"Why did you want to talk to me Scott?"
Isaac was sitting on the couch in the McCall living room, giving Scott a look that hinted at distrust.
"If its about joining your pack you can forget it," Isaac added. "I'm loyal to Derek."
"Relax dude," Scott said. "Is this what its gonna be with all my friends from now on? Geez... "
Okay so maybe Isaac had jumped to conclusions a little quickly...
"Sorry," he said.
"Its okay," Scott waved the apology aside. "I'm sure this is stressful for all of us. I did mean what I said about Derek not being my alpha though. Isaac we both know he never has been."
"I know," Isaac nodded. "Derek wants you as one of his betas, well no... scratch that. After all of this he might want you is dead... "
Isaac's look was dead serious and Scott groaned inwardly. Great... Derek Hale, moody werewolf award of the year, serious emotional issues guy wanted him dead...
"Can we change the subject?" he asked with a slight smirk. "No offense, but thinking about Derek wanting to kill me is a little unnerving."
"Well I'm waiting on you to cut to the chase," Isaac pointed out. "You're the one who brought Derek up."
Isaac was right. Scott found it so hard to voice what he really was thinking about, where he stood with his best friend.
"Its Stiles," he muttered in a low voice.
"Well what about him?" Isaac asked, shrugging. Stiles wasn't his favorite person in the world.
"He and I had a fight. I totally said the wrong things. He was right to call me out on what a lame friend I've been all year. What did I do? I made it about him and Derek."
Isaac eyed him skeptically.
"Stiles and Derek?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you like... suggest they date or something?"
"No!" Scott exclaimed. "I mean, it just seems like the guy's gotten to Stiles in some way. Know what I mean?"
Oh yeah, Isaac knew what Scott meant, he just wasn't sure they meant the same thing by it.
"Yeah Derek's gotten to him alright... "
Scott eyed him strangely as though catching his meaning.
"What does that even mean Isaac?"
"It means that when I'm in a room with them together there's more conflicted lust than a freaking strip club."
Scott snorted, hating to admit that he actually saw what Isaac meant. He had definitely gotten strange vibes off of Stiles when he was around Derek. Off of Derek too, except that the alpha was much better at masking his vibes, so Scott couldn't exactly pick up on what emotion he conveyed. Still, Scott's heart sank as the fact of his best friend's attraction meshed with recent events. Would Stiles' attraction lead him to choose Derek?
ooOoo
"Jackson Whittemore," Peter said.
"Who's calling?" the security woman asked through the speaker.
"Peter Hale."
"Hold," the voice said.
Peter sighed, allowing his fingers to wander over the Camaro's breathtaking interior. His nephew had good taste in cars. Too bad he didn't have a little better taste in who to trust.
"Go right ahead," the woman's voice returned. "He's expecting you."
The gate swung open admitting him into the private high class community. The Camaro pulled into the Whittemore driveway, Peter parking next to Jackson's Porsche. He stepped out onto the pavement and looked admiringly at the house. Jackson's parents were rich he knew. The front door opened rather suddenly. Cocky Jackson stepped onto the porch, shirtless, bearing his toned chest and stomach for all the world to see.
"What is this about Peter?" the boy asked him.
"Just wanted to talk," Peter replied with a shrug, his hands in his pockets in a way reminiscent of Derek.
"To talk?" Jackson asked skeptically, his voice a little snide.
Some people couldn't stand Jackson's blunt personality, but Peter admired openess and a strong sense of self-confidence. The teen in excelled in both.
"Well what do you think of what happened today with the alpha pack?" the old Hale began.
Jackson really didn't feel like having any conversation right now, but he folded his arms and made to speak, knowing how relentless Peter could be when he wanted something.
"I have no current opinion. If you ask me it should have been me, not McCall. McCall's just a common werewolf with little potential.
"I agree," Peter said.
Jackson eyed him, his eyebrow raising in interest.
"You do?" he asked.
"Of course," Peter exclaimed. "I mean you're the obvious choice. You always excell at everything. Everyone in Beacon Hills knows that about you Jackson. You're headstrong, strong-willed, gifted... "
Jackson's ego inflated at Peter's words, but he also knew there was a reason the sly old wolf was saying these things, and that helped him keep his head on his shoulders. He smirked.
"Nice as that all is... spill Peter. What's your real reason for coming here? If all you came for was to compliment me, I get about a thousand of those a day at school."
"Never miss anything do you Jackson? Okay. I think I can level with you. I know you don't exactly like my nephew."
"Understatement of the year," Jackson snorted. "He gave me what I wanted, but I didn't ask for it so I could be his little beta."
Peter grinned at him. This was going as well as expected.
"I knew we were on the same page!" he told the boy excitedly. "You see Jackson, I think that in a way we want the same thing."
"What do we want exactly?" Jackson asked him with a smirk. "I don't remember saying I wanted anything."
"Derek of course," Peter answered with a smile. "We both want to take Derek down a few notches. Xaiu said it best, Derek isn't worthy to be alpha, though I quite agree with you that Scott isn't either."
Jackson was eying him with interest, his eyes suddenly hungry as though beginning to catch on.
"No," Peter spoke, his voice becoming low and subtle. "Who I think would make the best alpha is you Jackson."
"Glad that's not lost on you," Jackson told him with a smirk. "That's exactly right, and its good to see someone else knows it. I should be alpha. I'm a lot stronger than Derek and Scott are. When I was the kanima I literally had them groveling at my feet."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Peter agreed. "You should be alpha Jackson, and I tell you what. You help me take down Derek and Scott and I'll guarantee it."
Jackson raised his eyebrow again, seeming tempted by the offer. Peter let him think about it.
"Aren't you Derek's uncle?" he asked, suddenly a little suspicious. "What's in this for you Peter?"
"Ah," Peter replied with a smirk. "My family's honor of course. Derek and Scott are hardly worthy to lead the Hale pack, but you are Jackson."
That was all Jackson needed to be convinced, more ego-feeding.
"I'll do it," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to be Scott's beta for now," Peter told him. "Get the conflict started. One of you has to turn on Derek to get the ball rolling. Go to Scott. Convince him you want in. I have to stay by my nephew's side for the time being. Derek has no idea he's like a fly caught in my web. He thinks I'm the kind, caring uncle who only wants him to excell as alpha."
"You're not the caring uncle?" Jackson asked, slightly amused.
"Oh don't get me wrong Jackson. I do care about Derek, but he's just not alpha material. He doesn't know what's best for himself. He's too emotionally unstable to handle being alpha. My goal is not to kill Derek, but to save him... from himself."
"That's all very interesting Peter," Jackson said in a voice that meant exactly the opposite. "I'll play along for now. I'll go tell Scott I want to be his beta. This better be worth it... "
"You bet it will," Peter whispered with a hungry expression. "Because in the end Jackson... we win. You win."
Jackson grinned in a rather calculating way, thinking of it. He'd put Derek Hale and Scott McCall under his feet. He'd rise above them, back to his rightful place before all of this started. He would be alpha.