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The alpha had been tracking the scent of mate and mine for a while, and narrowed it down to two boys intruding in the woods. There were lots of intruders here tonight, and the alpha avoided those who smelled like gunpowder. None smelled like wolfsbane, but the alpha was still cautious.
The boys split up, one going towards the gunpowder ones, and the other alone. The alpha chased after the latter first. He pounced and took a bite, but the sour tang of not-mate was all that met his tongue. The alpha shook it, then tossed it aside. Then he turned and went back the way he had come, seeking his mate.
He zoned in on his mate's heartbeat, though he still didn't get too close to the ones who smelled like hunters. The alpha followed his mate and the hunter to the edge of the preserve, where his mate got into a blue jeep. It rattled and made horrible noises, but the alpha was able to run along the edge of the preserve, keeping one ear out for the jeep. Finally, they made it to a home that butted up against the preserve, and his mate got out of the jeep and went inside.
The alpha watched and waited, tracking his mate's heartbeat as he went upstairs, took a shower, and then entered what the alpha presumed was one of the bedrooms. There was a bit of soft clicking, and then music began playing. The alpha leapt towards the roof, determined to meet his mate, but he rammed into something invisible and solid. The alpha twisted in midair and landed on his paws, glaring at the house.
Something was keeping him from his mate!
The bedroom window opened, and his mate climbed out onto the roof, looking down at him. "Well well, what happened to you?" he asked curiously. The alpha gave a mournful whine. He wanted his mate.
"Yeah, you're in trouble alright," his mate said. A burst of blueish-white light burst out of his mate's hand and streaked towards the alpha. He snapped his jaws at it, but it did nothing but pass through him.
No, not nothing, Peter realized as the thinking of the wolf slowly receded. He had been trapped in his own mind, overwhelmed by the instincts of the wolf just as he had been trapped in his own body in the hospital as the hunters tortured him. Now, thanks to whatever spell the boy — his mate — had hit him with, Peter was freed.
His alpha shift receded, leaving him in his beta shift. With great effort, Peter pushed that back as well, leaving him standing alone, naked, in his mate's backyard, fully human in mind and body.
His mate disappeared inside and then a moment later reappeared and tossed something down to Peter. It was a pair of sweatpants, he realized. Peter quickly slipped them on.
"Much better, dude," his mate said, sitting on the edge of the roof and letting his feet dangle. "What's your name?"
"Peter." His voice was gravely from disuse, and Peter cleared his throat, but it didn't help the dry, cottony feeling.
"As in Peter Hale?"
"The one and only," Peter said, pleased his mate already knew who he was. Though he did associate with hunters — no, not hunters. They hadn't smelt of wolfsbane, and now that he was thinking clearly, Peter remembered their uniforms. Sheriff's Deputies. That was marginally safer than hunters.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital in some kind of unheard of for werewolves coma?" his mate asked.
"I was tired of being tortured day in and day out by hunters," Peter replied blandly. He still didn't know how he had gotten the alpha spark that slammed into him in the hospital, but thankfully it had been enough to free him from his shackles.
"Fuck," the boy said with feeling. "There aren't supposed to be any hunters in town. Unless… someone's been eroding my wards."
"I assure you, they've been here," Peter said dryly. "They're the only reason I remained trapped in my broken body for so long. They constantly dosed me with a low level of wolfsbane."
"Double fuck."
"Can I get your name, sweetheart?" Peter asked.
The boy scrunched his nose up at the endearment, but nodded. "I'm Stiles."
It didn't sound like a name at all, but then Peter was in no place to be judging his mate right now. His powerful, magical mate.
"How did you stop me from entering the house?" he asked instead.
"Wards," Stiles said, wiggling his fingers in a clear indication of magic. "No crazypants wolf is getting in here. Let alone anything else that might hurt my dad."
"Admirable," Peter said. The boy's protective instincts were clearly strong, as his shield had been strong and solid. "And now that I am no longer… crazypants?"
"What do you want from me?" Stiles asked. "Why did you follow me home from the woods?"
Peter debated with himself for a few seconds, but if his mate was as powerful as he seemed, there was no point in lying. "You smell like you're my mate," he said with a shrug. "I couldn't resist."
Stiles blew out a long breath. "Yeah, okay, we definitely need to talk about that. I'll warn you now: if you get aggressive or have negative intentions towards anyone in this house, the wards will bounce you out again."
"I'm glad they're so robust," Peter said honestly. "Your safety is important to me, darling."
Stiles flailed a hand at that, but he smelled pleased. "Alright, give me a second to get downstairs," he said. "I'll let you in and we can talk."
Talking sounded good to Peter. Of course, making out would be better. Biting and claiming his mate would be the best. But his mate was powerful, and full of unexpected talent. Peter wouldn't risk getting on his bad side. For now, they'd just talk. And maybe, in the future, they'd be able to move on to something more.