He should have been more careful that night, because it was only the second full moon of the newest member of his pack. But he somehow escaped from the 'safe house' and things got out of control sooner than he could even react. The young, unexperienced beta ended up attacking a teenage girl who happened to be running too close to him. Though she tried to protect herself, the werewolf still managed to dig his claws in her side quite deeply. He immediately stopped across the street and growled at the beta, hoping this would scare him enough to leave the girl alone.
It worked; the young man froze for a moment then suddenly turned around and started to run away from them. "Marco, get him and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else," he gave out the order without hesitation.
Deucalion then rushed over to the girl, kneeling down while also trying to decide what to do now. How could he even begin to explain what had just happened to her? But, as he took a closer look at her face, he realized she didn't look too scared, though it could've been the result of shock or pain. Very slowly and carefully he reached out to pull up her shirt enough to reveal the bleeding claw marks. The wound was deep, but luckily not as bad as he'd expected and probably didn't even need any stiches.
As he looked in her brown eyes for a moment, the alpha gave the teenager a reassuring smile. Then he quickly took off his jacket and shirt, using the latter as a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding. The girl gulped quite loudly, her eyes fixed on his body while he wrapped the shirt around her. Actually, this reaction could even be considered a good sign regarding her health, couldn't it? "Enjoying the view?" he asked with a small smirk as he put on his jacket once again and pulled up the zipper.
"Since my side is bleeding and it hurts as hell, I guess it's safe to say it's one of the best painkillers I've ever had the fortune to come across," she replied quickly.
He let out a laugh and looked at her now bandaged side once again. "You'll live," he stated before looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Won't you ask me what has just happened here?"
The girl tried to shrug but this reaction turned into a wince thanks to the pain she felt. "A beta went full-on crazy during the full moon," she replied calmly. Deucalion gave her an equally surprised and questioning look that made her go on. "Yeah, I know about werewolves and I'd really, really appreciate if you called my parents and gave me a ride home."
Soon she managed to find her phone and handed it to him. Though he took it from her, there was something that had begun to bother him about the girl's scent and heartbeat. Since he couldn't decide what it was, he returned his attention to equally important matters. "What's your name? It wouldn't be bad if I knew before calling your parents."
"I'm Kimberly Thorne, but dial my dad to skip the introduction part of the conversation," she replied, her voice sounding much weaker this time. "And if I remember correctly you're Deucalion."
"Wait, your father is Adrian Thorne?" Once she nodded, he let out a long sigh. He was so screwed. "I knew I've already seen you somewhere."
She watched his every move as he took out his own phone and dialed the man's number on that, then waited for an answer. Kimberly tried to keep her eyes open, but he noticed how much effort it took. Of course, he was an idiot. This is what he'd noticed before: the sudden rush of adrenaline was now almost gone so now she was on the edge of passing out.
"Kimberly, don't fall asleep! Kimberly, plea- Adrian," he said when there was an answer from the other end of the line, "it's Deucalion. Listen, Kimberly was attacked by one of my betas. I'm so sorry... No, she's fine. There's a wound on her side but she'll be okay... I can, but her wound has to be cleaned and she needs to sleep so, if you don't mind, she should stay at my place until you get home... Yes, I'll make sure she's safe, don't worry."
After taking care of his betas by asking Marco, his right-hand man to keep an eye on them for the rest of the night, he took the injured girl to his apartment. Now it was only the two of them there, and the girl was sleeping safe and sound in his bedroom. Even though she was attacked by a werewolf, her father still let him take care of her, and this mutual trust was exactly why Deucalion respected the hunter. Not like he would have let anything else happen to her, though.
He could barely sleep on the couch during the night, but the reason wasn't necessarily the uncomfortable furniture. It was his beta who had attacked Kimberly that evening and if he had been more careful and locked her up properly like Marco advised maybe she wouldn't be sleeping in his bedroom with a wound on her side now. But there was nothing to do apart from doing his best to keep her safe and make sure she got home in one piece the next day. Then things would get a little bit awkward since he would definitely have to explain her father why and how she got injured exactly.
In the morning he woke up to the sound of light footsteps as Kimberly tiptoed to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. There was no reason for him to try and go back to sleep now, so he stretched his arms above his head then sat up on the couch. "How's your wound?" he asked with his elbow now resting on the back on the couch.
Kimberly poured some more water in the glass and walked into the living room. "Better, thank you."
"Do you mind if I take a look at it? I want to make sure it'll be fine."
"Yeah, go ahead," the girl replied, lifting up her shirt just enough to reveal the bandage on her side. Deucalion carefully pulled it halfway off and looked at the cut with a sigh. It was his fault, and he could only hope it wouldn't leave a nasty scar behind. Once he put the bandage back into place, Kimberly sat down next to him. "How's your beta?"
"Marco and the others took care of her. Everything's okay."
Tilting her head to the side the girl looked at him with a frown. "You don't look too happy about it."
"She almost killed you," he replied seriously. "I should have been more careful."
"Don't blame yourself. It was the full moon after all."
Deucalion didn't even know how to react. She could have died because of his mistake yet the girl acted as if it wasn't such a big deal. He had to admit, though, that he respected her for handling this injury so well. Kimberly had reminded him of her father in that one. "Alright, let's have some breakfast, shall we?" he asked with a small smile on his lips.
"I'd love to, because I'm starving, but I'm still a high school student, you know, so I'll have to go now," the girl explained as she stood up.
"Nonsense," he stated, hoping his voice carried as much authority as it required to make her listen to him. She arched an eyebrow as he stood up as well and looked down at her. "You're not going anywhere near that place with this wound."
But the girl seemed to be more stubborn than he had previously expected because she said, "I'm fine."
"I'll take you home."
"But-"
"No buts, Kimberly," he interrupted her.
"Kim."
"What?"
"Call me Kim," she repeated. "I prefer that."
"I like Kimberly better."
The girl rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever," she eventually said before walking back into the bedroom to pick up her things.
Kimberly was only seventeen when he met him that night but she had already known a lot about hunters and supernatural beings. But almost a year later it wasn't so surprising if he found her outside the building he lived in, eagerly waiting to have a chat about werewolves and other things she thought was better to hear about right from mouth of the most reliable source. Deucalion could barely hide the fact that he liked the girl and saw the perfect opportunity in her to help training a new generation of hunters who would understand werewolves better than ever before.
During the time they spent together he told Kimberly facts and myths, stories he had heard from his own alpha long years ago, and she was listening to his every word without ever getting bored. Of course he wasn't stupid and, as one of his betas also pointed out one day, he knew she had a silly little schoolgirl crush on him. Deucalion tried to ignore it, keeping their relationship on a harmless level until her romantic thoughts disappeared. Every once in a while he even tried to convince her to go and spend some time with her friends from school, using his pack as an excuse.
Of course it wasn't really an excuse; he was an alpha and as such, he had certain responsibilities when it came to his betas. But they weren't stupid and knew perfectly well what was going on in the girl's mind whenever they met her. Some made comments, others only smiled, while the rest came to the conclusion keeping their mouth shut about this matter would be the best thing to do.
Deucalion soon had to realize avoiding the problem wasn't going to change anything in the near future so the moment he had the perfect opportunity, he decided to improvise and hope for the best. It was pure luck that one day, while Kimberly was busy making lunch in his kitchen, he noticed the girl's phone moving around the coffee table. He didn't mean to disrespect her privacy, but when he reached out to pick up the device and take it to her, he accidentally noticed the name that appeared on the screen. He had heard this name before, hell, he even met the said guy in person, but he wasn't sure if that young man and the mysterious caller were even the same.
"Kimberly, your phone was ringing," he informed her once she emerged from the kitchen with two plates in her hands.
"Really? I didn't hear it."
"You had put it on vibrate before," he said with a smile. For his surprise the girl didn't pay attention to her phone, instead handed him one of the plates before sitting down next to him with the other. Unlike her, he simply couldn't start eating thanks to the question he had on his mind. "Listen, I need to ask you something."
Kimberly gave him a surprised look at first but it soon disappeared and was replaced with a reassuring smile. "Go ahead."
"I wanted to take the phone to you when it rang and I saw the screen and the name on it. Who's the guy?"
"What guy?"
"The one who called you," he replied without hesitation.
Rolling her eyes, Kimberly put down her plate. "Duke, I guessed you were talking about that, but I honestly don't know what guy you're talking about."
"Peter Hale."
"Who?"
"Kimberly, I'm serious," he said after a heavy sigh. "How did you meet him?"
"But what Peter," the girl started but suddenly stopped talking. Maybe she'd been honest the whole time and really didn't know who was calling her. "Wait a second. That son of a bitch stole my phone!"
"Alright, what are you talking about?"
Kimberly shook her head as she reached out to pick up her phone from the table. Her heart was beating unusually fast and he could smell the scent of anger that radiated off her. It had been a while since he saw her being so upset and, in a way, it kind of worried him. "I met a guy on the weekend we spent away with my friends and he asked for my number," she then began to explain while she checked the call log. "I gave him a wrong number because I didn't want to meet him again but it seems like he stole my phone to get the real one and also gave me his."
Though she gave quite a good explanation, Deucalion had a feeling there was something else, something important she didn't want to tell him. "Is this all that happened?"
"Yes."
"Kimberly, you're lying," he informed her with a roll of his eyes. It was kind of funny how often she'd forgotten he was a werewolf with an exceptionally good hearing.
"Duke, don't do this to me." She threw the device back on the table, carefully avoiding his gaze as she reached for her plate and quietly added, "I'm begging you."
"What are you hiding?"
"Duke, don't. Can you just respect my privacy for once?"
Yes, right, he was supposed to respect her privacy, but this time he couldn't care less about it since the said guy had gotten her number even though she didn't want to give it to him. What kind of creep would do such a thing? "Out with it."
"I slept with him," she finally admitted after long minutes of silence. "There was a moment when I noticed he lost control and his eyes turned yellow. So yes, he's a werewolf."
"Did he hurt you?"
"No," Kimberly immediately replied then hesitated for a second. "I mean, yes, but not in the way you think."
"I don't understand."
The girl let out a long sigh as she pulled up her knees and glanced over at him through her lashes. "Don't be a pervert, it's none of your business."
"If he hurt you, I'll find him."
This sentence came out of nowhere and Kimberly wasn't the only one who was surprised to hear it. When did he become so protective of her? But it was still true, of course, and it didn't matter if he was right, and that Peter Hale was the same he had already known.
"Trust me, everything is okay. I'm fine, but thanks for worrying," she said with a kind smile then finished the rest of her meal in silence. Once they were both done and put the empty plates back on the table, she leaned her head against the back of the couch and gave him a questioning look. "But what the hell is this all about? Do you know him?"
"Now that you told me he's a werewolf, I'm sure I do. His sister is a really strong alpha, living in Beacon Hills, California. This is how I met him once."
"Oh," she said quietly before asking with a playful smile, "should I be afraid?"
"No, you shouldn't. In fact, maybe you should give him a chance and go on a date if he asked you out."
Kimberly froze and tilted her head to the side. "What? Are you serious?"
"You don't like him?"
"It's not that I don't like him, I mean, we had fun. It's just that my father is a hunter, I'm supposed to become a hunter one day and it would be such a cliché."
He couldn't help but laugh at her reasoning. "And here you are in an alpha's apartment. Look, this is exactly what we're trying to teach you with Adrian, to look at the whole hunter-werewolf relationship in a different way. I'm not saying that you have to date him, but you should go and see what happens. Maybe you'll only be friends but I'm sure you could learn a lot from him if he's anything like his sister."
"If he turns out to be a big bad wolf and kills me," the girl began as she reached out and poke his chest, "it'll be your fault, Duke, not mine."
While admitting it was out of question, in reality he didn't really like the idea of her dating Peter. The part about the young huntress learning a few things from the Hale boy was true, and this even gave her the chance to forget about him. It was, obviously, a good thing for both of them. But deep inside he was also afraid that one day he would hurt her, just like he had done the first time they'd met according to Kimberly.
Several weeks had passed before it finally happened. He could barely believe it, but the way she looked at him was nothing more than how she would look at a really good friend. It was clearly the result of dating Peter, because eventually they turned out to be good together. Well, maybe things worked out a bit better for them because of the distance between her home and Beacon Hills. Blissful weeks passed in this new state until Deucalion realized something surprising: in all honesty, he missed her adoration.
Now that she didn't see him to be any more than a simple friend or a teacher, Deucalion came to the conclusion that he liked her, and these emotions were probably deeper than he'd previously believed them to be. Kimberly's scent filled the air whenever she stayed in his apartment and her heartbeat gave away her current state of mind instantly so he always knew how to talk to her. But the worst of all was that charming smile playing on her dark pink lips every time she looked at him. He didn't think what he felt was love, but she was still more than just a friend, otherwise he wouldn't have been jealous every time either some random guy or one of his betas set their eyes on her.
Then he thought about keeping a safe distance from her once again, explaining the sudden change in his behavior with some lie. Days passed and he still hadn't talked to her; he couldn't get himself to do it. The thought of asking her if she wanted to become a werewolf, a member of his pack crossed his mind a few times but he couldn't imagine the girl as his beta. She was raised by a hunter, knew several other hunters, so turning her into one of the creatures they were hunting didn't seem to be a good idea. Being the responsible adult and an alpha werewolf he was, Deucalion eventually managed to stay away from her.
One day he had agreed to help Adrian with a case he was working on, but the hunter got an important call so he was left in the living room to wait. He didn't mind, though, because the house was filled with Kimberly's sweet scent. Once he took a deep breath, an almost smile crept on his lips: he managed to avoid the girl so far but her scent brought back every single memory and thought he'd been trying to bury. It was painfully obvious that he missed the girl, but he couldn't let his emotions make him forget that she had just turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago.
As he was sitting on the couch, trying to find something worth watching on TV, Deucalion realized that the more time he spent in her house came with the bigger chance of an encounter. But for now he elected to ignore the danger. Even if she came home while he was there maybe they would only greet each other and he also promised Adrian to help. Where he was, though, became a mystery. Did he forget about his guest? Knowing the man there was a very slight chance this is exactly what happened.
A loud sneeze from outside caught his attention, followed by a quiet chain of curses related to the cold she caught.
"Good afternoon, Kimberly," he greeted her loudly, but once the girl entered the living room he noticed how pale she was. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head in response and said, "No, I'm not, so I'll just try to get some sleep until the painkiller kicks in."
"Come on, sit here."
Kimberly was probably too tired to resist, because she walked over to him without saying anything. Once she sat down, her head almost immediately fell on his shoulder, and Deucalion didn't think twice about wrapping his arm around her. No matter how sick she was at the moment, he kind of wished they could stay like this for a while, just the two of them without anything to worry about. After she pulled up her knees and comfortably snuggled up to him, he laced his long finger with hers and took some of the pain she felt. It worked, and the girl soon fell asleep with a small smile on her lips.
There was nothing he could do about it. The only possible solution seemed to be moving to another state or even another country. Maybe he should just go back to England and have a fresh start. Everything sounded better than staying and thinking about how to live his life with her around. He didn't want to be that guy who started to have feelings for a much younger girl, and he definitely didn't suffer from some stupid midlife crisis either. It just… happened. All he knew for sure was the fact there was something between them, even if Kimberly didn't show any signs of having feelings for him at moment.
Things got significantly worse later on, especially on the day when he was supposed to help her study for an upcoming history test. Her parents called him, asking if he could go over to their house and make sure she focused on her books until they were out of town for the night. Adrian knew perfectly well that he had a degree in history so there was no way he could say no to him. It was just one evening, only a few hours he had to get through without doing anything stupid.
"Shouldn't you be studying?" he asked after clearing his throat.
Kimberly's gaze rose from the magazine she was reading but simply shrugged at Deucalion who watched her with his shoulder leaning against the doorframe. "I should be, yes, but since I'll sure as hell fail, I thought I might as well spend the afternoon doing something relaxing," the girl replied casually.
The alpha rolled his green eyes at this answer as he sat on the edge of her bed. Deucalion knew perfectly well that he looked ridiculously out of place in her room, even if it wasn't so girly anymore. With a sigh, he took the magazine from her and threw it on the floor. "Kimberly, this is only history, not advanced physics."
"Oh, sorry, I totally forgot you're obsessed with it," the girl snapped at him while she moved to get back her magazine, but Deucalion was faster and kicked it out of her reach. Giving him an annoyed look, she said, "You know, I don't really like the idea of this test. I mean, really? I'm not even sure we were supposed to study things like the comparison of the honor codes of different militaries."
"But it's important." Kimberly huffed as she leaned her back against the headboard and folded her arms over her chest. Maybe she couldn't understand it now and, in all honesty, he couldn't really blame her for that. "Alright, where are your books?"
Upon realizing he was seriously thinking about spending the rest of the evening teaching her, Kimberly held up her hands. "No. Don't even think about it, I won't study today."
Deucalion laughed as he pulled up his right knee so he could face her. "Don't be ridiculous. Give me an hour and trust me, you'll pass it."
"Get out. Seriously, get out and leave me alone for today."
She was waiting for him to move and do as she said, but he had no intention to walk out of the room. Deucalion decided to play the same game: waiting patiently and in complete silence until it slowly drove her insane. "And if I don't leave?" he suddenly asked, flashing a challenging smirk at her.
"I'll shoot you?" Kimberly offered uncertainly, though he knew she would never shoot him.
With the smirk still visible on his lips, the alpha shrugged. "You're childish."
"No, I'm lazy," she pointed out with a raised forefinger. "That's different."
"Look, your father asked me to come over and help you with this. Let me help."
But Kimberly was incredibly stubborn, this one hadn't changed over time. Even now she wanted to find an excuse, a reason to make him leave so she could forget about school. "Shouldn't you be with your pack?"
"They have a life of their own."
"What about you?"
It was supposed to be a normal, friendly question but Deucalion gulped as his entire body tensed. She tiled her head, patiently waiting for him to finally say something but he didn't. What could he say? That lately he'd been spending quite a lot of time thinking about how to get her out of his mind? It was ridiculous. The whole situation, his entire life had been a big joke lately.
"Why are you looking at me like this?"
Denying everything. This is what he was supposed to do now: deny everything and move on. "It's nothing."
"Didn't seem like nothing to me," Kimberly said. He had a feeling the girl was perfectly aware of the fact he was lying to her. "Duke, come on, why don't you trust me?"
Clearing his throat, the alpha shook his head. "Let's get this studying over with, Kimberly."
The girl looked up at the ceiling for a second before she reached out and put her hand on the side of his neck. "Please, tell me," she pleaded quietly.
She had been worried about him before and a simple, kind touch like this was nothing new. But this time something was different, and he knew he had to make her stop soon otherwise things would get out of hand. "Don't do this to me," he asked her while he leaned into her touch, his lips accidentally brushing her wrist.
Kimberly shivered but didn't move. "I'm not doing anything," she finally said, slowly pulling away her hand.
Only seconds after breaking contact Deucalion took her hand and pulled it back to his mouth, gently kissing it as he said, "Yes, you are."
"No, I'm n-"
It was too late. She couldn't even finish the sentence because he interrupted her with a kiss. A hungry and almost desperate kiss she returned immediately. There was no excuse for his actions and he was well aware of that, because it wasn't like him. Normally he wouldn't have a problem with keeping his emotions and needs under control but that night something was different.
A quiet moan escaped her lips when he tried to pull away, while her hands slowly snuck under his shirt and around his hips to keep him close. Kimberly seemed determined to keep him going on as she sat on his lap and steaded herself by resting her hands on his broad shoulders. When she softly bit his lower lip, Deucalion felt as his eyes turned bright red for a moment, his wolf side recognizing the bite as an attack. Of course he knew it wasn't an attack. She was only playing.
But no matter how much he and, apparently, Kimberly wanted to go further than this, it simply wasn't right. From the two of them, he was the adult therefore it was his responsibility to make rational decisions. This time it was stopping this madness before they went too far. She was too young, the daughter of his friend and there were so many other reasons why he couldn't let it happen.
Carefully cupping her face with his big palms, he began to push her away, this time using a little bit more force than before. "Kimberly, please, stop."
"Why? I thought you-"
"Want it, too?" he asked, interrupting her. "Of course I do, but you have to understand that we can't do this."
Letting out a sigh, the girl sat back to her previous spot on the other end of the bed. It was a good idea; maybe some distance would help clear their heads. "Is this because of my dad?"
Deucalion could barely stand the sight of the devastated look in her brown eyes. How could he explain her what was wrong without hurting her feelings? "And the age difference and several other things," he added in the end.
"What things?"
"Well, for one, you have a boyfriend."
With a deep frown, Kimberly ran a hand through her long, light brown hair and leaned back against the headboard. "If you're talking about Peter then it's not a problem anymore because we broke up a few weeks ago."
Was he a terrible person for being a tiny bit happy to hear this? "You did?" he asked quietly, though it wasn't like this would change anything. He couldn't give in, and he also had to make sure Kimberly accepted his decision so the two of them could stay friends…. or whatever they were now.
"Yes," she replied with a nod, "and you would probably know if you haven't avoided me lately."
"I wasn't avoiding you."
Kimberly rolled her eyes and laughed at him. "Sure you weren't."
"Look, the point is that this can never happen again," he told her, moving to another part of the bed so he could sit face to face with the girl.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"Because one of us has to stay rational."
"But do you want me?"
Oh, she had no idea how badly he wanted her. Lately Kimberly had been like a disease, some kind of parasite in his brain, taking full control of his thoughts and emotions, maybe even having the ability to make him obey her orders. This was why she was so dangerously close now, and why he simply couldn't let her win this game.
"Duke, I'm eighteen, I can make rational decisions," the young huntress began once she broke the silence. "Also, my parents don't have to know. Hell, nobody has to know about it."
"I would hate myself if I had sex with you now or anytime in the near future." Deucalion wasn't lying but he also knew this was hardly enough for the girl to understand she had to let it go. If it came down to it, he could still stand up and walk out of the door. "It doesn't matter how badly I want to be with you, I know I would feel like I took advantage of you."
"You wouldn't, trust me. I mean, you would never take advantage of me."
Seeing the small smile that appeared on her lips, he assumed she had finally understood his reasons. But this wasn't what happened; Kimberly crawled over to him and sat on her heels, patiently waiting for something. Long minutes passed in silence that made Deucalion think, eventually helping him come to the conclusion that it really was time to leave, but the girl had known him well enough to realize what he was planning to do. Without hesitation she leaned over to kiss him again, and this time there was no real resistance from him.
What was the point? It was just a kiss, for one last time. In all honesty, he enjoyed it way too much and couldn't get himself to stop. Maybe he should just give in to his needs. After all, this little game between them could go on forever and who knew, there was a chance that one day they would end up together anyway.
Kimberly obviously knew what he was thinking about because she took his hand and said, "Okay, but if this is the only problem, why not setting a no-sex policy for now? Just until you come to your senses and change your mind," she added with a wicked smile.
"No-sex policy?"
"Mhm," the girl murmured as she kissed him again. "Nothing terrible would happen if I kissed you every now and then, right?"
"We would be pushing our luck."
"I swear I would behave. Look, I can even promise to make sure you keep your pants on." Kimberly added, leaning against his chest with her back. For a short moment she glanced up to shoot a smirk at him, but it disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "Why are you looking at me like this?"
Deucalion took his time to answer since he knew how much it annoyed her, but his green eyes never left her face. "I know what you're trying to do," he finally informed her.
"Does it work?"
Laughing, he kissed the top of her head. "I'll go to hell for this, you know that, right?"
"Don't be so dramatic." Kimberly reached up and put a hand on the back of his neck to pull his head down and give him a kiss, but the alpha didn't let her do it. "What is it?"
"History first."
"You've got to be kidding me."
He promised Adrian to help her and letting the girl win once was more than enough for one day. So he decided to be serious this time and eventually said, "This is why I came here in the first place, Kimberly. Wouldn't it be a little bit suspicious that you failed even though I helped you?"
The young huntress rolled her eyes at him. "We can still say I threw you out."
"They know I would never let you do it."
"God, fine," she finally gave in, climbing over his lap to pick up her book. "Oh, by the way, can you stay here?" Kimberly asked, looking back up at him. "It's not like I was afraid of being alone but I could use some company."
With a small smile, he massaged her side absentmindedly, his mind full of the possible outcomes of saying yes. Then he let out a sigh and said, "Just sleeping."
"Just sleeping." Kimberly sat back up, occupying her previous spot at the end of the spacious queen sized bed with her knees pulled up. "Hey, now that we agreed on this no-sex policy, maybe we should define sex. I mean, what exactly do we consider sex in this case?"
"Kimberly, if you don't stop talking and we don't get this studying over with now, I'm going to change my mind about our agreement."
"You wouldn't dare," she claimed with a horrified look in her eyes.
This reaction was just what he needed to make her obey. "Trust me, I would," he reassured her, quite enjoying the idea of having something to control her with. At least now she didn't resist when he started to explain her things related to her actual studies and only two hours later they were finally done with history.
Quite a long time passed before his eyes opened again in the middle of the night. At first he barely knew where he was but upon feeling the warmth that radiated from Kimberly's body no questions remained on his mind. She was breathing steadily, her chest rising and falling to an even rhythm under his arm. Deucalion let out a small sigh as he pulled her closer, making sure her head was comfortably tucked against the crook of his neck. The girl slept peacefully with a small smile on her face that made him wonder what she was dreaming about. Could it be him?
He didn't feel like letting her go just yet; in fact, he wanted to enjoy every single second he could spend with her before he had to leave. Neither of them wanted Adrian to find out what had happened the night before and, since her parents were expected to arrive in the morning, he had no other choice but to leave fairly early. Glancing at the digital clock on her nightstand, Deucalion noted that no matter how much he wanted to stay, it was time to get out of bed.
Though he tried to be quiet and move as smoothly as he could, it still wasn't enough because Kimberly raised her head from the pillow and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Home."
The girl groaned as she pushed her messy hair out of her face and shifted in bed to look at the clock on the nightstand. "It's four in the morning."
"I know, but I don't want to meet your parents now," Deucalion replied as he put on his shirt and checked the contents of the pockets of his jeans.
"We can say you slept on the couch."
For a moment he froze then took a look around the room. Where the hell was his wallet? "No, I'd rather go now anyway," he replied very quietly, mostly talking to himself as he sank on his knees to look under the bed.
He heard as Kimberly let out a frustrated sigh and moved closer to him on the mattress. "Duke, what's wrong?" she asked gently, resting her weight on her forearms as she leaned down.
Though he'd already found what he was looking for, the alpha decided to avoid her gaze by staying on the floor for now. "Nothing," he lied.
"Don't lie to me, please."
When he heard her worried voice Deucalion realized he couldn't ignore her any longer, so he looked up at her as his fingers caressed the smooth skin of her arms. "I shouldn't have done this."
"We did nothing wrong," Kimberly assured him with a beautiful smile on her rosy lips.
How could he say no to her when she kept looking at him like this? Also, it had been a while since he got this close to someone. Well, emotionally, that is. When it came to looking out for his pack Deucalion was extremely dedicated but, as a result, he often put his own needs and life behind others'. This time things were different and he simply couldn't resist. He didn't really want to.
"We agreed to do something I don't think your parents would like."
Contrary to what he'd just said, Deucalion put a firm hand on the back of her neck to pull her into a kiss. A deep, satisfied growl left his throat as he pushed the girl on her back and crawled on top of her, his lips barely leaving hers. A primal need rushed through his body and every single one of his moves was driven by a strong instinct from that point on. It had taken him a few minutes and Kimberly trying to pull off his shirt to realize what was happening. No-sex policy, he reminded himself.
After successfully stopping her, he leaned down to place a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "Get some sleep, princess, you have school today," he told her quietly.
"Princess?"
"Just go back to sleep."
"It's not easy when you're on top of me," she informed him with a playful smirk. Letting out a sigh of defeat he moved aside, eventually getting out of bed to build a safe distance. But Kimberly obviously didn't like the idea of him leaving because she reached out to take his hand. "Hey, come on, it's so early. Why don't you stay for another hour?"
"I can't. And don't give me the puppy eyes because they won't work this time."
Deucalion almost literally ran away from her, hoping that being away from the huntress could help to resist the temptation that was still bugging him. It was horrible, really. Then he came to an abrupt halt because he realized he'd left his jumper in her room. Normally he wouldn't worry about such a trivial thing, especially since he didn't even feel cold, but it was in her room. Of course they could still say he left it there after helping her study, but it could still lead to unwanted questions and suspicion.
He sneaked back into her room, only to find the girl half-asleep in her bed wearing his black jumper over the oversized shirt she'd had on when he left. "I was only away for a few minutes and you've already put on my jumper?" he asked her with a small smile once he kneeled next to her bed and ran a hand through the girl's long hair.
"You kept me warm but left so obviously I was feeling cold," she explained tiredly. "And it also smells like you."
"Okay, keep it, but make sure your parents don't see you wearing it, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
After the night they had spent together Deucalion stayed away from her, giving both her and himself some time to think. He was a bit ashamed that he couldn't resist the temptation and stayed with an eighteen years old girl, but knowing her father who happened to be a good friend of his only made things worse. How could he be this stupid? During the time which followed that certain night the alpha grabbed every opportunity to avoid his friend's calls and invitations for a visit but it obviously couldn't go on like this forever.
Kimberly soon began to call him repeatedly, almost desperately trying to get his attention so they could talk about things between them like adults. Ironically he was the more childish from the two of them in this situation because he thought their little problem would eventually go away with time. Of course, it never did. He was starting to lose his patience more and more often which didn't go unnoticed by his pack.
"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about," he always told them whenever it emerged in a conversation.
It wasn't true, though; he was far from being okay. If he had to guess he would have said being away from Kimberly was now becoming physically painful for him, and getting her out of his mind was harder than he'd expected it to be. Another full moon was coming and Deucalion had no other choice but to ask Marco to keep an eye on the other betas, mostly because he doubted he could focus on keeping them safe when he had a hard time controlling himself.
Unfortunately for him Kimberly didn't think the same way because he found her sleeping in front of the door of his flat that night. Letting out a sigh he opened the door and scooped her up before heading straight to his bedroom where she could get some sleep. Her arms sneaked around his neck as she buried her face in his shirt and, as a result, Deucalion couldn't simply put her down. He kissed her forehead, hoping it would make her wake up, and the plan worked since only a second later she looked up at him a dreamy smile.
"What were you doing out there?" he asked quietly.
As she settled comfortably on top of the blanket the girl said, "Waiting for you, though I obviously fell asleep." She stopped for a moment, covering her mouth as she yawned before going on. "We need to talk."
"You have to sleep."
"No, I don't."
"Kimberly," he warned the girl when she tried to sit up and he immediately pushed her back. "There's nothing to talk about."
But she didn't listen to him. "You've been avoiding me lately and I miss you. You regretted it, didn't you?"
Oh, did his naïve little princess seriously believe he regretted staying with her that night? Lying down next to her, Deucalion pulled her body closer as if this small gesture could prove her wrong. "How could I ever regret it?" he asked just in case she needed verbal reassurance as well. "But you need to understand that I'm much older than you are which-"
"Here we go again," she interrupted him with a sigh.
Burying his nose in her hair, he said, "It's still true, darling. I have to stay rational, no matter how much I love you."
At first her body went rigid, making him think about what he had just said, but when he opened his mouth to explain it-even though it was painfully obviously a lie-the young huntress quickly sat on top of him and put her forefinger on his lips. "Do you really love me?" she asked quietly.
"Kimberly," he tried to stop her.
"I love when you say my name," Kim admitted as she leaned down to kiss him gently. The more time that passed with her trying to seduce him, the harder it became to resist her, but whenever he tried to push her away she only tightened her grip. "I'm eighteen, Duke," she whispered into his ear as her fingers ran through his hair. "You don't have to worry about anything."
Deucalion wanted to give in more than anything, repeating the night they'd spent in her room together because her scent still drove him crazy. Would it really be that bad, though? Would it seriously turn him into some monster that lured innocent young girls into his bed? Probably no; Kimberly was the only woman he wanted to have on his side. To be honest, he didn't simply want her. He needed her, craved her like air, to ease the pain he felt whenever she was away from him.
Then he finally kissed her hungrily, easily turning her on her back so he was now on top. She had been right before, he had nothing to worry about. When he sat up to take off his shirt, the girl did the same, never breaking eye contact with him.
"Are you afraid you would hurt me because of the full moon?" Kimberly suddenly asked, her fingers gently caressing his neck. He only nodded in response which drew a wicked smile out of his little vixen. "Don't be; I trust you, Duke, so do both of us a favor and let yourself go for once."
She didn't have to say twice. That primal need was back, as if she had just found a switch in him, and from that moment on there was no turning back. It didn't take long to get her out of her clothes, unleashing the beast that had been waiting for him, hiding deep inside her all along. When his hand slipped between her legs, only stroking her inner thigh at first, Kimberly looked at him, almost begging him to move on.
When his fingers finally slid inside her she moaned loudly with a satisfied smile on her lips. Deucalion had never seen her be this beautiful, this alive before, and it made him proud that she was his little princess who just couldn't get enough of him. Surprisingly it felt like they'd already known each other's body and how to touch it to get the right reaction. Sex seemed to be kind of natural, as if it was meant to happen sooner or later.
As time passed he slowly lost control of his actions, he pretty much turned off his brain so he could focus on Kimberly alone. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it down to get a better access to her neck. Then he let go, letting his long fingers trail down to the side of her neck as he kissed her again.
But right then something happened.
"Stop," she suddenly told him, though it didn't have any effect. "Duke, stop it!"
Red.
Everything he saw was red and when he looked down at his hand he realized his claws were out and something covered the tips. Based on the smell it was blood; her blood. It was confusing, he had no idea what was happening and how he got into this situation. Within seconds he could at least turn back, but it was still terrifying.
"Duke, look at me," Kimberly instructed him, placing her fingers under his chin. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he assured her. It had to be nothing. Maybe the full moon made it harder to stay human but now it was clear that he had to be more careful from now on.
"Don't tell me it's nothing because you've just lost control. I saw your eyes, Duke, and your claws dag into my neck. I thought you could handle it."
"I can."
Letting out a sigh, the young huntress raised her head from the pillow and brushed her lips over his. "You couldn't now."
"I'll be fine, Kimberly."
"Peter also lost control but that only lasted for a second," she pointed out a matter-of-factly. "You only turned back when I finally got your attention."
Did she really say that? Did she really bring up Peter Hale, the young werewolf she'd supposedly broken up with a couple of weeks back? It was a terribly low blow, especially now.
"Have you just brought up your ex-boyfriend?"
"Duke, just hear me out."
Though she clearly wanted to talk about it, Deucalion didn't want to let it happen. "Never bring him up again. Never," he repeated strictly to make it crystal clear.
"A bite from Peter would've only caused a little wound because he's a beta. But you're an alpha, Duke," the girl began to explained with her hands cupping his face to make him focus. "Do you see why I brought it up? I don't want to become a werewolf."
He leaned down to kiss her, his lips slowly trailing down to her neck. "At least you'd officially become mine," he mumbled. "It wouldn't be that bad after all."
"Yours? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Later."
"Duke!"
Why couldn't she simply drop it? It would've been so much easier for everyone to just stop talking and focus on more important activities. "Don't. Talk," he told her, driven by some unknown, primal instinct.
Apparently Kimberly didn't agree because she tried to push him away. "Get off me." He didn't want to obey, he didn't want to stop. "Duke, damn it, get off me already!"
Once again his eyes became red and he even felt his fangs growing longer as he turned. Part of him wanted ignore her resistance and force her to do what he wanted, but he also knew it wasn't right. No, he couldn't do this, not to her. If it was anyone else then maybe he would've considered it but it was Kimberly. This situation was, in a way, terrifying since whenever he tried to turn back his efforts failed, making it look like he was stuck. He had done it only a minute ago, why couldn't he do it now?
"I-I can't control it," he admitted, his voice shaking from the confusion that poisoned his mind.
"Is it because of the full moon?" Kimberly wondered while he sat on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands.
"No, I don't think so. That feels... different." The girl kneeled behind him and sneaked her arms around his chest, resting her chin on his left shoulder blade as she let out a sigh. He knew she was worried but he didn't want her to feel this way, not when he was freaked out as well. "Kimberly, I'm so sorry, I don't want to hurt you. You should just... You should just go home. Please," he added, covering her small hands with his.
"I'm not leaving you now."
"I almost turned you into a werewolf; you should go and stay as far from me as you can."
Kimberly shook her head while she sat next to him and rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm going to repeat this one more time: I am not leaving you alone now." Suddenly he felt her body move again. "Why don't you go and try to get a cold shower? Maybe that would help,"she suggested.
It didn't sound like a bad idea so he nodded and left, locking himself into the bathroom. He had never locked the door before but this time it seemed to be the logical decision to make. Who knew what Kimberly had in mind; she might have been planning to join him. Once he took off his shirt Deucalion looked into the mirror: his eyes were still bright red. With his long fingers firmly grabbing the edge of the sink he took deep breaths.
Sadly, it didn't work.
So he tried something else next by getting into the shower, just like the girl'd advised not long ago. Only a few minutes later the alpha saw his claws disappear and, eventually, his eyes returned to their normal color as well. "Finally," he muttered to himself before resting his forehead against the cold wall.
At least he could now go back to Kimberly without having to worry about hurting her. That was the most important detail at the moment.
"Better?" she asked with a concerned look and worried smile.
He nodded then sat down next to her on one of the barstools. "Much better."
"Good. I made some tea." Without saying anything he reached out for the cup and wrapped his fingers around it, enjoying its warmth. Kimberly reached out to take his hands but soon realized it wouldn't be a good idea so she pulled it back. "What the hell's just happened? I've never seen you like this before."
"I have no idea."
"Do you think it's my fault?"
Oh, how could he ask him something like this, especially with such a guilty look on her face? "No," he quickly replied to calm her down, even forcing a small smile on lips.
"You're lying."
"I think it's somehow connected to you but I doubt it was your fault alone," he then admitted.
"You have a theory, don't you?"
Of course he did but based on the things he'd heard about this in the past made it quite hard to believe it could be true. A werewolf having a mate, much like in the case of real wolves, seemed to be something straight out of a fairytale for some. But he knew better, or at least he'd heard the much darker version of this scenario before, the one that didn't sugarcoat the truth. In the end he let out a long sigh and said, "Yes, but I don't want to talk about it just yet."
"If you're right, will it always be like this between us?"
"That I honestly don't know."
He hated to see her being so sad, maybe even a little bit desperate. Her voice slightly shook when she asked, "Is it something bad?"
"It's up to from which way we're looking at it."
"Can you be less cryptic?"
"I could but keeping you in the dark is much more fun," Deucalion replied with a smirk, hoping it could lighten the mood.
Kimberly rolled her eyes before playfully punching his upper arm. "I hate you."
"No, you don't. That's the problem."
"I'll go back to bed," she suddenly announced as she leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. "If you stay here for too long, I might fall asleep before you join me."
"Give me a few minutes."
After that night Deucalion knew that trying to finish whatever was going on between them would be pointless. The best he could do was figuring out what it all meant and if it was possible to keep things under relative control. In the following days visiting his emissary turned out to be the best option, even though he didn't necessarily want to talk about these personal matters to anyone.
The smile on George's lips while he sat behind his desk didn't escape the alpha's attention. "What is it?" he asked with raised eyebrows, almost defensively folding his arms over his chest.
"I just never thought we would ever have this conversation. Well, not about her, that is."
It's not like he could blame his emissary, after all she was only supposed to be some kind of a protégé, a girl who happened to be a hunter's daughter. But things changed and whatever had happened a few nights before was a bad sign. He still had trouble staying away from her but it was necessary for testing his theory.
"Do you think it will ever get better between us?" he asked the other man.
"I can't say for sure. What you told me made it clear it's pretty serious and rare. This bond might be strong enough to make it impossible for you two to live in different towns or date others.
"I don't want to date others," Deucalion quickly pointed out.
"See? That's what I'm talking about. After a while being away from her might as well cause problems, like psychical pain or worse. You need to talk to her parents."
"Sure, it would be an easy and delightful conversation," Deucalion noted sarcastically. "Hi, Adrian. You see, I know you trusted me enough to let Kimberly learn from me but long story short, I slept with your daughter and now I want to spend the rest of my life because it seems like she's my mate."
George rolled his eyes at the alpha. "Real smooth, Duke."
"But I hope you see my point." The emissary nodded and opened the box of his Chinese takeaway, glancing up at his friend to see if he was about to the same. Deucalion eventually opened his own box before saying, "I could use a good advice, you know. What if I hurt her?"
"You won't."
"I almost did," he reminded him, pointing the sticks in his direction.
"You won't," the emissary repeated firmly. "The more time you spend with her, the more comfortable and familiar you'll get with this feeling."
As it turned out later on, George was right. Only a few weeks after this conversation he didn't worry about hurting her at all. His main concern became neglecting his pack as a result of being with Kimberly, but luckily she often sent him to be with them instead of her.
Months passed without Kimberly's parents finding out what was going on between the girl and the alpha. His betas knew, obviously, since his house sometimes functioned as some kind of a headquarter in the pack's life, but neither of them had a problem with her spending so much time there. They were used to it, after all. The only person who didn't seem to be too fond of this new situation was none other than his right hand, Marco, who often made subtle comments when she was around. Since Kimberly want upset about it, he decided to ignore it for now.
One day Deucalion and a couple of betas were heading to Beacon Hills, meeting one of the few alphas he and many others had always respected. Talia Hale's wisdom and knowledge made her a true leader for all of them, and she was also the very person he wanted to introduce Kimberly to. Since Ennis' beta was killed by hunters this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to prove his point with her help, that hunters and werewolves could understand each other if they tried to put some effort into it.
Both he and Kimberly did and, according to her father, there were other hunters who wanted to put this war to an end. He came with them as well to see if the Argents needed any help, especially Chris who had been far more open-minded than his father. So while Kimberly had the chance to meet Talia Hale in person, he dealt with his own kind.
Adrian eventually wanted his daughter to work with Chris Argent for a while, hoping she could learn a few things from the other hunter. By the end of the day Deucalion was alone, waiting in the house he rented for the next couple of weeks so the pack would have a place to stay. His betas went out to get something for dinner, also giving him the opportunity to be alone with the girl in case she jumped in to say hi.
She arrived in the early evening, eventually, not even bothering to knock and wait for the alpha to invite her in. The brunette waltzed into the living room with a bright smile on her full, pink lips and he knew right away that she was happy and excited to see him again. "How was your day with Chris?" he asked, bring the first to break the silence.
Kimberly shrugged before she sat on the back of the couch so Deucalion was sitting between her legs. "Surprisingly good, but you don't look very happy," the girl noted while she slowly started to massage his shoulders.
"It's impossible to reason with Ennis at the moment. And, to make things worse, Talia agrees with him on his plan to get revenge for the beta's death," Duke explained with closed eyes. He loved what she was doing to him but he couldn't let it go too far. Distance; there was a reason why he'd created this rule before coming here. They couldn't risk anyone finding out because who knew if someone would use it against them.
"Are you serious? It's insane, it wouldn't solve anything."
"That's exactly what I told them but they didn't listen."
"I'm sorry," she said as she leaned down and buried her nose in his hair. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
It was such a simple, yet ridiculously intimate act from her that he didn't even know what to say at first. She cared, he could feel it. But things were bound to get out of control and, with all the packs in Beacon Hills he couldn't risk her getting in the middle of all that. "No, it's fine; we'll handle it," he finally replied.
"Sure?"
"Sure," he nodded.
"Okay," Kimberly noted with a small nod before placing a hand on his jaw and gently turning his head towards her. "But I know you, Duke, if anyone can do it, it's you," she told him before placing a kiss on his cheek.
"I'm glad you're here."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Control, he reminded himself once again. Kimberly was acting like a little kitten that was looking for attention, using her irresistible cuteness to get what she wanted. But he couldn't let her win. Not now. He had to focus on the problem he came here for in the first place, and he could deal with whatever was between them later back at home.
There was one topic that would definitely make her stop right away. "Have you met Peter?"
Just as he expected, Kimberly let out a frustrated sigh. "No, and hopefully I won't," she replied as she relocated herself and sat next to him with her head resting on his shoulder.
"Are you sure about this? Maybe you should talk to him."
"We've already discussed it, Duke," the girl replied. "We haven't talked since the breakup and I'm not planning to change this. That guy can be a real creep. I don't even know why I went on that date with him. Oh, wait! You were the one who told me to give him a chance," she added, pointing a finger at him.
Duke rolled his eyes and let them fall on a dirty spot on the wall. "And now everything is my fault."
"Don't be so dramatic because that's the truth," she informed him as she glanced up at him with those beautiful brown eyes. "And I don't even want him anymore."
"Why is that?"
"Guess," she replied with a wicked smile as she tried to kiss him.
Duke shook his head and put a finger on her lips. "Will you stop this?"
"No, I won't, and you know exactly why," she explained desperately, moving enough to sit on his lap and straddle him with her knees. "Come on, according to dad everybody believes I'm seeing Peter, they wouldn't suspect a thing."
"Why would they believe you're dating him again?"
She shrugged before leaning down to kiss his jaw. "I have no idea but I don't even care," she mumbled, barely listening to him.
"I love you, princess."
"I love you, too."
Deucalion only called her princess when he wanted her to stop doing something. Though he had no idea if she was aware of that or not, he still hoped she understood what he'd meant. She clearly didn't so he said, "But we can't do this here." Cupping her face with his big palms he made the girl look at him. "There's my pack, three other alphas with their own packs and several hunters including your father in Beacon Hills. Let's be careful, okay?"
"I hate you."
"No, you don't," he informed her with a smug smirk before kissing her one last time. "I promise I'll make up for this when we get home."
Finally she climbed off him to sit back on the couch next to him. "You'd better."
"You know I'm doing all this to protect you and Adrian, right?" he asked before gently kissing her forehead.
Though he was completely honest with her that day later all he could say was that he had tried. He really did, but it wasn't enough. Talia and Deaton agreed that it wouldn't work before they even arranged the meeting yet he oh-so-naively believed it was nothing more but their lack of faith in humans. They turned out to be right, because Gerard Argent was a psychopath who killed everyone who attended the meeting and even blinded him. Now, back in the animal clinic, Deucalion was waiting to see what would happen to his eyesight.
Since Deaton told him to wait a couple of hours he asked them to leave him alone with Kimberly for a few minutes so he could tell her what'd happened to her father exactly. He knew she suspected the truth from the way the girl breathed then the way she walked up to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his body only supported this suspicion. "I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do," he said quietly, resting his chin on top of her head.
"There's no need to apologize," the girl mumbled into his chest and he could literally feel the words rolling off her lips. Her scent along with the familiar warm feeling running through him as he felt her fragile body shift in his arms successfully averted his thoughts for a few precious seconds. Kimberly pulled away to put her hands on the sides of his neck, her thumbs gently running along his jaw line as she said, "At least you're alive. It's still better than losing both of you in one day."
"I was so stupid to believe it could work," he admitted quietly. "Partly it's my fault that they all died today. If I hadn't insisted on arranging this," he started but the girl quickly interrupted him.
"Stop it, Duke, it's not your fault," Kimberly stated seriously as she pulled back her hands and took a step back. "We all believed there was a chance. It's just that Gerard Argent is insane. It was... unexpected."
With a long and tired sigh, Deucalion moved his hand, searching for the girl's. The moment she noticed, her fingers slipped tightly around his. "Not that unexpected, Kimberly, the others had warned me about him," he explained as his thumb massaged her hand. "And look at me now; there's a chance my eyes won't heal."
"It will be alright."
"You don't understand. I'm an alpha, I can't make such mistakes."
He didn't have to see to know she had just rolled her eyes at him. "You're a real leader and nothing can change that," Kimberly said softly as she moved back to him and freed her hand to cup his face once again. "Your pack sure as hell thinks the same."
"And if I end up blind?"
"You can't know that. What did Deaton say?"
"That we will find out once he took off the bandage."
"It will be fine, don't worry."
Kimberly suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. It only lasted for a second, just a chaste kiss that probably didn't mean anything, but something still felt wrong about it. "I don't need your pity," he snapped angrily without pushing her away.
"What? Come on, Duke, you should know by now that I would never feel pity for you," she explained calmly as her teeth gently tugged at his lower lip. "I mean it."
"Stop."
"Why?"
Shaking his head, Deucalion kissed her forehead. He knew she meant well and every word she said was true but he couldn't do this. "Don't complicate things, Kimberly. Not now."
"I'm not trying to complicate this, but I know you. I don't have to be a werewolf to know when you're scared."
"I'm not scared."
Kimberly laughed at him. "Yes, you are, because you believe you would be far less if you stayed blind, but it doesn't matter. All the other senses would get stronger and it might as well be an advantage," she suggested as her fingers ran down the back of his neck. "Trust me, whatever happens we'll be here for you. Anyway, can I ask you something?"
He leaned forward, burying his nose in the crook of her neck to take in the girl's scent, his hands resting on the edge of the table he was leaning against so he didn't touch her in a way that would make everything worse between them. A questioning hum escaped his lips, her intoxicating scent taking his mind off the problem with his eyes for a short time.
"You really like her, don't you?"
"Who?" he asked, honestly confused since his brain was unable to function properly anymore. Whatever power was drawing him so close to her, it successfully clouded his mind and his senses at the same time.
"Talia," came the answer.
"I respect her, that's different."
She stayed quiet for a few seconds before asking, "Are you sure?
"I don't want to talk about it now, princess," he growled into her ear while his hands moved to the small of her back. This wasn't right, he knew it, but who cared? What was the point of resisting anyway? He wanted her and this disastrous event made it crystal clear that neither of them knew how much time they would have left together. With Gerard Argent walking free he couldn't think he was safe. No, he definitely wasn't.
"Do you like me?"
"Now is not the time," Deucalion warned her again before he gently bit her earlobe.
Clearing her throat, Kimberly backed away, breaking whatever spell did this to them. "Yeah, right," she said hoarsely. "I still need to talk to mom about dad. What should I say? That another hunter slaughtered everyone?"
Yes, right, her father. Of course she believed that's what he'd meant by saying it wasn't the time. How could he be so selfish? The girl had just lost her father and he was focused on his on needs. George had been right, this bond between them was only getting worse. What he had to do now was staying strong for her, offering emotional support while trying to forget about his own problems.
"You're angry, Kimberly. It's perfectly normal, but trust me when I say that in a few hours grief and sorrow will take over and maybe you'll regret what you said."
"You're right."
Deucalion laughed, for the first time in the past few hours actually meaning it. "I'm right most of the time."
"Smug bastard," she noted before giving him a quick kiss.
Before he had the chance to reply, Deaton came in, followed by Talia and Marco to take off the bandage. He took a deep breath then slowly let it out. Maybe Kimberly had been right and it was, indeed, fear he felt. She squeezed his hand before taking a few steps back, giving the emissary space to take off the bandage. He could still hear her heart beating fast; she was just as worried as he was.
Even though the bandage was now off his head, Deucalion still couldn't see a damn thing. His bad feeling wasn't a mistake because Deaton cleared his throat and spoke up. "I'm sorry. The eyes will heal physically, but... your sight," he said but his voice faded.
How could this happen? Why him? After all those years he'd spent with trying to create a better world this is what he got? Suddenly he roared loudly and smashed his palms against the metal table in front of him. "Leave me alone," he ordered angrily.
Talia and Deaton immediately did as they were told but Kimberly took a short detour to walk up to him and cover his hand with her soft one. "We'll get through this," she whispered in his ear before turning around to go to the door. He was honestly grateful that she took the time to tell him these words. Not like this could change anything but at least he knew there was someone he could definitely lean on.
"Marco, I said... leave me alone," he told his beta.
The younger man huffed as he closed the gap between them. "You are alone."
Once these words left the beta's lips Deucalion heard the young huntress coming to an abrupt halt and spinning around. "What the," she began and he heard as she pulled out her gun and possibly pointed it at the beta. Marco, one more move and I'll shoot you."
Then things happened way to fast for him to remember everything. Marco attacked him, obviously to kill and take the alpha status from him, but he knew he was still faster and stronger than the other werewolf.
"Duke, please, don't," he heard the girl's faint voice from the background but it didn't change anything. Killing Marco was the only possible option.
"I wonder if you blame me for Adrian's death."
As Deucalion turned around to walk over the girl he heard her say, "I don't, I've already told you that."
She was afraid but still put her gun on the table next to her. It was strange; he saw as a wolf but not as a human. This way he could at least see her, too, which made it easier to confront her. "Oh, I know," he began darkly, "but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out you decided to help the Argents. Is this why you're here? To finish what Gerard started?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."
There was nowhere to go because her back already hit the wall."Just calm down, Duke, it's not you, otherwise you would know I wouldn't turn on you," she tried, her voice shaking from fear.
"Stop lying to me!" he roared, shoving her back out of anger. Why was she doing this to him? After all the things they'd been through he would've never expected this girl to turn on him. But then something happened: he smelt blood, her heartbeat changed and she fell to the ground, obviously unconscious. "Kimberly? No, no, no, please, talk to me."
Panic took over. It was all his fault, he lost control and hurt him. He hadn't meant it. No, no, she would be the last person on the planet he would hurt. Talia and Deaton meanwhile arrived, stopping in the door as they took a look around the place. A dead beta and a knocked out huntress. He knew it didn't look good.
While Deaton quickly knelt next to Kimberly to see what he could do for her, Talia took something from a nearby drawer and stabbed it straight into the side of his neck. Deucalion knew she wanted to sedate him and he couldn't blame the woman for that. He deserved it and he clearly needed help.
He had no idea how much time had passed but now he was in an unfamiliar room: the scent of different werewolves and human filled the air and the sound weren't familiar either. Maybe it was the Hale house but he wasn't entirely sure. Trying to adjust to his new, blind life, Deucalion stood up and went on a smaller quest to find the fire. Though he found it, there was nothing he could do since it was closed from the outside.
Then Talia came in and let out a tired sigh. "Okay, Duke, I have both good and bad news. Which one should I begin with?"
"The good news, please," he asked as he sat up in the bed.
"Kim is awake and she's fine, apart from the headache. Also, she confirmed your version of events, so we have no reason to keep you here. Let's assume you only attacked her because of what happened with your beta."
So she was alive. Good. That was the first good thing that'd happened to him in quite some time. "Thank you. Now that I'm free to go, can you take me to her?" Deucalion asked her while he stood up and took a few steps towards the woman. "I need to apologize and talk to her about what happened."
"Well, that's the problem. She doesn't want to see you."
"What? Why?" Letting out a desperate laugh, the alpha sat back and buried his head in his hands. "She's afraid of me, isn't she?"
Talia didn't say anything while she sat down next to him. "You shoved her against a doorframe which ended with a wound on the back of her head and a mild concussion. Can you blame her?" When he gave no answer, the woman took and squeezed his hand. "Look, just give her some time. From what I've seen in the past few days, I'm sure she'll forgive you."
Though he appreciated her support, Deucalion had the terrible feeling that things wouldn't be so easy from this point on. The best he could do was staying away from her once again, giving her enough space and time to think.
Her footsteps, as she climbed up the stairs to her room, were just as soft as he remembered them to be. The next thing that triggered his senses was her scent, the same intoxicating mix of her skin and favorite perfume he had faintly smelt in the room when he arrived. A long time ago he was in this room, sitting on the floor next to the girl as they had a quiet debate about certain mythological books. Then, another time, he made a mistake, spending the night in this very room with her.
Now Deucalion didn't know why he felt the need to see her. Because it was a need, a little thought in the back of his mind that got louder with time and kept demanding this visit. He hadn't felt like this before; so close to someone that being away from them in desperate times caused a strange anxiety. Kimberly could comfort him no matter what his problem was and right now that was exactly what he really wanted.
The door they opened, she stopped then said, "How did you get in?"
"I have my methods," he replied with a smile.
"Sure you do," Kimberly noted with a sigh as she closed the door and put her bag on the table, making the metal keychain her father had given her scratching the wooden surface. "Look, I'm glad to see you're okay and all, but I don't think it's a good idea. I mean it's, you know, weird."
"Kimberly, honestly," Deucalion spoke up quietly. "Are you afraid of me because of what I did back in Beacon Hills?"
The girl remained silent, but her heart rate jumped a bit after the question. Nevertheless she walked over to him and kneeled down. "Part of me believes you would never hurt me again," she started softly, her hands resting on his knees. "But even if killing Marco was self-defense and I never really liked the guy, you still killed him. A member of your own pack. And you attacked me as well."
"I need to talk to you. You're the only one I trust right now."
"Five minutes," she stated seriously after letting out a tired sigh. "Five minutes, then I want you out of here."
"Kimberly-"
She didn't hesitate to interrupt him, her voice determined and serious as she spoke. "No. Four minutes and fifty-five seconds."
"You should know by now I don't like to be ordered around. But fine," he gave in. "I killed another beta. A few days after killing Marco I realized that I got stronger and faster so testing if I was right seemed to be a good idea at the time. Actually, I would do it again, but knowing that I liked it scares me."
"And?"
The alpha couldn't believe his ears, the nonchalant question she offered as some kind of a response. "I don't know, Kimberly, this is why I'm here."
"You killed two of your betas, Duke," the girl started slowly while she sat next to him on the bed. "You don't even feel remorse and would do it again. What do you want to hear? That it's okay? It's not. It's far from being okay. Ever since you saved my life I've been listening to you talking about peace and now you don't even feel bad about killing two of your own."
"It's not that simple." He waited for an answer, a movement, anything that would prove she was starting to understand it, but there was absolutely nothing. There was one thing he noticed, though: her heartbeat. "You're not angry or scared."
"I'm confused. I know you well enough to notice that you're not in some psychopathic bloodthirsty state at the moment, but what you've just told me is too much. Gerard Argent blinded you and Marco tried to kill you, I get that. But why can't you stop if even you're confused about it?"
"That's the point, Kimberly. I don't know. Ever since I arrived here I don't feel that way, but I'm sure once I go back to my life and away from here, those thoughts will be back."
He was careful not to touch her. Normally, even back at the animal clinic while they were waiting for Deaton's verdict, a simple touch seemed natural, but now somehow he knew it would only push her further away. And then she said it out loud, the sentence he didn't want to hear, and the exact opposite of what he had been expecting.
"Look, I don't want to be a part of this. You know I love you and all, but unless you change your mind and give up this murderous plan of yours it would be better if you didn't try to contact me."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm sorry. And you should go now."
"Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you?"
"No, I just want you out of here."
That was the last time he met her for years. Years that turned him into something completely different, the leader of an alpha pack with no such ridiculous visions like peace between hunters and werewolves. Every once in a while, when he was just about to fall asleep, Deucalion blamed her. He thought that maybe, if she hadn't push him away that day, he wouldn't be the man he was now.
So this is it. I took some flashback scenes from the story 'Mine' but I had fun writing it since I love these two. And I'm so glad Duke is back. Anyway, let me know what you think.