So far, Derek's plan seems to be working. Allison is happy to hang with Alex. She tries to find out more about the werewolf senses, because she worries that Scott will sniff out that she got bit. Scott and Isaac are not comfortable with seeing Allison and Alex together.
As an attempt to lighten the mood , they are watching comedies. It works for a while. Alex wants to please Derek and has to push Isaac away, it's taking it's toll on him. Stiles feels left out, and he doesn't know why. Hester is struggling with her own problems.
Keeping away from Scott wasn't going to be easy. Last night, Allison had faked being too tired, but today it would be almost impossible to not interact with him. After the exam was over, she and Stiles had taken Lydia home. She hadn't even bothered to get inside; she'd just entered her own car and taken off. With a promise to keep her updated on everything, they'd watched her drive away to join her family.
Allison wanted to ask Derek about the wolf-senses. She needed to know if Scott would be able to smell the wolf in her, but she wasn't quite sure if Derek really knew about the bite either. The only thing that was perfectly clear was that he'd sensed that she and her dad had lied about the encounter with Hester.
When they came back to the loft, Isaac and Scott were out getting supplies. Melissa was in Isaac's room with Mr Stilinski. The door was open and they could hear the two of them talking and laughing.
Their prisoner – Alex – wasn't cuffed, but he was sitting quietly in his corner seemingly indulged in his own thoughts.
It had been quite a struggle to get up the stairs. Stiles took his time, but had refused any help, and the second they entered, he'd just slumped down on the floor by the door, totally exhausted. Derek rushed over to him and carried him to the couch, disregarding Stiles' protests.
As soon as Stiles was seated, Derek waved Allison over and pointed at Alex. "We have a bit of a problem." He sighed and looked at her. "I tried to interrogate him, but he refuses to talk to anyone but you." Allison shifted her gaze between Derek and Alex, before she ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head in disbelief. "Why? That makes no sense."
Derek shrugged. "I don't know why. I could always try to force him to talk, but for some reason I don't think it'll work." He threw his hands out and rolled his eyes. "Maybe because you're a girl." He shrugged again. "I really don't know. You'd have to ask him."
For Allison this came as a gift. If she had to sit there with Alex to get him to talk, she wouldn't have to interact with the others so much. She would have a good reason to stay away from Scott. At least it would give her time.
She looked at Alex, and as if he could feel her eyes on him, he lifted his head and stared at her. She cocked her head and gave him a small smile. He hurried to lower his gaze, but she could see that he was still watching her from under the curls partially covering his eyes.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Alex hadn't yet come up with a good reason for why he would only talk with Allison; he would just play it by ear. He hadn't decided if he should tell her that he knew about the bite either, but for the time being he would keep it to himself.
"Why?" Allison asked before she handed him a can of soda and slumped down next to him. "Why me?" He took the drink and opened it slowly, to give himself time to think. "You know that the others, uh, I mean the werewolves in here will hear us regardless." She opened her own can and took a sip as she practically pierced him with her eyes.
"I know, but you trusted me. You trusted me with a secret, and I just want to repay you." He was amazed by how fast he'd come up with this makeshift explanation. "They, uh, I think they want trust me, but I can't really feel it."
Allison leaned back against the wall and seemed to think about it for a moment. She threw a quick peek at Derek, but he was busy making sure Stiles was comfortable, and didn't seem to pay attention to them at all. "Can you guys sniff out werewolves? I mean if you didn't know, would you be able to tell that, that, Isaac, for instance, is one?" Alex could see that she kept an eye on Derek while she spoke.
He shrugged and followed her line of view. "Maybe. Maybe if I suspected it. Alphas have a keener sense for this, but I think they have to know where to look, or sniff." He wanted to chuckle, but managed to keep it inside. "They would have to be close though. I mean, unless... If they knew there was a werewolf in the room, an Alpha would be able to pick him out, but... My guess is as good as yours."
When Allison turned to him again, she let out a little sigh of relief. Alex dared to reach his hand out and pat her shoulder. "You don't smell like her anymore. I can't tell if you got bit or not. I can guess, but, no." He shook his head. "I don't need to know."
They were both quiet for a while. Alex wondered if he should mention the full moon already, or if it was better to wait it out. When Allison didn't make any attempt to talk again, he nudged her. "Can I ask you a favor?" He twisted his hands, preparing to lie out of his teeth. When Allison nodded, he drew his breath and tried to sound convincing. "I'm pretty new to this werewolf life. Hester always chained me up for the full moon." He swallowed hard. "I need you to make sure they tie me up securely on Wednesday night."
Alex could have sworn there was a tear leaving the corner of Allison eye, before she hurried to wipe it away. "I'll tell them. I think, maybe, I don't know. I think that I won't be here for that. I have other business to attend to."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
When Scott and Isaac entered the loft with part of their purchases, Melissa rushed towards them. "Finally. I worried." She bent down and started to dig though the bags. "Where's the bandages?" Scott and Isaac looked at each other, before they shook their heads. "I really don't know, we have more bags in the car." Scott squatted and tried to help her search, while Isaac turned to run downstairs for the rest.
The moment he walked inside, he'd instinctively thrown a peek over to were Alex was sitting. He didn't expect to see Allison sitting next to him, smiling. She gave them a quick wave, but her smile faded a little when she obviously noticed that Scott wasn't looking in their direction.
Running down the stairs, Isaac felt a little outraged. He was the one who saved Alex from Hester. He was the one who'd pleaded with Derek to bring Alex with them. He wondered if the guy really appreciated what he'd done for him.
He wasn't sure how to interpret his own feelings, but one thing was clear for him. He wanted to get to know Alex. He wanted to talk to him and befriend him. He wanted to be able to act normal around him. It was a little disturbing that he always felt the urge to touch the guy, but if he at least could muster up the courage to strike up a conversation with him, it would possibly be easier to deal with the rest of these mixed emotions.
That Alex seemed to have found a friend in Allison shouldn't be a problem, but for Isaac it was. As he carried the last bags upstairs, he had to take a moment to collect himself. He needed to reclaim Alex. He had to just be able to casually walk over there and chat with him. He had to make sure nobody noticed his urgency, because he'd never hear the end of it. He drew his breath and let it out slowly before he opened the door.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
After changing the bandages on sheriff Stilinski's wounds, Melissa volunteered to put all the groceries away. She was supposed to be at work that night, but she'd called in sick. After that, she would have a few days off before she had to be back at the hospital on Friday morning. Friday was ages away, and she just hoped it would all be over by then.
It could be tough shit being cooped up together for an extended period of time, but Melissa was determined to make the best of it. Sheriff Stilinski was doing much better and with a little bit of help from Derek, he was now seated on the couch with his son. Melissa was happy for having him there. Hanging with these teenagers could be somewhat tiring, so having someone close to her own age there was welcomed. Derek and that guy Alex, weren't technically teenagers, but for Melissa, they were still kids.
She didn't regard herself as a great chef, and cooking for a party of eight wasn't anything she she was used to. When they concocted the shopping list she and Derek had tried to come up with recipes that would be easy to double or triple. At the moment, she was sifting through the pots and pans to find one big enough for cooking spaghetti.
She threw a glance at her fellow roommates and wondered a little about how they dealt with the situation. Allison was sitting in the corner by the big panorama window with the prisoner, Alex. Stiles and his dad were on the couch, bickering a little about what to watch on TV. Derek seemed perfectly at ease in the recliner, smiling at the two of them.
Isaac and Scott was pacing a little. Melissa could see that her son threw a glance or two at his girlfriend, but he didn't approach her. She didn't know Isaac to well, but she could see that he seemed to be struggling with something.
Melissa thought about it for a second, before she waved the two boys over. "Can you help me?" She handed Scott a knife and pointed to the vegetables she'd put on the counter. "You can make the salad." She turned to Isaac. "See if you can find plates and cutlery for eight people. We're having spaghetti and meatballs."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Scott and Isaac had bought a couple of movies, and a box-set with the full ten seasons of 'Friends'. "We didn't manage to agree on anything else." Scott chuckled a little as he peeked at Stiles over his shoulder. "We decided that we all needed a laugh so we went for comedies." He turned back to the counter and continued cutting tomatoes. "I picked 'New in town'" He threw a glance at Allison. "You like Renee Zellweger, right?"
Stiles noticed that Allison startled a little, but she collected herself quickly. "Yeah. She's awesome. Thank you for thinking about me when you picked a movie."
Since nobody else interfered, Stiles and his dad ended up choosing 'Friends'. It was something they could all enjoy.
When the food was ready, Melissa and Isaac started to hand out plates of spaghetti to everybody. Scott placed the bowl of salad on the table and was about to walk over to Allison. She got up from the floor and grabbed a plate out of Melissa's hand before she turned to Alex and handed it to him.
Stiles noticed that Scott tensed up, but when Allison turned and gave him a bright smile, he seemed to relax somewhat.
Stiles knew perfectly well what Scott was thinking. Alex was intimidatingly gorgeous. Even if Scott was more than one hundred percent heterosexual, he had to have noticed. Seeing his girlfriend hanging with this guy, had to be painful for the guy.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Everybody was busy watching the first season of 'Friends'. Isaac knew they'd all seen it before, but it didn't make it less funny. He was happy about the choice. When he and Scott were at the store, ibickering a little about what to get, this was an easy choce.
Alex was still sitting in the corner. He held his head up high, obviously to try to catch a glimpse of the screen. Isaac decided to be bold. He wanted Alex to look at him as a friend.
"You like this show? I'm sure they'll let you sit with us if you want to." He tried to catch Alex' eyes but the guy seemed strangely evasive. "Come on." He reached his hand out and hoped Alex would grab it. It didn't happen. Alex just scooted further into the corner.
Isaac wasn't prepared for the pain he experienced. He didn't know if he should be angry or sad. He wanted to lift Alex of the floor and shake some sense into him. He wanted to hold him tight and tell him that he trusted him. Disturbingly enough, he also wanted to punch him in the face.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Hester was pretty sure that Ben was killed. He was supposed to call her as soon as he was back from the hospital, but it had been almost twenty-four hours. It wasn't such a great loss. The guy was a dick-head.
Forming an Alpha pack was in Hester's opinion the lamest idea ever. These guys were so eager to hold on to their status, but were unable to scramble together a pack of their own. They were all male, of course.
It was no wonder that they had wanted Derek in their pack too. He was a total screw-up also. That he was an incredibly handsome and sexy screw-up didn't change anything.
Hester was a traditionalist. A pack with one superior Alpha, was the only way to go for her. In that sorry excuse for a pack Derek had managed to collect, they had two Alphas. Hester was pretty sure that it wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, either Derek or the McCall guy would have to step down.
That they also had humans in their pack, was more disturbing. These wolves were breaking every rule to how a pack should be.
In the comfort of her own home, Hester leaned back on her couch. After the terrible mistake she made in Beacon Hills, she'd taken her frustration out on Eric. At the moment, she wasn't even sure if the boy was alive.
She'd sent Troy out on a reconnaissance trip, but now she regretted it. She wanted him there to take care of her needs. Torturing Eric had aroused her, and all she wanted now was a release.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Alex cried himself to sleep. He'd spent years on the streets, stealing and conning people, but he'd never had to be dishonest with his friends. Calling Isaac a friend was possibly a long shot, but there had been a connection, and now he'd ruined it.
He would stick to his promise to help Derek, but he knew that Isaac was the one who'd saved him. He wanted to repay him, but at the moment it was more important to please his new Alpha.
Last night, Isaac had camped only a few feet away from him. Now the guy had moved his mattress over to the kitchen area. Melissa and Allison were in Derek's room. Stiles was sleeping on the floor next to his dad in Isaac's room. Scott was on the couch and Derek was sleeping by the front door.
The cuff was back on, so Alex couldn't move much, but it was okay. They'd attached it a little lower now, so he could sleep without his hand raised up in the air.
He startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but when he smelled Isaac, he managed to stay cool. "Just wanted to make sure you're okay." The words were barely audible and Alex knew it was because of the other werewolves in there. Isaac didn't want them to hear him. Alex covered Isaac's hand with his. "I'm fine." He wanted to turn around and grab on to the guy, but the cuffs hindered it somewhat. It was probably just as well. "Just please. Trust me."
It came as a surprise when Isaac lied down next to him and wrapped an arm around him. Alex could feel that Derek's plan was about to fall apart. He didn't know anything about Isaac's sexual preferences. Technically he didn't know much about his own. Ever since he started to live on the streets at the age fourteen, he'd hung out with whoever came along. It had nothing to do with sex, even if they rubbed against each other from time to time to get a release.
When Isaac begged Derek to to take him with them, it was the first time in Alex' life that someone wanted to save him. He decided that whatever Isaac wanted with him, he would submit, but he had to fulfill his obligations to Derek first.
At this very moment, it was more about keeping it together. He took a couple of deep breaths while he contemplated on what to do.
A squeeze on his shoulder and a movement that told him that Isaac was about to get up, made him react in an instant. With one hand cuffed to the radiator, it wasn't easy, but he managed to turn around and grab onto Isaac's t-shirt before the guy got up from the floor.
"Trust me." Alex pulled Isaac closer and rubbed his face against his chest. "Please trust me. I can't explain, but you have to stay away from me." He let go of Isaac and pulled away. "Stay away, for now. It's a matter of life and death."
Isaac stared at him puzzled, before he reached his hand out and touched his cheek. Isaac's fingers was trembling against the skin. "Trust me." Alex repeated, before he lifted Isaac's hand off his face and turned to the wall.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Stiles was seriously pissed off. He would have wanted to share a room – or just share a mattress – with Derek. He thought about crawling out in the living-room and cuddling up with him, but with his dad there, it could be a little awkward.
It was tough shit being in a situation he couldn't control. He was used to being on top of things and providing solutions – or at least suggestions – on how to deal with any problem that showed up. At the moment, he felt a little out of the loop. The injury was partially to blame. He couldn't really move around that much.
Everybody seemed to be a little on edge, and they were eager to have somebody taking charge. That they turned to Derek was somewhat understandable, but Stiles knew his boyfriend. Derek wasn't a problem solver. He could get things in motion, and he was perfectly capable of leading a battle, but dealing with the logistics and planning was not his forté.
After keeping the relationship with Derek secret for the longest time, Stiles had been so relieved when they were discovered. His dad hadn't been too upset about it either; at least not more than one could expect. It had been nice to be able to relax and to be with Derek in public. The fact that he was a werewolf didn't matter.
It should be possible to live normally, without having to fear for their lives. Other werewolves and hunters could just stay away and let them be. Stiles knew he had to do something. He had to come up with a plan so that all his friends could live happily ever after. As he started to doze off, he wished that Hester and her pack would go to hell and stay there.