Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hands tightened around the Stealth’s throat. Their feet were dangling inches off the ground as the vampire held them up. The evening had not gone to plan, he was not meant to escape. They had finally gotten Quinn in custody; the issue was supposed to be resolved.

They didn’t know how he managed to get away, but they suspected that he had a guy on the inside. The Stealth had suspected that the department had been corrupt but never had any proof. They were outside of Sam's property now, surrounded by the Shaw Pack, some shifted, all ready to pounce at their first chance. But they couldn't risk it, Quinn had one of their own, held hostage, and they weren't planning on losing any lives tonight. They couldn't afford to lose them, especially not Milo.

Milo’s mind was racing. 'Why did it have to be them? HOW could it be them? Why haven't they phased yet? Why haven't they gotten away?' His mate was the most skilled stealth in Dahlia, and yet out of all the people here, they were the one who had gotten captured. He couldn't comprehend it.

The air was silent as the wolves waited for Quinn to make his demands. This was the kind of atmosphere Quinn revealed in. All eyes on him, his victims waiting on his every word. Undivided attention. He paused long enough for the suspense to grow, then addressed the Stealth.

“You know,” as the vampire spoke, he tightened his grip again, “I never was a fan of the department. They keep sending these ‘investigators’ out to bring me in, but I can't really complain about that. After all, how else would I keep myself fed?” he laughed to punctuate his rhetorical question. Once he was finished, he loosened his hands and allowed his hostage to respond.

“What do you want?” they kept their responses short, to not strain their voice.

“All I want is to make a point,” a smile crept across his face “to make an example… out of you” The vampire lifted his victim higher off the ground to have them at eye level. “I want your entire pack to know what will happen if you continue to pursue me”

He turned his body so he was now facing the majority of the pack, including Milo, as well as the alpha and beta and their mates. He also positioned the stealth so that they could see the pack, while still facing him. “Do you have any last words for your family?”

The Stealth looked over the crowd of shifters, but their eyes landed first on Asher. He was in his human form, crouched on his knees, holding his mate. They were unconscious, but still breathing, they must have tripped and hit their head. Asher was in front of David’s mate, shielding them from danger as they could not stand on their broken leg.

The next shifter they saw was… well they never learned the wolf’s actual name. They were introduced to the wolf by Milo as ‘Tank’. It was a nickname Milo had given them in high school after they had won a fight against his bully by stalling him out and ‘tanking’ his hits. Tank wasn't a stranger to fights, as shown by the numerous scars across their body. Scars that were very visible even now, as they were standing definitely over their mate’s lifeless body, as if they were still trying to protect him somehow. The same way he had protected them. When Quinn had lunged at Tank earlier, Sam had intervened, taking the hit instead. Just thinking about it made tears burn in the investigator's eyes. 'No. I can't think about Sam right now. I can't let him see my weakness. I won't give him the satisfaction.'

The Stealth then let their eyes fall on Milo. Their mate. They hated seeing him like this. So scared, worried, and concerned. He was terrified, but not for himself. His mate, the love of his life, was currently in the hands of a murderous psychopath. One who was not known for his mercy. If it wasn't for Christian holding Milo back by his shoulder, he definitely would have lunged at the vampire and done whatever he had to to keep his Sweetheart safe. But Quinn was faster than him. He knew that if he made a move, he would snap their neck within a second. For now, they were alive, and Milo didn't know how much longer that would last.

Finally, the Stealth looked at the Alpha. David was one of the many shifters that were in his wolf form, but it was still easy to identify him. His large stature, deep brown/gray fur, and intimidating stance were hard to miss. He was easily the largest wolf in the pack. He stood stoically in front of Asher and their mates, protecting the ones he loved from any danger as he stared directly at the investigator meeting his gaze. They looked at him with pleading eyes, attempting to communicate without speaking or using telepathy. They feared that allowing David into their mind would make it easier for Quinn to enter as well, and they didn't want him hearing what they had to say. The Alpha must have gotten the message anyway, because he responded with a simple nod, just subtle enough for them to see. They had the ‘all clear’.

As much as they didn’t want to, they looked back at Quinn. They stared straight into his eyes. They weren't afraid of him Trancing them, they knew how he worked. Quinn never Tranced his victims. He liked it when his prey fought back, and most of his food didn't live long enough to necessitate memory obscuring. And if he did keep them alive, that meant that he wanted them to remember what he did to them. So Trancing had no appeal to him.

They stared deep into his silver eyes, despite being almost identical to his, they looked nothing like Sam's. Sam. This time they couldn't hold the tears back. Sam had been their best friend since he joined the pack. They loved him. Tears welled up in their eyes as they held Quinn’s gaze with all the hatred they had. When he noticed, Quinn began to laugh again. The sound echoed in their ears and made them feel lightheaded.

“Well?” the vampire asked, almost politely, “are you gonna say goodbye, or not?” The faux sweetness in his tone made the investigator sick to their stomach. “Allow me to repeat myself” he cleared his throat “Any.. last..words?” with every word, he squeezed their throat. The Stealth took a moment to breathe, swallowed, and then spoke. 'Come on Sneaks. It's just four words. You can get out four words.'

“Happy fucking New Year”

At that moment the Stealth erupted into a giant flash of blinding light. In an instant, Quinn's eyes were filled with scalding, burning flames, and he dropped his victim, screaming in pain.

Chapter Text

New Year’s Eve: 2022

Sneaks had been practicing all month. New Year’s had to be perfect this year. With the Inversion happening a year prior, they had to make this one special, especially for the pack; they’ve been through so much.

Even after obtaining their full certification, Sneaks had continued studying the different types of magic and how they could be combined. For New Year’s they decided to combine fire elemental magic, with illusory magic to turn themselves into a human firework. What could be more festive than that?

It was Milo’s idea to host a New Year’s party at their new house since David hosted the Solstice. It was meant to be a smaller event, just a few friends from the pack and the clan, along with other associates. A smaller event with a big finale.

10, 9

Asher started the countdown

8, 7

Everyone grabbed their beverage of choice

6, 5

People started pairing off for their Midnight kisses

4, 3

Here it comes…

2, 1…

“Happy Fucking New Year!”

They were beaming as words left their lips and they erupted into a giant flash of blinding light that filled the entire room. The guests started screaming and covering their eyes, struggling to see. It was utter chaos. Milo, who was standing closest to the Stealth got it the worst. While the other guests only needed a few minutes to regain their eyesight and composure, Milo needed immediate healing in order to see again.

Milo, the angel that he is, didn’t hold it against his mate. He understood the pressure they were under and that they didn’t mean to cause any pain. That didn’t stop them from apologizing profusely, not only to Milo, but all the guests they blinded.

“Don’t sweat it Sweetheart,” Milo held his mate hand, vision still blurry, “it’s still a better event than last new years.” He whispered, and kissed their cheek. Even that couldn’t cheer them up.

“Aww, Sweetheart, I mean it. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this,” he stroked their face.

“I did it for you,” they said weakly, “I wanted to make it special for you. After last year, I wanted you to have a good memory of this day, not another maiming” tears formed in their eyes.

“The fact that you care enough to put that kind of effort in it is enough for me. You know I love you. And hey, now we know what happens when you become a firework” the wolf nuzzled his mates neck. “I can’t wait till I can see you clearly again, at the end of the day, you’re the only thing that matters. I just wanna see your pretty face”

“I never wanna hear the words ‘happy fucking new year’ again,” Asher emerged from the kitchen holding the trash can, his face a pale green.

Sneaks buried their face in their hands. Milo shot a death glare in Asher’s direction, at least, he thinks it was in his direction

Chapter Text

Dozens of wolves dove to the ground. Every single one knew what was coming after the Stealths warning. The Beta shielded his human companions as well as he could while the Alpha covered them all with his larger frame. Not a single one looking in the direction of the light that illuminated the entire property. It looked as if a beacon had been sent out into the cosmos. While they couldn’t see what had become of the vampire, they could still hear his agony.

David pov:

There was no way for them to escape without another casualty, they both knew that. They needed a distraction. A big one. David trusted his pack, that they would understand the code the Investigator was delivering. That they would make the connection to the party that had taken place only 5 months prior. He just needed Sneaks to stick the landing. If they could properly distract Quinn, he could finish this. He’d have to be quick. First, protect the human mates. His angel was still here. They were injured, he couldn’t guarantee they could shield themselves in time so he’d have to run to them first, then charge Quinn. He was unsure if he’d have enough time, but even if he didn’t he wouldn’t be alone. There was no way in hell that the Tank would pass up the opportunity take revenge.

Asher pov:

‘Keep them safe. That’s what matters. Worry about the rest later. Don’t let anything happen to-‘ the thoughts were running through his head as he heard the Stealth give the signal. He felt nauseous again, the same feeling stirring in his stomach as the last time. He burred his head in his mates neck and squeezed the two humans that were his whole world at this moment. He squeezed even tighter as he felt the pressure of a larger wolf on top of them. He knew it was David. It couldn’t have been any else. It was always David. He was always there for him. The two of them, the four of them. Six, eight, no matter how many there were, there was always one constant. David was always there with him. They lived for each other and will die for each other if need be.

Milo pov:

He didn’t even have time to think, his instinct took over and he began running. Until he felt a mass dragging him to the ground, hands covering his eyes. He couldn’t see and could barely hear over the blood curdling screaming, but a voice rang through as he struggled against his assailant.

“Trust them Milo! They’ve got this!”

Christian? He was holding him down? How? Why? Why was he keeping him from protecting his mate? They could be dead, he had to get to them!

“You can’t help them if you can’t see!”

Milo hated to admit but he was right. There was no way to help them until the light was gone. But that didn’t make staying back any easier. He continued to fight and kick and struggle against the taller man holding him down. He didn’t care if it was for his own good. This wasn’t about him. This wasn’t about Christian, or the pack, it was about his Sweetheart. Risking their life for them. On a normal day Christian wouldn’t be able to overpower the ball of fury he called a pack mate, but Milo was sloppy tonight. He was distracted, emotional, not thinking or strategizing. And Christian was making it his personal mission to protect Milo, whatever it took.

‘Tank’ pov:

The second they heard the Stealth’s signal, Tank began sprinting. They had their eyes closed as tight as they could while they did their best to remember the placement of the wolves that were previously in front of them. They wove between wolves and trees as if second nature, like it was a route they had studied for years. Once they knew they were close enough, they leaped into the air, just missing the Investigator’s barely conscious body, and landing on their ex.
Quinn was still screaming from the initial scalding to his eyes, but when he felt the wolf on top of him he blindly dug his nails into whatever he could get a hold of. This didn’t deter Tank in the slightest, they continued to bite and claw at their victim as he struggled to heal. They couldn’t bear to open their eyes yet, but they also refused to hold back. He deserved this. All of their rage. He tortured them. He ridiculed them. He hurt their family.

He killed their mate.

After what felt like hours, they opened their eyes to see the bloody form of a man pinned under them. He was sputtering and gagging, his chest heaving, barely containing his breaths. After a second, the edges of his wounds began to sparkle. A faint light began to emit from the scars as the began to close. His body was healing itself as the wolf caught their breath.
Once the healing reached Quinn’s lungs he began laughing. Maniacally. As if their actions were the funniest thing he’s seen in his prolonged lifetime.

“I knew it,” the vampire spat. “I knew you couldn’t go through with it, Precious.”

The Tank stayed silent, breathing heavily over top of him.

“You can’t let me die, puppy,” Quinn continued laughing. “You need me. You thought we were done, but you can’t let me go. You never will. No matter how much you convince yourself you hate me, you’ll always come back.”

The vampire’s eyes were still regaining their vision but he didn’t need to check to know it was them. They were connected. Blood-bonded. And even if they weren’t, he knew them better than they wanted.

“Here’s what going to happen, Precious,” the familiar words filled Tank’s mind. “We are going to continue in this cycle for the rest of your life, because I,” his voice cut through their soul, “ I am your destiny.”

His body was significantly healed and he raised his hand to their foreleg in order to draw more blood. Before he could finish the action, Tank pushed him further into the ground and dug their fangs into his left bicep. Teeth tore through muscle, splitting bone. Blood poured from the skin, flooding the wolf’s mouth with the familiar taste. Quinn threw his head back at the sensation and screamed as if in pleasure.

“Oh, fuck!” The animosity in his voice made him feel inhuman. “That’s what I’ve been talking about! Punish me like I punished you! Show me all the pain you’ve felt since we first met. Take it out on me because you can. Because you know I’ll heal. You wouldn’t dare do this if you knew it wasn’t permanent. You’re a coward. Show me some real strength!” His voice was shaking as he screamed and panted. “Show me like I showed little Sammy back there.”

*SNAP*

Tank bit harder until the bone shattered then continued to pull until the arm popped fully out of the socket. They discarded the now useless limb and brought their attention to his face as they shifted back into their human form, still remaining silent.

“You little bitch!” Quinn roared almost unintelligibly. “Just wait till I-“

*CRUNCH*

Tank had half shifted, channeling all their magic into their left arm, and dug it into Quinn’s right shoulder. They kept pushing it in, twisting their hand and pausing to hear the agonized scream that followed. Quinn could heal all he wanted, but even he couldn’t regenerate limbs after they were severed. Keeping this in mind they yanked his shoulder away from his torso even harder until they had successfully removed both of his arms. They stood up from their position of straddling the vampire and loomed over him while he continued to scream obscenities.

“Stand up,” the wolf finally broke their silence. They waited patiently while Quinn struggled to stand as the pack watched on in awe. Milo had made it to his mate by then and was paying attention to only them. The rest of the wolves stood by, waiting for the Tank to call for backup if needed.

Quinn was barely able to drag himself to his knees before Tank grabbed a fistful of his collar. They held him just below eye level, so they could still look down on his pathetic form.

“What are you going to do, darling?” Even spitting up blood, Quinn was still taunting his enemy. “You know you can’t kill me. Even if you tried to, you can’t let go of me-“

“I’ve spent enough time listening to your bullshit,”They cut him off by firmly grabbing his chin and tilting it upwards. They lifted their hand to his eyes and finished healing them. “Now look me in the eyes, Fox.”

He did as they said, staring at them as smugly as he could manage. He opened his mouth again, preparing for another snide remark until Tank tightened their grip and tore the vampire’s jaw clean off. Blood gushed out of the new wound as he began to cough and choke on it. Quinn tried to scream but the only noises that escaped were garbled and muddled.

“You and I have a date Mr. Fox,” they dropped his collar and gripped him by the hair. “You’re not running away from this one, and I won’t have you ‘smooth talking’ your way out either.”

They dragged him to the nearest clearing, on a cliff side that overlooked the scenic horizon to the east. Dawn as about to break. And they had no intention of missing the sunrise.