was okay. That the Pack was okay. His instincts kicked in, sending his flagging limbs a surge of adrenaline so he could keep going. He started hearing other sounds, Robin’s voice “Come on Dingus! I know you’re made of tougher stuff! You’re a Shifter, you have to be okay!” He couldn’t stand that he could hear the tears in her voice. He also heard boot steps on gravel and the overall background noise of a lot of people. He heard Eddie again, “Alpha, I know you can hear me. I just know you can. Please, listen to my voice come back to me.” With that he felt like his head finally broke the surface of the water and he could breathe again.

            Opening his eyes with a wince, Steve blinked once, twice. “Eddie,” he breathed. Eddie’s heart leapt in his chest. Steve would be okay, his Mate would be okay. He gently gathered the man in his arms, caressing his shoulders, telling him he was there. Finally, the Pack’s paramedic crew pulled up and a small female Shifter jumped out the back with her bag. She took one look and turned almost green, realizing just who was lying on the tarmac barely conscious. Yelling back her partner to hurry, she rushed to Steve and Eddie’s side.

            Touching Steve’s arm, she asked, “Can you tell me your name?”

            He took a moment to swallow, “Steve. Steve Harrington.” He noted the relieved look on her face.

            “Okay, can you tell me who the President is?”

            “Joe—Biden. It’s Biden. And before you ask, it’s 2023.” He made movements to sit up, but both the EMT and Eddie gently held him down.

            “Baby, I know you’re a Shifter and you heal quickly, but right now please take it easy. Let her check you out.” Steve made a sound of protest. The Pack needed him. Eddie picked up on his thoughts, “Everyone else is okay. Hopper and my grandparents a bit banged up, it looks like Wayne might have a broken arm, and Joyce has whiplash and a bump on her head. But they will all be okay.”

            All this time, the EMT, her name tag said her name was Rebecca, was busy checking Steve over, taking his vitals and examining his limbs. Being a Shifter, and a fast healer meant that Steve was already feeling better, but tired. Accelerated healing took a lot of energy and whatever happened to his head he could feel had been major. He dredged up the last of his energy to ask, “The kids? Robin and the others? Are they okay?”

            Eddie leaned over to carefully plant a kiss on his Mate’s forehead, “They’re fine sweetheart. It was only your car.”

            “Did I hit something? Someone? What happened?” Steve was so confused; he didn’t remember seeing anything in the road.

            “No, baby. You didn’t. Get some rest, I can feel how very tired you are. We can talk when you get to the hospital.” Just then another car screeched up, and Al and Em hurried out and over to where Steve was now being placed on a backboard to be lifted onto a gurney.

            “Steve! Steve, oh my God! Are you okay?” It was Em, there by his side, hand cupping his cheek and tears in her eyes. He did his best to give her a small nod and a comforting smile before he closed his eyes and drifted off. Al wrapped his arms around her, whispering comfort in her ear, pouring safe and calm through their bond.

            Turning to Eddie, Al asked, “What happened?”

            Eddie shook his head; he had an idea but didn’t know for sure. “I’m not sure. Can we get him to the hospital and make sure he’s okay? Then we can try and figure things out.”

            Em put her arms around him, comforting him. “Of course, honey. We’ll follow the ambulance to the Pack hospital. Just try to relax, I think you’re going into shock. Al?” She looked at her Mate who was studying the scene with a keen eye as if he was piecing together what occurred. He looked up at her, “Al love, can you get a blanket from one of the EMTs? Eddie is going into shock. We need to keep him warm and get him checked out too.” He nodded and walked towards one of the ambulances.

            Not knowing when it happened, Eddie realized he was crying. Not just crying, sobbing, into Em’s shoulder. Petting his hair, she started rocking him ever so slightly. Taking the blanket from Al, she wrapped it around Eddie and led him to their car. Seeing Steve being loaded into the ambulance, he let out a keening cry “Mate!” that about broke the hearts of everyone who heard it.

            “It’s okay Eddie,” Al wrapped his arms around both Eddie and Em. Julien and Delphine were there as well, scenting their grandson with comfort. Wayne was still being assessed to be taken to the hospital or he would have been there too. The rest of the Party Pack was gathered and barely holding themselves together, seeing their Alpha hurt and Eddie nearly shattered. They finally got everyone in vehicles or ambulances and made their way to the Pack hospital. The accident scene was left as is for further investigation, but Argyle drove Eddie’s van with everyone in it.

            Pulling up to the hospital, Eddie practically jumped out of the car while it was still moving, racing to be at the ambulance’s doors when they opened. He had this primal need, this instinct he couldn’t ignore, to be near his Mate. To make sure he was okay. Once the doors opened and he could scent Steve again, Eddie calmed down a bit. He moved back as the paramedics pulled the gurney out of the rig. Walking next to the gurney, he reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand, feeling relief when the fingers tightened around his.

            Everyone flooded the Emergency Department, trying to triage the patients from the wrecked car. Wayne was taken to get x-rays, Joyce was taken for a head CT, and Hopper and the Broussards were assessed by one of the doctors and declared okay. No medical attention needed. The mystery is why Steve was so hurt when the other Shifters barely had any bumps and bruises. Even Wayne and Joyce as humans, although hardier through their Pack Bond, were not injured as severely.

            Steve was still out when they finally let Eddie and Robin into the exam room where they had assessed him. The doctor there, a pretty young brunette Shifter, Dr. Monroe, shook their hands taking her time shaking Robin’s hand. Shaking her head, she picked up her iPad and pulled up Steve’s chart. “It seems that Steve has some significant injuries. The most concerning of which is a grade four concussion.”

            Robin, knowing a bit about concussion protocol due to her time in band and being at football games every week for the season, gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Eddie didn’t know anything about concussions, but even he could grasp it was bad. “Is he…is he going to be okay?”

            Dr. Monroe nodded, “Yes. He is lucky he is a Shifter. A human would have likely died, a Pack Bonded human would have likely been permanently affected. It may take him longer to heal these injuries though because they are significant.”

            Robin, sighing in relief, asked, “What are his other injuries?”

            Looking back at the chart, “Cracked sternum, four broken ribs, broken left wrist, partially collapsed lung, and multiple lacerations from broken glass.” She reached over and patted Robin’s hand, “But, he will heal himself. From what I gathered, you are all new to Shifters?” They both nodded, “I know it’s hard to believe, but his body will heal on its own. All we can do is keep him comfortable.” She turned to Eddie, “While having his Pack surrounding him will most definitely help him, he will heal faster with his Mate with him. Are you going to be able to be here with him?”

            “Absolutely! Just try to keep me away.” He turned to Robin, “Can you please have someone check on Uncle Wayne and Joyce so I can be updated? If it’s Hopper or another Shifter from the Pack, they can Mind Link me to let me know.”

            Robin wrapped her arms around him, “Of course Eddie. Anything. You watch over our dingus; I’ll be back later. I need to see about organizing the kids before they storm the castle and try to rush in here on their own before you’re ready for them.”

            “If you would like, I can show you to the large family waiting room we have. It will be more comfortable for such a large group. I am sure more from the Pack will be here once the news spreads.” The doctor offered with a kind tone of voice.

            “Thank you doctor, I appreciate it.” Robin started to walk out of the room as the doctor and answered, “You can call me Christine.” Eddie noticed a slight blush on her cheeks. He had his suspicions, but that was for later. First, he had his Mate to help heal.

***

            Hopper looked like he was about to lose his cool. He was trying to get the Party to settle down so they could rotate people through to see Steve, but like usual it was like herding cats. He had already let Eddie know both Wayne and Joyce were going to be okay, and he had talked to Al about the fact that he was in law enforcement and volunteered to go out to the accident site to help the Pack’s investigators figure out what happened. But, without Steve and Eddie there to wrangle the kids, it fell to him. The Broussards weren’t Pack quite yet, and Al and Em had the authority, but Al admitted he was reluctant to use it without the proper introduction by his grandson to his own small Pack. It was a respect thing, and Hop could get behind that. This wasn’t even the way Hopper was supposed to be introduced as a new Shifter member of the Pack. Normally, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin would be helping too, but Robin was in her own little world while Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle had gone off to get coffees and food for the group.

            “Alright! Enough!” He wasn’t yelling, but Hopper used his best cop/ dad voice to get the kids to stop arguing. At least it was enough to cut through the argument from Dustin that he was Steve’s favorite and should get to see him first. “We all want to see Steve, and I am sure we will soon. According to the doctors, having Pack around helps with healing. But we also have to make sure we keep it stress free for him, okay?”

            He got reluctant agreement for his troubles, but he counted it as a win. Looking out to the hall, he noticed Joyce being wheeled back from her CT scan and rushed out to follow her to her exam room. She seemed okay, in decent spirits considering everything. He stepped up next to her bed and draped and arm around her carefully. The doctor, an older Shifter named Dr. Campbell, had his iPad out and was going over the test results.

            “Ms. Byers, you are very lucky. Just a bump on the head. It may be tender for a while with a headache, but that should go away soon. Having the Pack Bonding Bite will help you heal a bit faster and more complete than before.

            Both Hopper and Joyce let out small breaths, Hopper not even knowing he was holding his until he got the news. He hugged Joyce and returned her smile. She turned to the doctor, “Am I good to be discharged? I want to be with everyone else.”

            He nodded, “Yes, in fact being around Pack will help you feel better faster. I’ll send the nurse in with the discharge paperwork. If you do end up with any dizziness, vision blurring, or a worse headache or headache that won’t go away, please come back right away.”

            “I’ll make sure doc, no worries on that front.” Hopper gave Joyce a fond but stern look, and she nodded as well.

            Once the doctor left, Joyce asked, “How are Steve and Wayne? I heard from the nurses that they were the only other ones hurt.”

            “Wayne is going to be fine. They took him for x-rays, they think he has a broken arm and some bumps and bruises.” He paused, wondering if he should tell her about Steve, but knew how mad she would be if he didn’t. Steve might be their Alpha, but he is also like one of their sons. “Steve has the most injuries. But him being a Shifter saved him and will help him heal relatively quickly.”

            “What are his injuries?” Joyce tried to hold her emotions, but he could hear the tears in her voice.

            “Eddie Mind Linked earlier. He has a grade four concussion, broken sternum, broken wrist, broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung, and some cuts from broken glass.” He winced at her loud gasp, and the tears that finally started rolling. She flung herself into his arms despite her own injuries.

            “Oh, Hop! If he was human, he would have died.” Holding her tight, he tried to comfort her as much as possible. She pulled back after a few moments, “What happened? There wasn’t another car.”

            He debated telling her his theory until he knew for sure, but in the end knew he needed to be as forth coming as possible. “It looked like an explosion at the site. Like an IED.”

            She looked puzzled, “Like in Afghanistan?”

            “Yeah, I offered Steve’s grandfather to help with the investigation. The Pack has a full force of its own, and one of the officers was an explosives disposal expert in Afghanistan so we should know for sure soon.”

            “Any idea why Steve was the one seriously injured?” Joyce looked a bit confused.

            Shrugging, Hop answered “It looks like the device may have hit the driver’s seat directly. I need to interview Eddie, Jonathan, Robin, Argyle, and the kids and see if they saw anything before everything happened.”

            Just then the nurse appeared in the doorway with the discharge paperwork for Joyce to sign. Once the paperwork was squared away, Hop led Joyce back to the waiting area with everyone else. He was so glad she had taken the Pack Bite, he knew it had kept her from serious harm. As soon as they entered the room, Will and Jonathan were hugging their mom and Dustin was peppering questions at Hopper, trying to figure out how Steve was doing.

            “Hop, come on! We’re his Pack, we could all feel that he wasn’t there for a while after the accident, then he came back. I know he was injured, how bad is it? Is he going to be okay?” Dustin had the rushed, surly tone of voice he only got when he was worried.

            The older man clapped him on the back, “Yeah kid, he’ll be okay. He just needs some rest because his body is working overtime to heal his injuries. Let’s get everyone together so I only have to say this one more time.” He looked around and saw nearly everyone was there except for Eddie and Al and Em Harrington. He figured they were all still with Steve, or in Al’s case, maybe back out at the scene. He reached out with his mind and confirmed it with the older Alpha.

            Sitting heavily in one of the armchairs, he gave a quiet thanks to Nancy to who pushed a cup of coffee into his hand. He nodded over to Wayne who had also just walked in with his arm in a sling, wrapped but not casted as it would heal soon enough. Nancy also handed him a cup of coffee to which he gave her a small smile of thanks. Taking a deep breath, Hopper addressed the room. “As you guys know, Steve was the one who took the brunt of the injuries in the accident. Before I tell you about them, know that I was assured by Eddie, who heard from the doctor, that Steve will be fine. He will just need to take some time to rest as his body tries to heal. According to the doctors, relayed by Eddie, he has a grade four concussion, broken sternum, broken wrist, broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung, and some cuts and bruises.” Just about everyone winced, and Dustin let out a sob and collapsed into his seat with tears in his eyes while Robin held him and ran a soothing hand along his back. “Remember, he’s a Shifter. He’s going to be okay. That being said, I was in the car with him, and I don’t know what happened. We didn’t hit another car or an animal, and at the scene it seemed like it was an IED or something. I will be helping Al and his police force with the investigation, so I need you all to tell me if you saw anything.”

            Hopper was surprised when it was Eleven who turned to him, “Eddie was driving, and I was sitting next to him because he was letting me pick the music. We were talking about the different places I want to visit now that Vecna and the Upside Down are gone. That is when I saw a flash. I did not know what it was, but my instinct said to cushion the car. So, I used my powers to, um, what is that plastic they wrap glass in? In packages?” She looked at Will for help.

            “Bubble wrap?” He answered, hoping that was what she meant.

            “Yes! I thought of bubble wrap around the car. I am sorry I could not do more to keep you all safe.” She looked down at her hands in her lap, a couple of tears leaking from her eyes.

            Joyce knelt down in front of her and gathered her up in a hug, “No, sweet girl! You did perfectly! Who knows how bad it really could’ve been if you didn’t help. We might have all been severely injured, we might have lost Steve. You did great!” At that, Eleven had the whole group around her reassuring her and giving her pats and hugs. She smiled and nodded, accepting the gratitude.

            Wayne walked over to Hopper, “That still leaves who the target was and why a bit of a mystery, don’t it?”

            Julien and Delphine who were standing there as well nodded, “And who is behind it in the first place.” Julien looked thoughtful. “I am guessing it is inter Pack stuff. Maybe another Pack acting out against the biggest Pack around. We need to know if it was random that it hit our car, or if Steve is the target given that he is heir to the Primus Alpha.”

            Hopper looked thoughtful, “I’m obviously still new to all of this, and with Steve out of commission for a while, I might need the two of you to fill in some blanks for me about Pack dynamics.” He looked between Julien and Delphine.

            “Absolutely! Anything you need.” Delphine’s sincerity was obvious, “We love Steve. Not just because he’s Eddie’s Mate and Alpha, but because he is a wonderful young man.”

            Julien added, “The fact that he was hurt is inexcusable, and whoever is responsible needs to be held accountable.” He wrapped his arm around his Mate and pulled her close, soothing her by letting her scent his neck. “We will help anyway you need. Al gave me the keys to one of the cars outside in case you wanted to head out to the scene.”

            Running a hand over his tired face, Hopper nodded, “Yeah. I’d like to get out there when the scene is still fresh.” He turned to Wayne and Joyce, “Can you guys stay here and make sure everyone is okay? Let me know if anything comes up?”

            Wayne agreed, “Yep. I am going to see if I can get in to see Steve and Eddie right now.” He walked over to the nurse’s station. Joyce gave Hopper a peck on the cheek and turned, along with Delphine, to check on the rest of the Pack.

            “Let’s head out then.” Julien led the way to the Jeep that Al had said they could use. They headed off and within minutes were back at the scene of the explosion. Hopper could see that there were still people swarming the area, Al and Em off to the side talking to a young Alpha that he hadn’t met yet. They walked up to check in with Al.

            “Jim Hopper, Julien Broussard, meet Jonah Miller, Steve’s future Second.” At Hopper’s confused look as he was reaching to shake Jonah’s hand Al explained, “When Steve becomes Primus Alpha, he’ll have his Mate to run the Pack with him and Jonah will be his Second or stand in Alpha when necessary. You’re a Beta, but you will likely be Steve’s Second with the Party Pack as he calls it.”

            Hopper grunted in acknowledgment and clasped Jonah’s hand, “Nice to meet you. I wish I could say that we had heard about you from Steve, but we didn’t even know he was a Shifter until recently.”

            Jonah gave the man a puzzled look, “But you’re a Shifter too.”

            Al laughed, “Leave it to Steve to find not one, but two Suppressed Wolves in tiny Hawkins, Indiana and fold both of them into his personal Pack.”

            Jonah turned to shake hands with Julien, “That sounds like Steve! And are you part of the Party Pack as well? You don’t scent like it, but you scent like you’ve spent a lot of time with them.”

            “No, my Mate and I are Eddie’s grandparents. Our Pack is in New Orleans. We were here to find Eddie. His Shift let us know where he was. We were invited on this trip by Steve.”

            Hopper cleared his throat, “Do you mind if I take a look at the scene? I know you’ve got your people on it, but something might spark a memory. I was in the front seat, but I don’t really remember.”

            “Of course, let’s take a look. You know, from what Jensen, the EOD officer said it is amazing that the car wasn’t completely destroyed with everyone in it.” He looked confused by that fact.

            Hopper just nodded, knowing that he needed to talk to Eleven and everyone else about maybe telling the Harringtons and the Broussards about her powers and the Upside Down. But that could be dealt with later. Right now, he needed to take a look around and see if anything jogged his memory. They had already taken his car away, but there were bits and pieces of it scattered around the roadway blown away from the large crater in the tarmac where the device exploded. He looked at Al, “Can I see whatever they recovered of the device?”

            Al nodded and led them over to a small pop-up shelter off to the side. “Here’s where they are collecting the evidence after photographing and cataloging it until we can take it to the station.” He turned to talk to the Shifter in charge of evidence collection, letting her know to cooperate with Hopper and Julien. She greeted the men, “Hi, my name is Miranda. Let me know what you want to see, and I’ll make it happen.”

            “I’d like to see the device itself if I can.” She nodded and motioned them to follow her. Tucked into the corner of the shaded area they were in was a box with evidence tags on it. She handed them all disposable gloves in case they wanted to pick any piece of it up.

            Opening the box, Hopper could see bits and pieces of metal and a longer tube-like piece in the middle. He knew at some point that a tech would try to put it back together to see how it had been built. They would also dust it for prints, but likely the perpetrator wore gloves. He looked over at Julien, startled, when the Alpha stuck his head in the box and breathed in deeply. Being so new of a Shifter, Hopper forgot about using his sense of smell to gather information.

            Julien had his eyes closed and hummed a bit. “Merde. It is so familiar. Who is it?”

Chapter Text

          “Any idea whose scent it is?” Hopper’s eyes took on the look he had when he was on the trail, trying to solve a mystery. It was look Nancy got a lot when she was researching an article.

            Julien took another deep breath over the box. Shaking his head, “No. It’s teasing the back of my mind but I can’t put my finger on it.” He looked at Al, “Delphine may have an idea. Can I take the Jeep and go pick her up? She may be able to piece it together. Her memory for scents is amazing.”

            Al nodded, “Of course. Anything you need.” Turning back to the box, Al took a sniff but he didn’t recognize the scent that piqued Julien’s interest. It didn’t seem as though Hopper or Jonah did either.

            Hopper had his phone out, taking notes while he was talking to Jensen and Miranda, trying to get as much information on the device as possible. “So, you’re saying that there was a remote trigger on the device? What does that mean?”

            Jensen raked his hands through his blonde hair in a frustrated gesture. “It means that whoever planted it could trigger it at a precise moment. It wasn't set off by a pressure plate.”

            Al and Jonah both growled, with Al snarling out, “You mean that Steve was targeted?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and control his rage as he felt Em’s concern through their bond.

            Jensen straightened, “Yes, Alpha. It appears so.”

            Hopper just grunted. After the past few years of the Party having to deal with the Upside Down, and Henry/ Vecna, he wasn’t surprised by much anymore. “If that’s the case, we need to search the area. The perp would need a way to monitor the road to know when to trigger the device. Have as many people as you can spare combing the area looking for any kind of tech, specifically cameras.”

            Jonah walked away to gather some of the Shifters on site and have them search in a grid looking. He felt better having something to do to help in the situation. His feeling of failure at protecting his Alpha had to be pushed down in favor of finding the bastards who hurt him and the others in his car, and made those kids witness him almost blown apart.

***

            Rushing back into the hospital waiting room, Julien looked around until he spotted his Mate sitting with Joyce and Robin, all three sipping out of paper cups. Stopping in front of her he grabbed her free hand, “Ma Cherie, please come with me. I need your help.” Looking confused, she got up, “Of course. What do you need?”

            “I need your sense of smell and memory. A scent at the scene is familiar, but I can’t place it. We are hoping you can.” Delphine nodded as Robin jumped up. The young woman explained, “I’ll go tell Eddie. He’s been so anxious for any information, I know it will help him settle a little. Steve too.” With that, she rushed off, down the hall to Steve’s hospital room.

            As Robin reached the door to the room Steve had been set up in, she paused and smiled, seeing the Mates curled up in bed together. Eddie was holding Steve to his chest in a protective and comforting hold, stroking his hair and half- dozing himself. Knocking gently on the door jamb, she waited until Eddie looked up at her and motioned her in with a nod of his head. Sitting in the chair next to the bed, she reached out for Steve hand, giving it a little squeeze and just holding it for comfort. Hers or his, she wasn’t quite sure. Her breath caught when he looked over at her and whispered, “Robs?” She blinked back her tears, this was the first time he spoke since they were still at the scene hours ago.

            “Yea, I’m here dingus. How are you feeling?” She was rubbing small circles on the back of his hand as Eddie was doing the same on his back.

            The Alpha sighed, “I still feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I feel better. It helps having Eddie close,” he looked up at his Mate with adoring eyes, “and the rest of the Pack too. The faster healing goes both ways.”

            Eddie kissed him on the forehead, “Anything for you. You have two whole Packs, plus my grandparents, here for you.”

            “Speaking of the Broussards,” Robin cleared her throat, “they are at the scene right now with Hopper, Al, and someone named Jonah as well as the investigators.”

            Frowning, Eddie asked, “My grandparents? Why are they out there?”

            “I guess your grandfather went out there with Hopper to get out of the waiting room, maybe help if he could. It turned out he found a familiar scent. He couldn’t place it, so he came back for Delphine thinking maybe she could.”

            Steve just nodded, while Eddie looked incredulous. “So, my grandparents may be able to figure out who did this?”

            Robin shrugged, “Maybe? I just thought you guys should know. They are working very hard to figure out why this happened and who was behind it.”

            Steve took a heaving breath, “It was an assassination attempt. The why and the who I don’t know, but the what is pretty clear.”

            “Is that normal, with Shifters?” Eddie looked about two seconds away from a panic attack thinking that they would have to fend off assassins on a regular basis.

            “No. Not common at all really. But it does happen. It’s considered the cowards’ way instead of challenging another Shifter to combat like Marcus. For all of his faults and conniving, at least he was upfront with it.”

***

            At the scene of the crash, Julien led Delphine to the covered area where the evidence was being collected, motioning to Al and Hopper on their way.

            Al reached them first, standing next to box containing the parts of the device, “Delphine, thank you for coming out here. Did Julien explain?” Hopper loped up to the group and nodded at them in greeting.

            “Yes. Yes, he said there was a scent that was familiar that he couldn’t place, and he was hoping I might be able to identify who it belongs to.” Delphine looked in the box, “Is it in there?”

            Julien motioned her towards the box. She took a moment to clear her mind before leaning over the device and taking a steady sniff. She closed her eyes to shut everything else out as she took another breath through her nose. Standing back up, she opened her eyes and found her Mate, “The reason it smells familiar but you couldn’t place it, is because you’ve never smelled it before.” Julien looked confused so she continued. “This is a family member of someone we once knew. Fabien Boudreaux.”

            Julien didn’t say anything, just stood looking shocked. Al just shook his head and sighed. Hop looked at Delphine for answers, “Who the hell is Fabien Boudreaux?”

            Delphine got a sad look on her face, “Our former Pack Leader.”

Chapter Text

           “Merde.” Julien looked like he had seen a ghost when he uttered that word.

            Al shook his head, “That was a name I was hoping to never hear again.”

            Looking at the older man, Hopper drew his brows together in confusion.  Addressing all three of the more experienced Shifters, he couldn’t help but ask, “Who is this Fabien person?”

            Julien sighed, “He used to be our Primus Alpha. He was corrupt and power hungry. Our Pack suffered many years under his rule. But, in order to remove a Primus Alpha from leadership, they need to be challenged by another Alpha, and that Alpha needs to win. It wasn’t until the disaster with our Belle, Eddie’s mother, that anyone stepped forward.” Delphine patted his shoulder, encouraging him to continue. “Our daughter was a Suppressed Wolf. Like Eddie, and yourself. But, she never wanted to be Claimed and have to Shift. We always told her it was her choice. Fabien tried to take that choice from her. She had been seeing Eddie’s father, and he was human. We didn’t know about their relationship. When Fabien came to us saying that Richard Harrington wanted to Claim her, we thought it would be a good match.”

            Delphine broke in, “That is until we found out that Belle had no intention of Mating with Richard, that even though they had met at one of the conventions she instantly disliked him. So, of course we declined the courting suit on her behalf. What we didn’t know is that it was meant to be an alliance between Fabien and Richard to try and eventually take over both Packs, by pushing Al out and having Fabien as Primus Alpha still out of New Orleans. This left Richard to run the Midwest Pack, giving him power as a Beta he would otherwise never have.” She took a shaky breath, “We thought we were doing the right thing, helping Belle leave with Eddie’s father, Dean when we realized Fabien was going to force their Mating. But, she had never taken the Pack Bite, and let me say Dean was nothing like Wayne. We didn’t know it, but he had been abusing her. When she gave birth to Eddie, she had somehow convinced him to let us come to the hospital where we saw the bruises. That night we were going to take her and the baby once he was born, but she was too weak from her abuse and labor and she passed away right after Eddie’s birth. Dean spirited him out of the hospital and that was the last we knew of them until Eddie Shifted a few weeks ago.”

            “You said Fabien used to be the Primus Alpha,” Hopper was in cop mode now, “how did that happen?”

            “One of Belle’s childhood friends, a young Alpha by the name of Michel LaPont, challenged Fabien. He loved Belle like a sister, and he blamed Fabien for her death. He issued the challenge and beat him handily. Fabien had become lazy and complacent, almost never training. Certain no one would ever have the guts to challenge him.” Julien quirked his lips into a small smirk, “What he didn’t know is that those of us more experienced Alphas who had no desire to lead the Pack, but wanted him gone, had been training the younger generation of Alphas to fight him. We taught them his weaknesses and how to exploit them. Michel had him submitting while still in their human forms, before round two.” Jonah whistled, clearly impressed.

            “And is Michel still running things?” Hopper wished he had his little notebook to keep track of things.

            This time Al answered, “Yes, he is. And he is one of the best Primus Alphas around. He reminds me a lot of Steve, actually. Both are fair minded, willing to listen, loyal, and focus on what’s best for everyone, not just themselves like Fabien and Richard.”

            “What happened to Fabien?” Hopper’s cop instincts were screaming at him that he needed to know whatever he could about the Shifter.

            “He would have been allowed to stay in the Pack with his Mate and pup, just not as Primus. But, not being one to take his defeat very well, he left and we didn’t hear from him again. None of us were particularly broken up about it, so we didn’t keep track of him. Maybe we should have.” Delphine looked sad, “His Mate Therese was my best friend growing up, but when she Mated Fabien we drifted apart. He isolated her, and I could never prove it, but I think he was very unkind to her. I am not sure it was physical or just emotional, but either way, she was never the same shining, bright girl after they Mated. When Julien and I had a wedding ceremony after we Mated, so we could celebrate with Pack and the human friends we have, she wasn’t even allowed to attend let alone be my Maid of Honor like I wanted.” Looking down she blinked away her tears as her Mate pulled her into a hug running soothing hands down her back.

            Giving the pair a moment, Hopper formed his next question. “You said he had a pup. Is there any way the scent on the device is theirs?”

            “Yes. It could be if it was a family scent like Delphine says.” Al nodded, “In fact, that makes sense. As far as I know, Fabien didn’t have any siblings. It could be that pup, or any other offspring he may have.”

            Just then Al’s face went blank and they all knew he was getting something through a Mind Link. He refocused, “They found something.”

***

            Eddie was skeptical. He knew Steve healed quickly, but he was unsure even he was a fast enough healer to be doing this. “Steve, Stevie, are you sure?”

            “Eds, yes. It’s okay. It’s only a few feet.” Steve moved his legs to the side of the bed and levered himself to a standing position. He stood for a moment, getting his bearings, before grabbing his IV pole with one hand and Eddie’s shoulder with the other. Slowly they shuffled to the bathroom. Once there, Eddie helped him inside and then waited anxiously outside the door. Hearing the water in the sink turn off, he hustled inside to help Steve back to the bed. Settling back in, Steve kissed him on the cheek, “You know that by tonight I will likely be cleared and able to get out of here, right?”

            Climbing back into the bed to cuddle his Mate, “I know. But it’s making me feel better to take care of you, so please let me?” Steve nodded and tucked himself into his Mate’s side, resting his nose along Eddie’s throat and breathing in his calming scent. Eddie tightened his hold and murmured into Steve’s hair, “I thought I lost you. I was so scared.”

            Too tired to talk, Steve projected.

            I know, love. I know. But you didn’t. I’m still here. But I am sorry you had to go through all of this. When I nearly lost you to the bats, I remember the way it felt, so I understand.

            It’s not your fault. I just think I will feel better when we get some answers. At least Hopper’s working on it with your grandfather and everyone else. He won’t let up until he’s figured it out.

            Nodding sleepily, Steve drifted off to Eddie stroking his hair and humming a tune softly.

***

            “No! You don’t get it! Steve almost died!” Dustin was excitable in the most calm of times, so there was containing him now.

            Nancy sighed, exasperated, but trying not to snap knowing all of them had been through a lot already. “Listen, they are investigating this and will find out what’s going on. Do you really think that the Pack is going to let this go? An attack in their territory on what amounts to their Crown Prince?”

            “Nance is right, the best we can do right now is support Steve and Eddie and help when needed.” Robin was nervously chewing her lip, understanding the kids’ need to get to the bottom of what happened but also not wanting to get in the way or break Shifter norms unknowingly. They weren’t quite Pack yet, they couldn’t just go traipsing around.

            Mike scowled, “When have the adults ever been able to handle anything on their own?” There were murmurs of agreement from the other kids.

            Jonathan, who had been quiet until this point softly responded, “That was Upside- Down stuff. This is real world stuff,” he held up a hand to stop the protests, “You know what I mean. It’s a police matter. I am sure that Hopper and the rest will keep us in the loop and let us know when we can help.”

            “Can we at least see him? We haven’t seen him since we got here.” Max was gripping Lucas’ hand so tight it was a wonder it wasn’t bruised. “I know what it’s like to be stuck in a hospital room, and if he’s stable, we should be able to see him.”

            Sharing a look with Nancy, Robin nodded. “I will see if he is awake and up for visitors. But if the answer is no, there will be no sneaking back there. Okay?” She waited until they all nodded before walking over to where Joyce and Em were talking.

            “The kids really want to see Steve. So does everyone else.” Joyce patted Robin’s shoulder as she continued, “I am going to see if he’s up to visitors. Can you help Nancy and Jonathan organize small groups so he’s not overwhelmed?”

            Em’s smile was like sunshine, she was so happy her grandson had found such a wonderful family. “Of course, we can. I spoke to the doctor a bit ago, and she said he’s coming along just fine.”

            Joyce agreed as well, “Just let us know if he’s up to it.”

            Robin nodded, then turned to head back to Steve’s room. Standing at the door, she paused taking in the sight of Eddie cradling Steve and stroking his hair as he slept. She would be forever thankful that she met Steve and now, that he had Eddie. On the surface they seemed like complete opposites that would clash, but below the surface she had never seen two people more suited to each other. Not wanting to startle Eddie, she cleared her throat softly, although he probably already knew she was there thanks to his heightened senses. He looked up and waved her over with a soft smile.

            “How is he?” She perched on the edge of the bed, not wanting to crowd them.

            “Surprisingly, or maybe not, he is doing a lot better. They think he may be able to get out of here by tonight, as long as he still takes it easy for a couple of days.”

            Letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding in, “Do you think the kids could come see him? Just for a little bit?”

            Eddie laughed, “Are they threatening to storm the castle?”

            “Pretty much. I told them I would ask and if the answer was no, there would be no sneaking in to see you guys. But you know that won’t hold.” She had an exasperated but fond look on her face.

            “I think he would love to see them. Just a second.” He closed his eyes and reached out through the bond and the Mind Link to gently see if Steve was ready to see everyone.  Opening his eyes, he nodded to Robin. “Give me five minutes to make sure he is awake enough and then everyone can come in. At least for a little bit.”

            Almost exactly five minutes later Robin was leading the way into the room followed by the kids, Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle, Joyce, and Em. Nancy had to grab Dustin by the back of the collar to slow him down, “Remember, gentle.” He nodded and she let him go. Walking up to the bed he looked at Eddie who smiled and then at Steve who already looked so much better, if a bit sleepy.

            “Hey Henderson,” Steve opened his arms as Eddie shuffled out of the way for Dustin who practically threw himself into the hug.

            Through his tears, Dustin sobbed, “Don’t scare me like that again! Scoops Troop forever! Remember, you die I die!”

            “Okay, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” Looking over Dustin’s shoulder he noticed everyone hovered and waved them over. “Come on, I won’t break.” And before he knew it he was engulfed by the kids all hugging him, needing to feel that he was alright with their own hands.

            Off to the side, Eddie was standing with the adults, “Has anyone heard anything since Grand-Mere went out to the scene?”

            Em shook her head, “No. Not a peep. They probably don’t want to say anything until they have some concrete information.”

            “Sounds like Hop, I’m sure we’ll get the run down when they come back.” She looked at the Pack piled around Steve and smiled, thankful that he was going to be okay.

            Once the kids stepped back, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle gave him hugs and pats on the back while both Em and Joyce gave him hugs and Em insisted on scenting her grandson. After about fifteen minutes, Eddie noticed his Mate’s eyes were staying closed longer and longer with each blink. He stood and clapped to get their attention, “Okay. It’s time to let Steve rest.” Dustin groaned, “I know, I know. But the doctor said he might be able to get out of here tonight if he gets enough rest today.” He turned to Steve’s grandmother, “Em, do you think you can get everyone settled in at the Pack House? I am going to stay here tonight.”

            “Of course, dear. She kissed him on the cheek and bent down to kiss Steve on the forehead, “We will see you in the morning. You need anything at all, you Link us and let us know.”

            “Okay grandmother.” One by one, everyone filed by the bed hugging their Alpha before leaving the room with the exception of Robin. Eddie already knew she’d be staying and had asked for a folding bed to brought in for her. The nurse brought some scrubs for Eddie and Robin to change into before bed. She also brought the three of them food. Nothing fancy, just some grilled chicken, broccoli, dinner rolls and of course, Jell-O for dessert. Once they had eaten and gotten settled for bed, Robin picked up the remote for the t.v. mounted to the wall and put on one of Steve’s favorite movies by streaming it from her phone. He was a sucker for Rom Coms, and loved 10 Things I Hate About You. Halfway through the movie, they all drifted off to sleep.

***

            Al was staring at the electronic device that had been found in a tree about 50 yards from the road. According to Jonah, who was the tech savvy one in their group, it was an infrared capable, solar powered, camera that could be controlled remotely. Anyone could have been watching the feed, waiting for a chance to blow up his grandson and his Pack. He shook his head and muttered, “I just don’t know how no one else was hurt.”

            Hopper, standing nearby, said “About that. I think I know. But this isn’t the place. Joyce texted me that Steve was settled in with Eddie and Robin waiting to hopefully hear if he could be discharged, and that Em was getting everyone situated at the Pack House. Maybe we can head over there and talk. Em needs to hear this, and Jonah too. We need to limit the amount of people who know though.”

            Looking puzzled, Al agreed. After making sure the investigators were good, and knew to let him know of any developments, he led the way to the Pack House. Once they got there, there was barely contained chaos. Pack members were clamoring to know what had happened and if Steve was okay. Making his way to the dining hall where most everyone was gathered, he stood at the dais with Em, Hopper, Julien, Delphine, and Jonah. Raising a hand, he got everyone’s attention. “I know you have all heard some of what happened today on the road into the Pack Lands. While Steve was grievously injured,” at this there was a gasp, “he is on the mend. Our doctors assure us that he is healing and should be able to leave the hospital soon. His Mate Eddie, and a close friend of his, Robin, are both with him now.” He looked behind him, “I would like to introduce some of the people behind me. Right next to me is Jim Hopper, a member of Steve’s home Pack and his second out there. Next to him are Julien and Delphine Broussard, Eddie’s grandparents, of the Louisiana Pack.”

            A strident voice sounded out over the murmuring of the Pack. “Do we know who is responsible?” Hopper looked towards the voice and was taken aback by the fury present on the man’s face. Looking around the room, he noticed the expression was mirrored by nearly every person present. He could feel the rage building in the group, scents flaring like out-of-control wildfires. It was then that he saw the true power of a Primus Alpha.

            Suddenly he felt a strength and calming presence. Turning he saw that Al was concentrating. This must be what Steve had meant by “pushing his aura”. It felt like a wave, demanding attention. All around the room, people quieted and started to show their throats in a sign of respect. Trusting his instincts, Hopper did the same, noticing the Broussards did as well even though they were from a different Pack. Once everyone had settled, he pulled back. “I know you are all worried for Steve, and angry about this transgression. We are doing everything in our power to find the culprits and deal with them appropriately. In the meantime, Steve’s small Pack from Indiana is here with him as well as his Mate’s grandparents. So, I would ask that we all do what we can to make them feel welcome and comfortable, even in this trying time.” At this, several members of the Pack came forward for introductions to Hopper, the Broussards, and the rest of the Party Pack.

            Making their way to the front of the crowd, Jonah and his Mate Shelly greeted the group warmly. “It’s so nice to meet you all! I wish the circumstances were better, but Steve and Eddie told us so much about you it feels like we already know you.” Shelly smiled. “When Jonah told me you were all coming, I arranged your rooms for you. I can get you settled in if you like. You’re in the wing near Steve and Eddie’s room.”

            “That would be wonderful, thank you!” Joyce seemed relieved at the idea of getting settled and resting after such a stressful day. “Now that we know Steve will be okay, it’s probably best if we get cleaned up and get the kids fed.”

            Jonah nodded, “Shelly, why don’t you take them all up while I speak to Al, Em, Hopper, and the Broussards about how to move forward.” With a quick kiss on his cheek, Shelly motioned for everyone to follow her even though the kids clearly wanted to stay for the conversation. Before they left, Dustin turned and looked at Hopper, “We expect to be briefed. We’ve been through too much to not know what’s going on with Steve.” The rest of the kids chimed in with their agreement.

            Holding up his hands in surrender, Hopper relented. “Okay, okay. As soon as I know anything, I’ll let you know. But, it might be much later. I have to let them in on what’s been going on in Hawkins the past few years.” He gave them knowing eyes, and they all seemed to understand and began to follow Shelly out of the room.

***

            “Well, Steve. Looks like you are ready to be discharged.” Dr. Monroe looked up from her iPad with a smile.

            “Are you sure? He’s already well enough to go home?” Eddie cuddled Steve into his side, while Robin ruffled his hair with a small smile. They had stayed in Steve’s room watching tv, unwilling to leave him alone.

            Nodding, Christine gave a bright smile to them all, especially the young Alpha. “Yes, it one of the benefits of being a Shifter. Even without Shifting, the healing is so much faster and easier than a human. Especially for a strong Shifter, which you are Steve. Normally with a major injury, we would have had you Shift to heal even quicker. But in this case, your energy reserves were so low, we were worried it would have been too much for your system to handle.”

            “Thank you Christine, for everything. I would really like to get out of here so I can find out what the hell is going on.” Steve looked ready to jump out of the bed right then and there.

            Chuckling, the young doctor looked at Eddie and Robin before settling her gaze back on Steve. “Not so fast. I am still recommending you take it easy for a bit. Relax and make sure you’re okay.” She looked first at Eddie, then at Robin, flushing a bit. “I need both of you to make sure that he doesn’t overdo it. If all goes well today, Shifting tomorrow would probably be helpful. After that, Steve, you’ll likely be good as new. I’ll send the nurse in with your discharge paperwork.”

            Turning, the young doctor left the room. As she reached the hallway, she realized Robin had followed her, both by her scent and her instincts screaming ‘Mate!’ in her head. She had known the moment she met Robin that she was her Fated Mate. She turned to face the lanky blonde with the beautiful, freckled face she wanted to kiss all over.

            “Christine, I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to take care of Steve.” Her earnestness was adorable and made Christine’s heart swoon all the more. Tucking a lock of her shiny brunette hair behind her ear, Christine gave her a shy smile. “Of course. Besides the fact that he’s my patient, he’s also Primus Alpha’s second and Pack. You all are.” Looking down at her shoes, she looked up through her lashes at her Fated Mate, “I hope to be able to see you again soon.” She reveled in the light blush that brought to Robin’s cheeks. While she could scent the girl’s interest, she was still human. Christine knew she had to play this carefully.

            “Yeah, of course. Um, me too. Thanks again!” turning hastily, Robin briefly tripped over her own feet to get back in the room before she said something embarrassing. She practically ran into Steve’s room, slamming the door shut before leaning against it, groaning.

            “What’s wrong Robs?” Steve was looking at her with curiosity. He could feel her anxiety through the Pack Bond. So could Eddie who was also waiting for her answer.

            “I suppose if I say nothing, neither of you would believe me?” They both laughed, “That’s what I thought. It’s just that Christine, Dr. Monroe, is like perfect. She’s pretty, smart, and nice. It’s driving me nuts.” Walking forward she slumped back into the chair by the bed and buried her face in her hands, elbows propped on her knees.

            Eddie stood up to comfort her, placing a hand on her Pack Bite which would help her calm down. “Why is it driving you crazy?”

            Pulling her face out of her hands, she sighed. “Because I know there is no way she would ever look at me twice.” At that Steve let out a loud guffaw. That got him a glare, but he was unrepentant and kept laughing for a moment. Eddie joined him laughing a bit too.

            “I forgot, you can’t tell.” Taking pity on her confused face Steve explained. “She’s definitely noticed you. More than I would say.”

            Eddie nodded, “Yeah. I’ll say.”

            “What do you mean?” Robin was very confused. Christine had been nothing but friendly and professional. She didn’t think the woman was even a little bit flirty.

            “We can scent her interest, Robin.” Steve cut his eyes to Eddie before adding, “Yours too.” Her eyes widened, horrified.

            “Oh my God! Oh my God! That’s…so every Shifter can, they can tell?”

            “Yes. But don’t worry. No one would ever judge you for it. It’s the way of life for us. If we scent interest or arousal we learn to ignore it politely if we don’t feel the same, or if we do feel the same it makes it easier to make a move because we already know we won’t be shot down.” Steve patted the bed next to him for her to sit, when she did he snaked an arm around her waist and gave her a hug as Eddie ruffled her hair with an indulgent smile on his face.

            Sighing she acknowledged, “There is so much I need to learn about you Shifters.” The two Shifters grunted in agreement.

***

            The Party Pack were all sitting in the common area between their rooms in the suite that had been set aside for them. The mood was somber and anxious, not knowing, really what was going on. Suddenly the door opened and Hopper walked in with Al, Em, Jonah, and the Broussards. Everyone jumped to their feet, hoping for information on who was behind the explosion that almost killed their Alpha. Hopper stopped in front of El, who was flanked by Mike and Will. She looked up at her dad, “I need to show them?”

            He nodded, “Yes. Please. I told them the whole story, but they need to see to believe fully.”

            Stepping to the side, El made her way over to the sofa that Argyle, Jonathan, and Nancy had just vacated. Pausing for a moment, she then held her hand out and began to lift the heavy piece of furniture. Once it was level with her shoulder, she gently lowered it to the ground. Turning she gratefully accepted the tissue from Mike to wipe the blood that had seeped from her nose. Looking up she noticed the shocked faces of the Harringtons and Jonah as the Broussards had already had their demonstration back in Hawkins.

            Al cleared his throat, “Well. That explains a lot. Why Steve didn’t die, why there weren’t more injuries, and also why he had refused to leave Hawkins all these years.”

            Dustin cleared his throat, “It’s also why we weren’t that upset he hadn’t told us about Shifters. We’ve kept our secrets too.”

            Em smiled, “He did assure us when he told you all that you were well equipped to keep Shifters secret. Now we know that’s the case for certain.”

            “Can you guys tell us what is going on with the investigation? Who planted the explosive?” Joyce looked at each of the Shifters nervously. Hopper sighed, knowing it was no use keeping anything form the group. “Julien and Delphine found the scent on the device familiar, but it was Delphine who put her nose on it so to speak…”

            Delphine spoke up, “The scent was familiar, yes. But not one I had really scented before. Rather it was a family member of someone from our Pack that is no longer a member.” She looked at Julien who squeezed her hand. “Whoever they are, they are connected to our old Pack Leader, Primus Alpha, Fabien Boudreaux.”

            “A camera with infrared capability was found near the road, and a pressure plate was embedded in the asphalt.” Al paused as if he was considering telling them what they suspected. He must have decided to lay it all out there, as he continued, “We think the pressure plate let whoever was watching the camera feed to know a car was coming. That way they could check to see who it was before triggering the explosive.”

            Wayne spoke up then, “How would they even know though? We were in Hopper’s car, not one of Steve’s.”

            “I’m pretty sure whoever is behind this had someone watching us back in Hawkins. Likely not a Shifter as we would have sensed them. Especially Steve.” Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. “It was probably a human private investigator. An outsider who wouldn’t have known. Just seen it as another job. They could have relayed what cars we were driving, and even who was in which car.”

            That made Joyce gasp as the implication sunk in, but it was Nancy who voiced the conclusion they had all come to. “Then we know it was Steve they were after. They targeted him, it wasn’t random or meant for someone else.”

            The kids all looked horrified, and El seemed like she wanted cry and break something at the same time. “I should have been faster. I could have kept him from being hurt.”

            Hopper rushed forward and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. “No, no. Don’t say that! You’re the reason that we are all still alive. That explosive would have taken us all out if it weren’t for you and your quick actions. The one thing they didn’t count on was us having Super Girl with us!” He rubbed a hand on her back until he could feel her nod against his chest. He let her go and Mike stepped up to wrap her in another hug of comfort.

            It was Max who broke the silence, “So. What do we do about it?” The determined gleam in her eye told of plans of revenge and retribution. Inwardly Hopper sighed, and Mind Linked the other Shifters in the room, “There’s no use keeping them from any plans. They’ll find a way, we’ve found that out. At least if we include them we can try and keep everyone safe.” He received grudging agreement before letting the Party know.

            “Okay. So, we don’t have any conclusive evidence who is responsible, let alone a plan. But I know you guys will get involved one way or another, so we will keep you all in the loop.” Hopper didn’t like it, but it was better than letting the kids go off on their own and get into trouble again. He swore after Vecna that he wouldn’t let them do these kinds of things on their own again.

            A sassy voice spoke up from next to Lucas, “Well, you better figure it out soon! Whoever it was tried to take out Steve, and he still owes me ice cream for life!”

            “Erica!” Lucas sounded embarrassed and scandalized.

            “What, it’s just the facts!” They all laughed as the tension broke, because through the bond they could all tell she genuinely had been worried about their Alpha.

            Julien cleared his throat before telling the group what they suspected from the scent on the device. He expected to be interrupted, as he had spent time with kids and knew how rambunctious they could be, but they all sat and listened intently until he was done. Delphine and they others had added what they could as well.

            “What do we know about Fabien Boudreaux and his family?” Nancy was already in investigator, journalist mode. A steely glint in her eye told everyone she wouldn’t rest until she got the bottom of who attacked the Pack and why.

            Delphine responded, “Well, when Fabien left the Pack, after losing his leadership challenge, his Mate was pregnant. That would have been their first child, but whether they had a boy or girl we don’t know. We also don’t know where they went, any Pack could have taken them in, and they may have asked that they could stay low key.”

            Al nodded, “They could have been anywhere in the world all these years. Unlike my son,” at this his scent slightly soured, “he wasn’t a Wolf’s Head or Pack outlaw. Other Primus Alphas would have just seen a Shifter who lost his challenge and didn’t want to stay in his Pack.”

            Dustin, who had been taking notes on his phone, said, “Then, it sounds like the first thing we need to do is to find out where he and his Mate ended up and who their child is.” At this they all broke into smaller groups to try and come up with the ways to find the information needed. If the Boudreauxs stayed in the States, it would be easier to track them through government databases. Even Shifters had to pay their taxes. Especially Shifters as it would be disastrous for them to get arrested.

            It was in a group with Max, Mike, Will, El, and Joyce that Delphine filled them in on what caused the challenge that Fabien lost. All of them were appalled at what Steve’s dad and Fabien tried to do. She could feel the sadness and empathy that Joyce felt for her daughter Belle. The other mother came forward with a hug and whispered, “I am so sorry.” Delphine nodded her thanks and tried to blink away her tears. “It was a long time ago. But, I will NOT let them take Eddie’s happiness the way they took ours. I worry that now that their plan didn’t work, they may try something even more desperate.”

            Delphine had no idea that her words would be prophetic.

Chapter Text

         Steve couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. He felt fine, just a bit tender in some places. He knew that it was partly down to being a Shifter, and partly due to being Mated with Eddie. Having his Mate cuddled up next to him definitely helped speed up the process. He had to admit he had never been out of commission like that before and it had scared him. He was so grateful to have his Mate and Pack to support him.

         Jonah was waiting downstairs to give him, Eddie, and Robin a ride. She was off to the side talking to Dr. Monroe and he felt bad pulling her away, but he knew the score and that they would find their way to each other soon. He gave the other Shifter a subtle nod and smile and she inclined her head in understanding. They didn’t need to mind link to know they were on the same page. Eddie caught the looks and had a sharp grin as well when he looked at Robin as he followed her onto the elevator.

         Downstairs they settled into the back of Jonah’s SUV, Eddie remarking he’d never been in a Range Rover before. Jonah quipped, “Have to stay true to my countrymen you know. If it was good enough for the Queen, it’s good enough for me.”

         “How many years in the States and you’re still that same patriotic Brit I met when we were kids!” Steve laughed thinking back to when they first met.  He knew he was so lucky to have found so many people to build a family and a Pack with. Not for the first time he thought losing his parents a blessing in disguise. They had never seemed to like Jonah, but now he knows it was due to not liking anyone who knew their own mind and couldn’t be bullied by his dad.

          Finally pulling up to the Pack House, it felt good to climb out of the car and make their way into their rooms. They were met by Em so she could show Robin to her room, and they were all glad that their bags had been in Eddie’s van so they could change into clean clothes. Eddie led Steve up to their room so that he could get showered and cleaned up. While he was in the bathroom, Eddie waited close by and called down to have breakfast brought up to their room. Right after the shower turned off, there was a knock on the door. Eddie opened it thinking it was someone with their food, but he should have known better.

          “By all means, Henderson. Come right in.” Eddie couldn’t help but snark as Dustin bulldozed his way in, followed by Max, dragging a reluctant Lucas, and a full steam ahead Erica. Eddie paused and Mind Linked for Steve to make sure he put his robe on before coming out of the bathroom since the kids were there.

           Max looked fascinated, “Okay, I don’t know if that will ever stop being strange.”

           “I know, right? We need to figure out the range at some point.” Dustin had the look on his face that Eddie recognized as his science look.

            Sighing, Eddie responded, “As far as I know, no experiments are necessary. Steve’s grandfather told me when I was here last that Mind Links can connect with thousands of miles between people. When he was in Europe about 15 years ago with a few others in Pack Leadership to meet with some European Shifter leaders he was easily able to Mind Link the Pack here.”

            Just then the bathroom door opened, and Steve stepped into the room wrapped in his dark blue velour robe, looking soft and warm with his wet hair and pink cheeks. He smiled as he took in the kids and Eddie, bracing himself as Dustin barreled right into him. He pulled the teen into a hug while smiling at the others. Dustin’s muffled voice drifted out from against Steve’s chest, “We thought we lost you, asshole!”

            “Nah, it’d take a lot more than that to take me out, Henderson.”

            Max scoffed, “Well. Let’s not find out.”

            “Yeah, how else am I supposed to get my ice cream for life?” Erica covered her relief with snark, standing next to her brother with tears in her eyes that she would deny until the day she died.

            There was another knock at the door and this time it was breakfast. Eddie opened the door and set all of the food on the round table near the doors to the balcony. “Okay guys, why don’t you head out so Steve can eat and get dressed. We’ll meet up with everyone soon, as long as he isn’t too tired.” There were some grumbles and hugs, with Lucas going last and whispering, “We’re so glad you’re okay Steve.” Steve had to wipe his own eyes dry as Eddie told them to let everyone else know they’d be down soon, and they didn’t need everyone to ambush them. He knew it was a matter of time before the other gremlins showed up even if the adults could refrain.

            After the door closed, Steve walked over to the dresser where his suitcase was waiting to be unpacked. He grabbed some comfy clothes, black sweatpants, soft boxers, and one of Eddie’s over sized Black Sabbath shirts. He dressed as Eddie poured them both coffee. Steve sat and took a grateful sip, “God, I love our Pack. I am so glad none of them were hurt. I don’t know what I would do if any of them were hurt.”

            Eddie laughed, “Probably go feral.”

            Steve nodded, with a serious look, “Yeah. Probably. Best not to find out.” Eddie agreed. He remembered when Marcus threatened them all and how Steve took on that challenge. And they weren’t even hurt, just the threat was enough to bring out a side of Steve no one had seen before outside of battling the Upside Down. And while it was sexy, Eddie had no desire for anything to actually happen to bring that out again.

            They sat and ate, just enjoying each other’s company while they could. As soon as they left the quiet bubble of their room, they knew it was going to be pure chaos. It hadn’t escaped their notice that no one had told them of any news about what had occurred. They were thankful for that time so that Steve could just focus on healing, but it was now time to get an idea of the situation they found themselves in. Through the Party Pack bond, they could feel anxiety. When they were done eating, Steve Mind Linked with his grandfather to find out where they could meet up as he was itching to find out what was going on. He told them everyone would meet them in the conference room right next door to his office. Eddie fixed them each another cup of coffee, and they headed down. It was slow going as each Pack member they passed stopped to tell Steve how glad they were that he was okay, and some even reassuring them they would find out who the culprit was, and they would get justice. It was hard to be annoyed in the face of such blatant concern, so they just resigned themselves to taking 20 minutes to make it to the meeting.

            Steve almost laughed when he pushed open the door to the conference room. He wasn’t even surprised when he saw all the kids mixed in with the adults, Shifters and humans alike. They never kept out of anything before, why would this be different?

            Eddie quickly moved out of the way as El, Mike, and Will rushed forward to envelope Steve in tight hugs. El looked up at the Alpha, “I am so glad that you are okay, Steve.”

            “I hear I have you to thank for that, Supergirl. Thanks for always looking out.” He hugged her tight again.

            “I will always try to keep everyone safe. Just like you.” He gave her one last squeeze and then turned to the rest of the group. His grandparents came up next with their own hugs and after that it seemed like everyone had to get in on the hugging just to reassure themselves Steve was there and okay. He almost teared up feeling the love through the pack bonds. When things finally settled down, he sat at the table, “Okay. Who wants to fill me in on what happened?”

            Al, Julien, Delphine, Hop, and Jonah took turns relaying information with the others adding in bits here and there. Steve was a bit relieved that his grandparents and Jonah now knew about the Upside Down. It had always been hard hiding it from them. Jonah clapped a hand on his shoulder, “I just wish you had told me, sounds like you could’ve used some help.”

            “I know. But between the government goons threatening us if we said anything and the military being involved, I didn’t want anyone from the Pack near the situation. I don’t know what I would have done if they had found out about Shifters.”

            Nodding, Al responded, “I get that. You were looking out for eberyone, it’s just upsetting you all had to handle it on your own. It sounds like you did a great job, but I wish we could have supported you.”

            Nancy looked sad as she said, “Didn’t do too great. We lost some people close to us, not to mention people taken by the Mind Flayer.” Steve knew she was thinking of Barb, and he reached over to pat her hand and try to give her comfort. She smiled a small smile that she then turned to Jonathan as he kissed the top of her head.

            Joyce also had a wistful look on her face, likely thinking of Bob Newby, her boyfriend who died at the lab during their second encounter with the Upside Down. Hopper gave her a reassuring squeeze, then looked at the rest of the group, “What we need to figure out now is what our next steps are.”

            “Gramps? How do you want to handle this?” Steve looked to the Pack Alpha for guidance.

            Al stood and walked over to the whiteboard on a rolling rack in the corner of the room and pulled it closer to the table. “Who has the best handwriting?” The Party Pack all pointed at Nancy who got up from the table with a little laugh and grabbed the dry erase marker sitting in the tray. Moving out of the way, Al continued. “Let’s brainstorm then. I think the first thing to do is try to track down Fabien Boudreaux and/ or his family members. Right now, we have a related scent, but that’s all we have.”

            Dustin raised his hand, “Okay. I think I can help, but only if I don’t get yelled at for the way I can help.” Hopper raised an eyebrow when Dustin looked right at him, “I’m guessing this isn’t exactly legal, kid?” Dustin shook his head, and Hopper sighed so hard his mustache fluttered. “Okay. Since this is an emergency, lay it on us.”

            Taking a deep breath, Dustin said, “From what I gathered, it’s really bad if a Shifter gets arrested or has to go to prison. Regular human prison, right?” He looked at Steve for confirmation and continued when he got a nod. “So, that means making sure you pay taxes, record any real estate transactions, get a driver’s license, etc.”

            Mike cut in at that point, “So we access the different databases until we find what we need.”

            Robin laughed, “You are talking about hacking the IRS? That’s federal. If you get caught, that’s major jail time. Even if you are a minor.”

            Steve chimed in, “And since this isn’t Upside Down related, and we don’t want the government to know about Shifters, Owens can’t help if we get caught. Are you sure you can do this without it coming back to us?”

            Dustin tutted, “Steve. When are you going to learn to trust me on stuff like this?”

            “Last time I went along on one of these schemes, we ended up trapped in an underground Russian bunker with Robin and Erica!”

            Jonathan decided to speak up, “If Dustin thinks that he can get in without anyone knowing, it’s probably           the fastest and most reliable way to get the information.”

            Al nodded, “I think so too. Let’s go ahead and write that on the board. While the kids are working on that, we need to think about the security of the Pack. Now that their plan didn’t go off as expected, they may try something more desperate. I think we need to activate the Iron Shield.”

            Em gasped, “Are you sure?”

            “Unfortunately, I believe we are in a situation where it’s warranted.” Al looked troubled but determined, a look mirrored on Steve and Jonah’s faces.

            “Anyone want to enlighten us on what that is?” Eddie looked a little frantic, feeling Steve’s sudden anxiety through the bond. Steve reached out and pulled him close, murmuring, “It’s okay,” in his ear.

            “Basically, it’s our emergency response system.” Al started pacing to help organize his thoughts. “We decided, many years ago, to have a plan in place in case the government ever found out about Shifters and came for us. It’s basically a way for us to go off the grid and not allow anyone or anything in or out of Pack Lands.”

            Sighing, Steve looked at the Party, “The problem though, is that you are all here right now. And we promised your families you’d be back in a week. I don’t want to break that promise, but I also don’t feel safe sending you home without knowing if you are being targeted as well.”

            Jonah looked at Steve, “How trustworthy are all of their parents?”

            Nancy answered this time, “I would say they all are. Even my father as oblivious as he is.”

            “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Hopper looked incredulous.

            “Well, we don’t know how far these people are willing to take things. What if their families are in the line of fire too? Just because they make Steve and by extension the Pack, vulnerable.” Jonah had a point, as much as Steve didn’t want to admit it. He looked at his grandfather, as Pack Alpha it was his decision to tell them and bring them to the Pack House. They Mind Linked, roping in the other Shifters in the room for a brief discussion, as the Party Pack looked at them trying to guess what the outcome would be.

            Coming out of the Mind Link, Steve sighed. “Okay. Claudia, the Sinclairs, and the Wheelers need to be looped in on this and brought to the Pack House. Let me get changed and a few of us will head back.”

            Eddie shook his head, “No. Steve, I don’t think you should go. You’re the main target as far as we can tell.”

            Robin chimed in, “And Eddie they would hurt if they can because it would incapacitate you to lose your Mate. You both need to stay here.”

            Hopper cleared his throat, “I think I should go. As Chief of Police and someone who’s known them for decades, they will be more likely to believe me and trust what I tell them. Even if I have to shift.” Joyce grabbed his hand, “I’ll go too. Karen will need someone to help her convince Ted to come along.”

            Jonah also volunteered, “As Steve’s second, I will go as his stand in. We’ll grab them all and make sure they’re safe.”

            Eddie moved to grab his keys out of his pocket, “Do you want to borrow my van, it will fit everyone.”

            Jonah shook his head, “No, but thanks. We have a similar van in the garage we can take.”

            Al clapped his hands, “You three head out as soon as you can, I will start the protocol so that by the time you’re back we are ready to close up shop.” They all broke into different groups, the kids with Dustin setting up their laptops and using VPNs to disguise their IP addresses as they got to work. Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, and Argyle continued brainstorming what to do once the Boudreaus were found, and Em, Delphine, and Julien went with Al to help him get the ball rolling on the implementation of Iron Shield. That just left Steve and Eddie in their own little bubble.

            “Babe, any idea what’s going to happen when we find the people who did this?” Eddie was chewing his bottom lip betraying his nerves even if Steve couldn’t feel his anxiety through the bond.

            Steve shook his head. “I guess it depends on who they are, what we find out, and if anything else happens. Ultimately, it’s Gramps’ call. I know he will ask for input though, not just from me and you but probably from Jonah, your grandparents, and even Hopper as we were the Shifters involved and Jonah is my second.”

            Just then Delphine came up to Eddie and Steve looking like she wanted to talk, Eddie stood and gave her a hug, “Hello, Grand-mere.”

            “Hello mon cher. I have some things that you both should know. The others already know but you two and Robin were still in the hospital at the time. Is there somewhere we can go and sit more comfortably?” Steve nodded and led them both out of the room after grabbing Robin’s hand so she could join them. They made their way to the library and to the DnD room where they settled into the cozy corner with the armchairs next to the fireplace after they had each grabbed something to drink.

            Delphine took a sip of her tea before starting on her story. “You boys should know there is more history than just the fact that Fabien was our Pack Alpha.” She then told them all about how Fabien had colluded with Richard Harrington to try and force Belle into Mating with him in order to consolidate the packs, and how she and Julien helped her get out of New Orleans and end up with Eddie’s father instead.  Both Steve and Eddie looked gobsmacked at the thought that Richard had almost been with Eddie’s mom instead of Steve’s.

            Looking at Eddie with tears in her eyes, Delphine grasped his hand, “We didn’t know your father was the way he was. We thought she’d be safe with him. She loved him. But I guess he didn’t start hitting her until after they were married.”

            “It’s not your fault, Grand-mere. You didn’t know. And Richard might not have hit her, but I know from Steve that he is abusive in other ways. And if they had Mated and he and this Fabien guy took over both packs, a lot more people would have been hurt.” She squeezed his hand before he was pulled into a side hug by his Mate who started putting out soothing pheromones for him.

            Robin had been so quiet, the three Shifters nearly startled when she spoke up, “Well. I am sorry about your mom Eddie. But I am glad their plan never worked out. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have you or Steve.”

            “Awwwww, Robs. You do care!” Steve pulled her into a hug with his other hand and Eddie pulled Delphine into what became a group hug. When they separated, Delphine wiped her eyes, “I do believe things happened the way they were supposed to, but I still miss my Belle each day.”

***

            It had been four days and Steve had been climbing up the walls. Everyone kept telling him that these things take time, but all he could think of was that his Mate and his Pack were in danger, and he felt like even though Iron Shield was implemented, and they were all as secure on Pack lands as they could be, that they were still vulnerable. Joyce had worked her magic and the Hawkins parents were at the Pack House, even Ted Wheeler. So at least they were safe. Dr. Monroe wrote notes for the kids, Eddie, Nancy, and Robin letting them know they all had a severe stomach bug and would be out for a while as they were being treated in the hospital. Jonathan and Argyle were already doing online school through California, so they were set. All they could do was keep doing what they were doing and hope that Dustin and the others would be able to find the people they were looking for.

            Steve grunted as he hit the punching bag in front of him, thinking of finding the person who dared to threaten his Pack. He had a lot of pent-up aggression and knew he needed to get rid of some of it before Eddie, Jonah, and Hopper showed up. The two experienced Shifters were going to teach the new Shifters some fighting techniques and do some light sparring, and the last thing anyone needed was for him to go all “aggro Alpha” in the middle of it. He kept at it for 10 more minutes until he heard the door to the training room open, and the three men come in. He had dampened the bond while he trained just so Eddie didn’t get all of his aggressive feelings swamping him, so he was a bit taken aback by the lustful pheromones that hit him right away. He shot a knowing grin at his Mate before greeting everyone else while Eddie worked on controlling his scent.

            “Okay, I think it will be best if Jonah works with Eddie, and I work with Hopper. Less chance for distraction that way,” Eddie shoved his shoulder lightly with a disgruntled groan while the others all chuckled. Jonah agreed and led Eddie over to a spot on the other side of the room so they could start working on ground techniques. Luckily, Steve didn’t see Jonah as a rival, so his Alpha side was okay with another Shifter grappling with his Mate. He decided to start Hopper on learning his strength the way he did when Eddie first Shifted. It was important for him to get used to it so he could pull his punches when necessary. If he wasn’t careful, he could really hurt someone without meaning to. There was a training wall outside that was built with cinderblock specifically for this purpose, for the trainer to demonstrate full strength and let the trainee see what they were capable of. Hopper being so new to this world would have a hard time understanding without a practical demonstration.

            Steve stepped up to the wall with his left foot forward and hands up in a fighting stance. He could see that Hopper was looking at him like he was crazy. It’s one thing in theory to hear that a Shifter could punch through a brick wall, another to see it. Still looking at Hopper in the corner of his eye, Steve pulled his fist back and slammed it into the wall and almost laughed at the look on the older man’s face as four bricks blew out the back of the wall and the whole thing shook as cracks raced out from the point of impact. Hopper had a shocked look on his face as Steve shook the dust from his fist, the small scratches already healing.

            “You mean to tell me that you’ve been packing that all this time?”

            Steve looked a bit sheepish, “Yeah, now you know why I had to hold back when I got in fights. I would have killed Billy that night, and Jonathan before that. Even the Russians, I couldn’t risk them or the government finding out, so…”

            Hopper just nodded, “I get it. And appreciate it too. The self-control you had with both Jonathan and Billy.”

            “Of course. I never want to hurt anyone. Except the demo creatures. If I could have saved Billy, I would have. Even with our history. He wasn’t a good person, but he could’ve been, and no one deserved what happened to him.” Steve looked wistful, remembering his feeling of failure when he saw Billy die at the hands of the Mind/ Meat Flayer. No one deserved to die that way. Billy was flawed, but he was also barely more than a child and there was a chance he could have become a better person if given time and gotten away from his home life.

            Hopper gave him a knowing look, understanding where his mind went. “As much as I know you wish you could, you can’t save everyone Steve. We all did the best we could at the time. You had to think of the Pack too, I just wish we could’ve shared the burden with you.”

            “Thanks, Hop.” He clapped his hands, “Alright, enough sappy stuff, let’s see what you can do.” Making sure that Hopper was in a strong fighting stance and had a good punching technique, he watched as the older man amazed himself by punching a hole in the wall.

            Just as Steve was congratulating the new Shifter on a job well done, he was contacted by his grandfather, “Steve. Bring Eddie, Hopper, and Jonah to my office ASAP.”

            He acknowledged the request and gathered the others to make their way to the office. He had to stifle a chuckle at Eddie’s hair being a frizzy halo from getting rubbed all over the mats when he and Jonah were grappling. “Have fun sweetheart?”

            With a small pout, Eddie answered, “Would’ve been more fun with you.”

            “Yeah, I know love, that’s why we had to split up.” He laughed when Eddie swatted half-heartedly at his arm.

            “Any idea what Al wants?” Jonah asked from behind them.

            Steve shook his head, “No. he just said to bring you three and head to the office.” They rounded the corner and Steve stopped short, causing Jonah and Hopper to bump into him. Eddie looked at him, worried. “What’s wrong?”

            Jonah paused for a moment, scenting the air, “Oh” he said softly.

            Shaking his head, Steve looked at Eddie. “It’s my mother. She’s here. I haven’t seen her in years. It’s her scent, but it’s acrid. Like she’s terrified and hurt.” With that, he rushed forward, not bothering to knock, just opening the office door, and stepping inside while the others caught up with him. He almost couldn’t comprehend the sight in front of him. His mother was sitting in a chair, propped up by pillows to keep her from slumping down. She looked frail and dehydrated. As a human Mated to a Shifter, she healed quickly, but not as fast as a Shifter, and whatever horrific torture she had been through was still in evidence on her body. Her face was a mottled mess of bruises, she had cigar burns littering her arms in various stages of healing, when she breathed it looked labored as if she had broken ribs.

            “Mother?” Suddenly, faced with his mom, Steve felt like a child instead of the Mated, grown Shifter he was. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do, feeling the comfort coming from Eddie through their bond. He had complicated feelings for his mom. She was never the one to treat him badly, but she didn’t stop his father either. He knows part of it was the bond, but he still couldn’t imagine letting anyone, even his own Mate, treat any child like that let alone his child.

            Elise Harrington lifted her head when she heard her son’s soft voice, looking at him from beneath greasy, unwashed dirty-blonde hair, tears in her bruised blue eyes. He had never seen her look anything other than perfect, so her appearance was almost as much of a surprise as seeing her at all. “Stevie,” she gasped, her chest heaving in pain. Hearing his name in that tone on her lips spurred him to action as he knelt down in front of her. Everyone moved a bit away to give them some space and semblance of privacy.

            Reaching out to lay a hand on her hands clasped in her lap, he choked back his sadness, “Mom? What happened to you? Why are you here?”

            “My sweet son. I never wanted to be away from you. Your father’s cruelty knows no bounds.” She paused to cough a bit, and Eddie came forward and handed her a glass of water before walking back over to where the others were gathered. She gave a grateful nod before taking a sip and then setting it down on the desk next to her. “When you presented as an Alpha, he couldn’t contain his jealousy. He insisted we leave. When I said I didn’t want to leave you, he told me if I didn’t go with him, he would have you killed outright and damn the consequences. From the bond I could tell he was serious, so I left with him. It was all I could do to try and protect you from him.”

            Cautiously he gathered her in his arms, trying to comfort her as she wept. “You should have said something, to me, or Gramps, or anyone. We would have taken care of it.”

            She pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, “But don’t you see? Even though I went with him, he has been trying to best you all this time. This latest time, I just couldn’t stand by knowing he almost killed my baby with a bomb! I confronted him, and well…you can see the effects.”

            “Dad, he did this to you? And he was behind the IED?” Steve looked incredulous. He knew his father was a horrible person, but he truly didn’t think the man was capable of actually trying to kill him.

            She nodded, “Yes. Him and a man about your age, Benji Boudreaux. Benji has some sort of grudge against your Mate. I don’t know why though.” She cut her eyes over to Eddie and tried to smile, but it came as more of a grimace. Eddie gave her a reassuring smile in return before turning to Al and Hopper who were whispering about this confirmation of some of what they had guessed at.

            “How did you get here?” Steve was pretty sure his dad was not letting his mother just wander about.

            “Benji’s mother, Sarah. She was terrified to openly defy her son, especially since her Mate died last year, but she helped me sneak out of their compound and found me a ride out here with a human friend of hers.” She answered softly, having lost her steam, and hunkering down in the chair.

            Al, cleared his throat, “Charlie and Matthew found her at the Western border during patrol and brought her right here. But now, I think we need to get her over to the hospital. She needs to be looked over and probably treated for dehydration. And we all need to brainstorm what we are going to do with this new information.”

Chapter Text

           “That fucking bastard!” Steve was struggling not to lose it in the hospital waiting room, now that his mom was back in an exam room being evaluated and treated. He was pacing and seething and trying to control his pheromones, knowing he was already setting everyone around him on edge. He looked at Al, “I should have taken his head when I had the chance! I am a weak Alpha…”

            “No.” Surprisingly, it was Hopper who answered that. “You’re not weak. The opposite in fact. It takes strength to give grace and another chance, even if that person proves they weren’t worth your mercy.” Steve started to shake his head when Al spoke up, “He’s right, Steve. You gave him a chance and what he did with it isn’t your responsibility. And I know your mom feels the same. Your father is the one to blame for his actions. No one else. Sadly, he found someone else just as depraved to team up with, and everyone else is collateral damage to them getting what they want.”

            When it looked like Steve was still going to protest, Eddie pulled him into a tight hug, pushing as much love and confidence through the bond as possible, “They’re right, Alpha. They’re right. Your compassion is one of the many, many things I love about you.” Eddie slightly relaxed when he felt Steve melt into his embrace. He couldn’t bear his Mate blaming himself for the terrible actions of others.

            Everyone perked up when the doctor entered the room, especially Robin from her spot in the corner. Steve could feel his best friend’s interest through their pack bond, and her confusion. He knew it was because she was feeling the pull of her Mate, but not understanding yet. Once things settled, he was going to have a talk with Christine and make sure that she had a plan to woo his platonic soulmate the way she deserved. The confident young woman cleared her throat, “The good news is that Mrs. Harrington is resting easier after we tended to her wounds, and she is currently receiving hydration via IV drip.” She turned to Steve, “I think she will heal faster and better if you could spend some time with her.” He nodded and moved to go back into the hospital room after giving his Mate a hug and kiss, “I’ll be back soon. Let me know if anything comes up.” “Of course, baby. Take your time.” Eddie gave him another quick peck on the lips and watched him walk away.

            Once Steve was gone, the attention of the group turned to Al with an expectant air. He nodded before beginning. “We know a little more now than we did before, but still not enough. We will keep Iron Shield in place, and now that we know for sure that Steve is the target, we know that they will try to get to any member of the Pack to weaken or bait him. Especially you Eddie,” a stern look from the older Alpha had Eddie swallow down his protest. It was a knee jerk reaction to try to deny his importance, but he knew what Al said was true. He was the biggest chink in Steve’s armor, and he’d be damned if he would let himself be used to hurt his love.

            Nancy spoke up at that point, “If I may?” Al assented and she continued, “I think that we keep on the same plan we had before with a slightly different goal. Before we wanted to find the ones responsible. Now that we know exactly who we are dealing with, we let the kids find out their sources of income and any bank accounts they might have and freeze their assets making it harder for them to function. It might not stop them, but it will slow them down.”

            Dustin piped up, “We can do that and more. If we can get an exact location, we can cut them off from the grid, power, water, everything. They might have generators, but that will only last so long.” Hopper looked at the teen with reluctant approval. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised anymore what this group was capable of or to what extent they would go to protect the Pack and Party. With that, they broke into groups and headed back to the Pack house to plan, leaving both Eddie and Robin behind to support Steve when he was done visiting with his mother.

***

            Steve didn’t know what to feel. On the one hand, his mother was laying in a hospital bed, ostensibly because of him so he felt some guilt. But he had been on his own for so long and felt abandoned by her for years and that didn’t just go away when he found out the circumstances behind her choices. He wished she had told him or gone to his grandparents. They would have figured something out other than her having to stay shackled to his piece of shit father. He knew that they would have a lot to talk out when they had the time, but for now he just needed everyone to be safe. His relationship with his mother would have to be worked on later. As Al’s second he needed to fulfill his responsibilities. That’s why after an hour, and his mother still sleeping he crept out of the room, hoping that the flannel he left with her with his scent would continue to help her so he could concentrate on their plans to find and stop his father and Benji Boudreaux.

            When he walked into the waiting room, Steve was surprised to see Eddie and Robin huddled together on the small couch next to the vending machine, both with cups of cold coffee set on the low table in front of them. “What are you guys still doing here?” Robin started at his voice, but Eddie had known he was coming and just smiled up at him. “Waiting for you of course. Just in case you needed us.” The fond smile from his Mate made Steve feel warm and cared for.

            “I always need you,” he looked at Robin, “Both of you. Let’s get out of here and find the others. I need to know the plan.”

            Robin looked unsure, “What about your mom?”

            “She’s still sleeping. I left her with my scented shirt, and I’ll be back later. Plus, we all need to keep our strength to deal with what’s coming. I have a feeling things are going to be intense, very soon.” He reached a hand down to each of them to help them up and pulled them into a group hug. He scented them and let his feeling of love and gratitude pulse throughout the Pack bonds to everyone. The love he received back almost overwhelmed him and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have them all in his life.

***

            Steve couldn’t help but grin as he took in the sight in front of him. One of the larger conference rooms had been taken over as a “war room” of sorts. There were maps tacked to the walls, brainstorming notes on the white board, laptops and tablets on the table along with empty soda cans and snack food wrappers. It reminded him of when the Party was hip deep in a DnD session. He said as much via Mind Link to Eddie and received a cheeky grin in return, “This is what they excel at.” Eddie looked at them proudly, “Think of DnD as training for this. They’ll get it done.” Eddie and Robin had filled Steve in on the plan to disrupt the services and access to income for Richard and Benji and make their plans more difficult to execute.

            Turning to leave them to it, Steve and Eddie went to go find Al, Julien, Hopper, and the other adults. They found everyone else in Al’s office. Steve didn’t knock, he just walked right in. Em walked up and drew him into a tight hug, “I’m sorry you had to see your mom like that, sweetie.” Swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat, “Me too Gran. But at least I know she didn’t leave because she didn’t love me.” That just got another comforting squeeze and Eddie’s hand on his shoulder for comfort. Once they separated, Steve looked around the room. “Okay, I know the outline of the plan, but I need details and I need to know my part.”

            Al looked up from where he had been typing away on his computer, “Well. I have been in contact with the other North American Packs, trying to see if anyone else is helping Richard and Benji. It looks like they are truly rogue though. None of the other packs have seen hide nor hair of them and their group, but they are all keeping on high alert for information. Once the kids cut them off financially and from the grid, they’ll get no help from any Packs here.”

            Julien was quick to follow up, “We don’t know if any of them have ties to overseas Packs, but we are working on getting word to as many as possible about what’s happened and hope to cut them off internationally as well.”

            Jonah hummed a moment, “What about Marcus?” Steve whipped his head around, “What about Marcus?” he practically growled, thinking about the Shifter automatically raising his hackles.

            “Well, he was already being used by your father and he has ties to the Pack in Greece. After being banished from North America from losing the challenge, are we sure he isn’t still involved somehow?”

            Al rubbed his chin in thought, “That was a possibility I hadn’t considered. Jonah, get over to Ray’s office and have him and his squad follow up on Marcus and his movements. Tell them I want a full rundown by morning!” Jonah nodded and headed out; he knew he’d stay with Ray’s squad to help get it done. Before he left, he gave both Steve and Eddie quick hugs and sent them reassurance through Mind Link, “We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.”  

***

            Two days. It had been two days, and they were no closer to finding and ending the threat than they were before. The kids kept hitting cyber walls. Dustin was certain they had their own tech person covering their tracks. He was confident they’d find them and be able to disrupt them digitally, but it was going to take time. Time Steve felt they didn’t have. Every day that went by was torture, wondering if this was the day they struck and somehow got past the Iron Shield and took someone away that he loved. Sitting and doing nothing was killing him, and he couldn’t take the sympathetic looks from everyone anymore. He found himself more often than not sitting on his own, avoiding everybody, even his Mate. He was getting desperate, and there was only one way he felt he could have this all end.

            “No! Absolutely not!” Steve couldn’t say he was surprised by his Mate’s reaction to his plan. “You, Steven Harrington, are NOT offering yourself up as bait!”

            “Eddie, it’s the most expedient way to draw them out without anyone getting hurt.” The exasperated look leveled his way would have been comical any other time.

            “Except for you! You could get hurt! Again!” Steve looked away, feeling slightly guilty. It’s not that his plan was without danger, but as Alpha of the Party Pack and future Primus Alpha, he was wired to put himself on the line for the Pack. “You don’t get to put yourself on the block like a sacrificial lamb. What would I do if I lost you? I almost did when they blew you up! And it nearly killed me!” Eddie stopped, chest heaving with emotion, hoping his words sunk in.

            Steve moved closer and folded Eddie into his arms, “I know, baby. I know. But I need to do this. I need to make sure no one else is hurt and we need to be able to let everyone live again. Being on lockdown isn’t a long-term solution. How long do you really think we can keep the kids and their families here? Especially the Wheelers. Ted is already grumbling about getting back to work. I just want to keep you all safe, and if I have to play bait I will.”

            Eddie knew through the bond that there was no changing his Alpha’s mind, so he would have to be just as stubborn, “In that case, I am going with you.” He stepped back and placed a finger over lips already poised to deny him, “And don’t even think of telling me no. You may be Alpha, but I am your Mate. And where you go, I go.”

Chapter Text

           Nothing anyone could say changed Steve’s mind. He had to end this before someone was killed. The risk, in his mind, was worth it. But just as stubborn as he was, Eddie was more so. His Mate refused to go into hiding, insisting on being by Steve’s side no matter what. Steve could have forced the issue, pushing his aura and forcing him to submit, but that was not the Alpha he was or wanted to be. He knew that it would damage their relationship in a fundamental way.

            As they planned how to draw Benji Boudreaux and Richard Harrington out into the open, Dustin and the rest of the Party kept on trying to hack into their accounts hoping to disrupt them enough to make them desperate and force them to act before they were ready. From Steve’s mom, they knew that the group was stocked enough to survive months on their own, but that the ultimate goal was to take over the Pack and that Benji was getting impatient with waiting, feeling like he had been denied his birthright long enough.  She had told Steve that Benji was a very impulsive person. There was no doubt in her mind that were he to have his hand forced he would make some sort of fatal mistake. It was Steve's job to force that mistake.

             The party was adamant that they not be left in the dark; in fact, they felt like they could come up with a plan to not only draw Benji and Richard out but to keep Steve and Eddie safe in the meantime. Al made the decision to evacuate as many nonessential Pack members as possible so that there was less chance of civilian casualties. He sent Em to coordinate everyone's getting to the safe house. Steve made a last-ditch effort to send Eddie and the kids with their families the safe house as well, but they all resisted and who was he to deny them the chance to defend their Pack?  The party pack stayed behind, giving their families the reasoning that they were now part of the pack and would help Steve defend it.

             Knowing that they had someone watching them either in person or via cameras, Steve and Al made a big deal and show of kicking Elizabeth off of the pack lands. In reality she was smuggled to the safe house as well. The good news was that the location of the safe house had changed since Richard had been part of the Pack, and so he had no idea where it was. By doing that it would seem to Richard that Steve did not trust his mother and would not listen to what she had to say. Elizabeth had started the process already of neutralizing her Mating Bite so Richard couldn’t track her down. This was only possible because she was human and not part of a Fated Mate pair.  After that the pack that was left at the pack house went about business-as-usual knowing that all of the innocent bystanders that they evacuated we're safe and sound. The idea was to lull Richard and Benji into a false sense of security while the Party Pack worked with the tactical Pack members to create booby traps and a strategy to capture their would-be attackers.

            Steve urged the planners to work as quickly as they could because he wanted to be ready when the next attack came. Standing in their bedroom, Eddie looked out the window as Dustin and Jonah collaborated on an elaborate system of pressure plates under their balcony. The plates wouldn’t set off any traps, but were an early alert system letting everyone know that someone was sneaking around outside. This was in addition to infrared cameras. Everything needed to be hidden so as to not alert the “attackers” that they were expected. The idea was to welcome the intrusion and then to spring the trap when their enemies were within their grasp.

***

            It was a sunny afternoon, and one of the few times that Steve and Eddie were alone during the day. No one asking them to collaborate on plans or debating on whether or not they had enough traps set up. They were sitting in Eddie’s DnD room in the library, cuddled on a loveseat with Eddie reading to Steve out of one of his favorite books, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. Steve hadn’t read it, and Eddie wanted him to read the story before they watched the movie. It was a nice distraction, at least until a commotion was heard outside of the room and it sounded like a herd of elephants charging towards them. The two wolves knew by scent who was coming, and it was no surprised when Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Will burst into the room.

            “There you guys are! We’ve been looking all over for you!” Dustin plopped into a nearby armchair with an exasperated sigh.

            Will nodded, “Yeah, we have news for you!” He and the others plopped down onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table in front of the loveseat.

            Eddie put the bookmark in the book and set it aside, “Okay, okay. Let us have it.” Subconsciously, both older Shifters leaned forward, able to feel the kids excitement through the Pack bond. Mike, taking a page from Eddie’s book, waved a dramatic arm in Dustin’s direction as though encouraging him to start.

            Dustin cleared his throat, and placed his MacBook on the table, “We finally got a line on where the Boudreaux Pack is getting it’s funding and funneling it to their accounts.” Pointing at the information displayed on the screen, he explained that there had been a lot of activity from offshore accounts belonging to Russian oligarchs. Tracing the origins had taken some time, but they found the names behind the accounts and cross-checked them in the Pack’s database. Each Pack kept records of ranking members of other Packs as they tended to collaborate at different times.

            Lucas pointed to a line on the screen, “When we found this name, it matched to a name in the Pack database. It’s a Beta in the Moscow Pack.” Steve sat back in shock, they had always had a good relationship with the Russian Pack, even when their respective governments hadn’t been friendly. He personally had met their Alpha when there had been a summit two summers earlier in Canada where all of the North American Packs were also represented. As far as he knew, there hadn’t been any tensions between them.

            “Have you guys told my Grandfather yet?” They all shook their heads, and Steve got up motioning for them all to follow. “This is something he needs to know right away. If this is accurate, then it could destabilize all of the Pack relationships. Who’s to say they aren’t interfering with other Packs here in the States or elsewhere?” Steve had a growing feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach, knowing that all of this was somehow bigger than family drama or an unwarranted vendetta from a rival pack.

            As a group, they all made their way to Al’s office, only pausing to knock, Steve had to stop Dustin from just barging in, and entering after Al said to come in. He was sitting at his desk looking at some documents that were spread out in front of him. Steve didn’t think he’d ever seen his grandfather so weary before. Just down to his bones. “It seems like there’s something you all have to tell me.” He had a bit of a grin that belied the worry Steve could sense coming off of him. “I hope it’s good news.”

            Steve cleared his throat, “The boys have found something in their research, but they should really be the ones to fill you in.” He gestured to the kids, and they looked like they were going to start talking over each other until Eddie gave Dustin a look to start the explanation.

            Ten minutes later and Al was still sitting, a bit dazed at the information he had just been given. Finally, he ran a hand down his face as if to wipe the shock away, “And you boys are certain? No doubts?” All four of them nodded, just about synchronized. If this wasn’t such a serious situation, Steve might have laughed at the sight. Letting out a deep breath, Al stood and looked at Steve. “Well, this complicates things considerably. You and Jonah need to contact all of the other North American Packs and set up a Zoom call. This affects all of us. Who knows if they have interfered with the others too?” Steve squeezed Eddie’s hand, Al was right and things were now infinitely more complicated. Any wrong steps could create an international incident.

Chapter Text

          “How can we be certain that this is accurate? We can’t make an accusation like this and be wrong. It would irreparably damage our relationship with the Russian Pack and their allies.” The Alpha of the Ontario, Canada Pack, Gabbie Peterson had a concerned look on her face, and rightfully so. It was mirrored by the other half dozen faces on the screen. Al and Steve were in Al’s office in front of the computer participating in a Zoom call with other Pack Leaders regarding the information the boys had found of possible Russian collusion with the Boudreaux group and Steve’s father.

            Steve cleared his throat, “The evidence of Yuri Ismaylov’s financial involvement is iron clad. There is evidence of money being wired directly from his accounts to Boudreaux, as well as communications between the parties where it appears there is a plan to consolidate power once the Boudreaux group, and Richard Harrington take over our Pack. Which obviously we are not going to let happen. What isn’t certain is if the Russian Pack leadership knows of this plan, or if Yuri has gone rogue and is acting independently.” He paused to let that sink in.

            “Does anyone have any contacts in the Russian pack they trust that can ‘snoop’ around and see if they can find out if they are in it together?” Al was hoping to get some intel without having to directly ask the Russian Alpha. He wanted to wait to have a conversation until he had more information, and was hoping this Yuri was acting alone, but he couldn’t risk showing their hand if the leadership was directing this whole thing.

            The Alpha from the New Orleans Pack, Michel LaPont, answered. “I may know someone. Dmitri Antonov is an Alpha in the Russia Pack. We became friendly after the last conference, and he works in their Cyber Security offices. I can reach out to him and see if he has heard of anyone working with an American faction. I think he would be happy to help as he and I have talked about him possibly coming to America and joining one of the North American Packs. He and his family have wanted to move here for quite some time.” The Alphas on the screen all started nodding their heads in agreement.

            “As long as he can be discreet, that seems like a good plan.” This was from the Alpha of the West Coast Pack, a laid-back blond who seemed to take everything in stride. She nodded to someone just off screen, “If that’s all for now, I’ve got to go. It’s Pack Day and we are all headed to go on a hike.” Everyone agreed on the plan and to stay in touch and then signed off.

            Steve sat back and sighed. “What now?”

            “Well, I know Michel is going to ask Dmitri to dig around, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are in very real danger my boy. Whether Yuri is acting alone or at the direction of his leadership doesn’t really matter. Either way they are trying to kill you, and probably me and your grandmother too if they can. Looking to knock out all of the leadership in one fell swoop.”

            “I still feel that the best plan is for me to be vulnerable, purposely, without looking like it’s a trap. That way I’m the target and no innocent standers by are injured.” Steve had been having the same discussion with his grandparents, Eddie, Eddie’s grandparents, the Party Pack, and Jonah. None of them truly agree with him, but no one has come up with a better idea to draw the bastards out of hiding.

            Al rubbed his chin for a moment, thinking. “Well, I know that no one is keen to leave you to your ‘fate’ alone. Especially Eddie.” Steve chuckled remembering how his Mate threatened to ask Christine for a medical way to knock Steve out for a few days if the Alpha continued to insist he face their enemies alone. Continuing, Al sounded like he was thinking out loud, “And I do think they’d be suspicious if suddenly everyone left knowing that you are a target. They’d sniff out it’s a trap right away. I think the best we can do is to continue like we have been, protect everyone as much as possible and hope that they get tired of waiting and make another move. You can bet they have eyes and ears on us and they would definitely know it’s a trap if you are suddenly there and easy pickings.”

            Steve didn’t like it, but he found himself having to agree with the logic. “Okay, but I need to know we are doing everything possible to keep everyone safe. You’re right though, to go from high levels of security to wandering around alone, they would be expecting something and our best bet is to take them off guard.”

***

            “Baby, I know you don’t like it, but I really do think it’s for the best.” Eddie had his arms wrapped around his Mate, trying to convey that he understood Steve’s point of view, but that this was the way things needed to be for now. He looked over to where Hopper was standing a few feet away with El, the both of them wanting to be close to Steve just in case. They were all outside in the garden where Steve’s grandmother grew her beautiful roses, getting a little sunshine and fresh air after a week spent cooped up inside trying to strategize and plan for whatever Richard and the Boudreaux group had in mind.

            Steve sighed and lifted his head from where it had been resting on Eddie’s crown as he was taking in calming breaths of his Mates’ scent, “It’s just that it is weighing on me that someone else could end up being collateral damage. I don’t know what I’d do if that happened.”

            Eddie caressed his Mates’ cheek, and gave him a chaste peck on the lips, “That’s what makes you such a great Alpha, but you need to learn to also rely on your Packs, both of them, to help see us all through. Everyone has their own strengths and if we can use them, we can do anything.”

            El spoke up, “He is right. We can stop them. We stopped Henry. They are no worse.” Hop squeezed her shoulder and Steve could tell the man agreed with her.

            “You’re all right. Just because I am Alpha doesn’t mean I have to do everything on my own. My grandfather has been trying to get me to understand that about having a Pack for years, but since I had years on my own I think I just got used to doing everything by myself.”

            Eddie gave him another squeeze, “God I hate your dad.”

            “Me too.” Steve agreed laughing.

Chapter Text

            ‘Steve, come to the office please.’ Steve stopped mid bite, the fork with his scrambled eggs halfway to his mouth. His grandfather was waiting on word from Dimitri on whether or not Yuri was working with his father independently or on orders from the Russian Pack leadership. Looking to his right, Eddie was staring at him with a questioning look. “Eds, Grandpa needs me to come to the office. Do you want to come too?”

            Eddie looked a little unsure, “I don’t know if it’s my place”

            “You’re my Mate, and a future leader of this Pack,” Steve was quick to reassure him, “Of course it’s your place. But if you’re not comfortable, I’m not going to insist.” Steve didn’t want to be the kind of Mate or Alpha that forced others to do only what he wanted.

            Swallowing the last of his bagel, Eddie nodded, “I’ll be right there with you then.” He knew that word was supposed to come in regarding the Russian connection, and he had to admit he was curious not only about Yuri but what their reaction and plan would be. As they made their way to the office, they were greeted warmly by passing Pack members who had just as warm a smile for Eddie as they did for Steve. It still amazed him how easily he had been accepted and welcomed into the Pack. When they finally stopped in front of the office door, Al’s voice yelled for them to come in before they could even knock. Steve just grinned and pushed the door open.

            “How’d you know it was us?” Eddie asked.

            Al gave a short laugh, “Boy, I’d know you by the jingling of the chains on your belt anywhere. And I’ve known Steve’s footsteps his entire life. The day I can’t tell it’s you two is the day I retire.” Eddie shrugged and Steve gave him a little smirk, “You aren’t exactly stealth, Babe.” Eddie playfully swatted his arm before they made their way to one of the couches in the room. They nodded to the others gathered which was the Party, Hopper and Joyce, Wayne, Jonah, Julien and Delphine, and of course the Harrington grandparents.

            They all settled in, Eddie and Steve grabbing a couple of coffees from the tray on the table and looked at Al expectantly. He cleared his throat, “Michel LaPont, the Alpha of the New Orleans Pack, got a response from Dmitri Antonov. As a reminder, he is the Russian Alpha looking into if Yuri Ismaylov is working under their leadership’s orders with Benji Boudreaux and Richard, or if he’s gone rogue.” He picked up his tablet and appeared to be reading an email. “Michel relayed, that according to Dmitri, Yuri is acting on his own with a handful of compatriots, outside of the leadership of the Russian Pack.” The group let out a collective sigh of relief. If this was not a coordinated attack from the Russian Pack, that means they would have an easier time dealing with it. “In fact, Dmitri has said that there are several high-ranking members who have been uneasy for some time with Yuri and his wheeling and dealing and trying to gain influence in ‘unseemly’ ways. They were read into some of what’s been going on and have indicated they will let us take the lead but will assist if needed. Apparently, the old Primus Alpha protected Yuri as he was his brother-in-law, however, Alpha Kastonov passed away last year and the new Primus Alpha has no love lost for Yuri.”

            Steve rubbed his hands together, “Okay, I’m glad that this shouldn’t create an international incident, but how do we move forward? I am still saying that I need to flush them out. I mean, I’m the obvious target.” They all started talking at once, most of them trying to talk Steve out of being a “self- sacrificing idiot”, thank you very much Dustin.

            “Babe,” Eddie leaned on Steve, “like we talked about before. It would be very suspicious to them if suddenly, after attempts on your life, you’re suddenly by yourself.”

            Hopper stood, he nodded his head in respect to both his Alphas, “If I may,” he continued when both Al and Steve nodded, “We’ve started putting in security measures here, and begun shifting out the vulnerable members of the Pack. It may be time to read the others in on what’s going on to have more eyes open and allow them to watch out for anything suspicious. That also means they will be on the lookout for themselves as well. It’s hard to defend against a threat you don’t know is out there.” He paused and looked at Eleven. “We also have someone on our side with talents that they can’t begin to plan against.”

            “Hop is right,” Will spoke up, “The more people know what we’re dealing with the safer it is. They are counting on being able to move in the shadows. And as our group knows, it’s in the shadows that the monsters are strongest. We need to shine the light on them.”

            Steve looked around the room at all of the people he had saved the world with, and saw the same grim determination he saw when they went into the battle against Vecna. He knew with them by his side, along with his Pack, they were unstoppable. He squeezed Eddie’s hand, “Okay. Let’s get out the spotlights then.”