The Wolf And The Mage

by MissYuki1990

They were like a tornado and a volcano - one more volatile than the other. And yet somehow, in the meeting of their completely opposing characters, they found the eye of the storm. Somehow, despite their more than rough beginning, they found their center. SLASH, WARNINGS IN THE STORY, RATED M FOR A REASON

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to the characters of Teen Wolf. They belong to Jeff Davis.

Warnings: slash, explicit content, sex-curse (not entirely non-con, but the scene could be triggering), AU, OOC, language, violence, blood, gore, magic!Stiles, Werewolf!Derek, knotting

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"Well, FUCK YOU TOO!" Bastion roared as he fired a burning spell at the same time as he cut off a rabid Werewolf's head with a sharp slash of his hand producing a blade of wind. Its head rolled on the ground followed by its body, while the other one roared as infernal flames burned its very essence.

Not waiting to see it dead, Bastion broke into a run avoiding the forest path, opting to go straight down the hill, skillfully avoiding trees and high roots standing in his way. He heard another howl somewhere in the forest and cursed under his breath. The roaring sounds of the waterfall right in front of him reached his ears just as he heard a heavy body stumble down the hill behind him breaking trees it hit, and Bastion ran faster.

He could hear teeth snapping at his heels and blindly let go of a burst of uncontrolled power, grinning when he heard yelps and more stumbling, but he didn't stop running. He halted when he reached the river and looked to the left where he could see it falling over the cliff.

He quickly turned around and saw the Werewolf gaining on him, foamy saliva dribbling down its furry chin.

"Damn it all," he pressed out through his teeth and turned around to jump boosting himself with his magic, landing on the high protruding rock going down the middle of the wide river and ending a meter or two after the edge of the waterfall.

He looked at the other side of the river, knowing that there was no chance - even with his magic - for him to make it, and with a curse he turned to his left, hearing the Werewolf howl just before it jumped as well.

"I should have been a fucking florist!" he shouted as he jumped off of the cliff and saw the sharp rocks and foaming water waiting for him after 15 meters of free fall.

The last thing he heard was the raging howl of the rabid Werewolf before he hit the cold water and his mind went blank.

cut

He woke up with a groan and pain surging through his body while his cold, wet clothes clung to his skin, itching and biting it. He blinked several times before he managed to open his eyes and realized that he was locked inside what appeared to be a basement. His arms were tied behind his back by what appeared to be chains and his legs were also chained to the legs of the chair he was sitting in.

"Aw, fuck," he bit out after he tried to free himself with his magic, only to fail because apparently, whoever found him knew a thing or two about Mages and decided that it was a good idea to use charmed chains.

He looked around the empty room, trying to ignore the cold settling in his bones. There was nothing in the room besides a small window behind him and a closed door in front of him.

Well, I dare say I screwed up big this time, he thought as he took a deep calming breath to settle the panic building up in the back of his mind. His magic was going wild inside his core, but he couldn't use it to dry his clothes, let alone set himself free.

He coughed for a second, feeling as though a stone was settling on top of his lungs, and he felt burning in his cheeks, knowing well what it meant. If whoever was holding him captive didn't come soon Bastion knew things would get ugly for him.

His head snapped up when he heard the door open and he frowned when he saw the man who entered the small room.

He was tall and strong, his shoulders broad even though he walked with a hunch as though he wanted to make himself smaller. Hazel eyes were harsh and unforgiving, thin lips pulled into a firm line. Short black hair was ruffled, but his beard looked taken care of, and black tight clothes did nothing to hide the muscled body.

Bastion's eyes widened when the man's eyes flashed blue when he stepped into the weak light breaking through the window behind the Mage.

Werewolf! He thought as his heart picked up speed. Every single fact about the blue-eyed Werewolves flashed through Bastion's mind and his guts filled with lead when the Werewolf stopped right in front of him, crossed massive arms over his chest and looked down at Bastion with wary, anger-filled eyes.

"About time you woke up."

Bastion was surprised when he heard how soft the man's voice was, even though there was a threatening growl in it.

"Since my accommodations are great…" he bit out only to clamp his mouth shut, cursing his lack of brain-to-mouth filter.

"You're a Hunter," the Werewolf pressed out through sharpening teeth, "and a Mage."

"And you're a Werewolf. Happy to make your acquaintance," Bastion blurted out, feeling as though he would fall unconscious any second now.

"What brought you here?!" the Werewolf snapped and Bastion swallowed although his mouth was dry.

Alright, he thought, he has every right to be suspicious. Tell him the truth and he'll let you go.

"I am Bastion Stilinski," he was surprised with how hoarse his voice was, but he kept on talking. "I hunt only rabid Werewolves, and only after they are proven of being guilty of manslaughter. I've - I've been hunting a group of them up North and…" a cough interrupted him and when he managed to breathe in he felt as though he had a grater in his throat, and he winced when the shallow breath he took burned his lungs. "Look, I know that Werewolves and Hunters don't exactly get along, but I've never killed a Werewolf just because. Listen to my heart. You know I'm not lying." He looked up in the Werewolf's eyes although his sight was wavering. His magic was bursting under his skin, unable to fight the cold which settled in his body.

"I should kill you right here and now," the Werewolf growled as he kneeled in front of Bastion and looked up in his eyes.

"You could," he gasped out. "Your eyes are already blue."

The Werewolf's eyebrows met in the middle, and Bastion almost sighed in relief when he disappeared from sight.

A moment later he fell out of the chair and his magic burned through his veins, his knees meeting the ground painfully and his lungs fighting to fill up with air.

His stomach lurched and he coughed and heaved for a moment, feeling his magic dispel everything bad from his system, and moments later he was breathing deeply, feeling strength return to his body.

"Hey!" Bastion snapped only to choke up when he felt something cold snap around his neck, and his magic roared in displeasure. He looked up at the Werewolf who snorted at Bastion, crossing his arms again and straightening to full, quite impressive height.

"I think I don't have to explain what I just placed on your neck."

"It's a fucking Binding Collar!" Bastion roared and the Werewolf raised an eyebrow.

"You can use your magic freely but you can't harm me in any way, shape or form, and you can't go further than 30 meters away from me. Call it an insurance policy."

"For what!" Bastion cried out as he jumped to his feet, but the collar seemed to work because before he even managed to reach the Werewolf it tightened around his neck making him recoil. "I wasn't hunting you! I don't even know who you are!"

"What difference does it make?!" The Werewolf moved forward and the Mage flinched back, but he couldn't avoid being slammed against the wall, the Werewolf's clawed hands fisted in Bastion's shirt, holding him a few feet above the ground. "Hunters are bad, but Mages? You are self-righteous bastards who see nothing but your stupid mission. How many has your kind killed?!"

"How many has yours?!" Bastion spat out defiantly, and the Werewolf growled at him with eyes turning blue. He let go of Bastion and took a few steps back, eyes turning back into their usual color.

Bastion licked his lips as he straightened his clothes drying them with his magic. He straightened to his full height although he kept his head bowed, glaring at the Werewolf in front of him.

"You will help me, whether you want to or not. That collar will make sure of it."

Bastion's frown deepened. "If this is how you ask for help, I don't want to know how you prepare to attack," he pressed out through his teeth and the Werewolf snorted.

"Hopefully, you'll find who I'm looking for quickly so you won't have to find out," he grunted and walked out of the room leaving the door open in an obvious invitation for Bastion to follow him.

The Mage huffed and walked out of the room only to frown as they walked down the dark hallway. The air was heavy and the building they were in was practically a ruin. There were burn-marks on the wood and moisture gathered where the walls met the floor and the ceiling.

Bastion followed the Werewolf up a set of hardly stable stairs and his eyes widened when he realized that they were indeed inside a house that was ruined by a fire. What was worse, if Bastion allowed his magic to spread out, he could feel a faded signature lingering in the burn-marks. He could feel glee and hatred in the remnants of the sickening magic, and the Werewolf stopped and turned around when Bastion's heartbeat stuttered and his stomach churned as though he would puke.

"What is it?" the Werewolf asked and Bastion glared at him.

"You know damn well what it is," he gasped breathlessly, trying to swallow over the acid gathering in his throat. "A Mage burned this place - a corrupted, evil Mage. Did you think it would have no effect on me, Wolf?"

The Werewolf snorted and turned his back on Bastion again leading him out of the ruined house and into a small cottage some 10 meters away from it which looked at least stable enough to live in.

Bastion followed the Werewolf inside and saw that it was a single room with a cot in one corner, a table with a single chair beside it, a small kitchen and a door which probably led into the bathroom. "Where am I supposed to sleep?" he drawled only to receive a blanket and a pillow straight into his face from the other side of the room.

"The floor will be good enough for you," the Werewolf bit out and Bastion huffed as he threw the things on the floor beside the entrance, the furthest place away from the cot.

"You're too kind."

"Don't get used to it. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

"What?!" Bastion snapped while the Werewolf took a seat on the cot which creaked under his weight and looked at Bastion with what appeared to be a permanent scowl.

"I've been waiting for a Mage to fall into my hands for years. Now that I have you I plan to use you."

"For what?" Bastion spat out, knowing that because of the collar he could do nothing. He saw several times what going against the magic of the collar did to Mages.

Suffice to say, it wasn't nice.

And while he really, really wanted to just turn around and run off, he didn't want to end up a bloody splat on the floor, thankyouverymuch.

So the only thing Bastion could do was find out as much as he could, do what the Werewolf wanted him to do and hope that he wouldn't end up with his heart ripped out the moment their little quest was over.

But that didn't mean he would follow without making the Wolf's life miserable.

"You will locate the Witch that did that," the Werewolf nodded towards the door, and Bastion's expression darkened as that feeling of his guts being full of lead returned.

"You expect of me to follow the trail of that, Wolf?" he pressed out through his teeth and the Werewolf smirked at him.

"You're a Hunter. Hunt."

"You're a Wolf. Sniff her out," Bastion returned in a biting tone and the Werewolf's expression turned blank. The Mage raised eyebrows at him only to frown again. "You can't," he concluded and the Werewolf snapped his teeth at him.

"Shut up and go to sleep. We're moving at dawn."

"I think I deserve to know! Sure, you probably saved me from dying - how did I even get here - never mind - I deserve to know!" Bastion insisted, suppressing the need to flinch when the Werewolf growled, eyes turning blue again.

"Do you ever shut up!" he roared. "Go to sleep!" He threw himself on the cot and turned his back on Bastion who bristled.

"Fine! But I deserve to know!" Bastion flicked his wrist and his meager sleeping gear arranged itself on the floor. As he flopped down on it and covered himself with the thin cover, he huffed and used his power to thicken the blanket before he settled as comfortably as he could on the hard wooden floor.

In his not-so-quiet fuming, Bastion didn't see the Werewolf look at him with a small frown when Bastion's magic danced around the room, leaving the faint fragrance of forests and grass lingering in the air.

cut

"Where to now?"

Bastion glared at the Werewolf after the man - whose name Bastion still didn't know, much to his chagrin - pushed the Mage forward quite harshly, not even minding his inhuman strength, and Bastion tripped over his own feet, managing to keep himself up but not without stumbling.

Bastion wished for the thousandth time since that morning that he could at least maim the Werewolf, but due to the pesky collar there was nothing he could do but talk the man's ears off and be as much of a bother as he could possibly be.

But obviously, despite looking as though he would bite Bastion's head off - although he threatened to do that several times already - the Werewolf had the patience of a rock.

Not to mention the character of one as well.

"Well, excuse me for trying to keep my stomach while tracking the putrid stench of the Witch you're hunting, Mr. Big Bad Wolf." The man snapped his teeth at him and Bastion snorted. "This way," he bit out and pointed further south. He swallowed and licked his lips, trying to ignore the faint scent of the Witch. The lingering feel of the Magic was still strong enough to make his stomach churn, and he wondered why whoever it is was still on the loose.

To his knowledge, any Mage -or in this case Witch - that strayed so deep into insanity was immediately apprehended and dealt with. He saw it himself several times - Mages and Witches losing themselves either to their power or hatred for one thing or another. It was strange that this one seemed to be free for quite some time now.

Judging by the lingering magic, the Witch passed through that area over a year ago, and yet the stench was strong enough for Bastion to follow it without any problems. Sure, really powerful Mages could be tracked from trails old up to several years if the one tracking them is equally or more powerful, so the trails could be older, but Bastion didn't really care about that.

If the Witch waiting on the other side of the Hunt was really this powerful, then Bastion really, really wanted to know just what the Werewolf intended to do once they've found her.

Anyway, Bastion wanted to be no where near either one of them when they met up.

Hopefully the Werewolf would set him free.

"Wolf!" Bastion called out and the werewolf glanced at the human over his right shoulder, stopping on top of a hill. "Night will fall in an hour. I ain't gonna travel during the night."

"You afraid of something, Mage?" the Wolf drawled and Bastion sneered at him.

"If you want to run into one of the things that wander these forests by night then be my guest, but I won't risk my life for something that is in no way connected to me or is my responsibility. Don't forget that you forced me into this, Wolf."

Something flashed in the Werewolf's eyes for a moment - something akin to grief - but it vanished within a second, and he snorted as his face turned into that already familiar scowl, eyes turned cold again.

"Fine. We're spending the night here." He took his backpack off and threw it at Bastion's feet as he climbed off of the small hill. "Set up camp. I'll light the fire." And he was gone before Bastion could say a word.

Well, hopefully he won't walk too far away, he thought bitterly as he tucked two fingers of his right hand under the cold line of the collar around his neck and tugged on it. It was so cold it was irritating his skin, and to his displeasure the metal of the collar seemed to remain cold despite practically touching his neck all the time.

With a snap of fingers the camp was set, and Bastion took a seat on the blankets he would use as his sleeping bag while he looked around. The night was setting, and the day would soon be behind them, and Bastion was both tired and annoyed.

And bitter.

He can't forget bitter.

No matter how much he talked and nagged and rambled, he didn't manage to get more than a few grunts, biting answers and pressed out threats from the Werewolf. As was noted earlier, he didn't even know the Werewolf's name.

I knew I should have stayed in Beacon City, he thought, regretting the fact that he had left the comfort of his home town to chase down three rabid Werewolves, one of which managed to get away. What was worse his little jump down the waterfall cost him his knives and pouches of healing herbs and ointments - or the Werewolf striped them off of him when he found him.

He cursed under his breath as he scratched the itchy skin under the damned collar, knowing that tomorrow his neck would be red and a day or two later, despite his inborn magic doing its best to heal him, there would be welts there as well.

Of all the things I could be allergic to it just had to be iron, he thought bitterly only to lower his hand and steel his stance when the Werewolf walked over and threw the dry branches he gathered for the fire in between their sleeping bags placed 4 meters away from one another.

Bastion observed the Werewolf as he started a fire with practiced ease and then took a seat on his blanket. "No dinner?" he bit out and the Werewolf looked at him over the fire.

"If you wanted to walk through the night we'd be having breakfast in the town 10 kilometers down this path, so I guess you'll just have to wait."

"Well better that than nothing," Bastion answered in a tone equally biting and rough as that of his captor. "In all honesty, I thought you wouldn't feed me at all."

"I'm not a damn monster!" the Werewolf snapped and Bastion sneered at him.

"Well, you did lock me up until I almost died because of my magic being unable to run free, and then you put a collar on me forcing me to track down something that isn't even human anymore, let alone a Mage and a Hunter. I have no fucking idea what personal grudge you have against Hunters, let alone Mages because to my knowledge we hunt Werewolves that are out of control and unable to become human again. Sure, there are those who go astray, but fuck it all, I'm not one of them!" he finished with a shout and the Werewolf growled at him.

"Apparently, to you Hunters, Werewolves are all the same," he pressed out through his teeth.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid, Wolf?! I just told you that I hunt only…"

"You're a Mage and a Hunter!" the Wolf roared and Bastion recoiled despite himself. "The only members of your kind I ran into wanted all Werewolves dead, so excuse me for being cautious!"

"You call this caution!" Bastion remembered in the last moment what would happen if he were to stand up and attempt any sort of close confrontation with the Werewolf, and the collar was already tight enough. "You enslaved me! You bound me to your sorry ass! What in the ever loving fuck did I ever do to you?!"

Bastion stared in the Werewolf's eyes over the fire burning between them for what seemed like an eternity. When he received no answer Bastion snorted and lied down, tucked himself inside the blanket, set a warming charm on it, and closed his eyes. "If I were you I'd think about my life's choices, Wolf," he pressed out through his teeth. "Have a good night."

And he fell asleep without hearing the Werewolf settle in his own sleeping bag.

cut

Bastion woke up with a start immediately feeling the Werewolf's heat over him and panicking at the hand covering his mouth. His eyes met the Werewolf's who glared at him threateningly before he looked at something to Bastion's left.

Straining to see what it was, Bastion froze completely when he saw a rattle-snake several steps away from him rearing back to attack.

It happened in an instant.

The snake pushed itself forward with its jaws open, and Bastion watched as the Werewolf snatched it out of the air, snapped its head and threw it to the side. The snake twitched only to still a moment later, and Bastion took a deep breath when the Werewolf moved back and prowled over to his bag.

"Pack up. We're moving," he growled while Bastion sat up with 'thank you' on top of his tongue but not moving past his lips.

Instead he simply stood up and gathered their things with a flick of his wrist, doing his best to avoid looking at the Wolf.

"Move it, Mage!" the other man snapped and Bastion sighed.

"Right behind you, Wolf."

cut

Bastion flailed to catch the bag with food the Werewolf threw at him while the man marched right past him.

"I thought we'd at least sit down to eat!" Bastion ran after him, trying to catch up to the Werewolf's long stride.

"We're not lingering close to towns," he offered as an explanation and Bastion huffed as he struggled to keep up with the Werewolf all along digging out the piece of bread and dry meat.

He yelped when he almost broke his teeth on the hard meat, and tripped over a root. "Fuck this," he bit out and threw the meat into the bag before he fastened it to his belt and hurried to catch up with the Werewolf. "You know, even if we break our legs running we won't get there any faster, especially if you don't wait for my directions."

The other man grunted and kept on walking.

Bastion huffed and resisted the urge to stomp his foot.

"Just so you know, Wolf, we're supposed to go so…" the rest of his sentence was cut of when the Werewolf grabbed him and slammed him against the closest tree, making Bastion wince and lose his breath.

"Shut your mouth and walk, Mage."

"How the hell am I supposed to tell you where to go if I shut my mouth?" Bastion blurted out breathlessly, cursing the lack of his brain-to-mouth filter when the Werewolf's eyes turned electric blue. He let Bastion go with a growl and stepped away from him, immediately turning his back on the Mage.

"Where?" he bit out in a growl and Bastion swallowed as he straightened his clothes.

Bastion let go of a burst of magic, shivering when he caught the disgusting stench of the Witch down south. "South," he murmured and the Werewolf looked around before he started walking again.

Bastion caught up with him with words just begging to flow down his lips, but when he caught sight of his companion's expression he bit the inside of his bottom lip and focused on the path in front of him. Something must have happened in the city, he thought as a frown marred handsome features. They've been traveling together for two days now, and he still knew next to nothing about the Werewolf. No matter how much he rambled on and on the man was harder than stone.

What little Bastion knew was based on conclusions he could draw from what little he saw when he woke up after his little tumble off a waterfall and what he deduced by observing the Werewolf.

The werewolf was an Omega - that was quite obvious. Bastion's magic could detect no bonds to anyone. Blue eyes meant that the Wolf killed an innocent, but despite his borderline cruel treatment of Bastion, the Mage didn't think the Werewolf was anywhere near going rabid or losing control over himself.

Bastion did a bit of math in his head concluding that the Full Moon was a little over a month away. The Werewolf's control was admirable, although Bastion wondered what his anchor was.

Probably anger, he thought, remembering the harsh look in the Werewolf's eyes. What happened to him? What happened to his Pack?

If he looked hard enough - really, really hard - Bastion could see that there used to be kindness in the Werewolf. No such hatred and rage could appear in someone who never knew kindness.

He trusted someone and his trust was broken, Bastion winced at his own thoughts, better yet literally torn to shreds.

"Don't fall behind, Mage!"

Bastion looked up and realized that the Werewolf was some 6 meters in front of him. "It's Bastion, Wolf!" he caught up with him and the Werewolf snorted. In the next moment Bastion tripped when the Werewolf spoke up.

"Hale," Bastion frowned when the surname tickled a memory he had somewhere in the back of his mind. "Derek Anthony Hale."

Bastion stopped for a moment not even realizing that he tucked the fingers of his right hand under his collar to scratch the itch he was slowly getting used to with the back of his fingers.

Why does it sound so familiar? He wondered as he walked behind Derek. Well, at least now I know his name.

cut

"Stop!" Bastion hissed as he jumped forward and grabbed Derek's forearm. Derek glared at Bastion over his shoulder and the Mage raised his left hand to his lips and crossed them with his index finger, telling Derek to be quiet.

The Werewolf frowned at the Hunter while the smaller between them looked around with squinting eyes.

"What is it?"

"I feel something - someone," Bastion murmured as he let go of Derek and took a small step forward. Derek's eyebrows narrowed as he watched Bastion step in front of him and crouch. The Mage's right hand twitched as though reflexively summoning something, and Bastion cursed under his breath.

Derek turned on his heel when he heard movement in the bushes several meters behind himself, and Bastion tensed up when he heard the hardly audible 'snict' of Derek releasing his claws.

"What is it?" Derek murmured and his shoulders tensed up when he felt the gentle tickle of Bastion's magic.

"I can't name it. It's not something I've ever run into before." Bastion crouched as the movements got closer and closer. A low growl rumbled in Derek's chest.

They stood back to back listening to whatever it was.

"Watch out!" Bastion snapped and Derek crouched quickly when he felt the tell-tale electric tickle against his back of Bastion releasing some kind of offensive magic, and their eyes widened when something resembling an overgrown lizard hit a tree in front of Derek only to shake its head and slither up into the canopy.

"What the hell was that?!" Derek pressed out through his teeth and turned to look at Bastion, halting in his attempt to take a hold of Bastion's shirt when he saw the terrified Mage.

"We need to run - we need to run now!"

Derek was surprised when Bastion grabbed his hand and pulled Derek along, running faster than Derek thought he could.

He didn't even notice that Bastion was still holding on to him as they avoided trees and jumped over high roots while the sounds of hissing and spitting followed them. Derek almost tripped when Bastion took a sharp turn left then right after several steps, but even in the darkness of the night Derek saw horror on Bastion's face whenever the Mage would look over his shoulder.

"I told you we should have set up camp!" Bastion snapped at Derek, but in the next moment both of them came to a sharp stop when they found themselves on the edge of a big lake. "We need to…" whatever Bastion wanted to say was interrupted by a furious hiss, and Derek's free hand flew to the back of his neck when he felt a sting. "Der-Derek!" the Mage cried out when Derek swayed in his place, and the Mage wrapped his arms around the Werewolf to steady him, but Derek was too heavy.

They tumbled back into the water and Derek started to sink like a stone.

This is it, he thought before he felt a pair of arms tug his backpack off, allowing it to sink to the bottom of the lake before they wrapped themselves around his chest and pulled him to the surface. Derek felt Bastion's warm breath on his neck as the Mage held him above water.

"Damn it!" Bastion pressed out through his teeth as he swam towards the middle of the lake while the creature chasing them hissed and spat, apparently unable to enter the dark water.

To Derek's horror he realized that he was paralyzed and completely unable to move any part of his body.

"That's a Kanima - a fricking Kanima!" Bastion rambled against Derek's right ear.

"What is it?" Derek asked as he spat out the water which entered his mouth while Bastion swam backwards trying to put as much distance between them and the lizard even though the thing appeared unable to follow them.

"A monster - an abomination," Bastion gasped. "It's a failed attempt to create a Werewolf."

"What?!"

"You heard me! A Kanima is created when an Alpha Werewolf bites a Human whose heart is corrupted by such darkness it twists the magic of the Bite creating this - this thing."

"You're telling me that this was once human?" Derek asked and Bastion chuckled morosely.

"If you can call it human," he spoke bitterly, and before Derek could answer he sunk under water only to resurface again a moment later, feeling Bastion push his arms under Derek's armpits and wrap them around his chest more firmly.

"Watch it!" Derek snapped.

"Lose some weight!" Bastion retaliated equally.

"Did you notice that I'm paralyzed in over 3 meters of water?!"

"Did you notice the monster with razor sharp teeth and claws with a nasty poison waiting for us at the edge of the lake?! I told you that we need to set up camp! After three weeks of traveling together one would think that you'd start to trust me!"

"I don't trust you!" Derek felt the tensing of Bastion's body.

"Well, it appears that I'm the one thing keeping you alive, Hale! Suck it up!" The Mage pressed out through his teeth and Derek swallowed, feeling something tighten in his guts.

For a few moments they floated there in silence with Bastion keeping them up, both of them observing the Kanima pacing on all fours in front of the lake with its tale dancing almost hypnotically from one side to the other.

With a hiss it retreated into the forest and Derek felt Bastion gulp.

"Where the fuck did it go?" the Mage murmured almost as though he wasn't aware of the fact that he said it out-loud.

"Can you still feel it?" Derek asked, trying to move but finding that the poison was still active.

"Yeah. I don't think it'll leave before dawn," Bastion said and shifted his arms around Derek. The Werewolf could feel the trembling of the Mage's body, but Bastions hold on Derek didn't weaken. As a matter of fact, it appeared as though the Mage would rather sink with him than allow Derek to drown. "Damn it all to hell," Bastion cursed and Derek heard a whine in the back of the Mage's throat. "If you didn't put this damned collar on me, I could have done something to you to get us out of here, but I can't use any magic on you."

"You could just let me drown. Then the collar would-…"

"Shut up," Bastion bit out and Derek ground his teeth together. "Is the paralysis lessening?"

"No."

"Damn it. There are at least three more hours until dawn. Maybe next time when I tell you to set up camp you'll actually listen."

Derek clamped his mouth tightly shut, doing his best to ignore the twitching of the Hunter's muscles against his body. He didn't even want to think of the fact that they would have to spend the next three hours in the water like this. The Mage saved his life, sure - heavens, did that leave a bitter taste in his mouth - but…

They have been traveling together for three weeks now. Derek knew that the only reason Bastion was still with him was the collar around the Mage's neck. In the three weeks he has gotten used to Bastion's constant rambling. He figured that the Mage had an endless supply of topics to ramble about.

What amazed him was the fact that he had yet to ask why Derek was making him chase after a Witch. Except that first time, Bastion talked about everything but their quest. But despite all of his talking, Derek still didn't know who Bastion really was. His surname sounded familiar, but Derek couldn't make a connection.

Bastion talked about his hunts and mentioned someone named Scott who was apparently his best friend and a veterinarian back at the Capitol. He didn't mention his family or his mentors. Several times he mentioned a knife and a few pouches he must have lost when he jumped off of the waterfall which brought him to Derek, but that was all.

Now that he thought about it, Bastion never once gave Derek a reason not to trust him. He didn't even complain when Derek ordered him not to enter towns with him when they'd reach one because Derek didn't want anyone seeing him with a Mage who had a collar around his neck. He alone attracted enough unwanted attention.

Rumors of a Blue Eyed Werewolf traveling with a Mage would spread like wild-fire, and while Derek wanted to find the Witch he wanted to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible. But alas, it was surprising that the Mage didn't appear to hate Derek for how he treated him (not that his behavior changed as of late).

Just like Bastion said - he was the one keeping Derek alive.

Damn it all to hell, Derek thought. He didn't trust Bastion. He couldn't trust him.

"D-Derek?" the Mage's stuttering voice reached Derek's ears and a shiver of terror passed down Derek's back.

"What?" he growled.

"I can't - I can't hold you any…" they sunk and Derek held his breath, but a moment later they were diving out again.

"Damn it!" Bastion cried out as he tried to take a good hold of Derek. The Werewolf swallowed as he took several deep breaths.

Would Bastion give up?

Would he leave him to drown?

He would be free of the collar.

"I need - I need something to hold on to," Bastion pressed out between gasps and Derek felt him looking around. Derek tried to move his hands and legs and he almost let go of a breath of relief when his fingers twitched.

"I can move my fingers," he bit out and Bastion laughed breathlessly.

"Fat load of good it'll do if we drown before you're able to move!" Bastion took a look around and started to swim towards the shore.

"What are you doing?! The Kanima is still out there!"

"I'll rather face the Kanima than have you drown!" His words stunned Derek. "I'm not gonna have your death on my conscience, you stupid Sourwolf, so just shut the fuck up and let me find a way to save the both of us!" They stopped some three meters away from the shore and Derek felt Stiles gasp in relief when he seemed to have found at least some sort of solid ground to stand on. "Can you move at all?"

The Werewolf tried to flex his fingers and legs and rolled his head a bit. "Getting there."

"Good." Bastion tightened his hold on Derek as he looked around. Derek licked his lips when he felt Bastion's magic spread from him. "It seems it's gone," he murmured and Derek nodded.

"I can stand," Derek spoke quietly, relieved that he appeared to be able to at least stand on his own.

"Alright. Let's do this nice and easy."

Derek nodded and Bastion slowly started to let go of him. He straightened, feeling Bastion's hands lingering around his waist just in case.

They slowly walked out of the water, feeling the cold night wind nipping against their skin, their clothes clinging to their chilled bodies. Both kept their eyes on the forest surrounding them.

"It's gone." Derek flexed his hands and tested his legs. He shivered when he felt a wave of magic caress his body and his clothes dried. He looked at Bastion and frowned when he saw the Mage tugging on the collar, catching sight of irritated, borderline bloody skin.

"We should light a fire and stick close to the water just in case we'll need to jump in again. And next time please listen to me when I tell you that we should set up camp."

Derek grunted and turned around to look for branches they could use to light a fire. He was wary of entering the forest again, but there appeared to be very few branches fit for their needs.

"Derek, don't go into the-…"

"I know!" he snapped and heard a sigh leaving Bastion's lips.

"Thank you, Bastion. You saved my life, Bastion. I relieve you from your debt, Bastion. You are a good guy, Bastion."

Derek actually rolled his eyes at Bastion's pitiful imitation of his voice.

"Shut up and set up camp."

"Aye, Cap- Derek, watch out!"

The Werewolf didn't even have enough time to react because Bastion pushed him out of the way, and the coppery scent of blood filled the air, the warm liquid spraying Derek who stared with wide eyes at Bastion who stood over Derek with the Kanima's tail sticking out of Bastion's left shoulder.

"You're going down." Bastion's voice was distorted and full of rage as he held the Kanima's tail with his right hand and raised his left despite the grave wound.

In the next moment both the Kanima and the Mage were enveloped in fire, and Derek moved on instinct. He grabbed a hold of Bastion and pulled him back while the Kanima screeched and hissed in pain as the fire devoured it.

Bastion was a dead weight in Derek's arms and the Werewolf looked down at the Mage, eyes widening at the sight of the wound in the Mage's shoulder which was bleeding sluggishly mixed with something milky white.

"Bastion? Bastion!" the Werewolf called out and dazed amber eyes looked up at him, usually healthy creamy skin starting to lose color. Full, cupid-bow lips were blue from their stay in the cold water, but there were droplets of blood on them as well. Each breath was raspy and strained, and Derek found himself at a lack of what to do.

He took his shirt off and pressed it against Bastion's wound drawing a pained grunt from him.

"I'll be fine," Bastion murmured and Derek looked at the human's face, seeing a smile twitching in the corner of those lush lips. "I'll be fine."

"You're bleeding all over, idiot!" Derek snapped and Bastion chuckled weakly.

"I'll be fine."

And the last thing Bastion saw before he closed his eyes was a pair of worried heterochromic orbs.

cut

Bastion woke up slowly, feeling as though his mouth was full of straw. His head ached, he was cold, and his shoulder itched like crazy.

"About time you woke up."

Bastion rolled his head to the side and found Derek sitting several feet in front of him stirring the fire back to life. He squinted, trying to see if it was sunset or sunrise, but gave up when sharp pain surged through his head.

"With the tempo you've been setting for the past two weeks it's a good thing I didn't sleep for a month," Bastion mumbled, barely able to control his tongue. With every passing moment the ache in his head became duller and his shoulder itched less and less, leaving behind an annoying pulsating ache.

He slowly sat up under Derek's watchful gaze, grunting as he pressed his right hand to his left shoulder, frowning when he found Derek's shirt serving as a compress.

He removed it and swallowed with slight difficulties at the sight of the wound slowly closing itself.

"You're healing slower than a werewolf, but faster than any human or Mage I know."

"Yeah," Bastion murmured distractedly as he probed around the wound, wincing at the pain. "Must be healing slower because of the Kanima venom," he concluded and Derek snorted. Bastion threw the shirt at Derek who raised an eyebrow when he found out that it was clean of Bastion's blood. "Thank you."

The only answer Bastion received was a grunt.

Bastion raised his right hand to the collar only to halt and frown when he felt an improvised bandage under it.

"Why didn't you tell me that it was hurting you?" Derek asked and Bastion looked at the Werewolf with an almost wary expression.

"Would you have done something about it?" he asked and Derek looked away from Bastion.

The Mage stood up slowly, as though testing his strength, and moved closer to the fire. He raised an eyebrow when Derek offered him a stick with an already cooked rabbit on one end.

"Eat if you can," he muttered and Bastion accepted it. "You slept for a day so we're going to spend the night here. We're leaving tomorrow morning. Since all of our supplies are at the bottom of the lake, we're going to have to find a way to make it without them."

"The lingering scent is leading us further south. I have a few friends in the Beacon City. If we stop there I can ask them for supplies."

"We are not entering cities together," Derek bit out and Bastion rolled his eyes.

"Damn it, Derek, I'm not going to get you killed! I could have let you drown! I could have let the Kanima kill you! As a matter of fact, I could be leading you in the wrong direction from the very start! When will you start trusting me?!" he cried out and Derek looked at the fire almost defiantly. "I'm not your enemy, Derek!"

"You're a Hunter," Derek pressed out through his teeth.

"I never killed without making pretty damn sure that the Werewolf is long past salvation." Bastion spoke firmly.

"You're a Mage."

"Not all Mages go insane, Derek," the Mage spoke solemnly and Derek looked at him. "That Witch - she was either born evil or someone turned her into the monster she is today. I don't know what happened to her, but not all Werewolves are bad, and not all Mages are monsters. I am not a monster, Derek, and neither are you."

Night fell as they talked and Bastion stared at Derek whose face was shrouded in shadows and whose eyes seemed black with pain and memories.

"Go to sleep," Derek finally murmured and Bastion sighed, losing any and all will to argue with the Werewolf anymore.

He went back to his sleeping place and carefully covered himself, mindful of his injured shoulder. "Good night, Derek," he muttered, and sleep claimed him almost immediately.

Bastion didn't see the Werewolf look at him with unnamed things in his eyes.

Derek's lips were pressed in a thin line and he was rubbing his left hand with his right, his elbows resting on raised knees and shoulders hunched under a load of worries.

He looked at the fire and sadness filled his orbs.

I am a monster.

cut

"Derek, I swear on my life, we'll be fine. Just - Just try to act normal, okay?" Bastion rambled with a grin stretching cupid-bow lips as they walked down the many small streets of Beacon City.

Derek noticed a light hop to Bastion's steps as the Mage led him to where his friends worked. He swore they would enter the store from the back. Derek was still uncomfortable with walking through the city, but Bastion either noticed his discomfort or he always used these roads, because they managed to avoid people quite efficiently.

"Here we are!" Derek looked up, but before he could say anything, Bastion all but slammed the door open and marched in as though he owned the place. "Honey! I'm home!" he called out teasingly and Derek lingered in the doorway.

It was some sort of a kitchen and several people their age stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing.

"STILES!" a young woman with long, curly, blond hair jumped at the Mage, hugging him for dear life and kissing his cheeks, eyes and forehead as though she wanted to smother him in kisses.

"Erica, I need to breathe!" Bastion laughed.

"It's been ages!" Erica didn't even manage to let go of Bastion when he was pulled into another pair of arms belonging to a tall young man with short, curly, blond hair.

"Isaac! You've grown again!" Bastion hugged Isaac tightly and wrestled the blond into a head-lock, ruffling short tresses while Isaac laughed and fought to set himself free.

Derek's eyes widened when he caught whiff of a familiar scent and realized that Isaac and Erica were Werewolves.

"Boyd! Come 'ere, you big hunk of a man!"

The tall, dark-skinned man's lips tilted up into a calm smile, and he pulled Bastion into a hug, clapping the Mage's back and sniffing his hair.

"It's good to see you, Stiles," Boyd spoke in a gruff voice, dark brown eyes radiating warmth as he took Bastion's appearance in.

"Where are the others?" Bastion asked as he looked around.

"Lydia and Jackson are in the front today, and Scott went back to the Capitol to see his mentor. Apparently, there's a small-range epidemic up north. Cattle are falling dead every day so they went to see what they can do," Erica said and Bastion hummed as he leaned back against one of the counters.

"How's Melissa?"

"She's great! The Healing Houses finally received more funding so they're stocked up," Isaac answered Bastion's inquiry.

"I did wonder why she hadn't contacted me in months," Bastion murmured.

"Who's the Big Bad?" Erica nodded at Derek and everyone looked at him making Derek shift his weight.

"That's Derek," Bastion said and his friends frowned at the Mage, especially when Bastion touched the black, thick scarf wrapped around his neck with his right hand. "We ran into one another and I am helping him locate a - a friend." Derek raised an eyebrow at Bastion while the others all but glowered at the Mage.

"We've heard rumors," Boyd said, and Bastion and Derek looked at him. "Rumors about a Mage and a Werewolf working together trying to locate a Witch." Bastion and Derek exchanged a glance, and while Bastion looked worried, Derek looked like he just swallowed something foul.

"There goes the element of surprise," he grumbled.

"But we never entered a city together," Bastion said. "You always went alone, and even if you asked in the taverns if anyone saw the Witch we're looking for, there's no way I was seen."

"So how were we found out?" Derek pressed out through his teeth while Bastion bowed his head with a thoughtful frown. His friends were observing him with worried countenances, and the air was somehow heavy.

"The Kanima," Bastion bit out and looked at Derek, his amber eyes flashing dangerously. "We didn't run into it on accident. It was sent after us."

"Damn it!" Derek snapped and marched out of the doorway to pace the back alley.

"We need your help." Bastion looked at his friends who immediately stood at attention.

"Anything you need." Erica nodded at him and Bastion licked his lips before he swallowed with slight difficulties.

"We'll need food and water. Some fresh clothes would be nice as well, but not necessary. I'll need healing herbs as well and I'll need the pouches I left in my chest."

"When do you need it all ready?" Boyd asked.

"As soon as possible. We can't linger," Bastion answered.

"Can you wait until tonight? I'll go and gather everything I can right away, but we'll need time to prepare the food," Isaac said and Bastion looked towards the doorway where Derek was still pacing, the promise of murder written all over his face.

"We need to move out latest at midnight. The trail we're following has gotten warmer. We need to catch her before she knows we're coming. Isaac, Derek and I will go with you. We need to get off the streets."

"Can you two take care of everything here?" Isaac looked at Boyd and Erica and the two nodded before the woman looked at Bastion.

"Lydia and Jackson won't be happy to know that they didn't manage to catch you," she said and Bastion grinned at her although his eyes seemed shadowed.

"Once Derek and I are done with the Hunt, I'll come back and they can chew me out to their heart's content," he said and the three chuckled. "Let's go."

Isaac nodded at the other two and he, Bastion and Derek left. To Derek's surprise, Isaac led them down small streets, avoiding any possibility of walking into someone. "This way," he showed them to follow him, and Derek looked at Bastion, frowning when he saw an almost nostalgic expression on the Mage's face. His eyes were sad and the corners of his lips were down-turned, and his right hand was resting on the scarf covering his neck and the collar hiding beneath it.

Derek still couldn't figure out why Bastion hid the collar, because - in essence - he protected Derek from the rage Bastion's friends were bound to feel at the sight of it. By all rights, Bastion could have told them all the whole truth, and Derek was sure that he could have done nothing against two young Werewolves and Boyd who, despite being human, seemed more than strong enough to fight alongside Werewolves.

They entered a house made of stone through the back door and Isaac led them through the kitchen and dining room and into the living room.

"Derek, you can wait here. Bastion, I'll need your help," Isaac said and Bastion nodded before he looked at Derek.

"Can you wait here? The rooms are on the first floor, you'll hear everything." Derek nodded hesitatingly and Bastion's lips tilted up a bit.

He followed Isaac up the stairs and into one of the rooms and Isaac immediately walked over to a wardrobe while Bastion looked around. "Nothing changed," he commented and Isaac chuckled as he pulled out a big wooden chest from the bottom of the wardrobe.

"We left everything as you left it before you went away last time," he said and shot a small smile at Bastion as he placed the chest on the bed and opened it. "Here they are."

Bastion took Isaac's place while the Werewolf went to prepare some clothes for Bastion and Derek, and the Mage looked into the chest.

Just like I left it, he thought as he tenderly traced the pouches, several knives and a bright red, neatly folded jacket in the right part of the chest. He took it into his hands and allowed it to unravel. The crest of the Royal Guard almost glared at him embroidered on the left breast. It still smelled clean, like on the day Bastion received it at his graduation ceremony. He had never had a chance to wear it, and a part of his heart ached because of that.

Mom would have wanted me to wear it, he thought, but was snapped out of it when Isaac placed his hand on Bastion's right shoulder.

"Derek will need to try these out." Instead of mentioning Bastion's gloomy attitude, Isaac offered him a bag of clothes and Bastion smiled at him gratefully.

Derek appeared in the doorway before Bastion could call out to him, and a frown marred Derek's face when he saw the red jacket in Bastion's hands.

"Isaac has some clothes for you," Bastion said as he folded the jacket quickly, grabbed the second backpack Isaac prepared with clothes that Bastion left there last time he visited, and Bastion all but ran out of the room.

"Thank you," Derek murmured when Isaac gave him the backpack.

"Not a problem. Stiles - Bastion helped all of us at one point. This is the least we can do for him." Isaac took a seat on the bed while Derek took the clothes out of the backpack and started to try them out.

Isaac frowned a bit when he saw a tattoo between Derek's shoulder-blades. It contrasted sharply against Derek's otherwise unblemished skin.

"That tattoo looks familiar. It looks like a symbol Bastion showed me before."

"It's the Triskele," Derek grumbled as he tried on one shirt after another, setting aside those that fit him, and folding the ones that didn't. "It represents different things."

"What does it represent to you, if I may ask?" Isaac tilted his head to the side and Derek stilled for a moment, before he pulled on a clean shirt and continued to pack those he would take into the backpack.

"Alpha, Beta and Omega - a Werewolf can become either one of those at any moment. The tattoo reminds me of that."

Isaac hummed. "That philosophy isn't easy to bear," he commented calmly and Derek looked at him.

"It's not," he admitted. Before either one of them could say anything else Bastion came back, and while Isaac whistled, Derek's eyes widened and his mouth went dry.

Bastion stood in the doorway with his lithe, lightly muscled form dressed in tight leather pants and a blood-red tight turtleneck with the scarf wrapped around his neck. In his right hand he was carrying a black leather jacket, and he wore a pair of black combat boots on his feet. His hair was ruffled and damp, meaning he took a quick shower, and the color of his turtleneck brought out the red spots in his otherwise honey-golden eyes.

Nothing was left to the imagination because his clothes showed everything.

Quite literally.

"Damn, Stiles," Isaac teased and Bastion bowed his head with a blush, "you grew up nice. If Scott and I weren't engaged I would have taken you in a heartbeat."

Bastion threw his jacket at Isaac who laughed, while the Mage looked at Derek, deciding to ignore Isaac's comment. "Do your clothes fit you? I can enlarge them if you like something that's too small for you."

"I have enough," Derek answered and grabbed his backpack while Bastion walked over to the bed, smacked Isaac's head for good measure - the blond werewolf was still snickering - and went on to pack the pouches that were still in the chest.

"Now all we have to do is to wait for Erica to prepare food for us, and we can be on our way," Bastion said as he took a seat on the bed after he returned the chest to the wardrobe.

"You two could get some rest. You look like you need it," Isaac said as he stood up.

Bastion looked at Derek who shrugged his massive shoulders. His new pants and long sleeved, hooded shirt complimented his strong figure, and Bastion looked back at Isaac before he could be caught appreciating the sight of the Werewolf.

Could you blame him?

He had spent four weeks with the Sourwolf, and despite Derek's attitude, Bastion had to admit that - were their situation different - he would have climbed the Werewolf like a fricking tree. All hard muscle and pure, brute strength - any sane person's wet dream, if Bastion was asked. Sure, Derek's character left much to be desired - and so did his vocabulary - but damn! Was the man built from stone?!

"Bastion!"

The Mage looked up and realized that he was staring at nothing for an undetermined amount of time.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked and Isaac rolled his eyes. Derek was looking at Bastion with something that on another's face could be called a worried frown, but there was no way Derek could be worried about Bastion.

No way in hell.

"I said that I'll leave you two alone. I'm going to take Erica's place at the bakery so that she can do her part. Just rest. You won't be disturbed."

Bastion smiled and walked over to hug Isaac. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you guys."

Isaac laughed quietly as he buried his nose under Bastion's right ear, taking a deep breath. "We miss you, Stiles," he murmured and Bastion moved back.

He clapped Isaac's shoulders and smiled warmly. "I promise, once Derek and I find this Witch I'm gonna come back and we'll hang out. Besides - if I'm not mistaken, of course - you and Scott are gonna get married in a few months. There's no way I'll miss that."

Isaac blushed and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah."

Bastion laughed and lightly pushed Isaac towards the door. "Go now, lover-boy. Derek and I need to catch up to some sleep."

"See you later." Isaac left with a wave.

Bastion took a seat on the bed with a heavy sigh, neither one moving until they heard the back door close.

Heavy silence settled between them while Bastion picked on a few loose seams on his left sleeve under Derek's scrutinizing gaze.

"Why didn't you tell them?" he asked and Bastion looked up at him.

"Tell them what?"

"About the collar? How I forced you into this?"

Bastion frowned and his bottom lip jutted out slightly. "It would bring us nowhere if I told them. Besides, it is my duty to hunt down that Witch. If I had heard about her sooner I would have went after her either way, so…" he shrugged and looked out the window at the bright blue sky.

"You're a member of the Royal Guard."

Bastion looked at Derek with eyes wide with surprise, and the Omega nodded towards the red jacket which Bastion thought he managed to hide inside his black leather jacket.

"Yeah," Bastion spoke quietly, eyes suddenly shadowed with sadness.

"Why didn't you stay at the Capitol then?" the Werewolf asked as he took a seat in a chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Bastion sighed and stood up. He walked over to the window and leaned against the wall, hidden from sight by a curtain as he gazed down at the street full of people. "My mother was a Mage too. She died when I was a kid, and it was always my dream to follow in her footsteps. So I joined the Royal Guard as soon as I was old enough and I was trained as a Mage of the Red Order. Two months before my graduation I - I saw something I never should have seen. I left the day after Graduation and became a Hunter."

Derek frowned.

Should he ask?

On the other hand, Bastion had no reason to tell him anything.

A small part of Derek was embarrassed. They've traveled together for four weeks and he could say that he knew next to nothing about Bastion. The Mage suffered Derek's snark and mood, he didn't even seem to resent him for what Derek did to him, and yet Derek was so consumed by his thirst for vengeance that he couldn't even be bothered by something as simple as getting to know the Mage he had all but enslaved.

Mom would have hit me over the head with a hammer, Derek thought and his heart clenched. "The Witch we're hunting-…" he started before he even thought about it, and Bastion looked at Derek with a confused frown, "she killed my family." Derek looked in Bastion's eyes only to have the Mage look away from him, making Derek frown.

"I came to that conclusion before we fought the Kanima," he murmured and Derek's frown deepened. "You told me your last name was Hale." Bastion walked over to a shelf in the corner of the room and quickly found a book. He turned pages quickly until he found the one he was looking for and walked over to Derek, offering him the book.

The Werewolf froze when he found his entire family tree spread out on two pages.

"It's a self-updating lineage book," Bastion spoke quietly. "The greatest families of our country are listed in here. The last time I was here I noticed these two pages changed. That was over two years ago." Bastion took a seat with a heavy sigh, his eyes focused on Derek's frowning face and eyes full of pain and sorrow. "You are Derek Anthony Hale of the Hale Pack; one of the oldest Packs in the world. If the data in this book is correct, which I know it is, your Pack was killed in a single night 4 years ago. I don't know why that wasn't investigated. Only those in possession of that book knew about this, but I don't know why nothing was done about it."

Derek swallowed audibly and closed the book. "Because the one who killed my family was Kate Argent," he pressed out through his teeth and Bastion's eyes widened, his jaw going slack.

"What?" he gasped breathlessly.

"Kate Argent killed my family. The daughter of the General of the Golden Order killed my family," Derek growled and Bastion bowed his head, looking at his hands which rested in his lap.

"That explains so much," he murmured and Derek frowned.

"It explains what?" he bit out and stood up at the same time when Bastion started to pace.

"The thing I saw," he swallowed and looked at Derek, "I didn't want to believe it because it went against everything I believe in. Derek, I swear to you on my life and honor that I'm not like them!"

"WHAT DID YOU SEE?!" Derek thundered and Bastion flinched back.

"I saw General Gerard Argent kill three Omegas in cold blood! They weren't rabid! He killed all three of them in cold blood!" he cried out as tears filled his eyes.

"And you did nothing?!"

"What was I supposed to do?!" Bastion snapped and Derek took a step back. "I was just a kid then, Derek! No one would have believed me! My dad is the Sheriff of the Civil Guard! He depends on the state pay-check! I have Werewolves as friends! My brother in all but blood is a Werewolf! Do you really think that General Argent would have let it all slide if I went against him?!"

Derek swallowed as he bowed his head and looked to the side while Bastion choked back a sob and brushed his fingers through his hair, fisting his hands on the back of his head. "This is insane. This is completely insane," he mumbled under his breath and Derek looked at the distraught Hunter. "I'm hunting Kate Argent! A Witch of the Golden Order! That - That explains so much!" he rubbed his face with his hands.

"It explains what?" Derek pressed out through his teeth taking a threatening step towards Bastion.

"Why your family's death wasn't investigated! Why Omegas have been disappearing all over the place! Why so many Werewolves have gone rabid after losing their Packs to 'rogue Hunters'! Before I thought that Gerard's personal vendetta against Werewolves was just a rumor, but now - now I know it's all true, and…" he swallowed as he licked his lips and allowed his hands to fall to his sides. "Oh my God…"

Derek ground his teeth together as he watched Bastion take a seat heavily, rest his elbows on his knees and hide his face in his hands. The Hunter's shoulders were hunched under a suddenly appearing weight, and his breathing was strained.

"This just got so much bigger than avenging your family, Derek," Bastion spoke in a broken voice as he raised his head and looked in Derek's eyes. "If we manage to kill Kate we'll have Gerard Argent and their whole family on our tails. We're gonna be public enemies number one and…"

"Stiles!"

Said Mage jumped to his feet when Erica's voice reached them following the sound of a door being banged open. She rain into the room a second later, eyes wide and glowing yellow. "Stiles, you need to get out of here. Both of you. Guards are on the streets. I don't know how they know, but I ran here the moment we saw them. You need to get out of Beacon City." She wasn't even done talking before Bastion and Derek had their jackets and backpacks on.

"Erica, you need to stay here. Contact the others and tell them not to leave the bakery. Derek and I will make it out of here on our own."

"But Stiles…"

"Erica!" Bastion pulled the woman into his arms and hugged her tightly burying his nose in her hair and leveling his lips with her right ear. "I need you all to be safe. I promise, the moment this is done, I will tell you all everything, but I need you guys to be safe, alright?" He moved back and cupped her face between his hands looking deep into her eyes. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and she nodded, trying to smile for him.

"Alright. Be safe," she breathed out and Bastion kissed her forehead.

"Let's go," he and Derek pushed past her and ran out of the house. "Follow me! And stay close!" Bastion shouted as he ran down the street, with Derek following close behind.

"Watch out!"

Bastion yelped when Derek pulled him back and a pile of rubble fell on the floor where Bastion stood not a second ago.

"This way!" Knowing that there was no time to panic, Bastion grabbed Derek's hand and pulled him out of the side street and into a bigger one.

"Where are we going?!"

"To the main street! Hopefully, they won't attack us among the people!"

"Hopefully?"

"Hopefu… DAMN IT!"

They jumped to the side when a fire ball flew at them, scorching a wall when it missed them.

They ran out on the main street and started to push through the crowd, hoping the reach the exit of the city before their pursuers caught up with them. Bastion pulled his hood up and Derek copied his actions, cursing under his breath every time someone would unknowingly get in their way.

"Stop! You're under arrest!"

"Fuck it!" Bastion cursed and ran faster, pulling Derek along. People were screaming as they ran to the sides while guards in golden uniforms practically appeared out of no where. "Stay behind me!"

Not knowing what else to do, Derek stopped behind Bastion who tugged his scarf over the lower part of his face as he spread his arms to the sides.

"Shath d'gwai!" (rain of fire) the words of the ancient tongue rolled off of Bastion's lips as he swung his arms in front of himself and clapped his hands, and with a burst of magic a rain of fire-balls descended upon their pursuers.

They quickly raised shields, but it gave Derek and Bastion enough time to run.

But it wasn't enough time.

They were on their heels in a second, and Bastion had to shield the both of them several times from different attacks. Even though his face was covered, Derek could tell that the Mage was growing tired.

Just as the exit of the town came into sight, with a flash of thunder two people appeared in front of them, hindering their escape.

To Derek's shock and surprise, Bastion stepped in front of him and a shield appeared around them.

When Derek saw who it was that hindered their escape, his guts churned, his heart clenched and his eyes shone with red, hot rage.

A beautiful woman with long chestnut colored hair and a maniacal grin on her face chuckled as she raised her crossbow, and the elderly man beside her frowned at Derek and Bastion.

"Well, well, well," Kate Argent tsked maliciously. "I see that you haven't changed at all, Derek. You still fall for the wrong crowd."

"Derek, no!" Bastion wrapped his arms around Derek to hold him back, using every bit of his strength to stop the Werewolf from charging at Kate and her father.

"This is truly a disappointment," Gerard spoke in a gruff voice and Bastion looked at him. He glanced at Derek and slowly let go of him when the Werewolf seemed sane enough to hold back. "Show us your face, Bastion Stilinski."

Said Mage looked at Gerard and swallowed, knowing that there was no use denying it. He took a step in front of Derek and removed his hood and scarf at the same time.

A crowd was already gathering and Bastion was trying to calculate their chances of getting out of there unscathed.

The chances weren't in their favor.

"You have betrayed your Order, Mage Stilinski," Gerard spoke angrily and Bastion bowed his head, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"If anyone betrayed it it's you, Gerard Argent!" he shouted. Derek looked at the younger Mage with amazement written all over his face. "I personally witnessed you killing three Omegas in cold blood! Your daughter killed the Hale family, leaving only Derek alive! You went against your oath God knows how many times! The Mages of the Order are sworn to Serve and Protect! Your personal vendetta against Werewolves has gone too far!"

"SLANDER!" Gerard roared and Bastion crouched instinctively, ready to defend himself and Derek against anything the General and his daughter threw at them. "You and this Wolf are criminals and you will face justice!"

"First you'll need to catch us!" Just as Bastion crouched and electric orbs crackled around his hands something both he and Derek hoped wouldn't happen happened.

"Stiles!"

They turned around and horror colored Bastion's face when guards appeared holding Bastion's friends captive, together with two more people Derek thought were Lydia and Jackson.

"Let them go!" Bastion roared and Derek was forced to take a few steps back when Bastion's magic exploded around him in the form of angry, dark red snaps of electricity.

"Surrender and they won't be harmed!" Gerard snapped.

"Stiles, don't!" Isaac called out.

"Get out of here!" Erica added. Both she and Isaac were obviously doing their best to keep their Wolves hidden, and Derek had to admire their control.

"We'll be fine!" Boyd growled and Bastion looked at his friends, his eyes landing on Lydia and Jackson. Derek frowned when he saw Bastion gaze deep into Lydia's eyes, and the strawberry-blond woman nodded minutely.

"Cover your ears," Bastion pressed out through his teeth as he approached Derek and the Werewolf looked at him with a confused frown. Derek caught Lydia taking a deep breath from the corner of his eyes, and hesitatingly raised his hands to his ears.

It wasn't enough.

The scream which tore off of Lydia's lips shook something deep within Derek and he fell to his knees, just like everyone in their close proximity. He raised his head when he felt Bastion grab Derek's arm and pull him to his feet.

Derek saw Bastion's lips move and a cloud of dust surrounded them, hiding them from sight, and Derek ran after Bastion, allowing the Mage to pull him along. He stumbled and roared when something hit his back, but continued running after the Hunter when he felt no pain.

When everything settled in Beacon City the Golden Guard found itself without any captives.

Gerard cursed under his breath, raising his head with a frown when he heard his daughter snickering behind him.

"What did you do?" he asked and Kate's eyes glimmered with malicious glee.

"I told you how I managed to eliminate the Hales, didn't I?" she drawled and Gerard raised an eyebrow at his daughter.

"And?" Kate snickered and looked at the forest.

"Well, let's just say that the little Mage will regret helping Derek and bringing our reputation in question. He will regret being born."

Gerard frowned. "What did you do?" he spoke and Kate grinned.

"Just a little hex which will - ah - awaken Derek's need to Mate! The Full Moon is tonight. The Mage won't survive it," she said in feigned innocence. Gerard's eyes widened before he hummed and made his way towards the Beacon City Station.

How his daughter chose to handle their problem was not his concern. He had Bastion's friends to locate and take care of.

He would leave Derek and Bastion to her.

She could take care of them on her own.

cut

Derek and Bastion didn't stop running until night fell and they collapsed, listening to any sound which would tell them that they were being followed.

"We should set up camp and stay here," Bastion gasped between heaves. He was on his knees, breathing as though he ran a marathon, trying to fill starving lungs. "They won't look for us during the night." He took his backpack off, its weight weighing down on him almost painfully, and noticed that Derek did the same.

"Your friends…" Derek blurted out-

"They're fine. Lydia is a Banshee. No one can stand her scream. They have a safe-house in which they can hide until we take care of this. They'll be fine. Erica will contact Scott, my dad and Melissa. They'll be safe too." Derek nodded while Bastion stood up and set up a shield in a 10 meter radius. "We won't light a fire tonight. It's not s…" he was interrupted by a pained groan coming from Derek, and he looked at the Werewolf with a frown. "Derek?" he hurried over to Derek's side, finding the Werewolf on his knees and bent over. "Derek, what is it? Were you hit with something?"

"When we - When we ran out - Kate…"

"Damn it!" Bastion cursed as panic filled his eyes when Derek whimpered, wrapped his arms around his stomach and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, biting into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. "Derek, look at me! I need you to take the collar off! I can't help you if you don't!"

The Werewolf raised his head and looked at Bastion, and the Mage's eyes widened when he saw a blush over Derek's cheeks and his dilated pupils. His eyes were practically black with just a thin line of bright, electric blue around the iris.

"Derek?" Bastion's voice wavered when something he couldn't name flashed in Derek's eyes. The Full Moon shone through the branches, covering them in its mercury glow, and a low growl rumbled in Derek's chest as his teeth started to sharpen and his jaw started to jut out.

Bastion yelped when he suddenly found himself on his back, and his eyes widened when realization struck him.

You bitch! He cursed Kate Argent in his mind, but couldn't linger on it, because in the next moment his arms were pinned above his head with clawed hands and Derek buried his nose in Bastion's neck.

"Derek - Derek, stop this!" Bastion's voice broke as panic gripped his heart. "Derek, please! You need to control yourself!" he cried out only to receive a threatening growl when Derek raised his head.

The Man was gone.

Only the Wolf remained.

Bastion choked back a sob when Derek gripped his wrists tightly with his left hand and tore Bastion's clothes off of him with his right.

Bastion tried to fight Derek off, but every time he did the collar would tighten around his neck making him choke. "Derek! Derek, please! It's the spell! This isn't you!" Bastion cried out, but to no avail.

The Werewolf flipped Bastion over, towering over the smaller man and burying his face in Bastion's neck, and the Mage whimpered and froze when he felt Derek's claws dig into the tender skin of his right hip.

"Derek, please," he whispered in a broken voice, but nothing was reaching the Werewolf.

Tears filled Bastion's eyes as pain surged up his arms from the bruising grip Derek had on his wrists. His lips opened in a choked up scream of pain when he felt Derek bite his shoulder while his clawed hand slipped down the crack of Bastion's ass and probed his entrance.

Bastion's magic was going wild, trying to find a way to help him, but the collar was stopping it.

"Please…" he whispered as he bowed his head, hearing Derek tear his own pants open.

"Please…" he rested his forehead on the ground as tears trailed down his cheeks and his heart beat in his ears.

"Derek, PLEASE, NOT LIKE THIS!" he cried out, and to his shock the Werewolf stilled after an uncontrolled burst of magic exploded from Bastion.

The Mage shivered and whimpered as the Werewolf's grip on his wrists grew lighter. He fell to his left when the Wolf let go of him, and curled in on himself.

A huffing groan reached Bastion's ears and he felt Derek nudge his right arm which Bastion raised to cover his head. He slowly lowered it and found the Werewolf looming over him.

His whole body was shivering while the Wolf bowed his head and nudged Bastion's cheek with his nose, letting go of a weak, whimpering huff.

Bastion's breath caught in his throat when the Wolf placed his left hand on Bastion's waist and pushed the Mage on his back. Bastion winced and gasped when he felt a rough tongue licking the wound on his shoulder closed. He shivered when the Wolf crawled lower and applied the same treatment on the deep gashes on Bastion's right hip and thigh.

"D-Derek?" the Wolf growled reassuringly as he slowly took Bastion's thighs in his hands and almost tenderly turned Bastion back on his stomach, raising him to his knees. Bastion's eyes widened when he caught sight of Derek's straining cock and he quickly crossed his arms and buried his face in his forearms.

He's gonna go through with it, he thought as his heartbeat picked up speed. He knew what would happen. The Wolf was in full control and there was nothing Derek or he could do against it. Bastion couldn't stop him, and in all honesty, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Even if he somehow managed to get away, the Wolf wouldn't be satisfied, and if Kate used the curse he thought she had used, it could kill Derek if he doesn't find relief.

Fresh tears rolled down Bastion's cheeks and he bit into his bottom lip, only for his eyes to widen and his breath hitch in his throat when he felt a wet tongue against his entrance. Before he could raise his head, he felt the Wolf take a firm hold of the globes of his ass, and a hot breath caressed his entrance before the wet tongue circled it.

A moan was startled out of Bastion when it breached the tight ring of muscle. His whole body was shivering as the Werewolf licked around his hole, occasionally pushing his tongue in, awakening something in Bastion that quickly turned into a spark of desire.

His own cock twitched to life and the Wolf growled in approval when Bastion's scent spiked up. The Mage moaned loudly when he felt the Wolf's tongue push into him, deeper than before, and started a slow pace, making a steady flow of choked up moans and high pitched mewls roll off of Bastion's lips.

He shivered and fought to breathe when the Wolf licked up his spine, only to hold his breath when the Wolf braced his hands on either side of Bastion's head, and the Mage gulped when he felt the head of the Wolf's rock hard, hot cock against his entrance.

Breathe, Bastion. Breathe! He thought, but to no avail. His mouth opened and his breath burned in his chest as the Wolf pushed into him.

It hurt.

It hurt terribly.

He felt like someone was pushing a searing hot poker into him. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and bit into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. It felt like an eternity until the Wolf finally stilled, and Bastion felt like air was kicked out of his chest. He did his best to ignore blood trickling down the inside of his thighs, the pain surging through his body and cramping up his muscles.

His eyes snapped open and he gasped when the Wolf growled and gently licked Bastion's shoulders, clawed hands sliding up his arms and back to take a hold of the Mage's sides while the rough tongue laid light licks over his back in an imitation of a kiss.

To his surprise Bastion felt his body adjust to the huge member inside him, and the Wolf growled approvingly against his right ear when his tight channel relaxed around the rock hard cock.

"D - Don't!" he tensed up when the Wolf pulled out only to thrust in not a second later. His eyes widened and his heartbeat stuttered when with another ruthless thrust the Wolf hit something inside him that made Bastion see stars, and pleasure mixed with pain.

With each thrust the pleasure grew, and only the Wolf's clawed hands on his hips stopped Bastion from sprawling on the ground.

With a particularly hard hit against his prostate, Bastion came with a choked up cry, and his tight channel clamped down on the hard cock pounding into him. Through the blood rushing in his ears he heard the Wolf howl, and whimpered as the thick member inside him seemed to grow bigger as warmth filled him.

The Wolf emptied his load inside Bastion and both tumbled to the ground with Bastion slowly losing consciousness.

The last thing he remembered was the Wolf spooning him to his warm, strong body, and the feeling of the spent cock pulsating inside him.

And then everything went black.

cut

Bastion woke up slowly to the sound of crackling wood and the comforting scent of camp-fire. The next thing he became aware of was the sound of rain falling, and he realized that he was somewhere dry.

His body was heavy, but there was no pain.

His magic must have healed him.

He looked around and his eyes widened when he realized that he was naked, and that Derek's big jacket was his only cover. He looked around the small, time-worn, wooden cottage, and his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the collar resting in the corner furthest away from him.

His right hand flew to his neck to find the collar he has already gotten used to truly missing, and panic started to rise in his chest when he realized that Derek was nowhere to be found.

The events of that night surged through his mind and panic grew, his muscles starting to cramp up as he got on his knees, wrapped his arms around himself and struggled to breathe.

He couldn't form a single thought. Panic was the only thing in his mind.

His heart was pounding in his chest as though it wanted to beat its way out, and he couldn't breathe in enough air for his starving lungs.

"…astion… Basti… Bastion!"

A pair of familiar eyes appeared in front of him followed by Derek's face, and Bastion tried to concentrate.

"Calm down. You need to calm down. You need to breathe, Bastion. Breathe!"

He grabbed a hold of Derek's forearms, holding on for dear life, and the Werewolf cupped his face between big, warm, callused hands.

"Breathe, Bastion!"

"Der - Derek -…"

"I'm here. I need you to calm down. Bastion, concentrate on me and calm down. You're going to suffocate."

Bastion took as deep of a breath as he could and held it, concentrating on Derek's eyes. Through the maddening panic he tried to name the washed out green of the edge of Derek's iris, the specks of brown and red around his pupils.

Hetero - heterochromia, was the first clear word in his mind. He concentrated on the thick eyebrows above Derek's eyes, remembering how the Werewolf was able to communicate just by rising and lowering them. He focused on the sharp line of Derek's jaw, and the nice, soft beard covering his lower face. He took in the line of Derek's nose, the shape of his eyes, the few drops of rain dripping from drenched hair.

The smell of Derek's skin tickled Bastion's nose and he let go of the breath he was holding, taking another, deeper one, feeling the panic lessen.

Derek swallowed difficultly when Bastion finally calmed down, but when it seemed like Derek would back away, Bastion cried out and tightened his hold on Derek's forearms, not letting him budge.

"Bastion, let go," Derek murmured, and Bastion frowned when it seemed that all that arrogance, all that rage and pride and stoicism was gone. In front of him was a man tired of life, full of guilt and pain and self-loathing, weary of everything.

"No," he answered in a broken voice and Derek looked into his eyes. Bastion felt as though air was kicked out of him.

"You should despise me. You should be disgusted."

"I'm not."

"I hurt you. You bled, Bastion."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I could have stopped it."

"You did."

"I raped you!" Bastion licked his dry lips and gulped.

"You were cursed."

That was the only thing he could say.

While he wanted Derek, he didn't want it to happen that way. It hurt. It almost broke something in him and it would have had something not happened and stopped the Wolf. Whatever it was it saved his life, because otherwise he wouldn't have survived the - the Mating.

"Kate cursed you. She intended for the Wolf to break me - to kill me, but something stopped it. Something made the Wolf stop and - and yes, it did hurt. To one point I thought I would - I would die, but - but I - at some point it - it stopped hurting and - and I know that you probably don't want anything to do with me in that way, but I…" he didn't even notice he was crying until he felt a few cold drops fall on his knees. "Derek, I - I want you."

Derek's eyes widened and it appeared as though he stopped breathing. "But I…"

"Enslaved me? Treated me like trash? Pushed me into something I would have eventually gotten involved in either way?" Bastion tried to smile through tears. "You're forgetting that we've spent four weeks with no one but one another for company, and you're not as difficult to read as you may think, Derek Anthony Hale." Bastion's voice was wavering. "I could see right through you, and I - I started trusting you not even a week after we've begun searching for Kate."

"I - I trust you too," Derek answered in a broken voice. "I don't know when I started, but I trust you too."

"Then trust me when I tell you that I don't hate you, Derek,." Bastion insisted. "Trust me when I tell you that I know - I know that you never would have done that to me without the curse." Derek swallowed difficultly and looked down. "Derek…"

"You're wrong." Bastion held his breath. "I never would have - not like that, but I - if I thought I had a chance, I…" Bastion's eyes widened and Derek looked down.

"But you're…"

Derek chuckled morosely and looked at Bastion from under his dripping fringe. "You have a way to grow on people." His voice was hoarse and broken, and Bastion felt as though someone hit him in the back with an open palm.

"You mean you want me?" Bastion sounded honestly amazed and Derek looked at Bastion's right shoulder. Almost surprisingly gently, he tugged his left forearm out of Bastion's hold and traced the white claiming mark, contrasting sharply against Bastion's skin.

"The Wolf already claimed you," his voice was full of regret and Bastion swallowed as he tilted his head to the right to look in Derek's eyes.

"You and your Wolf are one," he murmured and Derek blinked before he focused his amazing eyes on Bastion's.

"If you'll have us both. Although I wouldn't blame you if you denied us after what we…" Bastion moved forward and sealed his lips over Derek's in their first kiss. He fisted his hands in the Werewolf's hair, holding him close as he bit into the bottom lip and tugged on it, shivering when Derek placed his hands on Bastion's waist and pulled him forward.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" Bastion blurted out only to yelp when Derek pulled him into his lap.

"No," he muttered as he latched his lips on Bastion's neck, his hands slipping down slim hips and strong thighs. Bastion tugged on Derek's hair and raised his head up to look in Derek's eyes.

"Don't make me be the first one." Heavy silence settled between them, as they stared in one another's eyes. Time seemed to linger as Derek took in every line of Bastion's face. Everything; from his creamy skin, to the constellation of moles on his left cheek - everything was perfect.

They were like a tornado and a volcano - one more volatile than the other.

And yet somehow, in the meeting of their completely opposing characters, they found the eye of the storm.

Somehow, despite their more than rough beginning, they've found their center.

"Derek?" the Werewolf snapped out of his thoughts and swallowed before he licked his lips.

"I don't want to hurt you." 'Again' didn't have to be said, because Bastion could see it in Derek's eyes.

"I'm completely healed," he said and Derek nodded minutely.

"I know, but - if you don't want this, I - we can wait." The Werewolf seemed determined and a smile tilted Bastion's lips. He bowed down and kissed Derek slowly and deeply.

"We won't wait," he murmured against his lips and Derek let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding.

With his inhuman strength he picked Bastion up as he climbed to his knees and laid the Mage down on the improvised bed of clothes he made for Bastion when he brought him to this small, abandoned cottage.

He braced his weight on his elbows as he nudged Bastion's left cheek with his nose before he kissed each and every dark mole he found there on his way to Bastion's lips.

Goosebumps appeared on Derek's skin when Bastion traced the Wolf's strong shoulders with the tips of his fingers, and Derek kissed down Bastion's chin and nibbled on his Adam's apple, eliciting a moan from the Mage's full, lush lips.

Bastion sighed and shivered, his eyes slipping closed as he tilted his head back, almost offering his neck to Derek. The Werewolf's scent was almost overwhelming and his strength was like a shield, and even though there was a little voice in the back of Bastion's head reminding him of what that strength did to him before, he stomped on it, determined to give his all to Derek.

Bastion hiccupped when Derek licked his left nipple, sending a shiver over the human's body and making his already half-hard cock twitch, and Derek ceased his ministrations to look up at Bastion.

"I will stop if you want me to," he spoke in a tone that made his words seem like an oath.

Bastion caressed Derek's jaw with the back of his fingers and Derek climbed over him to kiss him tenderly. "Show me that it doesn't have to hurt," Bastion murmured against Derek's lips and the Werewolf stilled.

"Bastion?" his voice broke and the Mage tilted his head to the right when he saw horror return to Derek's eyes. "Was that - was that your first time?"

The blush which covered Bastion's cheeks told Derek enough, and a pained grunt escaped Derek's lips, but before he could move off of Bastion, the Mage wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulders and pulled him into a hug, burying his face in Derek's neck.

"Don't you dare leave me." Even though his words may have sounded harsh, there was weakness in Bastion's tone, and ever so slowly Derek relaxed again, although his every muscle was still twitching with restraint.

"If it hurts at any moment, I will stop," Derek pressed out through his teeth as Bastion let go of him and slipped his hands down Derek's shoulders to his arms.

"I know."

With that Derek kneeled to take his shirt off and Bastion felt his cock twitch at the sight of Derek's muscled torso. The proof of Derek's own arousal was tenting his pants, and even though there was fear in the back of his mind, Bastion was looking forward to Derek claiming him.

This time with both of them conscious and willing.

Bastion shivered when Derek caressed his thighs with the tips of his fingers while he littered nips and kisses on Bastion's chest, occasionally teasing his nipples with languid, slow licks. Bastion could hardly breathe between waves of pleasure surging through his body.

The Mage hiccupped when Derek slid his hands under his thighs and hooked his legs on his hips, sealing his lips over Bastion's in a deep, desire-filled kiss, and Bastion moaned into Derek's mouth when he felt the Werewolf's own erection rub against his through thick layers of clothing.

The air was heavy with their mixed scents and the sound of the crackling fire was the only thing to be heard beside Bastion's gasps, mewls, moans and choked up grunts.

Bastion's eyes snapped open and his torso arched up when Derek took a hold of his ass and raised him up, and Bastion's hands fisted in Derek's hair and he threw his head back with eyes slipping closed and mouth opening in a breathless, soundless moan when Derek licked the underside of his cock slowly, from bottom to tip, before he moaned at the taste of the few beads of pre-come gathered at the slit.

Derek growled when Bastion tugged on his hair and looked up from under his eyebrows just as Derek took the head of Bastion's member into his mouth, and a shiver passed down Derek's spine when the Mage gasped and his whole body trembled.

Bastion twitched with every suck Derek gave to the hard length, gasping for breath and arching his back since practically all of his weight rested on his shoulders while Derek held his lower body up.

The Werewolf's eyes glowed electric blue after Bastion let go of a choked up cry and came into his mouth, his fist twitching in Derek's hair and his whole body quivering like the string of a bow after the arrow has been released.

Derek gently laid Bastion down before he climbed over the Hunter and kissed him, allowing him to taste himself on Derek's lips and tongue, eliciting a languid moan from the trembling Mage.

"Turn on your stomach," Derek murmured against Bastion's lips and dilated, almost fire color orbs opened to look up at Derek. Bastion nodded and Derek helped him turn around.

Bastion sighed, still feeling lightheaded from his orgasm, and gasped when Derek slid his right hand down the curve of his spine, his lips following close behind.

Derek licked his lips before he laid a kiss on the small of Bastion's back as he slipped the fingers of his right hand between firm round globes of Bastion's ass and teased his entrance with the tips of his fingers.

Derek raised his hand to his lips and coated each finger with saliva before he aligned his body with Bastion's and lightly circled his entrance with his index finger. He spooned Bastion from behind and buried his nose behind his right ear, breathing in the human's scent, mouthing words of reassurance and love into the tender skin of Bastion's neck.

Bastion twitched and tensed up when the tip of Derek's finger breached his entrance, and Derek shushed him gently, promising over and over again that it wouldn't hurt; that he would prepare him nice and slow, and that there would be only pleasure.

Bastion breathed as steadily as he could, shivering each time Derek would push his finger only to the first knuckle inside him and rotate it lightly, and Bastion felt a spark of warmth gather in his stomach, his spent cock twitching in interest.

Ever so slowly, Derek pushed his index finger in all the way and stilled, waiting to see if there were any signs of discomfort in Bastion's quivering form. He slowly pulled the finger out and smirked against Bastion's ear when the Mage groaned and lightly parted his legs in an invitation.

Derek laid an encouraging kiss on Bastion's right shoulder as he set up a slow pace, holding back the Wolf howling in his head for their own release. His heart beat in his chest as though it wanted to beat its way out, and it took all the concentration he could separate from his intent to make this good for Bastion to make himself breathe slowly.

When he felt Bastion relax, he pulled his finger out and added another one, again not going further than the first knuckle, and Bastion breathed out sharply, his hips twitching up towards Derek's hand, and the Werewolf slowly pushed his fingers inside him, squeezing his eyes tightly shut when Bastion's hips rose up to meet his fingers, and the Mage let go of a long, wavering breath, as though he finally got what he has been yearning for.

Derek never changed the slow pace, but with each thrust he changed the direction, and when Bastion yelped and twitched he smirked against the Mage's shoulder and stopped thrusting, focusing on massaging that bundle of nerves inside Bastion's tight heat, drawing choked up gasps from the Mage.

When Derek pulled his fingers out and slowly pushed them back in with the third, Bastion moaned and his hands fisted in the pile of clothes serving as their bed, and Derek had to remind himself to breathe and go slow when the almost incredibly tight heat clamped down on his fingers the moment he brushed against Bastion's prostate.

There was a small wet patch in Derek's pants from pre-come leaking from his aching cock, but Derek refused to hurry this up. While he didn't remember everything because the Wolf took complete control that first time, he remembered enough.

He remembered Bastion pleading and begging and screaming in pain, and his heart ached worse than it ever did in his life. He swore with every part of his being that he would never again inflict pain on Bastion, and nothing would ever stop Derek from holding on to that promise.

"Derek, please, I - I can't!" Bastion cried out and Derek felt like someone kicked the air out of his lungs. He pulled his fingers out of Bastion, quickly took his pants off, grunting when his hard member was finally freed from the tight confines of his pants, and slowly rolled Bastion on his back before he lied down and tugged Bastion on top of him. "Wha-…"

"You're in control,." Derek interrupted him and Bastion gulped with his cock twitching as Derek rubbed his thighs reassuringly.

Bastion placed his hands on Derek's chest as he slowly rose to his knees and moved back until he felt Derek's rock hard, thick length tease his entrance. Bastion bit into his bottom lip as his breath hitched in his throat only to open his eyes when Derek lovingly cupped his cheek with his right hand.

"I'm right here. If you can't, we will stop."

Bastion swallowed and breathed out slowly before he shook his head. "I don't want to," he murmured and his eyes widened when a small smile tilted Derek's lips. He placed his hands on Bastion's waist to steady him, and Bastion took a deep, calming breath as he slowly, ever so slowly, started to take Derek in.

There was no pain.

He could feel the stretch and while it was a bit uncomfortable, it didn't hurt.

Derek's hands were holding him, almost stopping him from going faster, and while a part of Bastion was grateful, the lack of pain encouraged him.

He let go of a long breath when Derek was finally all the way in, and opened his eyes - wondering when he closed them - only to still completely when he saw the pure pleasure on Derek's face.

Heterochromic eyes were closed and Derek's head tilted back, thin lips parted as he took in shallow, strained breaths. His massive chest rose and fell, and Bastion could feel Derek trembling beneath him.

If Bastion thought Derek was beautiful before, now he was completely amazed. All the rage and anger and suffering melted away into pure pleasure. Derek's hands were clenching and unclenching on Bastion's waist as though he was holding back, and in a spur of courage, Bastion rolled his hips slowly, earning himself a gasp and the sight of Derek's eyes snapping the reveal dilated, electric blue orbs.

"Bastion…" he gasped out and the Mage swallowed as he leaned forward, bracing himself on his hands on either side of Derek's head. He licked his lips when Derek's raised his legs, putting his feet flat on the ground, and slipped his hands to Bastion's thighs.

Derek leaned in for a kiss which shook something deep within Bastion and made him arch back, lights flashing behind closed eyelids when the hard length inside Bastion brushed against his prostate.

"You alright?" Derek murmured against Bastion's lips and the Mage nodded before he rested his forehead on Derek's and slowly rolled his hips, shivering and gasping when that bundle of nerves inside him was brushed again.

"Perfect - absolutely perfect."

Derek swallowed and leaned up to kiss Bastion, rubbing the human's thighs, hips and ass reassuringly with big warm hands. "I'm here. I'm right here," he muttered and Bastion nodded as he slowly rose off of Derek's cock until only the head was left inside him, and equally slowly took him back in.

They found a perfect, slow rhythm almost right of, as though they've done this a thousand times before, and moments later Bastion raised himself up, bracing his hands on Derek's chest as the pace became quicker. Derek's hands were on Bastion's thighs, and his hips rose up to meet Bastion thrust for thrust, each time hitting his prostate straight on.

A particularly hard thrust made Bastion throw his head back, lips parting soundlessly. Derek sat up, and Bastion gasped when it changed the direction of his thrusts. Derek raised him quickly, un-tucking Bastion's legs from under him and wrapping them around his waist, before wrapping his left arm around Bastion's waist and taking a firm hold of his left thigh, bouncing the Mage in his lap as he littered kisses over Bastion's neck and chest.

The Mage's fingers dug into the firm muscles of Derek's shoulders when the Werewolf took his left nipple into his mouth and gave it a sharp suck. He bowed his head and rested his forehead on Derek's head, fisting his right hand in Derek's thick hair, holding him close to his chest, and the Werewolf growled as the impossibly tight heat clamped down on him.

Bastion's cock was trapped between their bodies, and each frantic thrust brought him closer and closer to the edge.

"Bastion, I need to - I can't…"

"No!" the Mage grabbed fistfuls of Derek's hair when the Wolf tried to raise Bastion off of his cock, feeling his orgasm coming. "I want to feel you - all of you."

As though that was the only thing Derek needed to hear, he came inside Bastion, his knot growing, making him growl, and Bastion cried out as his own orgasm washed over him.

Derek pulled Bastion tight against himself while the human buried his nose in Derek's neck as they breathed together, their scents mixing in the heavy air.

Bastion moaned lowly, the feeling of Derek's cock pulsating inside him something he never thought he would enjoy, but in a way it made him feel as though he finally came home. The feeling of such complete fullness was something he never experienced, and despite their more than rough beginning - Bastion thought with a chuckle - it appeared that together they found something special.

"What's so funny?" Derek murmured as he nuzzled his nose against Bastion's neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses over the damp skin.

"Did you ever think when you first found me that we'd end up like this?" Bastion spoke in a quiet voice full of content. Derek chuckled sending a shiver down Bastion's spine.

"No. No, I didn't."

Bastion pulled back a bit, making Derek hiss and a surge of pleasure pass up his spine. He swallowed and rested his forehead on Derek's. "I guess we'll need to thank Kate when we catch her."

The frown which marred Derek's face at his words made Bastion smile lovingly and he kissed the tip of Derek's nose, laughing when the Werewolf crossed his eyes cutely.

"You have to admit that if she didn't put you under that curse you never would have touched me."

"But I hurt you," Derek murmured dejectedly and Bastion sighed.

"Yeah, at first it hurt," he admitted. "But the Wolf held back, and in the end the Claiming Mark did take effect, which means that I wasn't unwilling, right?"

Derek looked into Bastion's eyes, the logic of his words only slightly dimming the guilt he felt. "Yeah," he whispered and Bastion chuckled, nudging Derek's nose with his.

"Come on, Sourwolf. I'm here aren't I?"

A small smile tilted Derek's lips and he nodded.

"Yeah. You're here."

cut

"… I still don't know who bit Paige, and ending her suffering was the most painful thing I had to do in my life, and when Kate came I thought I had a chance to redeem myself. She turned out an even bigger mistake."

"Derek." Bastion sat up from where he was nuzzled against Derek in front of the fire and straddled the Werewolf's lap cupping the bearded face between long-fingered, callused hands and making Derek look up into Bastion's warm gaze. "Paige wasn't your fault. She fell in love with you and followed you into the forest without your knowledge. Saying that she asked for it is too harsh, but it wasn't your fault that you didn't reach her in time. Her body refused the Bite. If she had survived she would have turned into a Kanima or something even worse. And Kate was most definitely not your fault. She seduced you when you were most vulnerable and used your kindness and love to destroy your family. If you weren't out that night you would have died as well."

"I know but…" Derek was interrupted by Bastion cuffing him behind his ear. The Werewolf looked up at the Mage in amazement and Bastion raised eyebrows at him.

"Every time you start a pity-party I'm going to hit you. Hopefully, next time I'll have your pert little ass at disposal." He winked at Derek who couldn't help but sigh and shake his head as he wrapped his arms around Bastion's waist. "You may be a predator, Derek, but you're not a monster. You're not a killer. And when we find Kate and Gerard, and deal with them, I'm going to use every single chance that I'll have to convince you of that."

Derek chuckled and nudged Bastion's chin with his nose making him tilt his head back so that he could place a loving kiss on the quickly pumping jugular vein. "Why did you do it?"

Bastion frowned in confusion and looked down at Derek again. "Why did I do what?" he asked.

"Why did you declare Gerard's and Kate's misdoings in front of everyone?"

"Oh, that!" Bastion shrugged as he traced Derek's shoulder blades with the tips of his fingers. "It was in the spur of the moment. People talk. The rumors of what Gerard declared slander will spread like wildfire. Besides - Should they whisper false of you, never trouble to deny; should the words they say be true, weep and storm and swear they lie." (1) Bastion winked while Derek raised an eyebrow at him. "Gerard will dig his own grave by denying the rumors."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you planned it all along," Derek drawled and Bastion gasped as though offended by his words.

"Do you think me so evil, good sir?!"

Derek rolled his eyes. "No," he smirked. "Just sly, cunning, spiteful…"

"I'll show you cunning and spiteful!" the Mage snapped although his eyes shone with mischievousness, and for a few moments they rolled on the floor laughing like they've never laughed before.

Bastion ouffed when he found himself on his back with Derek smirking down at him.

"Don't let this get in your head, Wolf," Bastion bit out, although his eyes were glowing with suppressed laughter. "You've won a battle - not a war."

Derek chuckled and bowed down licking Bastion's bottom lip and biting into it lightly. "I didn't know we're at war," he murmured against Bastion's lips, drawing a gasp from the Mage as he ground his hips down against the smaller man's.

"You're playing dirty, Sourwolf."

Derek hummed as he kissed down Bastion's chin and neck. "All is fair in love and war."

"Shut up."

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Bastion woke up with a start and sat up noticing immediately that Derek was awake as well. The Werewolf showed him to be quiet and Bastion nodded as they quickly pulled on their clothes, staying low as not to be seen through the window.

The fire has long turned to embers, granting no light at all.

"Come on, baby! I know you're in there!" Kate's voice reached their ears and Derek growled, eyes turning electric blue and his nails turning into claws.

"Der!" Bastion hissed and Derek looked at him, frowning Bastion showed him to come closer.

"Derek!" Kate sang, "I'm sorry I made you kill your little Mage! Can't we just get along?! We had such a nice time before!"

"Derek, she thinks I'm dead!" Bastion bit out and Derek's eyebrows rose up a bit. "We can use this to our advantage."

"How?" Derek asked through sharpening teeth and with a slight lisp.

Bastion looked around the small cottage, trying to think of something that would help them. He caught the sight of something shimmering in the furtherest corner, and if they weren't on the same side, Derek would have ran for the mountains after seeing the malicious glimmer in Bastion's eyes.

"Distract her," Bastion said and looked at Derek with a smirk. "Leave everything else to me."

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"Derek, baby! Come on!" Kate shouted with a maniacal grin on her face. "Play with me!"

The door of the small cottage at the edge of the clearing burst open, and Derek in full Werewolf form roared with murder shining in his eyes.

"Let's dance," she grinned and Derek charged at her, ducking to the side in time to avoid a ball of fire.

Kate laughed and taunted him, but Derek didn't allow her to get to him. He would feign attacks, giving his best to get close enough to make it believable, but keeping his distance, waiting for Bastion to make his move.

"You're not fighting me seriously, baby!" Kate laughed with her eyes shining with insanity. "Come on! I expected more from…" her words turned into a scream when lightning hit her back and she fell to her knees. In the next moment she choked up and froze, and Derek looked up when Bastion came out of the shadows with the collar held firmly in his left hand.

"Bet you didn't expect this, bitch," Bastion bit out as he walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, looking straight into her eyes while she tried to fight off his spell. "Don't try. While you went around killing innocent people, I traveled around learning more and more every day. I'm not a Mage of the Red Order anymore, Kate." Her eyes widened when Bastion smirked at her. "I could ace the tests of the Golden Order and dance circles around you and your daddy-dearest." He raised the collar and swayed it from side to side. "This is just to insure that you will do exactly as you're told. I did a few modifications to it. Some of the spells I've placed on it are hardly legal, but desperate times ask for desperate measures. You'll understand." He placed the collar around her neck and Kate screamed as the magic of the collar sealed her powers inside her and locked her mind.

Derek stared in amazement and horror as Bastion stood up and Kate followed like a mindless puppet.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Derek muttered and gulped, but Bastion chuckled and shook his head.

"Trust me, Derek, if you hadn't gotten on my bad side until now, you never really will."

"True."

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Derek and Bastion walked down the street of the Capitol with their shoulders straight and heads held high. Kate walked between them with her head bowed and eyes dull - like a puppet following its master.

People were gathering on the streets, whispering and murmuring - wondering what was going on.

"They're coming," Bastion muttered into his chin loud enough for Derek to hear him and the Werewolf nodded minutely.

He caught a few shadows jumping from roof to roof, golden uniforms shining in the bright, midday sun.

"Halt!" 10 Guards appeared in front of them and Bastion and Derek stopped in their tracks, Kate following their actions.

"We are here to see General Gerard Argent!" Bastion called out firmly.

"Surrender and you shall see him!" one of the Guards shouted as he stepped out and the others pulled binding chains off of their belts.

"Stand down!" Everyone tensed up and the Guards in front of Bastion and Derek parted to let Gerard face them. His eyes immediately settled on Kate and a frown marred his features. "What did you do to her?" he asked and looked at Bastion who bowed his head a bit and his eyes flashed golden.

"I just made sure that she would speak the truth, only truth and nothing but God's honest truth," he spoke in a deep voice which sent a shiver down many people's spines, including Derek's. "It's just a light spell which will prompt her not to lie." He stepped to the side and looked at Kate while Derek kept an eye on Gerard. "Tell us, Kate Argent, how many crimes against the Werewolves did you commit?"

It was quite obvious that Kate was fighting against the spell. Her hands fisted by her sides and she was biting into her bottom lip, but the spell was too strong.

"In the past 10 years I killed 5 of the 13 oldest Packs. I also destroyed 15 smaller Packs. I aided my father, Gerard Argent, in gathering Omegas and disposing of them."

Horrified whispers spread around them while Gerard glared murder at Bastion.

"Were the Omegas rabid?"

"Most of them weren't," Kate pressed out through her teeth and Bastion glanced at Derek when he heard a low threatening growl rumble in his chest.

"What do you know about the crimes your father committed?" Bastion asked as he turned to face Gerard who was trying to kill him with a glare.

"My father killed 47 Omegas and 6 small Packs to my knowledge. He held a personal grudge against Werewolves ever since a rabid Werewolf killed his wife and daughter-in-law 14 years ago, making his son and only granddaughter leave this State."

"Thank you, Kate," Bastion said and an ugly sneer crossed the woman's face, but neither the Werewolf nor the Hunter could see it.

They only had eyes for Gerard.

The General of the Golden Order was glancing around as though he was evaluating the situation. There was no way for him to deny the words that came out of his daughter's mouth. The seed of doubt has been planted when Bastion all but declared him a traitor that day in Beacon City, and now they have taken root.

What could he do?

Even the members of his Order were staring at him with varying degrees of horror on their faces, and many took a step away from him.

The word of what was happening will reach the Central Station quicker than Gerard would be able to act. He would be court-marshaled before the end of the week, and killed as a traitor of the State and the Golden Order.

So there was only one thing he could do.

"Bastion!" Before Derek even had time to move, Bastion pushed him aside with a gust of wind and raised a shield to stop Gerard's attacks. The General frowned at the Mage who smirked at him as he took of his cloak off and allowed it to fall on the ground revealing a sleeveless black turtleneck.

"You'll have to try harder than that, Gerard! I learned a lot since my last stay here at the Capitol," Bastion drawled as he raised his arms and joined his hands in front of himself. With a burst of power, black lines started to spread from his hands and up his arms to his shoulders, disappearing under his shirt.

There were jagged lines and swirls creating forms no one could name, and they contrasted sharply against Bastion's otherwise cream-colored skin. A smirk stretched lush lips and his eyes turned completely white.

"While you sat comfortably in your office or hunted down innocent Werewolves, I traveled the world and learned a lot of things. It's amazing how much you can learn from ancient spirits, right?" his voice distorted as he grinned and started spreading his arms to the sides as electricity crackled between his hands.

Derek took a few steps back, eyes wide and jaw lax as he watched his Mate demonstrate his true power for the first time.

Gerard threw his walking stick to the side as he crouched with a sneer on his face. "You are still not strong enough to defeat me!" he roared and charged.

He fired an attack, grinning when Bastion did nothing to stop it, only to gasp in shock when Bastion disappeared and his attack flew straight at Kate. She screamed insanely as the collar around her neck snapped and fell to the ground, and she collapsed to her knees as fire consumed her body.

Gerard said nothing as his daughter trashed around trying to save herself, but the fire was too strong.

Everything stilled when she stopped screaming, and soon enough nothing but a burnt corpse lay in her place.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Gerard turned on his heel and found Bastion standing several feet behind him, white eyes boring straight through Gerard. "Look what you did," he growled.

"You'll pay for this!" Gerard shouted and attacked Bastion, and the real battle started.

"You!" Derek looked to the side when a Guard ran over to him. Only then did Derek realize that Guards were removing people from the streets. "You need to get off of the street!"

"No! I need to stay with him!"

"What's going on here?!"

Derek turned on his heel and he frowned when he saw the Civil Guard run towards them with the Sheriff leading them. There was something familiar about that man, and when he stopped beside Derek and looked at the battle revolving in the middle of the street Sheriff's eyes widened and he froze in his place.

"Sheriff Stilinski!"

Derek's eyes widened when he realized that the man standing beside him was Bastion's father, but he didn't manage to say anything. The Sheriff looked at the Guard, his countenance firm and strict, nodded and turned to his men.

"Help the Guard get the people off of the streets! Don't get involved into the battle because you'll only get in the way! Make sure everyone is safe before you find shelter yourself! Go! Go! Go!" Derek tensed up when the Sheriff turned to look at him. "You must be Derek. You're going with me."

"But-…"

"I can't do this alone, son!" the Sheriff interrupted him and Derek tensed up. He glanced at Bastion and swallowed difficultly.

If one didn't look close enough they would think that Bastion was enjoying the fight with how he danced around Gerard, deflecting attacks as though they were nothing and firing his own without so much as an effort. It appeared as though Bastion was playing with the Gen - former General.

But Derek knew Bastion. He knew his heart.

And a single look in Bastion's white eyes told Derek that he didn't want this to happen.

Derek turned to face the Sheriff, gulped and fisted his hands by his sides. "What do you need me to do?"

The Sheriff let go of the breath he was holding and nodded at Derek. "Follow me." He turned on his heel and started to run, and Derek followed close behind. "Several days ago my son's friend sent me a message to lay low, but I was apprehended before I could! I was released from prison and reinstated as a Sheriff when the disorder started 10 minutes ago!" Derek looked at the Sheriff with a frown. "We need to get to the Central Station and inform the other Generals of what's going on, and I need you to tell them the truth!"

"Didn't the alarm sound?" Derek asked as he followed the Sheriff down many small streets.

"The Central Station locks down after they send out men! We need to find the Generals and tell them the truth before they organize an attack on my son and you!" Derek's eyes widened and his heart jumped in his chest.

"We need to hurry!"

"My thoughts exactly! This way!"

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Bastion danced out of Gerard's way and frowned for a mere second. The old man was good. He was keeping up with Bastion more than just fine, but the fact was that Bastion wasn't trying to kill Gerard. He wanted to tire him out and incapacitate him, so he wasn't fighting with his full strength.

Gerard was going all out.

Bastion had to split his concentration on fighting Gerard and making sure that no innocent people were hurt, while the former General of the Golden Order didn't mind them. His only thought was to kill Bastion and probably run away before the Generals found out about his misdeeds and apprehended him. Gerard would be tried as a traitor, and that meant either life-time in prison, or - in Gerard's case - death penalty.

Bastion lost count of how long they were fighting, and while he could still go on, it was quite obvious that Gerard was getting tired. He was sweating and gasping for breath, while Bastion hardly broke a sweat. His power still flowed freely through his body for the first time since he acquired it and learned how to use and control it.

"Die!" Gerard screamed and fired his strongest attack yet, and Bastion ducked out of its way only to freeze in his place. A little girl screamed while a Guard gathered her into his arms to protect her, and the only thing in Bastion's mind was that neither one would make it.

With a powerful burst of magic Bastion appeared in front of them and raised his arms, but didn't have time to raise his shields. Fire burned up his arms and he ground his teeth together to stop himself from screaming as his magic fought against Gerard's, stopping the attack before it could do too much damage.

Everything stilled as Gerard straightened and Bastion fell to his right knee as pain surged through his body. Bastion's arms hung useless by his sides as he gasped for breath, and his eyes turned back to their usual color since his magic concentrated on healing his body.

But it was too slow.

"Say good bye, Bastion Stilinski. You've never had a chance to stop me." And as Gerard raised his hands to fire the killing blow, Bastion did his best to gather as much of his own powers as he could to protect himself.

Gerard fired with a maniacal grin, but it melted into shock when, in the next moment, a shield appeared around Bastion and Gerard's attack melted into it, leaving Bastion unharmed.

No sound could be heard and no one moved while Gerard looked at something behind Bastion, and the young Mage could do nothing but thank whichever god was listening on the timely assistance.

"Gerard Argent!" Bastion slowly turned his head to the side and his heart beat harder when he saw the First General standing in front of the Order Generals with Derek and Bastion's dad beside him. Both looked terrified but relieved, and Bastion let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding. "You are under arrest for crimes against Werewolves! You are charged with mass murder and will be court-marshaled. If you resist arrest, we will not hold back!"

Bastion looked at Gerard who was glowering at everyone.

Don't do this! Bastion thought just as Gerard roared and prepared to attack.

In the next instant Gerard was lying on the ground, letting go of his last breath.

"Bastion!"

The shield around Bastion fell and Derek fell on his knees in front of him, cupping the Mage's face between his hands and looking straight into his eyes.

"It's over," Bastion murmured and Derek nodded hurriedly.

"Yeah, it's - it's over."

"Stiles!" The young Mage looked up only to yelp and wince when his dad fell to his knees beside him and pulled him into a hug. "You idiot! You little fool!" His father whispered in his hair as he held Bastion tight to his chest, and Bastion raised his burned, bloody hands to carefully hug his father, doing his best to ignore the pain and the itch his magic caused as it healed the burns.

"I'm fine, dad," his voice broke, but his dad didn't care. Bastion met Derek's eyes over his dad's shoulder and smiled at the Werewolf, his guts warming when Derek smiled back. "Everything's alright."

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"So you ran into a Nogitsune while you were traveling and it possessed you, but you played a mental game of chess, and since you won, the Nogitsune granted you its powers and simply died?"

Bastion chuckled as he threw a dried date into his mouth and chewed on it while Derek stared at him in disbelief from where he was lying on the floor on his side, resting his head on his right hand with his weight braced on his elbow, while Bastion was using Derek as a backrest, sitting in front of the Wolf with a bowl of dry fruit in his lap.

"Well, the Nogitsune was a thousand years old and it is a Trickster. It just wanted a good successor."

Derek snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right," he murmured and Bastion nudged Derek's chest with his elbow.

"Come on, Der. We all have our little secrets," Bastion teased and Derek chuckled as he looked at Bastion's arms. Since Bastion had used his full power to fight Gerard the tattoos didn't fade, and Bastion made no effort to conceal them.

In all honesty, they looked pretty cool if the reactions of Bastion's friends were anything to go by.

Gerard Argent was defeated a week ago.

The Council of Generals offered Bastion Gerard's place as the General of the Golden Order, but Bastion respectfully declined. He enjoyed his freedom too much, and he knew that Derek wouldn't be happy staying in the Capitol.

So after Bastion's dad arranged everything so that he would be able to leave the Capitol for a few days, they made their way to Beacon City. After spending a few days among Bastion's friends, Bastion and Derek were more than grateful for finally finding some time to just be alone and let everything sink in.

Since Sheriff Stilinski had to return to the Capitol the day prior, Bastion and Derek had the house all for themselves.

It was a blessing.

"What are you thinking about?"

Derek snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Bastion. In the light of the fire, the Mage's eyes had the color of late autumn leaves at sunset. Full, cupid-bow lips were tilted into a small, loving smile, and Bastion was completely relaxed against Derek. The Werewolf's gaze trailed down to his blemish-less, tattooed arms, and gratefulness surged through Derek's heart for the ancient creature which granted Bastion the power to heal any injury inflicted upon his beautiful body.

"Derek?"

"Nothing much," he murmured and Bastion snorted. He placed the bowl on the ground and lied down beside Derek, bracing his weight on his left elbow and looking in his Mate's eyes.

"It's over," Bastion whispered while Derek raised his left hand and caressed Bastion's right cheek with the back of his fingers. The Mage tilted his head to the side to kiss Derek's fingers before he smiled at him. "We're free to do whatever we want."

"What do you want to do?" Derek asked and Bastion hummed.

"I don't know," he muttered as he looked at something above Derek's head. He smiled and looked into Derek's eyes. "We could go back to the forest. Rebuild your house. We could live there together." Derek's eyes widened and Bastion tilted his head to the left. "Or we could stay in Beacon City. I'm sure there'd be something for you to do here. Erica and Isaac really like you, and when Scott comes back, I'm sure you two will get along. We could build a life here. No one would bother us. It's all up to you."

Derek cupped the back of Bastion's head and pulled him into a kiss.

Bastion moaned as he placed his right hand flat on Derek's chest and gently pushed him back until Derek was lying on his back and Bastion threw his right leg over Derek's. He flattened his body with the Werewolf's as the kiss grew deeper, and Derek trailed his fingers down Bastion's back until he reached the pert little ass. He took a firm hold of it and made Bastion grind down on his awakening erection, making the Mage's breath hitch in his throat.

Bastion lightly bit Derek's bottom lip and then kissed down the bearded chin, nuzzling his nose in the short hairs before he nibbled on the Adam's apple, pushing his hands under Derek's shirt, slowly rising to his knees so Derek could sit up and take his shirt off.

Derek lied back down on the warm floor while Bastion bowed down to litter kisses on Derek's neck while dexterous fingers danced over Derek's strong arms, shoulders, chest and stomach, and Derek pushed his hands inside Bastion's trousers, groping his firm ass and making the Mage moan when Derek teased his entrance with the tip of his fingers.

Derek twitched and arched up a bit when Bastion took Derek's left nipple into his mouth and lightly bit into it before he soothed it with his tongue. He rose up when Derek grabbed the edges of Bastion's shirt and pulled it up, and it joined Derek's somewhere on the floor.

Bastion crawled backwards leaving nips and kisses on Derek's chest and stomach, little red bite-marks disappearing soon after they were made. He hooked his fingers inside the waistband of Derek's loose pants and lightly tugged on them.

Derek raised his hips and Bastion slowly pulled his pants down, giving a small kiss to the head of the hard cock as though saying 'be right back'. He threw the pants to the side, struggled for a moment to get his own off, and once he was naked he climbed over Derek's body, resting his weight on his knees and left hand as he bowed down to kiss his Werewolf, wrapping his right hand around Derek's cock, tugging on it several times before he latched his lips onto Derek's neck, the Werewolf growling in approval and pleasure.

Derek dragged his nails up Bastion's back, leaving angry red marks behind which faded soon after, leaving a trail of goose-bumps on perfect skin. He cupped Bastion's head in his hands and brought the Mage up into a kiss, Derek's body shivering as Bastion pumped his cock, circling the head with his thumb almost every time.

Fire cracked in the fireplace and the air was full of something that could not be described with words.

Bastion licked his lips as he moved down Derek's body. He nuzzled his nose in the line of dark hair leading to the big member in his hand, and he took a firm hold of the bottom before he licked the head, moaning at the taste of pre-come already gathered at the slit.

Derek's hands fisted in Bastion's hair, his legs trembled and he threw his head back with a long, drawn out moan when Bastion slowly took the head of his cock into his mouth. The Mage sucked on it slowly with eyes focused on Derek's face taking in the sight of the Werewolf giving in to the pleasure Bastion was giving him.

Relaxing his throat and taking a breath through his nose, Bastion slowly started to lower his head, taking Derek in until the short hairs at the bottom tickled his nose. He swallowed around the thick length and Derek choked up on air with his whole body tensing up and mouth opening without a sound escaping him as his eyes slipped closed.

Bastion slowly rose up, circling the head of Derek's cock with his tongue before he moved down again, bobbing his head in an agonizingly slow rhythm. Derek was gasping and grunting, his body tensing up every time Bastion would swallow around his thick cock. The Werewolf wanted to make him go faster, but he realized that Bastion must have been holding his hips down with his powers, making it impossible for Derek to change the rhythm.

Derek's hands clenched and unclenched in Bastion's wild hair, and the Mage moaned around Derek's length. With a gasp Derek tugged on Bastion's hair, his cock slipping out of Bastion's mouth, and Derek managed to hold his orgasm in.

"Why did you…"

"Not like that," Derek interrupted Bastion as he sat up, making the Mage move back. Bastion yelped when he found himself on his knees, his ass raised up, but before he could say anything, his mind melted and his neglected dick twitched when Derek grabbed the globes of his ass and his tongue licked Bastion's entrance, making the Mage's arms fall under his weight.

Bastion fisted them on the hard floor, resting his forehead between his elbows as Derek pushed his tongue inside the tight ring of muscle, making Bastion gasp and shiver, the tight hold Derek had on him being the only thing keeping him on his knees.

"Derek!" he cried out breathlessly when Derek pushed his right middle finger inside him, rotating it slightly until he found what he was looking for. Bastion whimpered and his back arched as Derek rubbed his prostate forcefully, sending surges of pleasure up Bastion's spine. "Derek, I'll be fine! Please! Please, I can't…" the Werewolf growled as he pulled his finger out.

He wrapped his right arm around Bastion's waist and laid them both down on the floor, pulling the Mage against his chest after he slipped his left arm under him to hold him tight against himself.

Derek took a firm hold of Bastion's right thigh and raised his leg up, nudging his entrance with his weeping cock and pushed the head in, making Bastion cry out in pleasure as the thick, searing member stretched his channel.

Derek grunted as he buried his face in Bastion's right shoulder, pressing his teeth tight together and concentrating on holding back as the tight heat clamped down on him making him lose his breath.

Bastion entwined their left hands on his chest while he reached back with his right, taking a firm hold of Derek's right forearm as though to steady himself. He tilted his head to the right, nudging Derek's brow with his nose, making Derek slowly raise his head.

The kiss they shared was sloppy and slow, but it conveyed everything they felt, and Derek slowly pulled out of Bastion before he entered him again in one quick thrust. Bastion threw his head back with a pleasure filled cry, encouraging Derek to keep the hard rhythm.

Bastion let go of Derek's forearm, wrapping his hand around his own cock and pumping in time with Derek's thrusts, breathless, short cries rolling off of lush lips in a steady flow. He felt Derek's knot grow and his whole body froze when his orgasm washed over him, and he came into his hand as Derek grunted and buried his face in the back of Bastion's neck, his cock twitching as he filled Bastion with his seed.

They breathed together, enjoying the afterglow of their orgasms, and Derek slowly lowered Bastion's leg before he took the trembling right hand in his and raised it to his lips. Bastion tilted his head to the right, blushing and shivering as Derek licked his cum off of his fingers and palm with a low, pleasure-filled growl rumbling in his chest.

Derek hugged Bastion to his chest with the Mage's arms crossed over his own and Derek's arms covering them. His spent member was still pulsating in Bastion's tight, wet channel, and the Mage sighed in content as warmth enveloped his naked body.

"Would you return to the forest with me?" Derek murmured into Bastion's ear after what felt like hours, and Bastion hummed contently.

"I wouldn't mind either. We have everything we need in the forest, and what we don't need we can trade here in Beacon City," he answered in a voice hardly above a whisper before he turned his head slightly to look at Derek. "As long as you're with me."

Derek swallowed as he leaned in to lay an almost chaste kiss on Bastion's lips.

No words were needed between them.

Both knew what the other one thought.

Despite their rocky beginning they've found what they have been looking for in one another.

Whatever waited for them in the future, they would face it together.

The Wolf and the Mage.

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(1) Dorothy Parker, 'Superfluous Advice'

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Find me on that blue blogging thingy which takes up far too much of my time! (housefrau90)

I really need a few more blogs to follow.

And I really hope you liked this. I remember writing this, and it's sooooooo not what I had in my when I started writing it. :p