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Chapter Text

Warriors

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the laptop on which the story is typed.

Please kudo and comment: it’s my muse!

Spoilers: This fic is so AU that there really are none in any of the shows in this mash-up.  This fic contains elements and characters from Teen Wolf, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Leverage.  However, season 3 of TW is touched on.

Summary: Post “Voin.” The Spencer-Hale Pack is fully formed and taking on the responsibility of protecting their territory.

Author’s Note: I picture a shorter version of Willa Holland as girl!Stiles.  

Pronunciation Guide to Stiles’ real name:  Voin is pronounced [voy’ in], and Wojownik is pronounced [voy’ o neek]; both mean Warrior (in Russian and Polish, respectively).  Belyy and Bieli are both pronounced [bell’ ee]; both mean White, or Of White (in Russian and Polish, respectively).

Prologue

It had been just shy of two years since Clint and Natasha had resigned from SHIELD, since Steve had told Nick to pass on the shield and title of Captain America, since all three had turned down the invitation to join the Avengers Initiative.  To say that the pack had been busy since that day would be something of an understatement.

Eliot’s restaurant, Wolf’s Den, became such a booming success that there is serious discussion of opening another location closer to San Francisco.  Derek only had approximately two semesters left until he finished with his Master’s program in Mathematics; while the only thing that Jane lacks for a working Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a way to make the portal/bridge stable and directable.

Natasha officially became the CEO of Voin Enterprises, while Stiles remained the owner and COO.  Athena Technologies managed to fill all their floors with Research and Development (R&D) personnel, then the company bought another warehouse to be able to fulfill the manufacturing needs.  Mara & Vesta Properties now own properties all over northern California, and decided to expand into central and southern California, as well as up into Oregon and Washington.  Meanwhile, applications and donations for the Seshat Foundation are up by nearly eighty percent.  The cafe on the ground floor of the office building was such a success that they have signed a five year lease.

Natasha and Peter had married in January of 2013, in a private ceremony held in the yard.  The pack brought in large banquet tents to allow for the wet weather.  Director Fury, Agent Coulson, Helblindi, and Býleistr were in attendance.  They also attended Stiles and Eliot’s wedding later that year.

Stiles legally changed her name (read: she hacked the system and changed it) to Voin Belyy Rogers-Barnes, although she still goes by Stiles to the pack.  Just a few months ago, in June (two months after Stiles turned eighteen), Stiles and Eliot married in a small private ceremony in the yard of the pack house. So Stiles is now Dr. Voin Spencer.

Peter and Darcy were in the middle of studying for the California Bar exam (having already completed law school), which will allow them to practice law; Peter for Voin Enterprises, and Darcy as the Mediator at The Nemeton Complex which will house The Council of Yggdrasil.

The Nemeton Complex was recently finished.  This included a small outbuilding for future additional security members to each have their own bedroom and bathroom, with a shared kitchen, dining, and living room.

A spell performed by Loki last summer confirmed that the Hales are, in fact, descendents of Loki.  The surprise revelation of the spell was that it revealed that Quinn was also a direct descendant; a fourth cousin to Derek.  Apparently Quinn’s grandmother was a younger Hale and changed her last name when she married.  Loki’s two brothers came fairly regularly to visit; Stiles had finally figured out how to protect the electrical and plumbing from the low temperatures, so a new cottage was built for them that would suit their vast height as well as their much lower core temperature.

Currently in her last semester of her Mechanical Engineering degree, Stiles completed her Electrical Engineering degree the semester before.  Bucky finished with his Auto Mechanic certification and was the majority of the way through his Generals for his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree.  

The two engineering Super Soldiers built a full sized quinjet that is referred to as Q2.  They also managed to build a scaled down jet (the named it the Quad Jet) that seats six, but it also lacks the cargo area of the two full sized jets.  The size made the Quad Jet the perfect vehicle to ferry Peter and Darcy back and forth to Berkeley.

In addition to building the jets, Stiles also created a permanent communications unit that all members of the pack have had surgically implanted in the front of their right ear, just above their jaw.  Each unit is made of adamantium, contains a gps unit that Cobi can turn on as needed; the stabilizing post is located inside the wearer’s ear canal, and painted to match their skin tone to help it blend in and remain nearly invisible to the casual observer.  

Stiles also created the pack members new “uniforms”/body armor out of material that she weaved from thread of vibranium, thread of adamantium, skinny strips of black leather, and skinny strips of spandex; along with a mask that will hide the lower half of their face, but will filter out 99% of all airborne poisons and gasses, including aconite.  She admits that she got the idea from the Winter Soldier outfit, but modified it so that it was much more useful and more comfortable to wear.  And since Bucky had approved it and also had a hand in the creation and design, she wasn’t too worried about it giving him any flashbacks.

The pack continued to train, in order to get the less skilled members up to the same level, or as close as possible, to the trained members of the pack.  The wolves and two male Super Soldiers started taking turns running the territory lines; always in groups of at least two, and always with an Alpha.  

 1

“Please pardon the interruption,” Cobi’s voice came from the speaker in the ceiling of the dining room where the pack was eating lunch.  “Director Fury is on a video call and states that it is urgent.”  The pack quickly stood and hurried into the Theater Room to speak with the director.

“Uncle Nicky,” Stiles beamed at him, but then noticed his serious expression.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve got a situation that I believe might require your all’s expertise,” he stated, sounding both frustrated and resigned.

“What’s going on?”  Eliot asked as he crossed his arms across his chest where he stood next to Stiles behind the back counter.  Most of the pack had stepped down to stand in front of the back row of couches.

“A few hours ago an unidentified person created some sort of portal and entered one of our most secure locations.  It then appeared that he took control of several people by means of some sort of, dare I say, magical scepter.  He and the people he now has control of promptly left, while taking the artifact that our scientists had been studying.”  

“Cobi pull up footage,” Stiles instructed the CBI.  It took less than a minute before the large screen at the front of the room held a split image; one side held the strained face of the director, the other side now held the inside of a cavernous room with a handful of scientists and agents wandering around.

The pack watched as the blue cube that the scientists were studying started to glow with a bright light.  The light grew in intensity until the group had to slightly shield their eyes as they watched a middle-aged man step through the bright light.  Once both his feet touched the ground, the light faded back into the cube.  

The man held a gold and silver scepter that held a glowing blue gem shaped like an egg.  He held it so that the sharp, pointed tip pressed against the forehead of several agents and the main scientist that had been working on the cube.  It was then that Stiles recognized the scientist - Dr. Erik Selvig, the astrophysicist that she’d met in New Mexico, Jane’s mentor.

“Erik,” she heard Jane gasp.  She noticed Derek pull his mate tight against his side to silently offer her his support.

Stiles watched the screen as the man said something to one of the agents he’d taken control of and motioned toward Fury.  The agent then pulled his weapon and fired directly at the director who then collapsed on the ground.  If it wasn’t for the fact that the director was currently on the screen speaking with them, Stiles would be worried that her godfather was killed from the gunshot.

“Are you okay?” she hurriedly asked him.

“One fractured rib, is all,” he replied.  She let out a huge sigh of relief.  Based on what she’d just watched on the video she knew that it could’ve been much, much worse.  The pack watched the rest of the video as the new comer, and the men he’d taken control of, left the building then seemingly disappear.  

“He said something before he took Dr. Selvig hostage,” Eliot stated toward the director’s image.

“He said that he was the Nogitsune,” Fury informed him.  “I had to look up what that was.  And when I found what it was I knew that it was something that was right in the pack’s wheelhouse.”

Stiles and Loki were the only two pack members who had any type of reaction when Fury mentioned the word Nogitsune.  Stiles stared at Loki, as did most of the rest of the pack.  He finally ducked his head and let out a long breath.

“When I was cleansing the Nemeton I found a glass jar that contained what appeared on the surface to be typical fly.  But when I did a deeper energetic scan I discovered that it was so much more.  I was able to communicate with it enough to discover that it was called a Nogitsune and that it had been called forth during World War 2 to enact vengeance against the people that killed her lover.  Because it was nearly a thousand years old, in order to kill it, I would’ve drained my power and been, most likely, unconscious for about three days. So, instead I decided to leave the still closed jar buried on Svartálfaheim.”

“What’s a Nogitsune?” Quinn asked before the others got all sidetracked.  All heads swiveled immediately toward Stiles.

“The word Nogitsune directly translates to ‘Wild Fox,’ but the meaning is more in line with ‘bad’ or ‘renegade’ Kitsune spirit.  They don’t follow any rules but their own, and are typically regarded as evil.  They will kill mortals readily, intentionally harm the innocent.  Unlike Kitsune, the Nogitsune does not serve the Japanese deity Inari, preferring to cause havoc and turmoil amongst humans and other fox spirits.  In short, they are evil, sentient, shapeshifting foxes,” the Mythology Doctor explained to the pack and her godfather.

“So let me get this straight,” Eliot interjected.  “Loki let a thousand year old evil shapeshift fox spirit free on another realm and it somehow managed to get back to Earth and take the Tesseract and the world’s foremost expert on said Tesseract?”  Stiles could see Fury and the rest of the pack about to get really upset with Loki, so she spoke up in his defense.  She was almost certain that he wouldn’t speak up for himself.

“Now hold on a minute,” Stiles protested.  “Svartálfaheim is a dead realm; a dead planet.  There has been NO ONE on Svartálfaheim in nearly, what? Ten thousand years?”  She looks to Loki who nods slightly.  “I would venture to guess that Loki was the first person to set foot on Svartálfaheim in nearly all that time.  So there is NO logical reason to think that there would be any way that a fly in a sealed jar would be able to get out of said jar, let alone get off the planet.”

The pack was silent as they contemplated what she’d said.

“You’re right,” Eliot capitulated.  “I’m sorry, Loki.  I knew you’d never do anything to intentionally put this pack, or Earth, at risk.”

“Thank you Eliot,”  Loki demurred.  “But I can completely understand why that would be your first instinctual response.  

“I must confess, however, that I have no idea as to how this creature was able to escape the jar, nor how it was able to leave the realm.  I sealed up the Way behind me as I came back through.  The only thing I can imagine is that our trip through the Way somehow alerted someone who then came to investigate and found the jar and released the Nogitsune.  Once it was free, it would’ve tried to take the person as his host.  If he succeeded he would’ve had his way off of Svartálfaheim.”

“That would make sense,” Stiles agreed.  “Even if they took the jar with them to try to discover what kind of living thing was inside it, that would still account for its leaving the planet.”  

“Regardless of how this motherfucker got off that planet,” Director Fury brought the attention back to him.  “He’s now on my planet and has taken one of the smartest men I know as his own personal flying monkey.”

“Flying monkey?”  Loki queried.  “I do not understand.”

“I do!” Steve piped up, grinning.  “I understood that reference!”  Bucky couldn’t help but laugh at his boyfriend.  The others chuckled too; Fury even cracked a smile.  

“Be that as it may,” the Director tried to smother his reaction to Steve’s statement.  “I need the pack’s help on this one.  You’re the best equipped to handle this, since it is a Supernatural threat.”

“We told you before that we would help,” Derek spoke up.  “And we will.”  The others nodded in agreement.

“Just remember that we work in the shadows, so we’ll have our masks on entire time we’re there,” Eliot let him know.

“Understood,” Fury replied.  “The Avengers are already on the helicarrier, so I’ll let them know that I’ve got some specialists known only as The Pack coming in to help with this situation.”

“Sounds good Nick,” Stiles said.  “We’ll be on our way as quickly as possible.”

“Thanks,” he answered.  “See you soon.”  The screen then went blank as Nick ended the call on his end.

The pack, minus Darcy and Jane, hurried to their rooms to get changed into their new tactical gear, with their masks hooked to their belts.  Once dressed, the fighting members of the pack headed up to the bonus room that had been turned into a weapons room to gear room.

While the pack got dressed Jane and Darcy packed them sandwiches, fruit, and bottles of water into three large coolers.  Once the rest of the pack came back down, including the several large crates of larger weapons and ammo carried between Steve and Bucky and Clint and Quinn; Eliot, Derek, and Peter each took one of the coolers and they all headed toward the Q2 quinjet.  So less than thirty minutes after hanging up with Fury, the majority of the pack were, after saying goodbye to Jane and Darcy, strapped into their chairs in the jet and they were on their way to the helicarrier, Director Fury, and the Avengers.

*~*~*

Mythology information taken from:

http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Kitsune_%28mythology%29

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_nogitsune 

Chapter Text

Commander Hill rushed into the conference room where the director was speaking with the Avengers.

 “Sir,” she interrupted sharply.  When he looked toward her she continued.  “What appears to be a quinjet just . . . uncloaked . . . on deck of the helicarrier.  It didn’t register on any radar or alert system.  It just appeared.”

The director studied her worried face for a moment before speaking.  “Is there any logo or identifier on it?”

She nodded.  “It has ‘Q2’ written on the side and a swirly logo inside a circle on the tail, Sir.”

“Three swirls?” He clarified.

Commander Hill looked both startled and relieved that the director seemed to know the craft.  “Yes, Sir.”

He nodded.  “They’re the specialists I requested.  They’re friendlies, no matter what they look like.  Understood?”  He caught her with a fierce glare.  She frantically acknowledged her superior before she dashed off to clear the aircraft and its passengers.  She heard him mumble something that sounded like, “Damn show offs,” as she left, but it was so quiet that she couldn’t be certain.

Commander Hill watched the camera feeds for the deck of the helicarrier from her place on the bridge.  She had passed along Fury’s order that the passengers were friendlies, “no matter what they look like.”  That phrase had her worried.  As the ramp at the back of the foreign jet lowered and the passengers disembarked, she now understood what Fury meant.  

The group looked every inch like they were predators on the hunt.  As the last member stepped off the jet, the ramp raised again to seal up the jet, without anyone pressing any buttons or levers.  SHIELD’s quinjets looked almost identical to this one, but they didn’t have that capability.  The paint jobs were different, this new one a soft tan with white writing and logo, but Hill had no doubt that this new jet was far superior to anything SHIELD had.  That in and of itself raised several red flags for the senior agent.  The fact that every member of the group wore masks that showed only their eyes and forehead raised even more red flags.

As a highly ranked senior agent, Commander Maria Hill had seen some seriously scary people during her time with SHIELD.  But never in all her years had she seen a team or a group of people that were more intimidating than the group that was making their way into the helicarrier.  They moved with a deadly grace that she’d only ever seen in one person; one woman who looked an awful lot like the red haired woman that stood second in line of the right column (their formation reminded Hill of the Imperial march of the Stormtroopers).  Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that had been braided with a silver clasp at the end.  Maria had never seen the woman with her hair pulled back that way, but it added to the air of danger and seriousness surrounding her.  Natasha Romanoff had disappeared off SHIELD’s radar a couple of years ago.  It seemed that Maria now knew where she’d been.  And if the man at the rear of the column with the bow and quiver of arrows meant anything, it appeared that Clint Barton had disappeared to the same place.

Maria watched the monitors as the group unerringly strode closer toward the bridge, conference room, and director.  She had seen more than one SHIELD agent instinctively reach for their weapon only to remember that they’d been ordered to stand down.  However, when she saw Brock Rumlow, the head of the Strike team, walk toward the group with a wicked glint in his eye with the rest of the Strike team in step behind him, she quickly made her way toward the two teams to try to avoid a clash in the hallway.  She could only hope that she’d get there fast enough.

*~*~*

The Pack stalked through the corridor of the helicarrier, headed toward where Directory Fury was holding court with the Avengers (Cobi fed directions into the earpieces of two Alphas).  The pack was rather curious to meet the new Captain America that Fury had chosen.  Eliot and Derek led the pack in their two column formation, with Stiles behind Eliot and Nat behind Derek.  The rest of the pack filled in behind them, keeping two wolves (Clint and Quinn) at the rear to listen and sense what was going on behind them.

They had noticed agents occasionally reach for their weapon, but they were smart enough to not actually draw on the pack.  Most of the agents reeked of nerves and fear, which the wolves had to admit was rather intoxicating.  However, the wolves perked up as they caught the scent of aggression and testosterone, and the sound of a group of feet headed directly toward them.  

“Успокойся,” Eliot whispered into the microphone inside his mask ( Stay calm ).  That had all the non-wolves even more alerted to incoming danger.  It took less than thirty seconds for them to understand where the potential threat was coming from.

A group of men marched around the corner and split to either side of the hallway so that the pack had to walk between them.  The pack was almost past them when they heard the crass remark from the man that appeared to be in charge.

“The only reason they brought the women along is so that the men have a warm hole for their cocks.  It’s the only thing that women are good for.”  The other agents all tittered and nodded their heads in agreement.

The pack instantly stopped and the left column turned to face the man that had spoken, while the right column turned to face the agents on the opposite side of the corridor.  If the idiot had insulted the men of the pack, no one probably would’ve paid any attention to it.  But the asshole had insulted the females, the wives, of the pack.  As far as the men in the pack were concerned the females could defend themselves, but they should never have to; that’s how high the men held all four of the females in the pack, but especially the two that were suited up with them right now.

“You got balls enough to come say that to my face?” Eliot growled at the smirking man.

Brock Rumlow took two steps forward so that he was toe to toe with Eliot.  “Women are only good for being a warm hole for a man’s cock,” he repeated.

Stiles hadn’t heard the man the first time, but when Eliot asked him to repeat himself she had heard every word.  It was almost instinctual she didn’t know what she was doing until it was done.

*~*~*

Commander Hill could hear the growl from around the corner.  As she rounded the corner the sight made her skid to a stop.  A woman, not the redhead, had Brock Rumlow pinned against the wall . . . by his neck . . . with her boot.  The growl she had heard hadn’t been a growl so much as a laugh she realized, and it was coming from one of the males at the rear.  The rest of new group was very much ready to fight.  All the men on the Strike Force stood alert and ready, guns weren’t drawn but they were ready to fight for sure.

“Stand down,” Hill yelled as she continued down the corridor.

The men in Strike Force relaxed first, and stood at attention for the Commander in front of them.  The new group relaxed one by one as Hill passed them, until finally she reached the woman with Rumlow pinned.

“Did you speak out of turn Rumlow?” Hill questioned.  A gurgle escaped his throat.  “Do you owe her an apology?” Hill asked.  He blinked shamefully.

“Do you think you could allow him breathe so he can apologize?” Hill turned her question to the new woman.  Stiles removed her boot from the man’s throat, and gracefully put her foot back on the ground.  Hill admired how the woman moved.  Natasha must have been teaching her fighting techniques to this group.

“My apologies for the offense to you and your women,” Rumlow stated matter of factly.

“Thank you for realizing your mistake.” Eliot said.  Stiles rolled her eyes so hard everyone could hear it.

Maria observed the young woman step back in line with the rest of her team.  They then turned as one and continued down the hall toward their meeting with the Director.  She faced back toward the leader of the Strike team and bit out, “I’ll deal with you later,” before following after the new arrivals toward the bridge.

*~*~*

The newly formed Avengers sat around the conference table; with Fury and Coulson also at the table, that left just a few seats in the middle of the long end of the table closest to the door.  Peter Parker was completely overwhelmed just being in the same room with these amazing heroes, let alone on a team with them.  Scott Lang felt very similar, he’d somehow gone from a virtual nobody to being on team with Iron Man, Spider Man, the Hulk, the new Captain America, and a veritable god in Thor.  

Finding out that aliens actually existed was a major shock to the rest of the team, although Tony and Bruce were intelligent enough to figure that it made sense that they were a real thing.  It did make a weird kind of sense that some of the gods of mythology were advanced life forms and civilizations.  

Director Fury had been speaking quietly with Agent Coulson when a senior female agent had burst into the room and spoke with the director about something to do with a jet that had landed on the helicarrier with a swirly logo on it.  Fury mumbled about a show off, but he had a tiny smirk on his face as he said it, so Peter knew that he wasn’t actually upset.  For the next several minutes the room was fairly quiet as the occupants waited for the “specialists” that Fury had requested.  Which the Avengers found disturbing, as they thought that they were the specialists.

However, less than ten minutes later the Avengers discovered just how special the specialists truly were.  Peter heard them before he saw them; or more specifically he heard their heartbeats, because they made nearly no sound as they walked.  There was the slight ruffle of clothes, but that was it.  No sound of their feet on the floor, no sound of them talking or communicating.  But as the group entered the conference room they moved as one.  It was, frankly put, intimidating as hell.

The group consisted of eight men and two women.  They were dressed head to toe in black combat gear, which included black masks on the lower half of their faces.  Peter thought that it may have been their eyes that were the scariest part about them (intense and hyper-aware), despite the fact that they were all armed to the teeth, including the guy at the end that carried a bow and quiver full of arrows.  Three of the men had longer hair, but it was pulled back into what could only be described as battle braids , and the two females had their long hair slicked back into a ponytail with a tight braid down their backs that looked more like another type of weapon than a hairdo.

The newcomers stalked, and there really was no other word for the way they moved, into the conference room.  The two men in the front of the two columns stopped just behind two of the empty chairs, then the person in line behind them halted about two steps to the outside of the person that had been in front of them in line.  It didn’t take long until the group took up the long side of the table and wrapped around the ends, effectively trapping the rest of the occupants in the room.  The group then stood at a revised military parade rest.  The two men that had been in the front of the lines looked toward Fury, but the others remained with their heads forward, assessing the other occupants of the room.

Peter suddenly knew what his namesake felt like when faced with a human.  He felt small and insignificant.  Even with all of his enhancements he felt like a child that was playing at being a grown up.  He was rethinking his involvement with the Avengers and crime fighting.  Because for the first time since his transformation into Spider Man, Peter Parker felt like prey.

*~*~*

As Stiles entered the room just behind Eliot, the first thing she noticed was Thor sitting on the opposite side of the table looking uncomfortable at being in a room with so many humans.  Then she noticed him sit up straight as the rest of the pack situated themselves around the room; specifically when Loki entered and stood next to her.  Thor eyes moved between the two of them several times before they finally widened in recognition.  But to her great relief Thor remained silent.  She was greatly confused as to why he was there, and why her godfather hadn’t warned them, but she figured she’d find out soon enough.

Stiles then took a moment to surreptitiously gauge the other Avengers.  Tony Stark was exactly like she expected him to be; he oozed arrogance and looked them all up and down as if they were a puzzle to solve.  Scott Lang looked like he was trying not to either fanboy or hide under the table, or possibly both.  Dr. Banner, though sitting, seemed shorter than Stiles had been expecting, although he looked extremely anxious and his eyes shimmered another color frequently, as if he was having a difficult time controlling his shift; although with this many werewolves and Super Soldiers surrounding him, it was entirely possible that he was having difficulty.  She had noticed that since the pack settled into a slightly more relaxed stance that he’d lost the green tint to his skin.  Peter Parker appeared white as a sheet as all the blood drained from his young face and he looked like he was trying not to cry or wet himself.

The most interesting, by far, was the newly dubbed Captain America.  The pack had all seen his file, of course, but that was much different than seeing someone in the flesh.  He seemed to be about Clint’s height, but while his shoulders were about the same width, his arms were nowhere near the size of Clint’s massive biceps.  He had dark skin with a close shaved head, a kind face that was used to smiling, a quirky gap between his two front teeth that reminded Stiles a little of Darcy.  Her overall impression was that he seemed to fit the “All-American” boy next door image of Captain America, but he sorely lacked both the super and the soldier part that made the original captain such an effective icon and leader.  She’d have to reserve judgement as to his efficacy, but as far as first impression go, she wasn’t too impressed with her godfather’s choice.  Although she was logical enough that she could admit that she was both biased, and that Steve left some seriously big boots to fill.

“Director Fury,” Eliot greeted with a slight nod of his head.  “Agent Coulson,” he nodded again to Phil who returned the gesture.  “The Pack is present and stands ready to assist in any way we can.”

“Thank you for getting here so quickly,” Nick replied.  “Perhaps we should begin with introductions.” He motioned to closest Avenger to his left to begin.

“Everyone knows who I am,” came the smug response.  “I’m Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man.”  He sat as if he was some untouchable god come down to grace Earth with his presence.  Stiles rolled her eyes then immediately moved them to the man to Tony’s left, effectively dismissing him in her mind.

“My name’s Scott Lang,” the dark haired man rushed out.  “I also go by Ant Man.”  He turned to the young man next to him, trying to get the pack’s attention off of himself as quickly as possible.

“I . . . I’m P-Peter P-Parker,” the boy stammered, obviously scared out of his wits by the pack.  Stiles bet the wolves were near drowning in fear and anxiety chemosignals from Peter alone, not to mention Scott.  “I . . . I’m Spider Man.”  He turned to his left, eyes begging for the older man to take the spotlight from him.  Stiles found it strange that she and Peter were the same age by date of birth, but she was so much older than him in so many ways.  She wasn’t certain if she pitied him or envied him.  She was distracted from her thoughts by the next Avenger.

“My name is Sam Wilson,” he said.  “I’ve been asked to be the new Captain America; though I was formerly known as Falcon.”  Stiles had to admit that she had mixed feeling about Sam.  The fact that he felt he needed to point out that he had his own code name before being handed the shield made her want to roll her eyes at him.  But the fact that he understood that he was wanting when it came to the qualities that made a good Captain she counted in his favor.  So she was still on the fence about him.  She’d have to wait to see him in action.

“I’m Bruce Banner,” the scientist offered.  “And occasionally I turn into the Hulk,” he grudgingly admitted.  He turned toward the final member on their side of the table.  All eyes in the pack bored directly into the head of the blonde.

“I am Thor,” the Æsir bellowed.  “Son of Odin, Crown Prince of Asgard.”  He then looked Loki directly in the eyes.  “Why have you brought an abomination into my presence?”

Stiles opened her mouth to defend her packmate, but Eliot spoke first.  “If you ever refer to any member of The Pack as an abomination again you will die where you stand.”  He said it in such a matter-of-fact way that the god blinked in surprise.  The rest of the Avengers actually flinched and paled slightly.  Which was quite a feat, since Peter and Scott were already pale just from the pack walking into the room.  Eliot turned his head toward the director and raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation for Thor’s presence on Earth and in the room.

“His mother brought him here yesterday and stated that he was to serve the people of Midgard for no less than five years as one of its chief protectors,” Nick informed them.  “The way she explained it made it sound like he had to serve some sort of community service.”  Eliot turned back to Thor.

“Punishment for trying to invade Jötunheim, attempting to commit xenocide, and almost starting an intergalactic war with Earth as the battlefield?” the Alpha queried.  Thor raised his chin in defiance and glared at Eliot.

“Xenocide?”  Bruce near-screeched.

“Jötunheim isn’t just another realm or planet,” Stiles broke in.  “It is home to the Jötnar, which a completely different species than the Æsir, which is the correct name for the inhabitants of Asgard.”  All eyes from the other side of the table swiveled to her.

“And how would you know?” Tony asked, distrust evident in his voice.  Stiles wasn’t sure if it was because she was young, a woman, or just that she knew something that Tony didn’t and he didn’t like it.

“Because I have a doctorate in mythology and folklore,” she answered succinctly.  

He obviously hadn’t been expecting that response and was taken aback. He recovered fairly quickly and snarked, “From where?  A Cracker Jack box?”

“Oxford,” was her one word reply.  She met his eyes and dared him to continue his line of questioning.  He wisely sat back in his chair and remained silent.

“Can we get back to the fact that Thor here tried to commit xenocide?” Bruce urged as his eyes flashed Hulk-green.

“Not to mention the fact that he nearly made Earth the battle ground for an intergalactic war,” Sam chimed in.

“We’ll have to come back to that at another time,” Fury interrupted.  “We need to focus on what’s going on right now.”  The Avengers all seemed to take a deep breath before they nodded their heads.  “Thank you.  Now, Pack, if you’d be so kind as to introduce yourselves.”  He looked to Eliot and then to Derek, who both looked to the end pack member on their right.

“Hawkeye,” Clint declared, eyes facing directly ahead.

“Safeguard,” Steve announced.  His body language the same as Clint, along with the rest of the pack.

“Hunt,” Peter said.  He’d chosen Hunt since it was the Estonian word for wolf.

“Black Widow,” Natasha offered.

“Hailstorm,” Derek claimed.

“Dom,” Eliot added. Dom was short for the Latin word for boss, dominus.

“War,” Stiles asserted. War was short for warrior, which was the English translation of Stiles’ real name.

“Merlin,” Loki revealed; to which Thor glowered.

“Winter Soldier,” Bucky disclosed.

“Hitter,” Quinn ended the introductions of The Pack.

“Thank you, Pack.”  Fury stood as he fiddled with his tablet.  “Now, let’s get to why we’re all here.  A Nogitsune.”

Chapter Text

“What does a wild fox have to do with anything?” Tony interrupted Director Fury.  The other Avengers nodded that they too were interested in the answer.  Nick turned his head to Stiles and indicated that she should go ahead.

 “While the word Nogitsune directly translates to ‘Wild Fox,’ it’s actual meaning is more in line with ‘bad’ or ‘renegade’ Kitsune spirit.  They don’t follow any rules but their own, and are typically regarded as evil.  They will kill mortals readily, intentionally harm the innocent.  Unlike Kitsune, the Nogitsune does not serve the Japanese deity Inari, preferring to cause havoc and turmoil amongst humans and other fox spirits.  In short, they are evil, sentient, shapeshifting foxes,” the masked Super Soldier responded.

Tony opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but Stiles merely raised an eyebrow and stared at him until he backed down, which only took a few seconds.  

“So,” Bruce spoke up to attempt to break the tension in the room.  “There is an evil fox spirit roaming free with Earth’s foremost expert on the Tesseract and several agents under its control.  If this Nogitsune is an Earth creature, how did it come through the Tesseract?”  Dr. Banner looked first to the young woman that had just spoken, then to the man standing next to her.  The answer was for War and Dom to look to the director, but to remain silent.

“The how is a bit complicated,” Fury admitted.  “Suffice it to say that it started on Earth, ended up being relocated to an uninhabited planet in an attempt to protect Earth, it was somehow rescued and given a physical body to use, and was able to come back through a small portal created by the Tesseract.  Any information beyond that is classified.”  That caught both Tony and Sam’s attention.

“Classified?”  Sam queried.  “Are you telling me that the supernatural world is classified?”

“What if it’s the key to stopping this thing?” Tony asked at the same time as Sam.

“ If it becomes important the information will be made available to you, but it is unlikely that it will be relevant,” the director answered Tony’s question first.  “And, Captain Wilson, yes, the supernatural world and anything that The Pack is involved with is so classified that it’s not even written down.  Understood?”

Sam turned his head back toward The Pack.  He met the eyes of several of the members before he dropped his eyes and head at their hard stares.  There was no question that these people had seen and done things that he didn’t ever want to know about.  He’d known special forces men that didn’t have the cold, hard, know-too-much look that these people had.  Just being in a room with them was plenty warning enough about the supernatural world and the scary stuff it held.  If keeping them and their activities classified kept them safe so that they could continue to keep the ‘normal’ world safe, then Sam was willing to go along with it.

“Understood, Director,” Sam capitulated.

The director nodded his head once in acknowledgement.  He then began the briefing in earnest, without any further other interruptions.  The discussion soon turned from what had happened to what the Nogitsune could possibly want with the Tesseract and Dr. Selvig.  

“He said that he’d make the world bow to him,” Stiles stated, already lost in her thoughts.  The pack was used to her staring off into space while talking to herself; it was how she processed and worked through problems.  Just before Tony could make some smart ass comment she continued.  “But that’s not really in line with who and what the Nogitsune is.”

“You said that they follow their own rules,” Bruce pointed out.  “So, then how could he be behaving unlike he should?”  He was frustrated, as everyone in the room was, and his tone toward her indicated that she was too stupid to be in room with the ‘adults’.

“Because when all is said and done, a Nogitsune is still a Kitsune - a fox spirit,” Stiles tried to calmly explain.  These were men of science, she reminded herself; they need hard evidence.  “Fox spirits, much like coyotes in Native American lore, are tricksters at heart.  No matter how nasty a Nogitsune can be, he’s a trickster at heart.  He thrives on chaos, and as any trickster can attest, chaos is best achieved from the shadows.  Nogitsune have never wanted to rule humans.  Kill them, torment them, wreak havoc - absolutely.  But rule them?  That’s never been on their agenda.  It would be the equivalent of humans wanting to rule over cats; annoying, more trouble than it’s worth, and ultimately not worth the time.”

Stiles could see the other people in the room process that.  As she expected, Loki was the first to see where she was trying to lead them.

“Either he’s being controlled like the others,” the Frost Giant concluded.  “Or he’s willingly working for someone else; and it’s that someone else’s plan to rule the humans, not the Nogitsune.”

“Exactly,” Stiles agreed.  “But what good is sending one person, regardless of age or ability, through the portal to try to subjugate all of humanity?  It appears to be an exercise in futility.”

“Unless that was all that could be sent through,” Tony interjected.  Stiles and Loki turned their attention to the billionaire.  “The Tesseract can obviously be used to power a portal of some sort, but what if only he came through because he was all that could fit through the opening in the time they had.”

“He’s here to figure out how to use the Tesseract to open a larger portal,” Bruce picked up Tony’s train of thought.  “That’s why he had to take Dr. Selvig.  He knows more about it than anyone else on Earth.”

“You’re saying that the Nogitsune is going to try to use the Tesseract to open an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?” Derek spoke up for the first time.  When the Avengers looked at him like he’d lost his mind Derek defended himself.  “What?  I’ve read all of Dr. Foster’s work on the subject.  It’s fascinating.”  Most of the Avengers still had no idea what any of them were talking about, but Stark and Banner at least looked somewhat mollified.  

“It would have to be a little different than that,” Loki added.  “A bridge, as you call it, is designed to connect from solid ground to solid ground.  This portal would most likely be opened into space.  But ultimately the concept is the same.”  

“You speak of a Bifröst?” Thor questioned.  “Heimdall is the only person who knows how the Bifröst works.”  He stated it with such conviction and a sharp nod of his head, that he obviously considered the manner settled.  The others that were involved in the conversation either glared at him, raised an eyebrow, or just rolled their eyes.  But none of them were impressed with the prince.

“Didn’t you mother ever teach you not to speak unless spoken to?”  Stiles snarked at the large Æsir.  

“Yes, Thor,” Loki supported her.  “If you have nothing worthwhile to contribute, then please refrain from interrupting those of us who some small measure of actual intelligence.”  Thor sat forward ready to yell at the two pack members, but lucky for all of them Derek spoke first.  

“The Nogitsune would still need a way to stabilize the portal in order to be able to control the size of the opening and the length of time it could stay open.”  

“How would he do that?”  Scott Lang spoke up.  He had a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, so while physics may not be his forte, he could at least keep up with the others so far.

“The best material would be iridium,” Derek told them.  “All of Dr. Foster’s research points to it being the key to stabilizing the bridge.”

“Iridium is pretty rare, though.  Right?”  Stiles queried.  

“One of the rarest minerals on the planet,” Tony stated before Derek could.  “I’ve tried to find some to use in my suit, but it’s too hard to find on the open market.”

“But that could work in our favor,” Stiles informed them.  “If it’s so rare, and none of it is available for public purchase, then all that has been found should all be accounted for somehow.”  She turned to Director Fury.  “Is there some way to track where any and all iridium can be found?”  While she looked at Fury, her question was actually directed to Cobi.  

The CBI sent the very short list to Fury’s tablet so that it would appear that the director was able to find the information.  Nick pulled the information up on the large screen so that everyone could see it.  “There’s only a handful of places that it could be retrieved from.  All but one are in super-secure vaults multiple stories below ground, past layers of security systems and armies of guards, and owned by some of the world’s most powerful corporations.  There is one, however, that might be slightly easier to get to.  And I use the term easier loosely.

“There are several ounces in a vault in a museum in Stuttgart, Germany.  It’s only two floors below ground, and only needs a retinal scan from the curator to access it.”  Fury put information about the museum up on the screen.  But what caught most of their attention was the large banner about the fundraising gala scheduled for that night.

“Well that answers that question,” Eliot said.  He pointed to the banner, “He’s going to hit it tonight when the curator will be there.”

“Not only will the curator be there, but so will hundreds of other innocent people,” Bruce pointed out.

“Which will only add to the appeal for the Nogitsune,” Stiles added.  “It will create maximum fear and chaos, which he’ll love.  If it were me, I’d use that to my advantage.  I’d make a big production about taking the guy’s eye then march out the front doors where all the cameras will be, in order to keep all eyes on me.  I would’ve given the eye to my trusted lieutenant to retrieve and slip out the back.  That way, no matter what happened to me, the iridium would get back to Selvig to get the portal to work.”

The Avengers stared at her like she was some sort of crazy killer.  Stiles just rolled her eyes at them, then turned to the Alpha on her right.

“Director,” Eliot turned to the man in charge.  “May I suggest that the Avengers head to the front of the museum and handle the Nogitsune, and The Pack will head to the rear and handle any agents he has working for him, as well as retrieving the iridium?”  

“Why don’t you take care of the Nogitsune?  He’s supernatural and that’s what you guys handle,” Tony interjected.

“Because we work in the shadows,” Eliot explained.  “Did you miss the part about the cameras that will be in front of the museum?  We can’t do our job if people know that we exist.”

“What is your job, exactly?” Tony narrowed his eyes at Eliot, who met his look with a glare of his own.

“Stark,” Fury tried to warn, but the man wasn’t going to be distracted.

“No, I’m serious.  I mean, yeah, they look intimidating as hell, but how do we know that they can actually fight?  Huh?”  The other Avengers agreed with Tony and they wanted to know as well.

Fury sighed heavily, knowing that there was no way that he could avoid giving some kind of answer.  “Would it make you feel better if I told you that I invited three of them to be Avengers?  I would’ve asked all of them, but that would’ve been unrealistic of me.  They obviously declined my offer, stating that they worked better from the shadows.  However, they have offered the assistance of the entire Pack should the need arise.  And arisen it has.”

“You . . . They . . .” Tony stammered and pointed haphazardly toward Eliot.  “Which ones?”  He demanded, his gaze turned sharp.

“It doesn’t matter,” Fury replied.

“Like hell it doesn’t,” Tony practically yelled.  “I want to know which ones of them almost took my spot.”  The other Avengers nodded their heads looking somewhat angry.

Another deep sigh and Fury ran his hand down his face.  “Stark, you and Banner were always on the short list,” Nick admitted.  “I asked one of them to be Captain America before I asked you Wilson.”  The man looked stunned.  “Paker and Lang, you were asked to join the Avengers to make up for the other two turning down the spots.  There.  You happy now Stark?”  

The man at least had the decency to look a little ashamed.  He had just demanded that the director admit that more than half his team were second, or would it be fourth, choices because three of the people standing in front of him said no.  Tony knew first hand how much it hurt to not be someone’s first choice.  

“Now that that’s settled,” Fury brought the attention back to himself.  “We’re going to go with Dom’s plan.  Avengers will take the front of the museum and capture the Nogitsune, if possible.  The Pack will head to the back and stop the iridium from leaving the premises.  Try not to kill anyone, since there are several of them that are my agents that are there against their will.”

“Understood,” Eliot replied with a sharp nod.

“Then move out,” Nick ordered.  “Let’s end this.”

Without a word, that the Avengers could hear, The Pack all turned on their heels and gracefully made their way out of the conference room and back toward their jet.  Not only did they leave a room full of stunned people behind them, but they left many trembling agents in their wake.

Chapter Text

The flight to Stuttgart didn’t take as long as the pack thought that it would.  What they did find amusing was that they had arrived nearly thirty minutes before the Avengers were estimated to arrive.  The Q2 landed on the flat roof of the building, that was only two stories tall, across the alley from the museum.  The pack made plans on the way so they effortlessly moved into position.   The members all walked to the edge of the roof and prepared to ambush the Nogitsune’s men as they exited the building.  

Cobi verified that the Nogitsune had just under a dozen armed men inside with him.  The pack was in position for approximately five minutes when the wolves heard the thieves close in on the back door.  

“Get ready,” Dom breathed out, but the microphone inside his mask was sensitive enough to pick it up.  The others nodded without taking their eyes off the door.

The men came out the door and turned to their left.  When they were nearly halfway to the end, Hailstorm and Winter Soldier dropped from what appeared to the robbers to be the heavens at the end of the alley, blocking off their escape route that way.  The men turned to try to exit through the other end of the alley, except that Dom and Safeguard landed at the other mouth of the alley after the crew had only taken a few steps.  The armed men thought that they’d be able to get out of this as they had superior numbers.  At least they did until the rest of the pack landed on the ground; Hawkeye, Hitter, and Hunt were on the side of the men closest to the museum, while Black Widow, Merlin, and War had positioned themselves nearest the building where they’d all started.

With the number of adversaries nearly equal the Nogitsune’s crew rightly began to worry.  The people that landed in front of them had just jumped from over twenty feet in the air and landed as gracefully as if they had merely stepped down a stair.  That and the fact that they were masked and laden with at least twice as many weapons as their own team, not to mention the cold and menacing look each of them sported, had the thieves rethinking their chances of survival.

“Hand over the iridium ,” Dom ordered as both pair of pack members at the ends of the alley stalked forward toward their prey.

The man that seemed to be in charge shook his head.  “Our orders were to take it directly back to Dr. Selvig,” was the man’s monotone reply.

“I’m giving you a new order,” Dom stated.  “Hand over the iridium.  Because if we have to take it from you I can’t promise that you’ll make it out of this alive.”

The man tilted his head back and forth a few times as if trying to process this information, but based upon the look on his face he was unable to do so.  The Nogitsune had too tight of control over the man’s mind.  “My orders were to take it directly back to Dr. Selvig,” he responded again in the same monotone answer.

Dom sighed like the man had just placed the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.  Then, before the man could blink, Dom swung his arm out his fist connected with the man’s temple, which immediately rendered him unconscious.  The other men around him looked startled, both at the sudden movement and the fact that their “leader” had been knocked out with one hit.

The armed thieves turned to the foes that had dropped from the sky and took steps toward them to try to fight them.  The man that carried the large container with the iridium tried to step away from the pack, but no matter where he turned he was met with another masked face.  

Each member of the pack to land one punch against the temple of the thieves to knock them out. So, within seconds the only man left standing was the man that held the large container of iridium.  The Pack tightened the circle around him, leaving him with no way out, nowhere to run.  

“Hand over the iridium,” Dom growled.  The man not only looked confused, but the scent of fear that wafted off of him nearly overwhelmed the wolves.   However, the man stood still and made no move to comply with the Alpha.

“My orders were to take the iridium directly back to Dr. Selvig,” the man spoke in the same monotone that his now-unconscious compatriot had before.  

Merlin took a step forward.  “Then we shall accompany you there.”  Several pack members raised an eyebrow at the statement, but no one contradicted him.  It only took a few seconds for them to realize why he’d suggested the change in plans - the pack could follow the man back to his base to rescue Erik Selvig and the other victims of the Nogitsune’s mind control.

Although confused, the man looked relieved that he would be allowed to fulfil his orders.  He turned toward his jet when Dom’s voice stopped him.

“We need you to wait here for a few minutes,” Dom told him.  “Hailstorm, Hawkeye, and Merlin will stay out here with you to protect you until we get back.”  The three pack members nodded their head in acceptance of their new orders.  “First let’s restrain these men,” Dom pointed toward the downed thieved.  “Then, Зима, take War and Hunt up to the roof to keep an eye on things out front.  The rest of us will head inside to clear the building.”  ( Winter )

The pack made quick work of placing zip ties around the wrists of the fallen men.  SHIELD sent a second jet with the Avengers that will collect the men and deliver them to Fury for interrogation.  The pack members then immediately split up and went to their assigned places in and around the museum.  

Just inside the back door was the stairway that led up to the roof.  The three snipers silently jogged up them and exited onto the roof of the museum.  They cautiously made their way toward the front of the building; when they could begin to see the landscaping out front they crouched down so that they were hidden from view of anyone in the front lawn of the museum.  

All three quickly removed the sniper rifle that they carried from where they lay slung against their back.  Winter Soldier took position in the center of the building, with War next to the corner on left, and Hunt by the corner on his right.  Once all their rifles were set up and they were laying relatively comfortably on their stomachs they located the target standing over a kneeling crowd through the rifle’s scope, each shooter indicated that they were ready.

“War, take his left shoulder,” Зима whispered into his mic.  “Hunt, his right shoulder.  I’ll take the hand holding the scepter.”  They quickly sighted into their assigned body part.

“Ready,” War quietly announced.

“Set,” Hunt softly confirmed.

“On my mark,” Зима’s response was barely more than a breath.  They watched the Nogitsune rant and posture for a moment.  Then an old man in the crowd stood up from his kneeling position.  Once they saw the Nogitsune raise the scepter the three knew it was time to act.

“War,” Зима whispered.  Without hesitation she fired her rifle.  He shot hit its mark cleanly, directly in the back of the Nogitsune’s left shoulder.  The Nogitsune stumbled forward a step not expecting the impact.  He looked back over his shoulder to try to find the source of the shot.  Finding nothing he returned to face the man that dared defy him.

“Hunt,” Зима hissed.  He instantly squeezed the trigger of his rifle.  The bullet landed exactly where he aimed, the back of the Nogitsune’s right shoulder.  The Nogitsune jarred forward slightly from the impact of this bullet.  He glanced over his wounded right shoulder to, again, try to locate the shooter.  Once again, finding nothing, he turned back toward the old man.

“Damn,” Зима cursed.  “I lost sight of his hand.  Hunt, back of his right knee.”  As they sighted through their scopes, the three snipers heard the other two quinjets closing in on the museum.  “About damn time they got here,” he grumbled.  He heard the rest of the pack in his earpiece agree with his sentiment.  

He couldn’t allow himself to focus too much on the Avengers as the Nogitsune raised his hand, though not his arm, with the scepter in it and aimed at the old man.  Although, out of the corner of his eye he noticed two flying objects headed toward the Nogitsune.  He watched as the new Captain America landed in front of the old man, blocking the Nogitsune’s access to him.  

The three snipers watched as Captain America, soon joined by Iron Man, tried to talk the Nogitsune into surrendering.  The effort, while applaudable, was in vain.  The Nogitsune pointed the scepter at Captain America.  

“Hunt,” Зима muttered.  He heard the pop of the rifle on his right, the watched as the Nogitsune collapsed as his right knee was shot out from under him.  As he went down he turned just enough that Зима had a clear shot of his hand, which he took.  The Nogitsune dropped the scepter and cradled his hand close to his chest as it bled.

The snipers watched as the Avengers placed the handcuffs that the pack had given them earlier; cuffs that Merlin had spelled and filled with mountain ash to make certain that the Nogitsune wouldn’t be able to escape from them.  Once the Avengers had the Nogitsune and the scepter on board their jet, the snipers turned their attention to the surrounding lawn area to make sure that he had no agents lingering in the area.

“Зима,” Dom’s voice sounded their earpieces.  “Is the area secure?”

“Area secure,” he replied to his Alpha.

“Pull it in,” Dom ordered.  “We’re clear inside.  Let’s head out.”  The two snipers on the outside looked to the team leader, Зима.  He nodded his head to them and they started to pack up their rifles to head down to meet up with the rest of the pack.

“On our way,” Зима responded.  The three snipers quickly made their way down the stairs that led to just inside the back door.  They met up with the four members that had cleared the inside of the museum, then they all exited the building and found the remaining three keeping watch over the man that was still struggling to hold the container of iridium.

Dom sauntered over to the man, “I’m going to send a couple of my men with you to make sure that you make it safely.”  He motioned to the three men that were standing guard over him.  They nodded their head once in acknowledgement of the order.  “The rest of us will follow in our jet as soon as SHIELD has taken responsibility for these men here.”  

Hailstorm, Hawkeye, and Merlin escorted the man to his misappropriate quinjet, with the stolen iridium, to rescue the kidnapped astrophysicist.   

Chapter Text

War stepped off of Q2, her mask back in place.  She, as well as everyone in her jet, had removed their masks on the flight to follow the iridium thief to what turned out to be a warehouse in New York City.  The pack gathered together; the man with the iridium had already gone inside the building.  

“Зима, War, Widow, Hawk, Merlin - I want you to be Team One, head to the roof and make your way down as silently as possible.” ( Winter )  The five pack members nodded in acknowledgement to Dom’s order.  “Hailstorm, Hitter, Hunt - You’re Team Two, come in from the back door, Safeguard and I are Team Three and will come from the front, as soon as we get the all clear signal from the Team One.”   The pack members split up to their assigned locations.  It took a few minutes for Teams One and Two to get to the roof and far side of the building, respectively.  Soon though, everyone was in place and the infiltration of the compound began.    

Team One broke open the roof access door as silently as possible.  The five of them crept down the stairs with Hawkeye (and his sensitive ears) in the lead.  They separated at the bottom of the first flight of stairs.  Widow was the first to encounter any opposition.  To her surprise, the man did not have the blue eyes of those under the mind control of the Nogitsune’s scepter; which meant that the man was there of his own free will.  That it was his choice to work for the man actively trying to subjugate the world.  This man would be shown no mercy, not by the Widow; nor would any person there of their own choice be shown any mercy by any member of The Pack.

The man was dead, with his neck snapped, before his body hit the ground.  There were a total of four non-controlled men on that level - all died instantly and silently.  Team One made their way down to the next level, the one directly above the main floor with the workers bustling around.  Team One found four more non-controlled men with guns on that level.  As with the men on the level above, these four armed men were dealt with silently and efficiently.

A quick survey of the people below showed Team One that all the people left had the blue eyes of those under the Nogitsune’s control, except for one by the front door and one by the back door.

“Upper level clear,” Зима relayed to the two teams waiting outside.  “There are approximately twenty remaining and are blue eyed and on the ground floor.  Dr. Selvig is among them.  There is one non-blue eyed armed guard just inside the front and back door.”

“Copy that,” Dom replied.  “Team Two - status?”

“Ready,” Hailstorm responded.

“On my mark,” Dom directed.  “Three, two, one, go.”  As Teams Two and Three breached the outside doors, Team One made their way down to the first floor to start rounding up, and knocking out, the people working there.

All in all it took less than five minutes for the pack to have everyone unconscious and restrained, including Dr. Selvig, though the pack did set him away from the others so that they could keep a better eye on him.  Hailstorm and War quickly repacked the iridium in its container and handed it to Merlin.  He stored it in a interdimensional pocket so that the pack could take it back to Jane to use.  Just a few minutes after that the wolves perked up at a strange sound.  A sound that they’d only heard one other time - in New Mexico.  The Bifröst had been activated just outside the warehouse.

Merlin was the first out the door.  He’d relayed a message to Heimdall on his flight to please send someone down with something to contain the Tesseract and transport it back to Asgard to be stored in the guarded vault.  What he didn’t expect was for the woman who had raised him as her own, Queen Frigga, to be standing there, a medium sized container made of an unknown-on-Earth metal next to her foot.

“Loki,” she breathed out when she saw him.  He was glad of heart that she recognized him even though he still wore his mask.

“Your Majesty,” he awkwardly replied, bowing to her.  She stepped forward, placed her hand on his cheek as best she could with his mask, and raised his head to meet her eyes.

“You are my son,” she stated softly.  “I swear to you that I had no idea that you did not carry the blood of the Æsir, or I would have told you.  But your blood matters not to me.  You are my son; the son of my heart.  That I love you is more than enough for me.”  Loki stood upright and reached behind his head to remove his mask.

Once he had his mask secured on his belt he looked up at her and smiled gratefully.  “Mother,” he sighed as he embraced her.  They remained entwined for several moments before a throat being cleared reminded Loki that they weren’t alone.

“Loki,” his mother spoke before he could.  “You should know that Odin has fallen into the Odinsleep.  While he sleeps I am ruling Asgard in his stead.  I would hope that you could come visit me now that neither Odin nor Thor are there to trouble you.”

“Is it true that Thor has been ‘sentenced’ to serve Midgard for at least five of their years?”  He’d been curious about why the All-Father had ordered it, but if his mother was in charge that would explain it.  His mother was of the same mind that he was - that Thor was not ready to rule.  They’d discussed as much on his walk to the Bifröst the day he’d left Asgard more than two years ago.

“Yes,” Frigga confirmed.  “He still has much to learn before he could possibly be ready to take the throne.  He must come to understand that there are good qualities about all the people of the Nine Realms.  He still sees only the hatred that his father instilled in him.”

Loki nodded his head in agreement and understanding.  “Yes, Mother, I will come visit you.  Though not today.”  He tilted his head toward the warehouse.  “Today is for other battles, such as finding the Tesseract and having it taken to the vaults on Asgard.  Then we,” he motioned to the pack behind him, “Must uncover the name of the being that would use the Tesseract to try to bring Midgard under their control.”

Frigga nodded, at once all business.  “Yes, of course.”  She stooped and easily picked up the container from the ground by her foot.  “If you’d lead me to the Tesseract I will be about removing it from Midgard and from easy accessibility to any who would use it to cause harm amongst the Nine Realms.”

“Thank you, Mother.”  Loki smiled a small, but genuine, smile to her before placing his mask back on his face.

“I must say,” Frigga mused as she walked next to Merlin on their way to the Tesseract.  “You and your companions seem like formidable warriors, especially in your uniforms.”

Loki chuckled behind his mask.  “That was a large part of why we dress like this - the intimidation factor.  Based on the reactions that we’ve had so far today I’d say that it was effective.”

“Very,” Frigga smirked.  By this time they had reached the Tesseract.  She turned to glance at the people around her dressed similarly to her son.  “Could one of you hold this for me, please?”  She indicated the container she’d carried it.  Safeguard stepped forward.

“I’d be happy to help, ma’am,” he responded, ever the gentleman.  He carefully took the unwieldy container out of her hands, surprised at its solid weight.

“Thank you,” she replied.  

She touched something on the outside of it and one side of it flipped open so that the cube could be placed inside.  She then turned to Merlin and after a brief wordless conversation the two of them raised their hands toward the Tesseract cube.  Their hands began to softly glow, the light left their hands and gently wrapped around the Tesseract.  Once enough of their light had wrapped around the artifact, it began to slowly rise up off the surface on which it had rested.  It floated toward the container that Safeguard now kept a much tighter grip on.  Within moments, the blue cube nestled itself inside the container and the glow from Merlin and Frigga dissipated.  Frigga then reached up and shut the open side of the container.

The pack couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief once the Tesseract was secured inside the container.  It had caused too much trouble and damage on Earth during the time that it had been in the hands of humans.  They would all be greatly relieved when it was safely locked away in a guarded vault on another realm.

Frigga took back possession of the container.  “Thank you,” she offered to the Super Soldier.  He bowed his head in acknowledgement.  She then turned to Merlin.  “When you come to visit me, won’t you please bring your friends?  I’d greatly like to meet them under less dire circumstances.”  

He smiled behind his mask, even though she wouldn’t be able to see it.  His soul was lightened that she wanted to meet his new family, his pack.  “Of course, Mother.”  

Merlin and Safeguard escorted her back outside to where the Bifröst had originally touched down.  They stayed outside of the Bifröst scar while she walked to the center with the secured contained held firmly in her grasp.

“I wish you the best of luck, my son,” she spoke gently to Merlin.  He bowed his head to her in respect.

“Thank you, Mother.” His voice was soft, almost timid; as if he was afraid she was a dream that he would wake up from.  Before he had time to think more about it the Bifröst lit up and when the light died down she was gone.

“She seemed kind,” Safeguard remarked, clasping his hand on Merlin’s shoulder as he guided his packmate back inside the warehouse to the rest of their pack.

“She is,” Merlin replied, voice sounding both wistful and in awe at the same time.  Safeguard smiled at, and for, his friend; and that he was able to re-establish a positive relationship with his mother.  

The two joined up with the pack, most of whom were standing around Dr. Selvig who was just regaining consciousness.  Hailstorm was crouched down in front of the doctor, Merlin quickly joined him; wanting to present him with two of the pack members that he was most familiar with.

“Erik,” Hailstorm gently prodded.  When the man met his eyes, they were confused, but clear of the glowing blue that indicated mind control.  The pack sighed in relief almost as one.  “It’s Derek and Loki,” the Alpha informed him.  “Do you remember us?”

The astrophysicist shakily nodded his head.  “I don’t recall either of you ever looking quite so serious or dangerous before though.”  

“What’s the last thing you remember before waking up just now?” Merlin queried.  He knew that the rest of the pack, like himself, hoped that he remembered nothing.  Watching the look of confusion morph into horror and then despair, their hopes were dashed.

“Please tell me that the Tesseract is safe,” the doctor pleaded to the two men crouched in front of him.  His eyes were desperate and he grabbed an arm of each of them.

“It is,” Merlin reassured him.  “And it is now out of reach of anyone trying to use it for nefarious means.”  Dr. Selvig deflated in relief.

“Oh, thank God,” he breathed out.  “I don’t know how I would’ve been able to live with myself if I had been able to succeed in creating the portal.”  His eyes shot to Merlin’s, panic clearly evident in them.  “He has an army he wanted to bring through the portal.  I saw it, it’s larger than anything Earth would ever be able to defend against.”

Hailstorm placed his hand on the older man’s shoulder.  “Don’t worry, Erik.  We have him in custody, as well as his scepter, and the Tesseract is now safely locked up on another realm.  There will be no invasion happening anytime soon.”  Again, the man deflated in relief.  

Just then the distinctive sounds of two quinjets landing could be heard outside.  Within a few moments the warehouse was nearly swarming with SHIELD agents, led by Agent Coulson.  Hailstorm and Merlin helped Erik stand, then Hailstorm used a claw to slice through the zip-tie that had bound the man’s hands in front of him.

“Let’s get you out to our jet,” Hailstorm said as he guided the man toward the exit.  “There are two very worried women who would love to have a video chat with you on our way to the helicarrier.”  Hailstorm nodded to Coulson as he and Merlin escorted Erik past the agent toward the jet.

Dom, Black Widow, and Hawkeye made their way over to the senior agent.

“Report?” Coulson asked succinctly, easily slipping into the role of handle for the two former agents.

“Eight casualties in the catwalks,” Widow replied just as efficiently.  Coulson raised an eyebrow, remembering Fury’s request to kill as few as possible.  If it had been any other them, the eight deaths would’ve probably been unavoidable, but not so with The Pack.  Which made him wonder why they’d made the choice to kill them.

“They weren’t being controlled,” Hawkeye added.  “They all had clear eyes, meaning that they were here of their own choosing.  They were okay with an alien army invading and either enslaving or killing humanity.  People like that don’t get to live in our book.”

Coulson, though he tried not to show it, was surprised that there were people that had willingly joined with the Nogitsune and his plan to conquer the Earth.  But one thing caught him up short.

“Army?”

“Dr. Selvig had a perfect recollection of his time under the scepter’s control.  He reported that he was to create a portal that would open to allow an alien army through to take Earth,” Dom reported.  Coulson actually blanched at that.

“It would seem that, once again, Earth owes your pack a great debt,” the agent said once he’d regained his voice.  “That’s the second time you’ve saved us all from an extraterrestrial threat before it became an actual threat.  At least, the second time that I know of.”  He quirked an eyebrow first to the Alpha and then to his former agents.  “Have there been any other close calls that I don’t know about?”  The three of them grinned, even though Coulson couldn’t see it.

“Nope,” Hawkeye popped the ‘p’ on the end of the word.  “Just the two.  So far.”  Widow and Dom rolled their eyes at the archer.  “I have a question for you though.”  He waited until Coulson motioned for him to ask his question.  “How did you know to be here with two jets?”

“Cobi alerted Fury to where you were detouring and why,” the older man explained.  “He asked me to lead the mission and touch base with your pack before you all headed back to the helicarrier to deal with the Nogitsune.”  He paused and raised a challenging eyebrow to the Alpha.  “You are going to deal with the Nogitsune, aren’t you?”

Dom actually rolled his eyes.  “Of course we are.  We were just waiting on you all to get here so that these people weren’t left unsupervised.  Now that they are officially in your custody we’ll head out.  And, by the way, we’re taking Selvig with us.”

“Of course,” Coulson responded.  “I had figured as much.  Thank you.  We’ll handle things here now.”  He shook the Alpha’s hand and the agent walked away toward his men to organize the transports.

“Load up,” Dom ordered his pack.  “Let’s head back to the helicarrier so that we can end this and get home.”

“Copy,” came the reply from several pack members.  Others simply nodded once in acknowledgement from where they were positioned throughout the warehouse.

Within minutes the pack, along with a now-freed Selvig, were in the air and enroute back to the helicarrier.

*~*~*

The flight back was long enough for the pack to introduce Bucky to Dr. Erik Selvig.  They somehow managed to bond and commiserate over being victims of varying kinds of mind control.  Stiles thought that it was both adorable and more than a little twisted.  But then again, that pretty much described every member of the Spencer-Hale Pack.  In fact, she thought to herself, that should be their motto.

They disembarked back on the helicarrier Erik was taken to medical to be checked out, and Fury led the pack directly to the huge room where the Nogitsune was being held in a large cylindrical container.  They were informed that the Avengers were in Dr. Banner’s lab either looking over the scepter or watching the Nogitsune via the camera feeds.

The pack, along with Fury, all turned to look at War.  She noticed them all staring at her and got nervous.

“What?”  She asked as she glanced around the gathered group.”

“You’re the one with the doctorate in mythology,” the director pointed out.  “How do we kill this son of a bitch?”  

War looked toward the Nogitsune that was pacing the large see-through cell, handcuffs still attached, glaring at the girl that the others thought knew information that could be his demise.  As she watched him glower at her, she re-read all of the information that she’d ever read in her mind’s eye.  It only took a few moments before she turned to Dom.

“He can’t be a wolf and a fox at the same time,” she informed him.  Dom’s eyes widened in understanding.  “That should separate them, then Merlin can deal with the actual Nogitsune.”  She turned to Merlin who nodded once in acquiescence.

“As I stated previously,” Merlin spoke, “This will drain my energy reserves to the point that it will render me unconscious for approximately three days.”

“Understood,” Dom replied.  “Safeguard and Winter Soldier,” he turned to the two men.  “You’ll be in charge of transporting Merlin while he’s unconscious.”  They both nodded.  Dom turned back to Merlin, who thanked him with a short bow of his head.  “Let’s finish this then.”

The two walked toward the cell.  Fury pressed a button on the wall and a small door opened up, allowing Dom and Merlin to enter.  The door was closed behind them.  

“Cobi,” Dom heard War say in his earpiece.  “Please scramble the video feeds.”

“Video feeds from this room have been scrambled,” Cobi responded.  Dom heard War thank her as he took off his mask.  He tuned out everything that was happening outside the cell, trusting the pack to handle anything that might occur.

Dom tucked his mask on his belt as he and Merlin approached the Nogitsune.  Merlin studied the handcuffed man as they got closer.

“Your host is Vanir,” Merlin stated, surprised.  “How did you get freed from the jar in which you had been imprisoned?”

The Nogitsune let out a mirthless chuckle.  “Not long after you left me on that empty rock I was rescued by an agent of my master.  After I was brought before him, my master knew that I was more than I appeared.  At first, his second, The Other, tried to torture me into compliance.  But physical torture like that did nothing to sway me.  After a few years they grew tired of it and tried a different approach.  Instead of torturing me, they allowed me to possess others to torture them from inside their own minds.  

“My master won my obedience when he promised that I would be able to take any host I wanted, then return to my home world to wreak chaos amongst all the people.  All I had to do in exchange, was deliver it for him to rule over once I was done playing with it.  So, together, we came up with a plan to infiltrate the world and allow him and his army access.  That plan involved the Tesseract.”

“Before you die,” Dom took a menacing step forward.  “You should know that you failed.”  The Nogitsune instantly met Dom’s eyes.  “We have you and your scepter.  We also have the Tesseract and a clear-minded Selvig.”  Dom stepped up until he was toe to toe with the slightly taller Vanir.  “You.  Failed.”

Before the Nogitsune had time to react Dom lashed out, grabbed one of his hands, and bit into the heel of his palm.  The Nogitsune screamed and as the Vanir body collapsed on the ground a fly darted out of his.  Dom stooped to check on the fallen man.  The man looked up and met the red eyes of the Alpha.

“Please kill me,” the Vanir man begged.  “Please.”  He sounded so pitiful, desperate, and broken that the Alpha took a deep breath, sighed, dropped his chin to his chest, and subtly nodded his head.  Dom reached forward and twisted the man’s neck until it snapped.  He then gently laid the man down on the ground and gently closed his eyes.   

Meanwhile, Merlin reached his hands up in the air and captured the fly as it tried to escape.  The seiðr wielder energetically delved inside the fly-shaped Nogitsune.  He searched deeper and deeper inside the energy until he found nearly the smallest component, and tore the Nogitsune apart atom from atom until there was literally nothing left.  

Merlin’s eyes rolled up in his head and then he collapsed into Dom’s arms.  Safeguard and Winter Soldier hurried into the cell and gently lifted the unconscious Jötunn into their strong arms.  They carried his limp body out of the cell and met up with the rest of the pack, as Dom replaced his mask.

“Thank you,” Fury sounded sincere in his gratitude.  “You all should head out.  We’ll take care of everything here.”

“What about Erik?” Hailstorm questioned.  “What’s going to happen to him?”

“We’ll debrief him and then make sure that he gets all the therapy and counseling that he needs to help him come to terms with what happened and help him move on.”

Hailstorm thought about it for a moment then nodded.  “As long as it’s his choice,” he gave Fury a sharp look.  The director bowed his head once in acquiescence.  

“We’ll take care of him.  You have my word,” Fury swore to the Alpha wolf.  

Dom motioned and the pack headed toward Q2 so that they could get home and let their pack member heal in the safety of their pack land and house.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since the pack had helped the Avengers deal with the Nogitsune.  Or more accurately put, the Avengers assisted the pack in dealing with the Nogitsune and stopping an alien army from invading Earth.  Again.  Stiles joked with her godfather that she was going to start keeping track of how often the pack saved Earth; just in case she ever needed to call in a ginormous favor one day.  Well, she was halfway joking; and he knew it too.

It was a beautiful Tuesday at the end of April.  Everyone was where they were expected to be on a late Tuesday morning.  That was, of course, when Cobi interrupted Stiles while she was tinkering in her workshop to let her know that there was an unknown car coming up the drive of the Hale property toward the shooting range.  Stiles ordered Cobi to alert all the others about it, and that she was on her way with her grandfathers.

She met Steve and Bucky in the elevator as they came down from the top floor.  Bucky already had the Jeep keys in his hand.  Once they exited on the ground floor the three Super Soldiers ran for the vehicle.  Stiles jumped over the side into the back.  Even though it was her Jeep, she always offered to sit in the back since she had the shortest legs.  Besides, her Дед was the best trained driver out of the three of them ( grandfather ), and it helped him feel in control.

“I’m nine minutes out,” came Eliot’s voice through her earpiece.  “What’s everyone’s ETA?”

“Twelve minutes,” Nat responded.

“Ten minutes,” Bucky replied for the Jeep.

“The rest of us are two minutes out,” Derek informed his co-Alpha.  “We should be able to handle it until the rest of you get there.  Cobi said that there were only three people in the car.”

“Copy that,” Eliot acknowledged.  “Everyone be safe.”

No one bothered to reply to that comment, they just focussed on arriving as quickly as possible.  Stiles spoke with Cobi the entire ten minutes trying to get as much information as possible.  The only thing that they were able to get is that it was a rental car that had been rented under a false name.  Facial recognition didn’t match to anyone in any database to which Cobi had access.  Which meant that the pack really was going in blind.

Stiles watched as the shooting range came into view.  She couldn’t help remembering what the old burnt Hale house looked like before it was torn down.  She knew that as much as Derek and Peter missed their old home, they were grateful that the tragic reminder had been removed.  As the Jeep came to a skidding halt next to Eliot’s truck Stiles noted that the three new comers were standing closest to the building, while the pack had them surrounded.  

She took just split second to appraise the three people, two men and one woman.  They were all somewhere in their early to mid twenties, she’d guess.  They had varying shades of brown hair.  Stiles couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something familiar about the woman.  

The three Super Soldier climbed out of the Jeep and came to stand next to Eliot, who stood just in front of his truck.  There appeared to be some sort of standoff, as nobody spoke.  Stiles tapped her ear by her earpiece which indicated to Cobi that Stiles wanted to know what happened just before she’d arrived - what the standoff was about.

Cobi informed her, “The young woman is apparently Derek’s younger sister Cora Hale .  The man with longer hair is her husband, Remy LeBeau , and the other man is his younger brother Billy .  Mrs. LeBeau stated that they’d heard a rumor that there was a Hale Alpha back in Beacon Hills and they came to find out if that was true.”

Stiles’ heart skipped a beat as she watched the young woman run toward Derek and he lifted her off the ground in a heart-wrenching hug, tears of joy streaming down both their faces.  She unconsciously took a step away from the scene when Peter joined in the embrace.  When she noticed Eliot glance down at her from her right, she took a deep breath in, in a desperate attempt to keep her feelings and chemosignals inside.

“Well,” she spoke quietly, proud that her voice barely shook with the overpowering emotions coursing through her.  “If there’s not going to be any bloodshed then I need to get back to my workshop.”  She turned her back on the scene of her brother embracing his rediscovered younger sister.  After two steps she glanced back over her shoulder toward Steve and Bucky.  “You two coming, or do I need to drive myself?”

Steve looked at her with worry in his eyes, but luckily said nothing.  Bucky evaluated her for a moment before he just nodded his head toward the jeep. “I’ll drive, go get in.”

Stiles quickly climbed in the backseat, but before she could pull the passenger seat back into position Eliot leaned into the Jeep.

“Why are you leaving?”  She was grateful that he didn’t sound upset or even disappointed, only curious.

She took a shallow breath through her nose, the tendons in her neck straining against her skin.  “Can you please just trust me that I need to be in my workshop right now?  Please?”  She begged.  

He studied her for a moment.  “Alright.  Just remember that I love you.”  He leaned a little further in and placed a soft kiss on her lips, too quick for her to respond.  He then stepped back from the Jeep and kept his eyes on his mate as Steve pushed the passenger seat back into place and then climbed in and shut the door behind him.

Stiles held herself tightly as her Дед drove as rapidly as the law allowed.  Every time her Papa would try begin to ask her as question the only response he’d get was, “Don’t.”

Once they reached the workshop she climbed out of the backseat of the Jeep as quickly as she could and made a bee-line for the elevator.  However, Steve and Bucky were right on her heels, concern emanating off of them in waves.  Before she had a chance to press the button for the floor where she’d been working earlier, Steve wrapped his large hand around hers and gently pulled her a step away from the buttons, where Bucky pressed the option for the top floor before closing the gate.  He then moved to stand next to her and tucked her left hand in his right.

Stiles tried to steel herself against the emotional onslaught at their kind gesture, knowing that they were going to attempt to make her talk about what was wrong.  She kept repeating over and over to herself that she just had to get through this conversation and then she could go cry in private; that she had to remain strong for them.

After what felt to her like hours, the lift came to a stop.  Both men reached forward with the free hand and opened the wooden grate to let them out.  They both silently tugged her along to the loft that Steve used as his art studio.  He had his easel set up in front of the wall of windows, but further toward the middle of the building was a small living room type set up, kitchenette, and dining area where they’d come to eat and/or relax.  The two larger Super Soldier led the smaller one toward one of the couches and sat down next to her.  Without saying anything, her Дед simply let go of her hand and wrapped both his arms around her, pulling her to his chest.

Stiles held herself rigid for several seconds before the feelings of safety and love overcame her and she gave into her emotions that she had held so tightly to since the clearing.  She broke down and sobbed into his chest; without letting go of her he managed to maneuver her into his lap, and her Papa continued to hold on to her right hand while he scooted closer to the pair.

“He’s not going to need me anymore,” she sobbed into Bucky’s chest.  “I always knew that I was just a placeholder for his real sisters, but I didn’t think this day would ever come.”  Bucky and Steve locked eyes above her shaking form.

“Did he ever tell you that you weren’t his real sister?” Steve asked as gently as he could.  If Derek had ever even hinted at that, he’d kill the young Alpha.  Steve would be surprised if Derek said it, but he’d still kill the kid.  

Stiles shook her head as best she could in her position.  “No, but I’ve always known.  Just like I’m a replacement for my mom for you two.  I’m used to it.  But the people I’ve been the stand in for were always dead.  I just never thought one of them would come back and I’d lose my spot.”  

“What?” Bucky pushed her away slightly so that he could meet her eyes.  “You are NOT replacing anyone for Steve and I.  You are you and we love you for you.  You are ours and that is all there is to it.”  He was so earnest that Stiles started sobbing again and ducked her head back down to his chest.  She’d never been loved just for her by anyone except her mom, and maybe Eliot.  She wasn’t certain how to handle it.

Steve scooted closer until he was close enough to pick her up so that he could place her on his lap.  He scooted a little closer to Bucky so as not to dislodge Stiles from where she had her head still buried in his chest.

“Bucky’s right,” her Papa whispered lovingly.  “You are our granddaughter.  Period.  End of story.  The place in our hearts that you occupy is yours, and yours alone.  You’re not a replacement for anyone, and no one could ever be a replacement for you.”  

She pulled back to meet her Papa’s eyes.  “Really?”  Her voice, actually everything about her, was broken.  It dawned on both Steve and Bucky right then that Stiles had never truly dealt with the fact that her mother died when she was so young and she had been left alone for so long.  Her father hadn’t wanted her; her godfather, while supportive of her and there for her in his own ways, wasn’t physically present in her life; she’d been alone with no one to tell her that she was worthy and loved.

The two men glanced at each other then down at her.  “Really,” they answered in unison.  

“You are so loved,” Bucky tried to reassure her.  “Everyone in the pack loves you for you.  Everyone.  Including Derek.”  He reached out and smoothed her fly-away hairs back toward her ponytail.  “You have your very own place in all our hearts.  You are no one’s stand in or replacement.”  

She looked at him from her place in Steve’s lap, uncertainty shining in her eyes.  “Are you sure?”  Bucky couldn’t get over how young she sounded.

“Absolutely certain,” he promised.  “If Steve and I had to choose our perfect daughter, it would be you.  I don’t call you моя девушка for nothing ( my girl ).”

Stiles sat up, stunned.  “You both would really choose me as your daughter?”  

“Without hesitation,” Steve swore to her.  “In fact, sometimes when I hear you call me Papa, I pretend that you mean it as dad instead of grandpa.”  He blushed as he admitted one of his most hidden secrets, not only to her, but to Bucky as well.

“I do the same thing,” Bucky confessed.  “The pronunciation of Дед is so close to dad that I sometimes pretend that you said dad instead of Дед.”  He too blushed slightly, though not as bad as Steve had.

Stiles was speechless.  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  She had walked into the building thinking that no one would want her anymore, and now here she was with her two grandfathers admitting that they’d rather be her dads than her granddads.  What did she say to that?  Is that something that she wanted?  Oh, who was she kidding?  She’d been longing for a real dad since before her mom died.  

“I’d really like that.”  She looked between them to make sure they understood what she meant.  If the way their eyes lit up were anything to go by, they did.  Steve tried to hug her closer than she already was, but that wasn’t really possible.  

“You already changed your last name to ours when you disowned your biological father,” Steve reminded her.  “Would you consent to legally become our daughter?”  Stiles broke out in a huge, relieved smile.

“I would love nothing more,” she preened.  She wrapped Steve, her Papa, in a gigantic hug.  Her Дед Dad joined in the hug and wrapped them both in his strong arms.  They stayed that way for several moments just luxuriating in the sense of family emanating from the three of them.  

After a few moments, Dad pulled back a little, his hand caressing her head that was still resting on Papa’s shoulder.  “Do you think you’re ready to go back now?”  He kept his hand moving softly against her head as he waited for her answer.   It took several minutes before she could respond to his question.  

She sat back the tiniest bit from Papa.  “Are you for sure, certain, positive that the others will still want me now that Derek’s sister is here?”

Steve stared at her in disbelief for a moment.  “Derek’s sister was already here - you.  You are just as much his sister as she is.”

Stiles studied her Papa, and then her Dad, wanting to verify that they were serious; they both nodded their heads that they were.  She continued to look back and forth.  They seemed so genuine that it took her a moment to realize that they were right. 

Both she and Cora were half-sister to Derek.  Cora may have known him first, but Stiles knew who he had become now.  She knew how he and Jane met, Cora didn’t.  She knew that he had worked hard to take care of Peter while he was in a coma; Cora neither knew, nor did she help Peter.  She knew how hard he worked to be an Alpha worthy of the Hale name, Cora didn’t.

Stiles realized that Cora couldn’t take her place, because Cora hadn’t been here.  Stiles didn’t know where she’d been all this time, but she hadn’t been at Derek’s side - Stiles had.  And there was nothing that Cora could do that would change that.

Stiles took a deep breath before she spoke with a new conviction.  “You’re right.  I am just as much his sister as she is, and just because she knew him first doesn’t mean that she knows him better.  I’m the sister that’s been here to help him come to terms with everything, including having to become the Hale Alpha.”

Both men smiled at their daughter.  “I’m glad that you realize that,” Bucky offered his support.  “Can we go home now and tell everyone that you’ve agreed to legally become our daughter?”  He gently nudged her with a cheeky grin on his handsome face.  She couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at his enthusiasm about their new familial situation.  It lightened her heart greatly.  

“Let’s,” she replied.  She gave her Papa one last big hug before she threw herself at her Dad for another hug.  The three of them then stood and headed back down to the Jeep to head home.

The drive back to the house was both quicker than the previous drive and filled with more anxiety for her.  While she knew in her mind that everything would be fine with Derek, her insecurities had reared their ugly heads and she was having a difficult time calming them.  She knew that only time would be able to do that.

Bucky pulled the Jeep into the garage and the three Super Soldiers made their way into the house.  Eliot was mere feet away from the door inside the kitchen when she came in.  He opened his arms to her and she stepped forward and allowed herself to be enfolded in his strong arms.

“I love you, little one,” he whispered in her ear.  She responded me hugging him tighter, emotions clogging her throat.  He held her until she had composed herself enough to pull away, her emotions back under some semblance of control.

“I love you too, E,” Stiles was finally able to answer him.  He entwined his fingers with hers and led her toward the family room where the rest of the pack was seated, with her Dad and Papa right behind them.

Before she had even walked past the end of the kitchen counter, her big brother was sweeping her up into his arms.  He swung her around in a circle a few times, he was so excited.

“There you are,” he said.  “You disappeared and I didn’t get a chance to introduce you.”  He set her back on the ground, placed his hands on her shoulders, and basically marched her forward to the family room.  Everyone gathered there watched as the two approached.  The young woman that Stiles knew to be Cora looked very confused at her brother’s behavior.  Stiles didn’t blame her; as much as he’d come out of his shell the last few years, he was still acting out of character for him.

“Cora,” Derek began.  “I want you to meet Stiles, my little sister. Stiles, I want you to meet Cora, my other little sister.”  The fact that Cora got the title “other” sister made all of Stiles’ worry disappear.  She knew that she shouldn’t want to gloat about it, but it soothed her soul in ways that she couldn’t even put into words.  Luckily, Cora seemed to be more focused on the part that Derek had another younger sister, instead of the fact that she’d been relegated to the additional sister.

“How?”  Cora asked more than slightly confused.

“We have the same biological father,” Stiles answered for her brother.  “So Derek’s half-brother to us both, just on different sides.”  That seemed to make sense to the slightly older female.  For a moment anyway, until she furrowed her brow again.

“So, you and I aren’t related?” Cora confirmed.  Stiles was surprised, but positive, that Cora sounded sad about that fact.  Suddenly it dawned on Stiles that this young woman had lost everything too.  If Laura breaking the pack bond with Peter was any indication, she’d probably done the same with Cora.  So the girl had had no idea that any members of her family, her pack, had survived.  Stiles felt for the woman, could even somewhat empathize with her.

“Not biologically,” Stiles answered almost hesitantly.  “But that doesn’t mean that I can’t still claim you as my big sister,” she offered.  “Peter and Nat let me claim them as my aunt and uncle.”  Cora’s face broke into a huge grin and she jumped off the couch so fast that Stiles actually startled at the movement.

Cora pulled her close in a tight hug.  “I would love that,” she beamed.  “Little sister.”  Stiles sighed internally in relief and enthusiastically hugged Cora back.

Stiles knew right then that everything would be okay.  Instead of losing her brother, she gained a sister.  And two fathers.  It had been a good day after all.

*~*~*

It was a long day of catching up, laughing, and food.  Stiles was always amazed how much wolves could eat.  Dinner had lasted several hours.  Derek and Cora had talked about a few things that been broken between them and seemed to be doing well.  

Now Stiles stood in her closet trying to get enough energy to change her clothes.  

“Little one,” Eliot called to her.

“Yes,” she replied exhaustively.  Eliot entered the closet and stared at his wife.  “What?” she asked seeing the way he was eyeing her.  

“I'm just enjoying the view.”  He took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around her.  She buried her head into his neck.  Eliot breathed in her scent, her anxiety was still palpable to him.

When Stiles tried to pull away, he pulled her into him tighter.  It took another few seconds for her relax into him.  He placed gentle kisses on her neck saying positive things between each kiss, such as: “I love you,” “You amaze me everyday,” “You are beautiful.” When she tried to pull away the second time Eliot allowed it.  She smiled at him and ever so slight batted her eyes at him.  

She headed into the bathroom glanced over her shoulder to him and then removed her shirt.  He quickly removed his and chased after her.  He was naked when he reached the bathroom and she was leaning over the tub.

“May I join you?” he asked hoping his excitement wasn’t obvious.  He knew she what she had been through after talking with Steve and Bucky, but he also knew he needed to show her his love.

“Absolutely,” she replied removing her pants and underwear simultaneously.  Stiles climbed into the tub after she was naked.  The water was hot, almost to the point of scalding.  She closed her eyes and had only a moment before Eliot joined her.  He sat opposite her and stretched his legs around to each side of her hips.  Almost immediately he picked up her foot and began to massage it.  She rested her other foot on his thigh and relaxed further into the water while Eliot made small circles around the arch of her foot.  She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the water and the feel of his hands.  After working on her feet he moved up her leg, from her ankle up her calf.  When Eliot reached her knee, he tickled her.  Stiles flinched and giggled at the erotic feeling that rushed through her.  She rolled in the water so now her body was pressed against him. Eliot sighed contentedly and wrapped his arms around her.

“I love you little one,” he breathed, “I am so happy that I am yours.”

“El, are you really happy?” Stiles said with all the anxiety coming back.

“Perfectly and incandescently.” Eliot felt all of the worry of the day fade away, and a smile crept onto Stiles’ face.

“I love that movie,” she swooned.

“I know,” he responded. “But it’s still true,” he kissed her on top of her head.

“Eliot,” Stiles sat up and looked into his eyes, and kissed his lips tenderly, “make love to me.”

Without hesitation, Eliot swept her into his arms and out of the tub.  In moments he was laying Stiles onto their bed.  He lay next to her and kissed her lips.  Stiles kissed his back, the passion was growing between them.  She twisted her hands into his hair.  Eliot traced the tips of fingers down her back and when he reached the small of her back Stiles arched her hips into him, as she did her top leg wrapped around him.  Eliot took her leg in his hand and used her momentum to roll onto her.  He continued to kiss her deeply as he entered her. She gasped and moaned and did everything she could to pull him closer.  She wrapped her legs around his legs and her arms around shoulders.  Her desire and need was so evident to Eliot, and he took extra care to allow his need and desire for her to exude from him.  She needed to feel it, sense it, taste it.  Feeling another’s emotions was instinctual for him, but Stiles was still learning how to do this.  He would make it easy for her, she wouldn’t have to guess what he felt for her.   Eliot loved the woman in his arms, he couldn't ever be without her.  

Their bodies pressed so tightly together that every movement as if they were one.  Their feet arched and flexed together, their hips rose and fell together.  Their breathing quickened and slowed together.  Their hearts beat together.  They rolled as one allowing each to maintain and lose control.  He wasn’t sure if it was her climax that was building or his own.  When suddenly they gasped together, he knew it was both.  Their hearts quickened, breathing quickened, motions quickened.  Stiles gripped onto Eliot as hard as she could and a growl erupted between them, as they both came together.  

They stayed intertwined and laid in the afterglow.  Their breathing began to normalize, at least they weren’t panting anymore.  When Stiles was able to speak she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Are you happy little one?”

“Perfectly and incandescently.”

Chapter Text

Cora had only been with the pack a few days and already Stiles had decided that she absolutely loved having a big sister.  The two of them had taken to teasing Derek mercilessly.  He tried to act like he hated it, but he failed miserably; he’d always end up grinning and looking like he’d just won the lottery.  

Stiles even really liked Cora’s husband and his brother - not just because they had super cool mutant powers, but she liked them for them.  Remy was snarky and sarcastic, while Billy was basically a younger version of Clint and Quinn.  In fact, the two wolves had taken the younger man under their wings and were teaching him to help them play pranks on the pack.  This was, of course, met with mixed reactions from the pack.

Cora and Remy were living in the fifth, and last, cottage .  The pack had had two more detached garages built that were tucked back into the trees next to Peter and Nat’s cottage, with a depth for two cars in each bay, to fit all the pack’s vehicles.  Since they were twice as deep the apartments above them were two bedrooms instead of one.  Cora and Remy had been offered one of them, but they’d chosen the last cottage instead.  Billy was staying in the apartment above the garage, not wanting to share a cottage with his brother and sister-in-law.  Not that anyone blamed him.

On the fourth day that the LeBeaus had been with them, the pack stood in the backyard and watched as Cora submitted to her older brother, her new Alpha.  The fact that her husband also submitted wasn’t a huge shock, but the big surprise came when Billy submitted as well.  Stiles cornered him later during the celebratory bar-b-que.

“Not that I’m not happy for you to be a part of the pack,” Stiles hedged.  “But why would you join?  I can understand that Remy would to be with his wife, but you had a life back in New Orleans.  Especially with your older brother here, wouldn’t responsibility from your father then fall to you?”

Billy took a moment to collect his thoughts.  He could tell that the girl was truly just curious, not upset or anything like that.  “It’s a bit complicated.  Remy met Cora when he’d been sent to Brazil by our father for a job.  They met and instantly hit it off.  She informed him that he was her mate, and that was that.  They got married while they were still there.  The fact that Remy had been engaged at the time to the daughter of the head of the Assassins’ Guild meant little to either of them.  Between you and me, Remy was willing to do his duty for our father, but he never liked the girl.

“When he brought Cora back with him and presented her as his wife, it caused a huge uproar within the guild.  Our father was furious.  But me?  Cora’s pretty close to my age and we hit it off instantly.  She quickly became my best friend, outside of my brother that is.”  He paused for a few seconds as he thought about how to say what he wanted to tell her.

“Remy and I are both adopted.  Did you know that?”  Stiles shook her head that she didn’t.  “He was taken off the street by our father when he was about five.  A few months later our father decided that Remy should have a little brother so that he’d always have a friend.  I became a LeBeau the day after I was born.  Neither of us know anything about our birth parents.  But the fact that Remy was basically stolen from the streets had led us both to think that maybe I was stolen too.  That’s not something that has endeared our father to either of us.”

Stiles stared at him in shock for a moment before she could string together words to respond to him.  “So, if I understand you correctly, you and Remy have willingly submitted to our Alpha and become pack because it’s 1) something that you got to choose for yourself, and 2) it also meant that you could tell your father that you have to stay here and are not returning to New Orleans for anything other than a short visit, or to pick up all of your things.  Does that about sum it up?”  She felt for him, she really did; her biological father had been a jerk too.  

Billy nodded his head.  “Pretty much.  He and I were willing to join as long as the pack wasn’t horrible or abusive or anything.  But what we’ve found is so much better than anything we could’ve ever imagined.  The fact is that Cora is the amazing icing on this fantastic cake.  Remy and I are really happy to be here and to be a part of this.”

Stiles couldn’t take it anymore.  She rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight hug.  “We’re so glad that you’re here.  All three of you, not just Cora.”  He hugged her back tentatively at first, and then he returned it fiercely.  They stood together for several moments before Cora literally hug-tackled them to the ground.  The rest of the pack laughed at the three of them on the ground in a hug-pile, but they didn’t care.  They were happy, and safe, and together.

*~*~*

The storm clouds gathered in the darkening sky; in early May thunderstorm making its way in off the ocean.  The pack was sprawled in the family room watching the clouds roll in, while Eliot and Peter were in the kitchen preparing their usual Saturday brunch.  Thunder crashed so loudly that the windows rattled.  

As the pack continued to watch, long jagged lightning lit the sky.  Stiles was able to count to two before they heard the voluminous thunder.  To their immense surprise, a loud howl broke the sudden stillness that followed the roar of the thunder.  The pack members, wolves especially, looked to each other to try to figure out what had made that sound.  It sounded like a wolf, but all the wolves that they were aware of were sitting in that room.  

“Cobi,” Eliot tilted his head toward the ceiling.  “Are you able to locate that howl?”

“I am attempting to do just that,” the computer replied.  “I will let you know as soon as I have narrowed down the search area.”  It took a few minutes, with several more rounds of lightning, thunder, howl before the CBI reported back to them.  “I apologize for the long wait, but the creature has been on the move,” she told them.  “The most recent howl places the creature approximately half a mile North of the Nemeton Complex.”

“Have you been able to catch a glimpse of it,” Stiles asked the CBI as the pack stood and headed toward the back door.

“Unfortunately I have not,” Cobi replied, sounding truly upset about that fact.  

Just as the fighting pack was about to step out into the now-pouring rain, Eliot turned toward the three LeBeaus.  “I’d like for the three of you to stay here.”  He could see that they were all about to protest so he held up his hand to forestall them.  “You haven’t had much time to train with the pack, nor do you have your implants yet.  Between those two things, we’d spend all our time worrying about the three of you and and not focusing on whatever this thing is.  Please.  Just until you’ve had more training.”

Cora turned to her brother hoping to get him to override the senior Alpha, but he only flashed his Alpha-red eyes at her and whispered, “Please.”  He sounded so . . . desperate was the closest word she could find to describe how he sounded that she instantly caved.

“Fine,” she mumbled.  Jane stepped over to her and wrapped her arm around Cora’s defeated shoulders.

Before Remy or Billy could argue, and everyone could see that they wanted to, the pack rushed out the back door and into the woods.  Half headed directly toward the Complex, while the other half headed north of it; they were hoping to catch it somewhere in between the two groups.  It only took a few minutes for both groups to get to where Cobi directed them.  

There was nothing at their current location, but the wolves that had headed north picked up a scent and headed toward the Complex.  That information was transmitted to the other group who headed toward them.  Lightning struck the ground less than a hundred yards in front of both groups, landing directly between them.  Deafening thunder hurt their ears at the same moment that the light had blinded them.  The howl that instantly followed from the same direction let them know that they were on the right path.

The pack spread out around the smoking area where the lightning had touched down.  As they closed in on the location they could all smell ozone.  Which would normally make sense considering both the storm and the fact that lightning had touched down here only moments before.  But this was something different; there was something almost wild about it.  When they were close enough to see through the creature the trees they understood.

It looked like a wolf , but it was covered in what looked like small lightning bolts or arcs of electricity.  It’s fur was white, but parts of it looked blue in the light from the electricity; the iris of its eyes were a bright, shining silver.  When it sensed the pack it let out a loud howl, but now that the pack was closer the howl sounded more like the roar of thunder than an actual howl.  

Stiles studied the creature for a moment, the gasped in shock once she realized what it was.  

“Wanna share with the rest of the class?” Clint snarked quietly from the far side of the electrified creature.  She’d only heard him through her earpiece.

“It’s a Raijū ,” she informed them.  The look of confusion that stayed on their faces told her that they needed more information.  “The word raijū literally means thunder animal or thunder beast.  It’s from Japanese mythology.  The Raijū is the companion of Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning. While the beast is generally calm and harmless, during thunderstorms it becomes agitated, and leaps about in trees, fields, and even buildings.”  Stiles looked up at the storm clouds overhead.  “I wonder if this is the Raijū’s first storm since their shifts started and that’s why it’s been freaking out and howling.”

The pack members studied the large white, and sometimes blue, wolf in front of them.  It did seem agitated and the chemosignals it was giving off, though confusing due to the ozone smell, were fear and confusion.  They thought that maybe Stiles was right (which they’d learned she was more often than not).  

“What can we do to help call them down?” Nat asked, her voice low and serious in Stiles’ ear.  Stiles tilted her head back and forth a few times as she considered it.

“Well,” Stiles hedged.  “On a very basic level, they’re still just a wolf.  It’s possible that they’ll respond to an Alpha wolf.”  She turned her head and raised an eyebrow.  “Especially one in the same wolf form that they are.”

Derek nearly choked on air.  “I’ve only ever managed a full shift twice, Stiles,” he protested.  But as he looked around at the others he knew that no one would listen to his arguments.  He also knew that she was right; it was their best bet to help the Raijū.  Grumbling, Derek stepped behind a tree and started to strip.  He wasn’t exactly shy about his body, but he had absolutely no intention of letting his little sister see him naked if he could help it.

It took a few minutes to get out of his wet clothes, especially since he was still getting drenched with rain, even under the trees.  It took another five minutes or so for him to be able to shift fully into his wolf form.  He slowly made his way out of the trees and into the clearing where the Raijū hunched in on itself, just like it had since the pack had surrounded it.  Derek tried to keep his scent and gait as non-threatening as possible.  While Derek was fairly certain that he could take the white wolf in a fight, he was just as certain that the small bolts of lightning would hurt like a bitch.

The Raijū watched with a wary eye the black wolf that approached him.  His head was lowered, but not bowed.  He was not threatening the white wolf, but he was certainly not submitting either.  The red eyes of this wolf were both intimidating and reassuring.  The Raijū couldn’t explain it, but something inside of him wanted to let this black wolf get closer.  It was as if the Raijū knew that the black wolf had the answers that the Raijū needed.  

Derek was able to get within a few paces of the Raijū before he stopped, not wanting to scare the white wolf.  He watched for a moment to figure out the best way to handle the situation.  If it was one of his Beta’s that had lost control he’d be able to . . . well, roar . . . it into submission.  He didn’t know if that would work here.  As he sat there he distantly noted that the rain was beginning to let up some.  He also noticed that the chemosignals coming off of the Raijū didn’t seem quite so panicked.  As if having another wolf around was enough to calm them down.

Derek took that as a sign and shuffled forward a few more steps.  The Raijū sniffed the air between them before he laid down with his head on his paws.  It was the most defeated posture that Derek could ever recall seeing, especially on a supernatural creature.  Derek closed the distance between them and turned so that they were facing the same direction.  He then proceeded to lay down next to the slightly larger wolf, though he was careful not to get close enough for an arc of electricity to touch him.

They stayed that way for several long moments.  The longer they stayed, the calmer the storm got, and the less stress in the Raijū’s scent.  After approximately fifteen minutes, once the Raijū seemed suitably calm, Derek rose to his feet, saw the white wolf watching him, and jerked his head to indicate that the Raijū should follow him.  He took a few steps before the other wolf dragged himself to his feet and cautiously followed after Derek.  

The pack kept a wide berth from the two wolves, but still flanked them on the way to the pack house so that nothing could get to either wolf unexpectedly.  When they were close enough to the house that the cottages could be seen the Raijū stopped dead in his tracks.  He desperately looked around as if searching for a trap.  Derek motioned with his head for the other wolf to continue to walk, but the Raijū was having none of it.  Derek let out the most long-suffering sigh possible in his current form.  He then sat in front of the Raijū and shifted back to his human form.  The Raijū started to whimper, either from the loss of his companion wolf or because he didn’t know how to do that very thing.  

“It’s safe here,” Derek tried to reassure the wolf.  “This is where my pack and I live.  No one here will hurt you, as long as you don’t hurt them.”  The wolf cocked his head as he listened to the Alpha.  “My name is Derek Hale and I’m an Alpha werewolf.”  The wolf looked down at his chest in question.  “You are what’s called a Raijū.  It’s a supernatural being from Japanese mythology.”  Derek and the Raijū had a staring contest as they tried to figure out how to communicate.  Finally Derek just started to speak and hope that he said the right thing.

“Please let my pack and I help you,” he knew that he almost sounded like he was begging.  “Helping people is sort of what we do.”  Derek met the gaze of the Raijū and they had a short staring contest before the white wolf ducked their head and nodded the best they could in their current form.  Derek then shifted back into his wolf form, it was much easier for him this time, and led the Raijū up to the covered patio at the corner of the house.

Stiles had radioed ahead and the five pack member that had remained at the house had put together a bunch of pillows and blankets on the patio so that neither wolf would have to lay on the hard flooring.  Derek was the first to lay down to prove that it was safe to do so, and that it was alright to do it.  Derek was grateful that the pack had all gone inside so as to not overwhelm the Raijū.  This close to the houses, Derek didn’t want to chance that the Raijū would panic and a bolt of lightning or arc of electricity would hit something and start a fire.  He didn’t want to lose two homes to fire.

The two wolves stayed curled up in the blankets for several hours.  Derek heard Stiles speaking through his earpiece that it was most likely that the Raijū would shift back to human once the thunderstorm passed.  Derek, once again, was grateful for his baby sister’s ingenuity in regards to the pack’s earpieces, that he still had it on the inside of his ear even in his wolf form.  Which, in this case, meant that the pack, namely Stiles, could still pass information onto him without having to be close to the wolves.

The rain finally petered out.  Derek raised his head from the blankets as he felt the sun break through the clouds and shine on his fur.  He turned to watch the Raijū to see how they’d react now that the storm had passed and the sun was emerging.  He didn’t have to wait long.

The sounds of bones realigning filled his ears; it was a sound he was familiar with from his own transformation into his full wolf form.  The Raijū’s white fur receded, limbs thickened, torso lengthened.  The canine face reformed into human.  Within a few moments, the Raijū’s transformation was complete.  In it’s place was a young man, in his late teens to early twenties if Derek had to guess, with the olive complexion of those from the bloodlines of the Pacific Islands.  Dark hair and a well-muscled body were the last thing that Derek noticed before he himself shifted back into his human form.

Derek wrapped one of the blankets that he’d been laying on over his lap.  As the young man sat up next to Derek, he did the same thing.  He didn’t even have a chance to ask the young man’s name before the side door opened and the entire pack filed out onto the patio.  Derek was not happy about that, but he was glad that they all stayed on his far side, so that he was between the pack and the young Raijū.

Derek could’ve kissed Stiles when she sat down and the scooted forward a little, obviously intent on taking the lead in the discussion that was about to happen.  It made sense in a lot of ways; she was the most knowledgeable about his species, and she was the closest to the young man’s age, meaning that he’d be able to relate to her better and hopefully trust her more easily.  

“Hi,” Stiles greeted relatively softly as Cora sat down next to her.  (Derek absolutely loved his little sisters.)  “My name is Voin Spencer and the naked man next to you is my older brother Derek Hale.”  She grinned when Derek rolled his eyes at her, but when he noticed the Raijū offer a tentative smile and relax his shoulders a little he decided to let her comment slide.

“I’d introduce everyone else,” she continued, “But it would probably be a little overwhelming for you.  There’s a lot of us.”  He nodded slightly as his eyes flicked over the group.  “But suffice it to say that about half of us are werewolves, and all of us would like to help you, if you’ll let us.”  Again, the young man nodded his head.  “Good.  How about we start by you telling us your name?”

The young man opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.  He swallowed heavily, cleared his throat, then tried again.  “My name is Danny Mahealani.”

“Mahealani,” Stiles repeated.  “That’s Hawaiian, isn’t it?”  

“Yeah,” Danny answered.

“Would you by chance have any Japanese in your bloodline?”  Stiles gently prodded.  Danny looked confused, but he answered her nonetheless.

“My great-grandfather was from Japan.”

“Have you heard any stories of lore from that side of your family?”  Stiles ventured.  “Maybe something about your family being companions and/or the protectors of the Kami or gods of Japan?”

Danny looked startled, but he slowly nodded his head.  “My grandmother, his only daughter, would often tell me that because I was the first male born to that side of the family that I would inherit my great-grandfather’s calling of being both a companion and a protector of the gods.  She used to tell me all sorts of stories when I was younger, before she passed away.  But I thought they were just that - stories.”

“They may have just been stories,” she hedged, “but they were rooted in truth.  You are what is referred to as a Raijū.  Raijū are traditionally the companion of Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning.  The word raijū literally means thunder animal or thunder beast.  Now, so you don’t start thinking that you’ve become some mindless killing machine, the Raijū are generally calm and harmless, except during thunderstorms when they becomes agitated, and leap about in trees, fields, and even buildings.  You’ll be more likely to claw up a tree than a human,” she attempted to reassure him.  

“However,” she continued, “You might be able to learn to control it, like Derek,” she indicated to her brother.  “Like how he was able to shift in and out of his wolf form at will.  I’m sure that he, and all of the wolves, would be happy to help you learn to control your shift.”

“Of course,” Derek confirmed.  The other silent wolves nodded in agreement.  

“How old are you?” Stiles asked.

“I just turned twenty a few days ago,” Danny replied.  Stiles thought for moment.  

“This was the first thunderstorm since your birthday,” she half stated, half asked.  “The lore I know states that the human is allowed to be dominant for the first two ‘full cycle of years,’ which most authorities translate as two decades, before the Raijū takes control and begins to search for its divine companion.”  Danny nodded absently to everything she said.  “How are you senses? Can you hear, smell, see better than you could before?”

His eyes went wide.  “Yes,” he practically shouted.  “Everything is so loud.”  Stiles glanced to her brother to take over the discussion.

“It’ll take some getting used to,” Derek informed the young man.  “But you will be able to get a handle on it all.  Does it sound like there’s a drum line all playing out of sync?”

“Yes,” he admitted.  “It’s starting to give me a headache.”

“Those are the pack’s heartbeats.  Like I said, with a little practice you’ll be able to tune them out, or at least not notice them as much.”

“Good,” Danny breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Just so you know, having pack around helps every wolf, every type of wolf, keep control.  So, if you wanted to officially join our pack just our presence would be calming for you.”

“Do I have to become a part of your pack?” Danny sounded nervous.

“No,” Derek informed him succinctly.  “If you’d just like our help until you have everything under control, we’re fine with that.  Control does come easier if you're part of a pack, just to let you know.  And you must learn control.  Because if you don’t then best case scenario, you lose control in our territory and we have to stop you.  We’d make it quick and as painless as possible.  Worst case, you lose control somewhere else and hunters stop you.  And since your species is so rare, they’d probably experiment on you to see what you and your body can and cannot endure before they listen to you begging and put you out of your misery.”

Danny had paled the more than Derek had said.  Which, of course, was Derek’s plan.  The kid needed to realize how high the stake were.  This wasn’t a game.  He didn’t just wake up in peak physical condition.  And that just because Raijū are usually calm and easy going doesn’t mean that they can’t be dangerous if they don’t have any control.

“We’re not trying to scare you into joining our pack,” Stiles hurried to explain.  “But we do want you to know just how serious all of your choices now are.  What you have been given is both a gift and a curse.  You need to realize that.  Not every human will be excited that you exist; they may not even care that you’ve never hurt anyone.  To them, different equals a threat that must be ‘put down’.”

The only response Danny could manage is a hard gulp and a miniscule nod.

“Alright then,” Stiles clapped her hands together once.  “Now that we’ve managed to scare the ever living stuffing out of you, how about we take you inside so that you can shower and get dressed?  Then we can all sit down and have a nice dinner together.  Hopefully without all the doom and gloom that this conversation descended into.”  

Danny tried to smile in gratitude at her subject change.  He knew that it came out more as a grimace, but Stiles returned it with a big grin of her own, so he counted it as a win.  He gripped the blanket tightly around his middle as he stood, same as Derek.  Stiles stood and ushered the rest of the pack back into the house in front of her before she motioned for him to follow.  He followed her upstairs to a corner room that smelled vaguely of Derek, which was reassuring.  She told him that there’d be clothes laid out on the bed when he was done with his shower.

Danny had no idea how his life had ended him here, but he did know that it could’ve been so much worse if these people hadn’t been the ones to find him.  The thought of being tortured just to see how much he could endure drifted through his mind.  He shuddered as he closed the bathroom door behind him.  Yes, he was very lucky indeed.

Chapter Text

After the pack had dinner that first night (which was a much lighter conversation than they’d had out on the patio), Danny asked if someone could help him explain everything to his mom.  He didn’t think he’d be able to do the conversation justice.  So Derek , Eliot , and Stiles drove him home to speak with his mother.

The four drove in Eliot’s truck as Danny offered directions from the backseat next to Stiles, who was directly behind Eliot.  After a twenty minute drive they arrived in front of a small, but well kept single-level house.  A small woman came running outside the instant that Danny got out of the truck.  Eliot absent-mindedly opened Stiles’ door as they all watched the scene before them.

“Danny,” she practically yelled as she wrapped him in a huge hug.  “I was so worried about you.”

“I’m so sorry mom,” Danny responded as he returned the hug just as fiercely.  “I didn’t mean to worry you.”  The mother and son stood together for a long moment before Danny pulled back so that he could speak with his mom.  

“Mom,” he started.  “We need to go inside.  There are some things that my new friends and I need to talk with you about.  It’s some pretty serious stuff.”  His mom looked both confused and concerned, but nodded and led the way into the house nonetheless.

Once Danny had brought in a few dining room chairs for himself and Stiles, everyone sat down for what was about to be a long and difficult conversation.

“Let me start by introducing everyone,” Danny started.  “Mom, this is Eliot, Derek, and Voin.  Eliot, Derek, Voin, this is my mother, Leolani.”

“Daniel,” his mother leveled him with a serious glare.  “Please tell me what’s happened.  I woke up to the sound of thunder and you missing.  Your bedroom window was broken out, no note or any indication of what had happened or where you’d gone.  I was terrified.”

“I’m so sorry Mom,” Danny was nearly in tears.  He didn’t remember breaking his window, though he supposed it made sense, how else was he was going to get out of the house in his Raijū form?  “I don’t remember breaking the window, but I needed to get out of the house.”

She shook her head.  “I don’t understand.”

“Do you remember all those stories that kupunawahine used to tell us about her father?” he asked ( grandmother ).  “About how he was a companion and protector of the gods?”

Leolani nodded.  “But those were just stories.  Fables from her father’s homeland.”

“ Her stories might have been fables, but they were based off of truth,” Danny tried to explain.  “She used to tell me that I’d inherit her father’s calling as companion to the gods, because I was the first male born to his bloodline.  Here’s the thing Mom,” he paused to take a deep breath before he admitted to her what he was hesitant to even admit to himself yet.  “She was right.”

His mother studied him for a moment.  “What do you mean that she was right?”  

“I mean that . . . I’m a Raijū,” he stated, trying to sound dispassionate about it.

Leolani stared at her son in bewilderment.  “I know what that word means, but I don’t what it means .”

“I only just found out,” Danny admitted.  “So I’m probably not the one to ask to explain it all to you.  Which is why I brought along some friends who could help explain it.”  He motioned to the pack members that had brought him home.  Leolani turned to them expectantly.

“Yes ma’am,” Eliot began.  “We heard Danny out in the preserve so we went out and tracked him down.  When we found him, he was in his Raijū form.  It took some time, but eventually we were able get him to trust us enough to get him to come to our home.  Once the storm passed, he shifted back into his human form and we were all able to communicate.”

“Hold on,” she interrupted.  “What do you mean by his ‘Raijū form’ and ‘shifted back to human’?” The confusion on her face said even more than her words.

“The Raijū shift into their animal companion form during thunderstorms,” Stiles explained.  “In lore, the Raijū can take one of several forms.  In his case, Danny’s form is that of a wolf.”

“I’m sorry, I am hearing you say ‘shift’.  All I can think is a Transformer, but we all know that isn’t possible.  Can you explain what you mean by ‘shift’?”

Stiles laughed to herself.  Werewolves and Super Soldiers, ‘shifting’ and supernatural were so much a part of her life that she didn’t stop to think that someone who wasn't completely surrounded by this stuff wouldn’t be able to just grasp the idea that the supernatural is real.

“I think it would be easier to show you,” Stiles finally said.  “I promise you that what will happen next may appear scary, but no one here will hurt you.”

Danny scooted his chair closer to his mom and grabbed her hand.  Everyone could feel her worry and tension growing exponentially.  What happened next was beautiful; Eliot and Derek stood from their chairs and as gently as possible they allowed themselves to shift into their Beta forms.  The Alphas’ eyes changed to red, and the hair on their faces, arms, and hands thickened.  When their teeth and claws grew Leolani startled, but she looked at the two remaining “humans” in the room.

“They won’t hurt me?” she questioned.

“Absolutely not,” Stiles answered as calmly as possible.

Leolani stood from her chair and walked tentatively towards the werewolves.  She stepped right in front of Derek and cocked her head to the side.  It was only when she reached up to touch his face that all the anxiety of the room melted away.  Leolani traced her fingers along where Derek’s eyebrows used to be, petted the hair on his face before she moved onto Eliot.  She lifted Eliot’s upper lip to get a better look at his fangs, then she lifted his hands to admire his claws.  Everyone was silent as Danny’s mother examined the shifted men.  After several minutes, she returned to her chair and sat facing a silent and fretting Danny.

“You can do this as well kaʻu keiki?”  Leolani asked so softly Stiles barely heard her ( my son ).

“I hope to be able to one day, Mother.  They have said it might be possible for me through training and experience,”  Danny responded just as softly.

“Then you must go with them,” she stated with finality.  “Train and become the very best Raijū you can be.  Make your ancestors proud.”

The rest of the conversation between the group was very productive.  Danny was mainly worried about who would take care of his mother in his absence, as he was sure he wouldn’t be able to work anymore (He had opted to take university classes online so that he could stay at home and help support his single mother).  Stiles reassured him that his mother would be well taken care of, including replacing the broken bedroom window, and that he didn’t need to work anymore either.  She also promised Leolani that Danny would be afforded the opportunity to obtain his degree in whatever he wanted.

*~*~*

Stiles and her dad spent the rest of the weekend at their workshop trying to get four earpieces and four new suits of armor finished as quickly as possible.  The two engineers managed to get two of the earpieces and one of the suits done, so Cora and Billy got their earpieces implanted that Sunday night.  The thought being that Remy was almost always with either his wife or his brother so they’d be able to pass on any pertinent information until he got his.

The rest of the fighting members of the pack spent the remainder of the weekend training all four of the new additions.  The LeBeaus quickly began to understand why the pack said that they weren’t ready for any kind of combat yet.

“There are three rules you need to know when it comes to real, honest to god, life or death fighting,” Eliot announced as he stood at a modified parade rest in front of the newcomers, the other pack members less than a step behind him in a wide line.  They held themselves in the same way that they had around the table when they’d met the Avengers, and it had an even more profound effect on the “civilians” they were facing now.

“Rule number one,” Eliot continued.  “ Always assume your opponent is better trained than you are.”  He met the eyes of each of the four in turn, trying to impress upon the importance of what he was saying.  “Rule two, always assume that your opponent can turn your own strength, power, or weapon against you.”  Eliot glared at Remy as he let out a small huff of disbelief.  

“And rule number three,” Eliot met Remy’s gaze and held it.  “ Never underestimate your opponent.”  The older mutant tilted his chin up minutely in cocky defiance.  Eliot knew that Remy had once fought side by side with the X-men’s Wolverine at one point in time, but he also knew that the guy’s cocky attitude was going to get him killed someday.

“Now that the ground rules have been established, let’s get a baseline of everyone’s abilities,” the Alpha decided.  “Remy, I know that you have some experience so let’s start with you.  Pick any one of us up here to spar with.”  

The mutant took a moment to look over the pack before his eyes landed back on Eliot.  “You,” he decided, a smirk starting to grow on his face.  Eliot nodded his head once in acknowledgement, stepped forward, then bowed to his opponent.

Remy mockingly returned the bow before extending his staff and twirling it around him a few times as he charged it with energy.  Eliot observed his movements while he showboated his abilities with energy.  Eliot noticed that the man’s movement’s were over exaggerated and fairly sloppy, which spoke of someone who was used to using his powers to win every fight he’d ever been in.  The Alpha decided on what his best course of action should be in order to knock the mutant’s ego down a peg or two.

Eliot and Remy circled each other a few times as Eliot slowly inched closer.  When he was within striking distance of the staff, Remy swung it under his arm and jabbed it forward into Eliot’s midsection; or at least that was his intent.  The Alpha had anticipated the move and dove closer to the mutant.  He rolled to his feet directly in front of Remy and connected the open palm of his right hand into the solar plexus of the younger man.  When Remy doubled over, Eliot grabbed the staff out of his limp hand and swiped the man’s feet out from under him.

Remy stared up at him from his back where he was sprawled on the ground.  He slammed his hand down onto the grass in frustration.  “Again,” he ground out.

Eliot obliged with the same result - Remy on the ground without his staff.  This continued several times before Eliot called a halt to it.  He then offered Remy another bow, which Remy returned with less sarcasm than the first time.

“Why did you get beat?”  Eliot asked in his teacher voice, the same one that he’d used when he’d first started training Stiles.

“You’re better than I am,” Remy snarked.

“Better trained, yes,” Eliot clarified.  “But not better .  The main reason was that you didn’t think I was serious about the three rules.  Tell me again what they are.”

Remy hesitated, but finally mumbled, “Never underestimate your opponent.”

“That was the third one,” Eliot confirmed.  “Did you underestimate me?”  After a brief moment Remy nodded.  “What are the first two rules?”  Remy shrugged in indifference, which reminded Eliot of a sullen teenager.  “Always assume your opponent is better trained than you are; and always assume that your opponent can turn your own strength, power, or weapon against you.  Now,” Eliot placed his hand on Remy’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  “Did you take either of those two things into consideration?”

“No,” Remy sulked.  

“Will you make that same mistake again?”  Eliot prodded.

“No,” Remy stated, sounding more determined.

“Then that lesson was learned and now you move on to the next lesson,” the Alpha informed him.  

Remy looked at Eliot with a new kind of respect after that.  Remy had been used to his father’s way of teaching which was to exploit any weakness and berate him for having them, but never taking the time to explain how to get better or learn from it.  But Eliot, who had beaten him more soundly than his father ever had since Remy became an adult, chose to take the time to calmly and respectfully point out how Remy could improve.  Without judgement, condescension, or reprimand.  That was the moment that Remy knew that he had made the right choice to join the Spencer-Hale pack.

*~*~*

Come Monday morning, Cora, Billy, Remy, and Danny had been roped into early morning Tai Chi with Stiles, Nat, Darcy, and Jane.  Cora grumbled about having to get out of bed so early in the morning, not to mention the fact that none of the rest of the pack were out there.

“Why do we have to be out here if they don’t?” She whined through her yawn.

“If you think that each and every member of the pack hasn’t taken their turn to be out here to learn this, then you are sorely mistaken,” Natasha gently reprimanded her niece.  Cora had, apparently, spent too much time around Remy and his snark had rubbed off on her.

“Okay, I get that,” she admitted.  “But what’s the point of this?  It’s just meditation.  And unlike Danny, I already have control of my shift and my wolf.  No offense Danny.” She looked apologetic as she looked to him, when she realized what she’d said.

He merely shrugged.  “None taken.”

“You think Tai Chi is only for meditation?” Stiles queried.  Cora merely rolled her eyes at what she assumed was a redundant question.  Stiles decided right then that she wasn’t a fan of pre-coffee Cora.

“Tai Chi is first and foremost a martial art, not a meditative art,” Stiles stated.  “While, yes, it is taught at a slow speed and can be used as a wonderful meditation and grounding tool, when done up to speed it is also one of the most efficient martial arts the East ever produced.”

Cora looked to her husband to have some sarcastic comment about that, but he was nearly standing at attention while he took in everything Stiles said with rapt enthusiasm.  He’d taken Eliot’s words to heart the day before - that he needed to be better trained and to not underestimate anyone.  And if Eliot’s wife said that Tai Chi could help him do that, then he would learn everything there was to know about it.  

It was Stiles’ turn to roll her eyes at the lack of interest in her “students”; Cora didn’t want to be there, and Billy and Danny both looked like they were asleep standing up.  Only Remy looked like he was actually paying attention.  Eliot had told her what had happened the day before, so it didn’t surprise her too much that he wanted to learn.

“Don’t believe me?” She smirked to her surrogate big sister, then waved their Aunt Nat over.

Stiles and Nat faced off, bowed respectfully to each other, then got into their fighting stances.  The two highly trained women didn’t even take the time to circle each other, the simply attacked.  The sparring went back and forth, one gaining the upper hand then losing it to the other.  This continued for several minutes until Nat called a halt in Japanese.  The two women bowed to each other again, then turned to face the four newbies.

Seeing their stunned expressions, Stiles couldn’t help but verbally poke at them.  “Still think it’s just for meditation?”  

Needless to say, there was no more grumbling or complaining about being up so early in the morning.

*~*~*

It was the Saturday after Danny had come to stay with the pack when things changed.  Danny always seemed to be drawn toward Loki.  Loki must have known what had made Danny be his shadow, because he just accepted it without question.

When it was Loki’s turn to spar that day, he was paired with Bucky.  After an afternoon of the pack taking it easy(ish) on the new members, it was nice to watch a full on sparring match.  The men circled each other briefly before Loki attacked, Bucky blocked the blow easily with his metal arm.  He followed it up with a right cross aimed for Loki’s temple.  Bucky missed however, because suddenly Loki had disappeared.  The whole pack gasped in unison.  Bucky regained his balance and turned all his momentum behind anticipating Loki’s reappearance behind him.  Bucky was correct and landed a devastating blow to Loki.

Loki fell dramatically, laughing and knowing he had been bested this time.  Bucky took a moment to run around his opponent with his fists raised above his head.  As Bucky slowed to stop in front of the new Raijū, he realized something was wrong; Danny’s eyes were the most stunning silver color he’d ever seen.

“Heeeey Alphas,” Bucky hedged, lowering his arms.

“On it,” Eliot and Derek said together. They each took Danny by arm and lead him away from the others. Derek let his Red Alpha eyes show, and Eliot prepared to shift just in case additional help was needed.

“Breathe, Danny, breathe,” Eliot urged.

“You’re safe,” Derek reassured him.  “Nothing’s going to hurt you here.”  Eliot cocked his head to the side and thought back to what had triggered Danny’s reaction.

“No one here’s going to hurt Loki,” Eliot assured him. Danny’s eye shifted to meet his for a moment before instantly seeking out the God of Mischief.  

“See, he’s fine,” Derek had caught onto what Eliot had noticed, that Danny reacted to Loki being “hurt”.  Danny struggled less and less against the two Alphas that held him.

“Loki’s safe here,” Eliot reiterated.  As the Raijū began to calm, Eliot and Derek continued to reassure him that Loki was not in any danger.  

Hearing the conversation of the Alphas, Loki made certain to stand in clear line of sight of the young Raijū to help him settle.  It took a few minutes, but eventually Danny calmed down enough that his eyes returned to their warm brown hue.  Once the Alphas felt confident enough to release him, Danny stumbled forward toward the open and waiting arms of Loki.

Loki stood the young shapeshifter up holding onto his shoulders, and looked directly at him. “Are you better now?” The God of Mischief asked.

“I believe so, sir,” he mumbled weakly.

“No need to call me sir,” Loki laughingly replied.  “You may refer to me as Loki.”

“Loki, I am so sorry for that.  I thought for sure you had been injured by that blow.” Danny was still visibly agitated, but much better. “I needed you to be okay.”

“As you can see, I am perfectly well.”  Loki stretched out both arms to show the he was fine after the encounter.

“I promise I will not disgrace you again,” Danny said looking towards the ground in shame.  “Just don’t send me away.”

“Send you away?” the god questioned.

“I thought my actions were disgraceful to you and you wouldn’t want me around.”  Danny still could not look at him.

“You are far from disgraceful, young beast, you are only now beginning to learn,” Loki responded lifting Danny’s chin and looking him in the eye.  “You had only the best of intentions.  I seem to like your presence, and have no desire for you to leave.”

“So I can stay?” Danny exclaimed, excitement filling his eyes.

“I would certainly hope you choose to do just that,” Loki said pulling the Raijū into a hug.

“Should I join the pack?  I feel like that would mean I could stay around permanently,” Danny said almost like a puppy that found his forever home.

“Joining the pack is completely up to you. There is a lot more to joining the pack than just saying words, you must understand what we are, and what we do,” Loki tried explaining to young man.  “Being part of the pack means you would need to train to be an assassin, and yet not kill unless absolutely necessary.”

The statement confused Danny, “An assassin?”

Loki invited the others to help explain. There was so much information that he was certain to confuse him even more. Stiles was able to explain everything the pack was aiming to accomplish, and some of the things they had already accomplished.  Derek was able to explain the training the pack could offer Danny on how to be a better “wolf”.

“We will help you learn how to control your shift whether or not you are actual member of the pack.”  Derek continued, “but we will put you to work if you choose to be part of us. You will run the perimeter, and take watches.  You will fight with us, and you would be a guard for an amazing cause.”

“And I would be your Beta, you could control me?” Danny asked.

“I could, but I will not. Unless the utmost dire circumstances required it.  It is not what I have learned is a good Alpha, and I will be a good Alpha,” Derek explained.

“And I could stay close to Loki?” Danny looked at the ground suddenly ashamed that he was more worried about Loki than anything the Alpha was explaining to him.

“I must ask, why the fascination with Loki?” Derek asked.

“I . . . I . . . Ah . . .” Danny started, but was obviously unsure why himself.

Stiles took the opportunity as she often did to explain, “The Raijū is the companion of Raijin; remember Raijin is the Shinto God of Thunder in Japanese mythology.  It appears as if our young Raijū has chosen our Loki as his ‘God of Thunder’.”  Stiles laughed jabbing at Loki.

“Oh Stiles my dear, we would be having a much different conversation if I didn’t like him as well.  All real companionships are a two way street, and in this case I suppose I will overlook your slight.”  In general Loki would not approve of being compared to his brother in any way, but in this case it would be okay.  “I will agree that something has drawn the young Raijū to me, and me to the young Raijū.”

Stiles continued her explanation, “I have been thinking, maybe this is why Danny ‘picked’ the form of wolf.”  When she said “this” she pointed to all the wolves around her.  “Imagine that you are a supernatural creature that could potentially take several different forms, but there are already supernatural wolves in the area. Could our supernatural influence his supernatural?” She began to mumble as she started to get lost in her head.

“Stiles dear, I believe your degree is showing,” Eliot said reminding his wife that she was getting rather long winded.

“My apologies,” Stiles said to the group.  “Suffice it to say that I believe Danny’s Raijū picked the form of a wolf because of our wolves.  It knew that being a wolf would give it the greatest chance of survival in a werewolf-claimed territory, even if Danny didn’t consciously know that werewolves were an actual thing.”

“Much better dear,” Eliot patted his wife on the back.  She stuck her tongue out at his sarcastic attitude.  His only response was a grin as he turned his attention back to Danny.  “So Danny, you have heard our story.  Do you still think joining our pack is what you want?” Alpha Eliot said.  

Chapter Text

Once everyone had their earpiece and armor, Loki decided that he had put off the visit to Asgard long enough.  So, the entire pack, decked out in their full armor, masks secured at their belts, proceeded through the Way inside the Nemeton Complex.  They exited through an unmarked door in an empty hallway in an upper tower of the palace of Asgard known as Válaskjálf.

The pack stood four members across, four members deep.  Eliot and Derek on the outsides, with Loki (the son of the Queen) and Darcy (the Council Moderator) in the middle.  The undertrained were placed in the center of the pack.  The Spencer-Hale Pack made their way down to the throne room to meet the Queen and present the idea of the Council of Yggdrasil to her, and to introduce her to the members of the pack.

The few Æsir that they passed paused and stared after the group.  Between their former prince, the uniforms, and the fact that the rest were humans, the Æsir didn’t know what to think.  Luckily, no one attempted to stop them.  Within a few moments the pack arrived in the grand throne room where Queen Frigga stood as they entered.

“Loki, my son,” she greeted with a large smile on her beautiful face.  She opened her arms wide as she gracefully descended the stairs.  “I am so glad that you’ve come.”  Loki stepped forward to meet her and the Queen wrapped him in a warm, welcoming embrace.  She held him tightly for a moment before she stepped away and turned them both toward the pack.

“My son, won’t you please introduce me to your companions?”  

Loki smiled serenely at his mother.  “They are not just my companions, Mother.  They are my family.”  

Frigga turned her head from the group to her son and back several times.  She had not anticipated that.  However, as she took a moment to study the people with Loki, she nearly gasped when she noticed that the young man that Loki had been standing next to looked nearly identical to his son, her grandson, Fenrir.  She stepped in front of him and reached her right hand up and gently caressed his cheek.

Derek raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but he’d been reminded several times by Loki exactly how much he looked like Fenrir, so he could only assume that the Queen was entranced by that same resemblance.  She turned back to Loki, wearing a look that was torn between awe and deep sorrow.  

“He looks . . .” The queen, for the first time that Loki could recall, was at a loss for words.  Loki nodded, a sad smile on his lips.

“Other than his eyes he is an exact copy,” Loki admitted.  He stepped up next to his mother in front of his son’s doppelgänger.  “His name is Derek Hale.  He is a direct descendent of Fenrir and, therefore, myself; many times over.”  Frigga turned back to Derek.  

“You are my great-great-grandson,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.  Before Derek even had a chance to react Frigga wrapped him in a tight hug.  It took Derek a few seconds, but he did eventually wrap her in his strong arms.  Although slightly awkward, the hug was heartfelt.  

As they stepped away from each other, Derek turned and waved his biological family over.  “I’m not the only one,” he whispered to her.  Peter, Cora, and Quinn all stepped forward to meet her.  “This is my uncle Peter Hale, younger sister Cora LeBeau, and my cousin Fenrir Quinn, though he just goes by Quinn.”  

Frigga’s eyes lit up in excitement at the fact that she had “grandchildren”.  She thought that she’d lost them all when Fenrir had been taken away.  Yet, somehow, here they stood.  She embraced each of them just as fiercely as she had Derek.

“Mother,” Loki spoke up once Frigga had finished greeting his descendents.  “When Fenrir was on Midgard, he coupled with a mortal and created a new race of beings there.  Humans with the capability to transform partially into a wolf.  They call themselves Werewolves.”  He motioned to the four people she’d just met.  “These are some of those werewolves.  There are two others among us that are werewolves that are not of my bloodline, but were born human and then bitten by an Alpha werewolf at some point in their lives.”  Loki motioned to Eliot and Clint.

“This is Eliot Spencer and Clint Barton,” Loki introduced.  Both men bowed their head respectfully toward the queen.  “Though not of my direct blood, I still willingly claim them both as mine.”  They both smiled in pride and ducked their heads as a small blush crept up their cheeks.

“If my son claims you,” Frigga stated.  “Then so do I.”  She warmly hugged both men, who warmly returned the embrace.  

The introductions continued on throughout the rest of the pack in much the same way.  Once the introductions were finished Loki decided it was time to get to the main reason why the pack had come.  

“Mother,” Loki spoke.  “We have come to speak with you about something in an official capacity.  Do you have a few moments?”

She studied her son for a moment, the change in his tone catching her attention.  “Of course.  I always have time for you.”

“Thank you,” he said kindly.  “However, not everyone will need to be involved in this conversation.  Perhaps the others could be given a tour of the grounds,” he suggested.  

The Warriors Three were passing through the hall so Frigga called them over.  After they rose from their bow Frigga addressed them.  “Volstagg, I was hoping that you could do me a favor.”

“Anything, my Queen,” the large man replied.

“We have several guests that I’d like for you to show around the palace grounds.  Would you mind?”  It was posed as a question, but Volstagg knew it for what it was, a nicely worded order.

“Of course, my Queen,” he responded as he bowed deeply to her.

“Thank you.” She then turned to the assembled group.  “This is Volstagg.  He is one of Asgard’s finest warriors.  He will give those of you not involved in the meeting a tour of the palace and its grounds.  The rest of you, please follow me.”  

She turned and led the way to her private study.  Eliot, Derek, Loki, Darcy, Jane, and Steve followed her; Danny tried to go with them, but Clint and Quinn each took one of his arms and led him back toward the tour group.  

“Loki and Derek will be just fine,” Clint reassured the young Raijū.  Danny glanced back toward the doorway where his sworn god had just disappeared.  “I promise.”  Danny took a deep, calming breath then allowed himself to be led away.

*~*~*

Eliot, Derek, Loki, Darcy, Jane, and Steve followed Frigga into her private study; the doorway tucked behind the throne.  The Queen motioned for them to take a seat in any of the multitude of chairs in the spacious room.  

Loki did a quick sweep of the room and noticed that much had changed since he’d last been in this room with Odin.  There was much less clutter, more order to the things that were there, and small touches that to him screamed that his mother had claimed this room.  Not just for now, while Odin slept, but for the foreseeable future.  That made Loki pause.  Why did his mother think that she would be ruling for an indeterminate amount of time?

Before Loki had a chance to ask about what he’d observed, Frigga spoke.  “Now, with what ‘official capacity’ matter may I help you?”  She glanced around to the various individuals, not knowing who would start the discussion.

Loki began, as they had decided before they left the pack house, since he was the only person with any interstellar political experience.  “It is most auspicious timing that has put you on the throne for this discussion, as Odin would most likely not have even listened long enough to ask us into the study.  However, an unprecedented opportunity has presented itself to us, and we have come to present it to you.”

Frigga held up her hand to interrupt her son.  “I would ask that you speak plainly Loki.  There is no need for flattery and politicking with me.”

Loki smiled serenely at the queen.  “We have discovered a convergence of Ways, and have built up a complex in the hopes that we could create a council made up of a representative of each of the nine realms.”

“A convergence?” She queried.  “How many of the realms have a Way at this convergence?”  She’d only ever heard of the convergence of all the Ways that the Norns protected.  

A knowing smirk graced his regal features.  “ All of them.”  

Frigga looked stunned.  “That should be impossible,” she breathed out.

“It should be, and yet it has happened anyway.  Though as you can imagine, the location of this convergence will remain secret until such time as you, and therefore Asgard, have consented to join what has been dubbed the Council of Yggdrasil.  The prospect of the wrong people finding out about the Ways is too dangerous to merely announce its location.”

Frigga nodded.  “I completely understand, and happen to agree with you.  Odin even knowing that such a thing existed would be terrible indeed.  However,” she took a deep breath as if steeling her nerves.  “Odin shall never again know of anything.”  She met Loki’s eyes in an unblinking stare.  It took mere seconds for him to work out what she meant.

“How?”  By the time he asked his question the others in the room had also understood her meaning.

“He threatened to come after you and kill you,” she admitted.  “We fought and I won.  Eir helped me make it appear as if he had fallen into his OdinSleep.  I plan on letting him ‘pass peacefully in his Sleep’ in a year or two.”

Loki rose from his chair and rounded the desk behind which Frigga sat.  He gently pulled her to her feet and embraced her.  “That is a burden that you should never have had to bear.  You were placed in a terrible position.  A decision in which you could not win.”

“But I did,” she corrected him.  “You are here, on Asgard, and in my arms.  Such a thing could not have happened if he were still alive.”  She stepped away from her son and retook her seat.  Loki followed her example and returned to the chair he’d vacated.

“I had come to care for Odin over the millennia we were married, but I never loved him.  To me there was no choice.  There was only a mother’s instinct to protect her child.”  She gracefully wiped the tear away that had fallen.

“Now, about this Council of Yggdrasil,” she deftly changed the subject.  “Tell me more.”

*~*~*

Sif sauntered out onto the training field just as Volstagg landed on his back . . . again.  The man laughed his hearty laugh as Bucky helped the Æsir to his feet.  

“It appears as if the warriors of Midgard may have been underestimated,” Volstagg clapped Bucky on the shoulder, causing the Super Soldier to stumble slightly.

“In all honesty, most fighters in Midgard are not as good as we are,” Bucky admitted.  

Sif snorted in a very un-Lady-like way.  “One win in the training arena when Volstagg is going easy on you, does not a warrior make.”  Volstagg tried to disagree, to let her know that he hadn’t gone easy on Bucky, but Sif continued on.  “Any friend of Loki’s is obviously not someone that should be trusted to know the true abilities of the Æsir warriors.”

“Sif,” Volstagg started to argue, but he was interrupted.

“So you’re Sif,” Stiles drawled as she sauntered toward the taller female.  “If you’re so much better a warrior than we are, then how about you spar with me?”

Sif looked the young woman up and down, appraising her every move.  “I would bring dishonor upon myself sparring with someone so far beneath my skill.”

“Possibly,” Stiles retorted.  “You might also bring dishonor upon yourself if you were to lose to a human female.”  Stiles knew her words had hit their mark when Sif’s eyes narrowed and her lips pressed tightly together.

“It is on your head if you are injured or killed,” Sif snarled.  The two females strutted to the center of the training ring.  Everyone that was gathered there, be they from Midgard or Asgard, stopped to watch the females in the middle.

Back and forth, in and out, hit then miss; the fight wound around the ring, the upper hand being gained then lost by each woman in turn.  Round and round, again and again.  It appeared the two were evenly matched in skill, speed, and strength.  Until finally Stiles spotted the opening that her Aunt Nat had taught her.  As the taller female stepped forward, Stiles stepped on Sif’s thigh then swung her leg around Sif’s neck.  Stiles used her momentum and body weight to flip Sif forward onto the ground.  She then tightened her legs around the woman’s neck until she stopped fighting against the hold.  

Stiles immediately let go with her legs.  She wanted to incapacitate her sparring partner, not choke her to death.  Stiles stood first and went to check on Sif, the older woman was just beginning to blink her eyes open.  As soon as she saw Stiles, she swung her fist toward her jaw.  But Stiles was used to sparring with Alphas and Super Soldiers with their super speed, so a cheap shot swing like that didn’t catch her by surprise.  She used the swinging arm to her advantage and pulled Sif over onto her stomach, her arm twisted up behind her.  Stiles crouched down so that Sif’s arm was tucked between her stomach and her thigh, allowing her to have both hands free to continue to fight, if needed.

“Speaking of dishonoring yourself,” Stiles grumbled quietly so that the rest of the Æsir didn’t hear.  “You’d already been beaten and you swung even after the match was over.”

“You did not fight like a real warrior,” Sif countered, voice mumbled from where her face was pressed against the ground.  

“Silly me,” Stiles snarked.  “I forgot that the bad guys always fight with honor when trying to kill me.”  Stiles stood up and stepped away from the female warrior.  The arena was silent as Sif rose to her feet, the air thick with tension.  

“You are as dishonorable as Loki,” Sif sneered once she stood nearly a head taller than her adversary.

“I’ll take that as a compliment since he’s one of the most honorable men I know,” Stiles replied cheekily.  “The fact of the matter is that you got beaten and your ego can’t handle that.  And instead of admitting defeat gracefully and learning something from someone who’s a better fighter, you sling accusations and whine like a child.”  Stiles studied her for a moment.  “You’re nothing like the noble warrior that Loki made you out to be in his tales of Asgard.”

Before anyone could say anything Eliot burst onto the training grounds.  

“It’s Jane,” he rushed out.  “She’s been taken to the healers.”  Without waiting for any kind of explanation the pack took off after Eliot, leaving several confused, and one very angry, Æsir in their wake.

Chapter Text

Even with ordered bedrest, Jane was still as persuasive as ever.  She managed to convince Healer Praeteik to come to Midgard with the pack, because Jane would be able to rest with less stress if she was at home.  So, after much back and forth, and plenty of compromises on both sides, Jane agreed to stay on Asgard until the pack’s main house could be made ready for both Jane and Healer Praeteik.  Stiles had promised that it would only take a few days.  In the meantime, Derek, Darcy, and Loki would stay on Asgard with her, while the others got things set up on Earth.

*~*~*

“Darcy,” Jane whispered to her friend who was just across the room.  Darcy paced over to Jane who was laying down with her pillow throne.  Darcy nodded her head in a way of showing she was listening.  “I know we are on Asgard, but right now I want a Big Mac.  I don’t give a fuck if you have to kill for it.  Just get me a goddamn Big Mac,” Jane ordered.  

Darcy left the pregnant women to go to the Way to put in the order with Cobi and the pack.  What seemed like hours later Darcy returned with a McDonald's bag filled with large fries and burgers.  Drinks filled the other hand; Dr. Pepper and Coke were in two extra large Cups.

“Darcy, I love you, but now I want a chicken sandwich from Burger King.”  Darcy had seen this coming and in her little backpack was another bag full of food from Burger King.  Darcy gave the Burger King bag to Jane and disgust fell over the astrophysicist’s face.

“Dear lord!”  Darcy let out.  “WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT‽”

The pregnant woman looked at Darcy before seeing the rage in her eyes.  Jane grabbed her blankets and pulled them close to her face.  “Chick-Fil-A,” she mumbled.  Darcy understood that she was pregnant and this was all cravings; she also knew that Jane would do the same for her.  So, she crossed the bridge and spoke into her ear piece.

“Cobi. How do we get around this?” Darcy sighed.

“Around what?” Coby queried.

“We have a crazy pregnant woman who wants Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday.’’ Stress filled the 23 year old’s mind. She knew that she either went back to Asgard with Chick-Fil-A or suffered a slow and painful death.  

“Well, according to Pinterest, there are several copycat recipes for Chick-Fil-A chicken,” Cobi informed Darcy.  A sigh of relief came from Darcy’s mouth.

“Cobi, please call Eliot.” She ordered the computer.

“How about I cut out the middleman and just connect you directly to Eliot?” Cobi snarked.

“How about I remove your motherboard and smash it into a thousand pieces that even Stiles can’t fix?” Darcy retorted.

“I’ll connect you to Sir now,” Cobi answered much more politely.  

“Thank you,” came Darcy’s sincere response.

“What’s up Darcy?” Eliot’s voice rang through her earpiece.

“How much do you love me and Jane?”  She knew she sounded whiney, but at that point she didn’t care.

“That depends on what you need me to do,” the Alpha responded.

“Cook something for Jane.”

“I’m loving you more,” Eliot replied.  “What does she want?”

“Chick-Fil-A,” Darcy hesitantly informed him, her voice small and child-like.  Darcy swore she could hear Eliot's eyes roll even through the earpiece.

“Loving you a little less right now,” he joked back.  “I’m assuming that I’m being asked to cook it since it’s Sunday and they’re closed?”

“You would assume correctly,” she answered.  “She’d had all of us running all over the literal universe for her cravings, and now she is demanding Chick-Fil-A chicken.  So, can you please help a girl out?”  She begged.

“Do I look like your personal chef?” He joked.

“You look like someone who doesn’t want me to die a slow and painful death at the hands of a hormonal pregnant woman,” Darcy retorted.

“Relax, Darcy,” he tried to reassure her.  “I’ll make her some chicken that she won’t be able to tell didn’t come from Chick-Fil-A.”

“Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!”  Darcy chanted.

“I’ll bring it over to Asgard once it’s done,” he told her.

“Are you insane?” Darcy almost screeched.  “I’m not going back without the chicken.  I happen to enjoy having my head attached to my shoulders.”

Eliot chuckled.  “I think you may be overreacting.”

“How about you come back with me and talk to Jane?”  Darcy quipped.  “Then you’ll see how much I’m not overreacting.”

“Darcy, I promise you, you can go back to Asgard with out dying,” Eliot said, Darcy could hear the smile on his face.

“She swore at me, Eliot,” Darcy informed him.  “Twice.”

“Oh,” was all Eliot could respond.  He knew that Jane only swore when she was at the very end of her patience and would then start to lash out verbally.  Though, since her training had picked up, she’d started to physically lash out at whichever unlucky pack member was around when she was beyond stressed out.

“Yeah,” Darcy reaffirmed.  “Like I said, I’m not going back without the chicken because I like my head attached to my shoulders.”

“I’ll get the food to you as quickly as I can,” Eliot assured her.
“Thanks,” she breathed out.  She then collapsed in one of the many comfortable chairs in the Nemeton Complex’s main level to doze off until Eliot got there.

*~*~*

While on Asgard, Loki continued to talk with his mother about the Council of Yggdrasil and how it could possibly bring a greater peace to the Nine Realms.  Most of the discussions were held in Jane’s healing room so that she, Darcy, and Derek could be part of the discussions.

“Is Asgard the first realm that you have approached about the Council?”  The Queen asked on the second day of Jane’s confinement.

Loki ducked his head in embarrassment.  “Ever since I found out my true bloodline I have been in contact with my brothers.  So when deciding if the Council would even be an idea entertained by the realms I discussed it with Býleistr and Helblindi.”

“Oh, Loki,” she spoke softly and cupped his cheek gently.  “I am so happy that you have had a chance to get to know your brothers.  I will never be upset with you for speaking with them.  I would hope to meet them as family one day.”  Loki looked up at his mother with tears unabashedly streaming down his face.

“I would like that very much, Mother,” he finally managed to get out.  

“Now,” she sat back in her chair after Loki had dried his tears, “Since you’re here proposing the Council I can only assume that they agreed it was a promising idea.”  He nodded his head.  “May I know whom they have chosen as their delegate?”

“Helblindi,” was Loki’s immediate answer.  “As the Prince, his word carries nearly as much weight as Býleistr’s.”  

Frigga nodded once in understanding.  “Now, if only Asgard had a prince that was adept at politics and diplomacy,” she drawled, giving Loki a long, meaning look.  It only took a few seconds for him to understand what she was hinting at.

“No, Mother,” he dissented.  “I am not even Æsir.  How would the people accept me as their prince ever again?”

“First,” she argued.  “You, me, and Thor are the only people that know that you are not of Æsir blood, and Thor has been sworn to secrecy.  Even Odin agreed it was for the best that no one know; he feared that the people would take it out on him for lying to them all these years.

“And second,” she continued.  “I can think of no one I would trust more with the safety and future of Asgard than you, my son.”

“Asgard has a prince that they love,” he tried to come up with any reason why he could not, or should not, be Asgard’s delegate.

“They may love him, but they know that diplomacy is not his strength,” she stated.  She sat with her hands in her lap was she waited for his next argument.  After a few silent moments she played what she hoped would be her trump card.  “If you retake the crown then your descendants would be considered heirs to the throne and treated as such.”

Loki’s eyes opened wide, then narrowed to a laser point at his mother.  “And what of Fenrir?”

She flinches minutely, not having expected the question.  Though, when she thought about it, she knew she should have.  “I do not know where he is, but I swear to you, whether you agree to my offer or not, I use all of my resources to help find him.”

Frigga watched as he turned her offer over and over in his mind.  This was one of the best traits of her son, in her opinion - the fact that he would weigh all the options, all possible outcomes, before he made a decision.  It was what made him such a good prince and her first choice for Asgard’s Delegate to the Council of Yggdrasil.  She saw on his face when he’d made his decision.

“I have demands of my own,” he stated, suddenly looking every bit the Royal he was raised to be.  She couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m listening.”

He motioned to Jane, who’d lain silently watching the exchange, with Derek lounging next to her on the bed.  Darcy was seated next to the bed in a comfortable chair.  “Dr. Foster will be allowed to test her version of the Bifröst here.   Any materials that she will need in order to complete the ‘doorway’ here will be provided for her.”  He paused a moment to get his words in order.

“Agreed,” Frigga stated before he’d even gotten the next demand straight in his head yet.

“My second demand,” Loki continued, trying not to act startled that she’d agreed so easily and quickly.  “Is full access to the Library for all members of the Spencer-Hale pack.”

“Agreeable,” she responded.  He nodded.

“And lastly, my progeny will be treated as heirs even if there comes a time that I rescind all claim to the throne,” his voice and demeanor leaving little room for argument.

She smiled.  “And here I thought that you would ask for something difficult.”  All five people in the room chuckled.  “I can easily agree to all of those terms, so long as you agree to reclaim the crown, the title of Prince of Asgard, and agree to become Asgard’s Delegate to the Council of Yggdrasil.”

“How do you know that I won’t try to sabotage all of Asgard’s treaties and contracts?”  He was curious why she’d so willingly trust him when he’d been gone for so long, not to mention the fact that his moniker was God of Lies and Mischief.

“You wouldn’t do that to me,” she stated matter-of-factly.  When she noticed the slightly confused look on his face she continued.  “You might do that to Asgard, and you would almost certainly do that to Thor, but not to me.  I love you and you love me, and neither of us take that lightly.   That’s how I know I can trust you.”

Loki was stunned.  No one had ever put his personal code of honor in such simplistic terms.  But if anyone would understand him, it would be his mother.  Nearly every good thing he had learned in his long life he learned at her knee.

“Very well, Mother,” he sighed.  “I will do as you ask.  I will reclaim my title and crown to become the delegate to the Council.”

Frigga grinned and clapped her hands together.  “That is splendid my son.”  

The five continued to spend time together and talk.

*~*~*

On the third day of Jane’s ordered bedrest Stiles, Eliot, and Danny arrived to help escort Jane back to the pack’s house where she will stay in what had been Loki’s medical office before this week, while Healer Praeteik would be staying in the modified front room.  On the trek through the palace from the Way toward the healing rooms, the pack members happened across Lady Sif.  

The Asgardian warrior spotted them and glared.  “Humans,” she sneered.  “Your kind are not welcome here.  You’re not worthy to walk the halls of Válaskjálf.”

Stiles rolled her eyes at the taller woman.  “You know, I thought that your attitude before was just because you’d been beaten in combat by a mortal.  But, it turns out that you really are just that big of a bitch.”  She, Eliot, and Danny turned to walk away toward the healing rooms.

“How dare you?” Sif nearly yelled.  “I am the intended of Thor, the future king of Asgard.  I am one of the greatest warriors in all the Nine Realms.”  She was breathing hard by this point, she was so livid.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re acting like a spoiled child,” Stiles called over her shoulder as she, her husband, and Loki’s Companion continued down the hall.  Sif hurried to catch up.  She grabbed Stiles’ shoulder and spun her around.

“You are the child,” Sif snarled.  “You know nothing.”

“I know that you are nothing like the honorable warrior that Loki described you to be,” Stiles retorted.  “What happened to you?  Why are you acting like this?”

Hearing Loki’s name seemed to make Sif even angrier.  So angry, in fact, that she was beyond words.  Sif lashed out in the only way she knew, she swung her fist toward the shorter female.  Stiles sensed it coming and ducked under it; she enjoyed being short sometimes.  She stepped away from the rage-filled warrior, trying to not fight her in the middle of the palace.

“I thought that you were the sensible one of the group,” Stiles stated as she dodged another fist aimed at her head.  “But you’re acting like Thor - hit first, ask questions never.”  If Stiles ever wondered what a Berserker rage looked like, she was witnessing it first hand in the older woman.  Stiles continued to evade, which only increased Sif’s ire.

“Sif,” Queen Frigga snapped as she entered the hallway.  The warrior still didn’t stop, and Stiles continued to back away and dodge.  Frigga continued to call to the Æsir warrior, but to no avail.  Finally, Loki intervened and magically bound Sif so that she could not move to attack anyone.

Eliot quickly checked on Stiles.  Logically he knew that she was fine, but his wolf needed to check on his wife and mate.  She waved him away, trying to reassure him that she was fine.  Once Eliot was convinced she was uninjured she turned to Loki and Frigga.

“She is nothing like you described, Loki,” Stiles stated.  The two royals looked to her to continue.  “You always described her as honorable and level headed.  But this Sif,” she motioned to the woman who still struggled against the magical bindings, “She’s angry and impulsive.  She heard your name and went crazy.”

That made both Frigga and Loki pause.  The Queen waved her hand in the direction of the bound warrior.  A bright light flowed from Frigga’s hand and encapsulated Sif.  In less than a minutes, both magic users gasped in surprise.  Stiles and Eliot kept turning their heads back and forth between the royals and the warrior trying to ascertain what was going on.  

“Wanna share with the class?” Eliot asked Loki.  Loki shook his head a little to clear it.

“She’s been magically afflicted,” he informed them.

“Is that your fancy-schmancy way of saying she’s been cursed?” Stiles joked.

Loki chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation.  “Yes, Stiles.  She’s been cursed.”  

“Is there anything that you all can do to release her from its influence?” Eliot asked Loki.  The Queen and Prince glanced at each other for a long moment, and seemed to have an entire conversation in that one look.

“It is possible,” Frigga responded.  “But it is energetically draining to Loki and myself, and will be challenging for her psyche once she realizes that she had been controlled by someone else.”

“We happen to be familiar with helping people move on and heal from having their free will taken from them,” Eliot informed the Queen.  “If she truly is being controlled by someone else, we’ll help her however we can.”

“Very well,” Frigga agreed.  

She and Loki both raised their hands, light emanating from them, enwrapping Sif in the bright white glow.  The warrior began to twist and turn, writhe and moan in pain.  As the light around Sif continued to grow in intensity, her moans of pain turned into screams of agony.  The light persistently grew brighter and Sif’s screamed unceasingly.

What seemed like hours later, the light ebbed away and silence reigned abruptly.  As the glow retreated back into the hands of Loki and Frigga, Sif collapsed on the floor, tears unabashedly ran down her face.  Loki and the Queen crouched down next to the sobbing warrior.

“Lady Sif,” Loki whispered.  “Can you hear me?”  The Queen brushed the stray strands of dark hair out of the woman’s face.  

“You’re free now,” Frigga promised.  “Odin can have no more control over you.”

“How do you know that it was Odin?” Stiles questioned.

“His seiðr had a very specific magical signature,” Frigga explained.  “After all these millennium, I’d recognize his seiðr anywhere.”

“I remember now,” Sif finally spoke, her voice harsh and broken from screaming and crying.  “It was the All-father.  It was a few centuries ago.”  She managed to sit up against the wall so that she was able to face the group gathered in the hallway.  “He summoned me and Thor into his private office.  I don’t recall the exact words he used; many words used in the casting of seiðr are unknown to me.  But I have vivid memories of the pain that engulfed me.

“I remember Thor and I both yelling in pain,” she went on to explain.  “Once everything was done, I distinctly recall how much anger and contempt I felt toward Prince Loki.  At the time I was very confused by it, but it soon became such a normal feeling for me that I stopped questioning it.”  She hauled herself to her knees and bowed before the Queen and Prince.

“I need to beg forgiveness from both of you,” she sounded so broken and distraught that Stiles’ heart broke for the warrior.  Sif reminded her too much of her Dad when they’d first rescued him.  “My Queen, with you being as close to Loki as you were, the hatred that I was made to feel toward him also began to grow toward you.  I have dishonored myself, but worse, I have dishonored Asgard and both of you.”

Frigga took Sif’s face in both hands and gently urged the warrior to meet the Queen’s eyes.  “You have done no such thing.  The only person that has brought dishonor to Asgard was Odin.”  The warrior looked shocked at her queen’s words.  

“My Queen,” Sif raised herself to one knee in an official show of respect and humility.  “I hereby re-swear myself to not only the service of Asgard, but more importantly your service.”  She turned her head to the prince.  “But most especially, to you, my Prince.  I have wronged you for centuries, and I desire to prove my loyalty to you and my Queen.  I know that I have no right to ask, Prince Loki, but I greatly wish to be assigned to be your personal guard so that I may make amends for my past behavior.”

A low growl behind her reminded Sif that she was not alone in the hallway with the Royals.  She slowly pivoted on her knee and was met with the glowing silver eyes of the young man that had accompanied the female that had beaten her on the training field.  Sif felt, more than heard, Loki and Frigga stand up and saw Loki step in front of the young man.

“Be calm, young Raijū,” Loki soothed.  “She made an offer, but that doesn’t mean that I accepted it.”  Loki turned to the still-kneeling Sif and motioned for her to stand, which she did without hesitation.  “As you can see, I already have a personal guard.”  The hopeful look on the warrior’s face fell.  “However, I would be grateful if you would volunteer for a special assignment that I will be overseeing.”  

“I volunteer,” Sif rushed out.  Loki chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“I would not ask you to volunteer for something when you do not know anything about the position to which you would be assigned.  I would have you make the choice with full knowledge and understanding,” he informed her.  She eagerly nodded her head for him to tell her about it so she could say yes to her prince, no matter what he asked.

“My family and I,” Loki motioned to the pack members in the hall with him, “Have begun to take steps to put together a council made up of a representative from each of the Nine Realms.  What I would ask of you is that you consent to become one of the Council guards.  However,” he held up his hand to stop her nodding head.  “It is possible that you may be asked to guard a delegate from a realm that is not Asgard nor Midgard.  Is that something that you could do?”

He appreciated that she actually took a moment to think about it before merely saying yes in an attempt to win his favor.   This was the Sif that he remembered from all his long years on Asgard, before Odin interfered with her ability to make her own decisions.

“I admit that it is something that I am against on instinct,” she admitted.  “However, instincts can be unlearned and new instincts can be formed in their place.  If you’ll have me Prince Loki, I’d like to take this opportunity to learn new instincts, make you and my Queen proud, and bring honor to Asgard.”

Everyone gathered in the hall smiled with pride at the female warrior.  “We would be honored to have you, Lady Sif,” Loki acknowledged.  Sif then stepped to stand in front of the pack members.

“I owe each of you an apology, but I owe several apologies to you, young warrior,” she brought her closed right hand to the left side of her chest in a salute to Stiles.  “You are one of the best trained and most honorable warriors that I have ever met.  My actions both that day on the training field and just a few moments ago were, as you said, most dishonorable.  I hope that you will allow me to prove to you that I do know how to act with honor.”

Stiles smiled openly at the taller woman.  “My dad had his ability to choose taken away from him, so I am happy to give you a second chance.”  Stiles looked became serious.  “However, allow me to give you the standard warning I give all new people.  You want to come after or hurt me, fine.  You hurt anyone in my family, you will not live to see the next sunrise.  Am I clear?”  Though her expression was serious and her words harsh, her tone of voice was nearly conversational.

A small smirk played across Sif’s lips.  “I understand you completely.”  Sif noticed the aghast expressions of the two men that had accompanied the young warrior.  She realised that they must think that Sif would be offended or that the young woman had somehow said too much.  “I would have thought less of you if you had not made such a statement,” Sif informed the younger woman.  The reassurance made the young woman smile.

She held out her hand as she introduced herself.  “My name is Voin, but most people call me Stiles.”  The two women shook hands, though Sif did so awkwardly, as that was not a custom she knew.

As the group headed toward Jane’s healing room, the concept of the Council, and her new part in it, was explained to Sif.  She was also sworn to secrecy about all of it; she was not even allowed to tell the Warriors Three anything beyond that the Queen had sent her on a secret and sensitive mission, and that she would be gone for quite some time.  Sif was given several days to pack and say her goodbyes before Loki would come for her to show her how to get to the Complex.

But now it was time to take Jane home.

Chapter Text

“I have picked up Chris and Allison Argent entering Beacon County,” Cobi’s voice rang through the house speakers.  With people in the house that didn’t have the earpiece of a pack member, Stiles and Cobi had decided that Cobi would use the house speakers as often as possible.

“Where are they headed?” Stiles asked, head angled toward the ceiling.  She was sitting in Jane’s room with the astrophysicist as they spoke with Derek, Loki, and Danny who were out in the lab, via video conference so that Jane could still keep up with the Bridge.

“While it is still too early to tell exactly, their current trajectory has them headed in this direction,” Cobi relayed.  

“I’m coming in,” Derek’s voice rang over the speakers.

“Wait,” Eliot called.  “Stay there.  If they are coming here it would be better if we can surround them from the get-go.”

There was a split second of silence before Derek’s sigh could be heard.  “Alright, I’ll stay here for now.”

“I’ll head out there too,” Billy said from the Theater Room where everyone that was not in the lab or medical room watching Major League Baseball and trying to teach Praeteik and Sif about the sport.

“Thanks Billy,” Stiles said through the speaker system of the house.  “Cobi, please keep us posted on the Argents’ progress.”

“Of course, Miss,” Cobi acknowledged.

*~*~*

Chris Argent pulled his black SUV to a stop in front of the large house in the middle of the Preserve.

“Are you sure about this?” Allison asked her father, one last time.  She glanced from her dad to the house and back again.  

“The Argents have been ordered to stay away from the Hale Pack and their territory.  Which means that if we’re allowed to stay, this should be the safest place in the world for us,” Chris reminded her.  They’d had this discussion plenty of times, but they both continued to need to be reminded that this was a good idea.

“I just hope that we can live long enough to have the conversation with them,” Allison mumbled.

“Based on their response last time I was here, they’re rational and civil people,” her father answered anyway.

“You told me that they ripped Kate’s head off,” Allison pointed out.

Chris shrugged half-heartedly.  “Yeah, but she also kind of deserved it.  She had killed their entire family.”  Allison tucked her chin to her chest, but wisely held her tongue.

The two hunters slowly and cautiously exited the vehicle and made their way toward the front door.  Before they’d even gotten to the porch steps the front door swung open.  A red eyed Alpha that was definitely not a Hale stood there, arms folded across his expansive chest, several well armed people flanked him.  Out of the corner of his eye, Chris noticed several more armed individuals come around the corner of the porch and the side of the house.  A throat cleared behind him, and when he turned around he was met with a red eyed Hale Alpha and a handful of armed people.

The Alphas were the only members present showing their eyes, but every single individual, Chris noted, was armed and held themselves like a fighter.  All information that any hunter had on the Hale pack was that either Peter or Derek was the Alpha, with one or two Betas.  But this . . . no one had any inkling that not only were there two Alphas, but that there were well over a dozen members.  Chris suddenly had the feeling that he’d made a horrible miscalculation and that he would be lucky if he’d be able to get his daughter to be allowed to leave with her life.

“Argent,” the first Alpha growled.  Chris jerked around to face him.  The long haired man stepped forward on the porch toward the stairs, allowing the four people behind him to spread out next to him.

“Alpha,” Chris bowed his head in deference.  “I apologize, but I was told that this was the Hale Pack Territory.”  He dared a glance over his shoulder to the Hale Alpha there.

“It is,” the first man stated.  “More accurately, it’s Spencer-Hale Pack Territory.”  Chris had never heard of an Alpha Spencer, but that was obviously the man with whom he was speaking.

“Why are you here Argent?” The Hale Alpha behind him forced through elongating fangs.  Chris couldn’t blame the guy in the least.  If the brother of the woman that slaughtered his entire family showed up on his doorstep, Chris would be beyond livid too.

“For sanctuary,” he admitted quickly.  He felt, more than heard, everyone freeze.  The silence was as deafening as it was charged.

“Sanctuary,” Alpha Spencer spit out.  “Have you lost your goddamn mind?”

“Possibly,” Chris mumbled to himself, but he knew that the wolves had heard it.  “When my daughter Allison,” he motioned to the young woman beside him, “Turned eighteen we told her about the supernatural and that we were supposed to protect humans from the rogues and ferals.  But over the last two years my now-estranged wife has tried to teach her in the ways of Gerard and Kate.  Neither Allison nor I want to be like that.

“Argents have always been matriarchal, and since Allison is a born Argent, rather than having married in, she should have been the head of the family once she was both at least eighteen and felt ready for it.  But Victoria had managed to convert all of the family members to her side and way of thinking.  So, Allison and I left.  As far as I am concerned, she’s the head of our family; our matriarch.  And as the matriarch she has decided to change our family’s code from, ‘We hunt those who hunt us’ to ‘We protect those who cannot protect themselves’.”

Chris counted it as a good sign that he could see the people in front of him actually trying to process what he’d said, and not just dismiss it out of hand because it came from an Argent.  While they were silent he decided to play his last card.

“We also want to change our last name from Argent to Cosain, which was my mother’s maiden name,” Chris announced.  “We want nothing to do with the Argents.  And since the Argent’s Grand Matriarch in France has declared Beacon Hills and Hale Territory off limits to all Argents, I thought that Allison and I might be able to find refuge here.”

“Cosain?” The young woman next to Alpha Spencer spoke.  “That’s Irish, isn’t it?”

Chris was surprised that she knew that.  “Yes,” he informed her.

To his continued surprise she turned to Alpha Spencer and told him, “It means protect or shield.  Which I suppose makes sense.  Ireland has a huge history of supernatural lore, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they also had hunters or, in this case, protectors from those threats.”  Alpha Spencer cleared his throat.  The young woman blushed.  “Sorry.”  

The look the Alpha gave her was one of amusement, exasperation, and adoration.  Obviously the girl’s long winded explanations were something the Alpha was used to.  But it was the fact that no one sought to double check her response with him that Chris found the most telling.  She may be young, but she was intelligent and highly trusted.  The fact that she stood at the Alpha’s right hand was also very telling.  

“Я им не доверяю,” Alpha Hale stated from behind him ( I don’t trust them ).  Chris wasn’t certain of the language, but it sounded like Russian or some derivation thereof.  There was no record of any Hale speaking any languages other than English and Spanish.  Once again, the knowledge of this particular pack was sorely lacking.

“Я тоже, но он сказал нам правду. Или, по крайней мере, правда, что он знает,” Alpha Spencer responded ( Neither do I, but he did tell us the truth.  Or at least the truth as he knows it ).  Chris knew that his and his daughter’s fates were being decided by this conversation that was taking place around them.  He also knew that his best bet was to remain silent, so he did.

“Держите своих врагов ближе, чем вы держите своих друзей,” the young woman that had spoken earlier chimed in ( Keep your friends close and your enemies closer ).  The heavy silence told Chris that she’d said something that weighed greatly on what they decided.  He knew with absolute certainty to never, under any circumstance, underestimate or disrespect the young woman.  If he, or anyone, did either they’d never live to tell the tale.

“ If you are allowed to stay, what are you plans here Argent?”  Alpha Spencer demanded more than asked.

“To lay low and live like normal people,” Chris answered.  “We’d also offer any assistance to your pack that you may need, whether it be training, weapons, tactics, or information.”  Before he’d come here he thought that was a lot to offer.  But seeing the pack that surrounded him he knew that the only part of that they might need would be information.  They certainly didn’t need training or weapons.

“Я хотел бы иметь доступ ко всем книгам от моих предков о мифах и созданиях. Это было бы полезно.,” the young woman said in that strange tongue again ( I would love to get my hands on any and all of their bestiaries and books of lore.  That might be useful ).

“Это единственное, что они могут предложить нам, которых у нас нет сейчас,” Alpha Hale responded ( That’s the only thing that they could offer us that we don’t already have ).

“Они могут помочь нам понять, как охотники думают и действуют, поэтому мы никогда не будем снова неподготовленными,” Alpha Spencer added ( They could help us understand how hunters think and operate, so that we would never be caught unprepared again ).

“Мне все еще не нравится,” Alpha Hale gritted out ( I still don’t like it ).

“Мы могли бы заставить их поклясться в волшебной обязательной клятве, которая не позволит им причинить нам вред, и им не разрешат помогать кому-либо другому причинить нам вред,” a tall, regal look man offered from near Alpha Hale ( We could make them swear a magically binding oath that will not allow them to harm us, nor will they be allowed to help anyone else harm us ).  Whatever he’d said got everyone’s attention and they were seriously considering it.  The Alphas looked Chris up and down, as if he was being weighed and measured.  The former hunter had no doubt that he would be found wanting, in this case.

Alpha Spencer looked over Chris to Alpha Hale.  “ Это может сработать. Как вы думаете? ” ( That might work.  What do you think? )

“Вероятно, это был бы единственный способ, которым я позволил бы им оставаться где-нибудь поблизости от моей семьи,” Alpha Hale responded sounding more than a little unhappy ( That would probably be the only way that I’d allow them to stay anywhere near my family again ).

“Where would you live?” Alpha Spencer directed toward Chris.

“We haven’t even started to look for a place yet,” he replied.  “Allison and I came directly here when we drove into town.”

Alpha Spencer cocked an eyebrow over Chris’ head, then a moment later gave a short nod.  “А как насчет остальной части нашей семьи?” ( What say the rest of our family? )  

Chris listened as the rest of the pack offered short responses to what was apparently a question.  He got the impression that this was the final vote of whether or not he and his daughter would be able to stay in Spencer-Hale Pack Territory.  And once again, this pack didn’t behave like he’d be taught that packs normally did.  He’d never heard of a pack taking a vote or consensus before; just the Alpha making a decision and the rest of the pack abiding by it.

When the pack finally fell silent again, Alpha Hale stalked to the front next to his fellow Alpha.  Side by side Chris could tell which Alpha had held the position longest and was more settled into his own power.  Although, Chris was certain that if Alpha Hale stood next to an Alpha of any other pack, he’d be the one exuding power.  He’d met Talia once, many years ago, and even she didn’t project the amount of raw power that her son did now.

“There is only one way that we’ll allow you to stay,” Alpha Hale stated.  “One condition that must be met; it is non-negotiable.  If you choose not to meet it then you must leave.  However, if you agree to it, then you will be allowed in our territory.  Do we have an accord?”

Chris was stunned.  He honestly hadn’t expected to get this far.  Not after he’d laid eyes on the entire pack.  But the ‘one condition’ sounded rather ominous.  “What is your condition?”  He needed to know but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to.

“You must both swear a magically binding oath that you will not harm any member of this pack, nor will you ever help or assist anyone else is harming any member of this pack,” Alpha Hale informed them, there was a firm emphasis on “ever”.  

While Chris knew that such an oath was not to ever be taken lightly, he also knew that it was a condition that would be relatively easy to meet.  He turned to Allison and took a page out of the pack’s book, to speak in an alternate language.   “Vous êtes la matriarche. Vous avez le dernier mot à dire.” ( You are the matriarch.  You have the final say in this. )

Little did the Argents, or actually the Cosains, know that several members of the pack actually spoke French and for those who didn’t, Cobi was translating it in their ears.  But they all remained silent as the two decided what they wanted to do.

“Que signifie le serment?” Allison asked of her dad ( What would this oath entail? ).

“Cela signifie que si nous faisons quelque chose pour les blesser ou pour aider quelqu'un d'autre à les nuire, il y aura des conséquences magiques graves pour nous. Cela nous tuera probablement.”  ( It means that if we do anything to harm them, or assist anyone else in harming them, there will be serious magical consequences for us.  Most likely death. ) Chris’ matter of fact tone did little to ease the tension running through her.

“Donc, fondamentalement, nous devons jouer amicalement ou mourir,” she clarified ( So, basically we have to play nice or we die ).

“Exactement,” he confirmed (Exactly).

“Ce serment est-il quelque chose que vous êtes prêt à faire?” She wanted to know ( Is this oath something that you’re willing to do? ).

“Si cela signifie un endroit sûr pour vous loin des chasseurs comme Victoria, je suis prêt à faire presque n'importe quoi,” he confessed ( If it means a safe place for you away from hunters like Victoria then I’m willing to do just about anything ).  “Et ce qu'ils demandent n'est vraiment rien du tout.”  ( And what they’re asking is really not much at all. )

“Pensez-vous que nous devrions faire cela?” She was fairly certain that he’d say that they should, be she needed to hear it for herself ( Do you think we should do this? ).

Chris took a moment to appraise both Alpha who met his gaze, though he sensed no challenge from either of them.  “Je fais,” he stated with finality (I do).

“Ensuite, ma décision est que nous devrions jurer le serment qu'ils ont demandé,” she declared in her best matriarch voice ( Then my decision is that we should swear the oath as they’ve asked ).  Chris acknowledged her decision with a slight bow of his head in her direction.  He then turned his attention back to the two Alphas.

“We agree to your terms.”  Both Alpha stepped forward and shook his hand.

“Then, Mr. and Ms. Cosain, welcome to the Spencer-Hale Pack Territory.”

Chapter Text

By the time the Cosains had been in Beacon Hills for two weeks Chris had discovered that the Spencer-Hale Pack was more involved and more influential than any pack he had ever seen.  Although, Chris found it interesting that hardly any of the pack’s influence was under the name Spencer or Hale, it was mostly under Voin Enterprises.

Chris’ realization of how much pull the pack had in the community began when he looked into the company where he’d just interviewed for a job - Ophois Tactical & Security.  The fact that such a small community held a private security company wasn’t a huge stretch of the imagination, but the fact that said security company was also a tactical consultant group was statistically unlikely.  And with an odd name of Ophois he couldn’t resist finding out more about the company.

He discovered that Ophois was the Greek name for the Egyptian god Wepwawet, a wolf or wolf-headed god of war, seen mainly as a scout to clear the way for the army.  Chris’ first instinct was that this company was obviously owned by the Spencer-Hale pack, but the fact that the god was also a hunter god that used a bow and arrow gave him pause.  It turned out that Ophois Tactical & Security was a subsidiary of Voin Enterprises, so he looked into that company.  

He learned that Voin Enterprises also owned two real estate companies, one of which, Vesta Properties, owned the house that they he and his daughter had rented; the other, Māra Commercial Properties, was the commercial real estate company.  In addition, they owned and operated The Seshat Foundation, which was a scholarship foundation; and one of the most successful technology companies in the United States - Athena Technologies.  

Chris found the use of the names of deities in the company names more than interesting, considering his background.  Vesta was the Roman goddess of hearth, home, and family.  Māra was a Latvian goddess, the highest ranking goddess, the patroness of all economic activities, including money and markets.  Seshat was the Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge; she was credited with inventing writing.  She also became identified as the goddess of accounting, architecture, astronomy, astrology, building, mathematics, and surveying.  Chris was already aware that Athena was the Greek goddess wisdom, craft, and war.  

After discovering that the subsidiaries were mythology based, Chris decided to look up what Voin meant.  The first translation that he found was Finnish and meant, “I can.”  That translation didn’t feel right to him, so he kept searching.  As he continued he realized that it was the English spelling of the Russian word that meant “warrior”.  He found it interesting that they chose the word warrior as it had very specific connotations to it, one he hadn’t known to associate with werewolves before.

Once he knew what the name meant, Chris searched for information on the actual owners of the company.  He’d like to say that he was shocked to learn that the owner of Voin Enterprises was none other than the young woman that stood at Alpha Spencer’s right hand, but her knowledge and bearing meant that he was less surprised than he felt he should have been.  However, discovering that her legal name was Dr. Voin Spencer threw him for a loop.  The young woman, who couldn’t have been older than his own daughter, had a PhD and was also the Alpha’s wife; those things did catch him off guard.  

Peter Hale and his wife being the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, of Voin Enterprises actually made sense to him - keep it in the family, as it were.  By the time he found out that the most successful restaurant in Beacon Hills was owned, and cheffed, by Alpha Eliot Spencer he had rather come to expect it, or at least something like it.  

Everywhere he went within Beacon County he heard nothing but wonderful things about the Spencer-Hale Pack, though no one ever referred to them as a pack.  

“They’re such kind people.”  

“Best landlords I’ve ever had.”  

“Helped me and my daughter pay for everything for both our schooling.”

“They paid to have the youth center completely renovated, and not only do they donate tons of money to pay for employees, some of them also volunteer there for after-school programs, like art and archery.”

“Voin Enterprises as a whole, employees more locals than any other entity in the county, with the highest salaries and completely paid for benefits.”

“Who cares if they all live on the same property?  With that much money and property, I’d have my whole family live close to me too.”

“I heard that they’re the reason the old Sheriff got arrested.  Bless them for that; he was a mean drunk.”

Chris dropped onto a stool at his kitchen counter and cradled his head in his hands.  Allison noticed and walked behind him and gently rubbed his back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked her father.

“They’re goddamn saints,” he mumbled into his hands.  Allison held back her chuckle, barely, but didn’t bother to hide her smile since her dad wasn’t looking at her anyway.

“I don’t see how that’s a bad thing,” she admitted.  “Isn’t it a good thing that they’re good to, and protective of, their community and territory?”  She knew that she was still relatively new to the Supernatural world, but to her it sounded like a positive thing if a local pack was invested in the community so that they’d want to protect it.

“It is a good thing,” Chris muttered.  “It’s just going to take some time to think of pack members as the good guys instead of the enemy.  And this pack isn’t just ‘good’, they’re perfect.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Allison said as she sat on the stool next to her dad.  “What do you mean by perfect?”

“They own the company that owns this house , for starters,” he informed his daughter.  Allison was slightly startled by that.  “It seems like they own half the county.  With all the companies they own, they are the largest employer of locals in the county.  Alpha Hale also owns, and is the chef, for the most successful restaurant in town.  The fact that it’s called the Wolf’s Den is a dead giveaway that it’s owned by a werewolf pack.

“But on top of that,” Chris continued, “They’ve renovated the youth center, and some of them volunteer there as well.  Apparently some teach art, some teach different kinds of self-defense, and someone even teaches archery, of all things.  I have never seen a pack as invested in their local community as this pack.  It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I guess I still don’t understand how any of this is bad.”  Allison was confused.  Chris let out a heavy sigh then dropped his hands to the counter.

“It’s not,” he conceded.  “They’re just so loved that I feel like they could announce to the town that they were a pack of werewolves and the people would just shrug and not care at all.  I’ve never experienced anything like it.  Most packs try to keep from drawing any attention to themselves.  The original Hales were the most public pack I’d ever heard of, and that was because Alpha Talia Hale was the County Prosecutor.  But other than that they kept to themselves.  I’ve never heard of a pack as visible as this one is.  I’m not sure how to handle it.”

The two newly-dubbed Cosains sat silently at their kitchen counter as they both took in the information and paradigm shift of their lives.  

*~*~*

Chris spent a full day trying to process everything he’d learned about the pack and what it meant, or could mean, for him and his daughter.  Three days later he sat in the waiting room of Voin Enterprises psyching himself up for his meeting with Dr. Spencer.  Chris had met with numerous powerful and influential people in his former life as a licensed arms dealer, but for some reason, meeting with this young woman had him nervous and off his game.

“Mr. Cosain,” a voice he recognized caught his attention.  He looked up and was met with an highly professional appearing young woman, in her white blouse and beige pencil skirt.

“Dr. Spencer,” Chris greeted as he rose to his feet.  He reached out his hand to shake hers, which she did without hesitation.  He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised by the strength in her grip, but he was still unprepared for it.  He hadn’t known that she was a werewolf, too.

“Please call me Voin, Mr. Cosain,” she replied as she led him into her large office.

“Only if you call me Chris,” he returned as he surreptitiously glanced around.  The office was spacious, the dark woods and chairs complimented by the light walls and couches.  The large windows across the entire wall brought in plenty of natural light so that the office didn’t feel stuffy and claustrophobic.

Stiles took her seat behind her large desk and motioned for Chris to use one of the red and black chairs across from her.

“I must admit that I was surprised to find out that I not only had an appointment here at the office, but that it was with you,” Stiles confessed.  Seeing his confused reaction she continued.  “You see, I’m not normally in the office.  I spend the vast majority of my time in my workshop; coming up with new inventions or tweaking things that currently exist.  The running of the company I leave in the very capable hands of my aunt and uncle.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Hale are your aunt and uncle?”  The words slipped out before he could stop them.  He knew that she’d wouldn’t answer; that she’d already said more than any normal pack member ever would have to a hunter.  It was in that instant that he realized that she was offering him a symbolic olive branch in trusting him with that information.

The raised eyebrow that was directed at him was really to be expected.  He silently reprimanded himself and dropped his head slightly in acquiescence of the stupidity of his question.

“How about we skip directly to the reason that you decided that you needed an appointment with me,” the COO more ordered than suggested.  Chris straightened himself in the uncomfortable chair.  He had no doubt that the chair was uncomfortable as both a power play, making whoever sat in it physically, and therefore mentally, uncomfortable, but also to help keep meetings and appointments as short as possible since no one would want to sit in the chair any longer than absolutely necessary.  

He really needed to stop being so impressed with her and this pack; he needed to stop underestimating them.  They were obviously not like a normal pack; the opulent corporate office was more than enough of an example of that simple fact.  The fact that they understood the advantages of psychological intimidation as opposed to simply trying to physically intimidate spoke of training that he'd never heard of a wolf receiving.  Once again, he reminded himself to not disrespect or underestimate the young woman sitting across from him.

“I had an interview with Ophois Tactical & Security,” Chris got right to the point.  “After realizing that the pack owns it, I decided to reach out to the person at the top.  In this case, you.”

“And what were you hoping to accomplish by this?” Stiles sat back in her chair, rested her elbows on the arms of her chair and steepled her fingers together in front of her.  She was the epitome of relaxed; she knew that she held all the cards in this poker game.  But Chris had already swallowed his pride once in asking the pack to allow him and Allison to stay in the territory, so doing it one more time would be fairly easy.

“I was hoping for a job,” Chris stated bluntly.  “I was able to discuss my firearms sales with the interview panel, but my time and training as a former Hunter wasn't something I could really mention. However, it is something that I can bring up with you.”  

“For what position did you interview?” Stiles asked the older man, even though Cobi had already told her everything she might need to know.

“Senior agent,” Chris informed her.

Stiles cocked her head and searched the man’s face for a moment.  Chris was barely able to keep from squirming under her assessing gaze.  He’d met lifelong hunters, matriarchs included, and he never wanted to fidget under their watchful and assessing stare as he wanted to under hers.  As he met her eyes, he knew that her youth was only skin deep.  He’d never truly understood the meaning of the phrase ‘old soul’ until now.  

“Considering that you’re overqualified and the three supervisors that interviewed you all recommended you for the positions,” she finally spoke, “I’m not entire certain why you felt as if you needed to come meet with me.”

It was Chris’ turn to assess the young executive across from him.  She met his gaze with a steady, but curious, one of her own.  She didn’t try to rush him to speak; she seemed content to wait him out.  She didn’t have to wait long.

“I believe that I could be of much more use to Ophois and Voin Enterprise than as a senior agent,” he stated unflinchingly.  “While I would be happy to accept the position if were offered to me, I feel like I could be of more use in a different role.”

“And what role did you have in mind?”  Stiles leaned forward in her chair and rested her forearms on her marble desk.

“I was hoping that a position existed where I could put all of my knowledge and training to use,” he let her know.   

She studied him again before speaking.  “And what kind of compensation are you expecting for allowing us to put all of said knowledge and training to use?”  

He paused a moment, an indicator that he was extremely serious about what he was about to say.  “To be completely honest, the compensation for the senior agent is more than enough for me; however, I do have one request on top of that.”  She nodded for him to continue.  “I’d ask that whoever the archer in your pack is, that they please take Allison under their wing and train her.”  Seeing Stiles’ surprised look he hurried on.  “She’s already mostly trained in archery, and she’s really quite exceptional.  For a human.  She was even on the Junior National Team as a teenager.  But she could be so much more if she had a teacher that actually better than her.  One that can teach her speed as well as accuracy.”

“You want my pack to teach your daughter how to be an archer that is good enough to kill them?”  Stiles asked incredulously.

“No,” Chris disputed.  “I want your pack to teach my daughter to be an archer that’s good enough to defend them and innocent humans from the actual evil things out there.”

Stiles had not anticipated that Chris would ask such a thing of her, so she couldn’t help the blank look on her face (something that she’d learned from her Aunt Nat) as she processed the possible ramifications, both positive and negative, of giving the man what he’d requested.

After several minutes of her continued silence, during which Chris actually started to squirm, Stiles finally spoke.  “I’m sure that you can understand that I will have to discuss this with my pack first before I can give you any kind of answer.”

Once again Chris was struck with the thought that this was not a regular pack.  If she were a member of any other pack, she, as the Alpha’s Mate, could dictate to the pack what she wanted to have done and they would have to do it.  But once again, Chris was learning that this pack was much more of a democracy than the benign dictatorship that most packs were.  It made Chris feel more secure in his decision to come speak with her and ask for the pack’s help training his daughter.

“I admit that I hadn’t expected that response, but I can respect and appreciate it,” he admitted.  “I’ve never known a pack to discuss things like yours does.”

Stiles smiled enigmatically.  “That’s because you’ve never met a pack like ours,” she told him as she reclined back in her chair slightly.

“No, I don’t think I have,” Chris agreed.  “Nor do I think I ever will again.”

The small pull on Stiles’ lips morphed into a full blown grin.  “I will take that as a compliment.”  Chris couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped.  There was something about the young woman’s smile that made it difficult to resist.

Chris noticed Stiles suddenly still.  If he were a betting man, he’d bet that she listening to something that only she could hear.  But unlike other wolves he’d met, she didn’t cock her head to the side.  He’d always secretly thought it was hilarious when wolves did that.  She, however, merely tensed and her eyes got a far away look to them.

“Miss, I deeply apologize for the interruption, but Dr. Foster’s water has just broken and she has gone into active labor.  The pack members that are not currently at the house are now enroute.”  Cobi’s voice sounded in Stiles’ ear.  If it were possible for Cobi to sound panicked, she would have.  Stiles knew she had to end her meeting immediately and get home.

“Everything alright?” he asked as soon as her eyes refocused on him.  It took her a few seconds to realize that he must think that she was a wolf.  She decided not to correct his assumption.

“There’s an emergency back at the house,” she informed him.  “I apologize, but I’m going to need to cut our meeting short.  I will discuss your proposal with the pack and get back with you as soon as I’m able.”  She swiveled in her chair to the credenza behind her.  She opened a drawer and grabbed her keys, then stood up and faced Chris.  “I’ll walk you out.”  

Chris stood and preceded her out of her office.  He couldn’t help but notice that she only carried her keys; no purse, no phone.  He made a mental note, especially when he watched Mrs. Hale hurry out of her office with the same lack of paraphernalia.  He also realized that they both carried their keys in their left hand.  He had been trained to not carry anything in his gun hand, so it was a trait that he tended to notice in others.  He added to his mental note that both women were more than likely armed, in addition to any claws they might have.

“Thank you for your time,” Chris offered his hand to Stiles as he turned to face her.  She shook his hand once she’d finished pulling her office door shut behind her.

“Again, I apologize for ending our meeting short,” Stiles replied.  “But I’m sure that you understand that family comes first.”

“Of course,” he responds.  “If there’s anything that I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Thank you Chris,” Stiles answered.  

Once the elevator doors closed with him inside, another elevator immediately opened and Stiles and Nat stepped inside.  Cobi controlled the descent so that the lift moved faster than normal and made no stops on the way to the ground floor.  

The two women hurried home to be with Jane and the pack, since Jane had almost two weeks until her scheduled due date.  Which could only mean that something was wrong.

Chapter Text

Stiles and Eliot burst into the house through the garage door and mere seconds later Natasha, Peter, Steve, and Bucky rushed through the side door.  The six of them having arrived home at the same time from their respective places of work.  The rest of the pack was in the theater room.  Stiles immediately noticed that everyone was staring at blank screens. It should have been Jane’s medical room, but there was nothing; no audio and no visual.  

“Why are we staring at nothing?” Stiles queried.  She had figured that they wouldn’t have been allowed in the birthing room, but she thought that she and Cobi had decided to let everyone watch via video feed. When the only response she got was a sigh and a shrug from Quinn she asked, “Cobi, can we please get the feed from Jane’s room?”

“I’m sorry Miss, the healers have disengaged the feed,” was the reply from Cobi.

“Cobi, is something wrong? Why would they disengage the feed?” Stiles asked again.

“I am unable to reply,” Cobi’s reply could only mean that Loki had installed some sort of program for this scenario, but what was the scenario?  She knew that if she really wanted to she could override the lockout, but Stiles was certain that she wouldn’t like what she’d see, nor would anyone in Jane’s room thank her for it.

Stiles was visibly upset by the reply she received from Cobi. Eliot quickly wrapped his arms around her and lead her to a seat. She barely noticed that Peter had also done the same with Nat. Nat was just as shaken as Stiles was. Stiles took a moment to try to assess the others in the room. She could now see that Darcy was crying and Clint seemed to be consoling her and Remy had his arms around Cora. Quinn, Billy, and Danny were staring at the blank screen unmoving.

“Eliot, please tell me what you can hear and smell. I need to know what is wrong,” Stiles pleaded with her husband as the tears started to fall.

Eliot didn’t want to tell his wife what he smelled the moment he walked it, but he knew he couldn’t lie. There was no need to hide the worry as everyone could feel it, it was palpable.

“Blood,” he whispered.

Stiles buried her face into his chest and let the tears fall like rain. Was Jane okay? Was the baby okay? What on earth would they do if they lost the baby? How could Derek continue on now without Jane? Did something happen Jane’s heart? She knew it was possible that the baby could be born with claws and could cut their mom during birth, did something like that happen? There were so many questions. Why wasn’t anyone in the room speaking through their coms? She hated radio silence, she needed to know what was going on. She despised feeling out of control!

An instant later the screens suddenly came back on. The scene it showed was not at all what she was expecting. Stiles had to blink to clear the tears. The camera was set behind Jane’s bed, Jane was sitting up with her arms out. Loki came into view holding a small bundle of blankets. He gently placed the bundle into Jane’s arms. Jane took the bundle and held it in a face to face hold. Loki moved the blanket slightly, and the baby was on screen. He was trying desperately to open his eyes, adjusting to the lights. Next Derek stepped into the shot. He touched the baby and kissed Jane, then turned to the camera.

“Hey everyone, sorry for the delay, but here is Markus. Weighing in at 5 lbs 8 oz and 17 inches. Markus gave us quite a scare, but everything is fine now. Jane is going to need some extra time to recover, and needs to rest. So we are going to cut the feed again, but we will be bringing the baby out soon for everyone to ‘coo’ over.”

After Derek was done speaking, Loki said, “Cobi off please.” The screens once again went blank. This time however the tears in the room were of relief and joy instead of worry. They were okay. Markus was here! Jane was recovering! This really was a great day!

*~*~*

It had been a few days since the Markus was born. As much as everyone wanted to just be around the baby, it was also imperative that they free Thor from the curse Odin had placed upon him. So they spent the next few days preparing the mission to New York where The Avengers were all together at Stark Tower. Loki invited his brothers to not only visit, but also for added protection for Jane and the baby. Jane would also have Cora, Remy, Billy, and Darcy for companionship and security.

The Pack all finished getting their masks into place around their heads as the Q2 made its final approach to the landing pad at Stark Tower.  Cobi had somehow managed to convince JARVIS not to let anyone know that they were coming, so that Thor wouldn’t have time to leave.  As the jet landed, The Pack, Sif, and Frigga all rose from their seats and headed out by the ramp at the back.  The Queen and Æsir warrior were in the middle of the formation as they made their way to common room just inside the tower.  There, the group waited for JARVIS to announce their presence to the Avengers.

Tony was, unsurprisingly, the first to enter the room .  He stopped short at the intimidating group standing in their modified parade rest stance.  His eyes quickly landed on the two women ensconced in the center since they were not dressed in the same uniform as the rest of them.  Tony decided that The Pack was even more intimidating as they stood in his home then they were on the helicarrier, and he hadn’t think that was possible.

“What the hell is going on here?”  Tony wasn’t sure if he was shouting at the people in front of him or his AI that had allowed it to happen.

“They are here for Prince Thor,” JARVIS stated calmly.  Before anyone could say anything else, the rest of the Avengers, Thor included, burst into the room from several different directions.

The Pack, as one, turned toward the tall blonde.  The abruptness of the movement and their undivided focus had the Æsir take a startled step back.  His initial anger at seeing The Pack, and especially Loki, grew when he noticed his mother and Sif with them.

“Mother,” he bit out trying to both reign in his temper and sound respectful toward his Queen.  Unfortunately he failed miserably at both.  “Why have you allowed this abom. . .” he paused and flicked his eyes toward The Pack’s leader, clearly remembering the warning Dom had given him when last they had met, “thing . . . into our presence?”  He met eyes with Sif, “Why have you allowed yourself to be befouled by it ?”

Sif took a deep breath then stepped forward toward Thor.  “My Prince,” she greeted him via her honor salute, her right fist over her heart, head bowed in deference.  “We have much to discuss.”  She tried to approach him, but the blonde stiffened, causing the female warrior to halt immediately.  

“What have we to discuss that would involve my mother and . . . all of these others?” Thor demanded.  He crossed his arms across his godly chest; his body language screamed defensive.

Sif attempted another step forward and was grateful that he held his ground so that she was able to approach.  “Thor, I am your intended, and as such I have ever been forthright and honest with you.  Though the news I bear may seem improbable, please trust that I speak naught but the truth.”

“Hey Shakespeare!” Tony loudly interrupted drawing all attention toward him.  “What the hell did you just say?”  War couldn’t decide if he’d asked the question because he truly didn’t understand what Sif had said, which War found unlikely, or if he was just pissed that no one was paying him any attention.  She thought that was the most likely cause for his outburst.

Tony glanced around, his eyes and body language demanding an explanation to not only what Sif had said, but why The Pack was there, inside, in the first place.  The Avengers looked torn between wanting to roll their eyes at Tony’s antics and wanting to back him up and demand an explanation as well.  Apparently the half second pause was too long to Tony so he turned to look at the shorter woman that spoke so much the last time the two groups had interacted.  

War rolled her eyes before she answered.  “That’s Lady Sif,” she informed the Avengers.  “She’s one of Asgard’s greatest warriors, and Thor’s future wife.”  She motioned behind her.  “This is Queen Frigga, ruler of Asgard and Thor’s mother.  We brought them here to help rid Thor of Odin’s magical mental influence.”

“Magical mental influence?” Sam parroted back.  

Dom heaved a heavy sigh.  “Odin cursed Thor; he’s been magically brainwashed.”

“How dare you‽” Thor bellowed.  His fists were clenched at his side, and War could almost see the metaphorical steam billowed out his ears.

“'Tis the truth,” Frigga and Sif said at the same time.  Thor’s scowl turned even darker.

“My father would never do such a thing,” the blonde prince stated emphatically.  War rolled her eyes.

“I told you before that your dad was a giant bag of dicks,” War huffed.  “This is just proof of it.”

The Avengers all startled when Thor stepped menacingly toward the young woman that had spoken.  Before he’d taken more than two steps, he was suddenly held in place by what appeared to be some sort of forcefield.  The outstretched arm of one of the male members of The Pack.  

“That’s quite enough of that,” Merlin stated.  

Thor continued to struggle against the magical bindings and ceaselessly bit out profanities and curses.  The Avengers all watched in stunned silence as light escaped from the hands of Frigga and Merlin.  The white light grew brighter and brighter; the prince began to twist and turn, writhe and moan in pain.  As the light around Thor continued to grow in intensity, his moans of pain turned into screams of agony.  The light persistently grew brighter and Thor screamed unceasingly.

What seemed like hours later, the light ebbed away and silence reigned abruptly.  As the glow retreated back into the hands of Merlin and Frigga, Thor collapsed on the floor, tears of pain unabashedly ran down his face.  Sif and the Queen crouched down next to the quieting prince.  

“My Prince?” Sif questioned softly.  She remembered her own release from Odin’s magic; the pain and guilt that accompanied the clearing of her mind.  

“Thor?” Frigga asked.  “Can you hear me, my son?”

Thor shook his head to clear the tumbling thoughts away.  “Father did , in fact, inflict his seiðr upon me.  Why would he do that Mother?” He turned toward his Queen.  “He had no need to do so.  Had he explained his motives to me I would have followed his will without question.”

The Pack, Sif, and the Queen all sucked in a sharp breath.  Frigga and Sif both looked on him with suspicion, while The Pack all glared at him in fury.  The growls rumbling from several members of The Pack had most of the Avengers stepping away from them.  Bruce merely looked over The Pack with a look on his face that finally figured out a difficult puzzle.

“You still harbor ill will toward Loki?” Sif was surprised at this.  When her mind was freed, she’d felt guilt and remorse for her actions toward the younger prince.  But it seemed as if Thor did not share her experience.

“He is one of them ,” Thor spat.  “A Jötunn.”  His voice held such malice and disdain that even the Avengers flinched at it.

“And that’s our cue to leave,” Dom spoke up.  He looked between Sif and Frigga.  “We promised that we’d bring you here to cure him, but there’s no way that we’re going to stay here and listen to him insult our pack member.”

Frigga let out a long, heavy sigh as she looked over her biological son.  “As you say.”  With heavy hearts, Frigga and Sif stepped back behind The Pack, who quickly surrounded them.  Wordlessly the group turned toward the landing pad, walked out to their jet, and took off before anyone could stop them.  They left behind an angry Thor and five confused Avengers.

Once the jet had left the landing pad, the Avengers turned toward Thor and watched as he slowly climbed to his feet.  They all stared at him before Tony found his voice.

“What the hell was that?”  He waved his hands around, indicating everything that had just transpired.  

“My mother and intended were correct,” he told them.  “Several centuries ago my father secured my compliance to his will through magical means.  I am now no longer under said compulsion.”

“You said that you wouldn’t have needed to be,” Bruce pointed out.  “What exactly was the magic supposed to make you do?”

Thor cocked his head to the side as he thought about how to explain what the seiðr had told him how to think, act, and behave.  “I was raised with a younger brother, Loki,” he spat out the name with disgust.  “The seiðr made certain that I would treat him as lesser than myself, that no one would like or trust him, and that my warrior compatriots would not trust his use of seiðr instead of straight forward fighting as befits a true warrior.”

“But you said you wouldn’t have needed to be magically brainwashed,” Sam reminded him.

“ Loki ,” Thor hissed the name like a curse, “was raised to be my younger brother.  But he was never an Æsir .  He is actually our enemy, a Jötunn.”

“What’s a Jötunn?” Peter asked, speaking for the first time.

“The Jötnar are mindless beasts,” the prince stated in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice.  “They are a frozen waste of space.   Æsir parents tell their children stories of Jötnar to scare them into behaving.”

“So they’re the monsters under the bed?” Scott pressed.

“Of a sort,” Thor acquiesced.  

“Your mother and . . . intended . . . didn’t seem to have any problem with him,” Bruce pointed out.  “Would I be correct in assuming that Merlin is actually Loki?”

“You assume correctly,” the blonde confirmed.  “Though, I fear that he may have done something to them that would cause them to act as if he is not an abomination of nature.  He is a beast that wears the face of my people.”

“Hold on Hammer Time,” Tony interrupted.  “Are you saying that Loki magically brainwashed them ?”

Thor nodded solemnly.  “That is the only reason I can fathom that they would willingly work with that creature.”

“I can think of another,” Bruce mumbled.  Unfortunately, the rest of the occupants of the room heard him.  When he noticed that they were staring at him, waiting for clarification, he continued.  “The Pack is all about protecting the innocent, so the fact that they not only protect him, but he’s an actual member tells me that there is obviously more to the story.” ‘ Not to mention the fact that he’s submitted to an Alpha to be part of an extremely powerful werewolf pack ,’ Bruce thought, but wisely kept to himself.  If the rest of the Avengers didn’t know about the supernatural, Bruce wasn’t going to be the one to introduce them to it.

“Do you say I lie?” Thor thundered at the smaller man.

“Absolutely not,” Bruce defended himself.  “I’m saying that I believe that there is more than one side to every story.  Including this one.”

“I agree with Bruce,” Sam piped up.  “The Pack scares the ever living shit outta me, but I know that they’re the good guys.  So if Loki is with them, then he must be okay too.”

“He is a beast,” Thor argued.  “There is nothing ‘okay’ about him.”

“I think that we’re going to have to agree to disagree, Point Break,” Tony chimed in.  “Besides, we have more important things to worry about . . . like how did they get into the tower without JARVIS alerting me?”

Thor stormed off while the rest of the Avengers talked with JARVIS to find out how and why The Pack was able to enter the tower without anyone being told.  Needless to say, Tony spent the rest of the day running a full diagnostic of JARVIS to see if they were any coding weaknesses that could be exploited in the future.

Chapter Text

Cobi’s voice in her ear interrupted Stiles as she fiddled in her workshop.  “Miss, I have intercepted a call between the senior Mr. LeBeau and Araya Calavera, the matriarch of the Calaveras Hunters of Mexico.”

“Please play it for me.  Would you also let Eliot and Derek know please?”  Stiles replied.

“Of course, Miss.”  Stiles sat still as she listened to the phone call.

“Araya, it’s Jean Luc.”

“Good afternoon Señor LeBeau.  What can the Calaveras help you with today?”

“My sons seems to have disappeared.  They have been gone for months and I have no idea where they went.  All I know is that one of my employees mentioned that he overheard Remy say that they were going to find his wife’s family.  Apparently there was a rumor that she was not the only member of her family to have survived the house fire that she’d thought killed all her family.  However, I do not know where that home is, and neither son is responding to any of my attempts to contact them.”

“And what would you like for us to do about it?”

“Find them.  That’s what your family has always done for us, just like ours has always procured items for yours.”

“Very well.  What is your daughter-in-law’s maiden name?”

“Cora Hale.”

“. . . In that case, I am almost certain that I know where they are.”

“Where?”

“In a small town in northern California.”

“Then I will be on the first flight to you so that you can lead me to them.  Their responsibility is to this family, not one that’s dead.”

“Very well, Jean Luc.  I shall see you soon.”

The call ended and Stiles was furiously thinking about what to do.  She stood up from her work bench, and headed up to the studio to get her fathers.  She needed to get home and discuss strategy with the pack.  She also knew that she’d need to speak with Chris Cosain to gather intel on Hunters and their modus operandi.  The next few days were going to be crazy.

*~*~*

After hearing the phone call, Stiles met with Eliot and Derek to discuss possible options on how to handle the news.  They decided that they would inform Cora, Remy, and Billy that there was a chance that their father (in-law) would come looking for them.  Stiles would also get in contact with Chris Cosain to come meet with them to go over Hunter clans with them.

So later that day, Chris and Allison showed up at the pack house.  Stiles, having been alerted by Cobi that they’d arrived, opened the front door as they walked up the steps.

“Chris, Allison,” she greeted.  “Thank you for coming.”  She shook both of their hands and she guided them inside toward the family room, since the front room hadn’t been switched back from the Healer’s bedroom.

Chris took in the interior of the house as they moved further toward the back.  He knew that he shouldn’t have been, but he was rather surprised at how clean, comfortable, and homey the large and open house was.  He and Allison followed their hostess to several large couches, in what appeared to be a gathering room-type area by the spacious kitchen, and before they sat down Alphas Spencer and Hale appeared seemingly out of thin air almost immediately.

“Thank you both for coming,” Eliot greeted.  He shook hands with the Cosains, while Derek nodded his head in greeting to both.  Chris didn’t blame him one bit for not wanting to touch either of them.  

As they sat, Chris took special note of the seating arrangement of the Alphas.  Eliot was in the middle, which didn’t surprise him, but the fact that Derek was on his right and his wife was on his left did.  He hadn’t expected a woman, especially one so young, to be a Left Hand of an Alpha.  He’d seen her at his right before, so Chris had assumed she was his Mate and Second, but now she was positioned as his Left Hand.  So he could only assume that meant . . . no, he needed to stop putting this pack in a metaphorical box.  They were so unlike any pack he’d ever seen that there was no way to guess what any of this meant.  He’d just have to observe and decide later.

“Part of the agreement that allowed you both to stay in our territory was that you would provide information if we needed it,” Eliot spoke.  Chris and Allison both nodded their heads.  “In addition, Voin has presented your proposal of employment to the pack and we’ve agreed to it.  Clint,” Eliot stated not raising his voice at all.

Two blonde men entered the room from around a corner in the kitchen.  They stopped behind the third couch, the one situated at the bottom of the u-shape that the three couches formed.  The two stood in what appeared to be a relaxed stance of a military parade rest.  “These are the directors of Ophois, Directors Barton and Quinn.”  The two men nodded as their name was spoken by Eliot.  “Barton is our archer.  He’s the best in the world.”  He noticed the disbelieving look on Allison’s face.  “And no, that is not just a bias because he’s our beta.”

“I understand that you’re an archer as well,” Clint said to Allison.  When she nodded he continued.  “I’ve been asked to continue your training.  If you’ll come with us we’ll take you out to the target we have set up in the side yard.”  She looked surprised.  After a quick glance to her father, who gave her a quick nod and smile, she left with the duo through the back door. Allison brushed Clint’s shoulder in passing. Instinctively Clint sniffed and liked what he smelt.

Chris watched as they walked past the windows behind the Alphas.  Only once she was out of sight did he speak.  “So now that you have effectively separated us, what can I do for you?”

The three pack members at least had the decency to duck their heads, both in acknowledgement and slight embarrassment.  Stiles was the one that explained.  “Yes we separated you, but not for the reason that you’re probably thinking.”  

He cocked an eyebrow at the young woman, but it was Eliot that explained.  “We know that you’re estranged wife is a Calavera by birth, and since your separation has been in contact with her mother Araya.  The conversation we’d like to have with involves the Calaveras and we didn’t want to put Allison in any kind of awkward position of having to choose between us and her maternal family.”

Chris was surprised by the pack’s consideration of Allison’s feelings, if he were to be completely honest with himself.  He’d already known that this pack was different than others, but now he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he’d made the right choice by moving here.  “Thank you for thinking of her.  What information about the Calaveras would you like?”

“If you don’t mind, we’d like to take this discussion upstairs to our library.  The rest of the pack is there and that way Allison won’t overhear anything that you don’t want her to.”  Eliot rose from the couch when he finished speaking.  Chris nodded his head and stood to follow the Alpha, the other two just behind him.

Chris was led through the kitchen and up a back set of stairs, the top of which was mere steps away from a second set of stairs that led up to a third floor that Chris didn’t realize that the house even had.  Just past the two closets in the short hallway they entered the library.  Eliot hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that the rest of the pack was waiting for them there.  

In the center of the room stood a large conference table, that looked to Chris like it was actually a “smart table”, and every seat around it was taken except for four.  The two Alphas took the two end chairs and Stiles motioned Chris to the empty chair near the center of long side, while she took the empty seat just to the left of Eliot.  Her position had him look toward Derek’s left side to see a red headed woman there, the CEO of Voin Enterprises that he’d seen a few days before.  Peter Hale was to Derek’s right.  Chris had figured that Peter would be Derek’s Left Hand since he’d been Talia’s.  Chris couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer.

“I thought you were the Left Hand of the Hale Pack,” Chris spoke to Peter.  Peter merely smirked and turned to look to Derek to answer.  Derek also smirked at Chris’ confusion then motioned to Eliot to take the question.  

“First, I have to ask why you would think that Peter was the Left Hand,” Eliot queried.

Chris shrugged.  “He was Talia’s.”  

Eliot nodded in understanding.  “In our pack everyone has the knowledge and capability of to handle any position in the pack, including Alpha.  They only lack the red eyes, but they all have the ability.  What position any member holds at any given time wholly depends on the circumstance.”

Chris sat there completely dumbfounded.  He knew that this pack was not like any other he’d ever heard of, but he couldn’t have expected this.  No pack trained all its members to handle all the positions, especially the role of Alpha.  Then again, this was the strongest, most stable, most successful pack he’d ever seen.  Maybe if more packs acted like this one then the need for Hunters would all but disappear.  Speaking of Hunters . . .

“You mentioned something about the Calaveras,” Chris tried to regain some kind of even footing in the conversation.  

“Yes,” Eliot didn’t even try to hide his mirth at Chris’ gobsmacked expression and scent.  “We intercepted this call between Jean Luc LeBeau of New Orleans and Araya Calavera.”  

Before Chris could ask the Alpha what he meant by intercepted a call, the recording started to play.  Chris wasn’t certain that he wanted to know how the pack had managed to get ahold of that call.  When the recording was finished he looked directly at Eliot, opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly closed it.  He was trying to process the fact that both Prince of Thieves of the New Orleans Thieves’ Guild were sitting at the table with him, and had apparently chosen this pack over their father.  

“Well then,” Chris finally managed to speak.  “I can see why you’d call me and want any and all information I could give you on the Calaveras.”

*~*~*

“Okay, Allison,” Clint motioned to the equipment on the table in front of them. “Pick your poison.”

Allison stood in front of a table with several different bows laid out; compound, recurve, and traditional. She eyed the bows on the table, and wondered if this were some sort of test already. She didn’t want to fail on her first day. They might not train her if she didn’t try to impress them right away. First, she passed a traditional bow, no stabilizer and no sights. Allison reached out to touch it, but hesitated and feeling both men’s eyes on her she withdrew her hand. There was a compound bow, with a short riser, short stocky limbs, and 3 strings. Finally the recurve bow, with its riser, limb, sight, stabilizer and finger sling.

“Pick any of them?” Allison looked back at the men. Both standing with arms crossed over their chest.

Clint gave a simple quick nod.

Allison immediately picked up the traditional bow. It was a little heftier than she liked, but figured they would have been Clint’s bows and therefore built for a larger male. It was almost identical to the first bow she shot, she checked the balance, and pulled the string to check the tension. At the end of the table she picked up 3 arrows and made her way to the range where the first target was set up. She got in her stance and nocked the arrow onto the string. She raised her left arm and pulled the string back with her right arm. Allison aimed the arrow and holding her breath released the arrow. With a woosh the arrow hit the bottom right of the target. Allison stared in shock at the spot where her arrow should have hit, then turned around.

“What was that?” Allison demanded.

“That’s a great question, what was that?” Clint responded so softly he barely moved his mouth.

“That should have hit the bullseye,” she gasped knowing she was much better than this. Allison picked up another arrow to prove her point. This time however she felt something just a little off. The arrow’s weight was not center, and even in her hand seemed to point down to the right. Her mouth agape she turned again.

“Did you check your equipment?”

Allison responded with a curt, “Yes.”

“Did you check all your equipment?” Clint’s question was so calm it made Allison even more upset.

“You fucked with the arrows!” She retorted.

Clint took three quick strides and was face to face with his student.

“Did you check your equipment?” Clint almost growled the question.

“No,” she responded and rolled her eyes away from his.

“Lesson one, check all your equipment all the time. Anyone could fuck with your equipment.” There was a definite emphasis on the expletive, but the teacher remained stoic.

Allison shamefully looked at the ground. She knew that. She wanted so badly to impress him that she just wasn’t thinking clearly.

“Good,” Clint turned and picked up the remaining arrows and put them in a special bag.

Quinn walked over with another bag and set it on the table. “I fucked with the arrows,” he whispered in the direction of the girl with a smirk on his face.  Allison quickly eyed the man with disgust, then couldn’t resist his devilish grin and laughed at him.

Quinn walked away toward Clint who was striding toward him. “I like her,” Quinn whispered so low only the wolves could hear.

“If it had been a real arrow that would have been damn near a bullseye.” Clint stated as low as his mate. As close to a compliment as he gave out. As Clint continue to stride toward Allison he spoke so she could hear, “Again!”

Allison fired fifteen more time at the target with the traditional bow. She hit within the yellow section of the target seven times, the red section seven times, and the last shot was in the blue. Disappointed in herself for only scoring what would be 108 points in competition; she also hadn’t shot a bow since moving to before moving to Beacon Hills about a month ago. This was a nice warm up. Without another word Clint was beside her handing her the compound bow, and thumb trigger release aid.

Allison took the bow, and then checked all the components of the weapon. She check the tension and set the pulley to her draw line. After checking the weapon she stood, aimed, and fired. This one felt supreme in her hands. A compound bow would never be her favorite, there was so much going on with the pulleys and cables, but she had spent the best days of her life with her mother and aunt shooting their compound bows together. She shot much better this time; ten within the yellow circle and five in the red. A much more respectable score of 125.

Without a blink Clint handed her the recurve. Allison sighed disheartened. She had never really had much opportunity to shoot a recurve bow. Her mother and aunt had hated them, and therefore didn’t own any. Allison took her time to check over the bow, and eventually to set up her aim. Sensing her disappointment he stepped closer to her. However, Allison immediately tensed at his nearness and he stepped back. She scored an astounding 135 when she shot her final arrow. Her arms were legitimately sore from shooting. Allison turned to face her teacher, assuming he was just trying to gather her skill set today.

“Quinn,” Clint spoke staring directly at Allison, “Please move the target to 50 meters.” Quinn nodded and ran out onto the range. When he returned the target was twice as far away this time.

“Again, five each.”

Quinn returned the arrows she had shot onto the table. Allison shot again, though this time she refused to keep score. She was usually pretty good at 50 meters, but not when she had already shot 46 times. Allison took her time with each shot this time. She did not want her fatigue to show. She shot mostly within the red range with the traditional and compound bows; one yellow, three red, and one blue with both. The recurve however three arrows landed squarely in the yellow circle, and two landed in the black circle, one low and one high.

Clint approached her again, holding three more arrows. “Again, 100 meters, one each.”

“100 meters!” She shouted. “You have got to be kidding me‽ No one can hit that!”

Clint cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Human, no human can hit that.”

“I’ve been hitting that since before you picked up a bow.” For the first time since the lesson began Clint finally raised his voice, and yet he was still speaking at just above a normal level.

There was a snicker from behind Clint when he finished his sentence. “Hit that,” was Quinn’s response from behind him, which made Allison laugh as well.

Without a word Clint, looking directly at Quinn, picked up the recurve bow and arrow, nocked the arrow onto the bow string, lifted the bow, and drew ready to fire down the shooting range. His glare intensified at the other wolf, he breathed out, and shot the arrow. It hit direct center of the target at 100 meters.  He then turned to walk away. Both Allison and Quinn stood in shock, and both for different reasons. Allison had never seen anything like that. Quinn knew there would be a fight later because he should have kept his mouth shut in front of Allison.

Still in shock, but knowing she needed to obey her instructor, Allison nocked the arrow and set to fire again, her first attempt at 100 meters.

Over his shoulder Clint yelled, “And breathe out when you shoot!”

Chapter Text

“Please pardon the interruption,” Cobi sounded through the overhead speakers.  “There is a car pulling up the driveway to the shooting range.  There appear to be four young males inside.”

The pack and their guests pushed away from the table where they’d been eating lunch.  The wolves took off out the door, while the rest ran upstairs to the Weapons’ Room, armed themselves, then ran out the back door less than minute behind the wolves.  Jane, Darcy, Allison, Chris, and Sif stayed to watch over little Markus.

“Update,” Stiles heard Eliot say into the comm units to Cobi.

“The four males, who appear to be teenagers, have stopped by the shooting range and have pulled another teenage male out of the trunk,” Cobi relayed to them.

“The trunk?” Steve nearly yelled.  “Why the bleep was he in the trunk?”

“It’s okay to say hell, punk,” Bucky teased as they ran.  “The rest of us would’ve said something much worse.”

“Fine,” Steve snarked.  “Why the fuck was in the trunk?”  Stiles heard several members of the pack in her ear laughing, just as she was.

“The young man is currently being repeatedly hit and kicked by the four males that had been inside the car,” Cobi informed them.

“Call the Sheriff,” Derek ordered as they were closing in on the shooting range.  Now knowing that it was a human issue and not a supernatural one, they would let the human authorities handle it.  “Let them know exactly what’s happening.”

“The Sheriff and several deputies have been dispatched,” Cobi let them know less than a minute later.  By that time, the pack had arrived at the site.

The pack emerged from the trees to the scene of four teenage boys exhaustively beating up another teenage boy.  The poor kid was bleeding from a split lip and a good sized gash over his left eye.  He favored his right ribs, as if there were bruised or broken.  He could barely stand, between being repeatedly forced down by the strength of the blow and the weakness of his limbs.  The pack was not happy, to say the least.

Without discussion they surrounded the boys so that they couldn’t get away.  They’d tucked their weapons out of sight so as not to traumatize any of the youths.  

“That’s enough,” Eliot growled as the pack stepped closer to the teens.

“This is none of your business, old man,” the teen that was apparently in charge said, not seeing the other pack members surrounding him.

“Oh, but it is,” Eliot replied.  “You’re standing on family land.  Which means that you’re trespassing.”

“This place used to belong to the Hales,” the kid responded.  “But they’re all dead or gone, so no one owns it anymore.”

“I do,” Derek chimed in from the far side of the teens, making the kid jump.

“Who are you?” the teen asked, suddenly nervous now that he’d noticed the rest of the pack.

“Derek Hale,” came the succinct response.  The teen tried to swallow, but his mouth was suddenly very dry.  Derek took a step forward, the rest of the pack mimicked his actions, tightening the circle around the teens.  “Not only are you trespassing on my land, you’ve kidnapped and battered a minor.  Doesn’t look too good for you and your friends.”

The teen looked to his co-assailants and realized how scared they all looked.   He then looked down at the bloody and broken teen that lay in the fetal position at his feet.  “You’re not worth it,” he spit out before he gave the kid one last kick to the ribs.

“I told you that was enough,” Eliot bit out.  The mouthy teen was about to reply when he heard the sirens in the distance.  He glanced at Eliot who just smiled.  “Derek was right.  It doesn’t look so good for you and your friends.”  The kid looked to his friends again, who looked like they were about to wet their pants.  Between the scary people surrounding them and the incoming sirens, they knew that they were in serious trouble.

No one spoke as the sirens drew closer and closer.  Soon, three Sheriff’s Department cruisers pulled to a stop just outside the circle that the pack had formed around the teens.  A man in his mid to late twenties stepped forward.

“I’m Sheriff Parrish,” he stated.  “We got a call about a kidnapping and assault.”  

Eliot made a motion with his hand and every member of the pack took two steps back away from the teens.  The Sheriff and his deputies stepped forward.  The scene before them was obvious enough.  Very little needed to be said.  Within a few moments, the two deputies had the four teens in the back of their two cruisers, and were on their way to the station to call the teens’ parents.  That left the pack with the Sheriff and the injured teen.  The sheriff started to call for an ambulance.

“Please don’t,” the kid pleaded.  “I . . . I’m fine.  Please don’t call an ambulance.”  The kid looked more scared about the ambulance than he had while taking a beating.  Stiles thought that maybe he was worried about the cost.

“We’ll cover all the costs from the ambulance,” she assured him.  “You don’t need to worry about that.  But you’re bleeding and I think they damaged your ribs.”

“I’ll be fine,” the kid tried to convince them, however unsuccessfully.  “I’ve had worse,” he mumbled under his breath.  The wolves heard him clearly though.

“What’s your name?”  The Sheriff asked trying to distract the teen.

“I . . . Isaac La . . . Lahey,” he stammered.

“Isaac, I’m Sheriff Jordan Parrish,” the man introduced himself to the scared teen.  “Do you think you could tell me what happened?”

“I was at school for the lacrosse summer camp with the rest of the team,” Isaac answered quietly.  “I was about to sit down at an empty table to eat lunch when they told me I couldn’t sit there.  So I moved to a different empty table.  They laughed and said I couldn’t sit there either.”  He wrapped his arms as tightly around himself as the pain in his ribs would allow.

“What happened then?” The sheriff gently prodded.

“They . . . they . . .”

“You’re safe with us,” Eliot reassured him.  “They can’t hurt you here.”  Isaac met his eyes for a microsecond before staring at the ground.

“They knocked my tray out of my hands and forced me out of the lunchroom.  They kept shoving me until I fell into the trunk of that car,” he pointed toward the beige sedan that obviously belonged to the parent of whichever teen had driven it.  “You know the rest.”

The wolves could smell not only the physical pain that the teen was in, but the emotional pain and turmoil as well.  What really bothered them was the smell of resigned acceptance, as if this was what he deserved.  No one could have explained why if they’d been asked outright, but there was something about the wounded teen that made all of the wolves want to protect him.  The rest of the pack could feel the spillover through the pack bonds and that made them want to help and protect him too.

Before anyone could say anything, Cobi spoke.  “There is a caravan of large SUVs pulling up the drive.  They appear to belong to the Calaveras.”

“Shit,” Eliot breathed out.  Sheriff Parrish jerked his head to look at the shorter man.  Eliot saw the question in his eyes, so he answered, “Trouble is on its way up the drive.”

The pack quickly placed themselves between the wounded teen, the Sheriff, and the incoming hunters.  Parrish blanched as all of the non-wolves pulled out their weapons; he’d had no idea that any of them were armed.  But he could tell that the weapons were basically extensions of the people wielding them.  The rest of the pack got in a defensive position.

Parrish was even more confused when nearly a dozen SUVs pulled up and all of the men had weapons, which wasn’t the surprising part.  What did surprise him were that more than a few were wielding crossbows, and one even had a bow and arrows.  

“Alpha Hale,” drawled the older woman, the only female, got out of the front passenger seat of the the lead vehicle.  “You have been found guilty of creating new wolves.  The punishment is death.”

Derek and Eliot both rolled their eyes.  “Seriously?”  Derek retorted.  “My mate had a child and you’re ready to start a war over it?  That’s ridiculous.”

“The rules are the rules,” the woman spoke, her Spanish-speaking accent clear to all.  “And we are here to enforce the rules.”

“Rules that you unilaterally made up, didn’t bother to tell anyone, then decide to ‘enforce’ whenever it suits your purpose,” Eliot entoned.  “What happened to living by your code?  Did it not give you enough reason to hunt us down?”

The woman narrowed her eyes, “Cazamos a los que nos cazan.”

“Yes, yes, we know,” Stiles snarked, unable to keep quiet any longer.  “‘We hunt those who hunt us.’  Tell me, Araya, who have we hunted?”  The older woman seemed surprised, though Stiles wasn’t certain if it was because she knew the woman’s first name, or the fact that she knew the hunters’ code.  But either way, Stiles felt like it gave the pack a leg up on the hunters.  And any help was appreciated since there were two human bystanders behind the pack.

“You are wolves, abominations of humanity, and you should all be put down like the rabid beasts that you are,” she snarled through gritted teeth.

“Eehh,” Stiles made a noise like a game show buzzer.  “Wrong on all counts.”  That seemed to stop the woman in her tracks for a moment, but not long enough.

“I see.  Some of you are human and have degraded yourselves to consort with dogs,”  Araya responded.

“The only rabid animals that I see here are you and your hunters,” Bucky chimed in from over on the left side of the pack.  “Our pack is in perfect control.  We’re in our territory, on our private property, trying to protect innocent humans.  You all are the ones breaking the law.  In front of the Sheriff no less.”

Sheriff Parrish calmly walked through the pack, leaving a scared Isaac in the arms of Peter on his way, and came to stand next between Eliot and Derek.  “I’m Sheriff Jordan Parrish,” he announced.  “This is private property which means that you’re trespassing.  I’d also like to see the firearms permits that I’m certain each of you have.  Not to mention the registration for all the guns.  Because I know that you are not illegally carrying un-registered firearms in my county, and in my presence.”

Araya eyed the Sheriff up and down for a moment before she turned to the SUV she’d arrived in and waived someone out.

“Which one of you is Cora Hale?”  She asked as she turned back to the pack, completely ignoring the sheriff.

Cora shifted somewhat nervously on her feet.  “I am,” she called from near her brother and husband.

“Your father-in-law would like a word,” Araya informed her.  All eyes shifted to the man that had exited the SUV.  Remy, Cora, and Billy all tensed, which told the rest of the pack all they needed to know.

“There’s the little home wrecker,” the man’s Cajun drawl did nothing to soften the blow of the statement.  Remy and Billy both moved closer to her, silently offering their silent support to her and their disagreement of their father’s statement.  The wolves of the pack growled at the man, even the humans bared their teeth.

“I highly suggest that you rethink your attitude and your tone, Jean-Luc,” Eliot snarled.  “That’s my sister-in-law you’re insulting.”  The King of Thieves looked startled to see Eliot there, though he tried to hide it.

“Eliot Spencer?  Mixed up with a pack of mutts?”  The man had always annoyed Eliot, but now he was flat out pissing him off.

Eliot let his eyes bleed red.  “I am one of those so-called mutts, and you would do well to mind your tone.  You’re not in New Orleans anymore, Jean.  This is Spencer-Hale Pack territory you’re trespassing in.”

The man let out a loud guffaw.  “As if a few measly wolves would scare me.  Not when I’m with the largest hunting family in the world.”

“They used to be the second largest,” Stiles added, pissed at the guy for insulting her sister.  “Until we took out the Argents by inciting a civil war.  You see,” she stared hard at Araya.  “They weren’t operating by their code, so we sent an email with all of the nasty things Gerard and Kate had been up to.  They took themselves out and all we had to do was press the ‘send’ button on a computer.”

Araya appeared less than happy, both at the information and the not-so-subtle threat.  “You are a little girl who knows nothing about what is really going on.”

“Maybe,” Stiles played along.  “But I’m a little girl with a PhD and a problem with authority.  That makes me more dangerous than any wolf.”  Eliot rolled his eyes at his wife.  While he appreciated that she was sticking up for pack and trying to get the attention away from Cora, Stiles was painting a gigantic bullseye on herself instead.

“There’s not a wolf here that’s harmed an innocent,” Eliot brought the attention to himself to get it off his super protective wife.  “There is absolutely no reason for there to be hunters in Spencer-Hale pack territory.”

“There are new wolves here,” Araya argued.

“Derek’s fiancé had a kid.  So what?”  Eliot countered.  “If you want to get pissed about new wolves in Beacon Hills, then get mad at me.   I’m the one that bit a human and turned them.  Not Derek.”

“You!” She nearly came across the empty space between them.  “You have broken the code and will be killed as punishment.”

“First off,” Eliot explained.  “Dial down the dramatics.  Would ya’?  Second, the rule has always been that we’re not allowed to bite someone without their consent.  Not that we’re not allowed to bite anyone period.  This is you trying to, once again, enforce a rule that you made up and never bothered to tell anyone about.  

“Third, I dare you to try to kill me.   You’re the one that would be breaking your own code.  We’ve never hurt or come after anyone in your family.  You’re the ones that came after us, hunted us, while in the presence of innocent civilian bystanders.  Way to out the supernatural to the Sheriff, Calavera.”

The matriarch at least had the decency to look startled at that statement.  “But . . .”  her eyes narrowed at the bleeding Isaac, still held firmly in Peter’s arms.  “You have harmed an innocent,” she nearly yelled.

“They saved him,” Parrish defended.  “Some other teens kidnapped him and brought him out here to beat him up.  These folks saved him from four bullies.  They called the Sheriff’s Department to deal with it, as they should have.  I was still here asking the young man questions about the incident when you showed up and put him in more danger.”  Both Alphas decided right then that they liked the Sheriff and would help him whenever and however he needed it.

Jordan, while he didn’t really understand what was going on, knew that the people that had saved the teen were the people that he wanted to side with in this fight.  He didn’t understand why, exactly, but his instincts had never let him down.  They had led him to Beacon County after all.

“Remy, Billy, get in the truck,” Jean-Luc demanded.  “I’m taking you both home where you belong.”

Remy lifted his chin, as did Billy.  “We are home.”  He tilted his head to the side and displayed his pack mark.  

Jean-Luc turned his glare on Eliot.  “How dare you mark up my son!”  

“Both of your sons are adults and can make decisions for themselves,” Eliot retorted, with an unimpressed eyebrow raised at the human.  He crossed his arms across his chest.  

Before Jean-Luc had a chance to say anything, Remy spoke up.  “Cora, how would you feel about changing our last name to Hale?”  Cora’s face lit up like the sun.

Instead of answering verbally, Cora grinned then stepped over to give her husband a hug.  With her hands behind him, she reached up and snapped Remy’s neck.

As he collapsed to the ground, Cora turned with a smirk on her face to see her pack staring at her in complete shock.  Billy looked like he was having trouble breathing as he stared at the still body of his brother in the dirt.  Derek stepped away from her as if he’d been stabbed.

“What the fuck?” Stiles blurted, her face showing the confusion and betrayal that she felt.

“What have you done?” Billy rushed to his brother’s side as Cora sauntered toward a smiling Jean-Luc and a smirking Araya.

“Oh sweetie,” she cooed at the mutant.  “This was always my plan.  Your father and I needed to infiltrate the Hale pack to get information on them.  I also needed to be part of the pack so that when the Calaveras kill them the Alpha spark will pass to me,” Cora stated with an evil smirk.

“You're just like your sister,” Derek barked. His eyes glowed from his usual pale green to his vivid Alpha red.

“No,” she argued.  “I’m better.  She left things to chance, I haven’t.”  She turned and Jean-Luc planted a deep, passionate kiss on her full lips.  “Why be a princess when I can be the Queen?  The phone call that you heard was a test to find out how much information you had access to.  I have to say that I was impressed that you had an AI and implanted communication devices.  I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that in a werewolf pack.”

The senior LeBeau, surprised at her revelation, pulled a gun from his belt and aimed at his youngest son.  “I no longer have any need for either of my disappointing sons,” and he pulled the trigger.

Danny dived in front of a kneeling Billy and took the .40 caliber bullet into the lower right corner of his back.  He collapsed in pain next to the body of Remy, Billy was frozen in shock.  Both from the fact that his father had shot at him and tried to kill him, and the fact that a member of the pack willingly took the bullet meant for him.  Billy took a deep breath then stood and faced the man he had once called father.  

“You will die for that,” he ground out through clenched teeth.  He raised his hands to use his power, but someone else was already in motion toward Jean-Luc.

Flames erupted from the Sheriff, quickly burning away his clothing and weapons’ belt.  The man lost all sense of humanity. He went from his calm Sheriff-self to a protector in a matter of milliseconds.  Sharp teeth gritted together when he spoke. “Why in Hel’s name would you try to kill someone when I’m standing right here?”

Parrish strode forward toward the man who still held his gun aloft, and his fist rose to connect with Jean-Luc’s jaw.  The sound of bone shattering echoed throughout the clearing.  The flames coming off of the Sheriff were so hot that the hunters had to take a step back.  As Cora attempted to step away Jordan turned to her and swiped his sharp claws through her throat.  She grabbed at the spurting wound, but she knew that it was no use.  The wound was too deep to heal before she bled out.

The Calaveras hunters reacted to the werewolf falling to the ground.  As they raised their weapons to fire at the flaming man, shots rang out across the clearing and the hunters found themselves under fire from the Spencer-Hale pack humans.  The Pack members rushed forward to engage the hunters.  Even though the hunters out numbered the pack, the fight took mere seconds before every hunter and thief lay dead and scattered on the ground.

Once the threat had been dealt with, the pack turned as one and rushed toward Danny and the fallen Remy.  Loki managed to magically pull the bullet from Danny’s back as Eliot took his pain.  Once the bullet was removed the Raijū healed relatively quickly.  Clint and Quinn held on to Billy as Loki checked on Remy.  On a hunch, after remembering a conversation that he’d had with Remy about the mutant’s healing, Loki straightened Remy’s neck back around so that it was placed correctly on his shoulders.  In less than a minute, Remy opened his eyes, gasping for breath.

“Be still,” Loki told him as he placed a hand on the mutant’s chest to keep him laying flat on the ground.  

“What happened?”  Remy croaked, his voice rough from his vocal chords being stretched the wrong direction.  Billy gasped and basically threw himself over his prostrate brother, careful not to jostle his neck.

“You were dead,” Billy breathed out.  “She snapped your neck.”  He sat back on his heels to see the stunned expression of his brother.  Remy’s eyes darted around the pack.  Between Eliot’s reluctant nod, and Derek and Peter’s betrayed body language, Remy knew that it was true.  Cora had turned on all of them.

“Where is she?”  His voice harsh with anger.

“Dead,” Loki stated, trying to sound clinical and not emotionally hurt.  

“Father?”  He flicked his eyes to his younger brother.

Billy ducked his head.  “They were working together,” he whispered.  

Remy felt more pain from that than from his neck.  He’d trusted her.  He’d left everything he knew for her.  She’d convinced him that he was her mate, that she needed a pack, that coming back to Beacon Hills when word of a Hale Alpha came was the best way to keep her from going feral.  She convinced him that he, and Billy , would be safe from their abusive father.  And come to find out that she was working with him the whole time?

“Why?”  Remy asked the pack.  “Why did she do it?  Betray all of us?”

“Power,” Derek spat.  “The same as her older sister.  They both did it to be the Hale Alpha and to have access to the Hale money.”  Derek tried desperately to not throw up at the thought of another of his sisters trying to kill all his family for the Alpha power.  How did he and Peter manage to escape the uncontrollable need to kill everyone for power?  Peter had flat out turned it down, and Derek had never wanted it, but knew that he was the only one available to take it from Laura and keep it in the Hale family.  Now Derek was starting to wonder if there was some inherent flaw in the Hale DNA.  

Derek turned to the only sister he had that had never betrayed him or tried to hurt him or his family.  The only sister that had ever truly tried to help him and Peter.  But he noticed that she was watching the mostly naked Sheriff the same way he’d seen her look at tech she didn’t understand - yet.  She was mentally putting the pieces together from what she’d seen today and what she already knew, and given a few more minutes she’d know what kind of supernatural being he was without him ever saying a word.  

The thought of the Sheriff led him to think of the teen that they’d come to rescue; the reason they were in the shooting range parking lot to begin with.  Isaac looked, and smelled, like he was about to faint.  Loki noticed Derek’s glance at the boy, motioned for Remy to stay still, then hurried to the human teen.  

Nat and Loki gently helped him sit on the ground.  His eye and lip had stopped bleeding, but it was obvious that he was in a great amount of pain from his ribs.  Not to mention confused and terrified about what he’d witnessed.  The pack would have to take him to the house and try to explain everything to him.  As they would with the Sheriff.

Stiles’ sudden gasp had all eyes on her.  “You’re a Hellhound!”  She grinned from ear to ear.  Eliot loved the fact that Stiles had been so intrigued by the man that spouted flames that she hadn’t even noticed that Remy was alive.  Her single-minded determination was one of the things he loved most about her.  

The man had been staring at his non-flaming hands, not having noticed what had been going on around him.  His head had snapped up at Stiles’ exclamation.  “A what?”

“A Hellhound,” she repeated.  “They are often assigned to guard the entrances to the world of the dead, such as graveyards and burial grounds, or undertake other duties related to the afterlife or the supernatural, such as hunting lost souls or guarding a supernatural treasure. In European legends, seeing a hellhound or hearing it howl may be an omen or even a cause of death. They are said to be the protectors of the supernatural, guarding the secrecy of supernatural creatures, or beings, from the world.”

“Stiles,” Eliot called, interrupting his wife’s ‘lecture mode’.  She glanced to him.  “You’re doing it again,” he teased.  “I’ve told you that you need to remember to breathe occasionally when you talk about things that excite you.”

Stiles blushed almost as red as Nat’s hair.  “Sorry.”  She glanced around the pack and finally noticed that Danny and Remy were both climbing to their feet, and that Isaac had his head tucked between his knees as best he could with broken ribs.  “Maybe we should continue this conversation back at the house,” she suggested.

The pack all nodded and assisted Jordan and Isaac into the Sheriff’s cruiser.  Nat slid behind the wheel, Remy and Danny were basically pushed in as well, and the car headed back down the drive toward the main road to head to the pack house.  The rest of the pack stuck around to deal with the pile of dead bodies before they headed home.

Chapter Text

The remainder of the pack back at the house, along with those “pack-adjacent” that had been there for lunch before the call came through, had been watching the events unfold on screen in the theater.  All of them were stunned at the betrayal of the youngest Hale, even the Cosains. They watched as Natasha started the Sheriff’s cruiser and headed toward the house. Those present all turned to Jane for instructions.

“Why are you all staring at me?”  Jane panicked as she laid Markus in his bassinet by the fireplace in the family room off the kitchen.

“You’re the highest ranking pack member here,” Darcy pointed out.  “That means that you’re in charge.”

“How am I the highest ranking pack member?”  Jane was genuinely confused.

“You’re mated to one of the Alphas,” Chris pointed out, not missing the fact that Darcy rolled her eyes at the older woman as if she should’ve already known this information.  “As the Alpha’s Mate, your word holds nearly as much power within the pack as his does. Or in this case, as much as theirs do.”  Jane froze in disbelief.

Darcy stepped up to her and laid a hand on each of the astrophysicist’s shoulders.  “Jane, you can do this. If you can build an intergalactic bridge then you can be in charge in your own home for a few minutes.  Just organize us so that when Nat gets here with the others everyone knows what to do.”

Jane stared into Darcy’s eyes for a brief moment; seeing the trust and belief in them spurred Jane into action.  “Okay. Okay.” Jane processed through who was coming and why, and therefore what they would each need most when they arrived.  “Darcy, grab a blanket for the Sheriff. Show him to the bathroom in my old room upstairs. Then grab some clothes from Derek’s stuff.  They looked to be about the same size.” Darcy stepped away to get to it.

“Allison and Chris,” she turned to the two former Hunters.  “I’m going to need you to help calm down the traumatized human, please.”  They both nodded. Allison walked off to the kitchen to get a bottle of water for Isaac.  

“Sif,” Jane turned to the warrior.  “When they get here, please help Natasha get Remy and Danny into Loki’s office.  I’m certain that he’ll want to check them over when he gets back.” Sif nodded and went to stand by Darcy near the front door.

As soon as the car slowed in front of the house, Sif and Darcy made their way out to meet it; Darcy carried a large blanket with her toward the front passenger door.  Darcy handed the blanket to the grateful Sheriff, who then followed her into the house to the awaiting shower. Sif tried to assist Remy and Danny, but the both insisted that they were fine.  Sif and Natasha shared an exasperated eye roll and then guided the two men into the medical room.

Jane and Allison each had one of Isaac’s arms over their shoulders, as he appeared to be too deep into shock to be able to support his own weight.  However, Jane’s short height made the journey awkward, so Chris quickly stepped in to take her place, and the two Cosains were able to get the silent teen inside to the family room couch.

*~*~*

The pack stood still for several minutes; several very long minutes.  Eliot focused on each member of the pack, and felt his shock leave and he felt his Alpha power come to the forefront to take control.  However, he could still sense the despair, disbelief, and the betrayal that the others were feeling. It was clear that some were handling this better than others.  As the smell of adrenaline hit his nose he knew the assassins: Clint, Quinn, and Bucky, were beginning to look around at options. Peter, however, seemed to be a lost cause.  This betrayal could very well have broken him, Eliot knew. Derek and Stiles were affected deeply, he could tell by the sound of their hearts beating, but he needed them.

Eliot gripped his wife’s hand. When he squeezed, she looked at him blankly.  Eliot mouthed to her silently, “Little One.” Almost instantly her heart rate changed and life filled her eyes, and he could tell that she was back with him.  They both turned to Derek. Eliot and Stiles each placed a hand on one hand of their Alpha Brother. Though Derek continued to stare out, they could tell that he was with them once again.

There had been very little movement within the pack, but the entire feeling had changed.  Everyone was ready for orders, and ready to get to work.

“Well,” Eliot began, “Any ideas on how to clean up this mess?”  Silence continued to reign for another minute before anyone dared speak.

Clint’s response was exactly what he expected, “Let’s just blow it up and let it burn.”  No one argued, but they all knew that would never work. It would draw too much attention, and they did not need the attention right now.  Not to mention the fact that the Hales did not need another fire on their property.

The next few suggestions came one right after another, almost speaking over each other.

“Have Billy just cover it up with his mutant powers,” Quinn quipped.

“Take the vehicles to various public places, wipe them, and leave them for abandoned,” Bucky said.

“Loki, can’t you just make it disappear into space?” Stiles queried somewhat sarcastically.  Eliot looked at his wife with wonder, her sarcasm finally breaking through the seriousness.

Loki began speaking to Stiles, “Objects do not simply disappear into space, however speeding up the molecules would cause heat. Once each object is hot enough, theoretically, they could be manipulated and molded into something else entirely.”

“Crash them over the ravine,” Derek whispered still staring out.

Eliot then looked at each member that had just spoken.  He was definitely weighing the options that had been thrown out.  Silence fell among the pack once more. He breathed out a heavy sigh, and each member of the pack felt their Alpha about to give orders.

“Billy,” the gravelly voice began to speak, “What is the scope of your abilities? Instead of covering the vehicles, could you open a pit from say 100 feet away?”

“I’ve never attempted that distance, but I don’t see why not,” Billy answered confidently.

“Loki, could your theory actually heat metal hot enough to possibly meld it together?” The Alpha continued moving quickly to the next part of his plan.

“Of course it would,” the prince stated.  But before Eliot could say more, Loki continued.  “I can see the plan you are attempting to suggest - that we drive the vehicles to the ravine, superheat them, then have them land in an open area at the bottom.  However, may I offer simplified alternative?”

“Go on,” Eliot implored. The intricacies of the plan sat heavily on his shoulders.

“The idea of using heat and velocity to compress the molecules is a rather ingenious idea,” Loki allowed.  “I offer that the use of the alternate extreme temperature may have the same effect, without the need to take the vehicles and bodies to a separate location.”

Stiles lit up as she realized what he was suggesting.  “You want us to freeze them?”

“Indeed, my dear.”  Loki shifted his right hand to his Jötunn form and held it up slightly.  “A single touch from me in my Jötunn skin can freeze both biological tissue and other materials past the point of Earth’s liquid nitrogen.  After that a well placed strike of some sort would shatter the molecules to essentially dust, which could then -”

“Oh, oh, that’s me!” Billy interrupted, unable to hide his enthusiasm.  “I can then make that dust disappear into the ground.”

Loki dipped his head in acknowledgement to the young man.  “Yes, precisely.”

Without hesitation Eliot conceded to Loki’s plan, “Make it so.”  The obvious Star Trek reference made the majority of the pack snicker under their breath.

“Whatever you say Picard,” Quinn laughed out.

“Dammit Quinn.” Eliot hollered, which caused Stiles to laugh out loud at her husband.  Sometimes he was so predictable.

*~*~*

Eliot leaned against the doorframe as he observed Stiles hunched over her desk, an air of single-minded determination surrounded her.  It had been three weeks since Cora’s betrayal and the introduction of Sheriff Parrish and Isaac Lahey into the world of the supernatural.  The discussion with the two had gone better than Eliot, or anyone in the pack, had thought it would. Neither could deny the reality of what the pack told them, considering what they’d witnessed (or took part in) not long before.  But it was the aftermath within the pack that brought Eliot to his wife’s workshop that day.

Stiles had taken Cora’s betrayal almost as hard as Derek, Peter, and Remy had.  Eliot knew that Stiles had always felt like her role in the pack was to protect the members.  Not necessarily physically, because she knew they could defend themselves, but she wanted to protect them emotionally and psychologically.  She felt as if, since she’d run the background checks on everyone, that it was somehow her fault that Cora had been able to catch them unawares.  Eliot knew that wasn’t the case and that not a single member of the pack blamed her in the slightest.

It was Stiles throwing her tablet across her desk and into the wall, where it shattered, that shook Eliot out of his reverie.  He crossed the large work area and stopped just shy of her desk. He didn’t want to startle her and have her lash out physically in an automatic defensive response.

“Little one,” Eliot whispered.  Stiles’ head snapped up and around to stare at her husband.  He near instantaneously catalogued her bloodshot eyes and sallow skin; they appeared one day worse than they had the day before, which was exactly how it had been for the past three weeks.  He leaned back against the edge of her desk that was closest to her. He then opened his arms and she damn near jumped into them. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hands pulling down on the back of his shoulders, as she cried.  The same as she has done nearly every day since Cora, and every time it broke Eliot’s heart just a little more.

He held her as tightly as he could until her tears finally tapered off.  Only then did he pull himself back just enough to be able to see her and cup his hands to the sides of her tear stained face.  He used his thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears before he spoke.

“Stiles, Love, I know that you’ve needed time to process Cora’s betrayal; I know that you somehow feel like it was your fault that you didn’t know she was going to do that.  But, Little One, it was not your fault. We have a pack full of werewolves and none of us scented her deceit or heard any lies in her heartbeat. We have the damn God of Lies in our pack and even he didn’t notice any lies.  You cannot blame yourself. Please.

“We need you.  Peter has been vacillating between nearly catatonic again and nearly feral.  Natasha is handling it the best she can, but even the Black Widow is at her wit’s end with how to help him.  Derek won’t speak to anyone except Markus. He won’t even sleep in bed with Jane; he merely shifts into his wolf form and sleeps curled up on the floor next to Markus’ crib.  

“Remy refused to even step foot in his cottage because he didn’t want to see any of her things.  Billy and Danny went in to sort out what would be moved into Remy’s new apartment over the west garage, but then Billy got so angry that he started to smash all her stuff.  Danny had to drag him out, so your dads and I ended up going through everything for Remy.

“Sif has no idea why everyone is reacting the way they are and Loki is trying his damnedest to explain our emotional responses, but even he doesn’t truly understand.  Darcy and Loki are trying to pick up the slack at VE, but three weeks without you and Nat is tough on the company.

“Please, Little One.  You are the heart of our pack, and even though you’ve been around physically you’ve not been here mentally or emotionally.  We need you - I need you - back to being our heart.  I need you to hold Derek while he grieves, to scent Peter so that he knows that he hasn’t lost you too.  Please Love.”

By the time Eliot finished speaking Stiles had tears streaming down her face again, but for a different reason this time.  

“El,” Stiles whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.  “I am so sorry that I left you to handle everything alone.  I promised you that I’d always be there for you and our pack and I didn’t just break my promise, I shattered it.  Please forgive me,” she beseeched.

Eliot pulled her back into his chest.  “You have nothing to apologize for, Little One.  You’re allowed to take time to process and grieve as well.  Although not blood, you considered her your sister. No one begrudges you the time you needed.  But,” he pulled away from his wife just a tiny amount so that he could meet her eyes. “I need you now.  If you want to come to bed each night and scream and cry in my arms, I have no problem holding you while you do that.  But I need you to be strong for the pack during the day. Can you do that?”

Stiles nodded her head.  “Of course, El. I’ll do whatever you and the pack need me to do.”

“I know you will,” he replied, a soft smile crossing his lips.  He pulled her tightly to him within his strong arms and the two stayed there, wrapped in each other’s embrace, for several minutes.  The Alpha was the first to break the silence. “While I’m here, I have a question for you.”

Stiles reluctantly stepped away from her loving husband’s embrace so that she could look him in the face more easily.

“What is it,” she asked?

“Why did you need blood samples from all of us a couple of weeks ago?  You didn’t explain why, and we never asked. All we knew was that you asked for it, so it we did it.”  He didn’t sound upset in the least, simply curious.

“Well,” she explained.  “I just thought that if unknown family members could be such a threat to us, then I should find any and all previously unknown blood relatives so that we can’t be caught off guard again.  So I decided to run everyone’s DNA against every blood sample that’s ever been given and electronically recorded, anywhere on the planet, no matter how small or private.”

“Do I even want to ask what you mean by ‘no matter how small or private’?”  He chuckled.

“Probably best that you don’t,” Stiles teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.  “Cobi has been running the search for the past two weeks. I’m hoping that we’ll have the results within the next few days.”

“Pardon the interruption Miss,” Cobi’s voice sounded through the speakers in the ceiling.  “But the search was complete several minutes ago. I thought it best not to break into the conversation that the two of you were having.”

“I appreciate you waiting,” Stiles responded to her creation.  “So then, do any pack members have any previously unknown biological family members somewhere out in the world?”

“As a matter of fact,” Cobi answered.  “There were positive matches for three pack members.”

Stiles and Eliot stared at each other in unabashed shock, until they nearly choked on the same word.  

“Three?”

~*~*~