Peter could get lost in Derek.

Stiles had tried to describe to him how it felt when he was under but that didn't even begin to cover what Peter was feeling when he sank into the presence that was Derek. The Nöck was all around him but at the same time they were interwoven, Peter didn't even know where he ended and Derek began. It felt good. Everything was calm and peaceful down here and it was easy to let go and just drift.

But Peter had people he needed to get back to, they were waiting for him, so he didn't give in to temptation and separated himself from Derek rather sooner than later.

Derek didn't try to hold him back but the closer Peter came to the surface, the more he felt his body. Not only that it became more solid, Peter felt his injuries. When he touched his face it felt smooth but under the healed skin throbbed the pain. Not enough for him to turn around and sink into Derek again but a constant reminder that he'd been burned alive and wasn't fully healed yet.

Peter came out of the water stark naked. Stiles had mentioned that they had brought him here straight from that sterile room at the hospital and apparently burn victims didn't even get hospital gowns. What little he had on his body to cover him up was gone. Peter just hoped that Talia had taken it with her. Stiles had something against littering around the lake, he remembered.

At least this was a remote area so there was nobody to ogle his bare ass when Peter made his way over to the cabin. He picked up two heart-beats, Stiles and Talia was his guess, but when he came closer, he heard an unexpected voice.

"Parrish?" Peter wondered but it became clear why the deputy was here a second later. He had questions and he was cornering Stiles for answers.

Peter looked down at his naked body, there was a puddle forming around his feet, but then he just shrugged and opened the door.

Parrish spat out his coffee and Stiles almost toppled over with his chair, but did not spill his coffee, at the sight of him standing in the door. Peter used the moment of confusion to fetch himself a towel.

"Take some of my clothes for now." Stiles was the first to recover. "Talia is bringing over some stuff for you in a bit."

"Peter Hale?" Parrish stared at him with his mouth hanging open. If due to the being naked part, he was about to change that, the not looking like Freddy Krueger any longer part or just the fact that he was here, Peter didn't know and if he was honest, he didn't care.

"What the hell is going on here?" Parrish found his voice again. "Why are you here? And why are you strolling around naked? Stiles is a teenager, I should arrest you for indecent behavior. This can easily count as sexual harassment as well."

By the time Peter was dressed, there was a mug of coffee waiting for him and Stiles offered him his chair.

Parrish was still waiting for answers but Peter could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. Stiles and Derek had been on the way back to the lake when Parrish had arrested Derek. Back then Stiles had joked that he should be careful or he would build up a reputation of bringing older men out here for some fun. The paid-for kind of fun.

Peter had come in naked and the bed was unmade, he noticed, way to give the deputy the wrongest ideas.

Peter shared a glance with Stiles but he'd decided to clue Parrish in when he'd walked in on them.

"At least with you around we can prove some things." Stiles finished his coffee with determination. He put the cup in the sink before he turned to Parrish.

"What do you want to hear about first? Werewolves or the local lake monster?"

Peter had not fully grasped what had happened to him yet and what it meant for his future that he was now bound to Derek but seeing Parrish struggle to wrap his head around what Stiles was telling him, distracted him from his own problems for a moment. Nursing his coffee, Peter watched the spectacle and only added some detail here and there when Stiles went over something too quickly, leaving out important parts in his 101 to the supernatural.

Parrish was not believing one word that much was clear but he did change his mind rather quickly when Peter snapped his fangs at him. It took a moment to convince him to give up his new life as a wall ornament, though.

Under the table, Stiles kicked his shin for that stunt but Parrish's face had been worth it.

"Somebody's coming." Peter became serious when he heard somebody outside.

"Seriously?" Stiles let out a groan. "It's getting crowded in here. Why are there suddenly so many people around?"

"It's Talia." Peter recognized his alpha's presence. He tried to not let it show but he breathed in relief at that realization. Talia was still his alpha, he was still part of the Hale pack. Being bound to Derek hadn't changed that. "I'll meet her outside."

With that, he stood and before Stiles or Parrish had a chance to object, he was out of the door.

"Peter!" Talia dropped the two suitcases she'd been carrying and flung herself into his arms like in some cheap romance movie. Not that Peter cared, he hugged her back just as fiercely.

They hugged for a long moment, just holding on to each other. Peter took a deep breath to inhale the scent of his alpha, to reconnect with her, and he felt the hot puffs of her breath on his neck as well.

But then she brought some distance between them to have a proper look at him. Her hands were running over his neck and chest, cupping his now smooth cheek.

"You need a shave," she said with a little laugh.

Peter ran a hand over the left side of his face and had to admit that she was right. His fingertips ran over stubble but what was more concerning was that there were gaps where his beard should be.

"Hope you have a razor in there." Peter nodded towards the suitcases. "I doubt that Stiles has one. Don't think that he even has to shave."

"Are you calling me a baby-face?" Stiles called over to them, so much for some privacy.

"Is that Deputy Parrish?" Talia had spotted the man standing behind Stiles in the doorway. "What's he doing here?"

"Learning about werewolves." Peter let out a sigh. He probably should have stayed at the bottom of the lake for a little while longer to avoid all this. "It was either that or getting arrested for … what was it, Deputy? Indecent behavior? Sexual harassment?"

Parrish tried to hide behind Stiles when he suddenly found himself as the center of attention.

"That and he had the suspicion that I was running some kind of sex worker dig in my cabin." Stiles was not helping.

"I did not."

"He just learned that you're the alpha, dear sister, so be gentle with him. John thinks highly of him."

Peter picked up the suitcases and then he followed Talia back into the cabin where she introduced herself properly to the Deputy.

Parrish didn't seem to know what to do with the alpha in front of him but all in all, he took it better than expected.

However, it came as a relief, when a message came through his radio that he was needed elsewhere.

He almost fled the cabin but Peter had the feeling that they had gained an alley today. Once Parrish had comprehended what he'd learned over the last hour.

"So, that was that." Stiles closed the door and turned to Peter. "What about you? How do you feel? Getting along with Derek? Because if not, that would be a real bummer."

"Derek …," Peter started with a glance at Talia. "He's not what I expected. Not that I expected to wake up in the lake."

"I'm sorry." Talia reached for him. "It was the only thing we could do. You were suffering and there was nothing else we could do to help you."

"I know." Peter took a breath. He hadn't meant to upset her. Her guilt was clogging his nose. "It's okay. So far it doesn't seem too bad. I'm immortal now." He gave her a feral grin to which she slapped his shoulder. At least she had picked his right shoulder so it didn't hurt too badly. His body was still aching but it was only a matter of time now until he was fully healed. With Derek's help, it would be even quicker than usual. Not that Peter wanted to return to him just yet.

"Do you want to come with me?" Talia asked, hesitation in her voice. "The others are dying to see you."

In sync, they looked over to Stiles who raised his hands.

"Don't mind me," he hurried to say. "I know how much you want to see your pack. Besides, I wanted to check in with John anyway. I hope you brought my car?"

With that, they went separate ways. Stiles drove off in his jeep and Peter climbed into the car with Talia. But she didn't start the car immediately.

"I didn't know what to do," she admitted. Here it was just the two of them, they could speak freely now. "I didn't want you to die and for sure I didn't want to give you to Derek but …"

Peter got it. He would have done the same.

"I'm here," Peter assured her. "You know me, I'm an opportunist, I'm going to make the best out of this."

"But Derek … he owns you."

"So do you," Peter reminded her. She was the alpha, he was her beta. "Hope you won't fight over custody."

She huffed out a laugh but started the car.

Since the house was gone, a thing Peter needed to see for himself at some point, the core members of the pack were crashing with whoever of the pack had a guestroom to spare. Talia and Cora were staying with Nancy so that was where they were heading.

Which was fine with Peter, he wanted a shower and then Nancy could give him a heads-up on what was going on at the station. He wanted to see John as well but since he wasn't sure how much time he had before Derek would drag him back to the lake, he put that to the bottom of his to-do list.

The house was empty when they arrived. Nancy was at work and Cora was out as well.

"Not alone, I hope." Peter raised an eyebrow at that information. There were still hunters out there.

"She should be with Erica."

"Should?"

Talia had let them into the house but now she stopped, her shoulders hanging.

"This whole thing has gotten to her the most." She shook her head. "I don't know, she's distant. I can barely reach her. She's not eating and she hides in her room most of the time."

"I can talk to her," Peter offered. They were kind of close and Cora had opened up to him about having a girlfriend and things like that.

"I would appreciate it."

Peter went to take a much-needed shower and since he hadn't thought ahead and had left all his stuff at the cabin, he put Stiles' clothes back on. Not that he minded Stiles' scent mixed with his. He and Stiles needed some time alone soon to properly mix their scents but first, he wanted to see his pack. Which had gathered in the living room while he'd been in the shower.

A minute later Stiles' scent on him had been replaced with the scent of his pack, everybody wanted to touch him and he hadn't been hugged this much in his life. His face was aching from constant grinning.

That Talia had sacrificed him to Derek was kind of a sore topic but Peter glossed over it by asking about what he'd missed. Turned out that Stiles had only given him the cliff-notes, he had not mentioned that he'd rammed his car into the door.

Cora came in late and then she stood in the door for a long minute without saying anything. When Pamela gestured for her to join them, she shook her head and backed off. A second later a door slammed shut upstairs.

"I'll talk to her," Peter offered and followed her to the guestroom.