Chapter Five

"Unspoken"

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Scott's ears were ringing.

He stared at Peter's face, slick with blood. The eyes that had been red and gleaming a moment before were now vacant and dull. There was no animosity in them anymore, and no hint of malicious intent. He was just... still.

"Get up, Scott."

Scott heard Derek, but he didn't move. He continued to stare at Peter's lifeless face until he felt Derek's hand on the back of his shoulder.

"Scott. Get up."

Derek shook him slightly by the shoulder, and only then did Scott react. He got to his feet, lightly pulling his shoulder out of Derek's grasp. He turned to look at Derek, and there was a glimmer of badly-disguised betrayal in his eyes.

Derek didn't want to see it there. "I told you, Scott," he said urgently but quietly. The hunters were gathered nearby, most likely debating whether they should approach the downed alpha. "I told you. You're not a murderer. I couldn't let you do it."

Scott's expression didn't change, and his voice was a little unsteady. "You did it instead."

"I had to," said Derek, his eyes searching Scott's face. "Someone had to and I couldn't let it be an Argent - I couldn't let it be you. I had to, don't you get it?"

Scott's gaze was unwavering. "Why?" He asked in a whisper.

But it wasn't Derek who answered. "Because he was too dangerous to let him live," said Chris Argent, slowly approaching the two of them. His gun was lowered in front of him, but he was ready to aim it if necessary.

Both Derek and Scott turned to face him, also ready for anything.

"That's the thing about rabid dogs," Chris continued. He fixed his eyes on Derek.

Derek regarded Chris for a prolonged moment of silence. It was unclear from his face how he felt about the comparison. Finally, Derek raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes flicking to the gun in Chris's hand. "Are you going to shoot us?" He asked.

Chris hesitated. He glanced at the ground between them as though in thought. Then, looking back up, he tucked the weapon into the side of his jeans. "You kids saved my life tonight."

Neither Derek or Scott seemed to know what to say in response. Scott scratched the side of his head and gave Chris an uncertain half-nod, which he stopped midway. After that he had a somewhat questioning appearance. "You, uh... you too," he said awkwardly.

Derek simply remained silent, and watched the hunter darkly.

Chris gazed placidly between Derek and Scott, observing them. Behind him, the other hunters put away their weapons. Then without another word, Chris turned his back on Derek and Scott, and joined the others across the clearing.

When Chris departed, Derek looked sideways at Scott. Scott turned too, looking back at Derek.

"Do you understand?" Said Derek, stepping closer to Scott, and speaking in an undertone that only Scott would hear.

Scott chose not to make it easy. "Understand what?"

Derek blinked, his patience strained. "Do you understand why I did what I did?"

Scott's eye contact flickered. He answered Derek with another question. "You wanted his power?"

"No," said Derek shortly, shaking his head. "That's not what I... Scott, that's not why I did it." He paused, and watched Scott closely. Then he let out a short exhale. "Look at my eyes, Scott."

Scott was already looking. He saw Derek's irises flare electric blue, and then fade back to human.

"Didn't you ever wonder why my eye color is different from yours?"

Scott feigned indifference, but his interest was caught.

"It's because I've taken a life, Scott. I'm a murderer. It changed me, and it would change you, too."

Somewhere in Scott's relative detachment, Derek's words sunk in. But he couldn't think of anything to say, so he didn't say anything.

Derek didn't seem to mind Scott's silence. "You're different," he continued under his breath. "I don't know what it is, but Peter knew there was something, too. Maybe he even knew what it was."

A frown of confusion tugged at Scott's brows. "What are you talking about?" He whispered.

"I don't know what to tell you, Scott, there's something there," said Derek with a resigned shrug of his shoulders. "Something about you is different from other betas, and I'm starting to think maybe it's not such a bad thing."

The lines between Scott's brow smoothed, and his expression relaxed the slightest bit. He thought for a minute. He seemed a little lost, and that was how he felt. Now that Peter was dead, he wasn't sure how to feel. But one thing was strong in his mind; stronger after hearing Derek's words. He was relieved that he hadn't killed Peter.

Derek kept an eye on Scott with the hunters in his peripheral vision. When Chris's men approached Peter's body, pulling on gloves, Derek realized their intent. He turned sharply toward them, his upper lip lifting off his sharpened canine in a silent growl.

Chris stepped forward. He held out his hand in a pacifying manner. "It's okay," he said calmly. "We know what we're doing, Derek. You know we do."

Derek couldn't deny it. Though the reminder of Argent's history of massacring his kind was unwelcome, Derek's fangs shrank back to human size.

He watched as the hunters encased Peter's body in strong plastic. They removed the corpse to one of the SUV's parked between the trees nearby. One of the hunters went to assist in carrying a few dead bodies to a vehicle. Others loaded a couple dirt bikes into another vehicle, and hauled some heavy-looking duffels out of the brush.

Derek didn't interfere with them, but he and Scott watched their every move.

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Chris shut the trunk of one of the vehicles. He turned to catch sight of James Cole leaning against the SUV that carried his brother's body. His back was turned to the closed window, and he stared at the ground without moving.

"Hey," said Chris, approaching him with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

James blinked but didn't turn his head.

Chris leaned his back against the vehicle beside James, crossing his arms over his chest. His gaze took in the surrounding trees. The sound of the nearby creek reached him.

As the minutes wore on, birds started to reemerge, and their singing carried through the dense branches. It seemed very out of place after what had occurred here.

James didn't say anything.

Finally Chris looked over at him. "I'm very sorry about your loss."

James nodded his head once without looking at Chris.

Chris breathed deeply. "When we head out of here, you can ride with me."

James sniffed. "He wanted to go after the alpha," he said softly. His tone was so quiet that Chris had to lean closer to hear him. "I told him we shouldn't. I wanted to stay on the hill... but he wanted to prove..." he trailed off with a choked sound and turned his face away.

Chris knew James was hiding tears so he didn't rush to say anything. There were no words that could fix this for James, and Chris was smart enough not to try. After a few minutes of silence he put a hand on James' shoulder. "Your brother had a passion for this job. You have a passion for it, too. I can see it. And you're a good shot. You're thoughtful and you follow through."

James didn't seem to know what to do with the sudden unexpected praise. He sniffed wetly and turned his head, but not so much that Chris could see his eyes.

Chris had always thought that if he could just separate the older Cole brother from the younger, James would make a damn fine hunter one day. But he knew the loyalty those brothers had for each other, and he understood the loss James must be feeling. "You have a future with me, James. If you want it."

This made James turn his head. He looked at Chris, who saw the young man's eyes were red and swollen. Tears tracked down his cheeks. "What do you mean?" Asked James, wiping the back of his hand across his face.

Chris was a gentle and patient man when circumstances required it. "What I mean is, I hope you'll stay on to work with me in the coming weeks and months. Years." He squeezed James' shoulder lightly. "If that's something you want."

James nodded without hesitation. He looked away from Chris and blew his nose into his sleeve. "That's what I want," he said thickly through his stuffed up nose. "To keep working."

"Good," said Chris with a genuine smile. "We could really use a man like you to watch our six."

After Chris walked away, James turned and looked through the dirty window of the SUV. He could see Will's body inside, wrapped in a plastic tarp. Beside Will's body was the body of the alpha werewolf, closed tightly into a body bag and zipped in with mountain ash and wolfsbane. It would be taken somewhere and dealt with.

Argent's a good guy, thought James as he looked at his brother.

And the two betas... he was probably alive because of them. Their intervention had turned the tide and dictated the outcome, and every hunter knew it. Even James.

Probably even Will... thought James. The two betas had earned a new ally in James, even though they wouldn't know it for a while to come.

James looked away from his brother and opened the front passenger door. The driver got into the other side and few others climbed in the back as the engine revved to life. The second SUV was idling beside it. It followed when the first vehicle pulled out of the tree line, driving in its wake. The SUV's were sturdy machines. They would make it out of the woods without difficulty.

The only vehicle left in the clearing was Chris's SUV. Chris stood beside the driver's side door, with his phone in his hand. There was a frown on his face.

"You getting in?" Said a hunter's voice from inside.

"God damn it..." Muttered Chris. "Hold on..."

They waited a minute.

"What's up?" Insisted the same voice.

Chris looked up from his phone. "Kate's been arrested on illegal carry charges. It seems like someone tipped off the law and I need you to pick her up for me, Tom."

"What about you?" Asked Tom's voice.

Chris glanced across the clearing at Derek and Scott. "I'll take a walk with the two betas."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Is that safe?" Asked Tom in alarm.

Chris looked back at his comrades. "Don't worry about me. Just go pick up Kate, get her out. We don't need anyone asking too many questions. You'll have whatever funds you use back in your account by morning." Chris moved back from the vehicle and shut the door. Inside, Tom moved over to the driver's seat. He saluted Chris through the closed window. Then the SUV pealed out over the pine needles, through the brush, and toward thinner trees. Toward town.

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"There was a problem in town," explained Chris as he got nearer to Derek and Scott. "Looks like I'll be walking out with you."

Derek looked amused, in a condescending sort of way. "You think you can keep up with us?"

Chris addressed Scott, ignoring Derek for now. "A friend of yours is meeting us at the edge of the woods," he told Scott, holding up his phone. "He was nice enough to text back just now."

"Who?" Asked Scott, bewildered.

"The Sherriff's kid. Stiles."

Scott frowned. "Why does Stiles have your number?"

Chris shrugged lightly. "Maybe he got it from Allison." The man was a flawless liar.

Derek made an impatient sound. "Even if Stiles meets us on the road, you can't keep up with us cross-country."

Scott glanced at Derek. "It's okay," he told him, shaking his head. "You don't have to go."

Derek stared at him. Then he looked at Chris. He blinked a couple times, glancing between the two of them. Finally, he spoke incredulously. "You want me to let you walk three miles alone with Chris Argent?"

"You live in the other direction," said Scott defensively, gesturing north. "I'm fine - I don't know what makes you think I'm not."

"I'm coming with you."

Scott stared helplessly at Derek. Then he breathed out and nodded with a heavy shrug.

Derek looked torn for a moment, watching him. "Do you want to hit me or something?"

Scott gave him a frowning look.

"Do you want to hit me?" Repeated Derek. "You're pissed at me, Scott. Hit me or something, and get over it."

Scott growled in exasperation. "I don't want to hit you."

Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Then tell me what you're thinking."

Scott didn't want to talk about anything right then. He didn't want to talk about any of it at all, but especially not now, with Allison's father listening in.

"Tell me," ordered Derek firmly.

Scott's eyes flashed defiantly. "What I'm thinking is... I'm thinking you're an alpha now, but you're not my alpha."

Derek looked slightly surprised. "That's what you were thinking about?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders, glancing away.

Derek knew there was a lot more on Scott's mind than he was willing to say, but the older beta decided not to push him any further. "Alright. Well... don't worry. I know I'm not your alpha."

Scott nodded, still avoiding Derek's eyes.

After a few beats, Derek took a step. "Come on. Let's get out of here." He started walking toward town.

Scott waited, with a sidelong glance at Allison's father. Then he followed after Derek.

Chris Argent caught up with Scott and fell into step beside him. For a human, Chris's eyes were sharp and his ears were alert. He hadn't missed a single interaction between the two of them back there, spoken or unspoken.

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Love and CHERISHMENT between Scott and Derek is on the horizon :D