~Breathing Angel Style~

By: Aerys Krystie.

oOo

Derek was silent for a long while and Jackson was gnawing on his lower lip, waiting for him to say something – anything. His mind had already come up with the worst cases possible. Derek telling him to leave and never come back. Derek tearing him apart. Derek rejecting him as his mate and telling him he wasn't good enough for anyone else.

Jackson stopped chewing on his lip when he tasted blood. He felt the need to run away, but the last time he did that he hurt his mate. Derek had gone back to staring at the sky and Jackson studied his face, hoping to see something that would let him know what the earth wolf was thinking. Derek had raised his mental shields and he would know the moment Jackson tried to get past them.

After several more minutes, Jackson lowered his eyes and decided that Derek was just going to ignore him for the rest of his life. He wanted to walk away, but his wolf was telling him to apologize and try to explain the situation and pray that Derek didn't rescind his verbal claim. The last time he listened to his wolf, he had joined a shifter pack. The pain of leaving his mate behind was brutal, but he ignored it and tried to move on with his life.

"I was expecting you mate with another male," Derek finally whispered and Jackson kept his eyes on the asphalt of the parking lot. "I'm not sure how to feel about you trying to mate with a she-wolf. Why did you pick her? Was it because she could bear pups?"

Jackson closed his eyes. Pups had been mentioned. Sierra wanted a lot of them and Jackson didn't want them at all. He wasn't ready to be a father, since he was still a child himself. He wasn't mentally matured enough to handle youngsters. He could barely handle the pups of the alpha pair and the only reason he did was because they liked him and he didn't want to insult the alphas.

"She reminded me of Lydia. I know my memory has been removed from her, but I remember her and Sierra…" Jackson trailed off with a small smile. "Lydia was my first love and you never forget the first person to take your breath away." He sighed and rested against the car, making sure there was plenty of space between him and Derek. "You never forget the last, either."

He didn't want to discuss pups with anyone, much less Derek. If they mated, they would never be parents, unless they adopted. Jackson didn't want a family. He didn't want to adopt or choose a surrogate. Besides, he had an eternity to change his mind. He didn't understand why Sierra would take six months to say yes to accepting him, but then demand that he get her pregnant during her next heat cycle. She was a wolf that knew what she wanted.

"Why?"

Jackson winced at the betrayal in that one word. He clutched the box tighter, lowering his head even more. "You didn't give me much of a reason to believe you wanted me. You were a werewolf and your life span is significantly shorter than mine. I couldn't be around you if you didn't claim me. I couldn't watch you grow old and die, while I waited for you to make up your mind. I wasn't going to spend several decades listening to you deny me as your mate."

He raised his head and stared at the sky, ignoring Derek's eyes on him. He chose not to feel the pain of knowing his mate didn't want him. He never understood why that made him the bad guy in their situation. Derek hadn't done much to prove that he cared, aside from deny him, several times or claim that it was an accident.

"I wanted to be a werewolf so badly so I could be with you. And then the kanima thing happened and you decided that my death was better for all. I'm not saying you were wrong with that. But you didn't do much when I woke up as a werewolf. I was a lot of firsts for you. Your first bite. Your first failure. Your first murderer." Jackson smiled bitterly. "I was the first you marked as your mate."

Jackson glanced at Derek to see if he was still listening. The earth wolf was glaring at the ground and Jackson returned his eyes to the sky. Something he had said had clearly struck a nerve with Derek. The other shifter didn't appear ready to hear everything that Jackson had to say. The snow wolf didn't care. He was going to get it off his chest before it killed him to keep it all in.

"You were a few firsts for me, too. You were the first person I felt I could trust, but you made sure I couldn't come to you with my problems. You were the first person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but you made sure to let me know you had no feelings for me. You were my first alpha and I couldn't ignore that, despite how much I wanted to. You're the first and only person I've ever wanted to mate with so desperately that I would kill to have it."

Derek's eyes snapped to him. "That's a lie and you know it," he seethed. "You wanted to forget about me, which is why you wanted to mate with Sierra. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to have your mate reject you for another that isn't good enough?"

Jackson felt his own anger spike. "Do you have any idea how it feels to have your mate reject you time and time again? Do you have any idea how it feels to know your mate won't fight for you? Do you have any idea how it feels to know your mate doesn't want anything to do with you, when you need him the most?" He glared at Derek. "You weren't the only one hurt here."

"I promised never to leave you. I have kept that promise, Jackson. You were the one that left, because you couldn't be bothered waiting. If you weren't my mate, I would have killed you for toying with me as much as you did."

"I waited for you for over a year. The only time you took any notice of me was when I had done something stupid, which you would ream me out for. Then I became a wolf-shifter and you took a little more notice, but you still did nothing. Why did I have to put my life on hold for you?"

Derek snarled and Jackson stepped back from him. "It's always about you, isn't it?"

Jackson shook his head and stood his ground. "No. You've made it clear that what I want or need is irrelevant. When I wanted you, you didn't care. When I needed you, you ignored me until I could be of use to you and your cause." Jackson lowered his eyes, fighting back the tears. "I was the strongest, three years ago. You used me to take care of your problem, because you knew that I wanted to fit in so badly that I'd do anything without questioning it."

"Is that what you think happened three years ago?" Derek took a step forward, but stopped when Jackson glared at him. "I kept you close so that I could protect you. You always said that if you kept me safe, you would keep the pack safe. I almost attacked Vincent when he showed up at the clinic when the witches put that mirrus bug in you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Jackson."

Jackson shot Derek a dead look. "You don't trust me. And three years ago, you didn't fight to keep me here. I think there's a lot you wouldn't do for me."

"Three years ago, I was dying when you left! And be fair, you haven't given me much of a reason to trust you. You could have kept in contact with us. If it wasn't for our bond, I would have thought you were dead." Derek sighed and lowered his eyes for a moment. When he looked up, there was sorrow in the swirling depths. "Three years ago, I had to deal with the fact I was quite possibly the worst alpha to take over in Beacon Hills. Scott hasn't lost one member of his pack in three years. In two years, I lost three pack members."

Jackson tried to stay mad at Derek, but he found that his anger was turning on himself. He knew he was selfish and he never once stopped to think about what kind of pain Derek was going through at the deaths of Erica and Boyd. He wanted to apologize for everything he did, but he told himself that it was too late for apologies. There was nothing he could do to turn back the clock so he could ignore the call of the alpha.

He placed the box on top of the car and stepped closer to Derek. The earth wolf watched him with calculating eyes. Jackson swallowed and brought Derek's head down to his shoulder. He nuzzled Derek's unkempt hair, trying to offer some sort of comfort. Jackson always wanted to believe that he was a good person, but he proved he was the worst kind of person. He only cared about his own pain and ignored others that were going through worse.

"I'm sorry," he murmured as he stroked Derek's neck softly. His eyes widened when Derek's arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Don't ever leave me again, sýntrofos." Derek buried his face into Jackson's throat. "Please, please don't leave me. I don't think I would survive without you again."

Jackson felt the wash of emotions from the telepathy and their bond crash into him. He struggled to stay upright as he felt Derek's neediness for him; his love for him; the pain of him leaving. Jackson closed his eyes, sending back warmth and comfort. He didn't care what happened in the future, he would never leave Derek again. The first time had been hard enough. He doubted he could survive a second time without his mate.

"I'm not going anywhere, ever again, agápi mou. I will never leave you again." He held onto Derek protectively. He could feel someone watching them. He felt the way Derek's shoulders straightened slightly and knew he sensed it, too.

The gaze on them disappeared and Derek pulled back, glancing around the parking lot. Jackson looked at the alley behind Derek, frowning when he thought he saw glowing eyes in the shadows. He stepped around Derek, but paused before taking another step. He just promised he wouldn't leave him again and he was going to be damned if he broke that promise after thirty seconds. It would be a hell of a record, though.

Jackson moistened his lips, wincing. He forgot about chewing the skin off his lower lip. He tenderly touched his fingertips to it and gazed at the small spots of blood. He sighed and shook his head. He raised his eyes to the alley again and saw nothing. If someone had been there, they were gone and that worked fine for Jackson. He wasn't in the mood to get into a fight with someone or something.

He jumped slightly when he felt Derek's hand on his lower back. Derek pulled him towards the car, saying that they should head back before a search party is sent out. Jackson nodded slowly, tearing his eyes from the alley. He grabbed the box from the roof and slipped into the passenger seat. The drive back was relaxed and Jackson tilted his head back, smiling softly.

As soon they hit the forest, Derek floored the pedal. Jackson lost the smile and gripped the box tightly. "Jesus Christ! Have you got nitro in this thing?"

Derek glanced at him and smirked. "I might have tinkered with the engine a little." Jackson could feel a panic attack setting in. "Relax, I know what I'm doing."

Jackson crushed the box in his hands, unsure if he could move when Derek slowed down and parked beside Stiles' jeep. He shook as he reached for the handle and tried to get out of the car without undoing the seatbelt. Derek slammed a hand on his chest and undid the belt. Jackson leaned on the door heavily, waiting for the adrenaline to leave his body. He glared when Derek chuckled as he headed inside, swinging his keys.

When he could breathe again, Jackson closed the door and went inside. He went up to his room, pulling the pillows off the bed and setting them up on the floor. He looked at the metal bed frame and hoped he wouldn't break it as he attached the cuffs. He was going to be sleeping uncomfortably, but it was better than being outside and murdering people and animals. He sighed and sat on the pillows and cushions, gazing at the cuffs. That was his line of defense against whatever was happening to him.

He closed his eyes and leaned back into the warmth that appeared behind him. "Are you okay?" Derek asked, nuzzling the back of Jackson's neck.

"Aside from the fact that you almost scared the piss out of me, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all." Jackson blinked when Isaac lied down in front of him, grinning.

"Don't strain yourself, ómorfo agóri," he said and patted Jackson on the knee.

"How many of them know Greek?" Jackson asked as he glanced back at Derek. "You taught them this, didn't you?"

Derek widened his eyes in feigned innocence. "I would never teach them how to call you 'pretty boy' in every language I know," he replied with a purely wolfish grin.

Jackson looked at Isaac when he rattled the cuffs, pulling back as the silver reacted to his werewolf gene. "That's silver, Isaac."

With a nod, Isaac rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand and gazing at him and Derek. "So you two worked everything out? It was kind of a downer when you were fighting or not speaking to each other."

"You see?" Jackson said, gesturing towards Isaac. "This is what happens when we fight in front of the kids. They don't know whose side to take."

"Hey, I'm older than you," Isaac said with a small pout, moving to sit on the bed. "But seriously, have you two worked your shit out?"

Jackson looked back at Derek. Have we worked our shit out? Derek combed his fingers through Jackson's hair. Is there anything else you need to tell me? Jackson lowered his eyes, thinking over the last three years. He was fairly certain that the only thing worth mentioning was that he tried to mate with Sierra. Since that was out in the open, he shook his head.

Derek raised his eyes to Jackson. "Yeah, we've sorted out our shit."

"About time!" Malia said as she threw herself on the pillows. "It's been a tense week with you two fighting."

"I completely agree and I don't even know you," Liam remarked as he sat with his back to the bed. "I don't mean that in a bad way, man. All I know is that you left without saying anything and that was a pretty big dick move." He tilted his head back and gazed at the painted ceiling.

Jackson shrugged. He didn't take any offense to Liam's words. Hearing the story about how he abandoned the pack did make him out to be a dick and he wasn't going to deny that it was a dick move. He was just grateful that they were looking out for Derek. He looked over his shoulder to the door, waiting for Allison, Scott and Stiles to wander in.

"Where are the others?"

"Burying the animals," Malia said and rolled onto her stomach. She gazed at Jackson. "Are you okay? I mean, you turned vegetarian because you didn't want to kill animals."

Jackson tensed for a moment. He forced his body to relax and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Liar, Derek whispered in his mind as a hand slipped up his hoodie. You don't have to lie to us, Jackson. The snow wolf worked on his keep his heartbeat at a normal pace as Derek's hand moved over his abdomen. He felt his body reacting to the touch and pulled away from him, sitting beside Liam with his back to the bed and between Isaac's legs. His legs were hooked over Malia's and he got the old sense of belonging and pack.

He gazed at Derek, eyes dropping to the lips that were constantly surrounded by two day growth. He shook his head. "It's called a 'razor,' man. You might wanna invest in one."

"We've been telling him that for years," Liam said and nodded sagely. Jackson grinned and stroked his hair. He stopped when Derek glared at his hand.

"I did not realize there was a party happening up here."

Jackson's eyes lit up as he looked at the demon standing in the doorway. He was on his feet in an instant and hugged Tsuki tightly. The demon chuckled softly. Jackson felt someone hugging Tsuki around him and glanced at Malia. She was grinning brightly and her excitement was contagious. Jackson pulled back and Malia climbed onto Tsuki's back.

Derek stood and shook hands with Tsuki. Isaac bowed, greeting as him as 'my Prince,' with a small smirk. Tsuki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he moved into the room. Everyone took their positions up again, except Malia. She was more than happy to stay on Tsuki's back as he sat on the bed, beside Isaac.

It wasn't long after that that Vincent joined them, stretching his long body out on the pillows and cushions. Allison, Scott and Stiles came back a few minutes later. By that time, Derek had his head on Jackson's lap, gazing at the ceiling as the snow wolf stroked his hair. They sat or lounged in silence, just enjoying the feeling of being together. The other three said they were going to shower.

They returned ten minutes later, smelling a lot better. Allison joined Isaac, Tsuki and Malia on the bed, while Stiles and Scott lounged with Vincent. Jackson inhaled all the different scents and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He could happily fall asleep right here, if it wasn't for the fact that he was losing hours every night and needed to know why.

Everyone was feeling the same way. Just before all of them could let sleep claim them, Derek casually said, "So there's another wolf-shifter in town and she's bat-shit insane."

Everyone groaned and forced their brains to operate. Jackson sighed and moved his legs. He stood up and stretched, his spine cracking into place. Derek was also on his feet. The others slowly stood, grumbling about having to move. They went downstairs to the kitchen. Jackson sat on the breakfast counter, beside Liam as he watched the others sit at the table. He knew he would have to take the lead on the story.

He was the one that knew Sierra the best, since her parents were dead, along with her brother and sisters. "Her name is Sierra. Before the attack on the pack, she was a beta that was about to be kicked out to become an alpha. Now that she has no pack, she is an alpha wolf-shifter, which is probably why I wasn't able to kill her. An omega cannot kill an alpha in the shifter world." Jackson lowered his eyes, frowning. He was berating himself for not thinking of that sooner.

"And why would she be on the war path towards us, more specifically towards you?" Stiles asked as he grabbed a chocolate chip cookie.

Jackson blinked as one appeared in his hand. "She was the wolf that I was intended to mate with, before the attack happened. I guess she still thinks I'm hers and she will want to fight Derek to the death for me. If that is the reason why she's angry. She could just be angry that I tried to kill her because she was tripping on poison." He shrugged and handed his cookie to Liam when he noticed the werewolf staring at it.

"She has an entire pack to take on," Scott said as he leaned on the table. "She isn't going to take you or Derek down. We won't let that happen."

Jackson sighed, wanting desperately to believe what Scott saying. "You don't understand, McCall. She's a shifter. She has magic, strength and speed on her side. She will destroy you and any other werewolf that gets in her way. If she does want a fight, I'm the one that should go against her." He raised his head and smirked cockily. "She trained me, after all."

"You're not taking her on," Scott stated and narrowed his eyes.

"Derek isn't gonna any match for her! She was raised, lived and trained with shifters her entire life. If anyone has any shot at taking her down, it is me. I can weaken her enough for Derek to go in for the kill shot. He's an alpha, after all."

"He has a point," Vincent said as he stirred his peppermint tea. He didn't look up when everyone, minus Tsuki, turned their eyes to him. "Jackson spent three years in a shifter pack. He should do it."

"Did you snort cocaine before you got back here?" Stiles demanded and shook his head. "Derek was raised as a werewolf. He knows how to fight. Jackson is pretty much a badass with a lacrosse stick in his hand and in a championship game."

Jackson's eyes widened. "Stilinski, I will show you how much of a badass I am if you don't shut up." He fought the blush back as he glared at the human. "I can still kick McCall's ass."

"None of us were there to see it, so it doesn't count." Stiles grinned and Jackson jumped off the counter. "Hey, I'm a human!"

"And if I rip your throat out, you'll be a dead human." Jackson grinned, hoping Stiles would realize he was only joking. He didn't really need to defend his fighting skills, but if Stiles wanted to see what he was like, he had no problem showcasing a few moves.

Derek kicked out Jackson's knee as he stood and slammed his mate's face into the table. Jackson cried out, resting his arms on the table. He looked up and saw Stiles smirking knowingly. Jackson waited until Derek was behind him, before he stood and elbowed the other shifter in the eye. He spun around, kneed him in the ribs, punched him hard enough to crack his jaw and cheek and then moved behind him. He kicked out Derek's knee and held his jaw in his hands.

"From here, I can snap his neck and leave him completely defenseless. Any questions?" Jackson stared directly into Stiles' astonished eyes.

"Isn't he your mate?" Malia asked.

Jackson released Derek's head, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Yes, he is. We have a mutual understanding when it comes to examples."

"I don't have a question, more of a statement. If you two are ever gonna have sex, get a hotel room." Stiles shook his head, grabbing another cookie.

Jackson rolled his eyes, snatching the cookie from Stiles' hand before it reached his mouth. He was back on the breakfast counter before Stiles knew what had happened. Not even Scott was able to keep up with his movements. He smirked and bit into the cookie, reveling in look of horror on Stiles' face childishly. He caught the look from Derek and sighed, apologizing to Stiles, but also mentioning that it was part of the lesson.

"What was? She's gonna steal my cookie, just like you did? I think I can live without one cookie in my life." Stiles glared and grabbed the last cookie on the plate. It came as no surprise when the plate was replenished with cookies.

Jackson lowered eyes for a moment. "How badly did you wanna have kids, Stilinski?" he asked and raised his eyes, gazing at the human blankly. Stiles choked on the cookie. "Yeah, she'll take those cookies if you get in her way." He hopped off the counter and approached the table. "Just remember that werewolves are nothing compared shifters. They're more dangerous, more vicious and have less shame. They'll attack those you care about, so I suggest all of you find a way of getting your parents together in one room and keeping an eye on them." He left the house, announcing he was going for a run.

oOo

Derek stood on the porch, a cup of coffee in his hand. He was upwind from Vincent as the dragon lit another cigarette. It had been seven hours since Jackson said he was going for a run. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem. However, since Sierra made herself known around town, Derek was more than a little worried. He knew that Jackson could hide his scent, so tracking him down wasn't an option.

Through their link as mates, he could sense that Jackson was still within the forest. He didn't want to hunt down the snow wolf, though. They had only just gotten over their trust issues and he wasn't about to jeopardize that. He sighed and placed the mug on the railing. He plucked the cigarette from Vincent's lips and pulled in a long drag. He frowned at the cigarette. He wasn't expecting Vincent to be a menthol smoker.

He handed the smoke back, but Vincent wrinkled his nose. "I don't want your cooties," he said and pulled out another one.

Derek gazed at him. Vincent was staring into the trees, his eyes flicking from side to side every so often, as though he could see something moving out there. Derek followed his gaze and saw nothing out there. He wasn't sure how good a dragon's eye sight was, though. He knew that Vincent held onto the belief that dragons were far better than wolves. Knowing that Vincent could burn him to a cinder in a matter of seconds, Derek wasn't ready to test him.

Jackson came running out of the trees, slowing to a trot before he shifted into his human form at the foot of the steps. His eyes landed on the cigarette in Derek's hand and he cocked an eyebrow. He went inside without saying anything. Derek pulled in one more lungful and then crushed it out, following Jackson to the kitchen. He watched as the snow wolf downed a bottle of water and then grabbed a bowl of fruit from the fridge.

Derek leaned against the breakfast counter, watching as Jackson bit into a peach. He wiped the juice from his chin with his thumb. "You had us worried. You didn't go looking for her, did you?"

Jackson swallowed the fruit. "I wanted to," he admitted and took another bit of the peach. He chewed quickly and swallowed, glancing at Derek. "Is there something on my face?"

Derek took hold of Jackson's jaw and licked his chin. Jackson tensed, but he didn't pull away, so Derek took that as a good sign. He nuzzled Jackson's cheek, watching as his pupils started to dilate. He wanted so badly to kiss the snow wolf, but he pulled back and let him finish eating. Jackson cleared his throat and finished the peach quickly, making sure he wiped his chin every time he took a bite. Derek tried not to growl about that.

Jackson moved onto the grapes, placing them to his mouth before sliding the fruit in. He glanced at Derek innocently each time. Derek growled in the back of his throat. He wanted to know why Jackson was playing with him; teasing him. It wouldn't end well. Derek finally ended up looking away, knowing now wasn't the right time to claim his mate entirely.

Derek's ears twitched and Jackson's back went rigid. Derek told Jackson to come in from the side of the house. Jackson nodded and walked out the backdoor stealthily. Derek went to the front door and opened it, gazing at the gray wolf that was sitting halfway between the steps and the tree line. Derek frowned and walked down the stairs. It wasn't Sierra and his eyes widened as the wolf howled and ran towards him.

Jackson tackled the wolf before it got within two feet of Derek. Blinking, Derek watched with morbid curiosity as Jackson tore into the wolf. That wasn't the same Jackson that Derek had dominated three nights earlier. This Jackson was vicious, fast and almost deadly. Peter was thrown into a tree, a small yelp of pain leaving his mouth as he slumped to the ground.

Peter's gray coat was stained with blood and Derek could smell the fear. The sound of two wolves fighting had woken everyone. Scott was the first down, watching as Jackson advanced on Peter, head lowered and snarling. Derek wasn't sure if he wanted Jackson to back off, but was dead serious about not getting between Jackson as his prey. Peter might have been broader and taller by three inches, but that didn't seem to matter to Jackson.

Peter got to his feet and charged at Jackson. The snow wolf stood his ground, his teeth sinking into the ribs of the fire wolf. Scott moved forward to stop them, but Derek held his arm out. Despite still being injured, Jackson wasn't letting Peter get any attacks in. Three years with a wolf pack had done the snow wolf a world of good.

However, when Derek noticed that Jackson was toying with Peter, he shifted and stepped between the fighting pair. Jackson was biting and tearing out chunks of fur and flesh for the sake of causing him pain with no intention of making him submit. Peter had tried to submit twice. Jackson growled at him, wanting him out of the way. Derek stood in front of his uncle protectively and snapped his teeth at Jackson. It didn't go the way he wanted it to.

Jackson stared at him, no sign of backing down. Derek had no idea what Peter had done to Jackson to make the snow wolf hate him, but he would find out when the time was right. He moved faster than Jackson expected and took hold of his throat, pinning the white wolf down. Jackson tilted his head back and Derek pulled back slightly, nuzzling it gently.

"That's sweet and all," Stiles said as he stood beside Scott. "But what is he doing back here?"

Derek looked at his uncle and shifted back to his human form. He shrugged. "I have no idea. He just showed up. I think he was going to say something, until someone attacked him." He shot a glare at Jackson. The snow wolf snuffled and licked his still injured right leg.

Scott approached Peter cautiously, unsure of how the fire wolf was going to react. He knelt beside the barely breathing animal and then glanced back at Jackson. There was no remorse for what he had done. Derek ordered Jackson to shift and he did. Derek punched him the minute he raised his head, sending him to the ground. Jackson blinked and gazed at him, tilting his head in confusion.

If you ever attack someone like that again, I will put you down, Derek warned and went over to Peter. He picked up the fire wolf, ignoring the hurt in Jackson's eyes. He took Peter to the room he claimed when the transition was taking place, laying him on the bed. He shouted out for Scott to call Deaton and get him over there quickly. He created the medical supplies he needed, thinking back to the way that Jackson had moved.

He disinfected the bites and claw marks. Jackson was beyond brutal with Peter. He would have gone in for the kill, after he had finished toying with him. Derek sighed as he tried to stop the bleeding. He glanced at the door when he heard someone enter. Jackson stood there, shame and guilt on his face as he gazed at Peter.

"Get out."

Jackson flinched, but ignored Derek and approached the bed. "Deaton won't get here in time to save him."

Derek's eyes widened as Jackson took hold of Peter's leg and concentrated. He tried to break the connection, but he found himself pinned to a wall, cuffed at the wrists and ankles with ice. His eyes flashed green and wood cracked the binds. He was pinned to the wall with a ring of ice around his neck and he realized that Jackson was going to continuously pin him down. He watched as the wounds appeared on Jackson's pale body.

A pained gasp left his mouth and he stumbled back. Derek broke the ice and checked on Peter, seeing that he was fine. By the time he turned to Jackson, the snow wolf was stumbling down the hall to his room. The door slammed shut and Derek shook his head. Someone needed to be with him, but he had to interrogate his uncle first.

"I got it," Vincent called as he walked into Jackson's room. He was thrown out a second later and the door slammed shut.

Derek watched as Tsuki walked through the wall, blinking. Well, that wasn't something one saw everyday. Derek shook his head and placed a hand to Peter's ribs, ignoring the blood on his hands. The heartbeat was steady and strong. Derek pulled back and figured he was tired from his travel there and the fight. If it could be called that. Peter was pretty abysmal for the duration of it.

Shaking his head, Derek stood and leapt over the banister. He went to the kitchen as the others had gathered in there. Scott would be worried about the safety of his pack and Derek honestly didn't blame him. He was having serious doubts about having Jackson around, especially if his uncle provoked that kind of a response from him. It wasn't the best example of how wolf-shifters fought, but it seemed to do the trick. Malia and Liam appeared terrified of the sight of him.

"I'm not crazy," Derek said as he grabbed a bottle of water from the counter. "And neither is Jackson."

"We know he's not crazy," Liam said slowly and raised his eyes. "He's murderous. There's a difference between the two and we all know that. It's a pity. He seemed like such a cool wolf to hang out with. Instead, he's just a murderer that likes toying with his food."

Vincent slapped Liam across the back of the head. "Bite your tongue, boy. That's my ward you're talking so lowly of. I know his heart and mind better than anyone in this room. Yes, that includes you too, Derek. That wasn't him fighting Peter."

Liam rubbed his head, glaring at the dragon, but didn't say anything further about Jackson's mental status, which Derek was grateful for. However, it made him feel better knowing that it wasn't Jackson that decided Peter was a decent chew toy. He glanced at Vincent guiltily. He had thought that Jackson had gone off the deep end, too. He wasn't proud of the fact, but he didn't know what to think when he thought back to the fight.

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Honestly, think about what he was like before he made the biggest dick move of his life and left." Vincent glanced at all of them. "He took a clip of bullets for Allison and – and – him." He pointed at Stiles.

"Yeah, he did that. But then he ran away and left us alone." Isaac lowered his eyes. "He left all of us. Not even you knew he was going to do that." He stared at Vincent.

"Not knowing and not disclosing his plans are two different things, Isaac," Vincent said sagely.

Derek rolled his eyes. "What a crock of shit, you isolated bastard. Before he took those bullets, he also tore into the leader of the witches. He's vicious when he needs to be. If it wasn't him that was fighting Peter out there, who was it?"

Vincent stared at him in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're joking, right?" When Derek frowned, Vincent's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He looked at the others and shook his head. "I'm working with retards!"

Derek pursed his lips. "It looked like Jackson and it smelled like Jackson. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck, clearly it's a fucking duck!" he snapped and narrowed his eyes.

"Another alternative is that it's a snow wolf that had his mind taken over by another of his kind and was then forced to fight your uncle to death. Is that clear enough for you? Dear god, I didn't think that wolves were this stupid." The entire pack growled at the dragon. "None of you have done anything to show me your intelligence. Wanna know how I know? My ward is upstairs, basically bleeding to death for something he didn't do."

Derek opened the bottle of water and drank half the contents. "Who was controlling him, then? I've never heard of anything being able to do that." He paused and thought back to when he met Mark in the pub. The way the alpha moved to stand in front of Tsuki before Liam swung the chair. "Except Tsuki."

"Trust me; the Prince isn't responsible for what happened to Jackson." Vincent glanced at the vacant eyes of the wolves and the human in the room. "Fuck me! It was Sierra, you idiots!"

End Chapter V.

Thanks for reading. I also apologize if the story isn't making much sense. I'm currently riding a massive high of painkillers thanks to a cracked tooth and some other stuff for a sinus infection. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one should be up shortly!

R/A/F if you please!

Until the next one!

Peace.

Auska.