Peter grunted, panting harshly as his legs were kicked out from behind him. His knees and chest ached as they came in contact with the jagged gravel and he hissed as a rough hand gripped his hair and yanked, forcing him to bare his neck to the woman who nearly killed his family.
"Kate." He pulled his best smirk together while he exuded his pheromones, hoping Talia would scent his distress. "I must say, my partners usually take me out before we discuss kinks-" Kate rammed the end of her pistol into the side of his cheek and pulled out a knife she had covered in wolfsbane, forcing it into the top of his thigh until only the handle was visible.
She crouched in front of him with a smile, watching as blood pooled around the wound with a satisfied grin. "Blood kink." Winking, she waved away the two men behind her and stood in front of him. Peter thought of his wife and their children, his sister and alpha, all of the family and friends he had in an attempt to calm himself. He wouldn't be of any use if he got overwhelmed.
There was no sign of Talia and he knew that he had probably gone too far out while he was patrolling. It didn't help that they still didn't have an emissary who could tell the pack where he was. The wolfsbane was spreading faster and he nearly cursed when he noted his focus was buffering. There was no more time to wait this out if he had any chance of getting free. With an experimental tug on the wires binding his wrists, he winced to himself. There was no way he could break through them, especially with the currents of electricity transferring into them. He eyed the small generator in her hand with disdain.
"What do you want, Kate?" He finally asked, knowing that's what she had been waiting for. She tapped her pointer finger on her chin, smirking at the man on her right as she pretended to think about it.
"I don't know. Travis, what was it that I wanted?"
"We don't have time for these games if you want to get out of here in time." He told her stoically. Rolling her eyes, she cocked her gun and aimed it with a steady hand and hard eyes. Peter gazed at her impassively, ready to drag this out while he came up with a plan, when a rapid heart beat and hurried steps began heading his way. He thought he felt the wires tighten and loosen, but he was more worried about the wolfsbane and impending death via a psychotic woman who tried to murder his entire family before.
He straightened himself out to the best of his ability and sighed, dramatically forlorn as he nodded. "See, Kate, that would all work out if there wasn't someone heading our way." He watched with a pleasant smile as her eyes widened, having heard the branches and twigs snapping.
"Shit," She hissed. "Travis, take him to the back of the truck and make sure he's secured. Dan and I will deal with them and then we'll relocate."
"What? That won't work," Dan argued. "We should just kill him now and tell whoever it was that we were doing something else."
"Like what, hunting birds?" Kate snapped. Peter clenched his jaw, breathing deeply as he watched them argue. The person was still a couple minutes away, more than enough time for one of them to crack and kill him. Closing his eyes, he brought forth his most prized memories and surrounded himself in the minimal warmth and comfort that they provided.
"Just kill him, I'll deal with whoever the hell is out there after." Kate ordered with manic eyes. Peter didn't move, mentally apologizing to his family and pack. With one last effort to escape, his eyes snapped open when his wrists broke through the wire cleanly. He wasted no time questioning the miracle, instead racing forward and impaling his claws into the two men. They didn't go as deep as he wanted them too, but it would be enough to keep them down. Kate cursed, jumping backwards and pulling out another gun. He grimaced once his leg faltered because of the wound and raised a hand to lean against the closest tree, ripping the knife from his thigh and snarling at her as she advanced towards him.
"You have nowhere to go, Hale. You're injured and standing on your last leg." She glanced at the blood staining his joggers and laughed under her breath. "Literally. Just hand yourself over and we won't go after the rest of your family. Your wife, kids. You care about them, don't you?"
His wolf growled at the insult and he snapped his teeth in her direction. "I have more than legs I can fight with."
The smile disappeared and a furious glare took its place. "You all are monsters, why can't you see that?" She asked angrily. "You and the other mutts you surround yourself with are nothing but manipulators. This town needs good leadership and protection, both of which mere show dogs can't provide."
"Wowza, that's harsh." A voice came from beside Peter. They both jerked, having not noticed when the stranger appeared or her two henchmen slip away. Peter growled a warning, holding back his panic when he realized he didn't feel the person come up beside him at all. The person was wearing a red hoodie that covered his face and because of it he couldn't see his features clearly. That along with the lack of scent put him on an edge higher than the one he was standing on with Kate.
"Who are you?" Kate demanded, pointing her gun at him. The person shrugged.
"Why would I tell you? There's a lot of power behind a name, you know." The person replied. Peter caught the teasing undertone and searched his mind for any encounters they could have had in the past. He came up with nothing.
"My name is Kate and I'm associated with the Argents. I take it you're familiar with the name." She gloated with a cocked hip. Peter listened to his surroundings, the relief he felt so prominent that he nearly staggered when he heard his pack coming. They would be there within a couple minutes at the speed they were running and he projected his scent further, hoping that it would assist them more.
The man snapped his fingers, humming in recognition. "Ah, that's right. Well, Kate, I hate you and the hunters you work with. I know for a fact that your brother disowned you and kicked you out of the family when you manipulated and raped a high school boy. I know that you tried to burn his family down and I know that you fucked a hacker by the name of James Delong in exchange for him wiping the records on your file and placing the blame on Jennifer Blake. I know that she hunted you down, with information I handed to her, and killed your father in front of you. I also know that I not only have the records Delong wiped, but I also have a list of so many witnesses and evidence to put you in prison that they wouldn't even hold court. Should I go on?"
Peter and Kate gaped at the man, who had picked up the knife Peter had tossed aside and was turning it over in his hands. Kate was extremely pale and her eyes were wild as she glanced between Peter and the stranger. Peter was held up on the fact that the person beside him was not only in contact with, but also friends with the darach who had disappeared ages ago.
The man gripped his wrist while she was in shock, distracting her with the knife he was mockingly pointing at her as he pushed something in Peter's palm before he could rip his wrist from the grasp. He looked down, surprised and confused when he saw wolfsbane, already prepped for him to place on his wound.
"You're lying. You know him and you're teaming up to distract me. Well, it's not going to work and I don't know how he told you everything so fast, but it doesn't matter." Peter discreetly forced the wolfsbane in the wound, biting his tongue and focusing on the sound of his pack racing towards them to block out the pain.
"Pretty sure it does." The man retorted with an amused snort. "I'll give you a choice, though. You have two options-"
"The hell I do! I'm-"
"Either you turn yourself in, escorted by moi, of course, or you die." He continued, ignoring her interruption. At her incredulous look, he sighed in annoyance and reached into his hoodie, effectively putting both wolf and hunter on guard. He sent Peter a look, and Peter gasped at how young the man seemed. He wasn't the man his aloof yet trained posture held him as, but in his early twenties with an incredulous look aimed at him.
"I literally just saved you, why would I hurt you now?" He asked with a huff. Turning back to Kate, he pulled out three thick rolls of paper, all with visible highlights and some red yarn poking out. "And you, does this look like I'm lying? Either way, it's your choice. You'll probably end up dead in the end, anyway." He shrugged, putting the rolls back inside his hoodie and stuffing his hands in his pocket.
Howls broke out in the distance and he answered with his own, Kate shaking in silent fury and glaring at the both of them. "I'm going to die anyway, you said. I might as well go out with a bang." She aimed a gun at Peter, directly at his heart, and just as she steadied her hand and pulled the trigger, the man threw the knife into her hand that was holding it. Peter didn't have time to react before the man was in front of him, taking the bullet just below his knee and to the side.
Kate cursed, holding her hand and staring at the man hatefully. He was already on the ground, his leg stretched out in front of him and one of his hands behind him holding up his weight. Peter opened his mouth and was about to ask if he was alright when the man pulled out three slim items from his pocket and threw them effortlessly at Kate, one hitting her in the throat, one in the thigh, and another over her heart.
Peter stared wordlessly at her, confused and joyful and tired all at once.
"This is the part where you kill her and get us out, y'know. Just a suggestion." Peter turned towards the man, taking in his teasing smile and the pain well hidden in the whisky glow of his wide eyes.
"I think you already took care of that part," he trailed off in hopes of catching a name. The man's eyebrows drew together and his hands snapped to both of his thighs, clutching his right leg subtly. Peter would think that he was just stretching with the way he smoothly pulled it off, but he was paying explicit attention to the person who saved his life. He didn't like owing people, after all. It was only then that he realized he wasn't healing.
"You aren't a wolf." He murmured, disbelief weaved into his tone. The man snorted, raising his bloody hand and going as far as to poke at the bullet wound.
"No, I don't believe I am." He snarked back, smirk softening to a crooked grin in wry amusement. Looking around with narrowed eyes, he pointed his finger at Peter. "I thought you said your pack was almost here."
"We can meet up with them," Peter shrugged. He dusted off his clothes, straightening his shirt and grimacing at the blood there.
"We?" The man's eyes widened as he vehemently shook his head. "Nope, sorry dude. That can't happen. I'm only here because someone important to me asked for help."
"And how are you going to get there when you can't even stand on your leg?" Peter challenged with a concerned frown. He felt a particular… protectiveness over the stranger and while he was in no way attracted to him, his wolf quickly denied the thought of leaving him.
The man scoffed, waving his hand with a grin. "This is nothing. I've had ten, no, a hundred times worse than this. Trust me, I can hold my own."
"I refuse." He chuckled at the expression on the man's face and leaned against a tree. "I don't like being in debt. You saved my life so that automatically means I owe you one."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about you being indebted to me? If anything, you helped me find blondy over there faster than I would've on my own."
"I would've been dead if you hadn't shown up when you did, though." Peter regarded the man with a frown. "Say, what were you even doing here this late?"
"Oh!" Peter scowled as he saw the man trying to stand up and gently pushed him down by his shoulder.
"Didn't I tell you that you can't walk? You need medical attention. My wife can help you, she's a surgeon."
"And I told you that I'm perfectly fine. I don't need any help, I'll just patch myself up once I get back."
Peter looked skywards and prayed for patience. "What do you need? I'll get it for you."
The man groaned loudly. "You can't touch them, you'll be flat on your ass in less than a second."
"And why's that?" He asked curiously.
"Because they're mine." They both heard the sounds of feet pounding the grass and with a heavy sigh the man gestured towards Kate. "Just bring blondy over here for me, 'kay? I'd rather not have anything stolen, thanks"
Peter raised an eyebrow but did as he asked, grabbing her limp leg and dragging her until she was in front of him.
He murmured a thanks and Peter watched quietly as he gathered the things he'd thrown at her from before. He was mildly surprised to see that they were minuscule 'S' shaped blades, black with dangerously sharp edges. With the way they had stuck into her and didn't waver in their path, he was sure the man had added some enhancements to them, especially with the way he brought out a red cloth and a bottle of clear liquid, cleaning them swiftly and elegantly. It was easy to see that he cared about them. After he was done, he took off the laces of his shoes off and made a knot to tie them together. He used the same liquid that he cleaned his blades with to squirt over the wound, gritting his teeth as he tied the cloth to keep pressure on it. It would bleed through in less than five minutes, but it was enough for now. Growls broke out and Peter paid close attention to the man, noting how he didn't tense and continued on cleaning his blades. It was odd and yet he couldn't help but think the behavior suited him. Before he could blink, the man was surrounded by his pack and his sister was racing towards him.
"Peter!" Talia rushed to his side and put her hands on his cheeks, turning his head this way and that to examine his face before she moved her hands to his shoulders and then his sides to check there, too. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He soothed her and bared his neck, knowing that they both needed the comfort that scenting would bring them. "And you don't need to crowd him like that, he's the one who saved me."
The man sighed and put his blades back into his hoodie. "I thought we went over this already. I didn't save you and you're not indebted to me, so get that out of your head. And you," He pointed Devin with a click of his tongue. "She's really dead, you don't need to keep nudging her body like that."
Peter smirked at his son's expression and headed towards the man, clasping his hand on his shoulder and giving him a look when he tried to shrug him off before addressing his family. "You really don't need to worry about him. If anything we should be helping him." He glanced at his leg, noting how the bleeding wasn't slowing down.
"Don't even think about it," the man told him. "I already said no. I have shit to do and deadlines to meet."
Talia coughed and fell in line beside Peter, regarding the person on the ground with a kind smile. "Hello there. My name's Talia, the alpha of this lively bunch, as you've already seen. You have my gratitude for saving my brother. I'd like to hear the full story of course, but I think we should get you checked out first."
He flushed at the attention and scratched the side of his neck. "It's really nothing, I can take care of it myself."
"And how are you planning on doing that?" She challenged. "Humans die from bleeding out every day and I'd rather not let you go that same route. I'm sure you understand, right?"
The man sighed and shuffled to his feet, grimacing when he put too much weight on his leg. Peter was there in an instant, guiding the man's arms over his shoulders while he gripped his thighs, mindful of his injury as he adjusted him on his back. "I don't consent to this, I'll have you know." He grumbled.
"Either you come with us and let us help you or I'll end up following you to make sure you're safe. I doubt you'd want me to know that much about you, correct?" The glare he got in return was answer enough. "Well then." Peter gestured for his sister to lead the way, smiling at Devin when he slowed his pace to walk with him.
"You really are a crappy dad, you know that? Why can't you just tell us where you're going instead of us having to hunt for you? You make everything so difficult and-"
Peter ruffled his hair with a small smile. "I'm okay, don't worry."
"As if I would!" The teen marched past him and the man snorted by his ear.
"Family troubles?"
"More like a son who's milking his puberty stage."
Stiles snickered at the teen's growl. He shifted on the wolf's back, tightening his arms as he felt out his injury. The bullet had grazed him a couple centimetres from the bottom of his knee, so the bone was fine. It must've just penetrated his muscle and took a couple layers of skin with it, which was better than he'd expected. Still… he sighed and rubbed his forehead as he thought of ways to talk himself out of the hole he'd dug. Really, he should know better by now. This is what he gets for trying to help someone during one of his tasks. He could already picture how his soul would leave his body once she found out he'd gotten hurt.
"Are you alright?" He turned to face the alpha and plastered on a smile.
"I'm fine. I just have a leg that's missing some skin and an impending lecture after I get beaten to an inch within my life."
She frowned at that and scrutinized him thoroughly, taking in the pale complexion of his face and the light tremors going through him. It was incredible that he was able to hold on while he was in that state. His scent was completely closed off which would normally make her more cautious, but seeing the shape the human was in was a slight consolation to her.
"What kind of people do you hang out with that would kick a man who's already down?" Peter grumbled. The man shrugged in lieu of a response and Talia noted the way her brother's shoulders stiffened.
"What's your name?"
"Michael."
She raised her eyebrow at him and knew for a fact that he knew she could tell he was lying. It was written all over his face and the half hearted shrug he gave her. Still, she knew it wasn't the time to push him right now. "Right. Well then, Michael, once we get home I'll have Valerie treat your leg."
"I already told you that isn't happening. I'll just get some of the supplies you guys have and do it myself."
"Do you know the proper precautions to take? The depths of the muscle layers and where the veins and arteries are located?" She softened at the frustrated look on his face and patted his shoulder. "I'm sure you're more than capable of taking care of yourself but right now you're on the brink of passing out and I'd rather not see you bleeding out anytime soon."
"You're going to force me to get it looked at no matter what I say, right?"
"Absolutely. What's the point of resisting treatment?"
He grunted something but before she could ask he turned back to her with a stern face. "Fine. But nobody touches me or takes my belongings. And I leave as soon as I think I'm able to."
"I won't have you limping out of my house. The other two I can do, though."
He gave a stiff nod in response and Talia offered another smile before chastising Peter for going out further without giving notice. Both of the siblings noticed how Michael kept quiet the rest of the way, but they knew better than to drag him into a conversation. Especially in the situation he was thrown into.
"Holy shit, you live here?"
Peter blinked at the incredulous tone. "Yeah. We've been in this house for more than thirty years now."
"What do you mean house? This is a fucking mansion!" Talia raised an eyebrow at his language and chuckled when he mumbled a half hearted apology, his eyes still fixated on their house. It wasn't that big, in her opinion. With over fifteen people who pop in and decide to stay whenever they want, it was a necessity that they had enough room for them along with rooms for their guests.
"Peter!" His head whipped over to his wife and his shoulders sagged at the sight of her, healthy and unharmed. "Jesus, Peter! Do you know how worried I was? What's wrong with you? And who's that? Why's he on your back?"
"Valerie, sweetheart, I'm okay. I was thrown around a bit but this man saved my life."
"You know, I'm getting really sick of hearing you say that. I already told you, I was just doing business and you happened to be there."
Valerie grasped Michael's hand in hers and smiled at him warmly. "Thank you so much, Peter's one of the most idiotic people I've met but I still love him. Now, what's wrong with your leg?"
"It's not a big deal. I just need some thread and a needle."
"He got shot. I don't know how bad it is since he didn't let me see it, but it's bleeding a lot and seems pretty deep."
"Why are we still standing out here! Peter, bring him to my office and make sure he doesn't stand, I'm going to go get my stuff!"
Talia laughed at the look on Michael's face and followed them to the office. "She looks calm at the first glance, but she's even more wild than my brother here."
"Great." Peter set him down onto one of the chairs and sat on the window ledge, stretching out his legs and cracking his neck.
"Man, what a day."
"You're telling me. I would've been halfway into Arizona by now."
"Huh? You live there?"
"No."
"Then why would-"
"Alright," Valerie slammed the door open and kicked it shut behind her as she rushed towards him. "I have everything I need, including the anesthesia."
"Absolutely not." Stiles pulled his leg back when she reached for it, glaring at her when she frowned. "I'm doing everything myself. I don't care if you watch but you aren't touching me."
"I'm a surgeon so I know what I'm doing and-"
"I know my body, alright? Either you let me do it or I'm leaving right now, even if I have to fight my way out."
Valerie stared at him and after a couple minutes of her not handing the bag over, he stood up and took a step towards the door.
"Okay, okay! Geeze, you sure are stubborn, aren't you. Here, just sit down now."
Stiles grabbed the bag with a nod and situated himself back in the chair, propping his injured leg up on the desk in front of him. He grabbed the curved needle and thread, leaving the tweezers behind, and quickly tied a knot.
"Are you sure you don't-"
"I'm fine." Reaching inside his hoodie, he pulled out the container of vodka he had used earlier. It still had more than half, so he took a couple drinks from and dipped the tip of the needle into it before shoving it back into his pocket. His pants were already torn from the bullet and he didn't have to try hard at all to open them up more. He glanced at the trio and snorted at the looks on their faces.
Without wasting any more time, he started to sew his skin back together, snickering when he recalled doing the same thing not too long ago. Macie, His closest friend and mentor, had been with him at that time too. They'd spent more than two weeks camping outside of one of Kate's side organizations getting intel on where she would be. After they'd gotten all the information they needed, they'd stormed the place and came out victorious with only a couple minor injuries, one of which was on the side of his forearm. She had scolded him the entire time she stitched him up so he could only imagine what she would do when she found out he'd been shot.
"You're surprisingly good at that." Valerie praised, watching as he threaded the last part of the graze together.
"Like I said, I've done this before." Stiles tied the last knot and tossed the equipment into the garbage by the desk, swinging his leg down as he yawned.
"You should rest. We have a guest bedroom that you can use, it's just down the hall."
He sighed heavily and nodded. There was no way he'd get out of there tonight, especially when the alcohol hit him. As embarrassing as it was, he knew he was a lightweight and once the adrenaline left his system he'd be out for the count. He zoned out as they showed him where the guest room was and as soon as he shut the door, he pulled out the small package of mountain ash and circled the room with it. Afterwards, he checked for any cameras or microphones, satisfied when nothing looked out of the ordinary.
"Shit." He ran a hand through his hair and groaned as he sat on the bed, letting his body sink into it. Pulling out his phone, he looked at his calendar and resisted the urge to throw it when he saw who he was supposed to meet up with in the next two days. Angelo was one of his most faithful and economically powerful clients and they had an understanding between them that suited them both perfectly. There was no way he could miss the meeting with him, especially with the topic they were going to discuss. He didn't even have his suit with him for fucks sake! Stiles cracked his knuckles and added another IOU to his tab as he typed in the number.
"Macie? I need a favor. And I need you to not yell, either."
Peter stared at Michael as he ate his lunch, watching as he scowled and began typing again on his phone. He'd been texting the same person since he walked out of the guest room, offering nothing more than a nod. More than half the day had passed and there he was, in the same position doing the same thing. He couldn't help but marvel at the man's diligence, he wouldn't have made it past the five hour mark.
"Derek and Laura are on their way back, they'll probably get here tomorrow afternoon. They said they're on break right now so they'll be here for a couple weeks." Talia reminded. "You might get along with them, Michael. You look to be around the same age."
"Maybe." She frowned when he didn't lift his head and shot a questioning look towards him. Peter shrugged and decided to risk it.
"That person must be important if you're willing to talk to them this long."
"I'm not talking to anyone right now. I'm working."
"Oh? Isn't it hard to do it all on your phone?"
"No."
The silence fell again and Peter nearly banged his head against the table at how infuriating this whole situation was. The man had closed himself off completely and no matter how hard they tried to include him, he never answered in more than two sentences.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I found that bestiary you were looking for the other day. I put it in your office."
Peter brightened and pushed his food aside, giving her a kiss on the head as he passed.
"Bestiary?"
He faltered at Michael's sudden interest and nodded. "Yes. It's been in this family for many generations."
"Mind if I look at it with you?"
"Not at all, but I didn't think you'd be interested in that kind of thing."
"I'm interested in a lot of things."
"So it seems," he mumbled. "Anyway, my office is this way. Are you able to walk okay?"
"Yeah." Now that he had an opening, there was no way Peter was going to let those one worded answers slip past anymore.
"What interest do you have in bestiaries?"
"I like to compare and contrast. It's amusing to me how some people are completely wrong about some species and yet others follow the directions like idiots."
"And how do you know what's fake or not?"
"I travel a lot. Myths, legends, folktales and stories, I've heard them from all kinds of people."
"Oh? Care to share?" Peter held the door open for him and smirked at the sharp inhale. His office was more like a library. All four walls were full of books and journals and his desk sat directly in front of the bay window, which was his favorite spot to read.
"Holy shit, dude. This is awesome. How long did it take for you to get all these?" Michael ran his hand along the books and Peter couldn't help but feel prideful. This was his beloved collection, after all.
"Most of these are from my parents, but the rest I found online or through bookstores."
"Lucky. I have one too, but it's all on my laptop so I can't really appreciate it, y'know?"
"I understand you fully. Do you see any titles that you're familiar with? You can read anything as long as you don't damage them, which I doubt you will."
Michael huffed and grabbed several books right away, situating himself on the chair as he flipped the first one open. "As if I would."
Peter turned around to hide his smile and grabbed the bestiary Talia left for him. It had been years since he'd had someone to read with, Valerie too busy with her job and Devin more interested in girls and sports. It felt nice to have company again, especially someone as interesting as Michael was.
They spent the rest of the day together, Michael pointing out what was fake and Peter adding his own facts here and there. Eventually, they ended up reading the same journal and discussed what they knew about it, sorting out facts from fiction.
"That's ridiculous! I've dealt with vampires before and they don't go straight for the neck, they have their own rules that they follow."
"Really? What are they?" Peter asked enthusiastically. He'd learned a lot from Michael, his perspective had broadened so much because of what the other man had experienced and he couldn't be happier. He felt as if he was in his teens again and had just discovered how to control his shift during the full moon.
"Hm? There's different… factions, I guess. The ones that I met were really strict about who to feed on, though. If they were interested in drinking directly from someone, they had to introduce them to the leader and then the leader would decide if they were trustworthy or not. It's a big deal for them and they can only drink from specific places that are easy to hide."
"And those places are?"
"Mostly the thighs or arms, it depends on the person and what they usually wear. Oh! And once they're done, they make you drink a bunch of drinks with vitamin C and foods that have iron in them to avoid anemia."
"You know a lot about this."
"Yeah." Michael offered no further response and flipped the page, pointing at the picture of a wendigo. "What do you know about these?"
Peter could tell that he was more tense than before, but decided to throw him a bone and started to tell him all the facts and theories he could remember. He studied him as he read and smiled as the man snorted at the paragraph he was reading. It was odd, that he'd formed a connection with him so suddenly, but the way Michael carried himself reminded him of himself back when he was still trying to figure out who he was. There's no way that the man would talk about himself the way he wanted him to and he knew better than to force him. Still, he had to wonder what kind of life he was living if he was used to patching himself up as well as he said he could. Peter could only hope that he knew what he was doing.
Talia kept a close eye on Michael as they ate that night. He was putting more weight on his uninjured leg and made a face whenever his clothing rubbed against the stitches, but other than that he seemed to be fine. It had been taken nearly half an hour to convince him to eat and it was only after he watched them all take their first bite before he began.
"Say, you never told us what you were doing out there." Devin brought up. "I mean, isn't it kind of suspicious that you came just in time to save my dad? How do we know you weren't the one that sent her to him?"
Michael snorted and shook his head, a faint smirk painted on his face. "Listen kid, I don't have time for that. I already explained what I was doing there to your dad."
"Well," Talia pitched in. "I haven't heard it yet."
The man sighed and pushed his plate away as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "I was hired to dispose of Kate last week. I already had some information on her from a past job so it wasn't hard getting the rest I needed. I drove here and went out to set my traps up for her and then ran into this guy about to get his head blown off by my target. I did my job, which happened to save him, and here I am. That's it."
"Who hired you?"
"That's confidential."
She nodded and tapped her fingernails on the table thoughtfully. "You say you drove here but we didn't see any cars near the area."
"We're in New York, do you know how easy it is to hide one?"
Peter chuckled at that and nodded. "That's true. But you said you left traps out there. We should go take care of them before somebody gets hurt."
"They're not those kinds of traps. Honestly, what do you guys take me for? I don't just go around hauling fifteen bear traps and a couple rifles with me, damn."
"What kind of traps did you put out then? Kate's an aggressive hunter, we've experienced and heard rumors about the sadistic events she's organized."
Michael tapped his elbow and the slightest hint of annoyance omitted from him before it was gone just as suddenly. "What do people like her want? It's really not hard to figure out, even an amature could answer it."
A series of short beeps came from his phone and he stood up from the table, turning his back to them without a word as he trailed off into the guest room.
"Did you notice it?" Talia whispered to him.
"He has… immense control over himself. It's worrying that he can hide so much about himself."
"I'm not talking about that. He closed himself off again."
"I don't think he was ever open, Talia." Valerie said as she started on her second plate.
"He was less tense than before though, after he came out of the library with you. What were you guys talking about?"
"We were reading and discussing. He knows quite a bit about vampires, I would've never thought of the things he told me."
"I was hoping that he'd be able to bond with the kids when they get here, but if reading got him to loosen up that much I doubt they'd want to do that. Can you think of anything else that would interest him?"
"Why do you want to get close to him?" Valerie asked with a frown. "He said himself that he's leaving once his leg is better. It won't take more than a week for that to happen."
"From the looks of it, he's some sort of hitman. Kate was one of the most secretive people we dealt with and he was able to kill her that fast."
"So you want him to join the pack?"
"I don't care either way, but ultimately I want to help him. His mannerisms and the way he carries himself, it's like he's constantly ready to defend himself. It reminds me of Derek after everything happened and I hate it. He's too young to be going through that, especially alone."
"But he said he's not alone, remember?"
"The people he hangs around with don't sound like the best company either." Peter draped his arm across his wife's and looked at Devin when he coughed.
"I don't know if it's relevant or not, but last night I heard him talking on the phone to this Macie chick."
"Were you able to tell what they were talking about?" Talia inquired after a glance to the hall.
"He just asked her for a favor and then said that he'd take care of something when he got back."
The adults shared a look and Devin nearly choked on the food he was chewing as he remembered something else. He took a quick gulp of water before continuing, his voice more raspy than it was a second ago. "He said that he'd be looking out for her and then he gave her our address. I don't remember any of us telling him, though, and we live out in a preserve so it's not like there's street signs or anything."
"That's a good point… do you think he's looked into us before?" Valerie glanced at her husband worriedly and Peter hummed as he rubbed soothing circles into her shoulder.
"I don't think so. If he did then we weren't his original targets. I doubt he'd show it again, but you should've seen the information he had on hand. It was… fantastic." He sighed happily and rubbed the area his wife slapped with a smile.
"Well. All we can do is keep an eye on him and try to help him as time passes. We don't want him to think we're just using him, either. I don't know how he'd come up with that since we genuinely do want to help him, but he seems suspicious of everything that he's not familiar with." Talia noted.
"I agree. Alright, I have to get this little lady to bed." He stood and picked Valerie up so he was carrying her, enjoying her squeal of laughter as he did so. "Goodnight, everybody. I'll see you in the morning. Devin, don't forget that your finals are coming up soon. Try to finish that study packet I made for you, alright?"
"Hmph. Whatever." Peter snorted and ruffled his hair as he passed him, sparing a glance to the guest room's door that was closed and most likely locked. They'd figure it out. One step at a time, everything would eventually work out.
Derek could tell something had changed the minute he had stepped inside with Laura. The air was different, more tense, almost. His mom had all but dragged them the rest of the way inside, sitting them down in the living room with a bright smile.
Laura's nose wrinkled. "Who's here?"
Frowning, he took a deep inhale to see what she was talking about and could catch the barest whiff of another person. It wasn't a scent that belonged to his family, it was too stressed and smelled too much like ink and worn out books for his liking, but underneath it all there were hints of pine and mint. He couldn't remember ever coming into contact with somebody who had the same smell.
"Yeah, who is that? A friend of yours?"
"Mine, actually." Surprised, they both turned to see Peter, who was leaning on the doorway with a grin. "Incredible, isn't it? Wasn't it you two that said that I have no friends?"
"Wait, wait, wait." Laura smiled at him in excited disbelief. "You're telling me that somebody found your perverted, creepy self to be good enough company that they hang out with you willingly?"
"When you put it like that it almost sounds bad."
She snorted loudly and burst into laughter, smacking his arm as she stared at him with bright eyes. "Can you believe this, Der? We're gone for a couple months and Peter manages to make a friend. Who would be crazy enough to like him? Wait, are they here? Is that what that smell is? Oh, man. I gotta meet them."
Their mom grabbed her arm as she stood up and shook her head. "He's staying with us for the time being, but he'll probably be leaving in a couple days. It's only until his leg gets better."
"What happened to his leg?" He asked without meaning to. Peter crossed the room confidently and sat himself in the recliner next to his sister.
"Allow me to explain."
"Oh boy, here we go." Derek chuckled at his sister's commentary and relaxed into the cushions, knowing from past experiences how long Peter took to explain things.
"Simply put, he saved me. I had a run in with Kate while I was out patrolling and I would've been dead right now had he not showed up."
"Kate's here?" He felt sick to his stomach just at the thought of seeing her again. Wasn't this all behind them? Hadn't they moved across the country for the sole purpose to avoid her? Laura's hand found his own and squeezed it comfortingly.
"She was, she's not anymore, though. Michael killed her and burned her body."
"Burned her?" Talia gasped. "I didn't hear about this."
Peter shrugged and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I went back there last night to get rid of the body once I realized that nobody did anything with it. Once I got there, though, there was no body. I was looking around for hours and then I found some ashes. I ended up following the trail and then the smell hit me and I can guarantee you that what I smelled was burnt flesh."
"When did he do it, then? Wouldn't we have woken up?"
"My guesses are last night. I just don't know when because I went out right after Valerie fell asleep."
"So you're telling me that Peter's friend is a killer?" Laura looked between them before nodding her head slowly. "Yeah, that… that makes more sense, somehow."
"Either way, I owe him one. But that doesn't matter right now. Where was I? Oh, yes. So after he killed her and the rest of our pack came to help me, we noticed that he had gotten shot and-"
"Shot?"
Peter gave her a look while their mom went to get drinks for them. "Don't interrupt. He took the bullet for me and Valerie tried to help him but he refused. Long story short, he ended up stitching himself back up after downing a bottle of vodka and then went to the guest room. I ended up talking to him some more yesterday and it turns out we have a shared passion for learning. He really is something special, really smart, too." He gave them a critical look and Derek felt like he was being judged. Harshly and wrongfully judged, at that. "You two could learn a thing or two from him."
"Mom! Peter said he wants us to turn into killers!" Laura yelled with a grin.
She came back in with homemade tea and set the pitcher and glasses in the center of the coffee table. "Peter, don't be putting those kinds of thoughts into my children's head's, please."
Peter rolled his eyes and was about to retort when the guest room opened and a series of hurried steps reached their ears. Peter sat up straighter, a concerned frown on his face while Laura leaned in closer to him.
"Do you think that's him?"
"Who else would it be?" He mumbled back, watching the hallway expectantly. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the man. He was everything he wasn't expecting. Dark hair arranged into an attractive style with it all swept back, which gave a clear view to his face. Large amber eyes were focused on the door with a scowl that took nothing away from how pretty his lips were. Even his nose was cute, for fucks sake. Derek's never even paid attention to those, what the hell was wrong with him? He was wearing a hoodie and jeans and while they hid his figure, he could still see how broad his shoulders were and the definition in his biceps, not to mention his thighs and that ass.
"Holy shit," Laura whispered. "He's hot. I never thought I'd say that about one of Peter's friends before."
Peter sent a glare their way and stood up. "Michael? Is everything okay?"
"No! It's not okay because this damn woman can never listen to what I say. How hard is it to wait for me to meet you, huh? Are you trying to get on my nerves?" They barely noticed the phone he was holding up to his ear, and that was only because the man, Michael, glared at it before putting it back to his ear. "And another thing! Who gave you the right to listen in on my conversations, huh? What if I was jerking off, what would you do then?"
Laura choked on her surprised laughter, a habit she's had ever since she was young, while Derek stared at the scene unfolding in front of him with wide eyes and a collection of scenarios running through his mind. Peter stood just behind him, arms crossed but a somewhat amused smile on his face as he tried to figure out what was going on.
"Of course I wasn't jerking off! Why would I do that when I'm on the clock?" He breathed harshly as he listened to what was being said. In what seemed like a second, his expression had closed off completely and his shoulders had rolled back into a confident stance that seemed to be more of a habit than by conscious thought. Even his scent, which had barely starting to come out during his rant, had disappeared. It left Derek for a loop and he exchanged a glance with his sister before looking at Peter, noting the way he had stiffened at the difference in Michael. They had no idea what was being said. Even with their advanced senses they couldn't pick anything up from the other end and only had the man's cues to go on.
"Michael-" Peter started lowly.
"I understand. I'll meet you there, so don't go anywhere. Forget about my things, I just need my- yeah, that. I'll talk to you more once we meet up, I'm not alone right now." He hung up the phone and a tense silence had yet to be broken while he stuffed it in his pocket and sighed.
"Michael, is everything okay?" Their mom asked him slowly.
"Yeah." He blinked when he noticed them sitting on the couch.
Peter tossed his arm around him and gestured to them. "Michael, this is my nephew, Derek, and my niece, Laura. They're both spoiled brats but they bring some good entertainment from time to time so I keep them around. Guys, this is Michael, the one I was telling you about earlier."
"Uh, right. Hi. Anyway, I'm going to go out for a bit. Thanks for giving me a place to stay and all that."
"You're leaving already? Shouldn't we check out your leg before you go? It's only been a day and Valerie gets off of work in a couple of hours so-" Talia tried.
"It's not a problem anymore." He managed to take a step before Peter pulled him back gently.
"Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."
Michael gave him what was probably the best fake smile Derek had ever seen. "I already have a ride that's waiting for me."
"Are you sure you'll be safe?" Derek was completely lost. Why wouldn't he be safe with his friend?
"Why wouldn't he be?" Laura voiced his question.
"Exactly," Michael nodded. "I'll be okay." He pushed Peter's arm off of him with a nod and they all watched as he left through the front door without a second glance.
"You have a strange friend, Peter." Laura finally said after a couple minutes of silence. Peter sighed and flopped onto the recliner.
"Something's not right. I don't feel good about this at all."
Talia patted his shoulder. "We already agreed that all we can do is help him. It's not possible to help someone who doesn't want to be helped. The last thing we want to do is make things worse for him."
"I think," Derek started slowly. "That you guys need to explain everything. Especially if there's a chance we'll be brought into it."
"Yeah," Peter sighed. "You're probably right."
Author's Note: Hey everyone! I took down my other fic due to a report that the chapters were being posted elsewhere. I took a break from this website and during that time I completed another fic that is very dear to my heart and is my baby right now lol. I'm taking another chance to post it but please please don't copy it to another site and if you do see it let me know ASAP so I can report the person who did it.
On a side note, I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! All chapters have been posted on Archive of Our Own under the same account name (Jollyrancher1114) if you want to read ahead, but otherwise I'll be posting a chapter every Monday and Friday. Reviews are encouraged and appreciated!