692The Big Bad
Chapter 17
Derek gradually woke up, the smell of Stiles so close by surprising him. Stiffening, he begun to assess his surroundings, Stiles was asleep, and even asleep his heartbeat was…entirely unique to him. Glancing down at the teen, mate a traitorous part of his mind whispered, reminding him of just how important Stiles was to him. Yesterday had been…difficult and surprising, Stiles had chosen them over Scott. It wasn't something he'd ever seen happening. He'd expected Stiles to go with Scott, and failing that, beg for Derek to bite his best friend regardless of what he'd said. Stiles had done neither, and he was quite right, it was Scott making the ultimate at the end of the day, not Stiles.
Easing himself out from under Stiles, and having to muffle his amusement, as Stiles automatically sought out his side of the bed. Grabbing the pillow and hugging it close, already lying starfish albeit on his front instead of back. Taking up more room than should be possible for such a skinny lanky teen. He noticed Stiles' phone beeping indicating low battery, but no calls or texts from Scott or hell even his father. Plucking it from his trousers that had been carelessly thrown at the end of the bed sometime in the night…understandable, werewolves ran hotter, Stiles would have felt much too hot in denim jeans to be comfortable. He plugged it in, and grabbed a change of clothes for himself and left a change of top for Stiles – which would be much too large – but the thought had to count for something even if he would just put his own clothes back on. He knew how it would look to outsiders, to Ordinary people, but it was all something instinctive to pack, they liked when they smelt of each other.
Admittedly Derek's was a bit more possessive than anyone else in the pack.
Foregoing a shower, unable to bring himself to wash off Stiles scent yet. Derek just did his morning ritual and dressed in the bathroom and making his way downstairs, hearing the conversation Harry was having on the phone. Presumably the contacts judging by what was being said.
"Who's in charge of the Calavera's hunting party?" Harry questioned, as Peter listened, his book set aside, already dressed for the day. His tone glacial as he spoke of the Calavera's. Harry vowed he would have their blood on his hands by the time he was through with the lot of them.
"Severo Calavera," came the voice through the phone.
"And he's in Mexico right now?" Harry asked, eyes flashing purple and remaining that way, claws unsheathed as he waited impatiently.
"They're looking for someone, a 'She-wolf', they're desperate to find whoever it is,"
Harry huffed, "So that's who took her body and hid it away…" he sneered, "Do a quick check on the Calavera's you'll find they'll have gotten on a plane to California during your stint." His laptop was connected to all law enforcement databases and many other databases so Peter should have no trouble getting what he needed.
Peter set his book aside, and rummaged through Harry's bag and easily found the laptop stashed away. "There's food in the oven for you and Stiles. Isaac has gone with Jackson and Danny," Peter told Derek as he booted up the laptop. He had no idea where, he hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention, and he only told him because he knew Derek would ask.
He was very predictable like that.
"You think you're both looking for the same person?" his contact easily deduced from what he heard.
"I can guarantee we are," Harry said humourlessly.
"Okay…so what do you want me to do? Keep an eye out for the Calavera's or do you want me on the hunt for Kate Argent?" 'he couldn't do both' went unsaid, not if he wanted to do a good job, and the price paid is definitely worth doing a good job. He was notorious for firing anyone who didn't please him. Yet also generous to those who do a good job and get him whatever it is that he wanted. Mostly hunters, which anyone would be gladly happy to hand over to Harry Potter.
"You're right, they were on the plane hours after the incident," Peter informed Harry, more like his death, as he looked up the details, "No return flight, but they rented a SUV and we have a trail of credit card purchases for gas and food…they took the long way home with her body." Risky to do considering she was turning at the time…given the extent of her injuries though, he grudgingly conceded that it might have taken weeks or months to heal.
"Christopher Argent probably told them what happened," Derek added to the conversation, he was the only one it could have been. Allison had been completely in the dark about her families true 'calling' as it were, until she'd been given a rude awakening. Taking his on food out, no longer surprised to find it was still hot, as though it had just been removed from the pan.
"Either that or he told his father, and his father told them…seems they're pretty close," Harry said coldly, eyes still purple casting an eeriness to the room, but neither Derek or Peter seem to be perturbed by it. Why would they be? It wasn't all that different from gold, blue or red. It was just another colour. Considering they'd collectively worked together, and obviously frequently…hunting down innocent kids, yeah they were close alright and they'd be closer still in death.
"Harry?" came the voice, patiently reminding him that he was still on the line.
"Follow them, they'll lead you to Kate Argent," Harry stated firmly, "Keep your eyes and ears open though, they're slippery fuckers and dangerous…if they so much as think they're being followed…" he trailed off, he didn't need to finish it.
"I know, I've got this," the guy said confidently.
"The second you know, text me," Harry ordered, he wasn't going to let them out of his sight.
"I will do," they confirmed, "I gotta go," with that he hung up.
Harry hummed softly, glancing at his phone before he set it aside.
"So they expected her to end her life when she turned? Instead she gave them the slip and disappeared?" Peter deduced the likely scenario which was probably very close to or the actual truth.
"Probably," Harry agreed, lip curling, "The question do the remaining Argents know? Gerard knew which is no surprise, his darling daughter probably couldn't function without him," she was too much like him, it was as if she had been completely manipulated from her birth.
Derek frowned, "Why do you care about the Calavera's anyway? From what I understand they aren't rouge."
Harry's face went frighteningly blank, "See, that's the problem, that's why the damn hunters are winning, you take things at face of value. Just because you haven't heard anything doesn't mean they're squeaky clean. You all need to start connecting with other packs all over the world, not in the way your mother did but information gathering on all hunters…you'll find quite quickly they aren't as damn clean as they want you to believe. Trust me."
"The Calavera's killed Andromeda Tonks and Harry's godson, a young boy not yet even out of kindergarten." Peter said sombrely. The fact that Teddy couldn't have harmed anyone went unsaid. "Something that Gerard Argent revealed."
Derek sobered up, now understanding what drove Harry to such extremes when it came to hunters.
A text message had Harry snatching his phone immediately, Peter swiftly got up, and rounded the island to Harry's side.
There was a message, FOUND followed by coordinates.
Peter wrapped his arms around Harry and they apparated on the spot.
"They're hunting her down," came the calm and collected voice from the phone, Peter barely blinked at the sight of the hag in front of him. He wasn't the first hag he'd seen, and probably wouldn't be the last.
"Thanks," Harry stated, zeroing in on her scent, "Your money will be in your account tonight," with that Harry walked away from Greg following the scent rather than tracks in front of him. She won't be covering her scent much…not with thinking it was only human hunters after her.
"She's been in a sewer," Peter grimaced, as he followed Harry, the scent was repugnant, her attempt to hide her scent in the sewer was naïve of her. It was a good thing though, it meant she didn't know as much as she liked to believe. "Foolish to think it would stop anything coming after her…" it just made her more obvious.
"Unless there's a reason for it," Harry said, "Don't underestimate her, Peter, she's survived this far, she's just as slippery as the rest of the Argents and more dangerous because of her knowledge."
Peter refrained from sneering, he didn't like to think the hunters smarter than them…or more vicious or predatory. Unfortunately, whether he liked to think it or not he knew they could be. "It's getting stronger, wolfsbane…they're getting closer…." Peter cautioned, but Harry no doubt could smell all this, it was sheer habit when they worked together to talk.
"Listen," Harry said, jumping over the hedge, dragging Peter with him, ducking down listening.
"We need to kill her now! She's losing more and more control! That's the total body count up to twenty-five civilians she's killed." One of the hunters demanded, his tone furious that they'd left it get this far. "She's not going to be happy if we fail again." nobody not even Harry needed to guess who the 'She' was, the leader of the Calavera's.
Harry was going to kill her too, whether she stuck to the code or not, he as learning from the hunters after all, best to wipe them all out.
"We won't," Severo stated.
"You don't know that Severo, she's too fast, she knows all our tricks…" came the reply.
Peter grasped a hold of Harry as he learned the identity of one of the hunters directly responsible for his godsons death.
Harry snarled sub vocally, furious with Peter, that he was preventing him from getting revenge. It quickly tapered off, before a low whine of pain left Harry's throat, as he clutched at his abdomen as if he'd just been shot. At the same time fires were shot surrounding them, as they tried to kill Kate Argent yet again.
"Harry?" Peter whispered urgently, feeling every inch of him, as he drew his pain, but nothing…there was no reason for that sort of pain he was pulling. "The pack…" why couldn't he feel anything? Unless…Harry was deliberately keeping it from affecting him. Was it stopping them all from feeling whoever was injured?
"Derek?" he asked, realization dawning.
Harry nodded just once, glancing at where the hunters were, before snarling under his breathe, grasping Peter, he apparated them back home. Fury wafting from him in droves, eager for a fight, and he had exactly that on his hands.
"So…you're the so called 'Demon wolf'," Harry mocked Deucalion as Peter snarled, slashing his hands across Kali' chest, sending her sailing, without a second thought, he yanked the pole imbedded in his nephews body, easing him back into a corner, eyes flashing purple entirely, the change was complete.
Deucalion twitched at the sound of another Englishman's voice. "And you are?" he asked, entirely too cautious, he hadn't smell them arriving…but surely they had? He cocked his head to the side, using their scents to know where they were.
"Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Man-Who-Survived, Master of death…and you…you will die tonight," Harry snarled, still furious at having to abandon his mission to save Derek. He'd had a chance to get Argent…to get those who had killed his godson and Andromeda. Unleashing his claws and eyes only, he roared letting loose the fury building up inside of him.
Kali chuckled, she saw worse every day.
The Demon wolf changed his own form, roaring louder still, red eyes glinting.
Then Kali's chuckle turned into a choke of disbelief, as Harry changed into his true Beta form…which towered over the so called Demon wolf.
One punch and Deucalion smashed through the wall of the loft, and Harry barrelled after him.
"Harry…smash," Derek couldn't help but say. He'd been spending way too much time with Stiles that his own sense of humour was coming out…in the most inappropriate times.
there we go! only got 2K words today but I hope you're enjoying the chapter regardless LOL I certainly enjoyed writing it ;) R&R please and stay safe everyone! and a reminder I've set up a goal to fundraise for the NHS PPE (protective equipment so they can stay safe in this harrowing times!) if you're interested in donating to a worthy cause the links on my profile page x
