Peter was the best at the games he played. He reveled in watching the pawns scramble to survive, unaware that they had no control over their fates. All he had to do was adjust a few every now and then, and the dominoes would collapse until he was the victor. His hands rarely ever got dirty, except when he played in the mud, as he was now.

The girl was buried under silk comforters; only her reddish, blonde hair was visible. He absolutely loved that hair; it was the exact shade Lisa's had been. Yes, Lydia Martin was his favorite little pawn. She was better at manipulating people to her will than the others, even the Stilinski boy. But he was not here to play his own game this time; Derek needed all the players on the field, even the hidden ones.

His hand lingered over the blanket, tracing the outline of her shapely body, before grabbing a fistful and pulling it back. He stared in amusement at the mannequin in a little wig. Someone cleared their throat and he did an about face, chuckling at the girl. She stood behind her door, the moon casting eerie shadows across that angelic face. Her pale green eyes were cold, her hands gripping a small handgun. He raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air. A low hiss escaped him. The bullet was laced with wolfs bane. She was a crafty little devil.

"Well hello there sweetheart; how nice to see you again. Lovely as ever I see." He inclined his head, offering a gentle smile.

She bristled at the comment, jaw squaring. Her grip on the gun tightened ever so slightly. He wandered if she would actually shoot him. After all, he had nearly killed her and terrorized her weeks thereafter. If it had been him he certainly would. "Get the hell out. I don't know what you want, nor do I necessarily care," she snarled.

Peter perched on the edge of her vanity table, admiring her many beauty trinkets. Why did the girl try so hard? She was already a knockout; men fell at her feet every day. "Lydia I'm here to help and warn you. There is a new threat in Beacon Hills, another wolf pack. You need to know-"

"I can handle myself Peter; I'm a big girl now. I don't need you or anyone to protect me anymore."

"In all honesty sweetheart, you could protect yourself as well as Stiles can. You need to know what you are and your limits if you want to have an advantage." He explained quickly, not wanting to anger the girl.

Lydia lowered the weapon only slightly. Her head tilted, her hair cascading over her shoulder. "What do you mean "what I am"? I'm human."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was the tricky part. He wasn't sure if he could absolutely trust Deaton's diagnostic, but it was the only plausible answer. Still…. The girl needed to at least know the theory. "When you were bitten, I was rabid, completely out of my mind. My venom was tainted; no matter how deeply I would have bitten you, I would not have been able to turn you or anyone else."

She swallowed thickly. "Didn't you turn Scott?" Her tone was accusatory; already she didn't trust him.

Peter nodded. "That was before the madness took over. I had control over myself then. Whatever I may have done, I knew what I was doing. But I was broken, you see. After my family was killed I was left scarred on the inside and out. That darkness coupled with the power of an alpha will drive a man mad. I was already far gone when I attacked you. The bite should have killed you when you weren't turned. Your body fought the rabies, fought the bite. You didn't heal though, and that created the bond between us."

The girl winced at the memories of his torment through her mind. He felt only slight guilt; the ends had justified the means as far as he was concerned. "After my return I sought out Deaton, I needed to understand the connection. He listened to my story and told me you were a hybrid. In a sense, the bite did kill you; it morphed your soul." He waited while the information sunk into her pretty little head.

Lydia's knees quaked. She dropped the gun and slid to the floor. She hugged her knees to her bosom and began rocking herself. Her eyes were wet. "What does that mean? Am I a freak?"

He stood and hovered over her. "No it does not. In ways it makes me better. Deaton said that the bite did everything backwards. Your body can't heal itself and you can't heal others without first taking the health of someone else. You retained your human scent, but we can't hear your heartbeat or feel your emotions. You can influence the emotions of the humans around you, maybe even wolves if trained. We can communicate with you through visions that you control. You'd have to form a bond with that person first. Sadly, you don't possess our strength yet, but you've developed the speed."

Lydia looked up at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Why aren't I strong yet? What good can I be without my strength?"

"You're developing slower. As I said, it's different for you. In due time, you will develop strength, though you will never be able to transform unless bitten by a non contaminated alpha. If he bites you under a full moon, you can possibly revert back into the human narcissist we know and love. On a new moon he could completely transform you into a regular wolf."

"You mean Derek Hale, don't you?" her voice was a low whisper now. He didn't answer, confirming her fears. He knew she was frightened of Derek more than him. She didn't want to be a wolf, especially underneath someone else's power. And he blanched at the idea of the girl becoming an omega; she wouldn't stand a chance, especially as a hybrid.

"Lydia…you have to start training with us. You have to join ranks with us now. The other pack is fully aware of who and what you are. They may be in the dark about your specific abilities right now, but trust me they won't be for long."

"Why do I have to do anything? I don't want this, I never did. You guys can handle this like you have been all this time. You didn't need me before; I won't be of help now."

"They are coming after you specifically. They're calling you out because you're rare and strong. They only have one other like you in their ranks. They don't want this to be an even match; not in the slightest. Their leader will offer you a position, and if you refuse to claim loyalty to either side, she'll dispose of you right then and there. We need you and you need us."

She raised her head. "There's another like me?"

"Yes, and he is extremely dangerous. He was bitten and transformed into a full wolf, but he's retained many of your qualities. Only he has a tiny floral edge to his scent, because his blood is tainted with aconite. We wouldn't be able to detect him until he was in his wolf form. Lydia please see reason."

Her eyes searched his for any falseness. There was none. She stood to her feet and squared her shoulders and blinked the last of the moistness from her eyes. He admired that about her; she did not allow herself to be controlled by her emotions. It reminded him so much of Lisa. God how he'd fallen for the woman; followed her to the end of the Earth. The pang in his heart began to throb painfully, but he held his composure. He would see his Lisa again one day when the game was long over.

Lydia cleared her throat yet again, demanding his attention. "Okay, what do I need to do?"