A/N: I kinda cut this chapter again because I know the next section is going to be long and I know it's been a long time since I've updated so I figured I'd post this part and then get to work on the next part =) Hope you enjoy it, some drama is starting but, it'll all work out in the end =D

I did my best to proofread this but didn't run it by my editor soooo there may be mistakes XD

*Tuesday*

Peter stretched, eyes closed against the bright afternoon sun that was filtering in through his blinds. It was rare that he stayed in bed this late but he had a very vigorous run with Derek last night. And after that they sparred with each other, both of them agreeing to work out their aggressions but be mindful not to cause too much damage. Derek had needed it too, he could tell with how viciously he'd attacked at first. It was nothing that Peter couldn't handle- Deucalion was a relentless partner, one Derek couldn't hold a candle to. But for the first time in a long time, Peter felt close to his nephew again. After they got back to the loft, they had even talked about the possibility of him talking to Liam. Of course that would depend on Scott but, still, it meant a lot to him that Derek was at least willing to support him. Just then, his phone went off.

"Wow, he must be psychic or something," he mumbled to himself as he looked at the text.

I'm heading to the school, Scott says that has a plan and hopefully Liam will listen. I'll let you know how it goes- D

The Wolf sighed, debating what to do; he really had no faith in Scott, that's what it came down to. If their previous encounter with Liam had gone so bad… He pulled up Kira's name and shot her a quick message.

Not sure if you're aware, Scott and Derek are supposed to meet up with Liam soon. I think it would be better for everyone involved if you were also there. Let's hope for the best- PH

Might as well just go make something to eat while he waited for an update; hopefully, when it did come, it wasn't bad.

*School, lunch*

Kira was at her locker, dragging her feet because she didn't want to go to lunch. Stiles had already bombarded her with questions about her new abilities, which of course made the others curious too. On top of that, Malia was still a bit peeved, the Coyote only offering a stilted wave this morning. She'd probably have to apologize or something later; Stiles was working really hard on helping her understand Pack and Kira's threat yesterday probably really confused her. But, the Fox reasoned, at least that meant that Malia considered her Pack! Just as she was getting ready to head to the cafeteria, her phone went off. Her brows furrowed together as she read the message from Peter- why wasn't Scott giving Liam some space? After the debacle from yesterday she'd hoped that he had learned. Quickly Kira peeked into the cafeteria, sighing in relief when she saw everyone else sitting down at their usual table. So it would only be Scott and Derek hopefully; they were still Liam's least favorite people right now though… Kira hurried through the halls, letting her ears guide her; as she turned down a familiar hallway she rolled her eyes. They were in the locker room again, that seemed to be one of Scott's favorite meeting places…. It was a bit separated from the classrooms though, and the doors were squeaky so it was harder for people to sneak up on them there. Still, it was a bit predictable.

*Locker Room*

"Scott will you please just, give me space?! You really aren't gaining my trust by getting in my face like this," Liam said sternly. Ms. Morrell had told him to be firm, because Scott was pretty thickheaded sometimes. She did assure him that the Alpha had good intentions, telling him more about what it meant to be a True Alpha- like Liam was supposed to understand how that made Scott different. They were all still Weres now… monsters…. He'd only agreed to come here because he knew if he didn't, Scott might corner him somewhere else and it would put others at risk. When he heard one of the doors creak open, he jumped, scared that a student was coming in.

"It's just Derek, I asked him to come too. He's a born Wolf and I think he has a way of helping you understand all this a bit better. Before… that time at my house, we all got off to the wrong start, I tried to explain Pack stuff to you when we should just be concentrating on control right now. Stiles was the one that helped me figure out my Anchor but your circumstances are a lot different," Scott explained.

Liam looked over his shoulder as the older Beta came into view; he couldn't keep the scowl off his face.

"We know this is hard for you, we only want to help right now. If you can't keep yourself under control, people can get hurt- we just want to prevent that. Don't you agree that control is the most important thing right now?" Derek asked, keeping his tone neutral.

"If Scott hadn't lied to me about all of this then I wouldn't need control! I was finally getting better with my I.E.D.… My therapist said that I was improving! And now I'm screwed! My meds aren't even helping anymore- they do nothing! I used to hate taking them because they made me sluggish and dopey and now they just have no effect. You know, my stepdad worked with me a whole hell of a lot, helping me focus my anger into lacrosse so I didn't have to take my pills. But thanks to you, my pills don't work, period, and I can't even play without shifting. You ruined my life Scott!" Liam cut himself off, heaving in breaths as he tried to calm down. He felt himself getting close to the edge, had felt his teeth start to shift. He hadn't wanted this! Scott only said that he'd be 10 times better than before, that he'd be more than before. And that it wasn't a drug, it wasn't illegal, and it would speed up the healing time on his leg. The red eye thing had really freaked him out but Scott just said it was a part of the process and Liam's eyes wouldn't turn red; that had done a lot to calm him actually, since red was associated with anger, he really, really didn't want to get red eyes all of a sudden. Liam knew that part of this was his fault- he should have asked more questions, talked to his stepdad about how bad his leg was and if he'd really be out the whole season. As if the red eyes hadn't been enough of a warning that something wasn't right... But he'd been impulsive and now he was paying the price.

"I didn't mean to trick you, I just took for granted that you'd understand what I was offering. A lot of people have been at least partially aware of the supernatural in school since so much weird stuff has happened here lately…. It just didn't register to me that you'd probably have no idea and then when you didn't ask what I was…. I'm sorry; I know that's my fault for assuming but we can't change that now and-"

Liam snarled before clenching his jaw, speaking through his teeth, "Now I'm supposed to bow down to you, is that it?"

Scott looked to Derek for help, why wasn't Liam understanding? Was it his I.E.D., was it making his Wolf flare up and he was having a hard time listening rationally? Scott just wanted to help and Liam kept thinking that he was expecting some sort of slave loyalty out of him. He wasn't Peter! Maybe he had laid it on a little thick at his house on Sunday, telling him about how Pack works but he just wanted Liam to understand that they weren't monsters... Thankfully Derek decided to try something next before he could keep digging himself into a hole.

"Liam, we need you to calm down, okay? Just let us help you find an Anchor."

"My Anchor? If I couldn't even find one of those for my disorder before, how the hell am I supposed to find one now?!" he interrupted.

Scott sighed heavily, no longer sure of what to do. "Well, you can't play lacrosse until you find an Anchor, it's just too risky."

"You can't stop me from playing! You don't get to control me!" Liam shouted, claws digging into the meat of his palms. He lunged for Scott but ended up snarling in pain, his shoulders suddenly on fire as his arms were yanked behind him.

Derek had been ready, it wasn't hard to guess that Liam would lose his cool. The Beta was always on the verge of shifting and Scott seemed to know how to push the wrong buttons. And that had been the original plan- Scott had thought that using his anger as an Anchor might work, like Derek. But Peter's warning had stayed in his head all night and Derek had warned Scott against it. But by that time, Liam had agreed to meet up with them, so they had to tell him something. Lacrosse was apparently the wrong thing to mention though and now he had Liam's arms twisted up behind him to stop him from attacking Scott.

The three of them barely registered the squeak of the door opening, Derek and Scott more focused on the dangerous look in Liam's eyes. The boy knew he could heal now… Derek cursed to himself as he felt Liam shift his weight- he was going to dislocate his own shoulders just to get out of the hold… But then he just stopped, head turning to the side, transfixed by something.

"Let him go," Kira said, rushing towards the group.

"Kira?" Scott mumbled, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from permanently scarring him, I think I have an idea… but Derek, you have to let go."

Derek was about to scoff but he realized that Liam had calmed down- not enough to shift back but he wasn't snarling at all anymore. Something about Kira had his attention. So he gently released his grip on the teenager and stepped back, giving him room.

"Liam, I need you to answer a question for me okay? Can you tell me what you are?" Kira asked, stepping in front of him.

"A monster!" Liam mumbled aggressively.

Kira shook her head, "Try again." When Liam growled, disagreeing, the Kitsune reached out, setting her hand on his chest, "No, not a monster, what are you?"

He huffed, obviously not wanting to say it, but he didn't want to fight with her either, "A Werewolf."

"That's right, and now, who are you?"

"…Liam…" The Beta was confused, he had no idea what her point was but… at least the anger was gone. He had originally been caught off guard when he saw her aura and that moment of surprise helped steady him. But he was still having issues shifting back, the adrenaline still coursing through him. So he hoped this weird line of questioning had a point.

"And who were you before you became a Werewolf?"

"Liam…"

"That's right, because you're still Liam, you're still you! You're a Werewolf now and you used to be Human, but you're still Liam no matter what," Kira told him. "When you start to feel lost, just tell yourself that, as many times as it takes."

Slowly he nodded, understanding her logic. He echoed her words in his head, over and over again until he felt the Wolf inside his head recede. Liam closed his eyes, having an easier time with the shifting if he concentrated on being Human. When he opened his eyes again, the aura was gone and he felt a bit of sadness at that. Maybe… maybe the Wolf inside him was good for something, when there were some beautiful things in this world that only they could see.

"Much better," Kira commented, a bright smile on her face.

Liam surprised them all but pulling her into a tight embrace, she may have just helped him find his Anchor. Yea, he still had a lot of work to do but he had somewhere to start now! And it had only taken her a moment to calm him, where the Alpha had done nothing but rile him up.

As the two of them hugged, Peter's word flashed back to Derek's mind, about how Kira was strong and had already learned so much. He blinked, shifting his eyes and almost had to take a step back at the brilliance of her aura. Derek counted three Tails and the sharp, white aura really seemed to suit her, if he was being honest. He'd never actually seen a Kitsune aura in person before, the only one he'd ever seen was Kira's baby Fox aura, the warm orange one, never a fully matured one. It was no wonder Liam had been awed by her entrance, in his shifted state he would have been able to see this as soon as she walked in.

"I um, should probably go eat lunch, I really didn't mean to interfere I just know that last time… it got kind of rough. And my lightning is pretty effective at stopping him from hurting anyone without actually breaking bones and stuff. But um, I'll leave now and let you three finish your conversation…" Kira gently pulled away from Liam, smiling at him again to reassure him that he'd be fine. Then, with a quick wave to the other two, she departed.

Derek watched her leave, eyes still glowing blue; he was stunned at her transformation and even more flabbergasted by the knowledge that it was Peter that helped her grow so much. How had he managed to not corrupt her, turn her down the path of the Nogitsune? That took a lot of knowledge, even Derek realized how easy it was for a Kitsune to lose their way. On top of that, Kira would be the perfect tool for Peter, she'd be able to wipe them all out with very little effort and Peter would have his revenge. But Derek could sense the purity in her aura and he knew that Noshiko would have stopped it long ago if she sensed any darkness in her daughter. The fact that his uncle was teaching her without bringing his personal vendetta into it showed him just how much Peter had changed. Belatedly he blinked and tuned into what Scott and Liam were talking about, smirking to himself as he realized Kira was the topic on their minds too.

"How did she manage to calm you down?" Scott asked, doing his best to keep the twinge of jealousy out of his voice. Was Kira going to be Liam's Anchor… his Allison? The Alpha knew that he couldn't get mad, it wasn't like he and Kira were a thing, it just surprised him. Could he be okay with the fact that Liam might start dating her? God, Scott shook himself- now was no time to be jealous! Liam had serious control issues and if he actually found something that worked for him, Scott would be happy. Maybe they'd date and maybe they'd just be friends…. But Scott knew from experience, significant others made great Anchors; he thought of Stiles and Malia, Lydia and Jackson, himself and Allison. There was no way he'd begrudge Liam the Kitsune's friendship (and possibly more), he was man enough to know better.

"Her aura, it's… amazing, it just demands your attention. It helped me shift my focus from Stiles yesterday too… as well as the whole, shocking me thing." Liam smiled to himself, "I've never seen anything like it- it's beautiful!"

Scott nodded, clapping Liam on the shoulder, not knowing that her aura had evolved since the last time he'd looked at her. "Well, that's a good place to start. Honestly, if you found something that you can concentrate on, that will help you focus and fight the shift, don't be afraid to use it. And don't be afraid to come to us for help, okay? I know I've said it before but, we're Pack now, one day you'll understand what that means."

The Beta nodded his head, looking a little conflicted over everything but he didn't argue for once. He mumbled a quick goodbye and left, hoping to eat something for lunch before the bell rang.

"Well, that wasn't exactly how I thought this would go but, what matters is the goal was achieved. Liam has the beginning of an Anchor and he's at least starting to accept this whole Werewolf thing," Scott declared.

"Scott… I think we should let Peter train him…"

"Excuse me?!" Scott just stared at Derek, that was totally out of left field! Surely he'd heard wrong!

"Seriously, he's the only one that might even have an inkling of what Liam is feeling right now, with all that anger. You're way too young to know how to teach him properly, you've only been a Were for a year! But Peter-"

"Is a psychopath that killed people and then brainwashed Lydia! He's only out to help himself- he's proven that time and time again," Scott argued.

Derek shook his head, "That's because he doesn't even feel like Pack! Scott… Wolves need to bond with each other, otherwise that's how Rogues happen. Ever since his rebirth, he's been helping us despite the fact that we killed him. So no, it isn't really Peter's style to do things out of the goodness of his heart but… he's still Pack and we need to treat him like it."

"And what makes you think that he'd do a good job? How do we know he won't turn Liam into a rampaging monster? Or even turn him against us?"

"Because Peter remembers exactly what it feels like to be that monster and he hates it. That's… that's what you don't understand Scott. He honestly had no control over his hatred- it had consumed him. But I can see it in his eyes, the few times he's talked about it, even he's repulsed by the thing he became. For a born Wolf… it's an absolute disgrace to lose your way. I don't expect you to understand, you're Bitten," Derek trailed off, keeping the 'and a True Alpha' part to himself. Scott was already just a good person and he held everyone else to those standards but he never had his family ripped from him in just a few moments. He's never had to take an innocent life and feel his soul break, feel his eyes grow cold. Derek and Peter knew all too well that the world wasn't black and white, so of course someone like Scott wouldn't understand. But Derek truly believed that Peter wanted to try and make things right; his uncle would never be a fine, moral citizen (by anyone's standards), but he'd do right by the Pack and that was all that truly mattered to a born Were. And Derek would do right by his uncle and actually treat him like a Packmate from now on. If they wanted to stop Peter from repeating his past mistakes, that was how they'd help him reform.

"I won't Liam alone with Peter, that's just too risky."

"Well you can't be there… You don't trust him and that just means you'd question each and every thing he did- nothing would get accomplished. What if I supervised? I know a lot more about Were training, I'll know when Peter is crossing the line," he offered.

Scott stared at him for a moment, "Why do you suddenly want to trust Peter?"

"He's family; he and I have reached an understanding and I think it's time you did too. I understand it won't happen overnight but… we need him Scott. And he needs us too, Wolves don't abandon each other."

"Not even when they are killers?"

Derek flashed his eyes again, "You trust me, even though I'm a killer."

Scott looked away, often forgetting that Derek had the same blue eyes as his uncle... To him, Derek's circumstances were different! "You've proven yourself to be trustworthy- Derek he killed your sister, how can you trust him?"

"Because I actually understand the situation now! Have I forgiven him? No, and I don't know if I ever can but I understand. And it's in the past, Peter has healed now, that's all you need to know. You don't have to like him and you don't have to trust him, just trust me about this. If it helps, think of it in terms of assets- he's the best one you've got and you're on the verge of losing him. All the things I've taught you? That barely scratches the surface of all the things Peter knows about our world. And half of it I learned from him in the first place. Scott, the more we shun him, the more we're pushing him back into the Rogue he used to be. Just think it over and let me know, I can arrange a meeting for them if Liam agrees to it." With that Derek stormed out of the locker room, heart racing. He hadn't been expecting Scott to bring up Laura, he should have known she'd come up but… Her death was still a very raw wound in his chest. It had been the two of them for years, comforting each other and trying to survive after the massacre. Last night, he had finally asked about her death, in the middle of his sparring with Peter in fact.

Peter had said they should work out their frustrations and Derek was frustrated about Laura. As he attacked and dodged, she was on his mind, until finally he had just blurted it out, 'Why did you kill her?' Peter faltered for just a moment, letting his guard down. He explained that it hadn't been his intention, not at all! He explained how his mind had been racing the entire time he was in a coma; he'd been angry at everyone! At the Hunters for thinking they could just kill whomever they wished! At Talia for not seeing the dangers, even when he tried to warn her about Kate. And at all the other creatures in Beacon Hills that had done nothing to help as the Hales burned away. So he plotted his revenge, healed himself bit by bit, until he could finally wake up. The first thing he did was signal for Laura to come back, with the deer- he knew Deaton would contact her. Of course, he couldn't just go to Deaton himself, no, he needed everyone to think he was still out of commission for the plan to work. When Laura finally came, she dismissed his plan, told him to let it go- let it go? Ha! Like he could forgive everyone for abandoning them! And in his rage and disbelief that his own flesh and blood could forgive the monsters that had done this, he attacked. Laura never saw it coming, had assumed that he was still weak- she had no reason to assume that he'd try to kill her. As the Alpha power coursed through him, it pushed him even further over the edge and down the path of revenge. By then, Derek knew the rest of the story and Peter, showing the utmost amount of trust, dropped to his knees and bared his throat, asking for Derek to forgive him. They had been through so much, there was so much blood on their hands, and too much of it was each others'. In those moments, Derek remembered exactly how it felt to gain the Alpha power after he slashed Peter's throat. He had been in a pretty clear mindset then and even he felt like running through the woods and killing something… it was no wonder Peter had gone on his killing spree. And in a strange twist, even in all that rage, he had enough control to only go after the people that had covered up his family's murder. So after a moment Derek walked over and helped his uncle to his feet before slamming his fist into Peter's jaw. Of course Peter laughed, commenting that Derek was predictable, but they both knew it was Derek's way of communicating his acceptance of the apology but that he was still pissed and hadn't forgiven him. For Wolves at least, that was an important distinction- to have a bared throat be rejected meant banishment from the Pack at the very least (and death at the worst). But a Wolf could have atonement without being fully forgiven, it just meant they'd have to work hard to show they were worth trusting again. Derek recognized that Peter had come back a changed Wolf and had, in his own, selfish ways, helped the Pack in their times of need. He didn't deserve to be the Pack Omega anymore, at last Derek saw that. So the least he could do was accept Peter's posturing, even if the forgiveness wasn't there yet. Now he just needed Scott to the change too. And he had to try to convince him without spilling the beans about Kira's training. God, Derek missed the days when it was just him and Laura…

*5th Period English*

Kira was in English when she noticed Lydia waving at her through the door window. Thankfully Miss McCurdy was a pretty lax teacher and students could just excuse themselves to go to the bathroom. She quietly left the class, hallpass dangling from her fingers as she met the redhead a few paces away from the door, "What's up?"

"What's with you and Peter?"

The Fox froze, heart spiking, "W-what do you mean?"

"I didn't want to say anything but… Allison and I saw you speeding off after school yesterday and… I saw the car you got into. You've been acting... different lately and I can't stay quiet anymore. What did Peter want from you?"

"I, um, well, I…" Kira sighed, it was no use lying, she could tell Lydia wasn't going to be swayed from recognizing Peter's car. "I ran an errand with him, it was important."

"And what about when he came and sat with us at the game? He's never come to a game before, and you skipped school the day before. Is he pressuring you in any way?" Lydia asked, face full of concern. It made perfect sense that the Wolf would choose to prey on Kira. She was new in town and didn't know him at all- sure they had warned her about him but she wasn't here to experience it. Peter probably tried to downplay his past and convince her that they had lied about him. Kira was a Kitsune and she had access to a lot of power, it would be dangerous if Peter got his claws in her. And if he came to the game as a way of keeping an eye on Kira... the Fox was in deeper than she thought.

"I skipped because I was stressed… I… I feel so guilty about what happened to Stiles and I know that he's trying to act like nothing happened but, I can see it. He hasn't been sleeping well…. Even Allison is having trouble adjusting to things now that she almost died. I just needed a break from everything," Kira said, repeating the same lie she had told her parents, thankful that Lydia didn't have Were hearing and couldn't detect the lie.

"You don't have to be embarrassed or scared, I know all too well what kind of creep Peter is-"

Kira stiffened, "He hasn't been creepy. I know… I know that some stuff happened between you two and that it was… really bad. I appreciate your concern, honestly. But he hasn't been creepy at all. Deaton asked him for a favor and Peter realized he couldn't do it on his own so he asked for help. I think he asked me because I was the most likely to say yes, besides Derek- but Derek was helping Scott with Liam. He behaved himself."

"He didn't flirt with you, touch you in any way, or did he…" Lydia trailed off, seeing the blush on Kira's cheeks. She had been about to ask if he shared any stories with her, stories that painted Scott in a really bad light, to see if he was trying to poison her against the Alpha. But the blush told Lydia everything she needed to know. "What did he do?"

Kira knew that her attempts at playing it cool were pointless, she was so quick to blush dammit! But of course Lydia still thought she was just too ashamed to speak out against the older Were. She knew she needed to clear the air, "He didn't do anything I didn't want him to."

"E-excuse me, what did you say?"

"I was a willing participant, that's what I'm saying. Peter wasn't being creepy because I'm completely onboard with what happened."

"He's kissed you hasn't he?" Lydia accused. The redhead flashed back to her hallucinations of him, of how he'd wormed his way past her defenses. She grit her teeth as her mind recalled just how good of a kisser he was- it wasn't fair! That had been 12 months ago, why did she still remember?! If he had that affect on her, then surely the Kitsune was at risk too. And Lydia could tell by the look on Kira's face that she'd experienced the touch of his lips too…. She was too late… God, she swore that she wouldn't let Peter hurt anyone else and she'd failed! "We're going to Scott and-"

"No, please don't!" Kira begged, barely remembering to keep her voice down. "I swear, he only did what I wanted him too, I flirted with him, I kissed him!"

Lydia shook her head, "No, he's a manipulator, that's what he does. You think that you started it but he's tricking you. He's going to try to use you to get back at Scott! That's the only thing Peter wants! You have to stay away from him Kira."

"You can't tell Scott- you can't! Please Lydia, it isn't what you think!"

"You like him, don't you? Like seriously like him…"

Kira nodded, "Yes, I do. What's going on between Peter and me is private, it isn't the Pack's business-"

"You don't know Peter like we do, Scott deserves to know the truth!" Obviously Kira was under the monster's spell, there was no getting through to her. Scott needed to know right now before they lost Kira for good!

The Kitsune whined as Lydia scurried off, this wasn't supposed to happen yet! She hurried back into her classroom and put on her most pathetic tone, "Miss McCurdy… I think I need to go see the nurse…"

She turned and looked at her, it wasn't like Kira to get sick, but her cheeks were pink, did she have a fever? "Okay, go ahead, don't forget to get the notes from a classmate."

"Thanks." Slowly she packed her bag, not wanting to look like she was in a hurry. She held one hand over her stomach to add to the illusion she was feeling bad, just in case anyone was watching. When she got out into the hallway though, she pulled out her phone. As soon as the call connected, Kira let out a sob.

"I messed up! Oh god Peter, I messed up everything!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, what's happening? I thought you said things went okay with Liam at lunch?" Peter asked. He looked over at Derek, wondering if he had heard of any unsettling developments with the new Beta.

"What? No, this isn't about Liam… I…"

"You can tell me, just breath, I'm sure it isn't the end of the world."

Kira whined, obviously not feeling the same way. "Lydia found out…"

"About us? How?" Now Peter was standing, mind racing, thinking of what to do next.

"I told you I'm a horrible liar! She apparently saw me in your car yesterday and wanted to know why I was with you. I told her that you asked for my help with something and she accused you of being underhanded and sneaky and when she asked if you'd flirted with me or anything like that… I'm pretty sure the look on my face gave it all away. I tried to tell her that it was all on me, that I had been the one to kiss you but she won't listen…"

"Of course not, she has every reason to distrust me… There is no way she'd believe that anyone would be interested in me and it's just makes so much more sense that I'm tricking you somehow. Derek was of the same mindset for a few days."

"Wait, Derek knows about us, for real this time?" She remembered that they had almost been busted that day she learned how to heal. It hit her then, if they had almost gotten caught because of the excess scents in the loft back then… God, even Derek must have realized right away who had sex in his loft. No wonder he'd been staring at her earlier in the locker room! Talk about awkward. "He didn't make a big deal about it right?"

Peter grunted, "Eh, he made some accusations but eventually he came to realize that I was telling the truth. He may not be completely onboard but he at least understands and was willing to keep our secret. Guess that doesn't matter now."

Kira could hear Derek in the background, "So what are you going to do now? Scott probably won't let you train Liam anymore either… he'll probably see this as a reason to finally get rid of you…"

"Not if I have your help. Scott is going to come here looking for me and he's going to ask you if you had any idea. It's completely up to you to decide what you want to tell him," Peter said.

"He's going to be pissed at me when he finds out that I knew and kept it a secret…"

Peter smiled at his nephew, "You still know something he doesn't- he doesn't know Kira Claimed me. I might need you to explain to him what that is, so he'll at least understand that I'm not treating her like Lydia… Can you do that?"

"Yea… maybe… if he listens to me…" Derek sighed. Right when he decided that Peter deserved a little more leeway with the Pack, drama happened- of course! He had only just brought up the topic of Peter teaching Liam to Scott a few hours ago and that was probably out the window now! Scott wouldn't care about Peter's experience if he truly believed that his old Alpha was up to something. He was certain that the teenagers wouldn't understand at all but he had to try to explain. Just… hopefully it didn't get ugly. But Derek knew the bond between Kira and Peter was legit and he wasn't going to go back on his promise to his uncle.

"Kira, I need you to get excused from school, I'll be there to pick you up in a few minutes," Peter said. She said that she'd talk to her dad and wait for him out front. He hung up and grabbed his jacket.

"What exactly are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make sure that our precious Alpha can't screw me over. I'm going to return Kira's Claim." Peter smiled to himself as he hurried out to his car. Derek probably hadn't wanted to know that part of his plan but, well, he couldn't help himself. It was what needed to happen though, if he solidified their bond by returning Kira's Claim, the Alpha couldn't even order them apart. Bonds surpassed Alpha orders and could only be broken by those involved. As long as Derek and Noshiko could confirm that Kira had Claimed him first, he was in the clear. Of course Scott and Lydia were going to say that he pushed her into it, or that he'd bitten her first and brainwashed her but that was why he needed Derek in his corner, to explain how Claims worked. Noshiko's approval of their relationship and training would also go a long way to persuade the True Alpha to accept it, hopefully.

*School*

Kira poked her head into her dad's class, clearing her throat. Her dad frowned in confusion but stepped out to talk with her.

"What's wrong?"

"Dad, I need you to message the office and excuse me for the rest of the day, please!"

"Whoa, how come? What's happening?"

"I messed up, bad! Lydia found out about me and Peter and now we have to do damage control- it can't wait until after school though, I have to get my story straight before Scott finds me. Please, you understand right? This is important, Scott might try to hurt Peter if he thinks that I'm being brainwashed or something."

Ken sighed, worrying about what might happen but he also knew that it would be better for his daughter to clear all this up sooner rather than later. He would have preferred if Kira could have been the one to tell Scott about it but even then he was sure that the boy wouldn't understand. Hell, even if this was just about the training and not the relationship…. Apparently even without some dangerous creature roaming the town, Beacon Hills was full of supernatural excitement. "I'll notify the office, you just be careful okay. I know you achieved healing but I'd rather you didn't get between two Wolves going at it."

"I won't… I hope it doesn't come to that at all, Derek is at the loft so… Hopefully he'll help diffuse the situation. I appreciate that you believe in Peter but... Scott is awfully stubborn sometimes... Maybe we can have Mom there too- she knows the truth about our relationship and can assure him that I'm not being controlled or something. Thanks Dad, love you. I'll text you as soon as I know more about the situation!" With that she hurried out to the front of the school, biting her lip as she waited for Peter. When he pulled up a few minutes later, Kira climbed into the car and asked him what the plan was.

"Well, if you're up to it, I have to return your Claim, then Scott can't do shit about us being together or about me training you. You okay with that?"

She brightened, "More than okay!" She wanted to know how it felt to be bonded to someone, to have a permanent reminder, something to show off so everyone understood that she belonged to Peter. There was a huge grin on her face as Peter sped out of the parking lot and towards his apartment.

A/N: So, just updating everyone on the timeline here, since I know I left it kinda open in the "setting" back in Chapter 1. These are the events I'm keeping in mind: Lydia was Bitten by Peter (Feb 18th 2011); Peter was resurrected (March 29th 2011); Nogitsune was defeated (Nov 14th 2011). So I'm thinking that this story started around Feb 2012. A lot happened in a year and I often think that a lot more time has passed between all these events. But quite literally the Benefactor stuff starts within a year of Lydia being Bitten by Peter... holy crap! So this is for all my readers that have the same issue I do with recognizing just how little time has passed, as well as a reminder that this is all taking place while ignoring Season 4 and 5 so it's back in time compared to the show.