A/N: I know in the show, a lot of Peter's "helpful" moments still had a lot of sneaky undertones to them, but since I'm writing a real redemption arc for Peter and not a fake one, we're going to happily paint all those "helpful" moments as Peter actually trying to be helpful. So all of the moments that Derek talks about/brings up are supposed to be Peter doing his best to help them. As for the issue of Peter's attitude in 3.19 (helping Lydia with her Banshee powers), I'll be discussing all that in a later chapter. Since my favorite Wolf is getting his redemption, that means he and Lydia are going to have to have a sit down at some point! But that's about the only time Peter will be about as 'sneaky' as he was in Canon. So, just a reminder when you're reading through this chapter, the moments are supposed to be more sincere than what we saw in the show.
Also, since I know that not everyone reads all of my fics, I do tend to keep the same ideas through most of them. One of the ones I do like and have used before (most notably in Growing Up) is the telepathic bond Wolves share. It was touched on in the show kinda but then never talked about again (big surprise) but I like the idea! I'm going to be including that kinda thing in this fic too! It is something that all Packmates can do, not just Alphas. And it is more of... a 'feeling' or an 'understanding' it won't be like direct communication (although that is what I went with in Growing Up). I touched on it a bit in a previous chapter, of when Derek and Peter went on their run and I'm expanding on it in this chapter =) just wanted everyone to know =D and to also explain that it isn't a direct communication thing, just a Wolf-to-Wolf mental connection that can be used to share thoughts/ideas/feelings etc.
This fic is branching out a bit, I'm writing more about other characters but I promise Peter/Kira and her training will still be the core of this fic! =D
*Apartment*
Kira looked up at the apartment building before Peter turned into the underground lot, "You live here?"
"What can I say, I appreciate physical comforts a bit more than Derek. Probably has something to do with being in a coma for so long," Peter mentioned, mostly to himself. When he'd first woken up, Peter had needed to stay at the care home, even after he'd killed Laura. No one could know that he was conscious again, not right away... Then as his madness gained momentum, he spent most of his time planning, just dropping cash on a motel so he could at least stay clean and have a place for his clothes. But when he came back from being dead he knew he'd need a place to stay, that Derek of course wouldn't want him- hell Peter was not going to be staying in that dingy subway station. Did Derek just not like spending money? Did he like living in poor conditions? Even when he finally moved into the loft, that wasn't much better. That building was rundown, but at least they did have privacy since he was the only one living there. But that wasn't the lifestyle for Peter... no, the Were wanted something a bit more comfortable. So, he found a reasonably priced apartment, probably a little fancier than necessary but, it suited him. Besides, it was Beacon Hills, there weren't many swanky places for him to choose from in the first place.
"This is really nice, no wonder you don't want everyone knowing where you live," Kira commented as she watched him swipe his keycard to get into the building. She looked around as they walked into the lobby and to the elevator bay. "I didn't know Beacon Hills had apartments this nice, reminds me of some of the places in Ney York."
"I don't even want to know how much an apartment like this would cost in New York" Peter chuckled. Again, he swiped his keycard and they entered an elevator, Peter pressing down on the number five. "And the rooms would probably be smaller, talk about a rip off."
Kira started to wonder just what he considered small but when the elevator doors opened, Kira only saw a few doors in the hallway. She had been expecting them to be a little closer together… Were the rooms really that big?
"Come on, I'm the corner apartment," Peter mentioned, striding forward. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside, maybe a little eager for her to finally see his place of residence. She was the first person in the Pack to see it after all- it was kind of a big moment. The Wolf softly closed the door behind them and followed Kira further inside, waiting for her to say something.
The Fox looked around for a good minute, this wasn't what came to mind when people mentioned living in apartments. There were large windows along both walls of the living room giving them a view of the city, there was a very nice kitchen and dining area and then a small hallway that she assumed led to the bedroom. She didn't want to appear too awed by all of this though, knowing it would make her age even more obvious so she decided to be a little cheeky. "No tv? What do you and Derek have against televisions?"
Peter laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he led her further into the living room, "I prefer to get my knowledge from books. I have a computer of course, the internet is an amazing thing but I'm just not a fan of sitting and watching a screen for long periods of time. I don't care much for Human news or various television shows."
"Yea, I can tell," the Kitsune commented, seeing his collection of books, there were so many. "Where did they come from? I thought… in the fire…"
"I didn't live at the house in the woods, although I did spend most of my time there, like the rest of the Pack. I had a small house but Derek and Laura sold it, put my belongings in storage since, well, there was no guarantee that I'd ever wake up. Once I was resurrected and we dealt with the whole Jackson being a Kanima situation, I found this place and moved my stuff in." Peter sat down on the couch and pulled the younger girl into his lap, nuzzling her hair. "Are you sure you want to do this? We don't have to."
"But I do want to," Kira answered, leaning into his touch. "I want to show everyone that I belong to someone, that I'm wanted and loved. I want to know what it feels like to be bonded to someone- to you! We've already had sex so I'm not nervous about this being my first time or anything."
"I just want to make sure that you don't feel pressured. Just because we had sex once doesn't mean that you can't say no in the future. If you feel at all like this is too rushed we can wait, you've Claimed me already and there is nothing Scott can do about that. I just know that I want to return the Claim and that the sooner I do so, the stronger our bond will be and-"
"Then do it," Kira whispered, lightly biting down over Peter's scar. "I want them to know that I Claimed you as my Mate and that I accepted a mark from you in return. I'll completely stand by your side and support you, regardless of the circumstances. Mom told me that Kitsunes don't form Packs and that me being a part of Scott's Pack is just a technicality, I'm a part of it because I say I am. So I'd have no problem leaving in order to stay with you."
Peter swallowed, touched by her statement; he knew as well that Kitsunes didn't feel the call of the Pack like Wolves did, but still, to hear her say that she'd choose him… No one had chosen him in a long time. He reached up, lightly running a hand through her hair, "That means a lot to me."
"Well, we're Mates aren't we? We'll be there for each other through thick and thin, True Alpha or no True Alpha in our way. Once Scott sees that we're fully committed to each other, he'll have to back down or lose us both," Kira stated before kissing him on the lips. She wanted this, it didn't feel rushed at all. If she had known it was a thing earlier, she probably would have asked him to Claim her their first time, alongside her marking him. The others may have a troubled past with Peter, but she didn't and she wanted to be with him, blue eyes or not.
Peter lifted them from the couch, arms wrapping around her securely so he could carry her to the bedroom; he knew his apartment well enough that he didn't bother to halt the kiss, lightly sucking on her lower lip. His bedroom door was left open so he was able to just walk in and deposit her on the bed before shutting it. Peter took a moment to just look her over, appreciating the way she looked in his bed.
She smiled widely at him, scooting up further on the bed before beckoning him closer. Kira's eyes started to glow as he climbed onto the bed and over top of her. As he settled his weight down on his elbows, hips pressing into her, Kira wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. She started to grow excited, realizing that this was really happening, that she was going to be Claimed today, it would all be official by supernatural standards. "What are you waiting for," Kira asked, kissing along Peter's jaw.
The Wolf lightly ran his hand up under her shirt, rubbing her bare sides, "Last time was a 'heat of the moment' thing, I want to savor this. We're here, in my apartment, safe and secluded from the outside world, it's just you and me." He rolled his hips down so she could feel how hard he was, letting her know that he was just as eager for this. Satisfied by her moan, he sucked at her neck as he lifted her shirt higher, uncovering her bra. "I want to make you feel good," he mumbled against her throat. As he registered her heart speeding up and the change of her scent, Peter started to growl lightly, his Wolf coming to the surface. His hands unclasped her bra and he pushed the fabric aside, tongue finding her nipple.
Kira moaned louder and arched her back a bit, fingers tangling in his hair to encourage him. As his free hand came up to squeeze her other breast, Kira started rolling her hips upward, craving more friction between her legs. She loved what he was doing but she also wanted more so she whined impatiently, tugging on his hair. "Peter…"
"In a hurry?" he smirked before flicking her peaked nipple with his tongue.
"I need more of you. I don't want to wait anymore…"
"Pardon me for the delay," Peter answered, sitting back on his heels so he could undo the button on her shorts. He smiled as Kira pulled her shirt the rest of the way off, it and her bra getting tossed to the floor. Then he was lifting her hips, pulling down her shorts but leaving her underwear. He made a show of taking off her shoes and socks before leaving her on the bed, mostly naked.
Kira propped herself up on her elbow, pouting a bit, "Why am I the only one so naked?"
"Because I love looking at you," Peter replied, eyes starting to glow as he looked her over.
She felt a flush spread across her face at his words; it felt good to see a man look at her like this, but she still couldn't fight the self-conscious blush. Honestly, she wasn't sure she'd ever get over the way Peter looked at her, the way his eyes traveled over her body, the desire evident.
"But in an effort to be fair," Peter said, trailing off. Slowly he kicked off his shoes and socks and then lifted his shirt over his head. "Better?"
"You're still wearing pants," she answered, feeling a little more confident. "We can't do anything if you're still wearing those."
Suddenly Peter leaned forward, grabbing her hips and easily pulling her down to the edge of the bed, smirking at her surprised squeal. "There is still plenty I can do while wearing pants," he promised, dropping down to his knees. "These will have to go though," he stated, leaning forward and lightly biting at the waistband of her underwear.
"Wh-what exactly are you planning on doing?" Kira asked, not fully able to silence the nervous stuttering. Her heart was jumping around in her chest- Peter was just full of surprises.
The Wolf rubbed soft circles on her hips with his thumbs and kissed the inside of her thigh, "Just going to make you feel good, like I promised. I'm dying to taste you, if you'll let me."
Oh, he was talking about that… Kira sucked in a breath, needing air, "R-really? You don't have to..."
"Do you not like it? Or just never had someone use their tongue before?" Peter asked, not quite sure if she was nervous or put off.
"Never… done that before…" she mumbled, biting her lip. While she wasn't totally inexperienced, this was definitely new to her. But she couldn't deny the jolt that went through her at the thought of him between her legs like that.
He slipped his fingers under the edge of her underwear, "Are you game to try? All you have to say is that you don't like it and I can stop."
She looked at him, remembering how he had made her feel the other day. Peter wasn't the type to fumble around and be unsure, if he was offering it was because he enjoyed it just as much. Kira willed her nerves to calm down and nodded, "I'm willing to try." As he pulled her underwear off, she laid back on her elbows and took a deep breath, willing her muscles to relax. She was a big girl, she could handle a little foreplay.
Peter started off slow, sliding a finger inside her to warm her up, tongue pressing against her clit. Since he now knew this was her first time with this he wanted to ease her into it, help her relax, knowing that she'd enjoy it more if she wasn't as tense. He could tell that she was excited for it but nervous at the same time, so he'd show her that there was nothing to worry about. Slowly his sped up the moments of his finger and tongue, waiting until he felt her thighs fall open a little more; Peter moved his tongue down, sliding against her opening as he removed his finger. His eyes flicked up, taking in her face, judging her reaction.
The Kitsune moaned softly as she felt him press his tongue inside her, one hand holding her open a bit. At first his movements were slow but they picked up speed as well as pressure. She could feel his tongue curling against her walls before he moved back to her clit, sucking and licking, fingers inside her again. As she adjusted to the sensation, Kira hooked one leg around Peter's neck, pulling him closer as she rolled her hips. Her head dropped back and her breathing sped up, "Peter, oh Peter," she moaned, gripping the sheets as he worked faster. As his tongue worked her over, Kira felt herself let go even more, hips jerking as her legs tightened around his shoulders. Without warning she sat up, tangling one hand in his hair as she moaned loudly, "Peter, I, I need more of you, please!" Kira tugged on his hair and untangled her legs from around him; she pulled him up onto the bed, crashing her lips against his, ignoring the strong taste of her on his mouth. "I can't… I need you, please. Mark me, I need you to mark me," she whimpered. Inside, the Fox was going crazy, needing to feel closer to Peter, eager to be Claimed in return. The two of them easily maneuvered higher onto the bed again, Kira blindly tugging at his pants as they kissed. Peter helped her, undoing his pants and kicking them off before settling between her legs again.
He could feel tingling along his back, Kira's excitement was building up and forming electricity along her arms. His possessive growls grew louder as he nibbled on her lips, easily lining up and thrusting inside her. They both moaned, rocking their bodies together, quickly finding a rhythm. Kira raked her nails down his back, needing to feel as close to him as she could, legs wrapped around him to help give her purchase as she lifted her hips and arched her back. Soon she was screaming out his name as he thrust inside her, rubbing her in all the right places. Kira was kissing him aggressively, licking into his mouth and sucking on his lower lip- she couldn't get enough of him. They broke apart for air, the Kitsune whining loudly as her energy overwhelmed her... she couldn't even find the control to call out properly. And then Peter was nuzzling at her neck, kissing and biting down gently with Human teeth. They were both feeling the pull but Peter still had enough control that he wanted to warn her, ask one final time if she wanted this.
"Peter, Claim me," she panted out, tilting her head to give him even more access. "Make me yours."
That was all the encouragement he needed, Peter let his fangs grow and he bit down into her neck, eyes flaring brightly as some of his essence poured into her. Kira let out a loud keening noise, legs wrapping around him tightly as her lightning pulsed, accepting this new essence. They stayed jointed for a few long moments, Peter taking his time before finally pulling back his fangs and letting go of her neck.
"Are you okay?" he asked, kissing her cheek, her ear, her hair.
"I feel amazing," she answered, panting heavily. Sure, maybe the bite stung a bit, especially now that he'd let go and she was coming down from the waves of passion but… she also felt the bond Peter had told her about. It was incredible, feeling even closer to Peter than before, knowing that he'd marked her, permanently.
Peter rolled them over, cuddling the Fox to his chest and rubbing her back. He felt pretty amazing as well, his Wolf howling with pride at Claiming his Mate. "Dammit…" Peter suddenly cursed, hating himself for his oversight.
"What's wrong?" Kira asked, looking up with concern.
"I'm no better than an overly eager teen… I should have grabbed a condom, I have some in the nightstand… I got them when I realized that I wanted to be with you. I was planning on using one, you're way too young for kids."
Kira laughed, glad that that was the only issue. "I'm on the pill, otherwise I would have mentioned it."
"I know you are, but still, a secondary means of birth control is always a good idea," the Wolf commented.
"There's always next time," she assured him, knowing that she was definitely going to want more of this. Besides, at least with Peter she knew he was clean, what with Were healing and all that.
"So I did good?" Peter teased, squeezing her tighter.
"Oh please, like you ever doubted yourself! That was amazing, just like the first time- and now we're fully bonded to each other! No one can stop us."
Peter groaned, "Speaking of stopping us… we should probably make our appearance at the loft, before my poor nephew gets overwhelmed. I'm sure by now the rest of the Pack has backed him into a corner."
"Yea, we can't just stay here forever," Kira sighed, nuzzling into his chest a little more.
"We can always come back later for cuddles, if your parents are okay with that."
"But it's a school night…"
"Yea but we solidified out bond, that's a pretty big deal. Your parents will probably make an exception, just this once," Peter guessed. Hell, Mr. Yukimura had been understanding enough to actually excuse Kira from school, knowing full well it meant he was in support of their relationship. He may only be Human, but he was well versed in the supernatural world thanks to Noshiko. If he had been okay with her leaving school to deal with this situation, surely they'd both be okay with Kira spending the night here. He wouldn't push the issue though, take advantage of their goodwill, it would only be tonight. Maybe he'd sneak into her room to spend time with her, but nothing inappropriate while her parents were asleep right down the hall, Peter had better manners than that.
"Just a few more minutes though?"
"I can agree to that," he chuckled, closing his eyes and just breathing in her scent. They could clean up and get dressed in a little while, Derek could survive a few more minutes on his own.
*School*
The gang was huddled together near the parking lot, Scott barely able to keep his eyes from glowing red. Lydia had come to him immediately and when he'd excused himself to check on Kira, she was gone. Peter was going to pay for this!
"First place we're going to check is the loft, Peter is almost always there anyways and even if he isn't, Derek will have some idea of where we can find him," Scott told the group. "We aren't going to let Kira get hurt!"
Isaac was about to ask a question when suddenly he was knocked to the side, Liam growling loudly as he joined the circle, "Kira is in danger?"
"Liam, go to practice," Stiles said, knowing they couldn't risk bringing the out-of-control Beta.
"No! If Kira is in trouble, I want to help! She's my friend! What's happening?" Now that he… kinda had the hang of Were hearing, Liam had been listening in on the meeting- just to stay in the loop! So when he'd heard Kira's name, he'd acted on instinct. But it had been a good thing he'd eavesdropped! Otherwise he'd have no idea! They wouldn't have thought to tell him, that was obvious.
Allison was the one to answer, "Peter took her."
"Peter… but… isn't he in the Pack?" Liam asked, suddenly very confused. Was this the same Peter that was teaching Kira? Oh! That's right, she said it was a secret… Kira probably wasn't even in danger. And just earlier, as he was leaving the locker room, he had listened in and heard Derek mentioning Peter as a potential mentor to him! Scott was obviously just unaware of what was going on. Still though, he wanted to be around to help, just in case Kira really was in danger.
"He's a manipulative monster," Lydia mentioned, arms wrapping around her torso.
"But, I thought he was going to teach me? What's so bad about him?"
Malia turned and looked at the smaller Beta- "What do you mean teach you?"
"It doesn't matter, that offer is obviously off the table, Derek was wrong about his uncle-"
"We don't really have time to be sitting here," Lydia urged, grabbing Allison's hand and pulling her towards the parking lot.
"Lydia's right, the longer we stand around, the more danger Kira is in," Scott stated, hurrying over to his bike.
Stiles, Malia, and Isaac hurried over to the Jeep, Liam right behind them. When Stiles saw him, he held up his hands, "Oh no kiddo, go to practice."
"No, let him come," Isaac suggested, maybe this would help him feel more like Pack. He said that he considered Kira to be a friend, and Kira was technically in the Pack. If they tried to stop him from helping, it would only make Liam feel more isolated. Besides, Scott never demanded that Liam stay out of it. It was best the newbie found out about Peter sooner rather than later.
"Fine, but if he does any damage to my baby, he's paying for it," Stiles called out, moving his seat so Malia could climb into the back. Liam hurried in after her, hands balled into fists as he tried to keep himself centered. Kira was probably very safe, they just didn't know about Kira's training, that was all. He had promised to keep her secret too, so he didn't want to say anything. But maybe Derek knew the truth and that was why he had mentioned Liam getting taught by him too? If that was the case, this would all be cleared up soon. And then Scott would have no reason to tell Derek that Peter couldn't help train Liam!
*Loft*
Derek groaned to himself as he heard the cars screech to a halt in the lot below- looks like they figured out Kira was gone. He'd already messaged Peter, not that he was expecting a response, he was… busy. Derek sat on the couch and waited, arms crossed as he leaned back. This was sure to be interesting, just as long as a fight didn't break out- he was too tired to put up with that today.
"Derek, where is Peter!" Scott yelled out as soon as the elevator doors opened, not even in the loft yet. IIt was only a moment later that the door slid open and Scott barged inside, the others right behind him. All of them were glaring, looking around the loft for their perceived enemy.
Derek raised his brows, "Yes, do come in, help yourselves." One of these days he'd actually lock the door, just to mess with them. Maybe.
"Derek, do you know where Peter is? We think he's hurting Kira," Lydia explained.
"So help me, if I find out he's doing anything remotely shady, he's dead- new code be damned," Allison snapped, mini crossbow already in her hand.
"All of you, calm down!" Derek ordered. He knew that Allison had a grudge against him but that was no reason to be so ready to kill him. She hadn't been so quick to demand Aiden's head when he was one of the 'bad guys' and was dating Lydia. Not even after they found Erica's body, not even after they helped kill Boyd.
"Calm down?" Lydia cried out. "How can we calm down when there is a high probability that Peter is manipulating a very powerful Kitsune? Derek, he could use her to kill us! To finally get back at us for what we did!"
"Kira wouldn't do that," he countered. "She considers all of you friends." Also because that wasn't what Peter was doing…
"Yea, and I didn't want to bring Peter back to life yet he controlled me and forced me to," Lydia reminding him, voice barely above a whisper.
Derek didn't have a comment for that- honestly that was between his uncle and Lydia, and he didn't really have any confidence that that bridge would ever be built between them. And he certainly wasn't going to tell Lydia that she was in any way overreacting… she had every right to feel violated by Peter and to do her best to prevent him from ever doing something like that again. But Derek also had proof that this was vastly different from what had happened with her.
"Tell us where to find him," Allison demanded. "We aren't going to let him hurt Kira!"
The older Beta just sat there and stared at them, they were going off half-cocked and that was a bad habit to have. Scott needed to learn to keep his cool, even when his Packmates were in danger. If Scott didn't know the whole situation and he barged in somewhere demanding answers… well that could lead to trouble. Hell, Derek had jumped to the same conclusions and he'd gotten his ass kicked for it. He knew the Alpha wasn't to blame though, he was just inexperienced and he cared- that was a good thing. But he needed to see the bigger picture here instead of jumping to conclusions prematurely.
"Derek… why don't you seemed surprised by any of this?" Scott finally asked when he made no move to answer Allison. Everything about his posture was telling Scott that he wasn't shocked at all to see them here, demanding Peter's head. And he also didn't look like he was on their side of things.
Isaac looked between his current Alpha and his old one, not really understanding what was happening right now. Derek had made it clear that he wasn't a fan of Peter but… Scott had a point- Derek was doing nothing to help them find the dangerous Were, knowing that Kira was missing. That wasn't like Derek at all. The only reason he'd hesitate to side with Scott on this is because he knew something they didn't. Something that meant Scott was wrong….
"Are you helping him?" Allison accused, stepping forward and raising her crossbow just a bit. Was Peter brainwashing his nephew too, or was this just some sort of 'family duty' thing? Either way, Allison wasn't comfortable about the fact that Derek seemed to be siding with Peter.
"Things aren't what you think they are, none of you understand the situation. Peter hasn't done anything wrong."
"Hasn't-? Derek, he's corrupting Kira!" Lydia cried out.
"Do you have any proof of that? You shouldn't make accusations like that against a Packmate without proof."
"We don't have proof that he isn't!" Scott countered. "He has a history and we're just looking out for Kira."
"I have proof that he isn't doing anything wrong… People can change Scott- you 're the one that keeps pounding that into us… yet you turn a blind eye when it comes to Peter."
"But…" Scott furrowed his brow. Yes, he did believe that people could change… except Peter- he'd done too much damage. He looked at Derek closely, recalling the reason that they even kept the resurrected Wolf around in the first place, what had been mentioned in the locker room. Peter was important- he was a sarcastic asshole but he was important. Even Scott couldn't deny, as much as he wanted to, that Peter always pulled through for them when he was needed. It didn't change the fact that Peter had no reason to be sneaking around with Kira behind their backs, which just acted as more evidence that he was up to something bad. And Derek had mentioned something about Peter going Rogue again… did this have anything to do with it?
"Wait, so something is going on between Peter and Kira?" Malia asked. She still wasn't sure of what the problem was… they had warned her about Peter, even before they found out that he was her biological father. But, he was Pack for some strange reason, even if no one seemed to trust him. She also knew that Lydia was absolutely terrified of Peter and that Allison hated him- something to do with killing her aunt. God, Pack was so confusing! As far as Malia knew, Peter was helpful and that made him acceptable, not deadweight. Wasn't Stiles always trying to tell her that the past was in the past… that's what they told her when they found out she ate her mom and sister. So if that was the case for her, for Jackson, for Derek, even Allison, why not Peter? Scott hadn't chased him out of town so clearly his crimes couldn't be that bad…. So where was his forgiveness? Malia growled quietly to herself, once again not understanding just what the message of this Pack was supposed to be. So what if he wasn't 'nice' like Scott (hell, Stiles always called him Satan in a v-neck) but Malia wasn't really 'nice' either… Did that mean that maybe… if she couldn't learn control… she'd get kicked out too?
"Do any of you know what Claiming is?" Derek asked, nodding to Malia to let her know that he'd heard her question. All of the teenagers shook their heads. "I'd prefer to keep it that way, it isn't something teenagers should know about but… well, you need to know more about it if you're to understand the situation. But before I explain anything, I need you all to understand that Kira isn't being manipulated, isn't being controlled, and she isn't in any danger."
"I find that very hard to believe," Scott muttered.
"Same," Allison said while Lydia raised a skeptical brow.
"That's because you don't know the whole situation, so listen! Claiming is something that happens between two supernatural creatures, when the animal sides of them are in sync with each other. I'm sure the Weres in the room at least understand what it means to 'scent' someone?"
Malia smiled and nodded, glad that she at least understood this! This was easy for her, unlike math. She was shocked to see that Isaac was the only other one to nod and he only looked vaguely sure of his answer. "Scenting is important to us, why don't you guys know that?" she asked.
"I think they understand on a subconscious level," Derek answered, deciding to just start from the basics. He wasn't surprised that Malia understood, all her years as a Coyote would have greatly influenced her basic understanding of their animalistic tendencies. "There are many different types of scenting and I know all of you recognize it, even if you don't think you do. Every time you hug each other, touch in some way, you are reaffirming you ties to each other, as a Pack. Allison smells like Allison but she also smells like the rest of us, because we all interact with her on a daily basis. Stiles smells like Stiles, Pack, but also like Malia although Malia has a very strong scent claim over him because they are dating."
"Yup, I'm always covering Stiles in my scent so everyone knows he's mine!"
"Exactly," the Hale nodded.
"Wait… like… you own me?" Stiles asked, eyes wide. That was… barbaric…
"No, not like that," Derek huffed. Honestly, this wasn't that hard of a concept!
"That you two are committed to each other," Isaac guessed, sort of understanding after all his time as a Were.
Allison lowered her bow as she thought about how Scott used to always touch her. To anyone with a good nose, they could take one look at her and understand her place in the Pack and her relationships with everyone in it. That may have even saved her a few times, marking her as a Packmate instead of as just a Hunter. And now the same could be said for Stiles- he wasn't just some Human, he was a part of Scott's Pack and Malia's significant other.
"Exactly, not only is it her scent that covers you the most out of all of ours, her scent also carries more of a… sensual undertone to it that the rest of ours don't. So, scent marking is important, not just in a Pack sense, but in an intimate sense as well. For most teenagers, that's plenty far enough. Now just because I'm explaining this to you all doesn't mean you should all start trying to Claim each other! This is something for only the most serious of relationships! Although, you can't properly Claim a Human anyways, their spirit isn't really… tuned to the supernatural so you can't really mix essences with them. You could always give them the mark anyways, just so everyone knows anyways but it doesn't have the same effect and they can never really return it. And as an Alpha that's dangerous because if you don't know what you're doing, you can easily end up turning someone on accident-"
"Okay wait, you're losing us," Isaac interrupted. "We get that we aren't supposed to do whatever it is but you haven't even told us what 'it' is that you're talking about… kinda hard to follow along."
"Claiming, staking a claim on your significant other, is to permanently mark them so everyone understands the two of you are together," Derek said.
"He's Claimed her! And you didn't think to tell us?!" Scott roared, perfectly understanding where this was going now.
"That isn't what happened, don't assume-"
"Has Peter Claimed her or not?" Allison asked. Clearly he'd told them about this 'Claiming' stuff for a reason- it had to do with what Peter was doing to Kira!
Malia frowned, "I can't Claim Stiles?"
"This is all just too weird," Liam mumbled to himself. This wasn't what he had in mind at all when he came here today. This was like chapter 7 of the Werewolf manual and he hadn't even read the summary yet! Claiming, scenting… he barely understood Pack right now and there was all this other stuff involved too? He just wanted to play lacrosse!
Derek clenched his jaw, getting irritated at everyone trying to talk over each other. He let out a loud roar, drowning all of them out. Satisfied that they were listening again he blurted out the truth- "Kira Claimed Peter!"
There was a loud clattering as Allison dropped her bow, as well as a pained whine from Lydia.
"That's right, Kira's Fox has chosen Peter to be her Mate and she Claimed him this past Sunday."
"Okay, and how do we know that Peter didn't manipulate her into that?" Lydia asked, voice shaking a bit as she tried to remain calm. Kira just didn't understand what she was doing, there was no way she knew what it meant to Claim someone. It just had to be because Peter pushed her into it!
Derek sighed impatiently, now that he had reconnected with his uncle as a Packmate, Derek was able to see just how unfair all of this was. If he was already sick of it, he had absolutely no idea how Peter had put up with it for so long. "I think all of you are failing to grasp the situation. But, it's understandable, up until a few days ago, I was thinking the same thing as you. But just think for a moment- what exactly has Peter done since he's come back, let's discuss shall we? First he helped us deal with Jackson as a Kanima as well as Gerard, he was the one that figured out that Jackson wasn't actually dead but evolving. He was the one that realized the danger we were all in… But he also knew that the key to saving him was Lydia; Peter knew how to save him when I voted to kill him. Then, he was the one that helped me search, weeks on end, for my Betas- do you know how many hours he put into finding Erica and Boyd? Not to mention that he was the one that helped us uncover Isaac's memories in the first place after we realized that they had tried to steal them. He was also the one that figured out the trap we were walking into when we tried to save Boyd and Cora. Granted that information was a little late, but Stiles can attest to the fact that he did try to warn us when Scott and I had impatiently rushed into the unknown. Peter was there in the hospital fighting to protect Cora and the rest of us from the Alphas; I think he's the only reason Cora is still alive- he told me how to heal her! Hell Peter was the one that actually took care of Jennifer and-"
"What are you talking about… I thought…" Stiles asked, looking to Scott. Scott had told them all that Deucalion had stepped forward and slashed the Darach's throat at the end of the eclipse. Peter wasn't even there…
"Apparently Deucalion didn't quite finish the job. Yea, Deucalion- you remember him, the one that killed two of my Betas and yet Scott let him walk away!" Derek was glaring at Scott, that was all still a very sore spot for the Hale. He had threatened them all and had killed two of his own but just like that, Scott was willing to let him go. The True Alpha clearly didn't understand the pain of losing a Beta… hopefully he never would. "The Demon Wolf didn't even finish the job. While all of us happily assumed that she'd been taken care of and left her for dead, Peter realized just how strong of a Darach she was. He knew that there was a high possibility that she was still alive. And guess where he found her- crawling back to the Nemeton, asking for power, again. My uncle is the reason that she won't be coming back for round three." Derek turned and looked at Stiles next, "And it was him that helped us save you from the Nogitsune, it was his idea to send Scott and Lydia into your head, his guiding hand that helped Scott, not mine. Peter was the only one to step up when the two of them were in trouble, the one that guided Lydia past the Nogitsune's defenses. The rest of us didn't know what to do, how to help!
"Then there is the time we both spent with the Calaveras'- Peter snarked day and night, taking the brunt of the torture, and he did it to save my skin. He knew the price he was paying by talking back to her and he willingly paid it, for me. Does that sound like the old Peter at all, the one that would do anything to come out on top? I was the only one around to hear his screams and trust me, the Calaveras' didn't go easy. And after we got back, he's the one that helped me talk to my mother, by using her claws- an experience that was very draining for him. That's the Peter that you all need to be thinking of, because that's the Peter that Kira chose to Claim!"
He paused there, taking a moment to collect himself again. He did notice that most of the teenagers in the room had the decency to look thoughtful. Hopefully his words were getting through to them. "So, back to the original question you had Lydia- it is impossible to manipulate those types of feelings. You can only Claim someone when you feel absolutely connected to them, when you love them wholeheartedly. A Claim can't be born out of lust- that's just dangerous and would lead to chaos. Peter doesn't have any way of manipulating Kira like that in the first place, but let's say that he did try, similar to what happened with you, that's all he could get out of her, lust, not love. Sometimes tricking the Human side might be simple but it isn't quite so easy to trick the animal side into having passion like that. So that means her feelings for him are legitimate and completely her own. And that also means, when Peter returns her Claim, that his feelings will be just as wholesome- keep that in mind."
Lydia and Allison looked at each other, Kira had honestly wanted Peter…? How could that have happened? Apparently the Alpha was wondering the same thing.
"How can she possibly love him, she's only seen him twice," Scott accused, still not ready to believe it.
"Well, that's where you're wrong," Derek said, not offering any clarification.
Isaac cleared his throat, afraid to voice the implication… but he knew someone had to. "They've been spending time together…"
Derek nodded and steeled himself for the onslaught of outrage.
"You knew and didn't tell us?!" Scott asked, incredulous.
"Derek how could you allow this! You should have come straight to us when you found out!" Lydia stated.
Allison clenched her hands into fists, "And just how long has this been going on?"
There was a pause, the Were deciding which question to address first… only the last one didn't require him to break his promise to Noshiko, about their training… "I only found out Sunday, that was when I learned the truth. I can't say for certain how long they've actually been hanging out though," Derek supplied.
"I'm calling Mrs. Yukimura, she needs to know about this!" Scott stated, pulling out his phone.
Derek just gave him a look, one brow raised higher than the other.
Just before he hit the call button, Scott saw Derek's face and remembered that on Friday, she had come to the loft to talk to Peter. It had been so out of place but now it all made sense. She had found out that the two of them were hanging out somehow and had confronted him about it. "She already knows, doesn't she?"
"Knows and approves," Peter called out, standing in the open doorway with one arm over Kira's shoulders. He had thought about coming to his nephew's rescue sooner but he'd been surprised, and touched, by Derek's outburst a few minutes ago. It had taken him a moment to collect himself… But it was time to step in, Derek didn't deserve to be yelled at over this.
"She would never!" Allison argued, looking at him in disgust.
Kira scowled, "Don't act like you know more about this situation than we do. Peter isn't lying. Both of my parents know about my time spent with Peter and they know I Claimed him. They don't have any issues with what's happening between us so none of you should either."
"K-Kira?" Scott stuttered, shocked.
"I knew you were okay!" Liam called out brightly, not really understanding what the big deal was. So, apparently her and this Peter guy were involved but… why was everyone so upset? He looked a bit older than the rest of them sure, but that was about the only weird thing about it to him. Derek's explanation made sense- their inner animals liked each other or something… Scott kept saying that Derek was supposed to be some kind of expert and he just said that everything was okay, so Liam was satisfied. At least concerning this issue- the issue of him being no longer being strictly Human… he was still working on that.
"Liam, they dragged you here too?" Kira asked, surprised to see him here. Wow, they turned this into a Pack event. Was this how… against Peter they were?
"Well, I tagged along, they said that you were missing and that Peter was involved. I figured you were just training and-" Liam cut himself off, realizing what he just said.
"Training?" Scott repeated, claws popping out. So he was up to something! He was turning Kira into a weapon just like Lydia thought!
"And it's going quite well, take a look for yourself," Peter said, walking further into the loft. He began rubbing Kira's shoulder with his thumb, willing some of his calmness into her. She was nervous as hell right now, and while that was understandable, she needed to stay strong on order to stand up to Scott and the others. They were going to be throwing accusations his way and he wasn't sure if she was prepared for that.
"What do you mean?" Allison asked.
Scott flashed his eyes, stumbling back in surprise when he saw Kira's aura, "What have you done to her?!"
Immediately the other Weres flashed their eyes and looked at the Kitsune, Malia and Liam both furrowing their brows in confusion.
"Is something wrong?" Malia asked, scanning the aura but not seeing anything alarming.
"It's- her aura is different!" Isaac cried out.
"No it isn't," Liam stated. "This is how it looked when I first saw her…"
"Yea, it hasn't changed at all," Malia agreed, dimming her eyes and looking at Scott.
"What does it look like?" Lydia asked, eyes scanning the Kitsune in a hopeless attempt to see her aura.
The older Hale smiled at the group, pulling out his phone and easily finding the picture he took of her. "It looks like this… well, she has three Tails now and this one only has two but, close enough."
Cautiously Stiles, Allison, and Lydia leaned closer, gasping as they took in the drastic change.
"I don't understand, changed how? I don't see anything different," Malia complained. It was the same aura she had seen yesterday, the silvery white light with the sharp edges and the tails.
Liam nodded, waiting for an answer as well, glad that for once, he wasn't the only one confused.
Hastily Scott dug out his phone, rifling through all his old pictures before finding the one he'd taken of her. "It used to be orange, with no tails, very simple…" he explained, showing the two Betas.
"I definitely like the new one better," Liam stated, not really grasping the seriousness of the situation. What was wrong with getting a new aura? Werewolves all had different eye colors to mean different things… why not Kitsune too?
"Peter, what did you do to her?" Scott asked, turning back to his old Alpha.
"Scott don't treat me like a child! I'm right here in the room and I'm perfectly capable of answering your questions! My aura has changed because Peter has been training me, helping me to earn my Tails. We've been working hard to make progress- it's absolutely exhausting! But I have three now," Kira told them all, smiling proudly and leaning into Peter's side. "There is nothing wrong with my aura, it's changing- growing, because I'm growing too! This is a good thing, I promise. Why… why wouldn't I want to get stronger? This is a completely natural change for my aura, it's nothing to worry about. I can't believe you all just assumed the worst… You guys don't know anything about Kitsune, about what this means for my kind… So you just jumped to conclusions, thinking you know what's best for me…" Kira had thought that they'd all be excited about her new aura but instead they were scared… worried that this was some sign that she was being manipulated? Had thought that Peter had somehow altered her aura by unsavory means? They really were in the dark about a lot, and they were letting their distrust cloud their judgment.
"Kira, you can't trust him… he's going to turn you into a weapon," Allison warned, reaching out a hand to her, wanting to pull her away from Peter.
"The only one capably of turning me into a weapon is me- I'm the one that chooses how to use my powers," the Kitsune scowled, nuzzling into his side more. "I think all of you are forgetting that we're all in charge of our own actions here, how exactly is Peter going to make me do anything?"
"You weren't here for it! Peter controlled me!" Lydia yelled suddenly, hands clenched into fists.
The Kitsune looked down at the floor, forgetting about Lydia's experience. "Peter is different now…. I know I wasn't here for all that, and I don't know anything about what happened but…I promise he isn't the same person as before his death. He was reborn, he's better now."
"A psychopath like Peter doesn't get better," Lydia called out. "He's only looking out for himself!"
Peter mentally cringed, this wasn't where he had wanted the conversation to go. Nothing he could do about it now though so he might as well take charge of the conversation. Kira had tried to stand up for him, Derek had tried to reason with them, but they just weren't listening. So it was Peter's turn. "I'll acknowledge that all of you have every reason to be suspicious. What I did to Lydia… well it was fucked up to say the least. The mindset I was in when I Bit her directly affected the hallucinations she had. So needless to say, that meant she didn't have the best time because she was still dealing with the old me. But I genuinely care for Kira and this situation is nothing like what happened in the past. But none of you will ever believe a word I have to say and I was hoping that the fact that I was supported not only by Derek but by Kira's parents as well, would help persuade you. Those three understand this situation and acknowledge that I am not doing anything underhanded. Even if you don't trust me, surely the three of them you can trust?"
"We all know you're extremely manipulative," Isaac commented. "Who's to say that you haven't tricked them somehow?"
Derek tensed, jaw clenching tightly- hadn't they heard a word he'd said? He could understand Lydia still being distrustful but the others? They all seemed to have hardened against Peter again. But his uncle seemed to take it all in stride… even with almost the whole Pack against him, he showed no fear or uncertainty… But Derek could feel the turmoil that was hiding under the surface and he struggled to comfort him via their Pack bond.
Peter rolled his eyes, "Please, these are traditions that predate all of us! Just because all of you are pups and don't know anything about this, doesn't mean I'm doing anything wrong. Ask Deaton then, there is no way the Druid came under my influence. Hell, the last time I saw him was when we were all at Scott's house with the Nogitsune. I'm sure he can tell you all about how Claiming works and then maybe you'll understand that this mark," Peter paused, reaching up to tug on his shirt, showing them all the scar on his neck, "Can't be faked or forced. As unbelievable as it is to all of you, someone here actually likes me… I won't even say 'I told you so' when Deaton tells you the same thing as Derek. Just come find me when you're ready for some help with Liam." The Were had faith that Deaton would back up his story. As obtuse as the veterinarian usually was, he could always be counted on to tell the truth. If they asked him about Claims, he'd tell them the same thing Derek had. Peter found it sad that his nephew's words hadn't been enough, that the fact Kira's parents accepted them still wasn't enough! They were all so prejudiced against him that they were willing to believe he'd somehow brainwashed a 900 year old Kitsune into believing his 'story' about Claims. They understood so little about the world… Their True Alpha was going to get them all killed one day, acting like he knows everything there is to know about their kind. If he had been some rival Alpha showing interest in Kira… and Scott dared to show him that kind of disrespect, all because he'd never even heard of Claiming… oooh, the precious McCall Pack would be in hot water. Why couldn't they admit that they didn't know everything, that they might be wrong? Peter was so lost in thought that he almost missed Scott's next words.
The Alpha was studying Peter closely, the way he had his arm around Kira… he could pick up the way their scents were intertwined now. He still wasn't sure about how legit this Claiming stuff was, but he couldn't deny that something had been done… Weres didn't get scars so that bite mark wasn't normal- he at least understood that much. But he wasn't just going to blindly accept his explanation about this… Peter was right about one thing though, he trusted Deaton- nothing could sway the Druid, he'd always stick to the neutral truth. "Since Derek seems to have so much trust in you… I'll let you off the hook for today, but if Deaton tells me anything that implies you're trying to trick us or manipulate Kira, you're done!"
Peter chuckled lightly before suddenly throwing his back and laughing, "Oh Scott, that's so unbecoming! Don't try to play the hardass- it doesn't suit you, leave that to me and Derek. Hell, even Allison has more history of violence than you- she can make credible threats before you can.I don't need your threats anyways, I know that you're serious about protecting the Pack. What you fail to realize is that I've been doing the same thing since I came back! Why haven't I earned one of those second chances you're always so ready to hand out? Haven't I proven myself worthy?" Peter demanded to know. Scott, the True Alpha that gave out second chances, was trying to scare him? Peter wasn't afraid of death, he'd already beaten it once. Peter did find it horribly ironic though… that the one person that was actively trying to earn a second chance wasn't getting it… Deucalion was allowed to walk away- hell even Jennifer had been given a chance (before Deuc had rightfully stepped in), Gerard was allowed to live... But who actually paid for their sins? Peter! Peter had died at their hands and had come back, finally sane again and they were shunning him! The Wolf could feel the ache in his heart… feel the pain of being turned away from the Pack…
Kira looked up at Peter in surprise as he laughed, that was his response to a threat? Wasn't he scared? Not that Kira would let it come to that, she'd stand in the way, talk Scott down. She wasn't going to let it escalate to a fight; Peter didn't need that on his record, challenging Scott… Her Fox swelled with pride, sensing that Peter honestly wasn't scared of Scott. Stiles had filled her in awhile back, of all the crazy adventures they'd been on in the past few years- Scott just never seemed to lose. But even against those odds, Peter was willing to bet on his abilities. It wasn't just false bravado on his end either, nor ignorance of Scott's past successes; the Wolf really believed he had a chance against Scott. Her smile faltered though as she felt the sudden heartache coming from her Mate… He was hurting because they were rejecting him… and a lone Wolf didn't stay sane for long. She'd find a way to explain it all to them, make them see! Kira rested her head against his chest, silently promising him that they'd keep fighting until Scott saw the truth. He wasn't alone, not anymore!
Scott just scowled, gesturing for his friends to head out. Peter was just trying to trick them all- his second chance was being allowed to live in the first place. He hesitated for just a moment though, looking back at Kira as she nuzzled into Peter's chest… Had the Wolf really changed? That decision would have to wait until after he spoke with Deaton, and probably Mrs. Yukimura as well. Might as well cover all his bases, Scott learned that he could never be too careful.
Allison bent and grabbed her crossbow, still giving Peter a death glare. This wasn't over, not by a long shot- they'd get to the bottom if it one way or another. Isaac and Lydia moved to fall in line behind Scott as well, knowing that, at this point, it would only be more aggravating to stay. They were taken by surprise when Malia strode forward sudden, eyes full of purpose. Everyone stared as she stepped up to Peter… they held their breaths, hoping that she wasn't going to try and attack him… Not that any of them made any move to stop her.
"Teach me."
"Excuse me…?" Peter stared at his daughter in shock. That hadn't been what he was expected at all.
"Malia, don't," Scott warned.
But she went on to explain, ignoring Scott's words. "I want you to teach me, if you can teach Kira how to earn her Tails, then surely you can help me learn more about my powers too. A Coyote is more similar to a Wolf than a Fox… if teaching her is easy, than teaching me will be easy too, right?" Malia bit her lip… hoping that she wasn't wrong. What… what if it was just her that was hard to teach? What if Peter couldn't help her, or what if he said no? He had every reason to deny her, Scott was doing his damnedest to isolate the older Were from the rest of them, even the Coyote could see that. She had been warned to stay away from him, and she could smell the dread on them that day when they told her the truth… that he was her father… At first she had been excited, figuring out that she was part of the Hale legacy (not… that she totally understood it… but she did know the Hales had power, she could sense it in the two male Weres). Then she saw the looks on everyone's faces and she realized they thought that she'd been the worst possible news ever. After that, the Coyote had locked away her curiosity about the older Were, tried to deny she wanted to learn about her powerful heritage. So she realized that Peter owed her nothing… Malia had made no attempt to get to know him, choosing to believe Stiles and Scott that he was dangerous. Surely he'd remember that and deny her… still, she was hoping… banking on the fact that he had mentioned wanting to get to know his daughter.
"M-Malia?" Stiles called out, hurt and very shocked. He thought they were making great progress!
"Stiles, you've been very helpful to me but… you aren't a Were… When you helped Scott with his shifting… it was different than what I went through, what I'm still going through. Maybe Kira was right, you and Scott have a lot of history together, I'm just a Coyote that still isn't quite sure how to be Human… Neither of you know what that feels like… I'm sorry Stiles, but I don't think you can help me in the way I need…"
"Wait, no, what about me?" Liam asked, frowning. "I don't know anything about all of this and Scott does nothing but piss me off… Peter mentioned training me."
"Peter isn't training you, either of you!" Scott called out. "He shouldn't even be working with Kira- Kira, why isn't your mom training you?" Surely the best teacher for her was her own mom- a fellow Kitsune. "Or I can… if you want? I don't want you working with him!"
"I can't believe it… offering to teach me instead? You know nothing- how can I expect to learn from a Wolf that didn't even know we existed until a few weeks ago? You have no ground to stand on! The only reason you care is because it's Peter… If I had chosen Derek, this conversation wouldn't even be happening right now. If you must know, I'm not training with Mom because I don't really understand her methods… Peter and I just… click. He explains it in a way that I understand. Mom is still helping me with my weapon stuff and she monitors how much time I'm spending with Peter. She understands that my Fox has made a choice and that it wasn't her so Scott, don't you dare try and tell me that I can't train with him… If she can't stop me, then neither can you, respect that."
"That's not…" Scott frowned, knowing she was right. Derek was someone that they all trusted, none of them would have had any issues if they'd found out that he was the one teaching her. But it wasn't Derek, it was Peter, didn't she know they couldn't trust him? As for his offer to train her instead… Kira was right about that too. He knew that Kitsunes had Tails… but he didn't know anything about how they learned them… "You're right, I shouldn't have offered… I don't know anything about Kitsunes… but Peter is just a Wolf too, he can't know more than your mom."
Kira stood her ground, "Peter knows about Kitsunes though and he has more experience with training newbies. My mom… she's too experienced, she takes for granted all the things that she knows and expects me to be on step three when I'm still on step one. My parents accept that he is my tutor in this, so you have no room to argue- my mom is perfectly alright with the way he is teaching me because she can see that Peter does in fact know what he's talking about. Trust me, if he was doing anything wrong, Mom would have stepped in and taken over. Scott, just accept it- I've chosen Peter, as my mentor as well as my Mate."
"I…" Scott looked at her again with his Alpha eyes, seeing her brilliant new aura. This was what a matured Kitsune looked like then, one that knew her power and heritage. The determined look in her eyes persuaded Scott from saying anything else. Clearly Peter did know a whole hell of a lot when it came to supernatural creatures… If Mrs. Yukimura was 100% on board with this then… he'd have to bring it up when he spoke with her. Just… to hear her say that Peter was actually a responsible teacher for a Kitsune as well as… an acceptable partner. He felt gross just thinking about that… Peter had a daughter the same age as her!
There was a silence, Scott's resolve seemed like it was cracking, so Malia spoke up again. "You said you wanted to spend time together, get to know each other right? Then train me," she offered. If she could just get him to agree then to hell with whatever Scott said! Malia still didn't understand Pack that well so she didn't feel any qualms about challenging her Alpha's decision.
Peter couldn't hold in his smirk, she was starting to seem more and more like his daughter. Training her would be fun, he could already tell. Plus he could see just how much it was pissing Scott off- that was reason enough to accept her offer. He did want to get to know her though, so of course he was going to say yes. But before he could answer, Liam butted in.
"Derek said he would teach me, you have Stiles and Scott!" This wasn't fair! He was having way more trouble than Malia! Even now, he felt his fangs growing and he couldn't rein it back in. Loud growls filled the air, and only some of them were his.
"Oh hell," Peter mumbled as Malia snarled at Liam, tackling him to the ground. This wasn't the time for a dominance battle…
"Liam!" Kira called out, making a move to step forward, but Peter stopped her.
"Don't get involved in a Were fight, too dangerous," he told her. Sure, she could just shock them both but that wouldn't diffuse the actual argument- they were fighting to establish their rank in the Pack. An older Packmate needed to break up the scuffle. As Peter went to step in he realized that, although Liam had a lot of raw power due to his anger, Malia had skill to go with her strength, an ingrained understanding of her abilities even though she was still getting used to her Human body. She was a Hale after all. Yea, better to end this now before they both got seriously hurt. He called up his Wolf, eyes glowing, letting out a quick growl-bark as he pushed his way into their heads. His sudden, stern, appearance in their heads, along with the strict bark worked as a mental nip on their ears. They jumped apart, both reacting to the mental reprimand… although they were still in their Beta shift. Peter checked on Liam first, knowing he would probably have the harder time shifting back. But as he crouched down to get a look at Liam, there was a loud twinge in his head.
"Malia?" As he turned, he registered that the Coyote was in distress. She was backing into a corner, snarling, still shifted and Stiles was walking towards her.
"Stiles, no!" He rushed forward, sliding across the floor on his knees and yanking on the boy's shirt, throwing him backwards. Malia's claws swiped the air where his throat used to be. "Dammit Stiles, she isn't in control, what were you thinking?" he yelled, shoving the teen behind him, focusing on Malia. Didn't he know that he wasn't supposed to approach a Were that felt backed into a corner (figuratively, or quite literally).
"I was just trying to help her shift back…" Stiles mumbled, hand at his throat. Malia hadn't ever come that close to hurting him before (well, he wasn't counting the full moon). He just wanted to show her that he could help! At school he'd been able to keep her from shifting a few times… But then Stiles remembered, there was a difference between holding back the shift, and shifting into a Human again. It was like fighting off a panic attack versus trying to stop one once it was in full swing…. One was a lot harder than the other.
"Rhetorical question Stiles!" Peter shot a quick, frustrated glance over his shoulder, wondering where the rest of the Pack was! He saw that Derek was shielding Lydia, the poor girl was wide-eyed at the brief scuffle; Isaac was holding back a very disgruntled Allison who looked like she didn't want to be protected, and Scott was right behind him, checking over his friend. Apparently Scott needed to work on his reflexes a little more, he had probably been too focused on Liam like the rest of them to notice Malia right away. Liam was already shifted back, Kira must have helped him. That was one good thing at least, he knew he could count on his Mate to be competent.
"Malia?" Peter asked, turning back to her. A growl met his ears, blue eyes looking at him from beneath the locks of hair covering her face. English was a no-go right now, today was really turning into a shitshow… He cupped her chin, making eye contact with his daughter; she was in conflict. A part of Malia just wanted to revert back to her full shift, the Coyote inside her fighting for dominance again. She couldn't shift back because she was in turmoil, torn between being Human and being a Coyote again.
Malia whined pitifully, stuck in her Beta shift- this was why she needed someone to teach her, someone besides Stiles! He had no idea what it felt like to be at war with herself, constantly! An Anchor didn't really help when she didn't want control half the time anyways. But then there was a presence in her head, a voiceless promise that she could learn to fully shift again, but this wasn't the right place. Malia took a few deep breaths through her nose, concentrating on Peter's eyes, realizing that he was the non-voice in her head. Was… was this what it meant to be part of a Pack? To never feel alone? The strong Wolf presence in her head helped soothe her Coyote- she wasn't alone anymore!
Derek watched as Peter communicated with Malia, barely registering that Lydia was still clinging to his shirt. It… it had been so long since he'd seen this. He remembered how Peter had done that for him, when they had gone on their run, that he and Laura were always utilizing the bond, but seeing it in action was different than feeling it. And he knew that Malia was experiencing it for the first time, the look on her face as she realized… It gave Derek hope. Peter needed to create these bonds with more of them, to show them that he really was Pack, that he wanted to be here with them! Derek knew that if he got cleared to train Liam, he'd probably bond with him too. That would be four Pack bonds, something his uncle desperately needed right now…This was what Derek had missed out on when he had changed his Betas- he hadn't had a lot of practice at starting that bond with others, only knew how to respond to one. Then he was too busy training them… didn't have time to nurture their Wolves and in turn, they abandoned him. Derek felt an ache in his chest, knowing that he'd failed so hard as an Alpha. When Isaac had lost control in the police station, he had to roar at him. He'd done it partially because that was the only way he could control him, but also because he wanted to show off to Scott and Stiles, that Alphas had power! If he had even taken a minute to try, he might have been able to help Isaac like Peter was helping Malia now… Instead he wanted to show off… And it backfired on him, his Betas seeing him atop a pedestal of power, unapproachable, and he'd never really gained their trust because of it. Then Scott thought that was the only way to rein in unruly Betas- Derek knew that he'd roared at Isaac a few times. Nothing drastic, but still in situations that could have been dealt with by using a mental bond instead, like what they were watching with Malia… Peter was a natural, always had been, especially with the younger Hales that had struggled all those years ago. Maybe, maybe this was what the others needed to see in order to welcome Peter as part of the Pack- he could even teach all the others how to create a Pack bond. If he could teach Scott, then he'd understand more of what it means to be an Alpha. He'd at least be a better Alpha than Derek…
Peter continued to fight against Malia's Coyote, pushing to be the voice of reason in her head. It helped that she wanted guidance, recognized that she was a pup and the Wolf in her head had so much more experience. Thankfully it only took a few moments for him to appease her inner Coyote, their spirits reaching an understanding. His Wolf helped to exert control over the inner Coyote, nudging her back into her dormant state for now, promising to work with her soon. He blinked then, clearing his head, seeing that Malia had shifted back. "Better?" he asked.
Malia nodded, blinking back tears at the connection she'd made with Peter… that had been amazing! "Please, you have to teach me," she whispered.
"That all depends on Scott," he answered, letting go of her chin and getting to his feet. He held out a hand, pulling her up.
"Scott… please, I… I almost hurt Stiles! The methods we have now aren't working, and Peter got me to change back without even using words… I just don't want to hurt anyone!"
The Alpha was staring, how had Peter done that? "You aren't an Alpha, how did you make her shift back? You didn't even… roar at her."
"An Alpha roar is only necessary in the absolute worst circumstances Scott, a last ditch effort when you can't get through to them with the Pack bond." Scott didn't really seem like the type that would use an Alpha roar… he didn't have the personality to truly compel anyone to do as he says. But maybe he did have enough of a roar to knock some sense into semi-controlled Isaac. And he had shocked Malia back into her Human state… maybe Scott wasn't as hopeless as Peter first thought.
"Wh-what's a Pack bond?"
And maybe he was… Peter looked at him in disbelief, "Scott, I know you're new to a lot of this but… don't tell me you already forgot what it was like to be my Beta, the connection we had?"
"You mean how you were in my head all the time, manipulating me?"
"I, well… I was trying to rein in my Beta that wanted nothing to do with me but, yea, that. Most of the time, the Pack bond is a very warm experience- it's what helps Wolves all stay connected with each other. Since Malia and I are technically in the same Pack, I can create a Pack bond with her. So I used that to help calm her down instead of yelling at her. Through the bond, I helped exert control over the Coyote, enough that Malia could shift back."
Scott narrowed his eyes, but Malia jumped to Peter's defense, realizing what the Alpha was thinking. "It wasn't in a bad way… it was nice. He didn't force me to do anything, just helped me. By being in my head… I felt what his control was like and it allowed me to calm down, to pull the Coyote back. It wasn't at all forced, unlike when you roared and made me shift back into a Human."
"I could show you," Peter offered, quickly flashing his eyes at Scott.
"No thanks, I don't want you in my head," the Alpha snapped. "But I believe Malia, and I can admit that what I just saw… it worked. I shouldn't stand in the way of my Betas, they just want to learn control. I… I am new at this whole… Alpha thing. Malia was the first Were that I met that didn't have any control whatsoever, and then I turned Liam… Okay… I do need help. But I want Derek there! He's the one that I trust- he taught Isaac, Erica, and Boyd control, he was an Alpha at one point too-"
"Scott, you don't have to worry about me trying to steal them, or turn them against you… I'm not an Alpha anymore. And I'm a part of your Pack, my allegiance lies with you. Even if I give you attitude most of the time, it doesn't mean that my Wolf doesn't stand behind yours," Peter told him. It just meant that… Scott hadn't earned his respect yet. But Peter was loyal- how often had he fought with Talia, disagreed with her methods? He never thought about leaving though, because Pack stuck together. And even if Scott had been a disobedient Beta, and Peter had lost his Alpha powers, the two of them were tied together because it was his Bite that had turned Scott. They were Pack. That was the underlying reason that Scott couldn't get rid of him… his Wolf understood that he owed Peter at least some sort of fealty, even if he was the Alpha now.
Lydia curled into Derek's side more… Peter was going to win…
"I'm going to talk with Deaton and Mrs. Yukimura… I'll make a decision after that. Like I said though, if I do allow them to train with you, I want Derek there."
"Fine, I have no problem with that." Honestly, all of them should be there, especially Scott. If he didn't want to risk losing his Betas, then he needed to train with them, bond with them. But Peter knew that, at least for the first few sessions, it was better that Scott wasn't there. He'd only get in the way, second-guess Peter's methods, and demand that he go easier. The world wasn't easy though, and he wasn't going to baby them; that didn't mean he would be cruel though. But he was sure that Scott wouldn't be able to discern the difference.
Scott offered Peter a curt nod… today hadn't gone at all like he'd expected. He couldn't deny what he had seen though, and Derek's words were echoing in his head. They'd see where this went, he'd be keeping a close eye on Malia and Liam, make sure that they weren't learning any bad habits.
"Not again…" Lydia sobbed, running out of the loft.
Before any of the others could react, Derek chased after her.
A/N: Also, I know that technically all this cuts in before Season 4 so there was no "saving Derek" from the Calaveras clan, who didn't even have him. But that kind of attitude of Scott rushing in when he thinks he has all the answers is what Derek is directly referencing when he thinks that Scott needs to learn how to keep a cool head. In the show we see Scott and Co. head into the club and fight their way through and then all of them get caught because... well they are kids going up against a family steeped in Hunter knowledge! So it wasn't really a direct insult, more of an observation XD b.c that was exactly the moment I thought of when I was writing that scene, how he messed up pretty bad in the club and they all got caught. Derek is at least well versed enough in his own failures that he can see that Scott needs to learn too.
Also... Peter is getting redemption but... he is still very sore about the fact that Scott rebelled against him and he ended up dead XD So he's a little bitter towards Scott- I can't write Peter as too OOC now can I? lmao