Trying to calm down a freaking out Stiles seemed to be the beginning of a habitual pattern. One that always ended in cuddling and Ben & Jerry's. Which meant it was never a complete bother, but getting to the end always felt too arduous.

So she was doing her nails while Stiles paced his room postulating all the ways tomorrow's upcoming meeting could go wrong.

"I mean the only one of our parents to know everything is Scott's mom and that happened by complete accident. It feels like we've got so many freaking secrets that no one in their right mind should trust us."

Oh yeah, she could see her parents finding out everything now: 'hey mom and dad this is my kind-of sort-of boyfriend Peter, don't ask it's complicated. Sure he's twenty-four years my senior.' Her dad would wince. 'But he did kill a guy to save my life, so I think he really likes me. He's also a werewolf. And he's filthy fucking rich.' Which, she realized, would make him at least 'acceptable' in Mary's book.

She gave a snort of laughter and Stiles looked up. "Are we that screwed?"

"What? Oh," she shook her head. "No. I just realized that my step-mother is a lot like Mrs. Bennent."

Stiles gave her a look. "Ookaay. Now can we go back to focusing on our werewolves politics problem?"

She rolled her eyes. "There is no problem Stiles. They come over to meet the pack; we have lunch; the wolves play a few games of capture the flag, or hide and seek, or something else while we humans sit on the porch and drink and watch; the family bond is renewed and thus so is the treaty; and everybody leaves happy."

She watched him run his hands through his non-existent hair. "It's the meeting the pack part that I'm worried about."

Lydia went back to buffing her nails. "Why? Because no one except Peter is over the age of twenty-five?"

"Well that, and the fact that we're not exactly the most polite and mature group of people."

She gave him a look, "speak for yourself."

Stiles gave her a look, "says Miss Bossy-pants."

Lydia huffed and rolled her eyes again. "What are you ten? It'll be fine! If worse comes to worst we'll throw Isaac and Scott at them and the Reids will be so overwhelmed by their saccharine cuteness that they won't remember anything else." She got up. "Now come on, I've been craving Coffee Caramel Buzz for days. But I'm paying this time."

He nodded, though she was certain he'd try and pay for everything again. She still wasn't certain how he'd done it the last time when he'd never left her sight. She'd just have to keep a closer eye on him this time.

Eleven thirty came around and Lydia felt restless. On a whim she decided to do chores she didn't actually have to do. Hooking up her Ipod she went to the kitchen to do dishes.

She quickly rolled up the sleeves of her sleep shirt; currently she owned about half of Peter's shirts, or at least that's what it felt like, and they'd all quickly been converted into pajamas. She was glad her parents had left earlier in the week for a summer vacation of their own, or as they'd put it a 'second honeymoon'. It meant there was no one to get angry over her singing and dancing. Plucking dishes out of the dishwasher she poured some hand soap on them and began washing.

"Well Sampson was a mighty good man

Strongest in his day

Then along came Delilah and clipped his wig

And it looks like you took me the same old way

So I'm nervous. . ."

Warm hands grabbed her hips. "While I do love you Lydia dear, and the song is quite fitting, your singing leaves a bit to be desired."

She froze, not because of Peter's sudden appearance, a frequent occurrence recently, but because he somehow managed to say 'love'. She whirled around to find him grinning. "Is it really that shocking for you to hear me say it?"

She arched an eyebrow, "says the psychopath."

He clucked his tongue at her and held a hand to his heart. "Oh Lydia you wound my poor heart."

Her smile was bright and cutting, "oh good. I've always wanted to do that."

He chuckled and scooped her up to set on the granite counter. She bit back a sigh when he buried her face in her neck. When she felt the blunt scrape of his teeth though she let loose the next one. "Peter," she warned.

"Lydia," he growled, clearly growing impatient with all her rules. "Even with my scent all over you all the unattached wolves will be sniffing around you at the meeting tomorrow, and I don't think I could control myself. Please, I just want you safe."

She ran her fingers through his hair as she mulled it over. She knew she was being hypocritical; if their situation were reversed she'd be insisting the same thing Peter was, not to protect him but to show those wolf bitches that he was hers!

During the school months the no bite rule was practical. No bites meant no one thought she was in a relationship, which meant questions. But it was summer now, her parents didn't seem to care one way or the other, and there was a part of her that wanted those bites and hickeys she couldn't have before. She sighed again. "Fine, but I get to do the same to you tomorrow."

She felt him smile. "Mmm, I wouldn't have it any other way my dear." He kissed her clavicle. "Were you planning on wearing anything special tomorrow?"

She rolled her eyes and mentally sorted through her closet. "A purple one shoulder dress."

He kissed her throat, "which side?"

"Left."

He moved over to her right and nosed the crook of her neck. "I'll be wearing jewelry," she gasped out.

His mouth crept up to her jaw and she gave a huff of laughter. "Jesus, Peter. You don't have to be so picky."

"Ah, but your sense of style is impeccable. I would hate to ruin it with an ill placed mark."

She didn't know whether that was endearing, or just plain amusing. She opened her mouth to speak, but lost her train of thought when she felt his teeth sharpen.

And when he finally bit down her breath rushed out in a shuddering gasp. His rumble of approval made her squirm and she could feel his lips turn up in a smile.

He soon let go and pulled back a little, as if to admire his handy work. She could feel blood beginning to seep from the bite and with it came the pain. He winced at her hiss and quickly disentangled himself from her. "Under the sink," she told him; barely biting back her tears.

He soon returned with the first aid kit. Thankfully the pain was already beginning to lessen, and it vanished completely when Peter leaned in and began lapping up her blood.

After he attached some gauze he stepped close again and just held her. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

She shrugged, "a little."

He began rubbing comforting circles on her back. "Not that I'm all for a little nerves every now and then, but you need to remember you're not the first human Alpha the Reids will have met, they know their limits."

"Try telling that to my lizard-brain."

Peter laughed, "I'd rather you not bring Jackson into this my dear."

Which got her laughing too, though it quickly turned into a shriek of surprise when Peter scooped her up and started carrying her to her room.

He gave her a wonderfully lazy kiss and he laid her on her bed. When he broke off she tried to pull him back for another but he was too fast. "I shall see you tomorrow Lydia."

"Good night Peter," she said to the now empty room. Nestling under her covers she closed her eyes and soon fell into sleep.

Lydia arrived at the house around nine to find it in its usual chaos. Stiles, with enforcement from Derek, had apparently banned everyone else from the kitchen. Not that she could blame him; everyone else's cooking skills, save her own, bordered on atrocious. She'd seen Boyd and Scott tussling in the front yard; it had been kind of funny to see them both pause as she walked up, as if fighting in front of her was bad. Erica hadn't arrived yet and Jackson hadn't been invited, per the fact he was still a lizard. She found Isaac in the den curled up with a book, she gave him a hair ruffle before heading upstairs to find Peter.

They met in the hall and without preamble he scooped her up. "Peter!"

He smiled at her as they went down the stairs. "You look divine Lydia."

She rolled her eyes. "What happened now?"

He gave her his 'I have no idea what you are talking about, everything's fine and I am innocent face', "what ever do you mean?"

Lydia sighed, "does it involve dead bodies?" She could hear Isaac try and stifle his laughter.

Peter looked aghast. "No."

She buried her face in his neck, "then we can deal with it later." She gave him a lipstick hickey on his chin and pulled away smiling.

"There's been a change of plans and the Reids will be here in half an hour."

She gave him a flat look, "you have got to be fucking kidding me?"

Peter gave a small sigh, "I wish you wouldn't curse, and no I am not kidding."

"Put me down."

He put her down.

With a saccharine smile she called out, "Isaac, Scott, Boyd, come here please."

The three boys appeared so quickly she almost burst out laughing. Scott apparently felt particularly brave today because he was the first to speak up. "Yeah Lydia?"

She tapped her foot twice. "If we are having guest over in half an hour why is the house still a mess?"

Boyd seemed to have caught Scott's courage. "Because no one's cleaned in the past few days?"

"You know what. I think you three should do that right now."

The three boys scattered just as quickly as they had appeared. She didn't spare them a second thought as she marched to the kitchen. Derek blocked her way in but it didn't matter. Shouting around him worked just as well. "Stiles I hope to God you've been cleaning up after yourself!"

She heard a clatter of pots that told her that Stiles had not been cleaning up at all. She turned her smile on Derek. "I think you'd better help him."

Derek glowered at her for a moment before turning around and pulling Stiles up off the floor.

That done she turned and gave Peter a real smile. "Problem dealt with."

He scooped her up again and nipped at the bite he had given her last night. "I love it when you get all bossy."

And speaking of last night. . .her fingers deftly undid the top two buttons of his dark red shirt. "I think it's my turn now."

She pulled him down, leaned in and bit him; bit hard enough that his skin broke and he stumbled. As she sucked she felt his nails turn to claws. She pulled away, "I'd rather you not ruin my dress Peter." Then dove right in and gave him another.

This time she only pulled away when Erica spoke up. "Stiles, Isaac, help! I've been blinded."

Stiles didn't appear, but Isaac did stick his head out from the den. "Erica." She turned to look at him. "You're clearly not blind."

The blonde flipped him off as he went back to cleaning. Then Lydia got a good look at Erica's outfit. She didn't even need to ask Peter to put her down this time. Without preamble she grabbed Erica's hand and began leading her up the stairs. For a moment Erica looked frightened. "It was just a joke."

Lydia shrugged, "I don't care about that." In fact she quite liked the teasing, it made her's and Peter's relationship feel more normal. At the top of the stairs she turned back to Peter. "Let us know when they arrive alright?"

He nodded, she turned back and headed to the girls bedroom. After the door closed she whirled on Erica, "take your jacket off."

Dawning comprehension appeared in Erica's eyes and the girl flushed. "My alarm clock didn't wake me up, I was kind of in a hurry."

Lydia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and tugged at the leather jacket. "That's why I'm here, now off."

The jacket came off and Lydia walked around the blonde with an appraising eye. "Well at least we don't have to find you new clothes," the viper green t-shirt and dark blue jeans suited the bombshell, though her usual leather jacket hadn't added anything good to the mix.

Lydia grabbed her forearms. "But only three bracelets, you don't want to deafen which ever werewolf catches your eye. One on your dominate hand and two on your non-dominate."

Erica shucked them all onto the bed and stared, clearly debating which ones to wear. Impatiently Lydia snagged three medium-width, gold bangles and thrust them at Erica. "Here." Wide-eyed Erica slipped them on.

She bit back a scathing comment about Erica's ponytail, instead snagging a brush off the vanity and pushing the other girl onto the bed. It took her longer than she would have liked to pull out the scrunchie, so her first few strokes were probably a bit more forceful than they'd need to be. Erica didn't complain though, just sat there and let her do what she wanted. "There," gratefully Lydia tossed the brush aside. "Much better. A good rule of thumb Erica: never put your hair up."

The other girl looked like she was about to speak but her stomach rumbled instead.

"And I'll bet you skipped breakfast too?"

The blonde nodded. Lydia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, sometimes it felt like she was the only one with some common sense around here. "Go down to the kitchen and get some food from Stiles."

Erica nodded and hurried out of the room.

For the last time in the next few hours Lydia was alone. But she only had a moment to relish it before panic and worry begin to creep in. Staring up at the ceiling she mouthed mathematical formulae to try and stave them off.

Peter couldn't help but smile as he watched Erica flounce down the stairs and, easily dodging Derek, into the kitchen. He chuckled as he heard her begin to wheedle food from Stiles. Isaac was finishing off the den while Boyd had moved onto the dining room and Scott had apparently been saddled with bathroom duty. Derek was washing dishes from the sound of it and probably also watching Stiles like a hawk.

He still had twenty minutes before the Reids got there. So he let himself relax and just be.

The links that connected him to his pack were a gift, binding him to them just as certainly as they to him. And most of all they help keep him, relatively, sane. Isaac's bright and full of obligation, Boyd's stony and sure, Erica's now deep as tree roots, Scott's battered but stronger for it, and Derek's as insubstantial and ephemeral as smoke. Even more tenuous were the ones between him and Stiles and Lydia.

Her scent pulled him out of his reverie: aconitum, straw/nerves and acid/panic. Without a second thought he rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door of the bedroom, when no response came he burst in to see her lying on the bed surrounded by Erica's jewelry and staring up at the ceiling, her mouth making soundless words. "Lydia?"

He reached out and touched her, she blinked and he held back a sigh of relief as her scent returned to normal. "Peter?"

He knelt in front of her, knowing she was the only woman he would willingly do so for, and looked her straight in the eye. "I don't understand why this has you in so many knots. You were made to lead, and you couldn't be more perfect even if I wanted change you. Nothing you say will reflect badly on me, because you know how to be. You know when to be demure, and you know when to be the bitch, and you always know when you can be yourself. Trust yourself Lydia," his lips twitched. "I dare say if you always did you could quite easily take over the world."

When he finished she gave a small laugh. "You should have been a writer." And something new came into her scent: chocolate/?. Amazement flashed in him; even now she surprised him. He watched her grab a tissue from the side table and then lean toward him.

He chuckled as she wiped the lipstick she'd left earlier off. "I always seem to forget myself around you."

She smiled. "Must be my winning personality."

There was a knock at the door and both of them turned to see Isaac standing there. The boy's apple and onion scent was laced with anxiety. "Yes Isaac?"

Isaac shifted his weight, "I uh. . ." He shifted again, frustration creeping into his scent. "I just. . ."

Peter could feel his own frustration rising, but he tamped it down as best he could. It wasn't Isaac's fault he couldn't articulate what his wolf wanted. Lydia though, seemed to have figured it out for she gave a fond sigh and a crook of her finger.

And Isaac was on the bed behind her, his scent evening out as he laid his head between her shoulder blades. For the first time Peter found himself slow on the uptake. But it wasn't long before he figured it out, and he once again began mentally cursing his nephew for choosing such broken teens to turn. But they were his problem now, his chains. Isaac whined and Lydia shifted so that she could run her hands through his hair.

He pulled them both into a bone creaking hug.

Barely a minute later, or at least that's what it felt like, the rest of the pack was there too. All except for Derek and Stiles, and Peter resigned himself to the talk he'd been putting off for the past few months. Though he was fairly certain that they'd just end up fighting all their problems out. The bed barely fit them all, but they give it a valiant try.

He could feel the strength in their bonds as they curled together. Sharing it with each other, making them all stronger. Human as she was he knew even Lydia could feel it, making her part of the pack, making her an Alpha, making her his mate.

They all turn to see Stiles, his fist raised to knock on the door. "Uh, the Reids are here."

Peter nodded, and gently disentangled himself. "Lydia and I will be down shortly."

Stiles also nodded, than vanished down the stairs. Peter held out his hand for Lydia. As she climbed out of the bed the rest of the pack made as if to get up too. He shook his head at them. "Stay. I'm sure you'll be able to hear if Lydia and I need help. And we'll call you down for brunch later."

The other four teens settled down and he tucked Lydia's hand into the crook of his elbow. Even as they left the strength was still there, and so were the chains.

All was well in the world.