Xavier had spent no more than six minutes in the motel parking lot when he saw the bus pull up to the stop, less than a twenty yards away from the motel lobby. The four men quickly exited the bus and went inside the lobby.
Xavier waited. They would have to come back out to get to their rooms. He found his eyes wavering over the room Chris had noted the day he had scouted the motel for the alphas. The room where he had seen the drapes waver, as if someone had been peeking out from behind them. Unlike Chris, Xavier fully believed that the alphas' were inside that room. He had parked far away from that room for that reason.
Now that was ironic though. Four hunters, living right by a pack of alpha werewolves, both groups unaware of each other's presence. Thinking about it almost made him laugh in a sardonic way.
Sure enough, all four guys reemerged from the lobby. One of them gripped a key card in his hand. For a moment, he stood still outside the lobby door, his eyes darting left and right. No doubt searching for Chris. And his SUV. Araya had definitely cautioned them to be wary of Argent's silver vehicle.
Once he was apparently satisfied, he turned and walked towards a wooden stairwell, which led to the second story. The other three followed in his wake. The four men reached the upper level and immediately went to a room. Despite the distance, Xavier could make out the door number, 275. Six rooms away from the alphas. Even better.
The second the last man entered the room, Xavier drove out of the parking lot, trying not to make too much noise. They weren't coming back out, not today. If he had been assigned to kill Derek Hale, he would have arrived early. He would have planned out the hit if it were to be staged, or scouted out the town if it were to be incidental. These guys had the same idea, and it would have to be incidental. Derek had no routine; he couldn't be predicted by such and thus, he couldn't be manipulated.
Xavier had learned everything he wanted and more; yet he felt strangely unsettled, like he wasn't in control of the situation. He wasn't; there were too many unknown variables. And that scared him.
…
After two days of Cora acting more blissful than a man on ecstasy, Derek had enough. "What on earth are you on? Wereajuana?!"
Cora stifled a laugh. "Don't be an idiot. I'm just in a pretty good mood."
"Uh, that's not a pretty good mood. You're high on cheer. Are you sick? Peter would say you're sick."
Cora sneered at him, some attitude bubbling from under the surface. Derek, truth be told, was relieved to see it come out, even if it was only a short instance. "Uncle Peter can suck it. And so can you, bro."
Derek snorted. "No thanks. I'm not Xavier."
Cora punched him. "Am I not allowed to be happy?"
Derek backed off. "No, of course you are. I'm glad you are. It's just I don't want you to get hurt. The first time always hurt the most."
Cora bristled. "What do you mean?"
Derek sighed. He wished their mother was still alive, if anything, because she would have been much better at giving this talk than he was. Cora was already eighteen, yet she has never had a boyfriend. She had less relationship knowledge than many of today's fourteen year olds. It was silly, sad, and awesome all at the same time.
"Cora, boys don't stay forever. Sometimes, they disappear."
Cora's voice was flat, and her brow was furrowed. "Duh."
Derek bit back a retort. "I'm just saying, don't be shocked if Xavier didn't stick around. Don't be surprised if you two separate."
Cora looked dismissive, as he expected her to. "I'll handle that when it happens. If that's the case, he's just a another guy."
"He's the first," Derek corrected. "He'll be different from the rest. I mean, he already is. He's a hunter."
…
Xavier reported to Chris as soon as he returned to the Argent stronghold. The older man sat still, listening for so long that he had wondered if his partner had fallen into a stupor, daydreaming. He waved his hand in front of Chris's face, and was startled when the other hunter reacted immediately.
"I heard you, X."
Slightly embarrassed, the younger man put his hand behind his back. "Well?"
Chris flicked up of his wrists, jerking his hands in an I have no idea gesture. "You tell me, kiddo." Xavier stared right back at him. Clearly, they were both out of immediate ideas.
"Well, we can't really do jack right now. We kind of need Derek to draw them out." Xavier thought about suggesting that Derek intentionally put himself into the open, but he knew that was practically inviting an argument. Not the most appealing option.
Chris steepled his fingers together, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked ten years older right now, stressed and tired. "We'll just try and monitor Derek for the time being. He won't liaison with us, stubborn mule. But maybe we can use Cora to help out with that. Think you can get a bug inside the loft? Maybe a cam outside of it?"
Xavier felt uncomfortable. "Using my girlfriend?" Of course, he knew it was a logical move. But after all the stuff he had spoken to Scott about, it seemed to be counterintuitive.
Chris nodded his understanding, resting his arms behind his head. "No, of course. We can't do that. I shouldn't have suggested it."
Xavier interrupted him. "If there is opportunity, we do."
…
Opportunity knocked on the topside of Xavier's head much sooner than he expected, in the form of Cora Hale's fist.
"Hey you," she teased. "Its your lunchtime, right?"
She was dressed in her usual workout clothes. Black running shorts, black sports bra. He had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, which she had braided in a simple coiled twist. It made her look even prettier.
Xavier hurdled his surprise. "You ran all the way to the school?"
She blinked. "Well, duh. I'm here, aren't I? God, you can be dense."
She flipped her braided hair over her shoulder, letting it flick him on the face. He flinched by reflex, and she grinned, poking him in the side. "C'mon. I wanna be with you."
No complaints here. Xavier slung his backpack securely over his shoulder and allowed Cora to pull him to where his car was parked. Along the way, they passed Scott and Stiles. Scott wore a small smile on his face. Stiles looked incredulous. Cora ignored them both.
They had takeout again, although Xavier had tried to campaign for pizza, pointing out that Malia liked the suff. Cora had retorted that Malia was Peter Hale's daughter, and therefore didn't quite qualify in the discussion, due to a "crazy factor." Xavier had relented.
As the empty styrofoam containers lay on the table, their greasy contents already consumed, Xavier took the tiny bug he had built the night before and rolled it underneath the lower floor bed. If Derek ever moved it on a whim, they would find the contraption, but he figured it was a safe bet.
Once the bug disappeared under the mattress, he felt a little guilty. Not a lot, but a little. He was using his girlfriend. In a sense, he was betraying her trust, and taking advantage of it to breach her home and spy on her and her family. He told himself it was for the greater good. This could save his life.
Thankfully Cora didn't notice his subtle move nor his conflicted face, because she pulled him onto the bed. The hunter and the she-wolf made out until Xavier was hard as a rock. He flipped her over so he was on top. In between kisses, she used both hands to softly caress his face, a hand on each cheek. "Am I making you late for class?"
He kissed her again before replying. "Present, Ms. Hale."
She laughed, pleasure written all over her face. "Don't call me that."
Xavier flicked his eyebrows up and down. "I'm on top. I do whatever I want."
Cora's response was to grab him and try to wrestle him underneath, but Xavier had leverage, and he maintained his spot while holding her wrists to the bed. Cora was stronger though, and she was on the verge of possibly getting him down, when he interrupted her, pushing her back down. It was all strategic of course. "What about Derek? What if he comes back?"
She relaxed, raising her head to whisper in his ear. "He's not coming back. Not for awhile."
Xavier was in a blissful, distracted mood, but he was able to recall his priorities. "Where is he?"
Cora shrugged her bare shoulders. She was cute when she did that. "Out. Out and about."
Xavier rolled off of her, snatching his cell phone from the table. He tapped a quick message to Chris. Derek not in loft. Just Cora. He hit send.
Chris responded almost instantly. I know, no worry. I got him. All good. Behind him, Xavier could hear Cora rising from the mattress. "Baby?" He quickly closed his text page and slid the phone across the table, trying to make the motion casual, as if he had just flicked it instead of intentionally pushed it far away.
He turned back to her, his arms snaking around her waist. She touched his shoulders; her lips pressed together, coyly making a shy expression. Turning, she undid her bra, letting it fall to the floor, revealing her olive-toned bare back.
Xavier's mouth had gone dry. He didn't blink. He didn't dare breathe. For a moment, the loft was absolutely silent except for the beating of his own heart. Oh my god. She turned back to him, the seductive smile still on her face, her lips slightly pouted.
She let her body go slack and fell onto her back on the bed. She held her slender arms up, beckoning him over, extending them like someone did when expecting a hug.
Xavier allowed himself to collapse into her, enveloped in her beauty, her scent. Her olive-toned skin. It was like a dream to him, one that could never end.
…
Cora lay on her side, her arms still intertwined with Xavier's. She stretched out her long legs, hooking one on his leg. His boxers and jeans lay discarded on the floor, next to his shirt and her bra.
Hiking her knees up, she wrapped her legs around his midsection, scissoring him. She heard him let out a soft moan, his eyes shut, his face looking peaceful. He looked young, almost boyish. He was such a beautiful human being.
Xavier allowed himself to drift downward, kissing every inch of her bare body until he reached her stomach. Her belly was surprisingly soft, and he allowed his lips to hover there. She lay still, letting her skin absorb his lips and sighing in this happy kind of way.
She felt a stab of longing. If only they could do this forever. If only there were no hunters, and no alpha pack, and no high school standing between her and her Xavier.
If only that were so.
