Embers to Ashes

by kaljara

This is a prequel to Ignite and Extinguish, my Stiles/OC story. Here you'll find one-shots of events that happened before Sera's story truly started, such as the legend of the scepter, how Talia and Joe Hale met, the backstory of Kate Argent herself, plus many others. These one-shots are the sparks that created an inferno, and now the only question left is-can you handle the heat?

Hi! I told everyone on Tumblr about this idea, but I've yet to reveal my plans to my Fanfiction readers. It's been such a pleasure to write Ignite and Extinguish that I decided to start on this series of one-shots to keep everyone held-over until the next chapter of Ignite. I hope you all like it-it's been one of my favorite things to write so far. If you have an suggestions for one-shots, I'm all ears. just message me your ideas. And if you're a new reader, I highly recommend reading Ignite before you start reading these one-shots. They'll be major spoilers if not! Anyway, to the people who have supported me-thank you so very much. Leave reviews, lovelies! I want to know what you think.

Once Forbidden

This is the story of how Joseph Hale met Talia Leven and ultimately sealed the fate of his family by falling in love.

Beacon Hills; 1984

Joseph Hale knew a lie when he saw one.

Sure, that should have come as a shock to most. Even his teachers often commented that he wasn't the brightest student. He knew that, and it didn't bother him in the slightest. Because what good were books, anyway, if he had the strength of ten men, and an uncanny ability to pick a liar out of a crowd? That was right-none. Joe knew his way around others, was well-liked and respected, had a decent GPA (at least one that would allow him to stay in sports), and was the star athlete of his school. He didn't need smarts to get somewhere in life. His parents were especially rich, too, which alwaays helped, but besides that fact...Joe was a werewolf. Apart of the Elder families, in fact. That meant he was above human goals and, well, just humans in general, really. It was just the way the world worked.

As Joe walked down the halls of Beacon Hills High, he knew his place was on top. Joe's friends thumped him on the back and congratulated him on a well-played football game the night before, and Joe grinned and took the compliments with ease. That game had been his best so far-as the leading quarterback, he was almost invincible. Joe walked with a strut in his step, grin wide as could be as he tugged on his letterman jacket. Lunch would be rad-he could practically see the girls fawning over him in the cafeteria already... Or maybe before I get there, Joe thought, eyebrows climbing his forehead. There was a posse of girls standing in front of the lockers a few feet ahead, heads bent together. Their eyes darted toward him nervously, and there were several giggles emitted as his grin widened.

Joe could smell the hair spray rolling off of them from where he stood-he didn't understand, really, why chicks now liked have teased hair and neon clothes, especially the latter. That shit was almost blinding. One of the girls, wearing a mini skirt and bright pink leg warmers, pushed herself off the lockers and wiggled her fingers in his direction. Her retro Beatles T-shirt hung off one shoulder, exposing tanned skin. Joe recognized her instantly: Tammy Hill, brown-noser extraordinaire. He merely nodded at her as he pushed past the crowd, slowly becoming irritated. Tammy thought that they were an item after one lousy, drunk kiss at a party. She had practically taken up stalking him, it seemed.

Joe was almost to the cafeteria door when he heard it-the lie. The girls that he had just walked by had gathered in a circle that almost resembled a fottball huddle, trying to keep there voices down. But when one girl said, her voice breathy at best: "God, he's just divine. Right, Talia?", the answer should have been simple. A giggle would have sufficed, or a squeal. Joe wasn't expecting the girl named Talia to answer.

"Oh, of course. I don't see how a guy like that could be anything else."

Joe turned around, slowly. Because it wasn't what the girl said-it was how she said it. The inflection in her voice was sarcastic, which should have been what bothered him. But no. It was the way the girl said her words, so matter-of-fact, as if she didn't expect anything else from him. He was Joseph Hale-loved by his peers, idolized by his friends, the perfect athlete. But he wasn't anything else. The girl might have well just told him that he was destined to be a no one. Joe's eyes searched the crowd, and then he spotted her. She stood on the fringe of the group, her arms crossed over her baggy yellow sweater, which was faded enough that it wasn't painful to look at. She wore black tights and sneakers that had doodles all over them, as if one day she had just gotten bored and was too lazy to grab a piece of paper. Joe's eyes trailed up to Talia's face, which had a stern jaw, a smattering of freckles, and deep brown eyes that were currently narrowed in his direction.

She was glaring at him. The girl who had practically threw a masked insult in his direction was glaring at him. As if she had known that he could hear her harsh words. A pain went through Joe's chest as he stood there in the open cafeteria doorway, staring back at the tiny girl across the hallway. Dislike rolled off of her, and finally, with a huff of disgust and a roll of her eyes, Talia had turned back to her friends.

Joe was shocked. No one ever looked at him like that. At least, not anyone he ever came face to face with. But here was a girl, a human girl, that had stared at him with so much distaste that it left him feeling a little bit hollow. Joe pressed his back against the wooden door, trying to snap himself out of it. He knew he was important, a somebody. Who was that tiny human girl to convince him any different? He was a Hale, and Hales didn't balk under insults. Joe tilted his chin up and walked into the cafeteria. But even as he took his seat beside his friends, he couldn't shake Talia's words from his head: I don't see how a guy like that could be anything else.

He vowed that he would prove her wrong. And in the mean time, Joe was going to find out exactly who this Talia girl was and what she had against him...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Her name was Talia Leven. That much he had found out from Tammy. "Why do you want to know?" the obnoxious girl had whined, and Joe had merely shrugged. He wasn't really 100% sure. Talia Leven, it turned out, was a junior, a year younger than him, and VERY good in school. She was the president of the student council, leader of the debate team, and took several advanced classes. But she also enjoyed volleyball, and every other weekend, she volunteered at the local animal clinic. Joe got to know Talia through other people, through casual questions and promises of dates. He wasn't quite sure why he was so curious about the girl, but he knew that he was. Joe tried to convince himself that Talia's comment was still the reason for his quest. He wanted to know why she disliked him so much when she didn't even know him. Not the real him, at least.

Because Joe wasn't always a jock with an agenda and pretty girls on his arm. He had a kid brother, Peter, who was six and naive as could be. Joe was gentle with Peter, a better person with Peter, and he almost wanted to shout that at Talia sometimes when he saw her walking down the hall. Peter brought out the best in Joe, especially with the kid's urge to always be in the know. Peter was often too observant for his own good, and he was always looking for something to benefit himself, but Joe loved the kid to death. If only Talia could have seen the Hale brothers together...then she wouldn't think so harshly of him, Joe was sure.

Joe wanted to prove himself to Talia Leven. It was ridiculous-a werewolf from a prestigous family trying to appease an insignificant human girl. But the more that Joe watched Talia, the more he was convinced of the exact opposite. Talia seemed important. She had loving friends and a good career at school, but there was always something melancholy in her eyes, as if she was constantly battling the world on her own. Months passed, and Joe became worried for the girl-worried! His parents would have scolded him for getting too attached to even the notion of her. But Talia started looking ill, with pallid skin and dark circles under her deep brown eyes, and it did worry Joe. He had no idea why. His grades started to drop even lower, and his performance in football declined. His friends were disappointed with him, his father furious. "Whatever the problem is," Marcus Hale had growled, "fix it!"

So that was why, on a friday in late February, Joe Hale finally approached Talia Leven for the first time. It was frustrating to admit it, but the human girl had somehow wedged herself into his mind, and he could not shake her. Just the sight of her walking through the halls, growing smaller and less brazen every day, seemed to eat at him. He wanted to know her. He had figured that out two weeks ago. It was no longer his urge to find out why Talia despised him that kept Joe going-it was his want to know the girl. He wanted her to talk to him, tell him the things that he had found out from other people. He wanted to hear her confide in him, direct her laughter at him. Joe Hale wanted to know the human girl, even though it was dangerous. Forbidden, really. Humans were for pleasure and not for serious relationships, friendship or otherwise. Joe's parents had drilled that into his head from the time he was small.

But when Joe walked up to Talia, his head ducked slightly, almost in embarrassment, he wasn't thinking about his parents' rules or werewolf morals or even about what his play would be at the game later that night. He was thinking about how skinny Talia had gotten, how the angles of her face were sharper now than ever before. He was thinking about how tired she looked, and how the smile that she gave her friends looked more forced as the days went on. "Hi," he said after a moment of awkwardly standing beside her in silence. Talia's dark curls were pulled up into a high side ponytail, and it swung back and forth as she shoved her textbooks into her bag. Joe cleared his throat nervously. What was it about this girl that made him lose all of his confidence? "I'm Joe-"

"Joseph Hale," Talia finished curtly, not even looking in his direction. "I know who you are. We all do."

Joe flushed. Indignation flooded his senses, but he fought it back. Talia's voice was stern, but he could hear the underlying tone of something else. "I was...just going to see if you needed any help with your books," he said lamely, realizing how stupid he sounded as soon as the words left his mouth.

Talia slammed her locker door shut, annoyance on her face. "How sweet," she droned. "But I can manage my own books." Talia's dark eyes held a decent amount of anger. "Why don't you go see if Tammy needs any help with her books, hm? She's a little easier than I am." Talia swung her back over her shoulder, bleached shirt hiking up as she started to stalk off.

Joe caught her arm. "Wait, wait! I wasn't trying to-to get you in bed or anything-"

Talia jerked herself from his grip, a surprising feat considering that she was so small, and that Joe was a werewolf. "Oh, really?" she spat. The bangles on her wrists clicked together loudly. Talia thrust a finger into his chest. "I know about guys like you, Joseph Hale. I know all of your tricks, the ways to woo a girl." Her sneer made him shrink back a bit. What was wrong with him? "Guys like you go after girls for one thing only, never caring about the actual girl they destroy." People were gathering in the hallway now, whispering as they took in the sight before them. "I know you've been asking about me," Talia hissed, dark eyes flashing. "I know you think that I'm just some-some stupid girl who will fall right into your arms with one smile!" Talia dropped her hand, shaking her head. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not some prize to be won. I have more dignity than that."

Talia whirled around, pushing through the gathered crowd. Joe stood there in stunned silence for a moment, unable to meet anyone's eyes. It was like the whole student body was glaring at him, silently agreeing with Talia. He was a user, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn't needed, wasn't helpful, wasn't good for anything but a fun time and a broken heart. Joe set his jaw, watching Talia's figure retreat down the hallway and fling open the front doors. He knew then, as he watched her leave, that he didn't want to be that guy anymore. He wanted to be better, to be someone who meant something. But most of all, he wanted to be a boy that was worthy of a girl like Talia.

Joe pushed through the crowd, almost unaware that he was running until he burst outside into the cold winter air. Talia was storming down the sidewalk by now, and even though he was several yards behind her, Joe could hear her crying. Dammit, Joe thought, quickly catching up to her, you've really done it this time. Talia stifled her tears when she heard someone approaching, hastily wiping her cheeks with the heel of her palm. "You were only half right!" Joe called after her, not even out of breath from his run. Talia stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turning around slowly. She simply stared at him. Joe ran a hand through his gelled-back hair, yellow-green eyes pleading. "You were right about me being-being a jerk. You were right about that." Joe slowly stepped forward, approaching Talia as if she were some kind of wild animal that would run away at any given moment. "But you were wrong," he breathed, stepping within a few feet of her, "you were wrong about why I wanted to talk to you, Talia."

"Then please," Talia said thickly, waving her arm in the air, "please enlighten me of the real reason you wanted to talk to me so I can go home." Her words were miserable, as though the word home tasted bad in her mouth.

"I wanted to know why you hated me so much," Joe admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I understand why now, though." He let out a deep sigh. "But after a while...I was just-interested." Joe looked back up at Talia, his stomach tying itself into knots. "Your name is Talia Leven. You're on the student council, and you love animals, especially dogs." Joe kicked his shoe against the concrete. "You're a talented artist; all of the teachers brag about how good you are. And you're nice to people. Everyone really likes you. And they actually like you, not the way they 'like' me." Joe shook his head. "You're funny, from what I can tell. Your friends always go to you for advice, because you're smart and experienced..." Joe finally met Talia's eyes. "People say that you have a little sister in junior high, and that you take really good care of her. You seem like you take care of everyone...but yourself."

Talia opened her mouth, then quickly shut it. Her bottom lip wobbled. Joe came to stand in front of her, tentatively touching her elbow. "I came to talk to you today, Talia, because over the past few months, when I was trying to figure out who you were from other people, I realized that I wanted you to tell me all of the things about you." Talia blinked up at him, swallowing hard. "I noticed that you look-stressed, and I wanted to try to talk to you to see if you're okay. Your friends seem nice enough, but they-I don't think they know that you're dealing with something big right now."

Talia wiped her freckled cheek yet again, letting out a deep breath through her nose. "You...you're a stranger to me, Joe. Why do you care-"

"I don't know," he told her, tucking his hands into his letterman jacket. His yellow-green eyes were earnest as he looked at the tiny human girl before him. "I just know that I do care, Talia. I really do. And I-I want to get to know you, if you'll let me. I don't want to be a stranger. I want to be-to be someone who will listen to you when you need someone to talk to. I want to be...the kind of guy who's worth talking to." His voice was barely above a whisper. Joe didn't know what had happened to his urge to be the best and forget about the humans, but he had lost it. And truthfully, he didn't want to get it back. When he looked at Talia Leven, he saw a promise of another life, a life where people were just people, and they all meant something. A life where humans were equal to werewolves.

His parents were going to kill him.

"You're only half right, Joe," Talia told him quietly. There was a question in her brown eyes, but to the Hale boy, it looked like something else. Something like a promise. "You're already someone worth talking to, if you chased after me in the cold just to make sure that I'm alright." Talia's smile was small and almost shy, but it made Joe's heart jump into his throat. This human girl made him...unsteady. And Joe couldn't help but like it.

"Do you...uh, would you like a ride?" he asked, jerking his thumb back in the direction of the high school. "My Camaro is still in the parking lot."

Talia's mouth quirked off to the side. Her face didn't look so gaunt, for a moment. Joe thought she looked beautiful in a different way from most humans-she had a strength deep inside of her, and sometimes, he caught a glimmer of it on her face. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to pick up my kid sister from the junior high. I don't want to let her walk home without me."

"We can stop to pick her up," Joe blurted, almost wincing at how desperate he sounded. Talia must have thought he was a creep... But the Leven girl merely gave him that smirk of hers, pressing her fingers against the fabric of Joe's letterman jacket. He swallowed.

"That would be really, really nice of you," she told him. "Amelia already has a cold-I don't want her to get any sicker than she already is."

"Sure." Joe grabbed his keys from his pocket. "Uh, yeah. We can pick her up then. Definitely."

And so they did. Joe studied Amelia as she hopped into the backseat of the Camaro-she looked to be around twelve, with long, dark ringlets, and wide eyes behind thick-lensed, wired-rimmed glasses. She babbled happily to her sister all the way to the Leven house, talking about how her best friend, Melissa something-or-another, had won the social studies fair at their school. Talia had nodded and smiled and oohed at all of the appropriate places, genuinely seeming interested in her sister's story. Joe watched the sisters interact in silence, watched how Talia's smile for Amelia, or Meme, as she dubbed her, lit up her whole entire face.

It was then, when they pulled up to the curb of the Leven house, and both sisters got calm and quiet, that Joe realized that the melancholy look had returned to Talia's eyes. It was the house, Joe concluded, that was taking its toll on her. Or maybe it was whatever resided inside of the house.

It was also in that moment that Joe swore that he would find out how to be that boy he told Talia he would become. Because he thought that she was worth it. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could mean something to a girl who embodied strength and weakness all at once. To a girl that Joseph Hale was hopelessly falling in love with.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were friends, at first. Joe remembered how Talia had confided in him after that fateful day in the cold, and how she really was sweet and sarcastic and funny, just as her friends had said. She warmed up to him after a while, inviting him to the movies, to the ice-skating rink, and any other place where her friends and their boyfriends hung out. Joe always accepted the invitations, and soon, he and his old friends drifted apart. They believed that he was choosing a girl over them, over his football career, and in truth, he was. Joe's eyes were opened to so many different things when he was with Talia, and he couldn't bear to go back to being the air-headed jock he had been before. Being friends with Talia had changed him for the better.

Joe's mother and father didn't understand why their son was so different. He spoke of the humans he associated with as though they actually meant something to him. Marcus and Celine Hale were utterly baffled. Even Peter, observant as he was for such a young age, had no idea what was wrong with his older brother.

Joe was in love with a human. As May quickly approached, he was having problems hiding that fact. He and Talia had become increasingly close in the past few weeks, and finally, she had admitted what was worrying her, and what made her look so tired: her father had more recently become addicted to alcohol after her mother had walked out on the family, and he was nasty when he was drunk. Talia worried aboout Amelia's safety, and her own safety, almost every day. She didn't want to tell the police-they would surely put her and Amelia into a girls' home, and the sisters would face the awful possibility of getting split up. No, Talia had said, she would just deal with the problem until she graduated, and then she would move Amelia and herself far, far away from her father.

Joe was heart-broken at the news. Tough Talia, the fighter, had come to him with tears in her eyes and admitted that she was afraid of her father, the man that was supposed to protect her from all harm. It killed Joe to see the girl look so unbelievably broken. He had gathered her up into his arms and buried his face in her dark curls, breathing in the scent of vanilla and clover. Joe wanted nothing more than to protect Talia. In less than a year, he had fallen for her hard, but he had yet to admit his feelings. Honestly, sometimes he couldn't tell if Talia looked at him as he friend or if she saw something...more. He was sitting at a table in the cafeteria one day, staring off into the distance, when the bench beside him bowed slightly. Joe looked over, brows raising.

The boy next to him was tall, gangly, and slightly familiar. His shaggy brown hair hung in front of light eyes, and he gave Joe a small and slightly nervous smile. The kid was a 10th grader, that much he knew. He was a boyfriend of one of Talia's friends, Sasbinki something, he thought. "You should tell her," the boy commented, pulling open his milk carton and taking a casual sip. Joe gave the boy an incredulous look. He had no idea what the kid was talking about. The boy nodded to where Talia stood in line. A willowy, auburn haired girl stood beside her, her caramel eyes flashing deviously as she whispered something into Talia's ear. Joe looked back to the scrawny boy.

"Tell her what-?" he asked, irritated that he couldn't remember the boy's name.

"John Stilinski," the kid provided, as though his name was like an after-thought. "Anyway, you should tell Talia that you like her."

All of the color drained from Joe's face. "How-" he spluttered. "Where did you-"

Stilinski shrugged. "You can just tell, man." Joe stared. "I didn't think doing it would work, either, but that's how I got my girl." He nodded to the auburn-haired chick that was laughing with Talia. "That's Claudia," he said, a fond smile on his face. "But she hates her name-likes it better if you call her Jocelyn, her middle name." Stilinski looked back at Joe. "She's really smart-skipped a grade, actually. She should still be a 9th grader in junior high, but they bumped her up."

Joe was silent still. "Just thought you should know-I didn't think I had a chance with Jocelyn, either. But the way you look at Talia, Hale...I don't think she could say no to you even if she tried." John grinned. Joe looked back over to Talia, who waved when she caught him staring. Stilinski patted him on the shoulder and stood up. "Give it a shot-you never know, man."

Joe nodded, watching as the kid walked off. "Thanks!" he called after a second, and John turned and flashed him a thumbs up, finally disappearing into the crowd. Joe sat there for a moment, stunned. An underclassman had just given him advice. The apparently suave Joe Hale. The boy shook his head at the irony, watching as Talia made her way back over to him.

I don't know, he thought, maybe the kid has a point.

Later that night, Joe took Stilinski's advice and told Talia exactly how he felt. He told her that she had made him into a better person, that she was the only girl for him, regardless of what anyone else said. Joe told Talia that he would love her forever, if she just let him. He offered her his home, telling her that the mansion was plenty big enough for her and Amelia if they ever needed a place to get away from their father. Joe had said all of that at once, not slowing until he was finished. He had been worried that Talia would laugh at him, or turn away from him. Joe hadn't expected for her to throw her arms around him and start to cry. He held her, feeling awful that he had upset her, until finally she pulled away, hiccupping and laughing. Joe had been so confused. "I love you, too," Talia had whispered to him, fingers tracing the outline of his cheekbones. "God, yes, I love you, too, Joe."

Joe kissed her. He couldn't stop himself, really. Their lips crashed together, and Joe's arms curled up around Talia's back, pulling her against him. He put everything into that kiss-all of the pent up emotions he had for the girl, all of his love. He kissed her lips, her cheeks, her neck, then her collarbone, wishing desperately that they weren't so confined in the space of the Camaro. Talia's eyes, sparking like embers in the darkness, seemed to say the same thing. She wanted him; Joe could see it in her face. He pressed the heel of his hand to his mouth, fighting back a growl. He couldn't lose control, not with Talia, especially. The girl looked at him breathlessly, and God, how he wanted her. So much. Too much. Joe leaned his head back against his seat, staring at the stars outisde. The nearly full moon seemed to be taunting him.

Joe knew what he had to do now. He had to tell his parents that he was in love with a human. Then he had to tell Talia what he was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were beyond angry. Joe had called a family meeting immediately after dropping Talia off at her house. He had sat down at the kitchen table, instructing his parents and little brother to do the same. Peter had a questioning look in his eyes, but he did as asked, climbing up onto a chair that was much too big for him. His feet didn't even touch the floor. Celine sank into a seat beside her youngest son, scolding six-year-old Peter for not washing his hands. The little boy looked at her with innocent, sky-blue eyes, carefully scurrying off to do as his mother asked. Marcus simply folded his arms over his chest and stared at his son sternly. "I met someone," Joe told them somberly. "I met a girl."

Celine's brow wrinkled. She tossed her glossy blonde hair over her shoulder. "What do you mean, Joseph?"

Joe clenched his fists. "I mean, Mother, that I met a girl. I'm in love with her. And she's a human."

Marcus shook his head, jaw set. His eyes flashed red. "I knew this would happen," he growled to his wife. "I knew that he was too soft to handle going to that school without getting attached to one of them."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Joe exclaimed, slamming his hand down onto the table. "They're no different from us! You brain-washed me into thinking that they are, but they're not!"

Peter, hearing the noise from the next room, peeked his dark head around the corner and watched his brother and father fight.

"They hunt us!" Marcus snarled, eyes still red. "Humans are afraid of us, and fear makes them dangerous! They would kill us on sight, as I'm sure this precious girl of yours will do when she finds out what you are."

"Talia isn't like that!" Joe ground out, looking away. "She wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't she?" Marcus asked, voice deadly quiet. "They all would, if given the chance. To the humans, Joseph, we are nothing more than monsters. Animals. That's why those that know of us become Hunters. That girl will turn on you, mark my words. They all do."

Peter watched as Joe kicked the kitchen chair into the wall, splintering it. Joe stormed outside, sitting heavily onto the porch.

"I don't care, y'know." Joe looked up, startled. Peter was standing beside him, pale face serious. His eyes glittered brightly in the dark. Peter sat down beside his older brother. "I like humans, too. They're nice." Peter pressed his small leg against his older brother's. "I think Mom and Dad are wrong," he whispered, as though it was a secret shared between them. Peter looked off into the woods. "But I'm still not sure that girl is a good idea, Joey."

Joe's head jerked up. "Why?"

"Well, what if ya hurt her? Maybe by accident, but still...And what if Dad's right? What if she is mean like the others? What if she hurts you?"

Joe ruffled Peter's hair. "Talia won't hurt me, kid. And I'm going to try my absolute best not to hurt her. But I love her; I really do."

Peter sighed. "Well, okay. If you love her, I guess I'll like her too."

Joe laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, kid. Alright."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joe told Talia the next day. Or, more accurately, he showed her. He wasn't sure how he could explain without her thinking he was crazy, so after school, Joe pulled Talia into the woods to go for a walk. They talked about menial things, and Joe soon became so nervous that he stopped dead in his tracks. Talia had released his hand, asking him what was wrong, those dark eyes of hers questioning. Worried. Joe had started to shake, asking her to keep an open mind, not to scream, and to please, please not hate him. Talia had looked alarmed, so Joe had turned away from her, letting his features change, his eyes burning a bright gold. When he turned back to her, he did it slowly, thinking he was going to lose the girl once and for all. Thinking that she would run, or scream, or be terrified.

Joe did not expect Talia to cover her mouth with her hand, stare at him in shocked silence for half a second, and give a strangled laugh. Joe stared at her, thinking that his revelation had sent her off of the deep end, until she took a step toward him. And then another. "This is what you've been keeping from me?" she breathed, half amazed. There was fear in her eyes, but it wasn't debilitating. It was...sane. Talia walked around Joe in a circle. "I-I always knew something was different about you. Something that made you special. I just never thought-" She laughed again, and it was full of wonder. "You're a-werewolf," Talia said. She grabbed his sleeve. "Aren't you?"

Joe switched back to his human form, staring at the girl. "Yes," he said quietly, trembling. "But you're not-afraid-"

"Oh, I am," Talia whispered. "I just-I always knew, from the time I first saw you, Joe. I knew you had a secret, so I was just expecting something...And the way that you talked about your family, like they wouldn't approve-that was because I'm human, right?"

"Yes. But it doesn't matter, because I love you, Talia," Joe said fiercely. "I love you, and if you still feel the same, we could go anywhere, get away from this place..."

"Of course I still love you," Talia murmured, grabbing his wrist. "This doesn't change how I feel for you, Joe. I'm afraid, that's true, but I believe in you. Because you believed in me and listened to me, and you didn't leave. So I'm not going to leave you now when you need me the mphhh-" Joe cut off Talia's words with a warm kiss, pressing her up against the nearest tree. He was crying, wondering how on earth he had ever gotten this lucky. He kissed her hard, and she kissed him back with just as much strength as she could muster. Even by werewolf standards, Talia was strong. Incredibly so. Joe pulled her down beside him on a bed of moss, and there, their tears mingled together. They were wrapped up in one another, almost one, and as Joe murmured his love to Talia, hands tracing up and down her ribcage, he knew that there was no other. There would never be another.

Joe Hale was going to marry Talia Leven if it was the last thing that he ever did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Talia met Marcus and Celine, she was cordial. Joe would have expected her to act differently, considering that his parents were being rather rude to her, but Talia never once was impolite. She complimented the house, thanked them for dinner, all the while holding tightly onto Joe's hand. And then, toward the end of the evening, Talia said, almost conversationally, "So, the bite...could I have it, please?"

Joe had stared at his girlfriend in shock, and Marcus choked on his water. Celine looked worriedly between her husband and son, as though a fight were going to break out. Peter simply leaned forward, grinning widely. His two front teeth were missing. Talia watched them all patiently.

"Talia, what are you-?" Joe said under his breath, but Talia shook her head. She knew what she was doing.

"Why would you want the bite?" Marcus asked, taking another sip of his drink. He seemed like he was trying not to snap at the girl.

Talia folded her hands in front of her on the table. "Well, for one, it would be nice to have your support in my relationship with with Joe." Celine opened her mouth to protest, but Talia held up her hand. "There's no need to lie, Mrs. Hale. I know how you and your husband feel about me. Secondly, I want the bite for myself. I want to be stronger, better equipped to handle danger. I want to form the bonds of a pack, with your son as my mate." Talia said it so calmly, so surely, that Joe was having problems holding himself back from kissing her right then and there. Talia folded her arms over her chest. "I think it will solve most of our problems easily. And then, there won't be anymore talk of cutting off your son from his share of the family money, right?"

Both Marcus and Celine looked at each other, embarrassed. "Well, of course," Celine tittered, nervously fanning herself. "We have nothing against you, dear, but if you were to become a wolf...well, it would be easier for all of us, I assure you."

"Great," Talia chirped, sticking her arm out across the table. Marcus stared at her, open mouthed.

"Talia," Joe said, hushed. "Are you sure? Really, you don't have to do this..."

"I want this, Joe." Her voice was fierce. "I want to have some kind of control over what happens to me. And if this can guarantee that I can stay with you-all the better." She turned back to Marcus, giving him the smirk that Joe so loved. "Ready when you are, Mr. Hale."

Marcus seemed truly taken aback. Peter was bouncing up and down in his seat, and Celine shot him a semi-stern look. "I like her, Joey," Peter said under his breath to his brother. "She's brave."

Talia flashed the young boy a smile that soon turned into a grimace as Marcus locked his jaws around her arm. She didn't scream, just winced as his fangs sank into her flesh. Joe went rigid in his seat. Marcus let go of Talia's arm a second later, and she pulled it to her, cradling it gently. Joe was quick to jump to his feet and scramble to grab a napkin for her to stop the bleeding. Talia gave him a small, determined smile as she pressed the cloth to the bloody wound. Joe was terrified; sometimes humans rejected the bite, he had forgotten, and now it was too late, far too late... "I'm fine," Talia told him, and so she was. Joe could see that same strength in her eyes. "I'm going to be fine, Joe. I promise you."

Joe sank down to his knees beside her, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's waist. She was okay. She had to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Talia was more than okay. She was even more beautiful and powerful than Joe could have ever imagined. Talia loved being able to use her senses more efficiently; she laughed when she heard Joe's heart speeding up, saw the specks of dust particles flying in the air. Talia Leven was born to be a werewolf. She adapted quickly, loving that she could run around during the full moon with her now fiancee. Talia was accomplished and a strong leader already. Joe knew she would be a perfect wife and mother when the time came. Talia often told Joe that she wanted a big family. "Our own pack," she breathed late one night, tracing Joe's face with her fingers. Joe had playful nipped at them, causing her to laugh, and then he had huskily said:

"That, I can arrange."

Joe graduated in June, and Talia was left wondering how they were going to make things work. But graciously, Marcus and Celine offered the manor to Joe to 'look after'. They were tired of Beacon Hills, they said. Tired of the simplicity. So they packed up their stuff and gave Peter a choice: he could either come with them, or stay a while with his older brother. Peter didn't want to leave his home, and Joe had easily agreed to take care of the kid. He wasn't planning to go to college; he was going to get work wherever he could find it. Talia and Amelia moved into the house after a huge fight with their father, and they all kept the werewolfism a secret around Amelia. "I just don't know how she'll handle it," Talia had told Joe. It was just the four of them, then. Joe got a job in construction, Talia scored a job at the local diner part-time and finished high school. They were happy.

Until the news of Marcus and Celine's deaths came. They had been tracked down by Hunters, cut in half by the blade of a sword. Joe and Peter had grieved, Peter moreso, because he was small still, only eight. Joe and Talia became the alphas, adding yet another burden onto their shoulders. Soon after, they discovered that Talia was special indeed, as Joe always believed her to be: her alpha form was that of an actual wolf. Joe was impressed and surprised by the discovery-being able to shift into a full wolf was rare among born werewolves, and practically unheard of when dealing with turned ones. Peter relished his time with Talia, enjoying every moment he spent with her. He believed that she could teach him the secrets of the universe with her new ability, and Joe wasn't going to tell his little brother any differently.

Joe and Talia were married less than a year later, with a small service that involved Peter as best man and Amelia as the maid of honor. It was then, on her wedding day, that Talia made the decision to tell Amelia the truth. Amelia was in shock at first-she didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. But after a while in denial and quiet, she eventually came around. The Hale-Leven family was a strong unit, built on trust and love. Though Amelia was a human, Peter often looked to her for comfort, as though she were his own sister and not the sister of his sister-in-law. Things ran smoothly for three months after the wedding until Talia announced the inevitable: she was pregnant.

Fifteen year old Amelia was ecstatic at the news, gushing about a nursery and clothes and toys. Peter was confused, but mostly happy. He didn't really understand the concept of being an uncle so young, but he liked the thought of having another younger boy around the house to play with. Talia was happy too, and nervous. Joe often heard how her heart would beat quickly at the mention of the baby. And Joe? He was terrified. Not because they didn't have the funds to support the baby, or the love, but because he was afraid that he would mess up the kid's life. He didn't want to be overbearing or too lenient, or do anything to make the baby dislike him... He vowed that he wouldn't ever be like his parents: too strict to show love properly, and too demanding to care about anything but the family image.

All of those worries flew away, though, when Joe held his daughter in his arms for the first time. She looked like Talia, and had his eyes, and she was incredibly beautiful. Joe fell in love with Laura immediately, and so did everyone else in the Hale household. His daughter was his world, and every day he woke up beside Talia, dreaming soundly, and watched Amelia make breakfast for everyone, and saw Peter coo at Laura, making her giggle-every day Joe saw his life expand a little more, he was so thankful that he had chased after Talia that day in the cold. He was so glad for his family, which in the span of a few years, grew to the size of nine. Joseph Hale, when he was in high school, had dreamed of a life where he was a professional football player with no distractions. He had never imagined that one dream would bee whisked away by a human girl who turned out to be-well, just the kind of distraction that would change his life forever, for the better.