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Red and blue lights flashed brightly behind Peter as he looked in the rearview mirror. He had both hands tightly wrapped around the steering wheel, knuckles white from the strain, teeth clenched so tightly his jaw was already starting to feel sore. Fantastic. Fucking fantastic. He had just had one of the most infuriating dinners of his entire life with his dumb alpha sister and now he’s going to get a lecture from an even dumber alpha cop about how being out this late as an omega was dangerous and unproper. Peter wanted to rip the steering wheel off and chuck it out the window in his frustration. At 35 years old, Peter was still unmated and well past his “prime” as an omega, something just about every alpha and too many omegas told him these days. Unsolicited he should add. Peter never wanted to mate. He was very happy with his successful, well-established career as a prestigious editor. He was able to work mainly from his home in Arietta, New York in his dream home by Ferris Lake, leading to peaceful days ripping apart people’s writing. His sister had always been the loudest in her opinions of his unmated status, and after his birthday back in late October, this past month had been a nightmare. He knew that Talia meant well. She loved him and wanted him to be happy. As an alpha herself, she always preached how her omega had found true happiness in mated life, and of course Simon always sat there and nodded along, obediently agreeing with his alpha. It always made Peter want to hit his head on the table. Or scream. Or both. Which is what he did this evening when Talia had practically forced him to attend family dinner but had conveniently forgotten to mention that she had invited Deucalion along as well. Deuc had been shamelessly pursuing Peter for years now, never listening to his clear refusals and always, always insisting that he knew best. He always told Peter that Peter would change his mind, he’d come running to Deuc the minute he realized that he was never meant to have a career, that what he really wanted was a litter of pups to care for at home. Peter had very fond memories of the broken nose he had given Deuc that night, still remembering the satisfying crunch that stopped Deuc’s sexist speech in its track But Talia was even worse at taking hints than Deuc, so that was how Peter found himself sitting at dinner, listening to the two idiot alphas talk about Peter like he wasn’t even there, trying to plan a future he did not want to be a part of. This evening had been particularly infuriating, as Talia had officially decided that she would no longer be signing off for Peter to buy both his suppressants and his birth control. Despite being well into adulthood, Peter still needed a familial Alpha or mate’s signature to purchase them from the pharmacy, even if he had a prescription. In the past, Talia had no problem doing so, but she seemed to think that if she took away that crutch, Peter would suddenly decide to mate with Deuc.He had left halfway through dinner, not being able to stand anymore of that evening, vowing to never return if his sister wanted to act like that. A knock on the window made Peter jump so hard he almost hit his head on the roof of the car. He hadn’t realized that he had zoned out that intensely, but apparently, he had. He rolled down his window, getting a glimpse of the black uniform signifying that he had been pulled over by someone from the Hamilton County’s Sheriff Department. A closer look at the uniform showed that he hadn’t been pulled over by a deputy, but, in fact, Peter had been pulled over by THE Sheriff. Even better. Peter put on his best charming smile, getting ready to use every advantage he had as an Omega over an Alpha, but found himself hesitating when actually faced with the Alpha. Sheriff John Stilinski had a reputation for being relatively progressive, something that gained the man just as many enemies as it did supporters. Peter himself had always admired the mans values, especially the freedom he gave his own Omega son, who had gained a little bit of a reputation for being an adventurous, mouthy, extremely unconventional Omega, one who his Alpha father adored and had gone to bat for more than once (particularly that time said son found a dead body in the middle of the woods, in the middle of the night, with his Alpha friend. Peter remembers those rumors quite well). The Sheriff was also a very attractive man. He was older than Peter with sandy blonde hair that seemed to have just started greying, only a few silver flecks through the strands. He had pale blue eyes, which did not lack in warmth despite the light color. The Alpha was also well muscled, his years in the Army, as a Deputy, and then finally his current position as Sheriff contributing to his physique, proving that the man was no slacker and took his positions seriously. Peter had actually never interacted with the man, had only seen him around town passingly, his only knowledge of the man based on his campaign promises and rumors throughout town. “License and registration, please,” the Sheriff requested firmly in his deep voice, tone still kind though. “Oh, of course,” Peter responded, grabbing the papers from his glove box and wallet. The Sheriff took both, using his flashlight to look at both. “Heading home, Mr. Hale?” The Sheriff asked, still looking at Peter’s license. “Yessir,” Peter muttered. He couldn’t seem to find the effort to charm the Sheriff, despite being very successful with several of the man’s deputies. Getting pulled over was just the icing on the cake of what this evening was. Despite the strong front he normally wore and the scathing words he left Talia with, the lack of support of his choices had been weighing on him for a while. Tonight, that had just been the final nail in the coffin. Peter had always thought that maybe Talia’s protests were laced with concern, maybe had even been token protests to deter Laura, her only Omega child, from following Peter’s example, but he had never realized that they had been rooted in absolute belief that Peter was doing something wrong. Her refusal to continue to sign as his familial Alpha had really… broken Peter’s heart honestly. He thought she loved him and supported him, but apparently, she only saw Peter as an Omega. Someone she needed to control. The whole evening had felt manipulative, which was exactly what it was. He supposes he should just be lucky that he was well into maturity, as the only things he couldn’t get access to were his birth control and suppressants, he wasn’t at risk of losing his job, home, or financial independence. He could also count his blessings that Talia had no authority to force Peter into a mating, which after this evening, he would not put past her. Peter hadn’t noticed the moisture gathering in his eyes until full tears trailed down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away, hoping the Sheriff wouldn’t notice. He wasn’t a fan of crying in front of others, and he didn’t want the Sheriff to see him as an Omega that would try crying to get out of a simple traffic ticket. But with his luck this evening, his prayers remained unheard, and the Alpha took notice of the tears. “You alright? I promise I wasn’t going to write you that harsh of a ticket,” The Sheriff asked, leaning against Peter’s open car window, tone light and joking “No, no. I knew I was getting a ticket, I was going about 40 over. I’ve just had a long night,” Peter replied, letting out a wet sounding laugh since he seemed unable to stop his tears. “You know, my usual piece of advice is to not admit what you’ve done wrong to the person who is writing the ticket,” The Sheriff whispered, smiling and winking at Peter, pulling another laugh from him. “Yes well, I’m clearly not at my best right now. I normally don’t get tickets form your deputies, I’m usually able to talk my way out of them.” “Ah yes, well I understand completely, I know most Alphas are relatively helpless when faced with handsome Omegas such as yourself,” The Sheriff replied, toothy grin stretched across his face, the corner of his eyes crinkling in an unfairly attractive way. Peter was left a little speechless at that. Peter knew he was an attractive man, having many past lovers to confirm that, but he knew he was not the conventional omega. Peter was tall and broad, taking pride in his body and working to stay strong rather than the lean ideal many omegas went for. He also kept some stubble with a neatly trimmed goatee and a decent amount of body hair that no amount of sexist, patronizing razor commercials could convince him to shave off. He knew that alphas did not typically find him attractive. In fact, he always had a feeling that Deuc wasn’t particularly attracted to him, he simply liked the chase of it all. “Oh well… thank you Sheriff,” Peter finally forced out, which only seemed to make the Sheriff grin more. “Listen, seems like you’ve had a hard night,” The Sheriff started, handing Peter back his license and registration. “I’m going to let you off with a warning again, so please just try to follow the speed limit for the rest of your drive home. I hope your night improves a little bit.” Peter watched the Sheriff walk back to his car and switch the lights off, plunging the two cars back into relative darkness. He did actually listen to the Sheriff and stuck to the speed limit, still reeling from that disastrous dinner. Peter had always been a planner. Some would say he was downright conniving, manipulative even. It was one of the many nontraditional omega-like traits he was proud of. He had decided to relax that evening, so while he sat by his fireplace with a glass of wine, he considered his… limited options. Talia was no longer someone he could expect support from. He had a fleeting thought of asking Derek, his alpha nephew, to sign for him, but he didn’t want to cause a rift between him and his mother. That means that his first alternative was to get his suppressants and birth control from illegal distributors, which presented a long list of dangers, including, but not limited to, death. So… that idea was immediately thrown out. He briefly considered trying to convince his doctor that he needed them, which was the only way to get them without a familial alpha or mate’s signature. If an omega needed suppressants and birth control in order to save their life, doctors and pharmacies filled those prescriptions no questions asked. Peter did not fall into that category. His heats were bound to be painful after having been on suppressants so long, but not to the point where he would be able to convince a doctor to override the alpha signature. That seemed to leave him with one option. He had to find an alpha mate. Omegas who married betas still needed to rely on familial alpha’s signatures for suppressants and birth control, yet again another example of how archaic the laws surrounding omega reproductive rights were, as partnerships between betas and alphas or omegas were not considered traditional "matings." Peter knew that Talia would not approve of a beta partner, meaning even if Peter convinced one of his many beta friends to marry him, he would still be stuck with the same problem. The few alphas that had attempted to court him in the past were also not options, especially Deuc. Peter also didn’t want kids, despite what everyone seemed to think, and he didn’t know many alphas that would be okay with that, so he needed a progressive alpha. A progressive, widower alpha that already had an almost grown child of his own and seemed to find Peter attractive. Peter grinned into his wine glass, feeling particularly pleased with himself with this idea. He’s almost positive he’ll be able to convince the Sheriff to mate with him. He’s charming. He’s convincing.
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Chapter Two
Peter figured the logical next step was to drag his best friend Chris into this whole disaster waiting to happen. Alpha Chris Argent was one of Peter’s oldest friends, the two of them knowing each other since they were both in diapers. Many people assumed that Peter and Chris would eventually mate one day due to their closeness (and their opposite secondary gender expressions), but all those dreams were dashed when Chris married Victoria, a beautiful, strong-willed beta. They were a good pairing, despite what Peter and Chris’s traditional families believed, and their two children were adorable. Ten-year-old Allison was the spitting image of her mother. Loud, opinionated, and Peter’s favorite hellion, she was bound to cause problems no matter where she went and was already on her way to being a wonderful alpha. Her little brother, six-year-old Isaac, was almost her opposite. He was a quiet and reserved beta, tending to cling to his father any chance he got, but intelligent and always ready to follow Allison headfirst into trouble. Children showed their secondary gender expression at birth or at very young ages, female alphas and male omegas being the easiest to spot due to their differed anatomy, but parents could often tell from chemo signals as well. He adored them, and despite his unwillingness to have his own children, was happy to babysit them whenever Chris and Vicky needed some time to themselves. Which, Peter was absolutely going to use as a bargaining chip. “You know, it’s been so long since you and Vicky took a weekend to yourself, I could take the kids for a weekend,” Peter tried to offer casually, continuing to cut up the carrots for Allison and Isaac. Casually, of course, did not work. Chris immediately stopped what he was doing to fix Peter with The Look™, which even though Peter wasn’t looking at him, he could feel it. The Look™ is an extremely judgmental face, full of sass and raised eyebrows, that Chris has been giving him since they were six. Chris had always been able to see through Peter’s bullshit, and this time was sadly not the exception. While Peter loved babysitting, he also never really volunteered for entire weekends at a time. He loved Allison and Isaac, he really did, but two relatively young kids just did not match his daily lifestyle (which more often than not led to bringing a companion home and plenty of non-kid-friendly beverages). “What are you planning? Actually, the more important question is, what are you planning on dragging me into?” “Why must I be up to something? Can’t I just offer my two dearest friends a weekend to themselves?” Peter asked offended. “Absolutely not!” Vicky called from his living room, occupying the kids while Peter and Chris made lunch. “You two are the worst, I don’t know why I speak to either of you,” Peter muttered, washing his hands before leaning against the counter, finally facing Chris. “It’s because you love us, but it’s mainly that you would have no friends and be terribly lonely if it weren’t for our lovely presence in your life,” Chris replied, leaning against the counter next to Peter, a shit-eating grin spread across his face. “Fine, maybe I am up to something,” Peter finally admitted, rolling his eyes. “Then spill.” Peter sighed, before motioning for Chris to follow him out to the porch. He really didn’t want the kids to hear this particular conversation. They were too young to fully understand and he didn’t want to cause any concern in the young ones. After informing Vicky that lunch was ready, Chris followed Peter out the back door, shutting the door firmly behind him and sitting on the porch swing next to Peter. Chris automatically had his serious face on, assuming correctly that the coming conversation was going to be a serious one, not a “Peter is trying to partake in some amusing shenanigans” kind of conversation. “Seriously, Peter, what’s up? You’ve seemed off all day and you’ve smelled vaguely… distressed. What’s up?” He asked, concern very evident in his tone. “Quit smelling me, you weirdo,” Peter muttered quietly, going for teasing but missing the mark entirely. Faced with telling his best friend what had happened the other night, Peter found himself coming up short. Even a few days later, the sting of Talia’s rejection didn’t hurt any less. Coupled with her countless calls, which he has been trying to ignore, Peter had been feeling extremely… hopeless the past few days. His only real consolation being that he had some semblance of a solution, one that seemed obtainable in the very least. “Peter?” Chris’s warm hand on his own brought him back to reality. When he looked over to the alpha, his friend’s blue eyes were intensely worried, his eyebrows turned down. Peter realized that he was crying, once again. He could count on both of his hands how many times he had cried in front of his best friend in their over three-decade long friendship, several of those times being after his parents passed away suddenly in a car accident, so Chris was understandably immediately in panic mode. “Talia is refusing to sign as my familial alpha for my birth control and suppressants. She wants me to mate with Deucalion, which you obviously know I’m not going to do, so I’m… stuck,” Peter whispered, trying to wipe away some of his tears, but that only seemed to make room for more, as they started streaming steadily down his face. “Is she out of her goddamn mind? Did she really think that would work?! She can’t do this to you!” Chris’s anger had always been all encompassing, fiery, intense. He had immediately stood up to begin pacing, sending the porch swing to rock back and forth. Vicky, hearing her husband shouting, poked her head out. One of the things Peter always loved about her was how level-headed she was. She immediately took stock of her husband’s anger and Peter’s tears. She turned back to tell the kids to go watch TV, before coming out onto the porch. “What’s going on?” She asked, all business. “What’s going on? What’s going on is that Talia has lost her fucking mind! Peter, she can’t just remove her support like that, it has to be illegal,” Chris seethed. “Christopher, you know it’s not. Birth control and suppressants aren’t a necessity for me. If they were, I wouldn’t even need the signature,” Peter explained sadly. “What about Derek? Could he sign for you?” Vicky asked, forever practical. “In theory I could, his signature would be satisfactory, but I don’t want to be the reason him and his mother are fight,” Peter sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. “So… what are you going to do?” Chris asked, still taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm himself down, recognizing that anger was not what Peter needed. “Well…” Peter started. “No, I hate it,” Vicky immediately shot back, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Not all my ideas are that bad! Let me explain first!” Peter cried in outrage, throwing his hands up. “Fine, fine, tell us your horrible idea,” Vicky waved her hand dismissively, dragging a reluctant chuckle out of her husband. “Horrible, the both of you,” Peter deadpanned, but continued anyway. “The only solution is that I need to take a mate-“ “Absolutely not!” Chris cried out. “Who the hell would you mate? No offense, Peter, the alphas you tend to bring home are not great candidates,” Vicky supplied at the same time. “Hey! They’re not all bad,” Peter defended himself. “Name one, right now, that you would consider as a mate.” Peter came up short to Vicky’s demand. Peter took… a lot of lovers to say the least. Betas, alphas, even the occasional omegas. He was loathe to admit he wasn’t always that… picky when it came to bed partners. He was always safe in terms of condoms and birth control, but he tended to overlook certain red flags if the potential partner was attractive enough. This meant that some of the alphas he had brought home were… assholes to say the least. “Well, lucky for me, I’m not considering an alpha I’ve slept with before,” Peter tried once again to defend himself, but the look on Chris’s face meant that he had clearly failed. “You’re going to mate a stranger? Are you out of your mind?” “Not a complete stranger!” “Peter, are you fucking kidding me? Are you really that stupid?” “Well, Christopher, do you have another solution? I’m not going through another heat!” Peter shouted back, getting into Chris’s face, who immediately deflated in the face of Peter’s own anger. Omegas typically went through their first heats at age fifteen. They’re mild, only lasting a day at max, and can be handled with over-the-counter medication. As they get older, the heats are often three days, come on a regular cycle, and can be handled with a partner.Peter… Peter didn’t have his first heat until he was twenty-one. His doctor’s had been concerned, insisting that he needed to watch for the signs, as he could have one any day now, but Peter had become lax after so long, and he stopped paying attention to his body.Because of that, he hadn’t even realized he was in heat at first, only finding out when a random alpha on the street came up to him, trying to solicit him, almost forcing himself on Peter until Chris had stepped in, practically bashing the guy’s face in. Peter was promptly rushed to the hospital where he spent nearly two weeks in hell. His heat was intense, painful, and Peter had almost died. His following heats were fine, at least they were medically, coming every four months like clockwork, only lasting three days max, but Peter’s first experience had shaken him to the core. He had to be sedated through his other heats, his panic and fear too intense. If he was awake, he was screaming, crying, and kicking anyone who attempted to touch him, including his own father. Therefore, once his doctor determined it safe enough to start suppressants, Peter had started them and has never stopped taken them for the past decade. So, if he had another heat, he wasn’t going to die. But he really, really did not want to risk another bad heat. He doesn’t think he could handle it. “I know, I’m sorry, Peter. I’m just worried about you,” Chris explained. “So, who’s the lucky alpha you’ve got your eye on?” Vicky asked, attempting to light the mood. “John Stilinski.” “The Sheriff?” Chris asked, brows drawn in confusion. “Doesn’t he have a kid? I thought you didn’t want kids?” “Exactly! I don’t want kids of my own, his kid is almost grown so I won’t be expected to take a real stepparent role, and he’s likely to not want another one,” Peter explained quickly, suddenly feeling like a child caught in a naughty act. “It seems you’ve at least put some thought into this… To be fair, if you’re asking for my opinion… he’s a good man, I think he’d make a fine alpha,” Vicky offered. Peter let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling better knowing he at least had Vicky’s approval. He looked to Chris, meeting his gaze, silently pleading for his approval as well. Chris looked like he was deep in thought, running through a million options. “Yeah, I agree I guess… even though I don’t think I’ll be able to beat this one up for you Peter,” Chris grinned teasingly. “So, what’s the plan? How do we convince the Sheriff you’re not completely terrible?”
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Chapter Three
Peter felt a bit like a creep at the moment. Or desperate. He’s not sure which one he thinks is worse. He, Chris, and Vicky had spent the evening figuring out where he should start with trying to court the Sheriff. Typically, alphas were meant to initiate any kind of courting, but Peter neither had the time nor the patience for that. Ideally, Peter wanted to run into the other man on “accident” and propose a date, but Peter and the Sheriff ran in absolutely different social circles, meaning there was no way for Peter to interact with him organically. Chris had (unhelpfully) suggested that Peter just try to get pulled over as often as possible. Peter’s driving record nor bank account considered that a viable option. This all meant Peter was going to have to go to the Sheriff. And since there was no way Peter knew the Sheriff’s address, nor would he ever show up there uninvited, there was only one place for him to speak to the alpha. The Sheriff’s Station. Which was how Peter found himself waiting in the lobby, on a hard uncomfortable chair, waiting until the Sheriff was free to speak with him. Peter needed an alpha, and he figured that John Stilinski was a decent man to pursue. Even if it didn’t work out, a few dates with the other man wouldn’t hurt. That traffic stop at the very least proved the man had a sense of humor and that there was mutual attraction. Peter could work with that. “Mr. Hale? Nancy said you wanted to speak with me?” The man in question had once again startled Peter from his thoughts. “Ah, yes. Only if you have some time today,” Peter offered, charming smile firmly in place. Charming. He was going for charming, not desperate. “Yeah of course, just follow me.” Peter stood and followed the alpha. He was normally a confident man but was feeling particularly exposed and out of his element as he walked through the station. Peter had a plan prepared, a whole speech even, of how he was going to propose this whole thing as a business deal. From what he knew about the Sheriff, he was a practical man. He had even considered pitching the idea as a benefit to the Sheriff’s sixteen-year-old omega child. Peter could provide a positive influence that the child was missing in his life. That morning, he had laid out several arguments of why the Sheriff was going to say yes, but as he sat down in the chair across the Sheriff’s desk, none of those arguments came out. Instead, he even surprised himself, especially with how the question tumbled quickly from his mouth. “Wouldyouliketogotodinnerwithme?” Peter cringed at the awkwardness and near desperation that colored his tone. That was absolutely not what he meant to say. He had a feeling the Sheriff was going to laugh him out of the damn station… “Sure.” The response was so casual that Peter almost didn’t hear it in his panic, but when he finally did, he stared incredulously at the alpha. “What?” Peter asked, still in shock, but his question only seemed to amuse the Sheriff. “I said sure, what, did you want me to say no?” The alpha chuckled. “No, no, I wanted you to say yes,” Peter assured, feeling like he was still five steps behind this conversation, unable to catch up. “Great! When and where?” “Are you free tomorrow evening, say 7? And how about you just join me at home, and I’ll cook you something? Anything you like,” Peter suggested, smiling broadly.He was so pleased partly due to how well this was going and partly due to his wonderful ability to think on his feet. He was an excellent cook, and the privacy of his home would aide wonderfully to the kind of conversation the two men would be having.“Anything with red meat, Stiles won’t let me have it, swear he thinks he’s the parent sometimes.”The last part of the response was mostly mumbled with an eye roll, but the tone was fond. Stiles, that was his kid’s name. Peter was going to have to remember that and remember to ask plenty of questions about him, the alpha was clearly very fond of his only child. Peter left the station with the Sheriff’s number, a vague idea of what he was going to make for dinner the next evening, and a small glimmer of hope that had died with Talia’s support. *** Peter had decided on steaks. Big, expensive steaks with homemade mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. Not only was it something he was sure he couldn’t mess up, but he had also assumed it was bound to impress the other man. Sitting across from the alpha, listening to the man praise the food, he knew he had made the correct decision. “I was mostly joking about the red meat, but I’m so glad you took me seriously. This is wonderful, Peter. Stiles never lets me have red meat, always going on about my cholesterol levels and heart health,” John explained, tone more fondly exasperated rather than annoyed. “Stiles is very health conscious?” Peter asked politely, hoping to eventually move the conversation past pleasantries. Peter had set up his breakfast nook in his kitchen for dinner, hoping that the small table would make for a more intimate setting, especially compared with his large dining room, which was meant to hold his many family members. He set up candles, poured two glasses of wine, and served dinner for the alpha. As mush as he loathed to play the role of homemaker, he couldn’t deny that it had been a smart move. John seemed genuinely appreciative, having thanked Peter probably ten times by now. Peter had immediately warmed to the man, enjoying the thanks that showed he actually appreciated Peter’s effort, apparently not holding the expectation that Peter does any of this. “For me maybe, not really himself. Kid makes me eat so many salads, chicken breasts, and brown rice. Himself on the other hand? I swear he eats his own body weight in Oreos some days,” John explained, taking a sip from his wine. “And he’s in high school now, yes? I don’t think I’ve seen him around town in a while.” “Yup! In the middle of his sophomore year. Would have been junior but… life happens,” John said, smile going a tad brittle. “Understandable, my nephew Derek had to repeat a grade. His teachers were worried about his social skills. Did him wonders to just wait a year,” Peter assured, suddenly feeling the need to assure any doubts the alpha may have about his own child. That seemed to do the trick, as John returned to his earlier, more upbeat mood, telling Peter stories of Stiles as a child and some of the antics his kid had been getting into more recently. John was probably only around ten years older than Peter, but he suddenly felt so young listening to John talk about fatherhood. Raising children had always been something Peter had watched from afar, never having his own desire for that experience. He enjoyed his nieces and nephews, loved them to pieces and would do anything for them, but his own? Absolutely not. Still, John lit up talking about his child, and Peter loved nothing more than passion. He and John had moved to his small sitting room with the fireplace after dinner. The plush couch, Peter’s favorite actually, and the soft heat from the fire left Peter relaxed and comfortable. Combined with the wine, Peter was feeling very content with himself, feeling like he was well on his way to convincing John to mate with him. At least, he was, until John once again surprised him. “So, Peter, can I ask you a question, and I hope you won’t find this too forward,” John began, turning to face towards Peter, only a foot of space in between the two men. Peter grinned, confidence growing. Men usually tried this method when seeing if Peter was interested in heading up to bed, especially on the first night. He knew that they were trying to be subtle, trying to lead Peter to believe they didn’t ask everybody this question, but he knew better. Still, he indulged them, letting them believe they got the best of the dumb, innocent omega. “Of course, ask away,” Peter said slyly, grinning into his wine glass. “What do you actually want?” What? “What do you mean?” Peter asked confused, putting his wine glass aside to give his full attention to John. “What do you want from me?” What?! “I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Peter stuttered, the heat from the fireplace all of a sudden suffocating. John let out a long sigh, putting his own wine glass on the coffee table in front of them. His face was very serious, but not unkind. That did not stop Peter from starting to panic. “Peter, listen, I’m having a wonderful time, and I’d absolutely love to do this again.” But?! “But… listen… what I’m trying to say is…” “John, please just spit it out,” Peter said, tired of the stuttering. “You have somewhat of a reputation of… casual dating. I guess you went out with one of my deputies before, and when he found out that I was coming here tonight he… felt the need to tell me, in great detail, about his date with you.” Peter nodded, silently seething at the absolute idiot that was Mark Johnson, the deputy he went out with months ago. If this whole thing fell apart, Peter was personally going to rip that man’s knot off. Slowly. And painfully. “This hasn’t been anything like what he told me. For one, you asked me out, which is apparently an anomaly. You also cooked for me. Which is apparently also odd. So, my question is: why? What is different about me? What’s the hidden agenda?” John concluded, looking at Peter imploringly. Peter considered his options for a minute. He could always tell John that he just had finally decided he was tired of playing the field. That John was just the alpha for him, but looking at the man’s blue eyes, at the man who had been kind to him when Peter felt like his world had just crumbled apart, he knew that he should just tell the truth, no matter what the consequences were. Even if that meant John was going to walk out his front door and never speak to him again. “My sister, Talia, is refusing to sign as my familial alpha for my birth control and heat suppressants. I… can’t go through another heat. I refuse to. So, my only option is to… find an alpha mate,” Peter explained softly, refusing to meet John’s eyes. “So… why me?” “Honestly? I’ve heard about your more modern views on omegas, the lack of restrictions on your own child proof enough. Not that that’s a bad thing!” Peter hurried to reassure, seeing the creases in the alpha’s forehead deepening. “I admire it! I’m not a “traditional” omega, and I would never be able to mate with anyone who was going to expect me to be one. I also made the assumption that you probably wouldn’t want children, or at least be content with me not having children, considering you have your own. Plus… we both seem to have a mutual attraction… so… you seemed like the perfect choice, even though I knew very little about you. I figured that I could propose a courtship after a few dates…” Peter finished, suddenly feeling vulnerable and small. As he actually explained it to the man, it sounded weird. Manipulative. Creepy almost. In his desperation to find a solution, he had almost forgotten that John was another person. Someone with a life, a career, and a child. All things that couldn’t be uprooted just because Peter needed an alpha mate. “Sounds like you’re in a tough spot,” John said, face completely neutral. “I… very much so.” “Well… you’ll have to meet Stiles, and he’ll have to give the final sign off if this whole thing is going to work,” John said casually. “You… you want to mate with me?” Peter asked, confused. “Like I said back to you in the station, did you want me to say no?” John laughed; arms crossed in front of his chest. “And like I also said then, no, of course not, I want you to say yes, I’m just shocked that you’re agreeing and not punching me in the face. Frankly, I feel like a creep,” Peter explained, exasperated at this turn of events. “Listen, you need an alpha mate. All of your assumptions were shockingly correct, so I don’t see why not. We need to have a very serious discussion, but I want to help you, Peter. If that means I get a lovely omega out of the deal, so be it,” John grinned teasingly. “Well, let’s get one thing straight, you’re not getting me. I am never, ever subservient to an alpha, even an alpha mate. Is that clear, Sheriff?” Peter asked dangerously. “Oh, trust me Peter Hale, I’m well aware,” John replied, leaning forwards until he was very close to Peter’s face, his lips only a breath away. “I don’t want someone subservient; I want someone who can keep up.” Peter felt a slight shiver go up his spine, whether it was from fear or excitement he wasn’t sure, but he was fucking thrilled by this turn of event, a broad smile spreading across his face.
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Chapter Four
Wide, warm, honey-colored eyes stared intensely at Peter from across the room. Stiles Stilinski, John’s sixteen-year-old omega child, was tall, gangly, and covered in moles and freckles. His movements seemed to be sporadic and uncoordinated, awkward almost, but the look in the boy’s eyes was the opposite. It was intense, judging, and immediately on guard by Peter’s very presence. He was uncomfortable to say the least. The rest of their date had been pleasant, the two men just enjoying each other’s company, avoiding any of the heavier topics they were inevitably going to have to talk about. Instead, Peter and John had talked about music, movies, and some of their favorite books. Peter had asked John where they should go from there, but John had explained that he didn’t feel comfortable continuing anything until Peter and Stiles had met. Peter had understood, agreed to come by in a few days for dinner to meet the Sheriff’s son. The plan had been that Peter would arrive thirty minutes after John had got off work. Instead, when Peter had arrived at the agreed upon time, Stiles answered the door, and the Sheriff was nowhere to be seen. “So… when’s your father getting home?” Peter asked, trying to be as polite as possible, recognizing that Stiles was the make-or-break point of this whole plan. “Oh, probably not anytime soon. There was a bad traffic accident on the highway and my dad had to go handle it. He called me to let me know and to tell me to give you a call to cancel,” Stiles explained, sounding bored. “And you did not call me because…?” Peter prompted. “Whoops,” Stiles replied back, completely devoid of any remorse. Peter nodded. These Stilinski men were apparently meant to cause Peter immense amount of confusion and overall stress. Peter thought that the best idea would be to leave, to come back when John was actually free, but he found himself stuck to where he was sat in the living room chair. Stiles was still staring at him from the couch, If the boy had purposefully not cancelled, he clearly wanted to talk to Peter about something. “So… how do you feel about your father dating?” Peter opened with, deciding to go with the direct approach. “I’m fine with it,” Stiles shrugged. Peter knew better than to think it was going to be that easy. “Fine, how do you feel about your father dating me?” “I think that you’re up to something and he should have never agreed to go on a date with you,” Stiles grinned, the smile not reaching his eyes. Peter sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. John had said that he didn’t want to tell Stiles the truth about why the two men would be moving at such a fast pace, probably only planning on courting for two months max before mating. Instead, John had told Stiles some half truths and explained that they were just getting along very well, that the two men were just eager to be mated. It was a flimsy lie at best, but the Sheriff seemed hesitant in sharing the truth. Peter recognized that if he were to go against John’s wishes, he risked the whole thing failing very quickly. But… Peter also recognized that if he couldn’t get Stiles on board, this whole thing wasn’t going to even start. So, he had a choice to make. One he thought was pretty easy to make. “You’re right, I am up to something.” “Ah ha!” Stiles exclaimed, jumping up from his seat on the couch, pointing at Peter like he had just solved a huge mystery. “Wait…” The poor kid immediately deflated, “why are you even admitting that to me?” “Stiles, listen, I see a lot of myself in you,” Peter started to explain. In all honesty, he really did see himself in Stiles. A young, male omega trying so hard to push against traditional stereotypes. He was defensive, smart as a whip, and had everything to prove. Peter was the exact same way at sixteen, Chris could definitely attest to the number of fights Peter used to get into with so many people. Peter also appreciated that Stiles had already lost one parent, he was obviously going to be protective of his father. A strange omega, one that John had never spoken about, suddenly showing up, talking about mating? Of course Stiles was defensive. “And while I know your father wasn’t exactly… keen on telling you the truth, I think you deserve it.” “You’re going against what my dad wishes? Aren’t you worried he’s going to be mad or something?” Stiles asked, still clearly confused. “Your father is definitely going to be angry with me, but I also know that if you are not on board with this mating, it’s not going to happen. So, I’m taking a calculated risk.” “Okay… then explain,” Stiles demanded, sitting back down on the coach, legs folded underneath of him. “I assume that you are aware of the laws surrounding omega’s getting access to birth control and heat suppressants, yes?” After receiving a nod, Peter continued. “For many years now, my sister has been signing for them. In an ill-advised attempt to convince me to mate a man, who I absolutely despise by the way, she’s removed that support and I will no longer be able to get access to them. I’ve already run out of the suppressants, so I’m on a bit of a… time crunch. So, I need an alpha mate.” “So, what, my dad’s just a convenient alpha that you chose off the street?” Stiles asked, his defenses clearly rising. “No, your father is an alpha that holds very progressive views on omegas, already has a child and does not want anymore, and who I seem to share mutual attraction for. I didn’t just throw a dart and pick your father Stiles, I promise that I value your father for the person he is, he’s not just an alpha I picked at random.” Stiles seemed to be lost in thought for a while. Peter could tell the boy was really thinking when he started chewing on the tip of his thumb, looking off into space. He tried to be patient, understanding that this was going to mean a huge life shift for the omega boy, but Peter began getting impatient the longer Stiles’ silence dragged on. Peter hadn’t been lying when he said he was on a time crunch. He hadn’t wanted to explain this to Chris, as the stupid alpha would just panic, but Talia’s decision to pull her support when she did was a deliberate choice. She knew Peter was up for a refill, and she knew he would be desperate to get the suppressants. Thinking about it made his disdain for his sister grow even more. “Okay.” “What?” Peter asked, head shooting up to look at Stiles. “I said, okay. You should get your ears checked. But, if you and my dad are going to get mated, you’re never allowed to mention your “mutual attraction” again. My dad doesn’t do stuff like that, and if you break that belief for me, I will puke on your shoes,” Stiles grinned. “Thank you, Stiles, your support means a lot,” Peter expressed his gratitude, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “And I promise your father and I will try to keep any bedroom activities relatively quiet for your sake.” Stiles immediately covered his ears, shouting to drown out anything else Peter would say. Peter just laughed loudly, moving to sit next to Stiles on the couch, before prying the boy’s hands off his ears to get him to listen. “I promise I’ll stop,” Peter said in between fits of giggles, still holding Stiles’ wrists. “Now, what do you want to have for dinner? I can cook or we’ll order out.” Stiles, who had also begun laughing when Peter was attempting to wrestle the boy’s hands away from his head, took a few moments to calm down before he was able to respond, still allowing a few giggles to bubble up. “Let’s order out, but you’ve got to pay,” Stiles grinned. *** Hours later, when the Sheriff finally came home, exhausted and starving, he was honestly ready to collapse. He had already been ready to come home when the call had come in. A two-car accident had turned into four cars which had quickly turned into six cars and an eighteen-wheeler. Luckily, everyone was relatively okay, but between getting everyone checked, waiting for the tow trucks, and redirecting traffic, it had been a long night. He wanted to eat whatever was in the fridge and pass out. He would worry about a shower in the morning.On top of exhaustion, he was also disappointed. Despite not knowing Peter long, John was quickly becoming fond. The omega was funny, sarcastic, but not unkind, and very attractive. John truly was on board for mating, especially after Peter admitted the truth to him, the attraction and initial chemistry transforming into a desire to help the man who was in a tight spot.When he broached the topic of mating to Stiles, his son had immediately become suspicious, asking a million and one questions. He had decided not to tell Stiles the truth. He was concerned that if Stiles knew the truth, he would only be able to see the mating as purely transactional. Peter had seemed hesitant about the idea but had ultimately agreed. Regardless of that agreement, John still didn’t want them to meet without him there, knowing fully well how intense Stiles could be, especially when he was suspicious and had questions.After finding out about the accident, he had only had a few moments to call Stiles, so he prayed that the boy had actually listened to him for once. He should have known better though.When he walked in the front door, he was greeted by the sight of Peter and Stiles, sprawled out on the living room couch, playfully complaining about the horror movie they were watching. Stiles was laughing loudly, waving his arms around as he spoke, bemoaning the poor acting in the movie. Peter was listening intently, nodding along, and adding his own commentary, when necessary, but overall, he was just listening to Stiles talk. John knew right then and there that Peter was going to do just fine as his mate. John loved Stiles, loved everything about him, but he recognized that some of the boy’s mannerisms bothered people, and his endless talking got on a lot of people’s nerves. Based on their relaxed posture, and the fact that neither of them had noticed John yet, they had clearly been there for a while and were very deep in the conversation. The fact that Peter was actually listening and not just pretending to? It was more that most people did with Stiles’ endless talking. And anyone that was good to his son, was good enough for John. “Oh! Hi dad! Peter and I ordered Chinese, there is some for you in the fridge, you’ll have to heat it up though, we weren’t sure when you would be home,” Stiles rambled when he finally noticed his father, but he quickly turned back to Peter to continue his speech. “Anyway, Peter, I swear the writers of this movie had never actually…” John went to the kitchen to find his dinner, throwing it in the microwave before returning to the living room, settling down in the chair with a groan, tucking into his food and mindlessly listening to Stiles’ endless rambling. As John was almost finished scarfing down his food, Stiles shot up to head to the bathroom, leaving John and Peter alone. “So… what are you doing here?” John asked cautiously, not trying to offend the man, but trying to figure out what was going on, his brain too tired to process the situation himself. “Stiles “forgot” to call me, so I showed up at our originally agreed upon time,” Peter explained, air quoting around the word “forgot.” “Yeah… forgot,” John snorted. “Well, you two seem to be getting along just fine at least. Sorry I got held up at work.” “Don’t worry about it, I understand that it happens,” Peter assured, immediately waving off the apology. “We’ve been having a good time, Stiles has excellent opinions about horror movies, and he’s been telling me the failings of many of them.” John hummed, still suspicious. “And how did you explain our expedited mating to him?” John asked, realizing that for Stiles to be this comfortable, Peter had to have told him one of two things: an excellent lie or the truth. Based on the way Peter started fidgeting, John got his answer before the other man could even speak. “Peter, I told you-” John started, only to be cut off by Stiles, who had suddenly returned. “Dad, I’m old enough to hear the truth. Peter was just doing what he thought was right, and I agree. I should know, I’m going to be affected by this decision too,” Stiles said firmly. “I didn’t want you to-” “Yeah, yeah. You didn’t want me to think it was transactional. I got it. It’s not. It’s just more sped up because of issues.” “Stiles if you would let me-” “Dad, you’re out voted here. You don’t think I should know the truth. Peter and I do. Two versus one. Democracy!” Stiles shouted playfully, causing Peter to laugh and John to reluctantly chuckle. “Fine, but I see that I’ve just agreed to mate someone who is going to enable your bad behaviors,” John grinned, sending a wink Peter’s way, who clearly relaxed knowing John wasn’t actually mad. “I absolutely will, be prepared to lose many, many arguments, John,” Peter teased, causing Stiles to hoot and holler in victory. The rest of John’s evening was spent listening to Stiles and Peter’s playful bickering, his son’s laughter falling freely and loudly from him. He just considered it a nice teaser for what the rest of his life with Peter as a mate could be like.
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Chapter Five
String lights were draped up across the street, twinkling softly in the evening sky. Loud Christmas music mixed with the chattering of people walking along the shops, making the town’s main street a lively, festive place. Peter loved Christmas, he really did, but he could do without the loud music that started well before Thanksgiving. Still, he found himself humming along as he walked with John to the restaurant, his arm looped through the alpha’s. It was all a bit cheesy, but Peter couldn’t deny that having the alpha close by was soothing. “Do you like this song? You started humming along as soon as it came on,” John asked, patting Peter’s hand where it sat on the Sheriff’s bicep. “Ah, not really, it’s just one that always seems to get stuck in my head,” Peter grinned, continuing his humming. His smile got wider when John joined in, humming softly. They had been dating steadily for just under a month. It had been about as long since he had spoken to anyone in his family. After that fated dinner, Peter had skipped any Thanksgiving celebrations, having to block several of his family members’ numbers to stop the incessant calls. Now, only a week before Christmas, Peter still had no plans to see his family. With John going out of town to visit family and Chris taking his family to the mountains, Peter foresaw his Christmas being relatively lonely, but he wasn’t too disappointed. Afterall, he’d rather be alone than endure his family. John had asked Peter whether he was ever going to tell his family, not in anyway pushing the subject, but just genuinely curious. Peter explained that he just wanted to wait until after the mating, as it prevented his family from trying to interfere in any way. John had understood, nodding, and not insisting that Peter tell anyone he didn’t want to. It had felt nice to have the alpha just trust Peter’s judgement and not insist he knew better. The restaurant Peter had chosen for their date tonight was one of his favorites. They had a very nice patio heater, meaning he and John could actually sit outside without being uncomfortably cold. John had just gotten partway through his story of some of the crazy things that had happened in that station that week when they were interrupted. “Uncle Peter!!” Peter’s head whipped up to see Laura, Derek, and Cora waving at him from across the street. They were the only three family members he had actually missed, feeling horrible when he ignored their texts about him visiting, but he hadn’t had the heart to outright refuse their requests. Despite his excitement at seeing them, he immediately started to panic, fearing that Talia was with them as well. He felt a warm hand grab his from across the table, John rubbing his thumb across Peter’s knuckles, immediately causing Peter to calm down. He breathed out slowly, before removing his hand from John’s, sending him a grateful look. The kids had made their way over to the table by now, Cora almost running a man over in her hurry, practically tackling Peter out of his chair when she finally approached the table. Cora was seventeen, mouthy, and stubborn. She had always actively sought out Peter for what she always called “omega cuddles,” even as a young child, tending to cling to Peter much more than her own omega father. She had always had a temper, a fiery one, so Peter had always assumed that his own omega pheromones soothed her, so he never denied her when she would come up for a hug, to sit next to him, or like she was doing now, climbing into his lap. It had been hard not having her around. “Cora, I swear! This chair is too small for the both of us,” Peter laughed, wrapping his arms around her. “You are making a scene, little one.” Despite his words, Peter still just pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin. Laura and Derek watched the two of them with amusement. Laura had a broad smile across her face, laughing at her little sister. Derek was a serious as ever, but Peter could tell he was amused by the tiny uptick at the corner of his mouth. They took turns giving Peter hugs around their sister, who because of her position on Peter’s lap, was the first to notice John. “Who’s this?” Cora asked rudely, eyes narrowed as she stared down John, the mood among the siblings shifting rapidly from excited to angry. “Cora,” Peter hissed at her. “John Stilinski, and you’re Peter’s nieces and nephew, correct?” John asked, polite as always. “Yeah, are you the reason he hasn’t been coming around? What, you think you can tell him what to do just because you’re an alpha?” Cora seethed, removing herself from Peter’s lap to get into John’s face. Like he said, a bad temper. “Cora Jane Hale, what the hell are you talking about?” Peter seethed, getting up to pull Cora away from John, but despite the anger in his tone, she didn’t back down and continued to stare the other alpha down. “You haven’t been around lately! You’ve been ignoring our texts, you missed Thanksgiving!” Laura practically shouted, her tone and voice level causing the people around them to stare. “Laura,” Derek nudged his sister in warning, levelheaded as always. “Derek, shut up! If Uncle Peter is going to ditch us for a knot, then I’m allowed to yell at him!” Laura continued shouting. Peter’s face turned red, both in anger and embarrassment at the public display his nieces were making. “You three, follow me, now,” Peter whispered, needing to bodily drag Cora away from John, leading the three of them around a corner in an alley for a little bit of privacy. Or at least, the most privacy they could get in public. “What. The. Fuck. Do you three think you’re doing? We are in public!” “Do not act high and mighty! You haven’t spoken to us in a month for what? An alpha? When did you even start dating alphas?” Laura questioned, color high in her cheeks because of her anger. “I did not stop speaking to you all because of a knot, as you so crudely announced for everyone in that restaurant to here. I stopped speaking to you all, because of your mother,” Peter explained, tone even, but his hands were starting to shake in anger. “Oh my god, you’re still mad about that?” Cora asked, rolling her eyes. “What do you mean still?” Peter asked quietly, fixing his niece with an intense stare. Both of the girls seemed to wilt at his anger, no longer meeting his eyes, Cora scuffing the toe of her boot on the ground, Laura constantly fidgeting her hands, not knowing where to put them. When neither of them spoke up, Peter stared Derek down, knowing that despite the boy’s cool demeanor, he broke very easily when anyone was angry. “Mom said you stormed out of the house after she proposed you mate with Deuc. We know you don’t like him, and we know mom can be pushy, but that doesn’t really warrant not talking to us for a month,” Derek muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, looking down at the ground. “You all think that I stopped talking to everyone in the family because your mother was playing matchmaker? Or, actually what you accused me of, was being too preoccupied with fucking an alpha to talk to any of you? I’m… speechless.” Peter sighed, dropping his head into his hands, afraid that if he looked at the three of them much longer, he would either strangle them or start crying. Footsteps behind him caught his attention and he turned to see John approaching them, plastic bag of take-out boxes in his hand. Peter’s anger deflated a little bit at the kind gesture. When John finally reached them, he placed a hand on the small of Peter’s back, allowing the omega to slump against him. “Hey,” John started, firmly ignoring the three Hales staring him down. “I paid for dinner and boxed everything up. Are you okay?” “I’ll live,” Peter assured. “But there seems to have been a large miscommunication, so if you three would like to follow me home, I’d like to have a private conversation.” “I’m not going anywhere that he is,” Cora exclaimed, still glaring at John. “Fine, then don’t. If you all apparently think so low of me that I would stop speaking to you for such trivial reasons, then I don’t want to deal with you.” Peter turned on his heel, dragging John along with him. He was done. Talia clearly lied to them. That wasn’t their fault. But it hurt that they seemed to really believe he had just disappeared out of their lives for such stupid reasons. The fact that Laura had even thought to accuse him of ditching them for a knot was just too much. He didn’t want to deal with it or them. John stayed quiet throughout the drive home, having gently pried Peter’s keys from his hands before ushering him to the passenger side door. He had led Peter inside and set the man up on the couch before disappearing into the kitchen. He returned, sans leftovers, with a glass of wine, which he handed to Peter before removing the omega’s shoes. He plopped down next to Peter, pulling him close. He did all of this quietly, gently, and it was enough to make the tears spring to his eyes. “You’re being too nice,” Peter admonished, pushing at John’s thigh gently. “That’s because you’ve been so sweet to me.” Peter snorted, wine almost coming out of his nose. “Now you know that is a damn lie,” Peter laughed gently, mood still sour, but he could appreciate the alpha’s attempt at humor. He was going to say more, but the doorbell interrupted him. John got up immediately going to answer the door. Peter figured it was Laura, Derek, and Cora. He was expecting more of a fight, he was already steeling himself for more yelling, but instead what he got was a lapful of teary-eyed girls and a miserable looking Derek. The apologies coming from the three of them were too jumbled to fully understand, but he got the point: they were sorry. He crumbled immediately, never being able to stay mad at either of them, not matter what they did. Even when Cora used his priceless, first edition of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol as a coloring book. Even when Derek, at thirteen in all his teenage angst, had tried to fight an alpha Peter had been interested in for months, in public, loudly claiming the man needed to stop “harassing” his uncle. Even when Laura had used the wrong end of an ice scrapper all over his brand-new Cobra, requiring him to get it repainted. He had never been able to be actually angry with any of them and he always, always, forgave them as soon as they apologized. “So um, what actually happened?” Laura asked quietly when all of them has calmed down. “And I promise I don’t really think any of those things about you, I was just so mad when you disappeared. I also know that I was acting like a child…” “It’s okay, Laura. I forgive you,” Peter promised, hugging her close. They all parted a little bit to give Peter some space to explain. He could hear John moving around in the kitchen, and Peter was once again thankful for the alpha’s keen sense of situations, giving them all space to talk without his presence. “As you all know, your mother has been signing at my alpha for my birth control and my suppressants. The dinner where she claimed she just tried to, once again, set Deucalion and I up, she also told me that she would no longer be providing that signature,” Peter explained softly, trying to stay calm for the sake of Cora and Laura, both who looked like they were about to explode. What he didn’t expect, was Derek’s reaction. “Are you fucking kidding me? She knows how your heats are,” Derek spat out, jumping up and pacing, much like Chris did weeks ago. “What is even the purpose of that?” Laura asked, leg bouncing as she chewed on her thumbnail. “I think she thought that is she removed that crutch, so to speak, I would seriously consider mating Deuc.” Derek just threw his hands up, continuing to pace aggressively, scowl firmly in place. “Wait, is that why you were on a date with… ummm… the alpha?” Cora asked, clearly not remembering John’s name. “Partially, I realized that in order to get my suppressants, I was going to need an alpha. John,” Peter said, looking pointedly at Cora, “was an excellent option. We’ve been dating for around a month now, he’s a very nice man, and our expectations for mating match up.” “Why didn’t you ask me to sign for you? You don’t have to get mated if you really don’t want to, you’ve never seemed interested before. I’d sign in a heartbeat,” Derek asked, sounding hurt that his uncle hadn’t considered talking to him. “Now when have you known me to do anything I don’t want to do?” Peter tried joking, but Derek continued to look hurt. “Honestly? I thought about it, but I didn’t want to get between you and your mother. She would have freaked if you had started signing for me, and I did not want to be the reason you were fighting with your mother.” “But you’re not! I mean, what she’s doing is wrong, and if she’ll do this to you, there’s no guaranteeing she won’t try this with Laura one day!” Derek explained, sitting on the ground in front of the couch, looking up at Peter in a way that was so reminiscent of when he was a child, that Peter couldn’t help but reach out to run his fingers through his nephew’s hair. “Still, I made my choice of which path I wanted to take. I wanted to avoid involving all of you as long as I could. I never realized that you had no idea why I wasn’t coming around anymore,” Peter explained soothingly. They all stayed like that for a long time, all three of them soaking up Peter’s comfort. John was oddly quiet, but Peter wasn’t exactly in a position to go find him, currently finding himself buried under the kids. It eventually became too late, they needed to get Cora home before ten since she had school in the morning. None of them seemed to really want to leave, but Peter promised that he would answer their texts from now on and sent them off. He was still lost in thought, standing in the open front door, the kids long gone, when John’s arms snaked around his waist, pulling the omega back against the alpha’s broad chest. “Come one, let’s get inside. You’re going to let all the heat out and your nose is starting to turn red from the cold.” Peter allowed himself to be pulled inside, agreeing that he was getting a little cold. He expected John to lead him to the living room, but instead the alpha suddenly swept him off his feet, bridal carrying Peter up the stairs to his bedroom. They entered the ensuite bathroom, John finally placing Peter back on his feet. He suddenly hesitated, seemingly unsure of how Peter was comfortable preceding. So far, they hadn’t gone any further than chaste kisses and hand holding. John gently placed his large, warm hands on either side of Peter’s face, forcing them to make eye contact. “I want to know if this mating is something you actually want, or if you’re really just doing it to have an alpha to sign for suppressants. Your nephew offered to sign for them. So, if you want to stop this, I need to know now,” John said softly. “I thought that you were okay with this being relatively transactional?” Peter asked hesitantly. “I was, and I still am, but…” “But what?” Peter asked, barely above a whisper. “I think that I’ve allowed a few more… feelings to form than I originally planned for. I don’t think I could mate with you, knowing that I’m always just going to be a signature for you. An okay option out off of a long list of bad ones. I… I can’t like with indifference, Peter.” Peter took a deep breathe, still not allowing his eyes to drift away from John’s. “I may have also allowed a few more feelings to form than I also originally planned for. I know that I called you an… option to the kids, but I’ve come to value you much, much more than a signature, John. I enjoy spending time with you, and I adore Stiles. I want to continue. And I can guarantee that there would be more… much more… than indifference from my end,” Peter explained slowly, picking his words carefully. A broad smile spread across John’s face before he was pulling Peter in close, capturing his lips in a passionate but unhurried kiss. They stood there for a long time, just trading kisses, John’s tongue teasing Peter’s lower lip, hands not moving from his face. They only separated in brief intervals to remove pieces of clothing. First it was the buttons being undone of Peter’s shirt. Then it was John’s soft sweater being pulled over his head. Then Peter’s shirt being pushed off his shoulders and his undershirt being removed. Finally, Peter was able to get his hands on all of John’s lovely, tanned body, just running his hands along any piece of exposed skin he could easily touch. Peter was wandering his hand down to John’s cock, his wonderfully, thick, long cock when John suddenly took a step back. His face must have shown some sort of disappointment, as John chuckled lowly and planted a quick, placating kiss to Peter’s lips. He turned around to turn the shower on, giving Peter a view of his toned backside. With Peter’s flexibility in bed partners, he’d developed a taste for topping pretty regularly. Male omega’s cocks tended to be on the smaller side, Peter’s own five inches being longer than most. He had never met an alpha that was interested in bottoming though, usually only topping for other omegas or betas. In fact, the one time he had suggested it to an alpha, the man had left disgusted, blocking Peter’s number despite several nights of fun, satisfying sex between them. Like he said though, he was flexible, so if John was only ever interested in topping, Peter wouldn’t complain. Especially after getting a better look at John. Once the shower was running and warmed up, John gently pulled Peter in with him, moving their bodies close together. Peter could feel a tell-tale dampness between his legs as John’s naked body was pressed against his own. He was used to regular sex, so the month he had been dating John had been one of his longer stints without sex. John pushed him up against the shower wall, pinning him against the cold tiles. His hand wandered down between Peter’s legs, giving his cock a few firm jerks, before allowing his fingers to wander down further, past his balls, to brush against his warm, slick slit. His thick fingers teased his opening, before one gently pushed in. Peter moaned into John’s mouth, which had resumed its gentle but never-ending attack on the omega’s lips, moving his hips a little to encourage John to do more. John suddenly dropped to his knees in front of Peter, wrapping his lips around Peter’s leaking cock, sucking gently as he added another finger inside of Peter. He threw his head back against the shower tiles, enjoying the feeling of the warm mouth around him and the fast-paced thrusting John had set. This was another thing Peter did not get very often. Like he has admitted before, a lot of the alphas he had slept with were assholes, he knew that. So that meant if Peter was looking for a knot, he had to make concessions elsewhere during that particular night. Specifically, any kind of oral. Many alphas seemed averse to it, not seeing a point in it. John apparently did not share that mindset, moving his mouth along Peter’s cock like it was his only purpose in this world, never stopping his fingers the whole time, Peter’s fingers tangled in John’s hair, just holding on for dear life. He felt his own orgasm approaching very quickly, too quickly. He tried to hold back, not wanting John’s ministrations to end any time soon, but it eventually became too much, especially when John’s fingers twisted a certain way inside of him at the same time that he took Peter’s cock deeper in his mouth, tongue running along the underside of Peter’s cock. Peter came with a shout, coming down John’s throat and around his fingers, pulling John’s hair harshly as he did so, trying to find some sort of support. John held him up though, allowing the omega to fall back against the wall, seemingly not holding any of his own weight. Peter was finally able to stand more surely, still panting, and loose-limbed, but enough to allow John to stand. He was about to ask if the alpha wanted Peter to reciprocate when John took his own hard cock in hand. One, two, three pumps and John was coming, the alpha gripping the base of his cock firmly as his knot tried to inflate. Peter was… surprised to say the least. Not only had John not asked Peter to reciprocate in anyway, but the alpha had also come very quickly. He wanted to ask, but in his post-orgasm haze, he just allowed the other man to wash him gently and move him out of the shower. Later, as they lay in bed, John was cuddled behind Peter, nuzzling his nose into the back of the omega’s neck, Peter finally asked. “Did you… were you not interested in me helping you?” Peter asked confused. John only hummed in question, his hand rubbing along Peter’s abs. “In the shower, you didn’t ask me to reciprocate. I would have been happy to,” Peter explained. John laughed in response, rolling Peter over to look him in the eye. “I know you would have, but honestly, I didn’t want to interrupt the high you seemed to be in, and I was too close anyway to trouble you.” “But… I hadn’t even touched you?” “You were making such wonderful noises, and you looked too beautiful when you came, I didn’t need yours, or any touch for that matter, to be close,” John said lowly, the hunger evident in his eyes. As they fell asleep, Peter started realizing that maybe he had been picking bad bed partners in the past. All of them had asked, practically demanded really, Peter’s touch and Peter’s mouth, which he was always happy to do, but no one had been that turned on by just Peter’s responses before. No one had been as dedicated to solely Peter’s pleasure before that he was able to come like that. As he fell asleep, wrapped in the other man’s heat and alpha pheromones, Peter had never been more relaxed. He was quickly realizing that his decision to chase after John was leading to the most emotionally and sexually fulfilling relationship he had even been in.
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Chapter Six
Peter was regretting telling the kids he would start taking their calls again, no exceptions, when his ringtone dragged him unwillingly into consciousness. The specific ringtone he had picked for Cora (Gives You Hell by the All-American Rejects) told him who was calling before he opened his eyes, so he knew that this wasn’t a call he could just ignore and go back to sleep. He rolled over and blindly grabbed for his phone, quickly picking it up. “Hello?” He started, voice still groggy from sleep. “Uncle Peter, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to, I just got so angry, and it came out before I could think about it and Derek is so mad at me and Laura’s not talking to me-” “Cora!” Peter interrupted, suddenly very awake in his niece’s panic. “Take a deep breath and tell me what exactly you’re sorry about.” Silence. “Cora?” “Mom started going on and on about how Laura needed to settle down soon, or she’d find herself in your position, with no alpha and no children. I got so mad at her, because she was implying that you weren’t successful and that your life was pointless without those things and I… I told mom about the alpha you’ve been seeing,” Cora finished quietly, her tears still evident in the way her voice caught as she spoke. Peter took a deep breath, counting to ten before letting it out. He was not going to yell at her. He was not going to indicate in anyway that he was upset. “That’s okay, but I need you to tell me what your mom said when you told her,” Peter said slowly, keeping his voice even. “… She wants you to come to dinner tonight to talk about it.” “Okay. Tell her I’ll be there.” “I’m so sorry, Uncle Peter,” Cora sobbed into the phone. “It’s okay, it’s not a big deal. Now just take deep breathes, there you go, little one. I’m not mad, but you do need to calm down before you send yourself into a panic.” After making sure Cora was truly fine, Peter ended the call, letting his head fall back against his wooden headboard with a solid thud. He really was not mad at Cora; he was going to have to tell his sister about the mating eventually. He would have preferred until after the mating, when all his sister could truly do was bitch and complain, but he could make this work. On the bright side, at least he had a real reason to not drag the alpha in question with him tonight; John wouldn’t be getting home until very late this evening, haven driven up to his mother’s house to spend a few days before Christmas with family. Another positive was that since it was Christmas Eve and not Christmas Day, there would only be family members at the Hale dinner that evening instead of the hundreds of people his sister liked to invite on actual Christmas. That made the evening seem much more manageable. He could deal with his family. He’d been doing it for years. *** He couldn’t do this. He had only been there for thirty minutes, and he was already ready to leave. First, his sister greeted him like nothing had happened between that. Like Peter’s just been too busy to come visit, not that she betrayed him. Then, Deucalion was there. Apparently, Talia had decided last minute to allow non-family members to join, meaning there were a few unfamiliar faces in attendance. In addition, while he appreciated his nephew’s efforts to run interference, Derek’s constant clinging was setting his teeth on edge. Finally, Talia’s omega Simon came up to congratulate him for finally accepting his “omega desires” and settling down to have a family. Honestly, the only thing keeping him going was the fact that he knew John was going to be heading directly to his house when he made it back, having left Stiles behind to spend Christmas with his cousins and grandmother while John worked Christmas Day. He kept telling himself to get through dinner, politely answer questions, and then he was out of there. He didn’t expect Talia to start with the interrogation in the middle of dinner, in front of their entire family. “So, Peter, who’s the lucky alpha that’s courting you?” Talia asked, a broad, fake smile plastered on her face. “Sheriff John Stilinski,” Peter replied blandly, hoping that if his answers were short, it would discourage conversation. “Ah, a man with a title. You know, Peter, if you were looking for an alpha with status, I believe that I fulfill that requirement very well,” Deuc grinned at him, practically leering at Peter from across the table. Deuc was a very successful, very well-known lawyer, having made partner several years ago at one of the largest law firms in New York. So, his statement was correct; he would be a good option if Peter was interested in status. In fact, that had been something that had made Deuc appealing at first, but his horrible, disgusting, creepy, sexist behavior quickly overshadowed any good qualities in the alpha. “I’m not interested in status; John and I just clicked,” Peter replied dryly, staring Deuc down, before turning to one of his cousin’s kids to change the subject. “So, Quinn, Derek tells me you joined your school’s baseball team, how has that been going?” “Oh! It’s actually been going really well, the coach said that if I keep practicing, I can-” Quinn started excitedly, but was quickly cut off by Talia. “Peter, I’d much rather talk about your alpha. Maybe start coming to family dinners and you can ask Quinn about baseball then. When are you and John planning on mating? And more importantly, when does he want to start having children? You’re getting older, you shouldn’t wait very long.” Deep breathes. “We want to get mated relatively quickly, we were both thinking a small ceremony in January would be nice,” Peter replied evenly. “And children?” The look on Talia’s face was practically manic. Simon’s own face mirroring his mates, but his held a more eager edge, an excitement for his fellow omega. Talia’s on the other handheld the edge that her expression took when she thought she was about to win an argument. “I have no plans of having children.” “Peter,” Talia laughed brightly, again that manic edge coming through. “I’m sure John disagrees. Now, how many children does he want?” “He doesn’t. He has one child who is sixteen, and he’s not interested in having anymore.” “Well then, I don’t think you’ve picked a good alpha. But don’t worry! You haven’t invested too much time in the man, so you haven’t wasted too much of your time. Now, Deuc here was just telling me-” The clattering of Peter’s chair hitting the ground as he abruptly stood stopped any and all conversations happening at the table. He didn’t even spare a glance behind him as he quickly walked towards the front door, praying to God that no one had blocked him in. If so, he was fucking walking home. “Peter!” Talia called after him, stopping him in his tracks at the front door, hand on the doorknob. When he turned around, he saw his sister looking lost and desperate. The sincerity of her emotions took him by surprise for a moment, as he had only been seeing the cold mask she had been wearing in his presence that evening and for the past few years, in all honesty. “Could we… could we just talk in private for a moment?” The unsureness in her voice is what made him agree. He had always been weak for family, even ones that had betrayed him so much. He still remembered how he helped that one cousin get back on his feet, even after he had stolen Peter’s car and sold it for money. As soon as he had apologized, Peter had offered him a helping hand, making sure the man had found a new job and a new place to live. He had always been too forgiving, too trusting, too helpful. After Talia had shut the door to her office, giving the two siblings complete privacy, Peter sat down on the couch, waiting for Talia to start. An intense silence stretched between the town of them. Talia seemed to now know where to start and Peter was not going to give her any kind of help. “I’ve missed you this past month. I never meant to drive you away,” Talia started gently, still standing in front of Peter. “I guess I’ve just been handling my concern badly. Very badly.” Peter only nodded, not wanting to interrupt. “I guess you told the kids why you had actually stopped coming around… and Laura really let me have it. She told me that she had lost her trust in me after seeing how I was so ready to use your birth control and your heat suppressants as bargaining chips to get you to do what I wanted you to do. I… you don’t have to mate with Sheriff Stilinski if you don’t want to, Peter. I promise that I will continue to sign for your birth control and heat suppressants until you mate with someone. I don’t want you to just mate this man to get access to those things.” Peter was speechless by the end. He never really believed that his sister was so heartless to deny him birth control and heat suppressants, and after hearing her admit her actions were wrong, a huge weight was lifted that he hadn’t even realized he had been carrying. “I… I appreciate the more than I can say Talia,” he told her, standing to draw her into a hug. When they separated, she was a bit teary eyed, and Peter started looking forward to rekindling his relationship with his sister. The one they used to have when Peter was a kid. Despite the somewhat large age gap, around ten years, they had been thick as thieves. Peter trailed after Talia everywhere, following her every word, looking to her for guidance. Things changed as Peter got older, their relationship more tense as they went their separate ways in life, but the last five years, things had really fallen apart. Now, after her apology, Peter was seeing his old sister for the first time in years. “I promise that John’s not a last-ditch effort though, Talia. At first the idea was entirely transactional, we both had similar expectations for the mating, but I’ve come to care for him a lot. I know I’ve always said I would never mate but… I mean I finally feel ready to,” Peter explained, excited to fill his sister in on what a crazy month with John it had been. “That’s wonderful Peter!” Talia exclaimed happily, before her smile turned a little pleading. “But… Does it have to be the Sheriff?” What? “What?” Peter asked dumbly. “I just… if you’re ready to mate, I really think you should pick someone else. For one, you should find someone that wants to give you children!” “Talia…” Peter groaned, moving away from her. “I have told you a hundred times, I don’t want to have a child.” “And like I’ve said every time, it’s only because you haven’t had a heat in so long. Omegas always, always beg for children in heat. You deserve to be with an alpha that’s going to listen to that!” “Talia, I deserve to have an alpha that is going to listen to what I want outside of heat, not when I’m drowning in hormones!” “But that’s when they should listen to you! You have had this idea stuck in your head for years, you just need one good heat, and you’ll change your mind!” Talia cried imploringly, talking to Peter almost like he was stupid. “And who should that alpha be? Please, Talia, tell me,” Peter demanded angrily, knowing the name that was about to come out of her mouth, but wanting confirmation anyway. “Deucalion! He would be good for you! He makes a lot of money, he has been chasing after you for years, and he would make sure to give you not just a child, but several!” Talia explained like it was the simplest thing in the world. “Talia, enough with the bullshit, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me the real reason you want me to mate with Deuc. I know for damn sure it’s not because you think we would actually make a decent couple. And don’t lie to me! I’m tired of the shit you’ve been feeding me tonight!” Peter’s breath was coming in ragged gasps. She had been doing nothing but lying to his face this evening. That shit about not wanting to use his reproductive rights as a bargaining chip? That she didn’t want him to feel pressured to mate? It was all lies. She was just trying to once again get him to agree to mate with Deuc. He was expecting more lies, but Talia’s shoulders just slumped, admitting her defeat. “Peter, you have to understand, I just want what’s best for you,” Talia began, reaching for Peter’s hand, but he quickly pulled away. “Talia. The truth. Now!” “At first, Deuc and I were friends. That’s why I was inviting him over all the time. I thought that he would help me get further in my own firm. But… as you’ve noticed he holds some pretty… extreme gender role views and extreme views in general, so I was about to just drop the whole thing. I don’t like his company in particular, so I was just about to cut my losses and find someone else to help me. Then… then he told me that if I could get you to mate with him, he’d make me partner at his firm. That’s a huge deal Peter! And… would it be so bad? Couldn’t you just do this for me? For your sister?”Peter had always suspected that Talia’s continued support of Deuc was in an attempt to get an in with that law firm, as she had been denied partner at her own for many years now. He had this sneaking suspicion for years, but he had always tried to push it away, telling himself he was too paranoid. So having her stand in front of him, admitting that she didn’t even like the alpha, admitting that she was attempting to use him as a pawn, he saw red. “You want to use me, as a way to get further in your career? You want me to give up everything, so that you can be just a little bit more successful?” He asked her quietly, his tone taking on a dangerous edge. “Oh, don’t be dramatic, Peter, you wouldn’t have to give up everything,” Talia said, rolling her eyes. “No, you don’t understand. I’d be giving up everything. You know that he’d make me quit my job. I’d have to move in with him. I might as well just say goodbye to having a say in anything I do for the rest of my life, because God knows I wouldn’t get a choice!” “Peter…” “No, Talia. If you don’t understand yet, I’ll make you understand. I love my house. I love my career. I love my life. I. Don’t. Want. Kids. Ever! And do you know what would happen with Deuc? I’d go into heat, and he’d rape me. I’d be forced to have children I don’t want. That’s the life you want me to have? That’s the life you were ready to force your brother into, just so you can get further in your career?” “Peter!” Talia begged, truly crying now. “No, it’s not my fault the partners at your current law firm see you as you truly are: a manipulative, self-serving bitch that would rather cut corners and make deals than actually put the work in to further her career. I really thought you had changed. I really did. I was excited to have my sister back, but instead, you’ve just shown me who you really are. Heartless.” “Peter, you have to believe me, I didn’t even consider that he would force you-” “Cut the crap, you knew. You spew the same sexist bullshit he does, you just found an omega that truly believes in that kind of stuff. You knew, you just didn’t care, because you were only looking at how it benefitted you.” Peter raked his fingers through his hair roughly before turning to his office door. He was done. He just wanted to go home. He turned to look at his sister one more time, to look at her miserable and crying. “I don’t want to ever speak to you again. Don’t try to contact me. Don’t try to contact me through your children. I want you, to live the rest of your life, knowing that your decisions, and your decisions alone, are why I don’t want anything to do with you. I want you to know, that you were ready to trade your own brother, to hand him over to someone that would happily rape him, for something as stupid as a promotion.” He was shaking by the time he got out to his car, barely able to actually get his keys in the ignition. The entire drive home, he stared straight ahead, eyes unfocused and almost unseeing. He was on autopilot, still riding the high of adrenaline from laying into his sister. He could have said more, could write a whole book about shit she has said to him and shit she had done to him, but he had really hit the nail on the head with what he said to her: she didn’t respect him, and she didn’t see him as a person. She was only thinking of herself and what Peter could do for her. When he got home, he didn’t even have the energy to lock the door, knowing in the back of his mind that John would be over soon. He just walked up the stairs, collapsed in bed, dragged John’s pillow closer to him to breathe in the man’s lingering scent, and cried himself to sleep.
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Chapter Seven – John’s POV
John drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. Not only was he ready to be out of this car, the three-hour drive from his hometown in Vermont feeling infinitely longer after a day full of festivities, but he hadn’t heard from Peter in a few hours, and he was starting to get worried. For whatever reason, John had a heightened need to protect the omega recently, even going as far as to try to fight a beta that had simply looked at Peter the wrong way in the supermarket. He had originally tried to talk Peter out of going to the family dinner, his instincts screaming to keep the omega safe from any danger, even emotional distress, but he had dropped it what Peter insisted on going; John didn’t want to be controlling and he knew that Peter would keep himself safe. Still. He was allowed to be worried. As he pulled up to Peter’s house, both of his cars were parked out front, so Peter must be home, but every light was off in the house. Despite all signs pointing to Peter being asleep for the night, John felt a new sense of urgency. Opening up the front door with the key Peter had gifted him a few days ago (John still got a warm, fuzzy feeling holding the key and remembering the matching one Peter had gifted Stiles as well, telling him that the kid was always welcome to come over), John rushed up the stairs. As soon he opened the bedroom door, John suddenly had an answer for his recent overprotectiveness. Peter was in heat. The scent of sickly-sweet slick hit John in the face as soon as he walked into the room. Peter’s natural scent was usually a bit spicier and more citrusy, but with heat his scent had become that of overly sweet toffee. Not a bad scent, not by a long shot, but very different. His mate-to-be was whining softly in discomfort, seemingly still fast asleep. His slate gray slacks were almost black in between his legs, soaked with slick. He knew that Peter had very bad experiences with heat, could tell by the fear in his tone and scent when he told John about why he wanted suppressants again so badly. Peter’s doctor had told him that normally it took two or three months for suppressants to exit someone’s system, so he would be fine for a while. Something must have happened at his sister’s though, as distress can send omegas into earlier heats. John sighed frustrated, not exactly sure how he should go about this. They had not discussed any kind of contingency plans, Peter being insistent that he would not go into heat before they were mated, so John was not comfortable doing anything they had not done before. In addition, Peter’s birth control had run out last week. He knew that technically, there would be enough hormones in Peter’s system to prevent the man from falling pregnant, but he also knew how much Peter did not want children. So, he wasn’t going to risk anything. More importantly, he was going to have to handle Peter’s panic, knowing that he was likely to freak out as soon as he realized what was going on. John could get Peter through this; he was quick on his feet. He was confident. Looking down at Peter writhing in distress, all he could do was sigh and rub his hands through his hair frustratedly. Who was he kidding? This could very easily be a disaster. All he could really do was try to soothe the omega as they went through this process. First step, he called one of his deputies to pick up his shifts for the next few days, citing a family emergency, which went unquestioned. Second step was to find Peter’s doctor’s information. He wanted that on hand in case something went wrong. He figured that he would give it a few days and then if there was no sign of the heat subsiding, he would give them a call. Of course, that plan would only work if Peter went through a relatively normal heat. His next step, as hard as it was to leave the omega’s side, was to go make sure the house was completely locked up and see if there was enough food. Looking through the house and the cupboards, John realized he had completely missed signs of Peter nesting the past few weeks. The fluffy blankets on the couches, the new art pieces on the walls, and the overall extremely clean house all showed classic signs of a nesting omega. In addition, Peter had unconsciously stocked up on food. The fridge and cupboards were full of Peter’s comfort foods, like the salted caramel cups that he seemed to only buy for himself on special occasions. John supposes that he had fallen for Peter’s confidence that he had plenty of time before his next heat. So, he had just… ignored the signs. When he returned, Peter had commandeered John’s abandoned jacket, burying his face in it. Running his hand through his hair, John tried to keep his touches comforting as he undressed Peter. When the omega was finally naked, the smell was even more intense, the inside of Peter’s thighs covered in a film of fresh slick. Through the whole process, John failed to get his jacket back, but Peter had stopped whimpering, so he supposes he will just have to count it as a loss. Peter’s skin was sweaty, too warm to the touch. John left to grab the man some water, and when he came back, Peter had finally woken up. “John?” He rasped out, still clutching the jacket. “Hey, Peter,” John said softly, sitting on the bed next to him. “What time is it?” “Oh, probably around ten-ish,” John answered, stroking Peter’s hair. Peter looked at him before looking around the room. He must not be very deep into heat yet, considering how alert he still was. John knew that Peter had already realized something was wrong, so he just kept playing with his hair, waiting for Peter to come to his own conclusions. “I’m… I’m in heat, aren’t I?” Peter asked, sitting up a little, taking the glass of water. His hands shook a little bit. “It seems like it, yes. How are you feeling?” “Very warm, kind of dizzy,” Peter explained, fully sitting next to John on the bed now, leaning heavily on the alpha. “Pretty standard stuff I would say. Claudia’s sister used to complain about horrible nausea during pre-heat.” Peter just hummed in agreement. He was still sat on the side of his bed, hands gripping the comforter. John got up, standing in front of him, trying to keep his own breath steady in an attempt to give Peter a pattern to focus on. He was still not outwardly panicking, but John knew enough about Peter to know that internally he was dying. They stayed in silence for a long time, John just allowing Peter to think through everything. As long as the omega was not hyperventilating, John was not going to try to guide him in any particular direction. At least, not yet. “Okay…” Peter finally started, taking a deep breath. “I’m okay.” “You’re okay,” John agreed, keeping his voice calming. “Don’t patronize me. I’m not a child that needs comforted,” Peter snapped, slapping John’s hands away. “Peter…” “No, forget it, I want you to leave! I can do this myself,” Peter shouted, moving away from John, unsteady on his legs. John stayed silent, just watching Peter stalk around the room. When he didn’t move, Peter grabbed the nearest item, a hairbrush, and chucked it at John’s head. It missed by a mile; Peter not being very coordinated in his angry state. “I told you to leave! Get out! I don’t want you here. I don’t want you now, and I don’t want to mate with you!” Peter continued, still walking around erratically. “Peter…” John sighed. “GET. OUT.” With that last shout, John made his way out of the bedroom. He knew Peter was just frustrated and scared, so John didn’t take anything to heart. Peter was moody on a good day, John often teasing him until he was able to pull a smile from the omega, but this wasn’t a good day. It was probably one of the worst days Peter had had in a while, and then to add an unexpected heat on top of that? John couldn’t really blame the man for being upset and irritable. Wanting to respect Peter’s wishes but also not wanting to leave completely, John walked out to his car to retrieve the pack of cigarettes he hid from Stiles in the glove compartment and then sat down on the front stoop. It was a bad habit he had picked up while he was in the army, not having much else to do some days. Now though? He didn’t smoke often, knowing that not only would it send Stiles into a renewed health kick, but John did recognize how bad it was for him. Just… sometimes he wanted one. Especially when he was stressed out. He had just lit his second cigarette, having only been sitting out there for twenty minutes tops when the front door was ripped open. Peter had clearly haphazardly gotten dressed, pajama pants and t-shirt surprisingly on correctly, but they were both rumpled and bunched in weird places. He was wearing John’s jacket but had forgotten shoes. Most concerningly, he was holding his car keys. Peter hadn’t noticed John yet, too deep in a panicked state to take note of his surroundings. As he rushed past him, John realized that even if Peter didn’t want him around, he was going to need to interrupt, as Peter was very soon going to be in no condition to drive. “Peter, where are you going?” John asked flatly, trying to keep any emotion out of his voice. “John!” Peter shouted surprised, whipping around to immediately come to John’s side. “You… uh, you didn’t leave?” “No, of course not,” John said, pulling Peter down to sit on his lap. It was very cold outside, but John knew that Peter probably appreciated the icy temperatures, especially now that he could feel the intense body heat coming from the man. Peter was sat across his lap, head tucked into the crook of John’s neck. They stayed like that for a little bit, John just rubbing Peter’s back. “I didn’t actually want you to leave, I’m sorry. I’m not sure why I snapped like that,” Peter apologized, voice muffled from where he was tucked against John. “I know, Peter. I’m not going to hold anything you say during all of this against you, I know that you’re really stressed, and understandably. Something must have happened at your sister’s tonight, but we can talk about that afterwards, okay? Let’s focus on one stressful thing at a time.” “That… that sounds like a good plan,” Peter agreed, his voice wobbling a little bit. “I promise I wasn’t patronizing you earlier, Peter. I know you’re an adult. I know you can take care of yourself, but I also know how much you didn’t want to go through another heat. I’m just trying to help you get through this.” “And I know that,” Peter groaned, snuggling closer to John. “I just, I’m really scared. I know it hasn’t actually started yet, but I’m already feeling like I did last time, during the really bad one. This one is going to be… an intense one.” “I figured,” John agreed. “What do you want to do? Do you… do you actually want me to stay? I can call-” “Yes! Stay, please. I didn’t mean that I wanted to do this myself and I definitely didn’t mean that I… that I didn’t want to mate with you anymore,” Peter explained quietly. “Like I said, not taking what you said seriously,” John reassured, kissing Peter’s forehead. He picked the other man up, carrying him back inside and back to the bedroom. “But what do you want me to do Peter? I don’t want to suffocate you, nor control you, so I can just follow your lead.” John knew that normally, Peter balked if John tried to take too much control, making it very clear that any kind of “traditional” roles would not be tolerated. He didn’t care, happy to let Peter lead and set the pace. It worked really well for the two of them, and John had never really subscribed to the idea that omegas “crave” guidance. It was a bunch of sexist bullshit, all the omegas in his life clearly showing that the stereotypes were based in nothing but craziness. One of John’s fonder memories of Peter was when the man got very wine drunk and went on a two-hour rant about the basis of omega stereotypes, and why they’re all wrong. Because of that moment, and many, many, many other moments, John was shocked at the next thing that came out of Peter’s mouth. “Would… would you mind taking control? I trust you to not do anything I’m not comfortable with… and I can’t handle leading right now,” Peter mumbled from where John had sat him back on the edge of the bed. “Okay, okay. I can do that, but I wanted to check with you first. You’re off your birth control, so I think we should avoid any vaginal sex. I’d hate for an accident to happen. Do you… have any toys?” John asked still hesitant taking the lead despite Peter’s reassurance, but Peter seemed to immediately relax, happy to not have to make every decision. Blushing lightly, Peter nodded, indicating the closet. “There’s a box in the top of the closet, there should be a few in there.” Grabbing the box down, John looked to Peter for permission to open it and when he got a nod, preceded to go through the contents. He found a knotting dildo, which he immediately pulled out and put to the side. In the box there were also handcuffs, nipple clamps, a paddle, and various other things that John wasn’t completely sure what they were for. He looked at Peter, who was still watching him intently, both curious and concerned about John’s reaction. “We’ll have to talk about this more later,” John grinned, shooting a wink at Peter in the attempt to lighten the mood and assure him that a box of sex toys would not scare the alpha off. By the way Peter’s shoulders dropped lightly, John knew that he was at least somewhat successful. Instead of rushing anything, John decided to get some food into Peter before he fell deeper into the haze of heat. They sat on the couch together, John practically hand feeding Peter, who was laid out against John, simply… floating for now. John wasn’t going to complain though. All of Peter’s stress had seemed to vanish, the man pliant and happy, going so far as to allow John to man handle him around. He spoke soothingly the entire time, keeping his voice low, only talking about surface level things. What Stiles got for Christmas. What stupid things John’s nephews were getting into. What John had been listening to on his drive back, humming bits of songs Peter liked. Not too long later, Peter started squirming more, no longer content with laying around. In order to not rush Peter into anything, John slid his hand into Peter’s pajama pants, slipping his fingers past the waist band to wrap around Peter’s cock. He gave a few lazy tugs, which spurred Peter on to start bucking his hips, chasing the sensation. When it became clear that what John was doing was nowhere near enough, he led Peter up the stairs, the omega clinging on to him as he followed eagerly. John stopped to contemplate for a minute, but he immediately had an enthusiastic Peter attached to his neck, sucking and nipping up and down, before finding a spot along John’s collar bone that he seemed to like. He was going need to pace himself, acknowledging (although reluctantly so) that at forty-five, there was no way that John was going to be able to fully keep up with a younger omega in heat. Sticking the suction cup of the knotting dildo to the hard-wood floors, John prompted Peter to undress before moving him to the floor. In Peter’s aroused state, the glide onto the dildo was easy, Peter moaning loudly as he sunk down. John sat on the bed in front of him, letting Peter use him to pull himself up, allowing Peter to set his own pace. Which, John really shouldn’t have been surprised, was hurried, the omega chasing his own pleasure. Peter really made a lovely sight in front of him. His movements were a little jerky, mostly from the odd angle, but John couldn’t help but admire the way the man’s thighs flexed, how easily he sunk down on the dildo, and the way Peter was watching him intently, waiting for what John was going to do next. As Peter got closer to his orgasm, his hand moving along his own cock faster and faster, John moved off the bed to find the bottle of lube the two men always kept on hand. Peter tried to follow John’s movements around him, but quickly abandoned that in favor of grabbing on to the side of the bed for better leverage. Lube in hand, John moved to sit behind Peter, his own legs bracketing Peter’s bent ones. He moved his hand to Peter’s hole, sliding in slick fingers. The lube almost seemed unnecessary with the amount of slick leaking from Peter, but still, John slowly prepped Peter. Pulling himself from his pants, John slowly guided Peter down onto his cock and the dildo, leaving both of Peter’s holes stuffed full. Peter groaned like he was in pain, but John knew better from the way his omega blindly grabbed backwards, trying to pull John closer. Tucking his face against the back of Peter’s neck, John set a fast pace, pulling Peter’s hips back to meet each thrust. Peter was now making small punched out gasps at each of John’s thrusts, head dropped forward. His hands were tightly wrapped around John’s wrists, having abandoned their place on the bed, no longer needing to move himself up and down, John’s thrusts doing all of the work. John’s knees started to ache a bit from the hardwood floor, but based on the noises Peter was making, he figured he wasn’t going to be down here much longer. True to his word, it was only a few thrusts later that Peter was coming, semen spurting from his cock as he forced himself down around the silicone knot. His ass clenched tightly around John, forcing John over the edge as well. Peter was practically purring as he rocked back and forth softly, enjoying the fact that John was still inside of him. John allowed them to stay like that for a little longer, before he hauled Peter up to take a shower, despite knowing that they were likely to be just as gross in not even an hour. *** Peter’s heat lasted for seven days. Much longer than a normal heat, but nowhere near as long as John had expected. After day five, John had called Peter’s doctor, who quickly reassured John that Peter would be fine, that it was expected that he has a longer heat due to the ten plus years Peter had gone with out a heat and the fact that it was a stress response. John had breathed a little easier after that but had still hoped that Peter would come out of it soon.He got his wish two days later. They had just finished another round, the knotting dildo still lodged firmly inside of Peter. He was laid on his back with John laying his head on Peter’s stomach. In all honesty, John was exhausted. While the first few hours were fine, Peter being docile and happy during the start of his heat, John should have known better: Peter Hale was not docile. During heat, the omega was demanding, needy, and would do anything to get what he wanted. Whether that be by crying to convince John he needed something right now or whether it was bodily moving John into the position he wanted, Peter was going to get what he wanted. There were several times that Peter had tried to convince John to knot him, and John didn’t always have a good enough reason why that satisfied the omega, but John knew Peter had put a lot of trust in him when he agreed to give up control, so John just redirected Peter’s begging. John was still moving the dildo gently when Peter groaned from above, but this groan had a much different tone than his others had been in the past seven days: pain. John’s head shot up, trying to gently remove the dildo from inside Peter, which only caused the other man to groan even more, his eyes screwed shut. “Peter?” John asked gently, setting the dildo aside before moving up to Peter’s side. “Yes?” Was the weak response, voice hoarse. “How are you feeling, darling?” John asked while brushing Peter’s hair off his forehead. “Like I’ve been hit by a fucking bus,” Peter groaned, throwing his arms over his face. John just laughed, pulling Peter’s arms away from his face to press a soft kiss to his lips. When they parted, John smiled softly at Peter who was starting to fall asleep despite his best efforts. “Thanks for taking care of me, John,” Peter said softly, eyes only cracked slightly. “Of course. I’ll always take care of you. You were so good for me. No panicking, just letting me take care of you,” John assured, cuddling close to Peter, allowing the man to get some well needed rest. “I love you…” Peter said softly, practically asleep while doing so. John grinned dopily, knowing that Peter probably wasn’t going to remember saying that in the morning. He would though. He definitely would. John, still grinning, dropped a kiss to Peter’s forehead before drifting off himself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Eight
Peter’s whole body still hurt three days after the end of his heat, the hard exam table in his doctor’s office not helping the ache in his ass that seemed to be the most persistent. Squirming for probably the tenth time in as many minutes, Peter checked his watch impatiently. He had already given blood, already had that invasive exam no one enjoys, and now he was just waiting for his doctor to come speak to him again. At least he was able to change out of the god-awful paper gown. Finally, a knock at the door brought Peter back to reality, his doctor entering the room. She was a petite brunette that Peter had been seeing for years. She was always smiling, always gave Peter good and bad news the same way. It was one of the reasons that Peter liked her so much: she didn’t sugar coat anything. As per usual, she had a bright smile as she entered, sitting down in the chair across from Peter, looking over her clipboard. “Okay, okay. Physically you look great, no tearing, no concerning bruising. Not pregnant! Though from what you told me, I wasn’t expecting that. Your blood work looks great. Your hormone levels are probably the best they’ve been in years. In fact, I wanted to suggest…” “Absolutely not,” Peter interrupted, knowing exactly where this was going. “Peter. I’m serious. You mentioned that you’re about to be mated, I think that it would be good for you to go through a few heats before going back on suppressants,” she explained patiently, but firmly. “Are you going to refuse to prescribe me the suppressants?” Peter asked icily. “Of course not,” his doctor replied evenly, staring at him unamused. “But I will strongly recommend not taking them. Here take a few of these pamphlets of different kinds of suppressants and give me a call back when you decide. I told you when you started suppressants that the regime you started was not sustainable. Honestly Peter, you were lucky that this heat was relatively mild. Long, but mild.” He nodded, taking the pamphlets. He did know that, of course he did, but he was loathe to admit that he hadn’t been making the best decisions the past few years. He also knew that he was very lucky his heat hadn’t been worse… when it started coming on, he thought that it was going to be one of the worse ones. Intense. Painful. Emotional. Instead, it had been almost… pleasant. He was still embarrassed by the intense neediness he had displayed, especially when he got more details out of John of what he had done. John had assured him that there was nothing to be embarrassed about, but still… He was looking over the pamphlets in his home office when his phone rang. Absently, he picked it up. “Hello?” “Uncle Peter! Hey! Are you okay? You haven’t been answering my texts… The Sheriff said you were fine, but still,” Laura said excitedly, her tone slightly accusing. “Oh, well. I went into heat after I left your mother’s dinner. I’m okay though!” Peter assured his niece hurriedly, attempting to stop any kind of intense panic before it began. “I’ve already been checked out by my doctor. It wasn’t a bad one.” “Oh my god, I’m sorry Uncle Peter. That must have been scary going through that alone,” Laura apologized. Normally, Peter would have never discussed these kinds of things with his niece, but he knew that Laura would understand. “Oh well… actually John was with me, so I wasn’t alone…” Peter explained, leaning back in his chair, and rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Just because he couldn’t see her at the moment, didn’t mean he wasn’t aware that she had a broad, teasing grin on her face right now. “Oooooooh, Uncle Peter! What a hussy! Spending your heat with someone you’re not mated to,” Laura teased him. “Yes, yes. Because we are currently living in the 1800’s. What was I thinking?” Peter grinned. It was no longer considered completely improper to spend your heat with an alpha who you are not mated to or even one that you are never planning on mating with. Still, there are some people that looked down their nose at omegas that did that. Sometimes the alphas, but always the omegas. He knew Laura was just kidding, she herself had taken a few heat partners in the past, against her mother’s wishes and without ever informing her mother that she was doing that. But she had told Peter, knowing that he would keep her safe if need be and would help her solve any problems that came from any mishaps. After ending the call with Laura, practically forcing a promise to keep her mouth shut about him spending his heat with John out of her, he hung up. He texted Derek, Laura, and Cora to let them know a little bit about his argument with their mother, only giving them enough details so that they would know that he absolutely would not be coming back around the house, and that he would appreciate them trying not to mention him to her at all. He got resounding promises to keep their mouths shut. When he had told John about the dinner, the argument, and the eventual confession from Talia that it had all been an attempt to further her career, Peter really had to convince the alpha not to go over there to talk some sense into his sister. He had almost regretted providing him with every detail, but his need to get it out, to talk to someone else, had outweighed any other consideration. Because of that though, he really wanted to avoid getting his nieces and nephew worked up in the same way. Instead, he quickly diverted the conversation, inviting them to dinner on New Year’s Eve so that they could formally meet John and Stiles. He made sure to tell them that it had been John’s idea, knowing that while his nieces and nephew were no longer openly hostile towards the alpha, they were going to take a while to warm up to him. That sentiment was proved correct as all six of them sat at the dining room table. Peter immediately knew that Laura had broken her promise not to say anything, as Derek wasn’t even able to make eye contact with the alpha. Him and Laura were being polite, just eating their dinner, but they also were making not effort to start conversation, seemingly happy with the awkward silence. Cora, on the other hand, was staring the poor man down, glare firmly affixed on her face. Even Stiles was relatively quiet, noticing a certain level of hostility. “Sooo…” Peter started, hoping to break the silence. “How was your Christmas, Stiles? John mentioned you and your cousins get into a lot of trouble together.” “That’s a lie! I’m an angel. It’s my cousins that cause all the problems. I just get dragged into it,” Stiles defended, grinning a little bit, betraying his own flimsy lie. “Mhm, I’m sure. You’re so well behaved, all the time. I’m not sure why I even asked,” Peter grinned back. “Fine, we got into some things. But nothing too bad! At least, nothing that I’m willing to admit to,” Stiles explained, shooting his dad a sideways glance, who only rolled his eyes fondly. “Don’t worry, your grandmother already ratted you out.” “A betrayal!!” Stiles shouted indignantly. “It was definitely Erek and Jack’s idea to go sledding down that hill!” “I don’t care whose idea it was; you were all in your underwear! Why would you think that was a good idea?” Laura and Derek exchanged an amused look, seeming to warm up to the Stilinski’s very sweet dynamic, but Cora continued to stay steadfastly in her unwillingness to be swayed. In fact, the only thing that interaction had prompted her to do was to speak. Peter waited with bated breath, knowing that it was bound to be rude. “I’ve never met an alpha that allows their omega kids to act like that.” Oh yeah. Rude. “Cora!” Derek and Laura whispered while Peter just dropped his head against the table with a resounding thunk. Surprisingly, despite the comment being directed at John, it was Stiles who responded. “And I’ve never met someone as rude as you are, just in general. I mean, full offense, but what is your problem with my dad?” Stiles asked, staring hard at Cora. Apparently, she hadn’t really taken notice of him, as when she turned to look at him, she almost seemed surprised that Stiles was there, let alone that he was speaking. “What do you mean what is my problem with your dad? I’m allowed to be suspicious that a random alpha started hanging around my omega uncle!” “Okay, first of all, sexist much? My dad didn’t raise me right because I do stupid stuff with my cousins?” Cora sputtered, but Stiles didn’t let her continue. “Second, your uncle asked my dad out. So, my dad wasn’t “sniffing” around. Third, why are you even mad? It’s not like you’re living with him. If anyone should be mad, it would be me, although I’m definitely not,” Stiles reassured his dad quickly, “since I’m going to be the one getting a stepparent. So maybe drop the attitude and sexist opinions a little bit? You’re being really. Fucking. Rude.” “Stiles, watch your language,” John said mildly, grinning a little bit despite the correction. “Sorry, Dad,” Stiles muttered, finally looking away from Cora. “So, Peter, when can I babysit Allie and Isaac again? I need to start corrupting them early on. I’ve already taught Allie how to pick a lock.” “Stiles, I swear. Chris is going to kill me if you keep teaching his kids stuff like that,” John groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’ve already met Chris?” Cora asked surprised. John nodded slowly, a little confused. “Already met him? I think Peter introduced us maybe about two weeks into dating. Really nice guy. Stiles has been babysitting the kids for Chris and Vicky some weekends.” “And you’re okay with him?” “With Chris? Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” John asked, confusion only growing deeper. “Because… he’s an alpha?” Cora said, suddenly very unsure of that opinion. John looked at Peter searchingly, apparently found what he was looking for, and then turned back to Cora. “Like my son said, you should really start to reconsider some of those opinions you have, Ms. Hale. I let Stiles live the way he wants to, I don’t care what his gender expression is, I’m treating him the exact same way I would have treated a beta or an alpha child, which means as long as he’s safe and he’s happy, I’m not going to restrict him. The same thing with your uncle. He’s an omega, but he’s a person first. I’m with him for the man he is, not because he’s an omega. Now, why don’t we drop the animosity and have a nice dinner, sound good?” The rest of dinner went smoothly. Even though Cora was most definitely pouting a little bit for being put in her place, she did quickly start getting along with Stiles, neither kid holding a grudge against the other for the rude words. Laura and Derek were also now being the nosey children they had always been, asking John a million and one questions about what him and Peter get up to. John was in the middle of telling them about Peter’s failed cooking attempt on their third date (although failing to mention that the whole reason Peter even burned the chicken was because John had been distracting him with kisses and wandering touches) when the doorbell rang. Peter quietly excused himself, expecting it to be someone from work dropping off a few new manuscripts for him to look over. Everyone in his office were busy bodies, so he was really not surprised that one of them would show up on New Year’s Eve with work problems. Instead, Talia stood on the other side of the door, Deuc slightly behind her. “What are you doing here? Especially with him?” Peter asked coldly, not moving from the doorway. “Peter, come now, you invited all my kids over, I thought I should drop by as well,” Talia smiled slightly. “Now, aren’t you going to invite us in?” “Absolutely not, you must be delusional to think I’d be willing to let you in my home after our last conversation. Leave now, or I’m calling the police.” “Peter, always so feisty, I see that your new alpha hasn’t broken that particular bad habit,” Deuc smiled, his comment causing Talia’s polite smile to fall slightly. “That’s because I like Peter how he is, no bad habits to break, except maybe leaving wet towels on the floor,” came John’s voice behind Peter. He really did appreciate that man’s intuition, the alpha apparently feeling the need to follow Peter to the door, despite no indication that something would be wrong. Deuc grimaced when he saw John, apparently not expecting the man to be there, or maybe just not expecting the man to talk back to him. Peter knew he wasn’t used to that, Talia being an excellent example of how people, no matter their gender expression, fell at his feet in an attempt to win his favor. “Ah well, it seems you and I hold very different expectations of omegas. Your own son being an excellent example of poor values.” John had no outward reaction to that comment. Or at least, he didn’t have a reaction that Talia and Deuc would notice. Peter, having spent a lot of time with the alpha, could see the way he stood up a little straighter and how his mouth pulled slightly down in the corners. He was pissed. “Listen, I believe that Peter asked you to leave, I would suggest you both do that.” “This isn’t your home, Sheriff. Besides, this is family business, it would be best if you let me and my brother talk alone,” Talia responded, an air of superiority in her voice. “Fine, fine. You have two minutes to tell me what you want and then if you don’t leave, I’m calling the police,” Peter relented, waving the two obnoxious alphas in. “I’ve convinced many omegas in under two minutes,” Deuc leered at Peter as he walked by, throwing him a wink. “That’s because you can’t last more that two minutes,” John muttered under his breath only for Peter to hear. Stifling a laugh, Peter followed after the pair into the dining room. “Mom! What are you doing here?” Cora asked surprised. “I came to talk to your uncle, since he’s been ignoring my calls,” Talia explained. “That was on purpose.” “Anyway… can we talk privately Peter? I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having in front of the kids.” “Then you shouldn’t have shown up here, when you knew they were here. If you want to talk, talk.” “Fine. I know that our last conversation didn’t go… great, but I wanted to let you know that Deuc is still willing to give you a chance. Despite your rude behavior, he still thinks you two would make a wonderful couple,” Talia said in a tone that indicated that she thought Peter was an idiot. A tense silence fell across the room, Deuc only nodding along to Talia’s words, only looking at Peter. She was an idiot, she had to be. Peter couldn’t believe that she had showed up here, after showing what he thought to be remorse the other evening, claiming that Peter still had a chance with Deuc. Like Peter was stressed about missing out on mating the man. His teeth were clenched tightly, his mind racing trying to figure out a response to that, but someone else beat him to it. “I mean, I’m pretty biased, but I think my dad is definitely the better choice.” All eyes turned towards Stiles, varying degrees of anger and amusement coming from everyone. Sadly, Deuc was the one to respond first. “Well, little omega, as you will eventually learn, you should stay out of alpha’s businesses. It doesn’t matter what Peter wants; it matters what I want. And I want to mate with Peter. It’s really the logical choice. Maybe if your father wizens up, you’ll be able to find a good alpha yourself. Now, let the adults talk,” Deuc lectured grandly, having moved over to stand by Stiles, patting the teenager on the head. “Well, if that’s your logic, you’re not exactly a good alpha. In fact, I’d say your pretty shit. I mean, if you’ve been chasing after an omega that so clearly doesn’t want you for so many years, what does that say about you? What, can’t find an omega dumb enough to agree to mate with you?” Stiles shot back immediately. Deuc’s face lit up in anger, raising his hand and striking Stiles across the face. John was fast, but Cora was faster. Peter’s niece lunged at Deuc, tackling the man to the ground before straddling him to begin repeatedly punch him in the face. Talia was screaming at Cora to stop, trying to pull her daughter off the man. Laura was yelling at her mother, pulling her away from Cora. John, after making sure Stiles was okay, was calling Jordan Parrish, one of his deputies on duty that evening. Derek was actually the one comforting Stiles, having moved between the teen and the chaos. Peter couldn’t do anything except stand there and absorb the whole scene, finding himself unable to move from his spot. Talia finally removed Cora from Deuc, having to drag her away from him in an effort to keep them apart. Deuc quickly stood up, trying to gain his composure, but it was difficult considering Cora had ripped his button-down shirt and, from the look of the blood pouring out, broken his nose. Derek was now stood up, completely blocking Stiles from Deuc. Peter was finally able to move, having snapped out of his daze. He crouched down beside Stiles, who seemed wholly unphased by this entire situation. “You okay, Stiles?” He asked, wanting verbal confirmation. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Are you?” Stiles asked, worry in his eyes. “Me? Of course,” Peter replied. There conversation was quiet, not that it particularly needed to be considering everybody was still screaming at each other. Except John, who had disappeared outside. “Well… If you say so. I just wanted to check,” Stiles said, leaning his head against Peter’s shoulder. John returned, two deputies behind him. “Ah yes, thank you! I would like this girl arrested! She assaulted me!” Deuc shouted at the deputies, pointing at Cora, who was still being restrained by her mother. “Deuc!” Talia cried, shocked, although Peter couldn’t really begin to understand why she was actually shocked. “You hit Stiles first! Fucking piece of-” Cora was cut off by her mother’s hand clamping firmly over her mouth, which only caused Cora to struggle more. “We’re not arresting anyone this evening…” began the dark-haired deputy, the one who Peter could never remember his name. “Though we should be,” muttered Deputy Parrish, who quickly shut up when John nudged him. “But,” the other one continued, glaring at Parrish, “we do need Mrs. Hale and Mr. Blackwood to leave. You were asked to leave the property before, and now you are causing a disturbance. Mr. Hale, we recommend you seek a restraining order, or at least a peace order.” “Now wait one minute-” Deuc started, but the deputy quickly cut him off. “Now, Mr. Blackwood, or we will be arresting someone this evening.” With that final demand, Deuc quickly walked out of the house, huffing angrily under his breathe the entire way. Talia remained motionless for a minute, looking lost between Peter, her children, and the cops. After a moment, she quickly followed after Deuc, not looking back. The deputies left as well, nodding at John as they left. Cora was still shaking with anger well after her mother left, quickly seeking Peter out. After helping him clean up and asking him probably twenty times if he was okay, his nieces and nephew left, promising that they would text him when they made it home. Peter felt drained after that whole experience. He was also feeling particularly… useless. He hadn’t done anything when Deuc had struck Stiles, hadn’t done anything to help his nieces, hadn’t even comforted Stiles until after his nephew had already done so. He was very lost in thought when John came up behind him, wrapping his arms around the omega’s waist. The alpha had gone off to tuck Stiles into bed, not wanting his child very far after everything that had happened that evening. “You okay?” John asked, voice muffled by his shoulder. “Why do people keep asking me if I’m okay? Stiles is the one that got hurt,” Peter sighed, tipping his head back, eyes closed. “Because we’ve all checked on him, and while I absolutely want to tear that man apart for laying his hands on my child,” John’s voice had a hint of a growl in it, his arms tightening around Peter, “this was also a situation that affected you. A lot. So, I’m going to ask again: are you okay?” “No… not particularly. I can’t believe she… I can’t believe she still thinks I will even consider being with that man. After everything I told her. She still shows up, talking about it like I’m the one missing out on not mating Deuc. Like I’m the one that wanted another opportunity. It’s sad is what it is. That she’s so self-absorbed, that she can’t think rationally. That she’s so dead set on getting a job from him that-” The doorbell interrupted Peter’s rising anger. “Oh, who the fuck is here now?” Peter asked, walking to the front door, John following quickly behind. “One of my deputies maybe? Parrish mentioned he may stop by later to make sure everything was okay,” John suggested, voice hesitant though. Peter opened the front door, not to reveal the blonde deputy, but to reveal Talia. “What could you possibly want? What could you possibly have to say that you haven’t already said to me?” Peter asks, tone utterly exhausted. “You were asked to leave the property. Do I need to call my deputies again?” John asked from behind Peter, his voice hard and angry. “Please just hear me out!” Talia pleaded, holding up her hands in an attempt to placate the two men. “Whatever, go ahead, I’m too tired at this point,” Peter sighed, waving his hand for Talia to speak, but refusing to allow her into his home this time. “I haven’t been being a good sister… I knew that Deucalion wasn’t a good man, but I just… I was blinded by the opportunities that he could offer me. But after seeing him hit the omega boy and how he tried to get Cora arrested… I’m just. I’m sorry, Peter. Can you ever forgive me? Or can we at least work towards forgiveness?” Talia’s face was hopeful, completely open. Her apology was truly genuine this time, not just another attempt to get Peter to agree to mate with Deuc. Peter couldn’t help but remember how nice that feeling was back in her office, when he believed that he had his sister back. He wanted that. Desperately. When he looked at her, all he could remember was the big sister that cheered him up at the end of hard days. Who had helped him through his first break up. Who had held him when their parents died. She had been there for him through so many things. Through so many problems. For so long, he looked up to her. Held her as the highest example of how an alpha should act. The opportunity to have that relationship back? It was priceless. Staring into her eyes, he knew what his answer was. “No.” Her small smile that had started to form dropped just as quickly. “What?” “I said no. I love you, and I will always love you. But I also hate you. You’ve done, too much to me, tried to force me to do too many things, for me to even begin thinking about forgiving you.” “Peter,” Talia whispered brokenly. “No. You apparently thought I was joking, or maybe you didn’t care to listen to what I wanted, but I do not ever want to see you again. Get out of my house. Get out of my life. You don’t deserve my forgiveness. You went so many years ignoring me, manipulating me, and trying to coerce me for what? Your own personal gain. Leave now, or I’m calling the police.” He slammed the door in her stunned face. Despite how resolute he was in his decision, as soon as he turned into John’s embrace, he broke. He sobbed into John’s shoulder. From what happened today. From what happened not even two months ago. From what had been happening for years. He just lost his sister, partly from her own actions, partly from his decision to not forgive her. While he understood that it was the best decision for himself, it didn’t make it any easier. “You made the right choice, Peter, don’t talk yourself out of it,” John whispered in his ear, pulling him impossibly closer. A second body came up from behind him, long arms wrapping around Peter. Stiles tucked himself closer to Peter, hugging him tightly. “Sorry for eavesdropping,” Stiles mumbled. Peter hummed, reaching his hand awkwardly back to pat the teen on the head. “My dad is right, fuck you sister.” “Stiles,” John quietly admonished, flicking the boy in the forehead. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously, you’re our family now. I’m not returning you.” “Thank you, Stiles. That means a lot to me,” Peter sniffed through tears. “We love you a lot.” Peter stiffened slightly, him and John never having exchanged “I love you’s” before. He was nervous about what John was going to say to this large declaration coming from his teenage son, but all John did was kiss Peter on the top of his head. “He’s right. We love you a lot. You are family, and we’ll always be here for you. Especially through moments like this.” Peter just smiled, allowing both Stilinski men to hold him as they stood in the foyer of his home. Peter knew that he hadn’t just lost his siter today, he had probably lost a lot of family members, those that followed Talia’s leadership as family matriarch and alpha. But he had his nieces and nephew. And he had John and Stiles and their whole family, who having only met a few of them so far, adore Peter and who Peter adores right back. Wrapped in their embraces, he felt his heart get a little lighter, lighter than it had been in years.
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Chapter Nine
Despite Peter’s hopes and prayers, it took a while for everything to settle down after New Year’s Eve. John and Stiles went ahead with pressing charges against Deuc, which was a long and painful process due to Deuc’s notoriety, but they eventually managed to get the charges to stick with four solid testimonies from Peter, Derek, Cora, and Laura. It wasn’t as satisfying as Peter wanted it to be, Deuc really only got a slap on the wrist, but it was nice to see the man try to justify his actions in court without spewing sexist rhetoric. That took up the majority of their January, both John and Deuc’s influence getting the whole process expedited. But after that? After that, Peter got that wonderful quiet he had been wanting. Peter threw himself into work. John had been working some overtime due to some after-holiday craziness. Stiles and Cora went back to school. Derek and Laura headed back to California for college. And Talia stayed blissfully out of Peter’s life. It was great! Fantastic even. Except… He and John had decided not to rush the mating ceremony anymore, especially since Derek had signed for his recent batch of birth control and agreed to for any suppressants, no longer expecting retaliation from his mother (or he seemed to not really care about anything she had to say these days). So, they didn’t have to rush, which meant they could take their time planning what they wanted to do. Apparently, this process was entirely ridiculous, in Peter’s humble opinion. Everywhere he went, he was met with judgement. Roses are traditional, why are you looking at anything else? You’re in your thirties, are you divorced? Widower? Oh, this is your first mating? How strange. He had just angrily hung up on the woman that very rudely implied that she would not be ordering him the suit he wanted, the lovely blue he picked out not being “appropriate” for an omega’s first mating, he had to wear white, unless he had been, gasp, having premarital sex. He had some not so nice words for her. In fact, he’s pretty sure he’s never going to be able to go to that suit shop ever again. Most people don’t appreciate being cursed at and the implications that they’re the dumbest person on the planet (of course, in not so nice words). Peter definitely lost his cool. He leaned forward against the dining room table, eyes closed, fingers rubbing harshly against his temples trying desperately to fight off the headache he felt building. It was even more frustrating that he had brought this stress onto himself. While it may seem surprising, it was typically the alpha’s job to organize everything, hence why Peter was getting even more resistance. But John admitted he’s not good with planning past simple things, and that he didn’t really have time to do it. After the third time John had to hang up on the catering company due to an emergency call or insanity in the station, Peter agreed to take over all of the calling. Don’t get him wrong, John definitely helped, and the man was really happy to do a simple ceremony, but John also had a very large family, all of them being very excited to actually come. That translated to a lot of work. And Peter was getting tired of the judgement and feeling like he had no control. It was making him feel extremely on edge. Warm hands started rubbing his shoulders, making Peter jump rather than relax him. John just chuckled softly, rubbing with a little more insistence trying to get Peter to drop the tension in his shoulders. Peter eventually relented, leaning his head back against John’s stomach, looking up at the sheriff. “Hey, how was your day?” Peter asked, placing his own hand over John’s. “It’s starting to get quiet again, knock on wood. How was your day?” John asked, voice edged in caution. “I am so tired,” Peter just replied, closing his eyes again. John just hummed, not replying verbally, but he soon disappeared, only to return with a glass of wine. Peter smiled gratefully, getting up to start dinner, but John waved him off, telling him to go call Chris and he would start dinner for the two of them. Peter didn’t argue, moving towards the living room, having to move the various items Stiles always leaves behind wherever the teen goes. John and Stiles had essentially been living with Peter since the holidays. It had been nice! But the lack of privacy was… an adjustment for him. Stiles had a habit of coming into their bedroom at night, the poor boy having terrible nightmares. Peter didn’t mind, not by a long shot, but it also meant that John and he needed to make sure they were actually dressed before they fell asleep. But tonight? Tonight, Stiles was staying over at his friend’s house. They were planning on spending the entire weekend together, so the teen wasn’t going to be home until Sunday for dinner. Peter was looking forward to the chance to have some alone time with John for the first time in a while. As John cooked dinner, Peter searched through their collection to find a movie to watch. It was exactly the quiet evening Peter needed. John made dinner, cleaned everything up, and kept supplying Peter with plenty of wine. Probably too much wine actually. By the time they were heading to bed, Peter felt pretty unstable on his feet, and he found everything just a bit too funny. John seemed to think it was sweet by the way he was just guiding Peter, letting the omega do what he wanted. Peter was also insanely horny. It had been around two weeks since him and John had time and had actually been alone. Plus, the wine didn’t help. At all. When they finally made it up to their room, Peter laid (fell) back onto the bed, pulling John with him. John laughed but went willingly, crawling on top of Peter. They had a hurried and sloppy make out session, mainly due to Peter’s severe lack of coordination in that moment. Peter, having always been a handsy person in bed, was allowing his hands to roam all over John’s body, trying to coax the alpha to at the very least take his shirt off, which John finally took the hint, taking off the offending piece of clothing. Finally having access to plenty of skin to touch, Peter continued wandering his hands anywhere and everywhere, very quickly moving down to John’s waist to grab handfuls of the man’s ass. This was another example of how John was very different from many of the other alphas Peter had been with. In the past, an alpha’s reaction ranged from gently moving Peter’s hands away to outright being turned off. And Peter understood that it wasn’t for everyone, he was respectful, but it was his favorite thing. So, John not just allowing him to do it but enthusiastically encouraging it? Peter loved it. “I want to fuck you so bad,” Peter said (slurred) into John’s mouth. If Peter had been sober, he would have noticed that John hesitated at that, but in his drunken state, all he really noticed was that John was refusing to allow their make-out session to go any further than just kissing. Peter whined high in his throat, trying to goad John into doing more, doing anything. It didn’t work though, as all John did was wrangle Peter under the covers. The next morning, Peter had a massive headache. Even by 10 a.m., a time that Peter had usually already finished cleaning the entire house, he was still in bed, head buried under the covers. John finally came up with breakfast, realizing that Peter wasn’t going to get up on his own. “So…” John started, sitting next to Peter against the headrest. “You had a lot to drink last night.” “I blame you entirely, you were the one that kept filling up my glass,” Peter replied in between bites of the yogurt and fresh fruit John had brought him. “And I’m not sorry, you seemed like you really needed to relax a bit. I know how stressed you’ve been.” “Mhmmm.” “What… what I was trying to ask you, was how much do you remember from last night?” John clarified, watching Peter carefully. “I remember someone being a bore and just going to bed,” Peter teased. “But in all honesty? It’s all pretty blurry.” John just hummed before changing the subject, asking Peter what he wanted to do for the rest of the day. They ended up just doing various chores around the house, grocery shopping, and looking at suits in person (most definitely not at the place that Peter had cursed at the shop worker). While productive, it was relaxing, and Peter didn’t have to do too much thinking. John did most of the talking, and it should have been infuriating to see what an easy time John had dealing with wedding planning, but Peter was just too exhausted at this point to care. He would be angry about it later; he was just happy they found suits. After dinner that evening, where John had purposefully kept the wine away, they were laying back in bed. “So, you really don’t remember anything from last night?” “No, not past coming up to bed. I know a little bit, but it’s mainly just a blur. Why do you keep asking?” Peter asked confused. “Well… you said something, but I wasn’t sure it was something you had actually wanted to say to me or if it was one of those things you just thought about and never would have brought up to me,” John explained, uncharacteristically nervous. “What… what did I say?” Peter asked, nerves rising as well. “You said you wanted to fuck me.” Peter’s stomach dropped. He definitely had not meant to say that. He had learned very quickly that this particular fantasy was one that he needed to keep to himself. A number of his relationships had been ruined due to Peter bringing up this fantasy of his with the alphas he was seeing, even if it was just a causal relationship. Now John would probably do the same, being disgusted by the idea… “Hey, hey. There’s no reason to freak out. Why are you freaking out?” John asked, grabbing Peter’s hand. “You think I’m gross, don’t you? And you don’t want to get mated any-” John slapped a hand over Peter’s mouth, effectively cutting him off. “You’ve dated some real winners in the past, haven’t you? I’m not grossed out, Peter. The only reason I’m asking is because I wanted to know if it’s something you’re actually interested in doing. That’s all, I don’t think your gross and I’m definitely not breaking up with you.” Peter grabbed John’s wrist, slowly moving the alpha’s hand from his mouth. “It’s… it’s something you’d actually consider trying?” Peter asked softly. “Trying? Peter I’ve bottomed before,” John explained, laughing. “With who?!” Peter cried in shock. “A girlfriend in college, Claudia, a few flings. It’s something I enjoy, I just never brought it up because… well I’m not sure honestly. I kind of figured you’d be interested in it considering your hands usually go straight for my ass.” “Well… yes. I’ve topped before, but an alpha has never let me, never even considered it before. So, if you’re interested…” Peter trailed off, his anxiety quickly morphing into excitement. John just grinned filthily, pulling Peter closer. Peter felt himself getting damp between his legs as his cock hardened. Their kiss was broken briefly as John turned to grab a bottle of lube from their bedside table. He just shoved it in Peter’s hand before continuing to kiss down the side of Peter’s neck. Slathering a decent amount of lube on his fingers, Peter dipped his fingers down in between the alpha’s ass cheeks, gently rubbing against his hole before pushing one finger inside. John’s hand had moved in between Peter legs, moving along the folds of Peter’s lips, spreading slick around and up onto Peter’s cock. Once Peter was able to easily move three fingers in and out of John, he grabbed John’s hips, guiding him to lay on his stomach. The ease at which John followed Peter’s lead, the enthusiasm he showed to be in this position, it sent a shiver of excitement up Peter’s spine, his cock getting harder and precum leaking from the tip. Using his own slick as well as lube, Peter slicked up his cock before slightly parting John’s ass and sliding in slowly. John groaned lowly, shifting his hips a bit to better accommodate Peter. Once he was fully seated, he had to take a few calming breathes, trying not to just immediately start plowing into John nor come in that moment. “So, are we just going to stay like this all night, or are you actually going to fuck me back there?” John asked, pushing his ass back further against Peter, a challenge in his voice. “Oh, I’m going to fuck you,” Peter grinned widely, almost giddy. Moving up on his knees, he brought John with him, so that his hips were canted up, his face buried in the pillow. It gave Peter an ego boost to see John, his very strong and capable alpha, in a traditionally omega position. It also made Peter melt a little bit, knowing the John trusted him enough to allow him to do this. Gripping the alphas hips, Peter set a steady pace, one where John was able to meet everyone of his thrusts, moving up to lean on his elbows. Leaning over his back, Peter grabbed John’s short hair, pulling his head back further, burying his own face against John’s shoulders. John’s moans had increased in volume, the man throwing in sporadic fucks and many pleas for “harder.” Peter tried obliging the man, but his orgasm was approaching quickly. Reaching his hand around, Peter gripped John’s cock tightly, jerking his hand in the same rhythm as he thrusted his hips. John came with a long groan, cum shooting out across the bedspread. He dropped down from his elbows, pushing his hips back with more purpose, allowing Peter to set a punishing pace, soon following after his future mate, coming inside of the other man. He stayed on his knees for a minute, panting, before he slowly moved out of John, collapsing on his back next to John on the bed. It was by no means the most rigorous sex Peter has ever had. It hasn’t even been the longest session he’s done, but it absolutely the most intense. He was left breathless form finally being able to fulfill one of his long-standing fantasies, and the fact that he did this with his future mate, with a man that seems like he would be happy to do it again? Peter was absolutely ecstatic. “Good time?” John asked, getting up to grab a cloth to clean both of them up. “Oh yeah, give me ten minutes, I want to go again,” Peter responded, lifting his head a little to grin at John’s retreating form. “We can definitely do that again, but I’m going to need more than ten minutes, it’s been a while.” Peter just laughed in response, letting his head fall back. He had been excited before about marrying John, but after that? He realized that maybe mated life would be a little bit more exciting than he thought it would be.
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Chapter Ten
Peter fixed his tie once again, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He sighed and smoothed his suit out again. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous; he and John had already done what was supposed to be the hard part. They had exchanged their vows, signed the paperwork, and, boom, they’re officially mated. The party afterwards is supposed to be the fun part. Peter is supposed to enjoy himself. Instead, he’s kind of freaking out. John’s entire family was there, while Peter only had his nieces and nephews. With Talia cut off, that meant Peter was avoiding many family members. His nieces and nephews on the other hand, all of them were supportive of Peter, and not just Talia’s kids. Several of his cousins’ kids came by as well, enthusiastically cheering during the ceremony. It was nice. But… it was also nowhere near the amount of family from John’s side that showed up. He knew in the back of his mind that all of them liked him, loved him even, but he was still terrified that his lack of family reflected badly on him. He was worried that even though him and John were already mated, there was a tiny possibility that they would convince John that Peter wasn’t good for him, wasn’t good for Stiles. “Knock, knock,” Alina, John’s grandmother, called out as she entered the room. “Ah, Mrs. Stilinski, what can I help you with?” Peter asked, moving to help her. At eighty-seven, Alina Stilinski was still very spry and a formidable omega. She was a very kind woman, who was positively thrilled when she found out that John was getting mated again. Even more so when she actually met Peter. John had told him that when he mentioned to her what Talia had been doing, the small woman had practically raged on Peter’s behalf. John credited her and his mother, Beth, for his respect for omegas, both being very strong, capable omegas that took no shit. After John’s father had run off, Alina had taken Beth and her son in, even though technically she was John’s paternal grandmother. She had been disgusted in her son’s actions, and had cut him out the day she took Beth and John in. Both women had welcomed Peter with open arms, so he knew that his fear of rejection was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it. Peter desperately wanted a family again after losing so many of his own. “Well for one, you can start calling me Alina, my daughter and I are going to stay forever confused if you keep referring to both of us as “Mrs. Stilinski.” Start with the names and maybe move to “Mom” and “Grandma,” huh?” She asked, winking and nudging Peter gently. “I’ll do my best,” Peter nodded, moving with her so that the two of them could sit on the cedar chest at the end of his bed. After looking at the fourth reception venue that neither man liked, he and John had to idea to just have the party at their home. Their home. And it truly was. John and Stiles had officially moved in last week, moving all of their stuff from their old home into Peter’s. Next week, John’s real estate agent would be meeting with someone to officially close the sale. Peter expected some hesitation with moving into his home, but John and Stiles had been excited. Stiles liked the idea of having a bigger bedroom. John said that it made sense, Peter’s home was bigger. John had later admitted to Peter was he thought it was better the two of them have a fresh start, that he wanted to make a life with Peter that was separate from the home he had shared with Claudia. John was excited to live with Peter. He loved Peter. It still made Peter’s heart flutter a bit. “So, how are you feeling?” Alina asked once she was comfortable. “Great! Why do you ask?” Peter asked, a bit too rushed to be normal. “You seem a little stressed, kochanie. Tell me what’s wrong,” she told him, patting his hand. “It’s just… I didn’t have much family show up today, don’t you all think worse of me for that?” Peter asked, actually voicing his fears. “Psshhhh, not at all! Not all of us are privy to what happened with your sister… It’s no one’s business but your own… but still, no one thought less of you, Peter. We all love you, and besides, you are part of our family, that’s what matters.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek before leaving him alone. He appreciated it immensely, as he felt a few tears gathering in his eyes. He took a few shaky, calming breathes, before he finally made his way out of the bedroom. As he made his way out to the backyard, he was stopped several times by members of John’s family for hugs and congratulations. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that Alina had told everyone already about his insecurities, as he had already received at least five “welcome to the family” talks. He finally found John outside, quickly sidling up to him under one of the trees. They had waited until spring for their ceremony, so everything was in full bloom, making their backyard look picturesque. Kids were chasing each other around, a few people had brought their dogs, and adults were standing in various groups, laughing and talking. John guided him away, the two of them walking down onto the little dock that went over the lake. They stood there, watching the water ripple gently from the various fish and bugs moving around. John dropped a gentle kiss to his temple, hugging him closer. “So… we’re officially mated…” John started. “Mhmmm,” Peter agreed, nuzzling closer. Silence stretched between them for many minutes, the two of them just enjoying the relative quiet after being surrounded by so many people all day. “You know, I’m so glad you came to ask me out. Even thought originally it was just purely transactional and a decision made in desperate times. But… I can’t even imagine not having you around. I love you, Peter. A lot. You’re a wonderful man, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you.” Peter moved to place a kiss on John’s lips, and what was meant to be chaste, quickly turning more heated. They had of course exchanged vows, but John was a pretty private guy, so while his vows had been sincere, the little speech he had just given meant so much more to Peter. They were so wrapped up in each other, that they didn’t hear the two sets of footsteps approaching until it was too late. Chris and Stiles shoved Peter and John off the deck, sending the two men into the lake. Peter came up sputtering, hearing Stiles and Chris’s laughter as soon as his head breached the surface, John coming up seconds later. “Mieczyslaw Stilinski! You are… I swear to God… when I get out of this lake I’m going to…” John tried yelling at Stiles, but he quickly was unable to speak due to his own laughter. Stiles was actually collapsed on the ground, breathless from laughing. Chris wasn’t much better, despite being an adult, doubled over, leaning on his knees. Allie and Isaac were behind their father, cheering. Many family members were stood at the top of the hill, drawn by the ruckus. Alina and Beth were laughing, having clearly encouraged Stiles and Chris to do this. “Christopher, if you don’t help me out of the lake, I will be killing you in front of your children,” Peter threatened, although barely being able to hold back his own laughs. Looking over at John, who was just as soaked as he was, Peter couldn’t bring himself to actually be mad about being pushed in the water. He was still riding the high of the mating ceremony, being accepted by John’s family, and then John’s declaration. Being a little wet? It was fine. Especially as he stared at the alpha he would be spending the rest of his life with, laughing and hauling himself onto the dock. Besides, he could get back at Chris by feeding his children mountains of sugar, and Stiles? Stiles would be pretty easy. Peter had noticed the way the teen had been staring at his nephew recently.