Don't ask me where this came from. Or why it's here (though werewolves fighting in the pit idea was inspired by Sparatacus) I honestly have no idea what this is. Or if its more than just a one shot. I'm thinking it is. But this was just an idea rattling around in my head that I set free. And I'd published this like ages ago but now I finally transferred this from AO3 so yeah :D
And just to clear things up. It's starring Derek as The Alpha, Stiles as MC, Jackson as The Captain, Scott as Pup, Boyd as Enigma, Erica as Blondie, Isaac as The Fujitive, Mr Stilinski as Sheriff, and Lydia as Princess (In case you can't figure out the characters)
Enjoy!
The Pit
The sharp tang of blood and sweat intermingle with the ripe scent emanating from the humans crowding the stands, slashing and shrieking their encouragement down into the pit below.
It overwhelms him every time that scent, swirling around the air he breathes and the circling wolf only metres away like a hazy vapour that he can't quite distinguish, sinking into every pore of his skin. It's mostly excitement fettered by the impatient interval between matches but he doesn't need heightened senses to see that, any human walking into the arena can already feel it in the steady hum of displeasure in the stands.
Their need for gratuitous violence never ceases to amaze him and he isn't one to deny the crowd what they so sorely desire. Even if he can taste their bloodlust on his tongue as the wolf circles several metres away, head bowed, confused and frightened as the sights and sounds overwhelm it.
The twinge of pity slides through him before he manages to push the feeling away using the noises of the crowd to focus him. He tries to separate the cacophony of sounds into discernible words and the distraction is welcome in the chaos.
They're already bursting for the ripping of claws and the gnashing of teeth but they know as well as he does that they have to wait until the Master of Ceremony emerges.
And when he does it's a struggle between willpower and instinct not to look at him. He keeps his head bowed as a precaution feeling the very vibration of the man's steps as he strides towards the platform near the edge of the pit, purpose and action concealing the jerking movements of his boundless energy.
He looks at the ground determinedly as if his gaze could burn through the dirt that his claws will be digging into in no time at all and tries his best to keep his shoulders relaxed and confident as the MC reaches for the microphone utterly oblivious of the wolves in the pit along with him.
The Master of Ceremonies overconfidence is foolish but admirable and he knows that the wolf scratching its claws against the concrete that covers the pit walls is too maddened by its own fear to take it out on the man standing at the podium.
And MC knows that the alpha werewolf standing only metres away, head bowed as if in silent prayer would never dare to try to harm him. The man's recklessness is dangerously naïve but in this instance he is safer here in the pit with the werewolf who is refusing to look at him than the crowd above them screaming for blood.
The werewolf doesn't know the man's real name but he goes by the abbreviation MC and is as responsible for stirring the crowd to near insanity as he is by providing the violent live entertainment.
Because the Master of Ceremonies has this presence about him that makes him impossible to ignore but the alpha keeps up his charade of indifference watching the helpless wolf as its claws dig into the concrete, whining softly.
His jaw is tensed and his eyes are narrowed with a helpless need to avoid what he ultimately knows is coming and that his hands will deliver the final execution.
The crowd falls silent almost immediately as if they can sense the commanding power of this approaching man and his eyes flicker upwards instinctively wishing he could see the MC's face instead of the back of his buzz cut hair and his tall and lean form that straightens almost in greeting of the hundreds of angry eyes turning towards him.
And then he opens his mouth.
It maddening when the Master Of Ceremonies speaks. He had this voice smooth as honey that slips over the alpha like a second skin, shuddering through his ribs and vibrating tantalising in his sensitive ears when he starts to talk. He both lives for his voice and despises its allure when it is so very distracting at times that he needs to focus. Or die. In the pit there are no second chances. At least not for him.
"Simmer down there folks," the Master of Ceremonies drawls out in an almost indecent tone. He struggles to keep his head at the sound because it does something to him, makes him wilder than he is, and just as reckless. "Damn that's a lot of attitude for one location. But you can put away your pitchforks because the event of the evening is finally here you impatient, sons of bitches."
The MC controls the crowd like the alpha can control other wolves with a sharp glance, like a puppeteer plucking strings and the man often says whatever he pleases, the crowd licking at his feet regardless. The werewolf licking at his feet just as eagerly.
Even the grey wolf senses the power of MC's words, pausing the soft padding of its paws across the dirt as it paces to turn its snout towards him. If the alpha wasn't in the pit he would join the crowd just to watch MC speak. His eyes stray to the back of the man again and as if MC senses it he turns in his direction, fingers splayed and demonstrative.
"Your very own Sourwolf," MC says and he ducks his head, jaw tensing at the name. The Captain told him once that MC came up with the nickname himself and each time he hears the sound leave MC's lips a thrill of emotion twists its way into his chest.
He tilts his head up in acknowledgement to the crowd because it's the only name he goes by in this place and it's the only name he's known for the past few years since ending up in the pit. Nobody ever asks for his real name and he wouldn't give it if they did.
"Against a freshly caught grey, alpha wolf!"
It is no alpha but the lie rolls smoothly off MC's tongue. He has no reason to say otherwise and the crowd has no reason to doubt him. MC makes eye contact with the owner of the pit, Sheriff, they call him. Sheriff nods and MC makes a signal with his fingers, directs them at the alpha and gives him the go ahead.
He immediately crouches low to the ground claws elongating, bones shifting as he finds purchase in the dirt to the screams and delight of the crowd. They love the shift, Sheriff makes sure that he does it every single time before he fights, spending hours practising and extending the length of the shift purely for the crowds entertainment in the pit, before he destroys.
But this is always the hardest part; enraging a wolf so that it will attack an alpha and fight him to the death. It's a hard instinct to fight but not impossible to break. He just needs time to incense the wolf and MC distracts the crowd weaving a web of suspense, building passion with an onslaught of words while he looks straight into the wolf's eyes.
It's stopped scratching at the walls by now jaws open, tongue rolling uselessly as it scents the air, neck bent in submission to his will.
If he was a beta like The Captain or Pup then the wolf would be quicker to attack. It's become a problem for him in the pit but Sheriff knows how to run an Arena, and how to distract a crowd whilst he preps his opponent for battle.
MC is a master of distraction but Sheriff doesn't know the full range of the man's power over him. The alpha's certain that no one knows. Words flow over them but the extra minutes are welcome. He growls low in his throat so as not to drown out MC's announcement but the wolf snarls back, tossing its head angrily.
There's a brief pause from MC as he gauges if the wolf is ready and after a jerk of his head from the alpha he rings the bell announcing the match and the crowd is already out of their seats screaming for blood.
It's quick but if he'd had his way it would be much quicker, the theatrics of the match prolonging the animal's suffering for longer than he would have wished. But the way MC talks, graphically describing each slash of his claws into tufts of fur already matted with dirt and sweat, each individual droplet of blood spattering the ground he feels as if he's watching an entirely different fight.
The crowd lives for his words, MC's importance almost outweighing the alpha slashing the grey wolf's throat in the pit below. The MC draws them into the violence, into the bloodshed, soaking their lust, wetting their tongues with the blood of senseless creatures.
He is not senseless. The alpha feels every whimper of the quickly dying animal after he tears out its throat, having already wounded it beyond survival, each slash of his claws ripping into the animal's weakened body.
They struggle. They always do. Wolves have as much prides as human do before they're forced to retreat and lick their wounds clean. But this wolf will do no such thing. Guilt is raw at the back of his mind drowned in the violence of his senses, the complete descent into animal instinct as he revels in the taste of its fear, in the sweetness of its blood.
He is more animal than the wolf but this is what the crowd wants and he gifts them with a furious and almost rabid slaughter. The crowd screams, a rattling attack of vocal satisfaction that echoes in his ears and stabs into his skull.
And then MC announces the end of the butchery and he lowers his head again remaining in a low crouch in the centre of the pit just like Sheriff wants him to for a visually appealing and dramatic effect. It's their final showcase of the wild wolfman they house in the pit and he slides into the role easily wearing it like a shield.
For now he is the animal. And that is all the crowd expects of him. He ignores the feel of MC's eyes and digs his claws into the dirt, cleaning away the blood and helping him resist raising his head to make eye contact.
But still he feels the man's eyes upon him and aches.
He is led back to his quarters followed only by two men, MC and a guard whose neck he could snap without blinking but doesn't. He won't look up past the movement of his feet, steps memorised on this walk of shame, triumphant in the senseless violence of the quickly emptying pit. The alpha is always the last fight because he's been fighting in the pit the longest and is the crowd favourite, Sheriff is nothing if a clever businessman.
"Not bad at all, Sourwolf," MC says the sway of his hips, distracting his walk of solitude as he saunters dangerously, temptingly close. He isn't usually this reckless about his proximity, Sheriff has a rule about standing too close to his fighters after the last MC had his throat ripped out but this MC is smiling mischievously.
It's that smile that the alpha thinks about whenever he is alone.
He doesn't answer as is habit and expected of him after years of stony silence and MC continues the conversation without him as is his habit of letting words roll effortlessly off his tongue.
Sheriff lets him have his own quarters because he's killed other werewolves before and everyone who fights for Sheriff knows he likes to be alone almost as much as he likes to kill. The Captain and Pup are in the quarters next door and they talk to him through the bars on occasion knowing he won't answer but that he still likes to listen.
"How'd you go Sourwolf?" Pup asks unnecessarily after he makes it back to his room. "Did you give them a good show?"
He rolls his shoulders, to stretch his muscles but doesn't answer.
"I can't believe that little bastard bit me," The Captain snarls out and the alpha can remember the first time he arrived here, in bloodied tatters, soaked to the bone from the rain, eyes red from crying. He'd whispered his name was Jackson before they'd renamed him The Captain because he liked to be in control of everything so much.
Pup's been there almost as long as the alpha has. But he can no longer remember his name anymore and his own real name feels like a distant memorey. And like the rest of the werewolves in Sheriff's pit they've slowly become their alter-egos, pasts washed completely away for a bloodier future.
He slides down against the wall and listens to them both describe their own matches, voices preventing him from drifting within himself again.
The pit is a completely legal, albeit sketchy fighting Arena, werewolf fighting a popular sport that had emerged since The Discovery. Each werewolf fighter in Sheriff's arena was there of their own volition and they were paid for their trouble. The alpha was the only one who didn't care about the money, didn't need it. He had enough money to never fight again but that's not what he wanted. He liked his life in the pit, it was simple, easy.
The werewolf fighters could leave whenever but if they were going to stay and fight, that meant sleeping in Pit Quarters. It was a Sheriff law after one of the werewolves had been killed outside of the Arena. The more popular a werewolf fighter was the less likely their chances of going outside without being recognised and attacked or forced to fight.
Not all of the fights in the pit were death matches, some werewolves were pitted against each other to fight, not kill. Only the alpha, as the draw of the arena was guaranteed a death match every single time he stepped back out into the pit and he took on the grim responsibility and burden of judge and executioner onto his shoulders without complaint.
It was the price for this life and he would pay it willingly.
The door to his quarter's slides open and in walks MC. His gaze immediately drops but the confusion on his face has already registered as the smell of the man assaults his senses. The alpha run his tongue over his teeth automatically to be certain of his control.
But then MC opens his mouth. "Sourwolf," he says. "Sheriff wants you for a minute."
He nods and climbs to his feet avoiding eye contact as Pup suddenly shouts. "MC you've gotta stop telling 'em I've got puppy dog eyes. You're ruining my rep!"
MC only grins. "Sorry Pup," he yells back, banging a fist against the wall in friendly greeting. "But I call them like I see them, and those are some seriously adorable brown eyes."
The Captain starts laughing whilst Pup whines low in his throat and MC beckons the alpha with his finger. He follows without a word, straining to keep a respectable distance between them as his eyes instantly fall to the floor.
"No need to panic," MC reassures him despite knowing he's moving as confidently as he does within the pit. The alpha stares at his expressive eyes and blinks at him having difficulty focusing at the sound of MC's voice. "Sheriff just wants a favour."
He remains silent and MC reaches out and slaps the taut muscle of his shoulder. He stiffens instantly but doesn't react further than that at MC's unusual boldness. He is in higher spirits, the alpha can smell the sweat of excitement bleeding out of his skin and the slightly elevated beating of MC's heart which speaks volumes. Something good is happening for him.
His mouth runs dry and he resists the urge to pull the man into his arms and lap at his bare skin. MC boldly leads him into Sheriff's office reaching around his body, extraordinarily close to shut the door behind them. MC smirks at his expression before the alpha looks away, swallowing heavily.
The red haired woman who does the book keeping and everyone calls Princess emerges from behind Sheriff and breezes past them exiting out the door with a perfectly raised eyebrow but no comment and the alpha nearly chokes on the overpowering scent of The Captain all over her as her curls bounce off of her pale shoulders.
"Ah, Sourwolf," Sheriff says in greeting clearly unaware that Princess is clearly fraternising with one of his werewolf fighters. "Got a fresh for you."
He leads him into another door connecting to his office, ignoring MC as he darts between them with a wild laugh. But the werewolf in the room doesn't wait for introduction.
It leaps forward with a crazed snarl having broken through his restraints, reaching Sheriff first and hitting him squarely in the jaw with enough force to knock him out. MC lets out a surprised sound as Sheriff drops like a stone before the werewolf goes directly for him.
He can smell the werewolf bloodlust, feels the rage coiling within the curly haired man as he launches forward, claws extended and jaws wide.
The alpha snaps, and moves instinctively catching the werewolf mid air with his own snarl of fury, claws extended and digging into the flesh of the werewolf's tattered shirt preventing him from getting anywhere near MC.
He roars in reply, slamming the werewolf onto his back with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. The werewolf whimpers, accepting the alpha's will, transforming into a weaker, helpless thing that cowers on the floor beneath him.
Satisfied the alpha turns his back on the creature, eyes falling on MC hovering over the Sheriff's unconscious body. The man is bleeding from a split lip but he smells fine, alive. The heart beat is steady. But MC's is not.
"Oh Jesus," he gasps. "Fuck, fuck. Dad? Dad can you hear me?"
The alpha stills at the words. Dad. Sheriff is MC's father? He sniffs at the air as a precaution, sensing the similarities between scents and realising what he should have noticed months ago. Father and son.
MC's heart is thrumming wildly in his chest and the alpha cocks his head to listen to the beat of it while MC checks Sheriff's pulse, words spilling quickly from his lips. "Oh my God I should call an ambulance. I can't feel a pulse," he cries. "Dad?"
The alpha crouches down without a word seizing MC's fingers and placing them higher to where Sheriff's pulse point actually is located. He hears the stutter in his heart beat as well as the spike of emotion from the touch and quickly withdraws, not looking at him.
"Sourwolf," MC garbles out. "I mean alpha. Wolfman? Uh- what's your name exactly?"
The alpha just looks at him and says nothing though for a moment though his lips separate briefly as if he was about to open them and speak. He stares at MC's white face instead.
"Right silence, gotcha," he says quickly. "Uh thank you, for you know- that. I really was under the impression you hated me but I guess not enough to see me dead right? Or is it because I'm Sheriff's son? No you don't seem like a kiss ass."
Sheriff's eyes flutter open as he slips back into consciousness. "What- the hell?" he groans touching his own jaw dazedly.
"Dad," MC groans out in relief, hovering over him again. "The fresh werewolf got a bit friendly. I don't think you've got a concussion, nothing a little brandy won't fix."
Sheriff blinks through his confusion sitting up slowly and spotting the cowering werewolf in the corner of the room and the alpha still standing protectively over MC's shoulder. "What?" he repeats groggily.
"Uh alpha man kind of kicked his ass and saved mine so I'm thinking we can progress to a first name basis."
Sheriff frowns. "Wait a minute-"
But MC had already turned back to face him, eyes glinting with a spark of mischief. "Thank you for literally saving my ass. So no more of that Master of Ceremony or MC crap."
He climbed to his feet extending a hand. "I'm Stiles."
The alpha didn't think he could handle that level of contact so he jerks his head in acknowledgement staring pointedly at the hand until the man withdraws it with a shrug of bemusement at his intense expression.
Sheriff sighs at his son from his position on the floor. "Stiles the point of this business is that you keep as much personal information to yourself. And even if I've worked with Sourwolf for years and trust him indisputably you still don't mention that you're the son of the owner and give him your goddamn name."
Stiles shrugs but he smiles easily at the alpha and shows no instance of regret or hesitation.
The alpha's heart pumps duly in his chest as he watches the man pull Sheriff back up to his feet. He can smell the relief all over him and it makes his breathing even out and the shift recede.
And then he starts to contemplate what the hell a Stiles is.
The Master of Ceremonies also known as Stiles announces the fresh is to be known as The Fugitive from then on at the food tables the next day after morning training and when the alpha spots him the curly haired kid looks cleaner and more in control of the fear lurking within him. Pup takes The Fugitive under his wing almost immediately whilst Enigma and The Captain steal food from his plate with Princess perched comfortably in his lap.
Enigma hasn't been around for very long. He's almost as silent as the alpha, brooding and thoughtful not quick to rush into action or words. He's withdrawn and highly secretive. The crowd likes the mystery of his character and his unknown ethnicity. Enigma arrived a month ago with another, a female, Blondie, their very first female werewolf in the pit.
She's more vicious than friendly, more unforgiving than spiteful and she's as much as a crowd favourite as he is because they love a woman in the pit as much as an alpha. Stiles' seems to always get a kick out of her fighting form which the alpha always listens to him describe with explicit detail during the waits for his own match. He listens to Stiles commentating on every single match because he cannot resist the sound of his voice. Or its allure.
Blondie takes a seat beside him at the table interrupting his seclusion.
"Hey Sourwolf," she says gruffly. "Got anything to say about saving MC last night?"
Stiles. He nearly speaks the name. Instead he shrugs and tears into the meat strips on his plate. She sighs and flicks her hair.
"I didn't take you for the rescuing type," she notes with suspicion and he avoids her eyes, chewing soundlessly, breathing steady..
"But I guess I like him better than the one we lost a couple weeks ago," she admits. "He just talks too damn much."
He growls before he realises what he's doing and Blondie flinches away in shock at the noise. He rarely creates sound unless he's fighting or in a bad mood so the rest of the werewolves know when to steer clear. The alpha being vocal is very uncommon.
She scowls. "Fine. Don't bite my head off."
And she literally bumps into Stiles as she tries to storm away. The human staggers slightly under her strength and he growls again, low in his throat.
"Careful Blondie," Stiles intones cheekily. "Human merchandise coming through."
Blondie's claws extend but Stiles doesn't sense the shift in atmosphere. "Cute," she barks out testily.
His smile widens. "Not as cute as you."
Stiles' winks. The alpha accidentally dents the table. Blondie rolls her eyes and stalks away to join the table full of beta's instead. The alpha lowers his eyes to the floor and picks slowly at his food trying to pretend the man with the unusual name doesn't exist. Stiles.
And then Stiles takes the seat right next to him, overwhelming his senses and presses the sides of their legs together as he sits next to him. He resists the urge to move away or move closer and merely looks up with a bored expression.
Stiles grins and his mouth falls open invitingly for a sneaky grin, exposing his very human teeth. The alpha feels something tighten considerably in his gut and winces.
"So I've decided to accept this challenge," he says as he steals some of the meat off of his plate and pops it into his mouth. The alpha raises an eyebrow questioningly but does nothing else besides dig his claws into the plastic of the bench and hope he can keep his hands to himself. Stiles is a perfect blend of smells that always disarms him when the the scent wafts by or lingers in doorways and rooms, on clothing. It's maddening.
"I'm going to keep guessing your name until I get it right, okay?" he says and nudges a shoulder into his own nearly depositing him from the seat as he flinches away.
The alpha breathes through his mouth but it doesn't help and now he can taste Stiles' scent and it's much, much worse. He jerks his head in silent agreement and feels rather than sees the satisfied sigh leave Stile's chest.
"Uh Aidan?" he guesses and the alpha frowns in answer. He waits patiently while Stiles thinks of another, hyper aware of how close they're sitting to each other. He likes this game, likes Stiles' attention more than he should.
"José? You look like a José" he says and the alpha growls and moves along the bench, taking the tray of food with him in response. Stiles scrambles after him.
"Okay that was half serious," he promises. "Dylan?"
He shakes his head and when Stiles goes to open his mouth to guess again he holds up three fingers.
"What I only get three tries?" he cries. "In between how many hours?"
He shakes his head again pleased when Stiles' eyes widen. "Three tries a day? That's got to be cheating!"
Sheriff joins them at the food area climbing onto a spare table to grab everyone's attention. He raises an eyebrow at The Captain and Princess but says nothing. He smells sluggish and the alpha realises Stiles probably made him take some painkillers for his headache.
"Listen up everybody" he yells. "Where the hell is MC?"
Stiles jumps to his feet rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Catch you Johnny. It's Johnny isn't it?"
He ignores him resuming his previous interest with the food on his plate as he inhales the smell of meat to distract from Stile's fresh scent clinging to the air around him.
"MC!" Sheriff yells again and Stiles struts forward at a leisurely pace, smirking up at his father. He joins the man on the table but not before a brief glance in the alpha's direction. Some of the werewolves follow his gaze immediately looking away when red eyes meet their curious ones.
"Alright guys here's your opponents for the next match."
Stiles pulls out a scrap of paper, ignores his father's glare of disapproval and smoothes out the edges while the alpha watches hungrily as the muscles in his arms flex and shift from the movement. He then starts to read out the list of names. It doesn't interest him until the B-show is announced. It's The Captain versus Pup. He watches as they both glance at each other but then The Captain smirks and slaps Pup on the back.
"You're dead," he grins and Pup playfully punches his shoulder whilst Princess rolls her eyes at them.
Stiles grins at them all and looks down at the paper in his hand, expression tightening slightly and the alpha can feel the way his mouth hesitates over his next words. "And the main event won't be a death match this week," Stiles announces so abruptly that he looks up. Their eyes meet and desires ripples through him, jerking the air from his lungs. He quickly looks away, hunches his shoulders and resolves not to look up again.
"Sourwolf versus…"
He can hear the slight blip of anxiety in his tone before Stiles easily erases it transforming the edge in his words with ease.
"-Blondie. Sourwolf versus Blondie," he repeats.
And when he looks up again Stiles is staring straight back at him.
The crowd is much bigger for his fight with Blondie and he flexes his hands experimentally as the mob of humans surrounding the pit stamp their feet in preparation. The Arena seems different tonight and Blondie is openly flirtatious, flipping her hair and curling her full lips in a knowing smirk as she struts across the dirt, already shifted and ready to fight.
He keeps his gaze on the floor as his nostrils are swamped by the sweetly intoxicating perfume of her scent, heady with feminine allure and tainted with her unmasked attraction. There's a different tension in the air tonight and he is certain it's because of Blondie, of the presence of a woman in the pit, in the promise of a battle of sexes. The air is charged with a thick type of sexual tension between the crowd and the female werewolf and the promise of the fight between them. The provocative presence of the female seems to do something differently to the emotions of the humans in the Arena that he's never witnessed before and it's powerful when the awareness washes over his skin.
It's stifling and too much to be inflicted on his unprepared senses and the alpha is unsettled by it, avoiding her seductive gaze and dropping silently into a crouch to centre himself.
The bloodlust is easier to master but this different degree of lust is imposing a violent tension in the usually steady set of his shoulders. He breathes, once, twice, in and out, shallow breaths that only distantly taste the pungent aroma drifting about the stands.
Blondie blows kisses to the crowd and sways her hips in a sultry manner and the lust in the humans increases instantly. He's about to dig his claws into the flesh of his thigh to regain control when Stiles' light but surefooted steps reach his ears as he breezes past.
He's passing by, closer than he's ever been to him in the pit before and the alpha takes a deep breath, inclines his head towards the beating of Stiles' heart, inhaling deeply as he plunges into the familiar scent. The exposure brings him into alertness and he watches the ground, heart steady and matching the pace of the man walking toward the podium.
He even spots the girl Pup has been rambling on about for weeks, sitting in the same spot that he says she always sits in, right next to Princess, dark curls framing her face as she bites her nails in anxiety which he can feel from several metres away.
He can also smell the faintest trace of Pup and figures the werewolf has been slowly bathing her in his scent without her knowledge. Pup hasn't worked up the courage to even speak to her yet despite The Captain's mockery or the Princess' insistence at introducing them.
"Damn," Stiles purrs out and the alpha feels the words ripple over him soothingly giving him purchase in the confusion of overwhelming human emotion. "Look at that, my friends we've got a battle of the sexes coming up right now between our very own Sourwolf and the lovely Blondie. Equality eat your heart out!"
The crowd roars its agreement, another wave of tension slamming into him and he closes his eyes against it listening to the only thing that matters in the pit. The sound of Stiles as his voice rumbles tantalisingly through the microphone. Hairs erupt on the back of his neck and gooseflesh rises at the echo as he starts the shift, teeth extending past his lips and curling into a growl.
Blondie is smirking and he knows she's realised the crowd is affecting him more than he's ever been affected by it before. He can see the instinct encouraging her to press the advantage but an alpha isn't just going to roll over and he's readying himself for a fight for dominance.
"Jesus you could cut the tension with a knife here folks," Stiles announces but he tips his fingers in their direction, the silent green light before he's ringing the bell announcing the beginning of the fight.
The object is to keep the other down for more than ten seconds but Blondie is faster than he expects, dancing out of the lunge of his arms and slashing powerfully across his back. Pain erupts briefly across his skin and he howls, rolling with the force of the blow and regaining his footing as he spins back to face her quickly learning from his mistake.
Blondie's already running at him again giving him seconds to twist swiftly out of her oncoming path, seizing the back of her head and propelling her into the concrete wall of the circular pit. She kicks her feet up to meet it using the momentum to flip off of the wall, performing a somersault before finding her feet again.
They are evenly matched but the alpha's learning her movements quickly, drinking in Stiles' distant commentary as they dance around each other, only creating minor wounds that heal almost instantly. The crowd is screaming for a victor pounding fists, and stamping feet, catcalls and jeers swarming around them. It's difficult to keep fighting at such an increased pace and eventually she's not fast enough, moving in for a punch to his ribs and not getting herself clear of his reach in time. His claws clamp down on her upper arm and spins her back into his grip.
She twists, bending low with a snarl of rage kicking out at the back of his knee so that he staggers forward. He doesn't release her, tossing her body like a ragdoll against the dirt and seizing an ankle and dragging her back down towards him so she can't dart away again.
The crowd screams of approval increase as the match appears to be coming to a close but he's not quick enough to secure her other leg and she's winding it around his hip, using the momentum to pull her up off of the ground as he lurches back to his feet, taking her slight form with him.
He's got her completely now, she's trapped in his grip and he leans forward to grab her arms and pin them behind her back, instinct ignoring the sudden intimacy of their intertwined bodies and then her eyes dart furiously around them, thinking and re-evaluating the situaion before she slams her mouth over his.
It's meant to surprise him, an underhanded way to drive him to distraction and it works when she forces her tongue into his unguarded mouth. Stiles' gasp of shock reverberates in his ears and he wrenches his mouth away, releasing his grip and tossing her to the ground in disgust.
She scrambles to her feet, saved by the devastating response from the crowd as they whistle out their appreciation and the strength of the crowd's passion increases slicing through his focus and derailing his wits. Stiles has gone uncharacteristically silent, speechless for several seconds until he recovers his shock.
"Well what do you know love on the battlefield folks," he says, voice uncommonly strained, the ensuing lengthy convalescence enough to prove he'd been shaken but he quickly finds his second wind and resumes speaking.
Just as Blondie leaps at the alpha's chest tackling into him, not possessing enough body fat to do more than force him to take several steps back. He growls out his frustration, easily dislodging her but still infuriated that she could be so underhanded as to use her femininity against him and the watchful crowd.
He slams her down into the dirt, ready to end this already, pressing his knee into her back and pinning her there securing her wrists in his immovable grip. The crowd immediately starts counting, the chant burning into his skull and rattling through his empty thoughts drenched in the animal instincts of reasserting his alpha dominance.
She struggles, trying to buck him off but he has too much weight on her and she's restrained like a butterfly pinned to a display. The count runs down and with a snarl of rage he releases her, the noise a warning to never attempt anything like that ever again.
He storms off to his corner of the pit and remains there, fuming until Stiles has finished sending the crowd packing from the Arena. He ignores the drunken comments that are shouted at him and focuses on his breathing instead.
Blondie twirls past him like a temptress purposely blowing the fragrance of her skin in his direction and he's growling again before she's being led away by two Pit Guards. Stiles is already walking ahead, Guard in tow and his heart skips a jerky beat, while his feet slam against the cool stone interrupting the silence as he follows after him.
"That looked like fun," Stiles says but his voice has no friendly edge to it, not hint of hidden mischief and the alpha frowns in confusion but says nothing, only watches the lines of tension in Stiles' posture.
"My God don't you ever say anything?" he explodes out suddenly, hands wrenching outwards in a wide arch of violent anger and he storms away before the alpha can smell what that spike in his scent means.
Stiles doesn't attempt to guess his name or speak to him for several days and he does not pine or mope around any more than usual, though he is definitely grouchier. Blondie doesn't bother apologising for her actions and he respects the intelligence behind it as her attempt to outwit him by overpowering his senses had very nearly worked.
Her popularity had peaked and demands for another match between them had become so frequent that Sheriff called him into his office. The alpha is given his first sighting of Stiles in days and he is swept away in dousing himself in his scent. He'd been going crazy without it, reduced to listening in on Stiles speaking to other people just to hear the sound of his voice.
"Sourwolf?" Sheriff asks looking at him oddly. "Did you hear what I said?"
He blinks at the man and Sheriff rolls his eyes. "Would you be willing to have another fighting match with Blondie?"
The alpha turns and walks out of the room without a word, his ears picking up the sound of their voices.
"That'd be a no," he hears Sheriff say with a sigh. "Dammit that match could have raked in the cash."
"Dad you need to put her up against The Captain," Stiles urges. "They both hate to lose and they'll play dirty to get it. The crowd will love it."
Sheriff grunts but the alpha knows that Stiles has convinced him and he continues walking, heart speeding up at the sound of light, approaching footsteps when Stiles follows after him.
"Paul right?" he calls after him and the alpha nearly smiles.
"No didn't think so," he says as he hurries to reach his side. "Steve? You could be a Steve."
The alpha smirks and rolls his eyes. "Max then. C'mon Maximillion? How is that not your name?"
He only shakes his head. "Oh c'mon Sourwolf give me a hint."
He's too eager when he moves towards him, too fast and too forceful after not touching someone like this for so long. He doesn't quite remember how not to hurt with his hands and Stiles immediately backs off until he hits the wall, scent spiking in fear and heart thundering like a frightened rabbit in his ears. The alpha leans forward, pressing a finger to Stile's heaving chest and very gently draws a line straight down curving to connect the two ends in a semi circle, spelling out a letter.
"D?" Stiles asks frustrated and curious. "You're name starts with a D?"
He doesn't answer but he leaves Stiles alone in the hallway to contemplate his message.
His next match is a mistake. He knows it from the second he enters the ring, from the unnatural scent coming from the dark wolf in the pit. It recognises briefly that he is an alpha but its concern seems to be with the warm bodies in the stand above and the best way to reach them all, scenting the air hungrily.
He frowns when Stiles emerges and walks towards the podium, growling out a warning when the wolf tips its snout in his direction with unmasked interest. The alpha growls again, deeper more inhuman and the wolf turns back towards him tongue lolling, eyes senseless and teetering on the edge of something completely unfocused.
It isn't until he does nothing to incite the wolf's rage but it howls monstrously and attacks without warning that he accepts that something is truly wrong. He rushes forward to meet it as the distinct sound of Stiles cursing echoes through the Arena as his shifts, barrelling into the animals side and the force of the collision shoves it towards the ground.
It isn't until it extends its neck at a distorted angle, snapping its jaws desperately at air in an attempt to find purchase on any inch of his flesh that he realises it's rabid.
And then the crowd seems to realise it too.
"It's gone rabid!" someone yells above the cheers.
"Rabies!" a woman shrieks and those in the closest row of the stands are scrambling back in case the wolf can spectacularly jump ten metres into the air. The wolf is coming back for another round, snarling incomprehensibly before he ducks under its open jaws and aims his claws for the soft flesh of its neck. He wounds it, but not deep enough to kill it and the wolf quickly loses interest in the alpha.
And sets its sight on Stiles standing on the podium trapped in the pit with them. Sheriff always insisted on raising it higher to make it safer for the MC but he'd never gotten around to it and the alpha wishes he had now.
Stiles says a particularly bad word and then the wolf is barrelling up the steps towards him but he jerks back swiftly and flips easily over the barrier. A woman screams but Stiles is already on his feet back into the pit and the alpha seizes the flank of the rabid wolf as it attempts to leap off the podium after him.
He severs an artery in its leg as he attempts to latch his claws into its fur and the blood spurts wildly onto his face and into his eyes and his grip slips as the wolf wriggles free, desperately seeking the mouth-watering warmth of the rapidly beating heart below.
Stiles is sprinting towards the pit's gate but its locked and despite the two guards working frantically at the chains the alpha knows they won't be quick enough. Fear, actual fear wells up inside him at the thought of Stiles in danger.
He roars launching himself from the podium with inhuman strength bearing down on the rabid wolf in seconds, vision turning red as he seizes it from behind, claws digging into the tender area beneath its jaw and yanking it back against his chest, inches away from tearing into Stiles' throat.
His claws shred into the meaty flesh of its neck and with a howl of outrage he separates the wolf's head from its body, spattering Stiles and himself with blood and flesh. The wolf makes a strange gurgling sound and draws it last breath before slumping uselessly in his arms.
The crowd is screaming, half in excitement half in terror and he can only smell the unnatural rotting smell of the wolf's deteriorated brain mixed with Stiles' terrified scent. He tosses the animal's body to the side wiping the flesh and blood snagged in his claws against his jeans calmly as the Arena erupts into chaos.
He doesn't look him in the eye until Stiles reaches forward cautiously, hesitantly pressing a finger against his chest before he curves a pattern through the blood. The alpha stops breathing but he looks down just as Stiles finishes his work and he sees the letter S that he's drawn into the fabric of his shirt, smearing the blood around so that it seems comical.
When he looks up again Stiles' eyes are soft and surprisingly unguarded.
"Thank you," he whispers quietly before making his way back to the podium to address the astounded, screaming masses demanding to see the rabid wolf's severed head.
Sheriff offers him a pay rise but he only shakes his head, quietly accepting the man's thanks as Stiles watches him intently from several metres away in the pit. The clean up crew needed to make sure the alpha hadn't been bitten by the wolf infected with rabies and once he'd been cleared they'd started trying to clean up the mess of rabid wolf covering the pit floor. The rest of the werewolf fighters were gathered in the pit as well after they'd heard about the MC's close call with the rabid wolf.
Stiles seems to have gotten over the alpha inflicting a violent end to the wolf right in front of his face and was discussing something of interest with Pup who was closely watching the very same woman he'd been scenting that Princess has snuck into the pit with them. The woman was watching him also and with a roll of his eyes Stiles pushes Pup in her direction.
And then Sheriff notices that they were still both contaminated with rabid wolf remains and sent them both out of there to cleaned up. They went their seperate ways but after the alpha finished showering away the dirt and sweat and blood Stiles soon reappears to deliver a message. He knows that he's timed the meeting perfectly from the way Stiles' eyes catch unpretentiously on his naked chest as the alpha emerges from the showers, towel wrapped loosely around his waist.
"David?" he asks eyes lingering on his naked body and the alpha can scent the desire thick in the air between them as he eyes him hungrily. He watches carefully for any sign of refusal before he takes a guarded step towards him knowing he's offering a lot more of himself that he's ever thought he could offer ever again and just how terrifying that is.
Stiles' mouth has fallen open invitingly and his heart is beating wildly in his chest. The alpha sighs at the sound, presses a hand over Stiles' heart to feel the life pound against his fingers, to reassure himself that it's still beating.
The sound increases at the touch and Stiles steps closer still, licking his lips and looking into his face. "Daniel? Darryl?" he whispers lowly in his throat the hitch in his breath encouraging.
The alpha lets out a suppressed groan and buries his fingers into the back of Stiles' still wet hair covering his mouth with his own. He drinks him in, pressing their bodies closer together, heart rate climbing when Stiles' questing hands make quick work of his towel, dropping it to the floor.
"Derek," he finally rasps out, voice odd sounding from misuse. "My name's Derek."
Stiles grins, pressing his mouth against the shell of his ear and licks his lips again. "Derek," he murmurs out softly, rolling the words over his tongue expertly so that the alpha could almost taste it himself, revealing his clear knowledge of the alpha's voice fetish. Or the obsession with his voice in particular. "Nice to meet you."
And then he seals his mouth over Derek's again.
