Lian Yu, 5 years ago
"I am glad that the change worked," Yao Fei said, panting gently. He joined the group as they sat around the unlit fire. "I knew it would be your only chance."
Slade and Oliver had gone to meet up with Fyers, to save Yao Fei, but the Englishman had pulled out Shado. Thanks to a mixture of Shado's surprise fighting skills and the wolves' strength and speed, everyone got out safely. They ran out of there. The circuit board had been found, but Slade quickly tracked it down -quite literally like a blood hound- and got it back. Since then the group had not stopped till they had made it back to the demolished plane.
"It was a shock." Oliver's breath was heavy, but lighter than it would have been if he were human, as his body had changed to endure more. Slade was barely affected, being ruthlessly trained and wolf from birth.
"You have already faced a change," Yao Fei assumed.
"Yeah."
"He's blonde," Slade grunted as he popped his back.
Shado blinked. "That's rare." She held a hand out to Slade. "We have yet to have a formal greeting. My name is Shado." Once he shook her hand, she turned to Oliver.
Oliver wondered why Shado went to Slade first when he was closer, but he later found out that Alphas are always greeted first out of a sign of respect to the pack.
"Nice to meet you." Oliver smiled. "You two sure know a lot about wolves."
Shado gave him an odd look, while Yao Fei turned to Slade.
"I should have probably told you about that," Slade said. "They're hunters, kid. Fighters specialised in fighting and killing wolves."
"Oh." Oliver felt like he should pull into himself or move away. That was what he really felt. What he did was nothing. He did not cower, he did not overcompensate by making himself larger, showing his fangs or even lift his chin. His heart beat faster and he felt his gut knot, but on the outside all he did was blink. Maybe his almost natural submission only applied as he was freshly bitten at the time and as Slade was an Alpha, his Alpha. "Well that's awkward," he joked.
Yao Fei's brows lowered, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle, looking for hints or clues that would give him the answer.
Starling City, 2012
Oliver had learnt several neat tricks from Yao Fei and Shado in their years on the Island, which could be used against wolves. His personal favourites were the Hunter's Helper and Hunter's Hindrance plants. The first was a nickname for Wolfsbane, the second was the English translation of the herb on the Island that cured most poisons and got rid of infections. It could also counteract Wolfsbane. Hundreds of species existed of both, with different levels of effectiveness to the host. Oliver grew numerous amounts of both in the den, separately as the plants tended to kill each other if put in the same soils.
The two wolves eyed each other and Oliver waited for just the right moment, waiting for the wolf to strike. Oliver lifted a foot as if he was about to step forward and being cocky; the wolf took a step forward.
"Time to die," he growled.
As the wolf went to jump forward, Lance shot him right in the chest.
The wolf was a little knocked back, but otherwise not affected. "Is that it?"
Oliver heard the way Hilton stammered in shock, while Lance was silent. He could not really blame them.
"No," Oliver said. He slipped a white cloth from his pocket, which he always carried. It was just big enough to fold a few times and place over his mouth and nose. It was made of Hunter's Hindrance.
Ollie closed his eyes. He slammed his foot down, forcing the board down onto the pressure plate.
A burst of clear liquid flew into the room with a whoosh of high-powered wind and at first it had no real effect on the intruder wolf except for the feeling of stinging in his eyes, forcing him to blink several times, but then the man felt his wound bleed unnaturally quickly, as if he was human.
"Wolfsbane!" He clutched his wound, but seconds later he fell to the ground, his claws and fangs slipping away shortly after.
Oliver went over and checked his pulse, claws and teeth retreating. "He's gone," he said, voice muffled by the cloth.
The water vapour floated down, staining the floorboards with speckles of a darker brown. Oliver's human features became clear to the Sargent and Detective in the shifting mist.
Ollie spotted that the man had a gun attached to his belt. "Good," he said, pulling his sleeve over his hand and taking the gun out, pulling back the safety and placing it on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Hilton asked, still not believing what he had seen.
"He came in with a gun," Oliver pointed to Lance. "You shot him. No one will believe this and you know it. I will tell you both later, but right now-" he caught the sounds of officers running up the stairs. "Right now you need to trust me on this."
Lance and Hilton looked at the blonde in shock of what had happened, what the two men had become and the ease of how Oliver had just killed a man without batting an eye.
As the thumping of officers was heard by the human ears, the two men nodded.
Lian Yu, 5 years ago
Oliver stepped over to where a black wolf lay next to the fire. He slumped into his lover, hearing him groan, but move further on his side to accompany Ollie. The blonde wolf buried his long jaw in the blanket, shifting his back further into Slade. His muscles were sore from the change, his bones aching dully, but the warmth from his own bright fur, Slade's body and the fire were more than enough to lift his sprits.
Yao Fei had taken Oliver's cot and Shado took Slade's. Not that the wolves minded, they often took the form of wolves when they relaxed, as little time they had to do that. Well Oliver often did. Wolves could run and heal faster, but they could not use weapons. So many an early morning was spent with Oliver in his other form, walking with the Aussie who taught him to use his new found sense of smell to the best of his abilities.
Yao Fei and Shado had been staying with them for a week now. In a training session with Shado, which involved slapping water of all things, the young woman had told Oliver that her and her father knew that they were together and that there was no need to even try to hide it.
Oliver had absolutely no idea how they knew, but Yao Fei still kept giving Oliver and Slade odd looks when they were together, like he was documenting their movements. According to Shado hunters were mostly researchers, who observed wolf patterns, actions and reasons for what they did, where they lived, if and when they transformed and to what extent. What they knew better than anyone, was how to kill wolves. And considering how much their bodies could withstand -minus removal of the head or massive damage to the brain- it was good knowledge to gain.
Slade sat his head on Oliver's furry neck. The blonde tail started to wag. Slade grunted at the behaviour.
Shado looked over to her father, her eyebrows raised, wanting to know if he still held his belief in the Alpha's intent.
Yao Fei nodded, looking unsure. He glanced over to the two cuddling wolves. He would have to speak with Oliver.
Starling City, 2012
"Yeah. They should be here in five minutes," Oliver said into his mobile.
The blonde had chosen a park to meet in. No cars would be able to drive past them and the sound of white stones on the path or the crunch of grass would be enough for Oliver to hear anyone coming. As per usual he wore his spray, made from his most used plant, Disguise, a Hunter's Helper named so as she was just strong enough to hide his scent of being a wolf, but kept the smell of his sweat and did not harm his skin.
"Okay. I'll be with you in a few days," the gruff Australian accent said from the speaker.
Oliver smiled. "That's good. I'll start dropping hints now. I want to be able to spend Christmas with you and the kids, as well as my family."
Slade chuckled. "Kid, I would not get my hopes up for that. Dating a guy with three kids, that's going to take some getting used to."
Oliver frowned.
"But if we act as friends, then maybe," Slade added.
Ollie's lips pulled back up. "Yeah, you have a point." His head shot to the side as he caught the scent of coffee, sweat and cheap shampoo between all the overpowering smells that littered the city and made it near impossible to find something distinctive. "They're here. Has our hunter made up her mind?"
"No. Now that her father will know about wolves and hunters, it will make things a little easier for her, but coming back would still mean leaving her new life behind."
"If it meant leaving you, the kids, I couldn't," Oliver said honestly. "But Thea is right. It's not as if I'm really here anyway."
There was a pause before Slade spoke again. "You will have to open up to them, kid, and I'm not even talking about being a hunter or a wolf."
"I don't want them to hate me," Ollie mumbled.
The blonde spotted Lance and Hilton walking towards him.
"They won't," Slade said, sounding so sure of himself.
"Tell Rose that I'm sorry I couldn't Skype this morning."
"She already went to bed. She's really looking forward to seeing you again. They all are," Slade said, "Remember to pick up the keys to the new house."
"I will." The blonde smiled at the men as they stepped over to him. "I'll go do food shopping after. Talk to you soon. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Oliver smiled, hanging up the phone and slipping it into his coat pocket.
"Goodnight?" Lance questioned.
"Time difference," Oliver said, walking over to a picnic bench. "I'd sit down. There is a lot about werewolves that you will need to know."
"That's what you are?" Hilton asked, neither of the men sitting down.
Oliver pulled his fingers into fists. They flew open with long clear claws. "Yep," he said, popping the p.