Chapter Text
Peter
‘Sigh.. What am I doing with my life?,’ Peter questioned himself, feeling at a loss. Sure, he still had his good looks and was insanely wealthy but life was just missing that spark you know? Ever since he split ways with Scott and his pack, life just hasn't been the same since. He missed the rush of running for his life, the thrill of tearing apart his enemies and watching them cower in fear before him.
But those days were behind him now and maybe it was for the best. He really wasn't as young as he used to be and his powers haven’t been at their peak since he'd been resurrected. And who knows, maybe he'll eventually settle down, get a wife, maybe have a couple kids of his own..
..HAHA, yeah right like that’ll ever happen. Peter Hale was his own man and simply refused to be tied down by any old “ball and chain”. He was flying solo for life. Seriously, a guy like him was just too incredibly handsome to belong to any one woman; a face like his must be left for all to see.
Sigh, but in all seriousness, it does get pretty lonely nowadays, not having the world to save. He's gone on sixteen vacations this year alone and it’s not even March. Between the penthouses, the islands, and the chalets, it's become very apparent how empty his life has become.
‘..I need a hobby’, he mused. Although that was already blatantly obvious by the fact that he was sitting alone in the woods thinking out loud to no one in particular.
‘What am I even doing out here?’, Peter thought to himself. He'd left his apartment about five hours ago with the intention of going on a run to clear his head, but all it ended up doing was giving him a quiet solitude to wallow in.
Not to mention being in his wolf form wasn’t all that comforting as it just reminded him of everything he'd lost. The power, the status, the infamy. He used to be great, he was feared; and now look at him. Even worse off than a beta. Just barely better than a human. Pathetic.
Peter stood up from the forest floor, brushing leaf litter from the back of his pants. It's about time he headed back home. It's getting pretty late and nothing good happens after dark. He thought about walking the rest of the way but decided against it. Shifting would be quicker and he might even make it back in time for reruns of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’...what, it’s a guilty pleasure.
Breathing out a deep sigh he shifted into his wolf form, a twinge of bitterness seeping in as he felt how much weaker he was. ‘This sucks.’
Peter took off, feeling the wind rushing through his fur; his silhouette a blur against the backdrop of the forest. It was an exhilarating feeling, and he felt more alive with his wolf than he has in years. There was just something so freeing about being able to relish in his true form, away from society and expectations, no rules holding him down.
He was lost in his own thoughts when suddenly he caught wind of a particularly entrancing scent, something reminiscent of lavender and bergamot; something much too delectable to naturally be emanating from the oaks and firs that made up the forest.
He raised his head to the sky, trying to catch a stronger whiff of the scent, wondering what or who could be producing it. Then he heard a twig snap and instantly his senses were heightened. A growl left his muzzle at the perceived threat. Straining his ears, he listened out for any sounds of attack.
Keeping his body low to the ground Peter crept forward, gingerly placing one massive paw in front of the other as he moved silently through the trees.
For a moment the only sounds that could be heard were the wind blowing through the lush foliage and the chatter of the late-night birds. He was going to write it off as his mind playing tricks on him when he heard sniffling.
His vision sharpened into the night and he saw a small girl curled against the base of a tree trunk. The light of the moon reflected wonderfully off of her rich brown skin. Her umber hair flowed down to her shoulders, elegantly curled and effectively blocking her face from view.
A gentle breeze blew her scent in his direction and his wolf immediately began to feel at ease. ‘That's weird..right?’, he thought warily. He made to back away from her and as he did his fur snagged on a low-hanging branch. Her head immediately snapped up and Peter watched as her eyes widened in fear as she took in his enormous wolf form towering over her. ‘Fuck, this isn’t good.’
He quickly shifted, hoping that she would write off what she saw as insanity. ‘It's okay, it's fine, everything is fine. Worst case scenario, I can just work my magic and charm her into believing nothing happened.’ He looked down at her seeing how distraught she looked. ‘Yeah, that wouldn't be hard.’
Her big doe eyes were red rimmed, the traces of tears still lingering on her cheeks. Seeing her like that- so beautiful yet burdened by some problem unknown to him- it did something to him. It's strange how he found himself.. caring.. about her..almost. This was very out of character for him. He didn't even know her. And he most definitely didn't show sympathy towards people, especially not some stranger he just met.
And yet he found himself being drawn to her, her fragility, her vulnerability. He wanted to be near her. But why? All sense of reason left his mind as he drew ever closer.
Although, when he had tried to approach her, she hastily retracted, an immense aura of fear radiating from her so strongly- fear directed at him. He frowned internally, utterly displeased that such a precious being could ever feel anything but joy, and not only that-fear, towards the one person on earth who wouldn't harm a hair on her head- ‘wait where did that come from’. He decided not to dwell on that thought and instead, softening his features, he crouched down to her level, being cautious of how skittish she already was.
He was gonna have to lay it on thick if this was gonna work.
“Hey sweetheart, what are you doing out here? Where are your parents? Are you alright?”
She just stared wide-eyed at him as if she'd already forgotten about his question. But he didn't mind. He was just grateful that she wasn't screaming and running for the hills. Although, he did find her dazed expression disconcerting. He sat patiently waiting until her focus directed back to him. She still seemed a bit out of it so he chose his next words carefully.
“Are you hurt, what are you doing out here all by yourself?”
It was like a switch flipped inside her mind. She scrambled to her feet before he even realized what was happening and took off.
‘Shit,’ he thought. ‘I've gotta get her before she tells anyone what she saw.’
He quickly caught up to her on account of his much more athletic physique coupled with the fact that he was a werewolf. He gently grasped her arm, but apparently it still startled her as she let out a frightened yelp.
He placed his large hand over her mouth.
“Listen, I need you to not tell anyone what you saw today. If you do, it will cause big problems- not just for me- but all of Beacon Hills and possibly the world. Now, you wouldn't want to be the one to shatter the illusion of peace and bring catastrophe to the world would you sweetheart?”
He took her incredulous look as a sign that she wasn't really comprehending what he was saying.
‘Sigh, desperate times call for desperate measures I guess.’ He grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. Before she could even register what happened and scream out for help, he tapped into his werewolf speed and took off.
‘I'll be able to keep an eye on her better from my home. Besides, she’s kind of cute, heh I might even keep her for myself,’ he mused. Just what was he about to get himself into?