I breathe you into my heart and…Pray for the strength to stand today…'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right…And though I can't be with you tonight…You know my heart is by your side ~ If You're Not The One by Daniel Beddingfield

Chapter 14

Scott:

"Scott, did you talk to Isaac?" Dr Deaton asked me, coming into the exam room where I was setting a splint on a cocker spaniel who broke his leg running around his yard and stepping into a hidden hole.

"Oh yeah. Sorry I have a lot on my mind. But he says yes, he would love the job. I'll get you his number when I finish here."

"That's fine and I'm glad. I think he will do very well here."

"Me too. I think he has been struggling to find his place with everything that has happened. He feels like he's freeloading living with me, but I don't see it that way. He still has a lot of issues with what his father did to him. I look at it more as him taking the time to heal."

"That's exactly what it is, but his feelings are normal. I think he's found his place, even if he hasn't seen it yet. He has a family as unconventional as it is. A little bit every day he heals."

"Yeah, he does. It's good to see. He's better and happier now with Allison."

"Did they finally stop fighting it?"

"Yes, finally, but it took a little encouragement. I think they both were hesitant because of me but I gave them a little push and now they are in new couple bliss."

"You okay with that? Make sure to wrap that snuggly so it doesn't fall off."

"Got it. And yeah. Allison and I talked, and we have both moved on. We're still friends and I want her happy, both of them. I'm happy for them." I told him, going back to wrapping the leg. I put the last bit of wrap on it and fit him for a cone and he was set.

"that's good. Both your feelings and the wrapping."

"Alright Sparty, you're good to go. Let's get you to your cage so you can rest." I picked up the pooch and gave him a scratch before carrying him into the holding pen and placing him gently in, locking the door.

"Dr Deaton, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Argent mentioned something and, have you ever heard of an Alpha mate?"

He looked surprised but nodded.

"I have. It's something that only happens for true alphas."

"Yeah, that's what Peter said. But is it really as rare as they say?"

"It is. But that may be more because true alphas are so rare. I think you're the second one I ever met. Scott, do you think you have a mate?"

"I don't know. Peter seems to think so. But its Peter. I take everything he says with a grain of salt."

"That's very wise. But why does he think so and who are we talking about?"

"It's Lydia. And, well, I have had a few times in the last couple of weeks where I lost complete control, like full blown wolf mode and its always because I… sense some kind of danger or perceived danger to her. It's like I can't calm down, not on my own. It takes a lot of concentration on her to bring me back. My blood lust is worse then, as well. Like, right now we have an issue with someone stalking her and I just want to…" I shook my head.

"Rip the world apart to protect her?" he finished.

"Yeah."

"Tell me, can you sense when she is troubled even if you are not in the same room as her? Hear her heartbeat first and foremost? Catch her scent out of thousands?"

"Yeah, I can. It wasn't always like that. I mean I thought we could have something when I was just an omega, but it was more of an errant thought. But now, it's like… I NEED her. Like I can't breathe without her."

"Your wolf probably sensed she was a potential match for you before you were an alpha. But being a true alpha, it would know for sure. What about her? How does she react to you?"

"she's been having panic attacks lately and I've been able to calm her when nothing else works. And she's said that she feels safer with me than anyone else. We kind of… cling to each other when she's distressed or feels she's in danger. We are both calmer when we do. But then she's out of my sight and I can't control my actions. I almost went for Isaac's throat once because he said something monumentally stupid, and I literally punched a hole in a locker as school because of something that happened."

"And have you…been with her?"

"Can't. It's a complicated situation for me, her, and Stiles. We can't be together. But even that hurts. Feels like I'm drowning, or like there's a crushing weight on my chest that won't ease up."

"Alpha mate." He nodded. "Sounds like that's what it is. You're just determined to hit every rare myth in the supernatural world, aren't you?" he smirked.

"That's not my goal." I sighed.

"If you're feeling like this now then my suggestion is to stop fighting it. It will do neither of you any good. This won't go away Scott it will only get worse until you are with her."

"I was afraid you would say that." Slumping against the wall.

"Sorry. But you should also be aware that she is feeling everything you are feeling as well. I couldn't tell you if it's as heightened for her as it is for you since she's human but she's also a banshee so it's possible. She may not have the werewolf instincts but on some level, she's feeling the pain and the crushing feeling as well. I don't know what the complication is, but you need to solve it because there's no stopping this if you have already built a connection."

"Yeah, I was afraid you would say that too." I scrubbed my hand through my hair.

"Go," he chuckled. "I'll lock up. Get out of here and enjoy the rest of your night."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night, Scott."

I climbed into the car and sent a quick text to Allison that I was on my way and since I forgot to do it while I was in there, I sent one to Deaton with Isaac's number. I was about to start the car when my phone rang, Stiles. I winced but answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Scott, you off work yet? Feel like taking a trek in the woods and looking for a dead body… wait we did that. I mean looking for evidence of a missing girl."

"I would but I can't tonight. Argent asked me and Isaac to stay over at his place since he had to go out of town tonight for a business meeting." I explained. He was quiet and I got nervous.

"You're going to Allison's and staying there with both her and Lydia?"

"And Isaac." I added.

"Oh."

"It's just extra protection while this stalker is out there."

"Yeah, I get that."

I grimaced as I made a split-second decision and before I could rethink it the words slipped out.

"Why don't you come? I can swing by and pick you up."

"Nah, that's okay. I don't want to intrude. We can go into the woods tomorrow night."

"Stiles you won't be intruding. Come. We can share Argents room or one of us can take the room and the other the couch. It's just extra protection, that's all."

"I don-."

"Stiles, I made you a promise and you know I don't break them. Nothing is happening between Lydia and I. Come over, hang out, stay, or don't stay but come with me." I pleaded and held my breath as he stayed quiet.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked but it's an impossible situation. If I ignored his call, he would have just called back or texted. I couldn't lie to him, that would be worse than ignoring him. But this… I was right, this was going to be a disaster.

"Yeah, okay. But I'll drive over. I want to go see my dad first and see if he made any progress. So, give me a couple of hours, three at most. So about ten." He finally said and I let out the breath I was holding.

"Okay, no problem. Text me when you are on your way."

"Alright. Later."

"Bye."

I could kick myself for this but if it puts his mind at ease then it will be fine. I hope. I started the car and was at Allison's in less than ten minutes.

Isaac opened the door shirtless, and I could only snicker.

"You didn't waste any time." I told him, bypassing him.

"We only have tonight."

"Whatever. Hey, Stiles is going to be over later to stay as well." I informed him.

"You invited Stiles… to stay here with you and the girl you're in love with that he happens to be pining over?" he asked, closing the door, and locking it.

"Shh, keep your voice down and yes. I didn't have a choice. He wanted me to do something with him and I had to tell him why I couldn't."

"You could choose to not to invite your best friend into a situation that is just going to further point out how completely out of your mind in love you are with his dream girl."

"Just, listen for the door in case I miss it. Okay. Please?" I sighed. "It will be about ten."

"Well, I think this is the dumbest thing you ever did but okay. Lydia's in her room. And I'm going back to mine." He said waggling his eyebrows. I snorted as he took off down the hall slamming the door.

I followed suit and set my bag on Argents bed before knocking on Lydia's door.

"Come in."

"Hey." I said entering. She was sitting in the center of the bed in a tank and shorts, her hair in a high ponytail. She looked unbelievably adorable.

"Hey, you made it." Her face lit up.

"Yeah. What are you drawing?"

"Just random stuff. Nothing in particular. How was work?" she asked closing the pad before I could see.

"It was good. I set a cocker spaniels leg today."

"Good for you, getting some practice in before vet school."

"Yeah, Deaton is really supportive and is teaching me a lot of little things. I had to give 3 injections today as well. The dogs always seem to stay calm around me, probably the wolf thing."

"Makes me miss Prada."

"Right, I forgot you had a dog. Where is he anyway? I don't remember seeing him when we went to your house."

"Mom puts him in a kennel when she has to go out of town. She says she doesn't want me to have to worry about taking care of him in case I want to go out or something."

"Have you talked to your mom?"

"Yeah, she's called 3 times today to check up on me. She told me to tell you that you better take care of me or there would be hell to pay."

"Duly noted." I snorted.

"Have you always wanted to be a vet?" she asked.

"Yeah, since I was a kid. Mom got me this dog from the shelter, a scrawny little thing that couldn't have weighed more than 30 lbs., we named him Buddy. I started just reading everything I could get my hands on about how to take care of a dog. When I was fourteen, he got sick, and we had to take him to Deaton. I watched as he examined him. After he noticed my interest, he talked me through everything he was doing, and I was hooked. we had to put him down because we couldn't afford the treatments for him, and he was in so much pain. I was sad to lose Buddy, but I started visiting the clinic after school when I could and just watching Deaton work. When I was old enough to work, he offered me a job taking care of feeding and cleaning the pets. Now I'm doing small jobs like splints and casts and injections."

"That's great. I'm glad you had him to help you figure out your passion."

"Yeah, Deaton, he's like an unofficial father to me; him, and Stilinski. Do you know what you want to do after college or what you're even going to major in?"

"I've thought about that a lot actually. I think I am leaning more towards Architecture, but I haven't narrowed it down yet."

"I'm sure whatever you decide you will excel. I mean you have already been accepted to MIT."

"It's nothing, really." She ducked her head as her cheeks pinked.

"No, it's something. It's amazing. You're brilliant Lydia, there's no shame in that."

She smiled but shrugged.

"So, how are you doing?"

"I'm better. More rested."

"that's good. Isaac mentioned that Allison was teaching you self-defense."

"Yeah, I think I should learn how to protect myself as much as possible."

"I agree. I don't mind being your knight in shining armor but its good you can at least defend yourself."

She giggled and shoved me.

"Anything new in the case?" she asked.

"Not that I know of, but Stiles is checking with his dad before he comes over."

"Stiles is coming?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I think he was feeling left out so I told him he could be on security detail. But he won't be here for another couple hours at least."

"Okay, this shouldn't be awkward at all."

"Tell me about it."

"You invited him."

"He called me as I was leaving work and asked me to go traipsing through the woods again and when I told him what I was doing… I couldn't not invite him." I shrugged helplessly.

"I get it. It's still going to be awkward."

"Yes, it will. But he did have an idea we are going to try next week."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"He had the idea that if this is a student then they had to get into the building somehow so we are checking the swipe log to see who might have come in over the weekend or possibly early Monday morning."

"Unless they had a key."

"That was brought up. But only the janitors have keys, the staff and students have swipe cards to enter."

"That's a good point. But wait I thought you guys got in last night, did you use your cards?"

"Uh, no. Stiles 'borrowed' the janitors keys to get us in." I told her snickering.

"He borrowed them?"

"That's what he prefers to think of it as, yes."

"Did he return the borrowed key?"

"He never actually answered that question."

"Why is it always cops kids that are the criminals?"

"I have no clue. But not all of them. My dad works for the FBI, and I like to think that I'm pretty law abiding."

"Even being Stiles' best friend and all the things that have happened in the last year?"

"Fair point." I chuckled. I flinched as sounds hit my ears that I didn't really want to hit my ears.

"What is it?"

"Wolf hearing."

Her eyes widened as she caught my meaning.

"They didn't waste any time."

"That's what I said when he answered the door shirtless."

She slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. My nose scrunched at a particularly loud moan even she heard it.

"Distraction please. I beg you." I pleaded.

"I could show you what she taught me so far or we could go watch a movie."

"Yeah, her room is too close to the living room, and I really don't want to smell that if I can help it. Show me what you know."

"Okay." She hopped up and I followed. "Stand here." She placed me where she wanted me. "Now, I want you to try to attack me from behind." She turned her back to me and stepped back into me. "One arm around my throat and one around my waist." She took my arms and placed them where she wanted them. It placed her ass right against my groin. I bit my lip and willed no reaction. "a little tighter." She instructed I did but not too tight. She grabbed the arm around her throat, stepped back further so she was definitely pressed against a certain part of me that was ready to greet her, twisted and had my arm behind my back in a flash.

"Nice."

"There's two more, so let's do those."

The next one we practiced was almost the same but slightly different and had her turning to face me and a knee raised to the groin. But even that one had her pressed way to close.

"This one is trickier, and I couldn't quite get it right I kept falling so I'm still practicing. So, you want to grab my arms for this and hold them behind my back…" she went on to instruct me how to restrain her and I followed along. But when she went to twist, she lost her footing and fell backwards. I let go of her arms and tried to catch her and ended up falling on top of her on the bed.

"I guess that one is still a work in progress." She giggled.

"So, it seems." I laughed.

The laughter stopped as I reached up and swept some hair out of her eyes. I know I need to get up, but I felt no inclination to move.

"Scott." She breathed. Her hands trailed up my arms fingertips lightly grazing my skin, over my shoulders. My mind willed me to move, to get up and put some space between us but I felt paralyzed.

"I know." I said my thumb tracing her bottom lip. Her lids fluttered shut before opening. "I should move."

"I know." Her fingers coming up and tracing over my eyes, cheek, my lips.

"I need to move, but I can't."

"I know."

I could feel the ghost of her lips against mine. "

"Scott" she slid her fingers into the back of my head through my hair.

"Lydia." My lips touched hers and I stopped fighting.

My lips crashed against hers. My world exploded. My heart burst, love, lust, heat, wanting, longing.

"I don't know what's happening." I panted, lifting her up and moved us further up the bed. Her legs wrapped around me as I settled over her.

"Me either. I don't want to stop. But…" Her fingers dug into my hair as I coaxed her mouth open with my tongue. My hand skimmed down her waist and underneath her tee, touching warm skin. I kissed down her jaw to her neck, teasing, taunting, suckling.

"Scott." She moaned pumping her hips. "We… we can't."

"I know. I need to stop." I said but continued to touch her, kiss her, move against her. "God, Lydia, tell me to stop. Please tell me to stop." I whispered biting her earlobe. She whimpered.

"We have to stop." She said kissing me again, inviting my tongue in to play.

"I want… I need… Lydia, you have to tell me to stop." Kisses to her collar bone, traveling slowly down.

"Oh God, Scott, we have to stop…. Now." she pushed me away unwrapping her legs from my waist.

I jumped up and backed away from her. Our breathing both ragged and we stared at each other. She looked ravished, hair tangled, lips swollen, rapid rise and fall of her breast and I could smell the lust strong in the air. I turned my back trying to calm down before I attack her again. We can't do this. We can't. I promised I wouldn't. I promised. I promised.

"Scott."

He'll be crushed. He'll hate me, hate us. I promised.

"Scott."

I need to walk away. I need to leave this room and lock myself in mine. We can't do this. We can't.

"Scott." Her hands were on my shoulders, and I felt the sizzle of energy at her touch. I turned and kissed her again, picking her up and slammed us both against the wall behind the door. She tasted so good. I can't get enough. I need more. I need…

She grabbed at the back of my shirt, and I moved just long enough to whip it over my head. More kissing, more touching, more groping. More grinding. Just more. Her nails scored my back lightly and my hands made their way under her shirt, moving slowly upwards.

"Oh God." She gasped, my hand found her bare breast, a thumb over a nipple. More sucking on her neck, hard. "Oh God, Scott, please."

"I can't stop touching you. I can't stop kissing you. I have wanted this for so long."

"Me too. So long. That feels so good." Back to kissing.

Stop. Stop. Stop. STOP! My brain screamed and I wrenched my lips away from hers.

"Damn it." I groaned, resting my forehead against hers.

"We have to stop." She panted.

"Yeah, we do." I pressed even closer. "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Me too." She said unwrapping her legs. I let her down.

"I'm gonna go." I said, grabbing my shirt.

"Yeah."

"Lydia, I-. I'm sorry." I said again.

"Me too." Her eyes brightened and she moved around me and back to the bed. I left her room, closing the door and went to mine. Sitting heavily on the bed I listened to her crying next door, but I couldn't go back in there. My phone buzzed with a text.

STILES: 15 MINUTES OUT.

ME: OKAY.

I went and took a quick shower and pulled on some sleep pants just as there was a knock.

"Hey Scotty, how's babysitting going?" Stiles said as he came in with his bag.

"Fine." I snorted.

"where's Allison and Isaac… never mind. Scratch that I don't want to know." He said as he followed me down the hall.

"Yeah, you really don't. just be glad you can't hear it, yet."

"Lydia?" he questioned.

"she's…" I listened hearing her sniffle and try to cry silently. "Sleeping." I finished.

"Cool, cool. Well, I'm gonna take a quick shower and then I'll fill you in on what dad said."

"Okay no problem."

He went into the bathroom and closed the door. I sat still and listened to the pain I caused because I couldn't keep my hands or lips to myself.

We went to sleep not long after. There was no real progress on the case, so it was up to us to get that list on Monday. I had just started to drift off rethinking what we did and feeling the guilt of it gnaw at me. I promised but could I keep it? I wanted to kiss her again, touch her. One taste wasn't enough, it would never be enough.

My eyes opened and at first, I couldn't understand why. I grabbed my phone and saw it was 1:30 am. I hadn't been asleep but for about an hour. What woke me up. I listened in the silence but heard nothing but rustling sheets and deep breathing. Then I heard it. A whimper, a cry, mumbled words of no and stop and please. I sat up and listened and knew. The cries got louder.

"No, please." Came from Lydia's room. I stood abruptly.

"Scott. What's wrong?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." I answered and continued to listen. When the cries turned into a shout, I burst out the room and straight into hers. Finding her fighting in her sleep.

"Lydia. It's okay. Wake up."

"No. Scott, help. Please don't." she struggled more. I heard more footsteps, and the doorway was crowded with three people.

"Lydia, wake up. It's just a dream."

"NO!" she screamed as her eyes sprung open. She was still stuck in whatever happened in the dream as she struggled. I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Shh, it's okay. It was just a dream. I got you."

"he's here, he's going to get me." She whispered.

"No, he's not. He's not here. It just me. You're okay. I promise, you're okay."

"Don't leave me. Don't leave me." She whispered as she clung to me.

"I'm not going anywhere, I swear. I'm right here."

She nodded but was still trembling. Her eyes wide and unseeing.

"You guys go back to bed. I got her." I said.

Isaac and Allison nodded and headed back to bed. Stiles stood there before coming in threw the sheet over the both of us. He gave me a half smile before leaving shutting the door behind him.