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The moment Stiles said it, Peter knew that what was left of the Argent family needed to die. Except Chris. Maybe. He had a lot of research to do before that decision.
You’re going to be a Dad again.
And just like that, Peter was plotting murder.
Step one: get Chris alone and find out everything he knows about his family.
Step two: murder them all before Stiles gives birth.
Sure, the second step would need to be more fleshed out, he would have to make sure he couldn’t be traced. What good is eliminating one threat if he’d be jailed or on the run while his child grew up?
No, he’d need to be careful, efficient. Nothing like his last vendetta kills. This time, no one would find out.
Peter wasn’t even sure he’d tell Stiles.
Stress was bad for the baby, after all.
Getting Chris alone was shockingly easy. They had barely talked before Peter died, and the Argents had left town before he was resurrected. Well, what was left of the family left town.
All it took was showing up at the same bar as him and acting mysterious.
“You are supposed to be dead,” Chris snarIed.
“I was.” Peter smiled. “But I got better. Years ago. Strange you hadn’t heard.”
“What are you talking about?”
Peter smiled and knocked Chris out, easily hefting him up and carrying him off to his little cabin. Peter had the place he chose all set up, just like a hunter’s torture chamber.
Chris woke up tied to an electrified chain link fence. It was off, at least for now.
“Hello Christopher.”
“Bastard.”
Peter reached over and flicked the switch next to him, then flicked it back off. “Be nice.”
Chris took a few breaths.
“Oh, don’t worry. I looked up human tolerances. You’ll survive this. Well, maybe.” he held up his hands like he was weighing his options. “If you cooperate, I will spare you and ensure your body suffers no lasting effects.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Allison is… twenty-four now, yes?”
Chris tried to lunge forward. “Do not speak of my daughter.”
“That’s twice the average age of the eleven people who burned to death while I watched.”
“You already killed Kate.”
“Oh,” Peter got close to Chris’ face. “I’m not the only one who came back from the dead, my darling Christopher.”
Chris went pale. “We buried her and we left town.”
Peter laughed. “No. You buried a young woman named Amelia. No last name, no family. She would have died unmourned, forgotten, left to rot in a pauper’s grave. Instead, your family cried and gave her love. Honestly, that funeral was the only nice thing your monster of a sister ever did.”
“No, she died. I saw her.”
“As much as I wish I was joking, Kate is alive.”
Chris screamed.
Peter smiled.
“I don’t know where she is, I can’t help you.”
“Oh, but you can.” Peter laughed. “Because it’s not just her I’m after. I want the rest of the Argents.”
“What?”
“I’m going to be a father,” Peter smiled. “Me, can you imagine?”
Chris sneered. “No.”
The smile dropped and Peter reached over and flipped the switch with a snarl. “Manners, Argent.”
He held the switch for a few seconds, enjoying the pain Chris tried to hide.
“This will go much easier if you act civilized.”
“I’m strung up, half naked. I’d say civility is gone,” Chris snapped.
Peter tutted. “I thought this was how Argents preferred to talk to werewolves.”
Chris bared his teeth.
“Now, now. Even freshly bitten pups know better,” Peter backhanded Chris. “Now, why don’t we get this started?”
Chris spit out blood. “Why would I help you?”
“Well, you like to kill monsters, I’m planning to kill monsters. We’re on the same side here.”
“You want to kill my family.” Chris shook his head. “I won’t help you.”
“You will.” Peter hummed. “Because you know, deep down, that your family doesn’t follow the code. You do. But they don’t. And that means they violate everything you hold dear.”
“Only Kate was like that.” Chris looked Peter in the eyes. “Kate was rotten.”
“Is rotten.” Peter corrected and stepped away from the fence. “She is rotten, and just like a spoiled fruit sitting in a bowl, the rot spreads.”
“But she isn’t in contact with us.”
Peter hummed. “So you say. But. Your father would never truly turn from his precious Kate. She may be a monster now, and your father will never fully accept her. But to him, she is a weapon now. A werejaguar.”
“If she turned, she killed herself.”
“She didn’t.” Peter held up his hand. “You can’t see it, but I lost a finger finding that out. The Calaveras thought I’d know where to find her after she escaped them.”
Chris sucked in a breath.
“Has Allison taken up hunting?”
Chris looked away and clenched his jaw.
Peter flicked the switch on and off quickly. “I can see the appeal to this.” He ran the back of his knuckles down Chris’ chest. “It makes even human muscles look exquisite.”
“Pervert,” Chris spat.
Peter sighed, “I can’t risk shocking you again so soon. Humans are so fragile.”
“You won’t touch Allison.”
Peter tilted his head. “She was close to Kate.”
“Not like that!” Chris pleaded. “Kate tried. But Victoria… she knew, she knew Allison wasn’t ready. And as the matriarch, Victoria had the final say.”
“Wasn’t ready? As I recall she was nearly on the Olympic Archery team.”
“We didn’t teach her to hunt.” Chris insisted. “She’s too soft. We couldn’t risk it.”
“Risk what?”
“When you tell an Argent child, they start training.” Chris sighed. “Boys, like I was, we’re soldiers. It’s just learning to follow orders. But girls, even if they aren’t in line for Matriarch like Allison…” Chris looked down.
Peter tilted Chris’ head with a clawed finger. “Continue, Christopher.”
“If they can’t handle it, they’re taken away. Trained without love, without mercy. We couldn’t risk it with Allison.”
“And you call us monsters.” Peter made a face.
“We raised her right, she’s innocent.”
“I can’t risk your family coming to burn my family again. I need to be sure.”
Chris closed his eyes. “Allison is —”
“I’ll be fair, I promise.” Peter smiled, then grabbed a soaked rag and shoved it in Chris’ face. He held Chris in place as he struggled. “Just breathe. I bet you’re tired of standing.”
Peter held it for a few seconds after Chris relaxed, making sure he was actually knocked out.
He wouldn’t admit it to Chris just yet, but he already looked into Allison while he was tracking Chris down. He knew she wasn’t going to die, just like Chris wouldn’t die. But Peter knew how valuable those bargaining chips were.
“Shame I had to knock you out.” Peter spoke as he tied Chris down to a table. “I would love to be able to tell you who I’m about to kill. But alas. I must catch a train and I can’t hang about all day waiting.”
He barely turned on the tap and left, sure even Chris wouldn’t escape.
His first kill was easy. It was a cousin of Gerard’s that mostly stuck to training now, but he supported all of the violent deaths Gerard had caused. A man who could support chopping golden eyed wolves in half deserved worse than Peter was about to give him.
He found Matthew asleep in his seat.
Peter didn’t even break stride as he tipped the powder into Matthew’s cup.
Jumping off the train was less pleasant than jumping on, but some sacrifices must be made.
He was back to Chris in under two hours.
“You bastard.” Chris squirmed against his restraints.
“Such language.”
“Water torture, really?”
Peter shrugged. “Not sure it counts as torture on your chest. Here, let me fix that for you.”
Peter shoved the table so the drip would fall right on Chris’ forehead.
“I really should have checked that before I went to visit Matthew. Such sloppy interrogation methods. My apologies.”
“Matthew?” Chris asked.
“You almost sounded concerned. I can’t tell if you were trying to act concerned or if you were trying to act nonchalant.” Peter hummed. “But he will have a peaceful death.”
“Hale, I swear I will end you.”
“You can’t, not from there. But. I’m just doing my part to keep everyone safe. Think of me as a more efficient hunter’s council.”
Chris glared.
“I know, I know. It seems so wrong to let someone else govern your people. But you taught me it was okay. After all, you govern wolves without our input.”
“That’s different.”
Peter laughed darkly. “It very much is not. You didn’t even notice your own sister deciding to bed my nephew then burn my family using the secrets she pried from his innocent, trusting lips.”
“And I didn’t seek revenge for her death, I accepted her guilt.”
“She’s not dead yet, but I am glad to have your permission. Derek was sixteen, Chris. Kate was his substitute teacher. Older than Allison is right now. Do you know how old the youngest death was in the fire?”
Chris looked away, as far as he could while restrained.
Peter smiled as another drop landed and Chris flinched. “I’ll be back with food in an hour, I think that should be enough time for you to consider your options.” Peter walked to be in his line of sight. “The more you cooperate, the less I torture you.”
“I won’t help you.”
“You will. You’ll find I’m very persuasive.”
Chris closed his eyes.
“Any preferences for food?”
Chris didn’t respond.
Peter hummed and nodded, “I’ll be back, Argent.”
Stiles was mad. Not just a little mad, no. His mate decided to ignore him for two full days now. Stiles was pregnant and Peter was ignoring him. All he wanted was curly fries and ketchup.
But the absolute bastard ignored Stiles’ request and now?
Now Stiles used his magic to mask his scent and track Peter down.
Peter. Who was flirting with the waitress taking his order and buying enough food for two people. But neither of those people were Stiles.
He followed behind Peter, surprised that the wolf didn’t spot him. Even cloaked, Peter didn’t usually miss Stiles being around.
Apparently, whoever Peter had found to play with was distracting enough to make Peter unaware of his pregnant mate.
Breaking through the door felt great.
“Who’s the whore?” Stiles snapped.
Peter turned around, curious. “Darling, what are you doing here?”
Stiles saw the other man. “Mister Argent? You’re cheating on me with him?”
Peter reeled back. “Cheating? Darling, no.”
Stiles really looked around. “Oh! Oh, you’re torturing him!”
“You don’t sound surprised.” Chris sighed, “I guess that means no rescue.”
“Depends,” Stiles hummed. “But first, why did you ignore me for this? You never go off grid without warning.”
Peter shrugged, “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Stiles crossed his arms.
“I want our baby safe. So I’m eliminating some threats.”
“And by threats you mean?” Stiles prompted.
“Any Argent who would be sporting blue eyes if they turned.”
“I thought Chris followed the code.”
“I do.” Chris insisted.
“Hush you.” Peter swatted. “You are not important right now.”
“Then maybe turn off the water.” Chris suggested.
Peter smirked. “If it’s annoying you, it’s working.”
Stiles grabbed Peter and dragged him out of earshot. “Seriously, what the fuck, Peter?”
“I need you and our child safe. I need hunters to fear making mistakes. To know that wolves won’t tolerate more slaughter!”
“Peter. Let me help.”
“What?”
Stiles motioned to Chris. “They trust humans more. It’ll be easier for me to get close.”
“You aren’t human, though.” Peter reminded. “And you might be able to hide that now but give it a month or two and you will be obviously pregnant and obviously not human.”
“Then we better hurry.” Stiles smiled. They walked back over to Chris. “So, this.”
“Well, I told him he could help me and less would happen to him, but he’s stubborn.”
Stiles nodded. “And if the water doesn’t work?”
“It’s barely been an hour. You need a little more time for it to really pick at the sanity.”
“True. But we can’t just sit around and wait, can we?” Stiles motion to his stomach. “So let’s get this show on the road.”
“Are you suggesting torture?”
“I was suggesting murder, actually. Silence helps, you know.” Stiles walked over and patted Chris on the chest. “He can’t focus on conversations to ignore the drips if we leave.”
Peter flashed his eyes. “Have I told you how much I love your ruthless streak?”
“Not this week, you haven’t.”
Peter pulled Stiles into a kiss, half snarling. “I love you, Stiles.”
“Love you too.”
Peter looked up from the body he just finished killing and saw Stiles standing over the Other, channeling his magic to set the stage.
They decided that Katherine and Aaron would die looking like a murder-suicide.
Stiles knocked on the door looking weak and pathetic, and they let him right in. It helped that even at twenty-four, Stiles looked fourteen. A little splash of blood, Some baggy clothes and boom, he was in the house.
The ashline broke and two shots later, the world was a little more safe for their child.
“We should go,” Stiles pushed Peter out the door, “those shots probably carried. I don’t know how long until the police get here.”
“Twelve minutes average at this time.”
Stiles took a breath, laid his hands on the door frame and his eyes flashed green. Peter could hear the locks slam into place. “There we go. We’re all set now.”
Peter couldn’t hold back his shift.
“Whoa there,” Stiles put up a hand. “Me erasing our presence is useless if you slam me against the door because you’re horny.”
“Then we better get somewhere else, fast.”
“You should not get this turned on by murder,” Stiles winked.
Chris was exceptionally resistant to the torture. It was infuriating. Peter had no desire to actually hobble Chris, but at the same time, it was really tempting to just… slice his trigger finger.
Stiles forbid that, though.
“Just tell me where Gerard is. Or Samantha. I would even settle for Nora at this point.” Peter snarled.
“Antarctica.” Chris smiled.
“ANSWER ME!” Peter roared.
Chris laughed. “Only the Matriarch knows everyone’s locations. Because if a soldier gets captured, it’s better if they know nothing.”
“Cute.” Stiles laughed, “but I know better. You know things, Chris. Ever since that conversation in the morgue. I told you what your sister did and you started researching.”
“I stopped.”
“No. You just found my little tracking program and destroyed all proof.” Stiles huffed. “I’ve had eight years to learn more. But Peter didn’t steal your phone when he knocked you out.” He turned to glare.
Peter rolled his eyes. “If I hadn’t, they would have tracked him down.”
Stiles threw his hands out. “Cloning! I’ve taught you that. All you had to do was plug in the jump drive. So easy, even a zombie can do it.”
As Peter watched Stiles storm off, he had to adjust himself. Nothing was sexier than when his Mate was showing off how good he was at things. Beautifully, wonderfully, gloriously masterful.
Stiles slammed the door.
“I’ve tried to tell him,” Peter tutted. “But you know how twenty-somethings can be.”
“Shut up Peter.”
“I mean, I know he’s correct. There is a reason I picked you to spend quality time with.”
Chris tried to move in his restraints.
“Really, did you think it would go unnoticed? You showing up at all these different places where Argent soldiers were acting up? Showing up to reign in the rowdy trainees?” Peter scoffed and waved a hand around. “There is only one reason you would know. You are tracking the tarnished remains of a once noble family.”
“Like you actually think we’re noble.”
“I think you are.” Peter admitted. “You’ve clung to the code. Worn it like armor.”
“The water must be working.”
Peter raised an eyebrow.
“I’d have to be insane to be happy that you complimented me.”
Peter was startled by his own laughter.
“I can’t condemn my whole family, Hale.” Chris stared up at the ceiling, still flinching when the water hit him.
“Only the ones with issues. Allison will be safe.”
The confession got the reaction Peter wanted. Chris finally broke down into tears.
They had moved him from the table to an electrified cage after that. Once they got access to Chris’ accounts, it was easy to mow through the terrible parts of the Argent family. Stiles never stopped being amazing to watch.
“We’ll have to find some way to gain his trust after this.” Stiles muttered as he strangled Vincent.
“I know. We’re getting close to the end.” Peter hummed. “What is it? Five left?”
“Seven.” Stiles paused and felt for a pulse, then smiled. “Six!”
Peter hated how attractive that was. He was so weak for this man.
“He’s probably too smart to fall for us going all good cop now.”
“True.” Peter agreed.
“Do you think he’ll be honest with us if we ask how to keep ourselves alive if he gets released?”
“No, darling,” Peter gently straightened Stiles’ clothes and kissed his temple. “I do not believe he will tell us.”
“Are we hiding him?”
Peter thought it over. “No, one murder won’t scramble the troops. Just make sure we can’t be caught.”
“Of course.” Stiles drew him into a kiss and nearly made Peter faint when Stiles’ magic ripped through him like the shift.
Peter dropped to his knees, whimpering.
“Oh, yeah, sorry babe. I forgot how much you react to my magic.”
“I’m fine,” Peter waved it off. “You just haven’t done it in a while.”
“We’re all set.” Stiles helped Peter stand.
“Food time,” Stiles called as he walked into the door.
Chris glared from his cell.
“You’ll be free soon.” Stiles promised as he slid the food forward. “Once we figure out how to make sure you don’t immediately kill us.”
“I’m guessing a promise won’t work.” Chris sighed.
“Nope. You saying that made me more paranoid, actually.”
Chris bit into the taco. “How about mutually assured destruction?”
“Keep talking.”
“Well. We both have reasons to not hunt one another.” Chris pointed the taco at Stiles. “You have a future. Family, pack, your child.”
“Which is why we’re culling the hunter herd.” Stiles pointed out. “Your council has done a shit job.”
Chris sighed.
“Maybe a new council would do better.”
“What? Made of you guys? No hunter would accept it.”
Stiles leaned on his elbows. “What if it was hunters, too?”
Chris shrugged. “They barely listen to me.”
“You never told me what your destruct button would be.” Stiles asked after some silence.
“Same as yours.” Chris admitted. “You’re about to be a father, and I’m already a father.”
Peter grabbed Stiles’ hand with a smile. They had made it, and Stiles was barely showing. Straight ahead was the end of his quest, the safety of his child.
They had two Argents left to kill, and with some trickery, they got both in the same place. One well-placed tip for where to find a nasty were jaguar and Gerard came running. A well-placed spell ensured that anyone else couldn’t interrupt.
“We did it,” Stiles grinned. “And this time, we’re not letting them come back.”
Peter nodded. “The rest of the hunters, they’ll be fine after, right? No memories of us?”
“They will remember Kate dragging off Gerard and then killing her.”
“Have I told you how hot you are when you do magic?”
Stiles smiled.
Peter pulled Stiles into the clearing where Kate was trapped. She was pacing and snarling, the mountain ash was holding her at bay.
“You?” she jumped at them. “I was trapped by the mutt’s whore?”
"He’s not a mutt,” Stiles grinned. He let go of Peter’s hand and gathered his magic. “He’s a purebred. Could be a show dog. Got his papers and everything.”
Kate screamed as Stiles’ magic reached her, ripping into her skin. Gerard gurgled as Peter lept towards him and ripped out his throat.
“You got the whore part right, though.”
Stiles held out his hands, urging his magic to destroy her. Every slice, every bit of pain. He remembered the names they found — every creature she ever killed. His magic forced her to her knees, bloody and half-dead.
“You spent a life hurting others for being shifters. And then you became one. And now, you die as one.”
Stiles reached over the ash line and gripped her throat. It was slippery with her blood, but he didn’t let go. Her shift melted away and she tried to claw at his hands.
She finally collapsed over the ash, blood seeping into the ground. With one final motion, he made sure they’d never live again. No one came back from decapitation.
Stiles walked over to Peter and pulled him into a kiss. “It’s over.”
Peter nodded, holding Stiles’ jaw. “It is. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” Stiles put Peter’s still bloody hand on the swell of his stomach.