Gambling Debts 40/?
Chapter 40
Derek remembered the last time he had climbed these stairs. Back then he'd been dragging his feet, exhausted to the bone and with a constant gnawing in his stomach. Now he was well rested, properly fed and all in all in a way better condition.
He remembered these stairs as a looming mountain he had to climb but now he walked them with ease. The stench of urine and vomit and all the other unpleasant smells was still the same and even the noises coming from the other apartments hadn't changed. There was arguing and shouting, a baby was crying somewhere above him and somebody had the TV on loud.
"I'll wait here." Isaac announced loudly enough for Peter to hear when they reached the door. "Don't take too long." His tone was harsh and commanding but it was betrayed by the wink he gave Derek.
When Derek entered the apartment he found Peter sitting on the same old couch, apparently engrossed in a tattered paperback. Derek had no doubt that he had heard Isaac's words just like intended.
"Derek." Peter greeted him.
Derek bared his throat for him and Peter didn't hesitate to bury his nose in the crook of his neck to scent him.
Something in Derek's chest uncoiled and he took a few deep breaths, taking in his alpha's scent. Peter's hands were on his shoulders, grounding him. They were pack and they were finally back together. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed his alpha.
Since Stiles was taking care of his need for touch it hadn't been that bad. And with what was developing between him and Stiles and their job in general, Derek didn't have much time to actually miss his alpha.
But now with Peter right here, Derek couldn't help it. He let out a low whine and embraced his alpha in a tight hug. Peter hugged him right back and they stood like that for a moment.
Then Peter put him at arm's length to have a real look at him.
"You look good." Peter said, taking in his face, his styled hair and his expensive clothes. "Mr. Stilinski is taking good care of you?"
"He provides me with everything I need." Derek answered and it wasn't even a lie. He even had a contract saying that Stiles had to provide him with everything he needed and Stiles even filed hugs under that. "He even pays me for the work I do around the casino."
He took out the envelope with this week's "payment". Stiles had insisted that this was extra so that Derek didn't have to touch the money he actually earned with his work.
Peter took the envelope and leaved through the bills.
A moment ago Derek had just been happy to see his alpha and he hadn't even thought about what Peter had done to him but seeing how greedily he took the money brought it all back. Peter had sold him to Stiles to cover his debt and he would have done it again if Stiles hadn't outsmarted him.
"Not bad." Satisfied Peter pocketed the money. "I think I'll leave you with Mr. Stilinski for a little while longer." As if he had any other choice. Stiles would never officially consider his debt paid and there was no way that Peter could pay it off on his own.
"He seems very fond of your service." Peter gave him a feral grin.
"I do my best." Derek answered, not looking him in the eye.
"I knew you could do it." Peter patted his back. "I should have thought about this a lot earlier."
Derek didn't answer to that but he followed Peter over to the old couch and set down next to him. Neither of them were the touchy cuddly type but after being apart for weeks, they both needed the closeness. Peter had his hand on the nape of Derek's neck and Derek leaned into the other man's side.
"You smell like him." Peter observed and didn't even sound sorry.
"I live with him." Derek let out a bitter laugh. He had a shower this morning but after last night it was next to impossible to get rid of Stiles' scent. Especially since they spent so much time together. Not that he wanted to. In fact, he liked that the whole penthouse smelled like both of them.
"I sleep in his bed." He added and he didn't have to fake the accusing tone. It didn't matter that he was doing exactly what Peter wanted him to do out of his own free will. To Peter he was just a cheap whore he could pimp out.
"I'm sure that's not the only thing you're doing in his bed." Peter took an audible sniff at him.
"Do you want details?" Derek snapped and twisted away from him. "Do you want to know about the sex? About what he did when he had my wrists tied to the headboard last night? Or that he has wolfsbane lotion so that I feel what he uses on me hours later? Or that he has a whole closet full of mountain ash restrains?" They hadn't used those yet and Derek was kind of looking forward to that but that wasn't the point here.
Peter had the decency to look ashamed. At least for a second, then he hid behind the mask of being the alpha again.
"I don't want details." He said coldly. "I want results." He patted the pocket where he had put the money Derek had brought him. "And stop with the whining. I see your clothes, I smell the expensive products on you. He takes good care of you."
"I'm a glorified pet." Derek snapped back. It wasn't true but he hoped that Peter didn't notice the little lie.
"You don't smell unhappy." Peter pointed out with a knowing smile. "You thought I wouldn't notice that you actually like bending over for him?"
Suddenly Peter was in his face, his eyes glowing red and the hand was back on Derek's neck with the prick of claws.
"We've finally found something you're good at." With his free hand he patted Derek's cheek.
Without even thinking Derek slipped his hand in his pocket and pressed the button.
He didn't hear Isaac's phone going off, that would defeat the purpose, but a second later there was a knock at the door and without waiting for an answer, Isaac entered the room. He had the taser casually at his side but there was something in his posture that told Derek that he was ready to take on an alpha werewolf if he had to.
"Visiting time is over." Isaac told them. "Time to go, Derek." He did sound like the guard he pretended to be.
"He just arrived." Peter tried to dismiss him. The hand on Derek's neck had lost its claws and he even had a friendly smile for Isaac.
"And now he's leaving." Isaac didn't have anything of that. He stepped closer, taser now ready to use in his hand. "Or are you going to give me trouble, Derek?" He set his jaw in a clear challenge and if Derek didn't know better he would be worried that Isaac would taser him just because.
"I have to go." Derek stood but ducked his head to not look Isaac in the eye. "I'll see you next week."
When he tried to leave, Peter held him back and made a point of scenting him properly. Most likely more to piss off Isaac than to actually strengthen the pack bond.
"Don't do anything stupid." Was Peter's whispered advice before he let go of Derek.
Derek just turned and left with Isaac following him on his heel. To Peter it must look like Isaac was guarding him but if he was honest, Derek felt protected with his friend watching his back.
They kept the charade up until they were in the car, just in case.
"Are you okay?" Isaac asked once the car was moving and the building with Peter and everything regarding his old life was getting smaller in the rear view mirror.
"I'm fine." Derek said but he wasn't sure if it was actually true. Seeing Peter had been somewhat overwhelming. Partly because he was Peter and partly because he was his alpha. Seeing again how little his alpha actually cared about him and that he was more than okay with leaving his beta to a permanent life of sexual slavery as long as he got money out of it, it hurt. It hurt more than Derek had anticipated.
"We have some time until we meet up with Erica." Isaac said with a glance at him. Derek wondered what he was seeing in his face but didn't care enough to but on a stern expression. Somehow Isaac had become a good friend and Derek didn't have to voice what was going on in his mind, Isaac got it.
Isaac drove them to a little park and before Derek could comprehend what was going on he had bought two ice cream cones and a moment later they were sitting on a bench, watching the other people enjoying the park and eating ice cream.
"You're almost as nuts as Stiles." Derek shook his head but gave his ice cream a good lick. He wouldn't admit it but the ice cream did lift his mood.
Isaac just gave him a grin but then his face became serious.
"You know." He was looking straight ahead, maybe watching the woman walking two dogs not far away. "The walls are very thin in that apartment building."
"Imagine it with werewolf ears." Derek said to buy some time to steel himself. "What did you hear?"
In his mind he replayed his conversation with Peter. Isaac knew about the deal Derek had with Stiles but as far as he was concerned they only used the playroom for massages.
"What you said about Stiles." Isaac fiddled with the cone in his hand. "You were just playing along, right?"
"You can't lie to a werewolf." Derek said. They both knew that. His heart-beat had been all over the place, he was sure of that, so Peter had probably not been able to pick up on small stuff but this had been pretty big.
Isaac sucked in a sharp breath and the sour smell of sweat and barely concealed panic hit Derek's nose.
"It's not like that." Helpless Derek reached out for his friend and not for the first time he wondered what his story was. Today he had caught glimpses of an ugly picture. "I didn't tell Peter that it's consensual."
Hesitantly he put his hand on Isaac's shoulder. The other man went rigid under his touch but just when Derek was about to withdraw his hand, he slightly relaxed into it so Derek left it where it was.
"Stiles would never hurt me." Derek said. "Not in ways I don't want. Before he even considered doing anything we went through a twenty pages survey to determine what we want and what we don't want. You know him, you know about the playroom, I'm not the first he took home."
"You're the first who doesn't have a choice." Isaac was still staring ahead, melted ice cream running over his fingers.
"I do have a choice." Derek leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His own ice cream was melting as well and he caught a stray drop with his tongue. "What I said to Peter is true but I can tap out any time."
He fished the button out of his pocket.
"Do you know why Stiles has something like this?" He asked. "It's not intended to be a Batsignal. Not like we used it today."
"What is it for?" Isaac had calmed down, Derek could smell it. At least enough to listen.
"I have a safe-word." Derek said, wondering how much Isaac actually knew about this lifestyle. "When I need Stiles to stop I say it and he stops. If I can't speak …" He really didn't want to talk about gags or other things in his mouth like Stiles' cock but Isaac gave him an understanding nod. "I have a gesture or something like this. A button like this comes in handy if somebody is completely immobilized." He wouldn't have known that either if it hadn't been for the blogging sub he was following who liked to get mummified from time to time.
Isaac took the button out of his hand, looking at it with new eyes.
"And he respects that?"
"Yes." Derek answered without hesitation.
Chapter 41 on AO3
Masterpost