Fanofeverything: thank you so much for being so awesome and reviewing all my stories! The fact that you like to read it makes writing it a million times more rewarding :D

Dragon Musketeer: is this ship underrated? Who would dare underrate Scerek? I'm so glad you aren't one of them, because I agree that it's a wonderful ship to sail :P

Orionastro: thank you so much for your reviews, I hope you keep enjoying it! :)

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Chapter Four

"Reckoning"

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Peter Hale was a force to be reckoned with. Even with one wolfsbane bullet slowing his reactions, he was a match for all of them combined.

Scott knew this, but he didn't care. He jumped into the fight with no regard for his own wellbeing. He landed a blow to the side of Peter's head and grabbed the alpha's arm as he swung around, yanking him, and ripping at him. Derek sunk his claws into Peter's other side, and slashed at his back.

Peter raised his head and roared. It was the same sound that came from his beast form, an echoing howl that could reach all the way into town. Scott faltered, letting go of Peter and stumbling back a step. He could feel that howl calling to his wolf side; calling him to shift and lose control. His eyes flickered between brown and gold and he raised his hands, pressing the heels of his palms against his temples.

The threat was real, and Derek reacted quickly. He grabbed onto Chris's arm and shoved him out of the way, then jumped at Peter with the speed of adrenaline. The force of his attack pushed Peter backward. Derek grabbed the alpha around the shoulders and darted up and in, his teeth bared, snapping viciously. He tried to sink them into the flesh of Peter's throat.

But the alpha threw up his arms, easily breaking Derek's hold on him. He flung Derek away, and turned to Scott, his arm arcing through the air at lightning speed. Scott leaped out of the way of Peter's fist. He ducked down and dodged forward again, his fangs bared. Peter's spell was broken.

Chris rolled away from the fight. He grabbed his gun from the forest floor and came to a stop on his knees, aiming into the clearing. The other hunters quickly stepped up beside him and followed his lead, raising their weapons, too.

"Don't fire," ordered Chris. "You could hit the betas."

Peter, Derek, and Scott were on their feet. The betas paced around the alpha like predators who had cornered their prey. But one glance at the alpha's face was all Chris needed to know the creature wasn't intimidated by their display.

"Boys," said Peter conversationally. "Aren't we getting a little old for this kind of thing?"

Derek barked a rough sound. "Stop talking, Peter. You'll only make it worse for yourself."

Peter's face split into a wide smile. For a moment he sized up his nephew. His eyes settled on the younger man's face. "This won't end well for you, Derek. And I really, really don't want to kill you."

Derek's eyes glowed with fury. "I told you to stop talking," he growled. A moment later, Derek jumped toward Peter from the side. At the same moment, Scott attacked from the other side. Their deafening growls bounced off the trees and filled the forest. Each time the alpha pushed one of them away, the other beta would jump back in, slashing at Peter, trying to contain him.

Derek lowered his shoulder like a battering ram and charged into Peter, colliding with him from the side. Peter grunted, his feet slipping backward through the dry leaves. But he grabbed hold of Derek's throat, and struck him so hard his knuckles split open on his nephew's cheekbone. Derek twisted in the air and dropped to the ground. He lay still, his eyes rolling slightly. Peter bent over him, claws outstretched.

Scott didn't give Peter the chance to touch Derek again. He dropped to all fours and launched himself at the alpha, wrapping an arm around Peter's throat as he soared around him, but Peter used Scott's motion to his advantage. Peter didn't let him stop moving; he moved in sync, spinning with Scott on his shoulder, and flung him to the ground over his hip. Grunting a string of furious growls, Scott curled sideways and grabbed onto Peter's legs. He slashed at the tender skin and he clutched his arms around Peter's knees, trying to unbalance him. Scott grappled Peter to the ground, where they both started rolling.

They rolled over and over. Each time, Scott somehow managed to keep it going. He found a way to stay out from underneath Peter, and to make it out on top one more time, and then one more time again.

But it wasn't long before Peter found an opening. As Scott rolled upright and tried to pin Peter by the chest, Peter jabbed his knee into Scott's ribs, breaking a couple of them. Scott gave an angry cry, moving his arms to protect his midsection, and Peter took the open offer. He shoved Scott off him with supernatural strength.

Scott flew backward with a growl of pain, landing on his back and sliding across the forest floor. He jumped to all fours and spun in the crinkly leaves to face Peter. He felt the pain of his broken ribs being amplified tenfold by his already-tender body. He fiercely pushed the pain out of his mind.

Peter was on his feet again, too. They faced each other, both of them low to the ground, but neither of them fully shifted. Their eyes glowed and their fangs gleamed, but they both exhibited no small measure of control. Peter seemed to have much more control than Scott, but Scott's resistance still impressed the alpha.

Peter shouldn't be surprised that Scott had impressed him again. The alpha had known there was something different about Scott since the first time he called out the boy's wolf in the school gymnasium. It had become clear to Peter that this kid possessed something not many others did, if any. He hadn't completely figured it out until Scott refused to submit to him in the basement of the Hale ruins. In the same situation, anyone else would have submitted... but not Scott.

That's when Peter knew Scott would never submit to him. That was when he knew he had to kill the boy, and it wasn't a decision he came to lightly. To kill something that beautiful, that rare, before its ready to fight would be an ache in his chest for years to come. But Peter couldn't take the chance. Scott could become strong enough to challenge him and win, and it could happen soon. There was only one option Peter could choose to safeguard the future, even though it was the option he most despised.

"Think about it, Scott," he growled lowly. "You can't win this. You're not ready to fight an alpha."

Scott breathed constant, quiet growls. "Maybe. But maybe you're not as strong as you think you are."

Peter watched him with a glimmer of endearment in his eyes. "See? This is the playful banter I was talking about. We're just... so..." Peter's eyes flickered down Scott's front, and back up. "Good at it."

The enticement in Peter's voice stirred the fire of rage in Scott's chest. He let out a howl of fury and ran forward. Dodging Peter's defensive parry, he leaped up a tree trunk and jumped off it, landing on Peter's back and clinging.

Scott was fully shifted now. He had given in to his rage. His claws left long gashes on the front of Peter's chest as he dug at Peter's throat with his claws. His strikes were messy and miscalculated as he gouged and slashed the alpha's flesh. In that moment, he was trying to kill Peter.

Peter ran backward, slamming Scott into a tree. He slammed backward again, dislodging Scott's grip. His clawed hand closed around Scott's forearm and he heaved the beta up and over his own head. He brought Scott crashing down, and then threw him across the clearing.

Scott hit and ground and bounced and rolled. He collided with Derek, who was just beginning to regain consciousness.

Scott kept rolling until he was able to catch himself, digging his claws into the soft earth. He flipped himself over to all fours and crouched in the dead leaves, low and glaring. He lowered a little more on his back legs, as though about to spring.

Peter threw himself into his feral shift the way a wolf might leap at a deer. When the alpha's shifting form descended on Scott in a sudden, flying leap, Scott was caught off-guard. He stumbled backward and tripped over a tree root, but didn't fall. He tried to face up to the alpha again.

But Peter didn't let him.

The alpha grabbed him by the front of the throat. He lifted Scott into the air and pinned him against the tree trunk, holding him up by his jaw.

Scott struggled. He tried to kick the alpha, but Peter was pushing against him to hold him in place, and Scott's feet slid past the alpha's legs with every intended blow. Scott's hands were clasped tightly around Peter's wrists at his throat.

Peter looked angry as Scott continued to fight him. He tightened his grip around Scott's throat, starting to cut off his air. "Don't make this harder than it has to be, Scott."

But Scott fought hard, choking. White lights started to pop in front of his eyes and everything started to spin.

The loud cracks of two gunshots rang out. Then the click of an empty chamber.

Peter grunted and loosened his grip on Scott's throat. Scott found himself falling. He landed on his knees between the roots of the tree and caught himself on one arm, looking up at Peter.

Peter stood back a few steps, turning to face the hunters.

Chris's gun was aimed at Peter and smoke curled loosely from its muzzle.

Scott searched Peter's body, and yes - the bullets had hit their mark. Fresh blood gleamed on Peter's black shoulder, and on his side. The bullet holes were smoking like the muzzle of Chris's gun.

Peter looked surprised for a moment. His movements were a little slower than before. He began to shift back to his human form.

This gave the hunters courage. They moved forward behind Chris, their weapons trained on the alpha's head.

But Peter wiped his hand over the smoking wounds, and looked at them again. After a long moment, he raised his head and roared.

Derek crashed into Peter. He grabbed tightly around Peter's neck with his arms and wrapped his legs around the alpha's thighs, twisting sharply. In his weakened state, Peter lost his balance and fell sideways, grunting and snarling as the two of them fought. Peter threw Derek off, but Derek jumped back astride him, punching him and slashing at his face.

Peter gave a sudden powerful buck of his hips, launching Derek sideways off of him. He rolled on top of Derek, pinning him down by the head and shoulder.

With a thundering yell, Scott launched onto the alpha's back again. He tore at Peter's throat, his claws notching deeper than before. His weight forced Peter to jerk upward, away from Derek.

From below, Derek struck Peter again and again, breaking a rib with every other punch as he wriggled to freedom. The first chance he got, Derek pulled himself out from beneath Peter.

The alpha's movements seemed to be slowing. His strength seemed to be waning under the influence of the three wolfsbane bullets. Peter wavered on his knees for a moment with Scott still on his back. He looked slightly faint.

Scott struck the side of Peter's head with his knuckles. The alpha snarled, but the sound was nothing compared to what it had been. Scott struck him again, and Peter almost lost his balance under Scott's weight.

Derek crouched down level with Peter's face. He stared deeply into his eyes for a moment. If Scott had been himself, he would have noticed the gleam of hate in Derek's gaze, and it would have chilled him.

Derek drew back an arm and hit Peter with all his strength. The powerful blow connected with Peter's temple, knocking him momentarily senseless.

Derek grabbed Peter by the hair, then shoved him sideways, letting him fall while Scott held on.

Scott jumped off Peter and pulled him over onto his back. He struck him hard in the face. He struck again, his knuckles drawing blood, and not just his own. He pummeled the alpha with reckless abandon. He didn't realize the feral snarls that echoed around them came from his throat now.

Peter's head hung limply to the side. His eyes were half-open, not focused on anything.

Scott dug his claws deep into Peter's throat, through the muscle. From this angle, he could feel where he needed to rip to break the jugular open.

His chest heaved as the intention rose through him, down his arm, and into his fingertips...

Something took hold of him, pulling him back. His claws left Peter's throat and he growled furiously, fighting to return to Peter's side. The arms wouldn't let him. Scott's eyes blazed, his teeth snapped, and he turned to slash viciously at Derek, leaving shallow cuts across the older beta's neck.

When Derek let go, Scott launched back toward Peter, sprawling onto his hands and knees at the alpha's feet, and pulling himself up the alpha's body toward his throat. Scott's rage was blinding, and uncontrolled. All he wanted was to kill Peter Hale.

Derek grabbed him again, flinging him backward. "Stop!" Yelled Derek authoritatively.

But Scott didn't stop. He growled through his sharp teeth, glaring at Derek with brightly glowing eyes, and then rushed forward. He tried to shove Derek out of the way so he could get back to Peter.

Derek snarled and refused to let him. He got his arms around Scott's shoulders and restricted him from behind. Scott roared and struggled, but Derek didn't let go. "Stop!" He commanded again. "Scott! Snap out of it!"

Scott tried to kick Derek's instep, but Derek jabbed his legs into the backs of Scott's knees, collapsing them. Scott went down to his knees on the ground, with Derek gripping him tightly from behind. He continued to fight, growls and snarls issuing constantly through his gleaming fangs.

Finally, Derek had enough. He jumped off Scott and twisted around to face him from the front. He breathed in and filled his lungs, his eyes starting to glow blue. When he opened his mouth, the powerful, authoritative roar that came forth was incomparable to Scott's sputtering. "SCOTT! CONTROL YOURSELF!"

Derek's roar rushed over Scott like a cascade of cold water. He blinked quickly, falling backward onto his rear and catching himself with his hands behind him. He looked around the clearing. His eyes found Peter, and the hunters, and then Derek again. He stared at Derek and his eyes slowly returned to their human shade. He looked down at the blood on his hands and arms.

"Are you with us?" Growled Derek.

Scott didn't respond at first, staring at his hands as his claws receded. Then he gave a slight nod. He looked back up at Derek. "Did I...?"

Derek saw the cognizance in Scott's eyes. "No," he answered in a low voice, with a shake of his head. "He's alive."

Scott blinked. "But I have to..."

Derek shook his head again. "No. You can't kill him, Scott."

Scott swallowed hard. His mouth was suddenly very dry. "But what about our agreement?"

Derek gazed at the boy. Once he was sure Scott had control, Derek crouched down to be at eye-level with his young counterpart. "You're not a murderer, Scott," he said quietly.

Scott's brows drew together and he shook his head, trying to clear it from the effects of blinding rage. He had been so sure what he was going to do...

He was going to kill Peter Hale. He was going to rip out his throat.

Another voice spoke up in the back of his mind...

How close did I come to being exactly what Peter said I am?

"But the cure," he muttered with his eyes on Peter's limp form.

Derek looked away for a moment, and then back to Scott. "You're not sick. I've said it before, Scott... the bite is a gift. You'll be thankful for it one day."

Scott had a lot to say about that, but instead he looked back at Derek. "Then he has be locked up. He can't go free."

Derek shrugged. His gaze remained on Scott. "That's more Argent's kind of thing than mine."

Scott hesitated, then looked down. He wasn't sure why. He felt dirty, like he had stepped into someone else's skin; someone he didn't want to be. His gaze flickered to Derek again, and settled on the healing gashes across the other beta's neck.

Scott must have looked very sorry, because a moment later Derek had moved forward and taken him up in a kneeling embrace. The older beta held him tightly, and Scott didn't move. He was unresponsive to Derek's closeness, except for the sharp increase in his heart rate. But after a few moments, Scott's shoulders relaxed a little.

"Don't worry about it, Scott," said Derek, letting go of him and standing up. Scott remained where he was, kneeling in the dead leaves.

Derek turned away from Scott. He strode to Peter's side and knelt down, looking into his uncle's barely opened eyes.

Peter's mouth opened and he managed to speak. "Go ahead... Derek," he wheezed. His broken ribs had punctured his lungs, and his body was trying to heal itself.

Scott watched from a short distance away as Derek stared down at Peter.

Peter drew in a deep, rasping breath. He gazed up at his nephew with eyes that slowly glowed, brightening and gleaming until his shifted irises were clear and blood-red. "You've already... decided!"

The loudness of Peter's last word sent a stab of alarm through Scott's chest. His gaze focused sharply on Derek's back, and what he could see of Peter's face.

The muscles of Derek's back contracted beneath his jacket, twisting like thick bands of rubber. The movement that came afterward was almost too fast to see.

Derek drove his claws deep into Peter's throat, and slashed upward.

"Derek! No!" Scott yelled, running forward, and landing on his knees again.

Ropes of blood spurted from Peter's neck. The alpha gasped and gurgled as his body started to convulse.

Scott stared at Peter with a mixture of horror and awe.

Allison's father and the other hunters were shouting, but all Scott could hear were the wet, gurgling sounds of Peter Hale's last breaths.

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Hurt/comfort alert! Much hugs and many cutenesses are fast approaching. But the whump isn't even over. Be patient! Oh, and please review! ;)