This chapter contains spoilers for Night Broken, the 8th book in the Mercy Thompson series. If you like the series, but haven't read it yet, don't read this story, go by the book. My writing can't compare to Patricia Briggs or Rick Riordan's.

Note, I'm skipping a lot of flavor text and background info, I figure if you're reading a fan fiction about a book, then chances are you've read the book and know, at least in part, that information.

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Also, I own none of the characters, not even the OC I made as she is part of the PJaO books and anyone is free to duplicate her for their own stories. Writing a story using characters from published books, I certainly can't complain if someone likes my idea enough to run it in a different direction, but please, no slash.

As a side note, I hope everyone was able to figure out that Terry is an OC. I was going to use a minor character from the books, but I couldn't find one that really fit.

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Also note, For Percy and crew, this story takes place after the battle for New York, and before Percy disappears, obviously. I haven't decided yet if the Son of Sobek has taken place yet.

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Truce

Mercy

"Look, my name is Percy, I'm sorry about your friend, but I'm not going to allow any of us to be attacked, I'm just not. Can we talk about this?"

Talk! He wants to talk about this! They've just trashed the kitchen and severely injured Eric, and they want to talk! Of course, in their defense, Eric did attack first, but he IS pack. And the whole trashing of the kitchen was only kind of their fault. Sometimes it sucks being able to see the other persons viewpoint, because I really wanted to be mad at them and they were scaring the crap out of me. Adam sensed my thoughts somehow, probably the mating bond, and placed his hand on my shoulder to calm me.

To the kids he said; "Talking is good, it prevents many things, it allows for dangerous situations to not escalate into violent confrontations for instance. But understand this Mr. Percy;" Adam added a growl to his words, "I do not in general allow for my people to be assaulted without leveling serious injury on their attacker!"

Percy didn't appear to off put by Adams words when he replied; "I understand that sentiment perfectly. This is why your man is laying on the floor now. For I will not allow any of my people to be injured either. When he appeared to be ready to assault me, I chose to allow it. The FIRST time! When he tried a second time, I insured he would never consider doing it again. Had he tried to assault one of my people, I would have ripped off one of his arms and used it as a club to beat him to death."

Everyone smells different; each species has their own underlying scent, along with each sub-species or race, but each individual within those groupings is different, sometimes widely so. Affecting your scent is a whole plethora of environmental factors ranging from your actual environment, to your occupation, to what types of medicine you take, even what type of shampoo and deodorant you normally use. Magic also has unique smells. Anyone who uses, is used by, or is simply OF magic, will smell different. At least to me, werewolves generally can't smell the magic on someone, at least not most of them. With the fey, they always have an off odor to them.

These kids had a very off odor as well, thou it was very different then what I'd get off the fey. Percy smelt of the sea. No, he smelt of the SEA. He smelt of power, salt water, fishes, strangely of horses, and he smelled of violence near habitually used. He was accepting of violence as the normal recourse to any given situation. It didn't faze him on any level and seemed to be, if not his first choice, than certainly his most commonly used choice. Though that would imply it was the other guys fault in most cases.

At this particular time, he also smelled of honesty. I think even the werewolves picked up on that. We can all generally tell when someone lies around, and almost always when they lie to us. And Percy wasn't lying. He honestly believed he would have killed Eric if he'd tried to assault one of the others. The brutality used was a little exaggerated, thankfully, but not really by that much.

Are they that capable though? That thought came to me and caused me to pause. Yes, I think they are. Even if the pack beat them, they would decimate us enough for Bran to dissolve the pack, and I'm not so sure they'd lose.

Adam seemed to come to a similar conclusion; "Very well. I can, to at least some extent, agree with your actions. As much as Eric hurts right now, he will heal quickly, and he will heal completely before I allow any challenges to him." The last part was to the rest of the pack that was present. "I will promise, and enforce the promise, no attacks from me or my people if you will do the same, at least for the time being."

Percy seemed on the verge of agreement when the invisible girl, or just some random female voice from nothingness (not actually being sarcastic there, it was a possibility I considered at this point) chimed in; "What about someone who comes here that isn't one of your people, or one of your people mentioning it to someone else to attack in their stead? Will you promise to defend us in your home and territory; as well as retaliate on our behalf should we be attacked by someone merely associated with you or yours?"

Damn, she's quick on the uptake. I know Adam (and Bran) well enough to know that they weren't going to have a couple of wolves from another pack come and attack them and he probably would have even warned them of vampires, but they wouldn't have known that. That meant the girl was pretty darn smart, or had dealt with something like that in the past. Most likely both come to think of it.

Adam seemed to come to the conclusion he needed to deal with them has if we were two groups of fae trying to make peace. In other words, deal VERY delicately! "No one in my pack will do such a thing, on my word. No werewolf from another pack will do so at the behest of anyone in my pack or here, in person or on the phone will do so either. Though I do not possess the authority to speak for the Marrock, I know him well enough to know he will not send someone to do so without the consent of the local Alpha; at least as long as the Alpha is not a problem. Likewise, I will defend you for the duration of your stay here this day, but after that, either we will have to come up with further treaties, or you will face the various threats of this world on your own."

After a brief pause, Percy seemed to the conclusion that this was as good as it was going to get, at least for now. "Very well, I can accept your offer and the wording of the oath you have made. I will promise that as long as no violence is offered us, we shall engage in no violence with you or yours. While we are quests in your house, we shall defend it and the tenants and other quests as if they were our own." Percy seemed to give some sort of signal to the others, then added; "We might wish to take further conversation outside to your patio however. So far, we have avoided major structural damage to your house, however, Ms. O'Leary is starting to get antsy, and she can do a fair amount of damage without any ill intent what so ever."

I looked at the massive dog, who was starting to paw at the floor. "Um, how actually do you propose we get her outside?" At that, Percy gave a hand sign to the dog and she seemed to jump, but disappeared before she travelled more than an inch. Less than a second later, we could see her thru the shattered windows on the back patio.

Adam sent the rest of the pack outside and the girl became visible once again. Somehow, she'd dawned a breastplate decorated with the Empire State Building backlit by the sun and surrounded by storms and monsters, and acquired a shield with a mirror, perfectly polished, for a face, as well as a short sword of some sort, she didn't have on a helmet, but I could see her hat in her hand. "You know, everyone in there except Jesse could smell exactly where you were." I felt Adam jerk just slightly and I realized that, no, they couldn't. I was smelling the magic of her, the owls, storm and cloth of her magic, not her.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice Adams jerk (I'm pretty sure Percy did). "I kind of thought it might be a possibility the way you guys were all responding to whoever was on the phone, that you have enhanced senses. But just because you can smell or hear my location, doesn't mean you know were my sword arm is."

Damn, she's pretty good.