Peter's grip is bruise-tight around Stiles' wrist, reeling him in when he tries to jerk away. "I don't want it," Stiles reiterates, and he's more relieved than he should be when Peter's fangs retract, the red in his eyes fading.
It's not like he's free, or safe. But at least the bite is off the table.
"What do you want?" Peter asks.
Stiles gives an experimental tug, but Peter just pulls him closer. "A little personal space would be nice, for a start," Stiles gripes, and Peter's smile is too sharp and too close. Stiles tries to twist away, but the car is behind him, cold metal against his back.
"Do you want the girl? What was her name?" Peter asks, and Stiles glares at him.
"Lydia."
Peter leans in close, sniffs the side of Stiles' neck. "Will you tell her about this, about what you risked for her? Will she be grateful?"
Stiles flinches back, tries not to think about the way Peter's voice coils in his ear. "No," he says. "I don't want her to know about any of this." He doesn't want anyone to know, he wishes he and Scott had never gone into the woods, never crossed Peter's path. Maybe they'd all be safe, still.
"So you'll just go back to school, back to being sidekick Stiles, second string, never quite good enough, never quite...strong enough?"
It's like Peter's in his head, and Stiles tries to breathe through the rising panic, the tightness in his chest. "I'm strong enough," he spits out, but he's not, and he can't stop himself from pushing futilely against Peter's grip. Peter chuckles, warm and knowing.
you know what this road is paved with, 1/?
It's not like he's free, or safe. But at least the bite is off the table.
"What do you want?" Peter asks.
Stiles gives an experimental tug, but Peter just pulls him closer. "A little personal space would be nice, for a start," Stiles gripes, and Peter's smile is too sharp and too close. Stiles tries to twist away, but the car is behind him, cold metal against his back.
"Do you want the girl? What was her name?" Peter asks, and Stiles glares at him.
"Lydia."
Peter leans in close, sniffs the side of Stiles' neck. "Will you tell her about this, about what you risked for her? Will she be grateful?"
Stiles flinches back, tries not to think about the way Peter's voice coils in his ear. "No," he says. "I don't want her to know about any of this." He doesn't want anyone to know, he wishes he and Scott had never gone into the woods, never crossed Peter's path. Maybe they'd all be safe, still.
"So you'll just go back to school, back to being sidekick Stiles, second string, never quite good enough, never quite...strong enough?"
It's like Peter's in his head, and Stiles tries to breathe through the rising panic, the tightness in his chest. "I'm strong enough," he spits out, but he's not, and he can't stop himself from pushing futilely against Peter's grip. Peter chuckles, warm and knowing.