This story is set right before the current season of Teen Wolf and a year after season 7 of BTVS. I am not including the BTVS comics in this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf since I'm not Jeff Davis, or do I own BTVS because I'm not Joss Whedon either!

Warning: This chapter has an adult scene at the end. It's been a while since I've written one. It's not too bad, but it is there.

Chapter 1: Pathfinder

Derek Hale opened the door to the bar. The name Pylea flashed in red letters, lighting his way. He heard rumors about this club in Vegas. It was a sanctuary for supernatural creatures—not even enemies could do violence in it. The guy who owned it had gifts. He could set a person on their path. Since he left Beacon Hills, Derek had been drifting. At first, he felt content because he had finally achieved full control of his wolf—like his mother. Losing his Alpha mantle had made him feel more than a little ashamed, so the fact that he could let his wolf completely out made him feel like he had a part of her once again. Derek knew that she would have been proud.

The rumors of Ghost Riders hitting Beacon Hills and nearly destroying the town had reached him. He should've returned and helped Scott. But Scott was a true alpha. What could Derek really do that he couldn't? It seemed like getting people killed or having people betray him was all he was good for. All of his pack but Isaac and his uncle had been murdered just like his family. He hadn't been much of an alpha.

His self-loathing was interrupted by the voice singing on stage.

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty
Oh and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear

Derek stopped, staring at the beautiful blonde on stage, whose pathos rang out from her voice, drawing him in. The Sarah Mclachlan wasn't one of his favorites. Normally, these kinds of songs made him roll his eyes in derision. But the words of the song spoke to him. The woman singing spoke to him. He moved closer to the stage, cutting to the edge of the stage. She continued singing. Finally, her eyes met his as he leaned against the wall by the stage, listening to her sing the rest of the song.

It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness
Oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

Buffy wasn't sure what made her pick this particular song. A part of her might be missing Angel and being in Lorne's club reminded her of that. Yet Angel was not a stranger. He had brought her comfort and pain, so she wasn't really singing for him since he hadn't been a part of her life in a long time. There was a restlessness in side of her, though, that seemed to be growing daily.

It was a year since they'd closed the hellmouth. Leading her slayers was taking every bit of her strength. She was visiting Las Vegas, helping set up a slayer house. The town had a strong vampire population since the tourists made it easy preying. It seemed like all she did anymore was lead, instruct, slay. The slayer side of her was in full control every minute of every day. She never got to do anything for the woman inside her—it'd been too long since she'd felt the touch of a man.

Now here was a man staring at her intensely as she sang, and every part of her was waking up and taking notice.

Lorne watched the slayer with the same level of intensity but for an entirely different reason. The Host knew what this one woman had done for the world, how she'd change it for all time, closing an entire hellmouth and raising an army of women just like her even if none of them would ever be just like her. Like most heroes he knew, the weight of her responsibility was weighing on her, and she was searching for something more.

Reading her as she sang, he saw a door appearing in front of her. She could open it and change her path completely or she could stay on the path that she was currently on and remain a hero, growing stronger and more lonely. Hmmm. Lorne struggled with this one. His time saving the world with Angel had marked him. Now he knew that some champions just weren't meant to have it all—a home, family, love. Some were born to be a sacrifice, shaped by the fires of loss and pain. As the song ended, he weighed his options. Did he set the champion of all champions on a new path that would distract her from her current path, possibly affecting the world on a global scale or did he nudge her toward the happiness that was within reach?

Buffy came off the stage, forcing herself to break eye contact with the salty goodness that was staring at her with his piercing blue eyes. His build and scruffy appearance were so delicious, but she resisted going toward him as Lorne stepped onto the stage.

"Man, sweetheart, the hearts are breaking all over the room tonight!" Lorne said, grinning at her. "That was a treat, wasn't it?" The audience cheered even as a few glowered. She was the slayer after all, and some didn't appreciate her presence. "Tony is coming to share a Jackson Five favorite as I speak to my girl here."

They walked off the stage as the music for the next singer started up a minute later.

"Well, girl, I must say that really was a surprise and a gift," he said.

"Thanks," she said, flushing. It'd been too long since anyone had complimented her for anything that had nothing to do with fighting.

"You blaze like the sun even as darkness tries to push out all your light," Lorne told her.

"What did you see?" she asked.

"I saw two paths for you. The current path you're on is a worthy one. You will keep up the good fight as the forces of evil try to destroy you and your girls," he shared. he hesitated only a moment before plunging ahead. "But there's another one. A door is about to open that would lead you to a new place with a new group—a new love. This path will be hard as well, but you might find the personal happiness that your current path doesn't offer."

"Love? You see love in my future?" Buffy asked surprised. For some reason, him seeing that for her had not occurred to her.

"Possibly," he said. Her stunned look made Lorne happy that he'd told her the truth. This woman deserved love.

A newcomer that Lorne had never seen in his club approached him. "Well, hello, handsome. How can I help you?" he asked. "Did you want to sing?"

"Not particularly," Derek said. "But you can introduce me to this lady."

"How can I do that if I don't know who you are?" Lorne said with a grin. He winked at Buffy, who smiled nervously at the new arrival.

This was the man she'd seen while she was singing. He was even hotter in person. Even though he wasn't as tall as Angel, he still towered over Buffy.

"Derek," he offered. "Derek Hale."

Lorne blinked, recognizing the last name. "Is your family from California? Beacon Hills?" he asked.

Derek nodded, not looking at the Host, his eyes trained on Buffy.

"I knew an alpha from there. A lovely woman. She came into my club in L. A. years ago," Lorne said.

"That was my mother. Hunters killed her. They killed my entire family," Derek admitted, compelled to share so that this woman might know something about him. "My baby sister and I escaped along with an uncle."

Lorne's eyes widened in dismay. The Hale pack had been large and strong. It would've taken a lot of fire power to take out such a pack. "I'm sorry to hear that. The world is less without her in it," he said.

Finally, the young man looked up at Lorne, hitting the clairvoyant with his gaze, his turmoil and his pain. Normally, singing gave him his insights into people, but this guy had so much emotion coming off him that Lorne had no problem sensing it.

Buffy couldn't stay silent any longer, the stranger's loss hitting her hard. He knew suffering. He knew loneliness. She felt a connection, a connection she wanted to explore.

"Buffy," she said, holding out her hand. "My name is Buffy Summers."

Derek blinked. The Slayer? The one he had almost called a few years ago to help him with Kate. Rumor had it that she had at least one close friend that was a werewolf and only killed evil, not all supernatural creatures. She was the strongest Slayer in history. But she was so small, so beautiful. Her eyes pulled him in as he closed his hand around hers.

Lorne wasn't blind to the chemistry working hard in front of him. Smiling at the two, he said, "I'll let you two get acquainted while I have a chat with Tony. Nice meeting you, Derek. Sing for me if you want some advice."

Derek had planned to do just that, but now the desire was gone. All he could think about—all he could see—was Buffy. Chuckling softly at the two of them, Lorne walked away.

"Buy you a drink?" Derek asked her.

"I have a bar at my hotel where I'm staying. It's quieter," Buffy suggested, surprising herself. Was she picking up a stranger? When he smiled at her, she realized it didn't matter. She had to be with this man. Nothing else was as important.

"Sounds good," Derek said, trying to appear casual. He didn't release her hand but keep it enfolded in his, lacing their hands together.

Lorne's club was on the edge of the strip. Buffy had walked there. "My hotel is a few blocks that way," she said.

"Okay," he said, holding out his to her. Pausing for only a moment, Buffy took it. They strolled hand in hand, not talking for an entire block. Finally, Derek said, "You're the Slayer, right?"

Buffy nodded. "For almost a decade now. I was called when I was fifteen," she said.

"Your reputation is pretty immense," he said.

"I know," she said with a shrug. "Is that a problem?"

"No," he said simply.

"You're a werewolf, right?" Buffy said.

"Yes," he said as they stopped at a street light. He looked down at her. "Is that a problem?"

Buffy grinned. "You're as monosyllable as another werewolf I know," she said. "No, it's not a problem. As long as you're not killing or maiming humans."

"Not recently," he said.

Buffy gave him a wary look. "You've killed humans?"

"My eyes are blue, not yellow," he said, showing her his wolf eyes.

Buffy frowned. "I don't know what that means. Oz's eyes were yellow. Every werewolf eyes I've seen were yellow. I didn't know they could be any other color," she said.

"There's more than one strain of werewolves out there. My kind's eyes reflect their nature and status. Red is for alpha. Mine used to be red, but I gave it up to save my sister," he said. "Blue means the wolf shed innocent blood."

"I see," Buffy said, pulling her hand from his. She should've known. She was only ever attracted to killers. There was something incredible wrong with her.

"I didn't kill an innocent," Derek assured her. "I've only killed in defense of my life, my family, or my friends."

"Then how did your eyes change?" she asked.

"I was a sixteen-year-old kid and trusted the wrong person. My bad choice caused the woman I loved to die," he shared, panicked at the thought of her withdrawal. "I was born a werewolf. We evolve differently than others." He silently pleaded with her. Don't walk away. Give me a chance.

Buffy gave him a searching look, sensing he was telling her the truth. She reached for his hand again, deciding to take a risk. Was this the door Lorne was talking about? If it was, she wasn't about to walk away without giving the guy a real chance.

They walked in near silence to her hotel. Buffy sensed that he wasn't one for small talk, reminding her of both Angel and Oz. He would speak when he had something to say. When she let him in her hotel room, he glanced at her, a question in his eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "I can honestly say that I have never picked up a guy at a bar, but Lorne said I shouldn't be afraid to walk through a new door. This might be that door—I don't know, but I know that I've been alone too long," she said. "I want this." So much, she thought.

"Me, too," he said as she shut the door behind him.

Buffy was nervous. Was this a mistake? Indecision filled her until his hand reached for her and pulled her close. Then his other hand cupped her cheek.

"You are so beautiful," he said, branding her with that look of his.

The smile she sent him was blinding, and he couldn't think of anything but her. Every touch was gentle, every kiss lingering. Then he was inside her, moving so slowly it was killing her—but in the best way.

His tenderness surprised Buffy. How could someone she didn't really know understand how to touch her? She let him keep the slow build going. Then she flashed him a mischievous grin, his only warning before using her superior strength to flip him over.

Derek's eyes showed his surprise for a brief moment as Buffy decided to change positions. For a time, he had forgotten who she was, lost in her beauty, the taste of her. The power in her move, though, reminded him that she was the hunter, he the prey. His eyes stayed locked with hers as she rode him without hesitation.

Buffy gasped as his length kept moving up inside her. Then he exploded as she fell apart, biting off the scream.

Boneless, she fell on top of him, breathing heavy.

Derek wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, their heartbeats pounding fast. Then he flipped her, giving her a sated look as he leaned over her.

"Too tired?" he asked.

Buffy reached down and took a hold of his already hardening dick. "I don't get tired," she said, a challenge in her gaze.

Derek felt freer than he'd ever felt. A playfulness built inside of him as he grinned. "We'll see about that," he said as he moved his lips slowly down her body.

Buffy got tired.

******Chapter End*****