Peter was done with life right now.
He sat in the living room, elbows on his knees, face buried in his palms as his pack chattered unnecessarily loud around him.
Ellie wouldn't leave Danny alone, Stiles was pacing back and forth, unable to sit still, and Derek was brooding over in the corner, brows pinched with his famous frown.
"That's enough!" He called out and the room went silent.
He raised his head up with a look that had Stiles biting back a witty retort of the situation.
"Here's what's going to happen." He glanced over at the clock. "We still have some time before the game. Danny and Stiles are going to go get ready for the game. Danny. We will explain more over dinner tonight. I would like for you to join us."
Danny's eyes widened, as if he hadn't been expecting that and Peter rolled his eyes.
"Like it or not Danny, Ellie seems to have claimed you as pack."
Peter grinned as the boy flushed and grumbled softly to himself. Peter could already feel the beginning of a bond forming with the boy, and he was surprised that the boy seemed to actually like the idea, though Peter guessed the boy had no idea what exactly a pack was quite yet. All would be explained to him soon. There were more important matters to attend to first.
"I am going to go get Noah from work and drop him off at the game before going to talk to Melissa to find out if she knows anything about the text messages that were sent from her account. Ellie, you can come with me or go with Stiles. Your choice."
As Peter finished, he waited for everyone to nod and take off to do as he had basically demanded.
He turned to address Derek directly. "I originally came here to tell you that there was footage found of you being thrown into the side of the school and being unconscious during the attack. Noah sent me here to tell you that you are no longer a wanted fugitive. The whole attack near where you had fallen was captured. As of right now, there is a murderer still out there, but there are also two rabid bears on the loose. Sounds ridiculous but that's what the police decided on." He grinned, eyes flashing red. "The beasts moved too fast to capture just right on video."
Ellie walked closer and nearly threw herself into Peter's side as he stood up. "Can Derek and I go with you then, if he is no longer a wanted man?"
Peter smiled and ran the back of his hand across her neck. "Of course."
~~~~~~
"She isn't here?" Peter asked Mary and the older woman shook her head.
"She left not even ten minutes ago for the game." Mary answered with a small frown. "What's going on?"
Derek and Ellie stood behind Peter as he talked to Mary, not wanting to interrupt Peter laying on his charm. Mary had been delighted to see how well Peter was fairing, especially after how long he had been here and how badly he had been injured. To her, it was a miracle he was up and walking around with his scars almost completely healed and gone from his face.
Ellie frowned as her stomach growled and she turned red when Derek looked down at her with a raised brow.
She slapped lightly at his arm and crossed her arms.
"Shut up." She grumbled before turning to walk down the hall to the left. She worked here long enough to know where the vending machines are located.
"I'll be right back, Der. I'm gonna go get some chips or something."
He moved to follow after her and she pressed a hand to his chest to hold him back. "Stay. I know this place better than my own back hand." She teased and giggled as he rolled his eyes and turned back to face Peter and Mary.
She hummed softly as she swiped her debit card and punched in the code for some Lay's Chips.
She bounced in place with a smile as she watched the chips fall down from the metal spiral and into the bin below.
A gloved hand clasped itself over her mouth, halting any noise she could have let out as a needle was plunged into her neck.
The pop bottle she had been holding slipped from her fingers and rolled away as her hands shot up to grasp at the arm that came around her midriff.
Her vision swam and she fell limp into the arms holding her.
Her eyes blinked in confusion as she was maneuvered around and lifted up into the arms of an unfamiliar man. Her head fell to the side, spotting a woman as she stepped up beside them.
"Good job, Alpha. Let's get out of here before her... Companions realize she's in danger. No doubt they felt her worry and panic through the bond."
Kate. Ellie was looking at the tall blonde form on one Kate Argent. "It's a good thing you decided to go up a level to these vending machines. They do have better options than the ones below." She ran a finger down from Ellies temple to her cheek.
"You are a pretty one, aren't you?" Ellie wanted nothing more than to flinch away from Kate's disgusting touch, but she was paralyzed. She couldn't even twitch her finger.
"You'll be the perfect bait to draw Derek and your Alpha out. You ruined my original plan." Kate waved her hand and the man shifted Ellie closer to his chest. He was gazing down at her with sad eyes and a frown on his lips.
She let her eyes roam over what she could see of his face and chest. She may not have been able to move her limbs, but her eyes were still working. For now, at least. She was beginning to feel sleepy.
The man walking with her in his arms was a beauty. Ash blonde hair and silver eyes. Pale skin with a beauty mark below the left corner of his right eye, sitting upon the top of his cheek. His other cheek was littered in beauty marks as well, traveling down his face. It reminded her of Stiles.
Her heart sank into her stomach when her eyes landed on his neck. Kate had this man collared.
Does... does that mean he had no choice? Was he Kate's backup plan since Peter didn't work out the way she had planned? That's what this was right? Kate had Jessica controlling Peter's wolf, but Ellie had ruined that plan completely.
'Oh, shit.' Was Ellie's last thought before she was out cold.
~~~~~~
When Ellie woke, her body Ached something fierce.
She was laying on a cold cement floor. She sat up and froze as she heard the telltale sound of rattling chains. She lifted her hands and stared at the cuffs clasped to each of her wrists. She followed them to the chain that kept her attached to the floor. They had her chained to the drainage pipe.
Movement from the corner of her eye had her scrambling backwards and away from the movement.
Her eyes locked onto the man from before. His was kneeling on the floor to her right, both hands held up as a sign of peace.
Her eyes widened. He was chained up as well. Chained to a metal fence by each ankle and the collar around his neck.
She whimpered; hands held tightly against her chest the tears began to flow down her cheeks.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He raised his hands to his neck. "She has me too." he frowned sadly, glancing down at his feet in anguish. "Has for almost 7 years now." His voice was just as pretty as his face was.
Ellie swallowed thickly and scooted slightly closer, still cautious.
"You're bleeding." She whispered as she spotted the blood beginning to seep through the shirt covering his chest.
He looked down at his chest, spotting the dark purple beginning to stain through his blue shirt.
"She punished me for not obeying her. She wanted me to turn you." He spoke softly.
"She... She's been forcing you to do her bidding, hasn't she?" She asked softly, and tried to get closer, but her chains tugged harshly as she went as far as they allowed her to. She wasn't close enough to help him at all.
"She keeps injecting me with something before she needs me. I... I lose control. My wolf goes feral, the anger and pain take over."
Ellie let herself slump in place. "Just like she tried to do to Peter." She whispered out softly. So, she had been right. The alpha, this man was as much of a victim as Peter had been.
The man perked up at the name. "Peter? Peter Hale? He's alive?"
Ellies brows furrowed in confusion. "You know my Papa?"
The man's head nodded, and he looked slightly confused. "Papa?"
Ellie let out a giggle despite their situation. "He's dating my dad. I think at least. They really suck at hiding it."
The man chuckled. "Sounds just like something Peter would do. He's a private man when it comes to relationships."
"Who are you? You sound like you know Papa personally." She asked softly, gazing up into his silvery blue orbs. She feels like she has seen this man before.
The man chuckled sadly and sat back heavily against the fence.
"I'd sure hope so. My name is Kaine. I'm Peter's best friend." He paused. "Or I was, before Kate poisoned me and took me from my family, took me prisoner. I met Peter when he visited my family on Pack business in Poland."
Ellie sniffled. "Why am I not surprised? We know the Hales weren't the only pack she murdered; didn't know she was into kidnapping too."
Kaine chuckled bitterly. "My family probably thinks I am dead. Kate seduced me. Did everything she could to get info on my family before taking me. God, I am so stupid. She turned me into a monster."
"No!" Ellie spoke firmly, gaze hardening. "I don't know you, but I know that's not true. That woman is a monster. She did the same thing to Derek, to my mate. It was not your fault."
"She's made me kill people." He tried to counter her argument.
She shook her head vehemently. "No! That wasn't you either. Tell me. Would you have done that if she hadn't poisoned your wolf?"
His eyes hardened as he gazed at her, lips turned down. "No."
"Exactly. You aren't a monster. You weren't in control of yourself."
The sound of a door opening had Ellie and Kaine freezing in place. Ellie jumped as Kaine rushed forward, he blocked Ellie with his body as he knelt before her frame. She curled up behind him, body trembling as she gazed at his back. His back was bleeding as well.
This man didn't know her, and yet, he was standing so fiercely in front of her, so protectively.
"Awe! Isn't that just adorable? Down boy. I won't hurt her. Not yet at least. I still need her." Kate's sickeningly sweet voice soothed as she stepped off the last step of the stairs and down into the room.
She held up a device in her hand when Kaine refused to stand down.
"I said down!" She demanded before pressing a button on its side.
Ellie cried out as Kains body jolted forward and he howled out as he was electrocuted. Her head shot over to the fence his chains were attached to.
She had the fence electrified.
Her gaze drifted back over to Kate as the woman stepped closer. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. A true Alpha, and yet you are nothing more than my bitch. Isn't that just sad?"
"Stop!" Ellie cried out, hands hovering over Kaine's body as he convulsed.
Kate released the button and Ellie instantly started to comfort the Alpha laying before her. She's not sure why, but she felt connected to this man. This man who didn't even know her, yet tried to protect her. Who refused to bite her, to change her just because Kate demanded it.
"Did you know, if a true Alpha kills, they lose their Alpha status? Kaine here didn't though. So, I decided to utilize that." Kate snickered at the glare Ellie sent her.
"He never killed anyone, only his body did. He had no choice, no control over those kills. His soul is still pure, still worthy of the title." Ellie growled.
Kate took a step back as she gazed at the young woman before you. "No matter." She turned to make her way back upstairs. "I just came to see if you were up yet, little girl." She threw a grin over her shoulder. "The show will soon begin."
Ellie flinched as the door slammed shut. She bit her lip and blinked away the tears, curling herself over Kaine's still twitching body.
"Papa will come for us. He'll make that bitch pay." She whispered as she closed her eyes and let her forehead rest against Kaine's shoulder as she started to sob, the events of the night hitting her all at once.