The Wolf Amoung Us
Summary: After having lost Peter to his obsession with power, Sydney was sure of one thing and one thing only: she needed to pull her life back together. With unexpected news that will change everything, will she become the strong alpha that she desires so much or will she struggle to keep it together until it's too late? Season 5: Peter Hale/OC
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.
Chapter 25:
After hearing about Charlie's situation at the club, as well as dealing with her own ordeal when it came to Stiles being attacked, Sydney was ready to jump back into a training regime. There was also the added benefit that if Peter showed up and he wasn't completely himself, then she'd be well versed in the act of fighting, well versed enough to fight him off and keep her pack, and her baby, safe.
So when she woke up early that morning, she had decided that it was time to get back into the swing of things. Charlie and the twins had had enough time off and since it was still the weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to start. With Bruin cradled against her chest, she headed out of her bedroom and right for Charlie's, knocking on the half opened door before waltzing back in.
She remained silent as she crossed the floor and sat on the edge of Charlie's somewhat made bed, and then Sydney looked at the screen of the girl's laptop, a small smile forming on her face at the sight of Isaac Lahey looking right at Charlie. When Charlie pulled her attention away from Isaac long enough to shoot Sydney a questioning glance, the alpha merely grinned at her.
"Hang on one second, okay Isaac?" Charlie questioned to the screen and he nodded his head in response, then Charlie locked her eyes on Sydney and finally took in her alpha's attire. She was wearing a t-shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves, and also tied around her waist, then on her lower half, she was wearing a pair of what looked like running shorts and her feet were bare.
"Training time." Sydney shrugged and looked down at her slightly squirming baby. "Back yard, twenty minutes, okay?"
Charlie rolled her eyes at her but nodded her understanding, then she turned right back to the screen, Isaac shaking his head at her with an amused look on his face. Sydney didn't move right away, she lingered on the bed and when it was clear that neither one was going to say anything until after she was gone, she let out a huff and marched out into the hall.
When Sydney was out of sight, Charlie let out a scoff and watched Isaac grinning back at her from inside the window on the screen.
"You're lucky that you have an alpha, you know that right?" He remarked and she tilted her head to the side.
"Isaac, until Syd came along, I was basically an omega, I know how lucky I am to have her." Charlie countered. "I'm sure if you two actually sat down and talked, she'd welcome you into her pack too."
"That would involve leaving my home here in France." Isaac pointed out and she knew that he was somewhat teasing her, but there was a part of her that wanted nothing more than for the two of them to meet up, face to face, and see where things went.
"It's not like you'd be homeless." Charlie grumbled and her eyes lit up with an idea. "Maybe you can just come for a visit?"
"Maybe you can come here for a visit." Isaac shot back and wiggled his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes at him and stole a glance back at her door, which was wide open since Sydney had waltzed in.
"Here though I'm not by myself, so…"
"I get it. You're protected there if I do turn out to be some crazy weirdo."
"Yeah, plus people here know you, don't you want to visit your friends?" Charlie asked and Isaac seemed taken aback by her question.
He had left for a reason and going back to the one place that he had wanted to get away from didn't exactly sound like the ideal situation. Maybe she didn't completely understand what had happened, he had exactly told her everything but still, Charlie was asking a lot, even if she didn't really know it.
"I'll think about it."
"You will not." She countered with a growl and lifted her hands up into the air in frustration. "I know that tone, I know that it means you just said that to make me feel better. Isaac, come on, you can come visit me here and you wouldn't have to see anyone else aside from me, Syd, Bruin and the twins."
"I don't really care to see the twins either." He remarked and Charlie locked her eyes on him giving him the scariest glare she could muster, which, by the way that he leaned away from the screen, she figured was pretty menacing.
"Fine, you stay over there in France and I'll just find some other guy to fill my free time."
"Yeah, like who?" He challenged her and her lips turned upwards into a grin.
"Brett, I like Brett, he's very pretty, all muscly and tall and handsome-"
"Charlie-"
"Nope, you had your chance." She beamed at him. "Anyways, I've got to get ready for training, I'll talk to you later."
He let out a sigh, "okay."
"Bye Isaac."
"Bye Charlie."
She closed down the video chat program and then closed the lid on her laptop. Without putting it off any longer, Charlie stood up from the chair and moved around the room, gathering up her training outfit, which consisted of a pair of knee length shorts and a t-shirt that Sydney would insist that she roll the sleeves up on. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and bounded out into the hall before running down the stairs and coming to a stop in the kitchen where the rest of her pack sat at the table chatting away.
Charlie made a move to lower herself into the chair next to Sydney but Sydney popped up, still holding Bruin, and nodded towards the back door to the house. Letting out a barely audible groan, Charlie followed Sydney as she led her pack to the backyard, Ethan and Aidan both dressed appropriately for the occasion.
When they stepped out into the backyard, Sydney headed right for the portable playpen set up under an oversized sun umbrella, werewolf baby or not, Sydney wasn't going to be taking any chances when it came to Bruin's wellbeing. When Bruin was tucked away inside the pen and Sydney was sure the shade was covering her, she turned to face the rest of her betas
"What's so important about today, why couldn't we have a bit more warning before we get back to training?" Aidan asked and jogged out into the middle of the backyard, stopping before he hit the mountain ash barrier.
"I just think that after Charlie got attacked at the club and Stiles got attacked at the school that maybe we should brush up on our skills. You guys can fight me on this if you really want, literally." Sydney smirked at them all and wandered closer to Aidan, planting her hands on her hips. "What are you going to do about it tough guy?"
"Fine." He whined and lifted his arms into the air, letting his palms gently fall against the top of his head. "Point taken."
"Plus I think it'd be fun to get back into the swing of things, I haven't taken any of you guys out since before Bruin was born." Sydney pointed out. "Hey, I'll make you a deal here Aidan, a one-time only thing: if you can pin me to the ground then I'll call training off for the day and we won't start again until Monday, how's that sound?"
Aidan looked at Sydney and studied her for a few seconds before looking past her at the remaining two betas in the pack. Charlie was smiling at him and his brother looked a little disappointed, but that easily could've been because he had been witnessing Aidan trying to get through the mountain ash barrier not too long ago, and failing miserably. Apparently Ethan had little faith in his brother.
"Sounds good to me Syd, but let me warn you, I don't go down easy." Aidan glared playfully at her and Sydney's smirk grew.
"Peter said that once and he ended up in Eichen House." She stated and let her hands drop away from her hips, her claws coming out at the same time. She craned her neck, stretching it out and when she looked back at Aidan, her red eyes were glowing in his direction.
He brought his own claws out and when his eyes turned to their vibrant blue, she took that as a sign that he was ready, and he was going to go down, hard.
Sydney launched herself at him but Aidan avoided her body by dodging to the side. She let out a low, feral growl and crouched down, digging her toes into the grass and leveling him with a fierce glare. Aidan let his arms dangle in front of his body and he cocked his head to the side before straightening up, a taunting invitation for her to 'come and get him'.
Sucking in a deep breath, Sydney stalked forward and closed the distance between them, yet Aidan remained standing right where he was. She paused in her advance and looked him up and down and when she looked at his face, she spotted the razor sharp canines littering the rows of teeth in his mouth. She rolled her eyes at his blatant attempt at intimidation and without a word of warning to anyone, she dove forward, making a grab for his calves.
When her claws pierced the skin on the back of his leg, he let out a pained roar and reached down for her, desperately trying to pry her off his leg, but her claws only sank into his flesh further, blood dripping over her fingers. It wasn't until Aidan happened to make a lucky swipe, breaching the skin on the back of her neck, that she reared back and let her grip on his calf go.
He backed away from her, twisting his leg to get a better look at the damage she had caused, but Sydney was undeterred. There were five clear cut puncture wounds on the back of his leg, blood dripping out of each and every one, and she looked right at him, silently demanding that he give in, that he submit to her, but Aidan knew better, he knew that this wasn't the end. She'd have to fight a lot harder than that to take him out.
Sydney stood in the grass and let him come closer, his teeth still barred, the look on his face terrifying to anyone who didn't know him, but she did, she knew him and she knew him well. Aidan wasn't scary, he was predictable and the only time she had ever found the twins remotely terrifying was when they were able to morph into one giant alpha. The time for that was over, at least for the time being, which meant that Sydney had the upper hand.
"Get her!" Charlie chanted, clearly on Aidan's side. Sydney shot her female beta a glare but didn't move as Aidan stalked closer and closer to her.
When he made a move to lunge forward, she jumped over him, like in leap frog, and kicked him in the ass with her foot. Aidan fell to the ground, landing on his stomach with an 'oof' sound, but Sydney wasn't going to stop, she rounded on her heels and charged at his fallen form before dropping her knee down into the middle of his back.
"God damn!" Aidan roared in pain and she pressed her knee harder and harder into him. She then grabbed his right arm and pulled it straight back, listening for the familiar cracking, or popping, noise of a serious shoulder injury. When the pop sounded out in the backyard, Sydney leaned over him, her mouth right by his ear.
"Say 'uncle'." She purred and when Aidan didn't respond for a few seconds, she gave his arm a jerk, eliciting a pained cry from Aidan. "Say it!"
"Okay fine! Uncle, for god's sake uncle!" He called out and Sydney loosened her hold on him before standing straight up, leaving Aidan on the ground in front of her. "Jesus, you haven't lost your touch at all."
"I know." She smiled and Aidan scrambled to his feet, turning his right shoulder in her direction.
He didn't have to say a word for her to know what he wanted and without putting it off for another second, Sydney grabbed hold of his arm, one hand on his bicep and the other on the front of his shoulder, and pushed the joint back into its socket. Aidan gritted his teeth but let out only a small hiss of pain before he flexed his fingers and turned towards the other two betas.
"Training's still on." He grumbled and Sydney gave him a firm pat on the back. "And I'm never doing that again."
As he poked and prodded at his shoulder, Aidan lumbered back towards his brother and Charlie, who both set their hands on his arms and drew out a little bit of his pain. Sydney came up behind him and did the same, hoping that he'd be right back to full strength in time to spar with his brother in a few minutes.
"Just remember who the alpha is." Sydney pointed out with a victorious smile. "And don't challenge me again."
XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX
Training had seemed like a productive way to spend the morning, except now it was the early afternoon and Sydney was feeling kind of tired. With Aidan watching over Bruin for the time being, she had headed up to her room to have a shower and change, but once she was inside, she found herself wanting nothing more than to lie down on her bed.
Sydney shook her head and tried to pull herself together, hoping that one day she'd get what she really wanted, which was Peter back in the same state that she had left him in, so that he could be the father that Bruin needed. Sure the twins worked well with her but what happened when Bruin was a little more grown, a little more abrasive, the twins weren't her father, which meant that they weren't expected to act like it. Having Peter with her seemed like the ideal solution, but the fact that he had chosen power over her still nagged at the back of her mind.
What sort of person gave up the one person they loved in order to try and gain power that he didn't even need? She was already an alpha, they had been relatively happy together, so what had driven him over the edge, what had caused him to push her to the backburner while he teamed up with Kate Argent, the same Kate Argent who had burned most of his family alive and set her house on fire?
Dropping her gaze down, Sydney looked at the diamond ring adorning her finger, the very same diamond ring that had once belonged to Peter's late wife Eden, who had also perished in the fire. It sparkled back at her and she gripped the sides of the ring, gently twisting it until her finger was free and the small piece of jewelry was firmly held in between her fingers.
The ring had been a constant reminder of what she was lacking in her life and maybe she needed a break, maybe she needed to try living without the hope that Peter would ever make it back to her. Even if he did show up, what was truly stopping him from doing the same thing over again?
"You're a stupid asshole." Sydney muttered at the ring and let out a growl. Her frustration with Peter was growing by the day and being back in Beacon Hills only served to make her angrier. "I hate you."
She sucked in a breath and moved the ring to her other hand, studying it in detail. It was rather pretty and she knew that Eden would've loved it, but would she have put up with Peter's behaviour if it was anything like he was when he was with Sydney?
Had Eden let him do whatever he pleased? Had he listened to her and respected her? If she had asked him to choose her or power, would he have chosen power, just like he had when he had been with Sydney?
Staring at the diamond, Sydney felt her eyes welling up with tears but she refused to blink, she didn't want them to spill out. Peter wasn't worth crying over and she wasn't going to give him that, she wasn't going to let him win this round. She was stronger, she had to be, she had Bruin to worry about, and her betas too. She couldn't be weak, physically or mentally, but she knew that she was reaching her breaking point.
Eventually Sydney was going to have to figure something out and if that meant talking to the twins about breaking the mated bond, yet again, then that's what she'd do. She'd hold out just a little longer, at least until everything settled down in Beacon Hills, and then she'd seek out help, maybe even Steve had some ideas on how she could break the mate bond, if it came down to that.
Flopping down onto the end of the bed, she curled up and shifted, reaching up to grab a pillow before burying her face into the material. The ring was still clutched in her hand but at the thought of Peter not being there to see his child, she extended her hand and set the ring on the patch of bed next to her. When she was finished feeling sorry for herself, well, then she'd find a better place for the ring, other than on her finger.
The tears erupted from her eyes and streaked down her cheeks, falling to the covers of the bed below her. She tried to choke off a sob but at the mere thought of Bruin downstairs, getting comfortable with her betas, she couldn't take it anymore.
This wasn't what was supposed to happen, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be with Peter, they were supposed to be together, raising Bruin together.
As much as she adored Charlie, she knew she never would've met her if Peter hadn't decided to try and kill Scott. Maybe if he had been there for her when she found out about Bruin, Sydney would've handled her pregnancy differently, maybe she wouldn't have gone through with it at all.
There were so many 'what ifs' surrounding Peter and his motivations, but the one thing she knew for sure was that it was too late to turn her back on Bruin now. She was here, and Sydney was going to raise her as best as she could.
When a soft knock sounded out on her open door, Sydney quickly swiped at the tears and turned her head back, taking in the sight of Charlie standing inside her doorframe.
"I was just coming to check on you." The young beta murmured and waited in the doorway. Sydney rolled her neck and dropped her face back into the pillow, letting out a pathetic whine that would rival that of a real wolf.
At the sound, Charlie moved forward and cautiously walked around the bed, her eyes immediately landing on the diamond ring residing on the covers in front of Sydney. She gingerly took hold of it and sat down, running her hand not containing the ring over Sydney's shoulder in a lame attempt to comfort her.
"Sorry." Sydney whispered and Charlie nodded her head. She was certainly confused as to what Sydney had to be sorry for but at that moment, she knew that there were more important things to worry about, for one: why was Sydney crying?
"It's fine." Charlie said softly in response. "Are you okay then?"
Sydney lifted her head off the pillow a few inches and seemed to consider the question. When she shook her head no, Charlie tucked the ring into her pocket and then made a move to lie down, slipping her arms around Sydney and letting her alpha curl up against her chest.
Usually Sydney was the one comforting her but Charlie knew that this was a desperate time. Sydney was always there for her, she looked out for her and took care of her and maybe this was Charlie's opportunity to do the same in response.
"What's the matter?" Charlie questioned in a low tone so that even if the twins were listening in, they'd have a hard time hearing the conversation.
"I don't know, just…just everything I guess." Sydney answered and more tears cascaded down over her cheeks. Charlie lifted her hand towards her face and gently brushed the tears away, meeting Sydney's sad, broken eyes. "I just miss him and I hate him for what he did to me but I want him here, I love him, I'll always love him."
Charlie took her alpha's words into consideration and hesitated. She didn't want to just say the first thing that came to her mind, no, she needed to think this through. Sydney deserved her full, undivided attention and even if Charlie had heard the horror stories about Peter Hale, she was aware that Sydney still loved him, in spite of his flaws.
"You're allowed to be mad at him." Charlie admitted. "You're allowed to be upset at what he did and I can understand how you could hate him right now, but he loves you, and he always will."
"But he's not here." Sydney whimpered. "He's not here and I need him here."
"You don't need anyone." Charlie remarked and Sydney tipped her head back to get a better look at Charlie, who was smiling down at her. "You don't need anyone because you're strong, you're smart and you're fierce, and you can handle anything that comes your way. Bruin needs you though."
"Bruin…" Sydney murmured her little girl's name and squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. When she opened them, her irises were red.
"Yes, she needs you. You're her mother, you're the only one that she absolutely needs."
"And here I am crying in my room." Sydney muttered and shied away from Charlie in embarrassment.
"You're allowed to cry, you're allowed to be upset and if you need a break from looking after you're gorgeous little baby girl, that's what I'm here for, and the twins too. Life gets pretty tough, you and I both know that, and I feel like you've dealt with a hell of a lot of shit on your own, am I right?"
Sydney took in a slow breath, "I guess so."
"Well you've got me and the twins now. While you don't need us to survive, you've got us and we'll stand by you, we'll always stand by you. You haven't steered me wrong yet."
Sydney reached her own hand out and ran her fingers along the side of Charlie's face. Charlie didn't flinch or move a muscle at all, instead, she forced her golden beta eyes out and matched Sydney's red alpha eyes.
"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." Sydney breathed the words out and Charlie couldn't help but smile.
"You'd figure out a way to carry on." Charlie pointed out. "That doesn't mean I don't want you to do everything that you can to keep me alive though."
"I know." Sydney bowed her head and took her bottom lip in between her teeth. "Look, if something ever happens to me, I need you to make sure that Bruin's taken care of. I don't care how you do it, whether your dad looks after her or you hunt down Peter and explain everything, I just need to know that you'll make sure she's set."
Charlie gave a slight nod of her head and Sydney let out a low sigh before curling up tighter against Charlie's chest. She let out a contented hum and let Charlie run her hand over her back, this time the attempt to comfort her was actually working a little bit. Being in her bed, lying next to Charlie was soothing because at least for that minute, that very second, Sydney didn't feel completely alone.
"You'll figure this out, Peter will be back and when he finally shows up, he's going to love that little girl of his with all of his heart."
"Yeah?"
"Yes." Charlie cooed and shifted the tiniest little bit, getting slightly more comfortable next to her alpha. "And if you ever need someone to talk to again, I'm right here. I'll always be right here."
XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX
Thoughts?
Thanks to those of you sticking with me here.