~Breathing Angel Style~
By: Aerys Krystie.
Derek watched as Jackson raided the mini bar. He caught the can of soda that was thrown at him and checked the price on the menu. Eight dollars a can, he would demand that there was actual cocaine in the damn drink. However, since he wasn't footing the bill, he assumed that was Jackson's line of thought as the snow wolf jumped on the bed with a bag of potato chips hanging from his mouth. Aside from that, he created a bowl of fresh fruit.
Jackson laid his head on Derek's thigh, gazing at the ceiling. Derek cracked the can and wrinkled his nose. Cola had always smelled odd to him when he was a werewolf. Now that his nose was even more sensitive, it smelled worse. Jackson held up a chip to him and Derek took it. He ate it and took a swig of the drink, staring down at Jackson. He still couldn't believe that he was the first one to say those words. Derek truly thought he would be the first one to say he loved Jackson.
Derek ran his fingers through Jackson's hair, which made the other look at him and grin. Jackson didn't seem bothered that Derek hadn't repeated the words. Derek wasn't sure when he was able to say them, especially after what he saw in Jackson's soul. He saw that black spot in his soul. It was a mark he had never known about. He never thought that Jackson would have that kind of savagery in him. There had to be something with his real parents that Derek didn't know about.
He always knew that Jackson had some kind of stain on his soul. He just had no idea if he came before or after the kanima escapade. Derek sincerely hoped that it came from the murders and that Jackson didn't always have that there. However, Jackson seemed to know it was there, which explained his masks. He wanted to keep it hidden from everyone. He knew that wasn't who he was and he fought to keep it away.
Derek ran his thumb between Jackson's eyebrows, down his nose and finally ran it over his full lips. As much as he wanted to dedicate all of his time thinking about Jackson, Derek found his mind wandering to Sierra and the new girl that was staying in his home. He honestly didn't care what Vincent said. The house belonged to Hales and would continue to belong to the Hales. He didn't care whose name was on the deed. He didn't care who fixed it up and made it a home again.
As such, he didn't like the fact that Sarah was there. There was something strange about that girl and it had nothing to do with what happened to her parents. She hadn't reacted the best way to Jackson and had tried to hurt him. Scott and the others took pity on her and wanted to keep her safe from Sierra, since the she-wolf supposedly chased Sarah into the forest. There was no evidence of that, except for Sarah's irrational response to Jackson's eyes.
Jackson straddled Derek's thighs and gazed at him. Derek blinked and smiled at him, loving that adorably confused crease between his eyebrows. It was difficult for Jackson to hide anything from him now, since he had bared his soul. Derek leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jackson's tenderly for a moment. He knew Jackson wanted to know what he was thinking without going into his mind. Derek wasn't sure he was ready to start with his insane conspiracies.
Who was he to question some girl that just lost her parents? Derek sat back again, frowning as he remembered what the Sheriff told him. The girl's parents were stabbed to death. That wasn't Sierra's MO in the slightest. The girl's house had no significant meaning to Jackson, so no one would think of him. Sierra was also freezing the veins of her victims before she tore out their throats. Not once had she stabbed her victims.
Derek had gone into Sarah's mind, simply because he didn't trust her. Either she was the master of repressing memories or she was innocent in the deaths of her parents. There was no memory of her doing the act of stabbing each one nineteen times. However, it was even less likely that Beacon Hills would have a serial killer in their midst. The one thing he did know for certain was that he would have to fight Sierra to the death for Jackson.
The snow wolf had rolled off of him and was lying on the bed, eating strawberries. Derek's eyes were drawn to the dark mark on Jackson's throat; the bite. He still hadn't properly claimed Jackson as his and he wouldn't until he didn't have to fight someone for him. Jackson seemed happy to show off the bite, though. Derek knew he was sporting an identical mark on his throat, but he really didn't care if the others knew what they had done. His scent was strong on Jackson and they knew what he had been denying for a while.
Derek only needed to wait for Sierra to approach him and demand his blood. The bed was cleared of all food items and drinks. Jackson was dressed in a pair of white boxers and he crawled under the covers, telling Derek not to stay up too late. Derek stared at him and then leaned down, pushing his tongue into Jackson's mouth and tasting the strawberries. They were exceptionally sweet. Derek smirked as he pulled away and Jackson's mouth followed his.
He told his mate to go to sleep and Jackson pouted, but stretched under the covers and then rested his head on Derek's abdomen. He was asleep instantly and Derek raised an eyebrow. He had no idea how Jackson did it, but he was grateful that at least one of them was going to get some sleep that night. He still had to figure out how they got to the hotel room. He had no doubt that Tsuki had a hand to play in the matter; he just needed to know why. It wasn't as though they were going to disrupt too many people.
Jackson was surprisingly quiet during the sex. Derek truly believed he was a screamer. He hadn't uttered Derek's name once during the penetration, which Derek found strange. Of course, he hadn't said Jackson's name, so it was only fair. He smirked as he remembered the way Jackson's back arched when he came. He already knew that Jackson was a lot more flexible than anyone knew or would have thought.
Derek's mind wandered to the picture that Stiles had snapped of him and Jackson. He really didn't like the fact that he looked sad in it or the fact that it had upset Jackson so much. He knew that Jackson had no plans on leaving them again, but the same could be said for what happened three years ago. The pack finally accepted Jackson completely and he ran off the first chance he got. Derek knew he was to blame for that. This time he didn't plan on denying Jackson ever again. Yet how could he be certain that Jackson wouldn't leave for another reason?
It was the uncertainties in life that were killing Derek. He wanted to know for sure if Jackson would stay and be his mate. Jackson moaned softly and rolled away from Derek, as though sensing that the earth wolf didn't want him around. Derek frowned when he thought about what Tsuki said when his body was undergoing the change. The demon had said that he would push Jackson away. It was something he did without thinking, apparently.
Derek sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands through his hair and resting them on his neck. He couldn't believe that the two with the unlimited insecurities would be mates. He figured at least one of them would be stable. Both of them had severe family issues, which was probably the reason why they were always drawn to each other. Derek never expected those issues with Jackson to lead him into becoming a murdering lizard, though.
He stood and opened the balcony doors, stepping out. He frowned as snow fell lightly and could hear others talking about it. They were in the last month of summer. He had to admit that the cooler weather was welcomed, but he wanted to know why Sierra was messing with their weather patterns. He looked down at the street and found her. She was staring up at him, a malicious grin on her pretty face. He could just make out the scar on her neck and he sighed, standing back.
Derek looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. Jackson had spread out in the bed, taking up as much room as possible. He turned his attention back to Sierra, but she had moved on. The snow continued to fall and Derek leaned against the railing, gazing up at the sky. He honestly had no idea how he was meant to fight in the snow. He had a hard enough time doing that with Jackson and Jackson wasn't really looking forward to making him bleed.
He touched the mark on his throat, turning his back to the world as he stared into the room. His ears twitched when he heard Scott howling, wanting him to return to the house. Jackson groaned and lifted his head, gazing out the window. Derek was going to kill Scott for waking him up. There didn't seem to be an emergency, aside from the fact that they had vanished suddenly. Derek was almost certain Tsuki would have told them where they were.
Scott howled again, demanding everyone returned to the house. Derek sighed and locked eyes with Jackson. He nodded and Jackson stretched, throwing back the covers as Derek walked inside. He ran his hands over Jackson's shoulders and pulled him close, enjoying the coolness of his body. It wasn't entirely unnatural like snow in summer. They pulled apart when they heard Malia howl from outside the hotel. The people were shocked to see a coyote standing in the street.
Jackson smirked and ran to the balcony. He jumped over the railing and Derek shook his head. He followed his mate and shifted into his animal form, landing beside other canines. The people didn't know what to think and Derek couldn't give them a reason to call the Sheriff. They ran through the streets, weaving between people and cars as they made their way to the forest.
He and Jackson didn't run as fast as they could, not wanting to leave Malia behind. In a way, she reminded Derek a little like Laura and he adored her. She was surprisingly together despite being on her own for so long. She pushed herself harder and overtook the shifters. Jackson scoffed and increased his speed a little, easily passing her. Derek wasn't going to be drawn into the competitive nature of the pair. He knew it was in good fun, if their laughs were anything to go by.
The three of them made it back to the house and Jackson shifted, grinning in victory at Malia. She walked past and punched his arm. Jackson raised eyebrow and huffed. Malia's hair fluffed up and looked like she had stuck her tongue into a power socket. She spun around, her eyes flashing blue as Jackson laughed and ran into the house, calling for Vincent. Malia shouted that it wasn't fair to bring his keeper into their fight.
Derek shook his head as he heard their shouts. He could also hear their thumping feet as they ran around the house. Derek shook the snow from his jacket and stepped onto the porch. He brushed the flakes from his hair and glanced back. Scott ran up to the porch and stared at Derek, frowning at the mark on his throat. The alpha raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment on it. That took Derek by surprise. He really was expecting some remark.
"What's the emergency?" Derek asked as he turned to look out over the front lawn. He frowned when he thought he saw something shimmering between the trees.
"Sierra talked to me. At least, I think it was her. I know for a fact that she's the only female wolf-shifter in the area." Scott followed Derek's gaze, tilting his head as he tried to find what was so interesting out there. "She said to warn you that she'll be here at dawn."
Derek turned his eyes to Scott, the crease between his eyes deepening. That didn't make any sense. Why would she tell Scott that? It would have been easier to just warn him directly. She was planning something. There had to be more to the warning than just that she would be there at dawn. Derek was expecting that it would be happening soon. Granted, dawn was sooner than he expected, but it wasn't unexpected.
"What else did she say?"
Scott adjusted the weight on his feet for a moment, lowering his eyes. "She warned me and the others that if we get involved, she'll kill us all. She made that obvious when she poisoned Peter's mind and had Danny attempt suicide. She told Vincent to stay out of the fight if he cared anything about Jackson or he would meet an untimely death." He looked up and Derek could smell the fear on him. "Wolf-shifters are assholes."
Derek stood to the side as Jackson came running out the front door. On the last step, he was spear tackled by Malia and pinned to the snow covered ground. Malia was demanding an apology and for Jackson to fix her hair. Jackson was still chuckling as he rolled her over and got to his feet, saying he would do nothing and take her nowhere. Malia narrowed her eyes.
Before Derek could soothe the situation, Vincent showed up and told both Jackson and Malia to sit. Both of them fell to their asses and Jackson winced, still not fully recovered from the rough fucking he got earlier. Vincent stood between the pair and glared at Jackson, not taking any pity on the snow wolf despite the pain. No words were spoken until Jackson blushed and lowered his head. He mumbled an apology to Malia and fixed her hair.
Derek shook his head. He saw the way that Scott was squinting at Jackson's throat. The alpha's eyes widened and he turned to Derek. Placing a hand over Scott's mouth, Derek glared into Scott's warm eyes. He warned him not to say anything or mention it, or he wouldn't have to worry about Sierra exacting her revenge. Scott nodded and pulled his head back, grinning.
I'm just glad he's no longer releasing that pheromone. Do you have any idea how hard it was to ignore him? Scott watched as Vincent continued to scold the shifter and were-coyote mentally, ignoring the glare from Derek. He tilted his head and said he would kill to know what was being said. Derek shook his head for the third time in under five minutes and flinched at the threat that Vincent gave Malia. She whimpered and shook her head, saying she wouldn't chase Jackson again.
Scott straightened his posture when Vincent turned his eyes to him. Derek smirked and went inside. Now that he wasn't the alpha, he was grateful to be away from Vincent's scrutinizing gazes and all of his less-than-helpful tips when it came to keeping the pack under control. He went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea, sitting down at the table and gazing at Tsuki. The demon was going through a file as he ate a large club sandwich.
The file was dropped and Derek couldn't help but look at it. He was curious as to what Tsuki did in his downtime, when he wasn't helping them out with doppelgangers, druids, xylomancers and a psychotic ex that wanted to murder everyone in her sight. He frowned at the language on the paper and recognized it as Latin, but that was all he could tell about it. He raised his eyes to Tsuki. The demon was finishing his sandwich and then gazed directly at Derek.
"Lucifer has me on soul inventory in Hell," he said as though it wouldn't raise a thousand and one questions as to what it entailed, why he had to do it and what the point of it was. Then there were the questions on what the different inventories were. "Anyway, you had questions for me?"
"I – Huh." Derek closed his mouth and shrugged. All he could focus on was the soul inventory that Tsuki was performing, while on earth. "Those questions are nothing compared – What the hell is 'soul inventory'?"
Tsuki blinked. "I am doing an inventory of all the souls in Hell."
Again, the way he said it was as though it wouldn't raise questions. Derek frowned and sat back, curious on why Tsuki was doing that. Mark had said that Tsuki was near the top of the chain of command. Why would he be doing grunt work? Tsuki gazed at him indifferently, as though waiting for the inquiries to come flying from his mouth. Derek wasn't sure how much information Tsuki would divulge, since he wasn't that open when it came to his role in Hell.
"What the hell is 'soul inventory'?" Derek asked again. He knew he should be a little more specific with what he wanted to know, but couldn't get over the title of it.
"It is an inventory of souls," Tsuki explained slowly, as though trying to explain basic math to a toddler. Derek narrowed his eyes at the tone. "I am not going to answer questions that are not asked. There is only so many ways I can explain what 'soul inventory' is before I start repeating myself." The demon stood and took his plate to the sink.
"All right. So what do you do when you do a soul inventory?" Derek saw Tsuki raise an eyebrow. "And don't you dare say you're taking an inventory of souls. If you say that, I will beat the shit out of you." Tsuki cocked his head to the side and Derek instantly regretted those words. "You can read my mind, man. You know exactly what I want to know."
"Reading someone's mind is a gross invasion of privacy," Tsuki stated as he returned to his seat and flipped through the pages in the file. "When an inventory is taken, it basically means to make sure that the amount is correct and that they are where they should be. If someone needs to have their liver pecked out every night, but they are currently being whipped, then I need to rectify the situation before the ruler discovers the mishap." He scribbled something on a sheet and raised his head. "Your uncle will not be having his liver pecked out."
"That's very… Ancient Greece of you."
"Why mess with perfection? Did you know that re-growing a liver over night is just as painful as having it pecked out by an eagle?" Tsuki raised his eyebrows for a moment before his face went blank again.
"So why are you doing this, instead of some lower level demon?" Derek finished his tea and sat back, watching as Tsuki's eyes went back and forth over the page. "From what I heard about you, this stuff sorta seems beneath you."
"My father feels that I should be punished. He seems to forget that I enjoy doing inventory. Every time he does, he misplaces at least a few thousand souls. Then there are the genocides that happen where people are dying faster than we can place them and we accidently misplace a few." Tsuki shrugged and made another note on the page.
Derek watched as the wording changed every time Tsuki made a note. That was a good way to cut back on paper. "Why does your father have so much sway over the ruler of Hell?"
"Because he does."
Derek raised an eyebrow. That was the first time that Tsuki had spoken in a sentence fragment. The tone of voice told the wolf-shifter to drop the subject. Deciding that he liked living, Derek did drop the subject about Tsuki's father. Apparently, family was a touchy subject for everyone that lived in the Hale house, or almost everyone. Vincent didn't speak much about his family, except when he disappeared to visit his nephews.
"So my uncle did sell his soul to you?" Derek wasn't sure if was confidential under the cloak of an on-going contract, but he would be damned if he wasn't going to get some answers about what Peter had done three years ago.
"Would it make you feel better to know that there will be a Reaper in this house in six years, three months, nine days, fourteen hours, thirty-eight minutes and…twelve seconds from now?"
Derek blinked. What else could he possibly do? He now knew down to the second when his uncle was going to die. He had no idea how he was meant to react to that. He doubted anyone knew how to react to that. So he stared at the demon that was ignoring him. He sat back and refreshed his tea, really at a loss for words. He wasn't sure what worried him more – the fact that he knew the time of his uncle's demise or that there would be a Reaper in the house.
"I'm at a loss for words," Derek finally admitted and Tsuki nodded, not taking his eyes off of the page in front of him.
"That is good," he said softly. "If you did have something to say, it would make you a terrible, terrible person."
Derek nodded slowly, deciding to leave the demon alone. He had no idea how many souls Hell had and he didn't particularly want to know, either. He knew it would be a lot and that Tsuki had his work cut out for him. He was grateful when he heard some hideous scream from upstairs and Stiles exclaimed as his heart hammered in his chest. The other laughed and Derek stood, excusing himself to find out what the hell was happening.
He found them in the bedroom that Isaac had claimed. They were sitting in front of a computer, laughing and ribbing each other. They stopped and cleared their throats when they realized that Derek was watching them. Stiles was the first to try and blame Isaac for the game they were playing, but Derek held his hand up. He really didn't have time to deal with their antics, especially since they were going to blame the other.
"Just turn down the volume and try not to scream like girls the next time you get scared."
Derek walked off, hearing Stiles scoff. He had no idea what game they were playing where someone would have a mutated scream that made his wolf shudder and he didn't want to know. As long as they kept it down, since others were trying to sleep, all would be well. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and glanced at the door. He could hear Scott and Malia in the kitchen, talking to Tsuki about what he was doing. Jackson and Vincent were on the front porch.
"How long have you had it?"
"Since the first murder." Jackson sighed and Derek looked out the door. The snow wolf had his arms crossed on the railing, pulling the jeans tighter around his ass. "I never wanted it, but I got it. Tsuki said that every soul that's taken a life has a black mark on it. Is that true?"
"The Prince knows more about souls than anyone I've ever met. If he says that's the reason why you have the black mark, then he isn't lying. You'll find that he's extremely truthful when he wants to be." Vincent turned his head slightly and gazed at Derek from the corner of his eye. "Even when he's interrogated about subjects he doesn't want to talk about."
"I didn't mean to force it out of him," Jackson continued, staring out at the trees. "But I had to know. I needed to know if I was hell bound. I suppose it's a good thing I know that I am."
Vincent turned his head towards Jackson. "You aren't hell bound for something that was out of your control, Jax. While most supernatural creatures don't see in shades of gray, the Prince is one of those that do. He won't let you go to hell for something like wasn't your fault."
Derek eagerly awaited Jackson's response. He had told Jackson several times that he wasn't responsible for the murders that the kanima committed. Jackson never seemed to believe it, though. Derek wasn't entirely sure, but he was almost certain he would lose his shit if Jackson agreed with Vincent. It just wasn't fair for the snow wolf to believe the dragon when he had said the same words so many times before.
"I am responsible," Jackson whispered and lowered his eyes. "I begged for the bite. Derek gave it to me to either shut me up or kill me, which in turn would shut me up. Dear god, I did things with that wolf that night that I'm fairly certain was illegal in this State." He shook his head and turned his back to the trees, frowning when he saw Derek.
"There were things you did tonight that were probably illegal, as well."
Jackson blushed and Derek glared at the back of Vincent's head. What happened that night and the night of the bite were secret to everyone except them. He was surprised that Jackson remembered the night of the bite. He never mentioned it again, but that could have been because he was too busy being used as a puppet to even think about it. Somehow, it was nice to know that Jackson never forgot what they did and how Derek made him scream.
Back then, Derek had abused him simply because he could. The same thing had happened a few hours ago, as well. The only difference was he didn't dump Jackson's body in the river and Jackson said he loved Derek. The earth wolf had no idea if that was the only kind of love Jackson expected from him or if it was because that was the only kind of love he thought he deserved. Either way, it was something that Derek had to change.
Vincent put out his cigarette and went inside. Derek took his position beside Jackson, placing a hand on Jackson's abdomen to keep him from following the dragon. Jackson glanced up at him and Derek lowered his head, pressing his lips to Jackson's. The snow wolf pulled back, blinking. Derek pulled him closer. Jackson kissed Derek's throat, inhaling his scent.
"Jackson," Derek started as he ran his hands through his mate's hair. "I was told that I have a bad habit of pushing you away. I just want to know that you're going to continue to push forward with me when I do that." He pulled back slightly and tilted Jackson's head up. "I also want you to know that I'm not going to lose to Sierra. You are mine."
"Kai eíste orycheío," Jackson murmured, gazing into Derek's eyes. "Don't forget that part. As much as I'm yours, you're also mine." He smiled, turning his head slightly to kiss Derek's wrist, glancing at the mark on Derek's throat for a moment. He leaned forward and kissed the bite.
"Jackson," Derek sighed, holding Jackson's head to his throat. "Tha eímai pánta dikós sas." He closed his eyes, feeling his lower region react to Jackson's tongue and lips. It didn't help when the snow wolf's hand moved to his crotch and started rubbing his hardening cock. "We shouldn't be doing this here."
Jackson stood back and smirked, glancing around. Derek knew they were completely alone, but he wasn't going to do anything sexual with Jackson on the front porch. "We're alone, Derek. C'mon, let me just have this one fantasy."
Derek's eyebrows went up. "Having sex on the front porch of my home is a fantasy of yours?" He couldn't believe that.
"Well, sex can come later." Jackson undid the buckle on the belt. He popped the button and smirked. "Right now, I really just want to blow you on the front porch," he whispered softly, kissing Derek gently and then dropping to his knees.
Derek glanced around, even though he couldn't hear anyone anywhere near them. He gripped the railing tightly as his cock was exposed. Jackson sucked him to full hardness. "God fuck, Jackson," he murmured and tried not to fuck his mouth.
His eyes rolled back a little as Jackson took all of him into his mouth and down his throat. He lowered his head and watched as his mate pleasured him on the front porch. He needed to keep vigilant, though. The last thing they needed was to be caught like that. He cursed again and gripped the railing tighter, hearing the wood splintering under his grip. The speed increased a little and Jackson pulled back, running his tongue along the underside and swirling it around the head, eyes on Derek.
The length disappeared into Jackson's mouth again, setting a fast pace. Derek felt Jackson grip his hips to brace himself as his neck rolled. Again, Jackson pulled back, wrapping his fingers around Derek's cock, jerking it fiercely as suckled on the head, tongue playing with the slit and Derek exhaled sharply, wanting nothing more than to fuck Jackson's mouth. He forced his body not to react. He wasn't going to take advantage of him again.
Derek inhaled deeply as Jackson took him in again, humming softly. Jackson lowered his eyes for a moment and then looked up with such malicious innocence that Derek wanted to come right then and there. Jackson knew he wanted to as his pace quickly and the humming got stronger. Derek held off as long as he could. He was moments from exploding when he heard footsteps towards the door. They passed by the door and went towards the kitchen.
"Jackson – fuck. I'm gonna…" Derek trailed off as he came with a soft gasp, hand buried in Jackson's hair and the other breaking off a piece of the railing. Jackson moaned as Derek emptied his sac in his mouth and down the back of his throat. "Jackson," he murmured.
Jackson pulled back, swallowing everything that Derek had produced, running his tongue along his lower lip. He smiled and pulled up Derek's jeans, doing them up. Derek helped Jackson to his feet and noticed his hard length. He hand his hand along in it through the jeans and Jackson shuddered against him. He saw fear flash through Jackson's eyes and knew that he was terrified to accept pleasure from anyone. He didn't feel worthy of it.
Derek kissed Jackson gently, squeezing his mate's cock. Jackson gasped and Derek slipped his tongue into his mouth. He was surprised that he couldn't taste himself on Jackson's tongue. He moaned at the taste of ice and fresh water. He undid Jackson's jeans, but the snow wolf pulled away and shook his head. He cleared his throat and went to head inside, but Derek caught his arm and pinned him against the railing.
"You're with me now, Jackson," Derek murmured as he unzipped Jackson's hoodie and placed kisses on his chest. "If there's a problem, you need to tell me." He ran his tongue over a nipple and Jackson bit his lower lip to hold back a moan.
Jackson arched into the kisses and Derek glanced up. "I don't want anything from you, Derek. Please, stop this." He pulled away and zipped up his hoodie, wrapping his arms around himself. "Why can't you just accept that I only want you near me?"
Derek stared at him, unable to believe that was the only thing that Jackson wanted from him. He had to wonder if Jackson was displeased with his body or maybe his penis. He gazed at Jackson with compassion, though he had no doubt that Jackson would see it as pity. He wanted to make sure that his mate would never feel pressured into something. He was willing to fight another wolf to the death for him. He wasn't going to force him to accept pleasure. He just wished he was told why he couldn't please his mate.
Jackson pressed his face into Derek's throat. He could feel the other's eyes close as the eyelashes tickled his skin. Derek glanced out over the forest, watching as the snow continued to fall. He was surprised that there were any reports on the strange weather in the papers. He stroked Jackson's hair, trying not to think about what the dawn would hold for him. He sighed and kissed the top of Jackson's head. Whoever went into the kitchen was making their way towards the door again.
"Ah, so you're finally finished?"
Derek glared at Peter. He should have known his uncle would be the one that was up and wandering around at that hour of the night. He should have also known it would be his uncle that would be the one to know what they were doing. Derek was certain he was quiet enough not to alert the werewolves to what was happening, but a shifter's ears could pick up more than a werewolf's could. Jackson pulled back and gazed at Peter indifferently.
"Jealous, old man?" Jackson's eyes widened. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. That was extremely insensitive." He lowered his head and Derek could smell the arousal dying quickly around him. "Yeah, I'm gonna head off to bed before I shove my other foot in my mouth."
Derek released Jackson and watched as he slinked into the house. Peter joined Derek on the porch, watching the snow. The fire wolf sighed and sipped the coffee he held. Derek searched the trees. He could feel someone watching them and he knew it would be Sierra. He figured she had been hanging around for a while and probably saw the little show that he and Jackson had put on. That was probably another reason for her to want to kill him.
He couldn't see her through the snow and she was probably keeping her eyes one color. Peter finished his coffee and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it. Derek frowned at his uncle and moved to stand upwind. He could barely handle Vincent smoking. He wasn't going to ask when Peter decided to pick up the filthy habit. In fact, he didn't know anything about what Peter had done in the three years he was gone for.
"What did you do when you left?"
Peter inhaled deeply, glancing at Derek from the corner of his eye. "I did what any self-respecting fire wolf would have done. I joined a pack and killed the alpha, assuming the position. I ran into your mate twice while we were away, as well. He learned his place quickly, it would seem. Even though he knew me, he wouldn't approach me without permission from his alpha and from me." He inhaled again, expelling the smoke.
"How different are wolf-shifters from werewolves?" Derek was aware that he was stronger, faster and more powerful than Scott. He wasn't going to use that to his advantage, though. He was more than happy to be the favorite beta in the pack and he was a decent advisor, as well. The others looked up to him and drew on his knowledge from his time as a werewolf.
"The rules are much stricter. The omega isn't allowed to breathe without permission from their alpha. If they want to mate, they need to prove that they can provide for the entire pack. Without a doubt, your little Jackson probably had to kill in order to mate with Sierra." Peter finished his cigarette and crushed it out in the ashtray. "He was miserable the first time I saw him. No one likes being the omega."
Derek frowned and glanced at the door. He had no idea what it was like to be a pack of wolf-shifters, but something told him it was a good thing he didn't know. He had no idea what Jackson had gone through for the last three years, until he decided to mate with Sierra. Derek lowered his eyes as he thought about what Jackson was like.
Three years ago, he was more than happy to receive pleasure. It had nothing to do with Derek being his mate or the fact that he tried to mate with someone else. Something had happened in the pack that destroyed Jackson's self-worth when it came to pleasure. He knew that omegas weren't treated nicely, but Derek was certain they wouldn't be sexually abused, especially by someone they were meant to look up to.
"You're finally catching on," Peter murmured as he leaned on the railing. "When I took over the pack, I had omegas throwing themselves at me. The betas had their fun with them, since I wasn't interested in the slightest. An unmated alpha is something that isn't heard of in the shifter world. And those omegas could be very cunning when they wanted." He sighed and dropped his head. "And then you add in the fact that Jackson is a human turned shifter and his life in a pack would be even worse."
Derek swallowed and scanned the trees. He had no idea why Sierra would have accepted Jackson as her mate, especially since it sounded like human turned shifters weren't all that welcomed. He had to question why the alpha of the pack would have accepted him, as well. It seemed as though human turned shifters were a blemish on the shifter society. As much as he didn't want to, Derek knew he had to ask the next question.
"What happened to him?"
Peter stood and shrugged. "I can't tell you exactly what happened to him, because I never treated my omegas that way. I can tell you that he was probably a favorite chew toy for the alpha and probably his favorite piece of ass on the side." Derek growled and Peter held his hands up. "Jackson's alpha would have dominated him in every way possible, including proving his sexual prowess. You haven't joined a pack of shifters, nephew."
Derek narrowed his eyes and decided that was a good thing. "How could they tell that he was a human turned shifter? He doesn't smell any different to me than Sierra did."
"Only human turned shifters have the blue and silver eyes. And while you can't smell it, he does have the stench of humanity around him. Since I became a shifter through a contract with a demon, I smell like a human born shifter, like Vincent. You also have that scent on you. Trust me. If you had spent any time around shifters, you would smell difference on Jackson." Peter turned his back to the trees. "I know that Tsuki once said to you 'you can break what's already broken,' and you can. Jackson's alpha destroyed him. You can see it in his eyes."
Derek thought back to how Jackson had acted since he arrived. He tried to keep his cockiness up, but there were times when he submitted too easily. He was willing to give his body up to Scott, which made Derek grit his teeth. Scott was the alpha and Jackson knew he had to give up everything he could in order to be accepted into the pack. Derek didn't think that three years would be enough to rewrite his wiring and change him entirely.
His mind went back to when Jackson said he loved him. Did he say that because he thought it was demanded of him? Or did he say it because that's how he actually felt? Derek lowered his eyes and decided that Jackson just got more complicated than he already was. He didn't want to know anything more of his time away from Beacon Hills. If he had just stayed, he wouldn't have this problem. Derek also knew that was partly his fault for not accepting Jackson as his mate.
"What do you suggest I do in order to help him get over it?"
"First, I suggest that you don't say that. Telling someone to get over three years of brutal abuse isn't going to work and will likely only have him withdraw from you. I also recommend that you stop pushing him away. He's looking for someone to help keep him upright. If you continue to pull away from him, he's going to fall and you won't rescue him in time." Peter crossed his arms, lowering his eyes to the decking of the porch. "You said once that Jackson didn't have much of a heart. I know you said that out of spite because he wouldn't come to you when you called, but there's also the issue that he cares too much."
Derek pursed his lips. He really hated the fact that he was a dick to Jackson when the kanima shit was going down. He also hated the fact that there wasn't anything he could do for him. It fell to Lydia to bring him back and then it fell to Derek to take his life. The hell that happened because of Jackson's lack of identity was annoying, at best. Derek wondered if he was the right wolf to help Jackson get through his issues.
"What drew you to Jackson the first time you marked him?" Peter asked suddenly and Derek blinked at the question.
"I needed to find Scott and I knew that Jackson knew him. I thought he was cute when he tried to act tough and he was basically fearless, until I marked him." Derek shrugged and turned his back to the trees, as well. "Then I found his fear intoxicating. It was like heroin."
"And why did you mark him as yours?"
Derek clenched his jaw and glared at the decking. "It was an instinct. I don't know why my instinct chose him, but it did and I couldn't get away from it." He looked at his uncle and saw the next question in his eyes. "I don't know why! I figured he would make a decent werewolf, since he was already so athletic, if he could control his fear."
Peter smirked. "You've mentioned everything except your sexual attraction to him," he all but taunted at his nephew.
"Come on, it's Jackson. Everyone's felt some kind of attraction to him, including Scott and Stiles. Even you thought he was pretty."
Peter chuckled. "Yes, but I didn't corner him when he was basically naked, either. You were the one that was stalking him." He slapped Derek's forehead. "Don't glare like that; you'll get wrinkles."
Before Derek could growl and rip his uncle's hand off, there was a scream. They ran inside and to the bedroom that Sarah was sleeping in. The others woke and came running, as well. Derek and Peter stepped to the side to allow Allison through so she could calm the hysterical girl. Derek tilted his head and slipped into Sarah's mind. He pulled back instantly, shaking his head. The girl's mind was a damn mess and needed to be fixed.
Derek looked over his shoulder and saw Jackson standing at the back of the group. Scott and Isaac joined Allison. Sarah wasn't screaming, but she was sobbing uncontrollably. Derek walked up to Jackson and directed him back to the stairs. He flicked his hand and the front door closed and locked as they went upstairs. He didn't need Sarah freaking out and trying to attack Jackson again. If that happened, he knew he would kill the human.
He already had one death to think about and he didn't need to add an innocent human to that list. He glanced at the clock as they passed it and saw that he could get three hours of sleep before he had to face Sierra. His eyes went to Jackson. While Jackson was ready to die for Derek, Derek was ready to kill for Jackson. He wasn't sure if that was better or worse and he really didn't care. As long as he was with Jackson with the dust settled.
End Chapter IX.
Sorry about the slow update, but the next one should be up shortly.
Guest: Thanks so much for your review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Hope to see ya in the next one!
Please review.