Author's Note: I apologize to people who are reading my other fics, I probably will get around to update them soon. Probably. I make no promises. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Thank you all so much for following this story. If you want to track my progress with nanowrimo, go to the website and search "FantastyWolf" That's me. It'll show you the progression I have made on it thus far.

Enjoy!


"Would you please stop hovering?" Peter asked, a soft growl in his voice. He leaned against the counter, able to hear Laura behind him. Hovering. Again. Like she had been for the past several days while he recovered from the wonderfully poisoned bullet wound in his gut. "I swear I am going to live. Deaton gave me the all clear."

He filled his mug of coffee again and turned to face her. Only now that he was actually looking at her he felt like a total jerk for snapping. There was concern in her eyes, a fear and worry that he knew was a result from losing most their family in the fire. Watching him on the table nearly dying must have triggered some sort of PTSD, which would explain the hovering.

"Laura…" he said, his features softening, motioning her to come closer. When she did he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "You won't lose me, I promise." Her unspoken response came in the form of a soft whine as she rested her head against his shoulder, black hair tickling his skin. "I swear I'm fine. That rogue won't kill me, the hunters won't. You're stuck with me for a long time missy."

"You make it sound like a threat," she muttered looking up at him with her blue eyes, eyes exactly like her mother's, she and Derek both had them.

"Maybe it was." He tapped her nose, and hugged her again. "Regardless kid, I'm here and you can't get rid of me that easily." Though it was starting to seem like he could barely leave the house without something trying to barbeque him, shoot him, or rip his throat out.

The sound of a car caught his attention and he glanced towards the main hall. Sheriff Stilinski had arrived with Stiles, and the newest wolf, the now orphaned Isaacy Lahey. It had taken quite a lot of convincing (and more paper work than Peter was willing to admit to signing), but the courts had agreed to name Peter his legal guardian. With no blood relatives still alive, the pup had no one. It had not been that hard to convince a judge, something about being the best friend of the Sheriff must have helped his case.

Actually it was probably the only reason why. Peter wasn't registered with the foster care system to be a foster parent, nor was he in any way related to Isaac. But with a good word from the Sheriff and Dr. Deaton, the judge agreed to let the boy go live with them. It was for the best anyways. If Peter had had to prove why he was the best option for a place for Isaac to stay well…The conversation would have been awkward, and there would have been a lot of screaming.

Silly humans with their fear of monsters.

There was a knock at the door, and Peter made his way into the front hall to open it. He winced slightly as he pulled open the door, pain shooting up from the wound to his side. It was, in reality, some sort of hell that he couldn't describe. The wound was clean, the poison out of his system for the most part. It was just the skin around his wound that was still infected. But he put on a brave face and grinned brightly.

"Well Sheriff Stilinski it's always a pleasure to see your smiling face." John scowled at him as Stiles dashed inside, probably on his way to find Derek. "He's in his room Stiles," Peter called after him shaking his head. "Come on in you two." He stepped aside, allowing them both to enter.

Isaac was more or less hiding behind John, a backpack on his back and a duffle bag in hand. The kid looked upset, and he smelled of fear. Peter felt the urge to pull him into a hug and make all the pain go away. But if what John had told him about the relationship between Isaac and his father was true then that would probably not be the smartest idea.

"Is Melissa bringing Scott?" John asked as he hung up his jacket.

"I did invite them, whether or not they actually show up, that's to be determined." Peter watched Isaac, the way he held his head low, the way he sort of shuffled about looking around. "Laura, could you come here for a moment?"

She nearly bounded into the room, a bright glimmer in her eyes at the prospect of her uncle asking for her and not berating her for hovering over him like a worried parent. She stopped when she saw Isaac.

"Laura this is Isaac, he's going to be staying with us for a while. Can you show him up to his room?" Peter asked, looking from the instant mothering look she had on her face, to Isaac glancing nervously at her.

"Which one is it?" Laura asked, tilting her head to the side slightly, eyes still fixed on Isaac, studying him.

"The one next to yours."

Laura held out her hand. "I'm Laura."

Isaac hesitated a moment before he shook her hand. "Isaac."

"Welcome to the Hale house Isaac. Come on I'll show you around. Grand tour and all that." That seemed to get a small smile out of the young wolf, and Peter watched as she led Isaac upstairs to give him the 'grand tour' of the house.

Peter glanced at John before making his way back into the kitchen. "That bad?"

"Worse than you can imagine Peter…" John sank down into one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "Thanks," he muttered under his breath and Peter sat a bottle of beer down in front of him. "The man locked him in a freezer. His own son. He deserved what he got."

Had the man not have been dead, Peter would have gone to the Lahey house and killed him himself. He hated anyone who did something like that to a child. An innocent child for godsake. What on earth could Isaac have done to warrant that kind of treatment? Never before had Peter been thankful for the rogue wolf till that moment.

"He'll be safe here John." He brought his mug of coffee to his lips to take a sip, only to hear a knock at the door. "I'll be damned the McCalls are actually on time."

While John snorted into his beer, Peter grinned to himself as he went to get the door again. "Melissa." He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her on the cheek. "And you're not even late, I'm flattered."

She hugged him back and swatted his shoulder. "I'm not always late Peter. Only when you ask me to do something." She hugged him again, holding onto him for a moment. "It's great to see you…"

"And you too…" He returned the embrace, then pulled back to allow her and her son inside. Though he nearly slammed the door in his face. He stared as Scott and Allison walked into the house and upstairs to join Stiles and Derek. "Melissa…"

"I know I know but he refused to come without her and there was nothing I could do about it."

"I don't need some hunter's spawn in my house."

"Peter look if it were up to me she wouldn't have come with us."

"She's probably here to spy."

"On what? It's not like you're making battle plans." Melissa put her hands on her hips, nudging the door closed with her foot. "Would you for once just relax? She's as big a part of this as John and Alan are."

"Alan can't be here tonight."

"Perfect. We'll need just one extra place at dinner then."

"I suppose." Peter was anything but happy about having Allison there.

And then his mind caught up with her words. "What do you mean one extra place?"

"I invited someone else."

"Melissa…"

There was a knock at the door.

"Oh good he's here."

"You didn't…" But he already knew the answer, bloody hell he could tell whom it was without even having to open the door.

Melissa grinned and opened the door. "Chris you made it."

Peter turned his back to the door, his stomach tying itself into an uncomfortable knot that wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried. He was there, Peter could smell him, could practically feel the heat of his skin as he stepped into the house.

"I'm going to go say hello to John." He heard her say and shot her a rather angry look as she vanished into the kitchen.

The two of them, werewolf and hunter, stood there in silence. Peter couldn't bring himself to look at the man. God he couldn't not after his oh so wonderful make out dream while he had been unconscious. Which was Chris's fault.

How the hell was he even still in love with this man?

Oh right. His mate.

"Thank you…" Peter froze his body going stiff at the sound of Chris's voice. "Thank you for saving my daughter." Suddenly Peter had regretted that, had he not saved her perhaps Chris wouldn't have had a reason to even come this close to the house. Or see him again. Why the hell did he save her?

Moral code. Damn his moral code.

"You're welcome," Peter muttered turning to face him but refusing to look at him. "Melissa invited you?"

"She thought I should be here."

"I don't want you here."

"You're lying."

"Stop reading me like a god damn book."

"Stop lying to me and maybe I won't have to."

"Go to hell."

"You first."

That was all the provoking Peter could take. In an instant he had Chris pinned against the wall, his eyes red, lips drawn back in a snarl. He was so close to him, could feel the heat from his body, and it would be so easy to just close the distance and kiss him. But true to his hunter trainings, Chris didn't even flinch. "You are in my house Chris. My rules apply. So you better shut up and be on you best behavior or I will make you regret setting foot in here." Unfortunately, his threat was only half as scary as he would have liked, the sudden jarring movement had re-opened his wound. He could smell the blood before he felt anything. And when he did…

Peter stumbled back a few steps, his hand going to his side, hissing in pain. His eyes flashed to Chris again. "This is your fault."

"You keep telling yourself that…" Chris shook his head, taking Peter by the elbow, leading him to the upstairs bathroom. "Take off your shirt."

"Oh there's no way in hell."

"Take off the damn shirt Peter and let me take a look at your wound."

"Want to see the damage you caused?" The look in his eyes, the anger, the frustration, and the guilt in Chris's eyes shut Peter up in an instant. Much to his dislike, he took off his shirt. The bandage on his side was covered with blood again.

"Take a seat."

Peter sat down on the edge of the tub, watching Chris warily. It wasn't that he didn't trust the hunter not to know how to care for his wound, it was clear that he did from the various items he pulled from the medicine cabinet, it was more that Peter didn't trust himself, shirtless around him. It was all too intimate and made him uncomfortable. Though he would admit to himself that he wasn't as uncomfortable to be shirtless around Chris as he probably should have been.

Chris knelt by his side, arranging the various things he had grabbed on the floor beside him. "Arm up." Peter did as he was told, and raised his arm up, pressing his hand against the wall. "And do try to hold still."

"Easier said than done," he muttered as Chris undid the bandage. Peter watched his face, watched the wince, the frown that creased his forehead. Guilt. Good. Chris deserved to feel guilty for shooting him.

Neither of them spoke as Chris set about cleaning the still open wound. Deaton had not bothered to sew it up, something about if he had it could sew in some sort of infection or the poison that had caused the infection to not heal correctly could seep back into his blood stream. Both options made Peter squirm, but not as much as Chris using iodine to clean it.

"Peter hold still."

"Make me," he hissed at him, flinching away from the offending cloth with the stinking yellow liquid. "That stuff burns."

"You're acting like a five year old," Chris replied placing his other hand on Peter's back in an attempt to get the man to sit still.

"What is with you all and thinking I'm a five year old?" Peter glowered down at him, attempting to pout only to have Chris press that goddamn cloth with that fucking iodine on his wound again. "Bloody hell Chris that hurts!"

"Maybe it wouldn't if you would hold still." Peter growled softly at him and Chris swatted his nose. He actually swatted him. "Yes I did just do that and I'll do it again if you growl at me."

Peter looked at him, met his gaze, and suddenly every reason why he had fallen in love with him in the first place came flooding back to him in such a rush it took all his strength not to break down. He wanted to grab him, press their lips together, whisper to him about how much he loved him, how he was sorry for it all. It should not have been that hard to resist, but damn it all it was.

Finally, he managed to pry his eyes away from him; staring down at his feet while Chris finished bandaging up his wound. He hissed slightly as Chris pressed the bandage to his skin and taped it down. It was over and soon Chris would be stepping away from him.

Or that was what he had thought. A chill went up his spine as he felt Chris slide his hand up his back coming to rest on his shoulder. Peter turned to look at him, Chris now sitting next to him on the edge of the tub. Chris pressed his forehead to Peter's, his hand moving to rest on top of Peter's. The touch sent a spark through his entire body. "What happened to us Peter?"

How many times he had asked himself that same question, and there was only one real answer he could give him. Peter reached up brushing his fingers against his cheek. "Our families..." It wasn't a complete lie. After all, Peter was a werewolf and Chris was a hunter.

"They had never come between us before…" There was a look of sorrow that came over Chris's features, a look of longing and regret. "I keep thinking back, trying to see what happened…"

"Chris…don't. There was nothing you could have done."

"You're lying again."

They fell silent again, just gazing into each other's eyes, foreheads touching close enough they could kiss… Peter stroked his thumb against his cheek watching the emotions flick through his eyes.

Chris pulled back, away from his touch and Peter frowned watching him. The hunter glanced towards the floor then met his gaze again. "Tell me…tell me you feel nothing for me. Look me in the eyes and tell me that, and I'll leave you alone. You won't have to see me unless it's for business or randomly around town."

"I feel nothing for you," he told him, staring directly into his eyes. There was a look of pain in the hunter's eyes, and Peter forced himself to look away, standing up to leave the bathroom. Chris had asked him to so he answered. It was as simple as that. However, Chris seemed to have a sixth sense of knowing when he was lying ever since they were in high school.

The next moment, before Peter could even realize what was happening, his back was against the wall, Chris's body pressed up against his. The hunter smirked at him, leaning in so very close their lips were inches apart. They were close, so close and Peter was having a hard time handling the overwhelming sensations, feelings, desires that sprang up from the deepest part of his heart and brain. It was consuming him. He was so close to his mate, and it was driving him insane.

"You're lying…" Something close to a whine escaped Peter's lips as Chris ran his hands up his chest, gripping at his shoulders. "Tell me the truth Peter."

His hands gripped Chris's waist, his whole body shaking slightly. He opened his mouth to answer, ready to finally admit to Chris what exactly he felt for him. And then the door flew open.

Laura let out something close to a shriek. "Oh my god! I am so sorry Peter! I didn't mean." The door slammed shut.

Peter was staring at the back of the door, completely stunned, in shock of what had happened. His niece had opened the door. She had shrieked and slammed the door. Bloody hell she had seen them together. Peter pushed Chris off of him, snatching his shirt off of the ground.

"Peter look about what just happened."

"Don't." Peter looked at Chris for a moment then turned his back to him again. "Tonight, midnight." He closed his eyes taking a breath. "Meet me by our spot in the woods." With that he left the room, going to get a new shirt from his bedroom.

As soon as he stepped out of his bedroom, dressed in a new not blood stained shirt, he nearly ran right into Laura. She was grinning, a grin that said she knew exactly what had just happened. "Don't you say anything." She just smiled and went back into the room where the rest of the pups were.

Peter ran a hand through his hair, then went downstairs to the kitchen where his two friends, and Chris, were waiting for him. "Okay so let's get started then?"

"You two were gone for a long time." Melissa managed to have the same exact smile on her face that Laura did. What the hell were they in cahoots or something?

"Opened up my wound, Argent helped me out," Peter replied leaning against the counter.

"Peter is by far the worse patient ever." Chris shot him an annoyed look and Peter just snorted. "Why did you call us here Hale?"

"Actually I called John and Melissa. Not you. You weren't invited." Peter folded his arms over his chest. "Anyways back to the subject at hand. The rogue has made it clear that he is after Scott, and since he has just turned Isaac he'll be coming for him too." He looked at Melissa and John. "The full moon is tomorrow night. I want both of them here before sunset."

"Wouldn't it be safer to keep them away from a bunch of werewolves?" Chris asked, asking an obvious question that Peter wanted to throttle him for asking.

"You'd be surprised. The basement is designed to keep werewolves locked up during the full moon. My father's idea." Peter paused glancing down towards the floor. "That is where I want Isaac and Scott to be. They can't get out, they won't be drawn towards the alpha. And since it is their first full moon and they are bound to be going nuts, they can't hurt anyone."

"What about Stiles?" John asked confusion in his eyes. "I don't see why-"

"Because my nephew would die before he'd let something go after Stiles. Derek will keep him safe. Stiles is his anchor."

His words hung in the air, and each person had a different reaction. Melissa's eyes softened, a smile on her face. John closed his eyes, nodding his head in understanding. As for Chris, he stared directly at Peter. Oh Chris knew exactly what it meant to be someone's anchor. Reason number…god he couldn't even remember what reason he was on for why he was angry at the man who he was, for some bizarre reason, still madly in love with.

He took a breath, hardly able to believe he was about to make the offer. "Allison is welcome to stay here. Should something happen with Scott…" He was praying that the hunter would disagree and demand that his daughter stay home.

"No. I may trust you to keep the others safe, but not with my daughter."

"So be it."

He glanced at Melissa and John, then at Chris again. "I can't lie to you three. I'm not going to be as strong as I normally am…" Normally, Peter would not admit that he was afraid; he liked making people feel safe and cared for, it was an instinct of his to protect his pack. However…in that minute… He had no other choice. "I'm scared. I don't know if I'll even survive the full moon. All I want is for you all to be safe…" He shut his eyes, doing his best to keep his nerves at bay. "John you still have the bullets my father gave you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Melissa I want you to stay with John that night. You'll be safer there."

"I'm working the night shift."

Peter wrinkled his nose. "Then don't leave work without either myself or John with you."

"I can pick her up," Chris offered. As much as Peter did not like that idea he did not really see any other option.

"Fine." He shook his head. "Just please be careful all of you. If I lose someone else, another member of my pack." He looked at Chris, held his gaze, hoping he'd understand that this applied to him too. "I am not sure I'd be able to stay the alpha. I'm not sure I could handle it." And he meant that. If he lost another member of his pack, mentally, he was almost certain that it would destroy him.


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