A sharp knock on his door brought him awake, and he sat up. It took him a moment to remember where he was, the foreign walls and bed confusing him. The knock came again a moment later, softer this time and he pushed himself out of the bed.

“Come in,” he called out, voice rough from sleep.

Stephan entered, dressed and looking alert. “Didn’t know you were still sleeping, sorry.”

Derek shook his head, yawning. “No worries, it appears I should have been awake awhile ago.”

Stephan raised a brow. “You’re usually one of the first ones awake around here, you have a late night?”

He winced as he felt a stirring in his groin at the memory. “Yeah, something like that. It doesn’t matter, I need to be up anyway. Were you wanting me for something?”

“Yeah, figured it was time you met our tech geek,” Stephan told him.

Derek hesitated as he searched for his shoes. “Geek?”

“Oh, just something we call Luca, the guy I told you about?” Stephan said as he watched Derek hunt around.

Derek grunted at the reminder. “Right, the one you said was a whizz with technology.”

Stephan chuckled. “That’s the one. You alright, you’re looking really confused?”

“I’m trying to remember where I left my shoe,” Derek replied.

Stephan bent down, pulling a shoe from the floor where it apparently lay at the end of the bed. “This?”

Derek took the shoe with another grunt. “Thank you.”

“Not a morning person, are you?” Stephan asked in amusement.

“Does it show?” Derek asked as he yanked on his shoes.

“You’ve got that look on your face. Don’t worry, we’ll get some coffee on the way. That should help you,” Stephan said.

“I’ve never had coffee before. Is it as good as some people make it out to be?” Derek asked as he stood.

Stephan stepped into the hallway. “You guys don’t have coffee out there?”

Derek shrugged. “We had it, but my father didn’t believe in it. He felt you should deal with your own problems with your own solutions, not seek it from outside yourself. He thought using coffee to make yourself alert was the easy answer and forbade our pack from using it.”

Stephan frowned. “Geez, sounds like a real hard ass. Don’t worry, you can have as much as you like around here. C’mon, I’ll get you started.”

The coffee ended up coming from a machine that gurgled away on a countertop in a small room near the offices. The smell was rich and dark, and Derek perked up at the scent. There was a sense of disobedience as he stood there, waiting while Stephan poured a cup and handed it to him. He took a deep breath of the dark liquid and then took a drink. His face scrunched up as the bitter taste rolled over his tongue, coughing slightly he pulled the cup from his mouth.

Stephan laughed. “Takes some getting used to, I know. I wasn’t all that big on it when I had it the first time either, but I like it now.”

Derek eyed the cup warily. “You didn’t have this when you were growing up?”

Stephan shook his head. “Didn’t happen till after I found out I was a werewolf. Here, I got something that’ll make it easier to drink.”

He watched Stephan dig through the fridge and cupboards. “You didn’t know you were one of us?”

Stephan took Derek’s cup, beginning to measure out amounts of sugar and a creamer that softened the color of the coffee. “Nah, my mom didn’t know what my dad was before he died. There she was, single mom, and she thought she had it rough until the first time I turned at eleven. Scared the hell out of her, me too. Good thing the Big Man showed up when he did. I don’t think she woulda known what to do without his advice. He took me in, gave me lessons, and helped me get control of it.”

Derek accepted the cup. “He said he did the same thing with Sean.”

Stephan nodded. “Yeah, the Big Man is good for it. He’s got a good heart, and he’s not afraid to bring in strange wolves if it means helping them. He probably saved me and my mom, and he saved Sean from the streets. We owe him a lot.”

Derek hesitantly took another drink, eyes widening as the bitterness of the coffee melded with the sweetness of whatever Stephan had added. “Good Gaia! This is…really good.”

“I had to mix my coffee with chocolate flavored stuff for ages before I could drink it any other way. I still do it now and again. There’s this nice coffee place a few blocks over I go to and get some fancy drinks now and again, maybe if you take to coffee, I’ll show you,” Stephan said.

The smell and taste of the drink was already doing the job of waking Derek up. “You know, you don’t look anything like your brother when you’re smiling.”

Stephan frowned in confusion. “My bro-oh! You mean Richard, he’s not my brother.”

“Oh, uh, my apologies. You two looked so similar when I first saw you, and Sean said you were brothers when I asked him,” Derek explained.

Stephan laughed. “We get that a lot. I think it’s because we’re kind of similar looking, and we have the same serious face. He’s not related to me, but I call him that since he was found by the Big Man about the same time I was. We started getting introduced to everything about the same time, made a joke once about how we were like step-brothers, and it just went from there.”

The more Derek watched Stephan, the more he could see the differences between him and Richard. For one, he had never seen the other werewolf make any facial expressions whatsoever. When Stephan smiled, it lit his face up, giving his soft blue eyes a glow. Richard’s face was blockier in shape whereas Stephan’s was angular and defined. His hair, though similar to the sandy brown of Richard’s, had more luster to it, with faint traces of a light blond streaked through it.

“I guess you guys do look different to me now,” Derek admitted.

Stephan raised a brow. “Been watching us?”

Derek felt heat rise to his cheeks. “Apologies, I was only trying to make an observation.”

Stephan chuckled, reaching to pat Derek’s side companionably. “Don’t worry about it man, I’m just teasing you.”

Derek resisted the urge to rub the spot where Stephan touched him, smiling back. “I suppose I’ve just become used to the idea that there’s always another punch waiting.”

“Yeah, Sean has that effect, doesn’t he?” Stephan asked with a snort.

“I just thought I was bringing the best out in him,” Derek said.

Stephan shook his head. “He’s always been a grumpy bastard, even if he’s sometimes just acting like he’s that grumpy. After it took your sept so long to send help, he was pretty pissed when they only sent you. I tried to tell him to give you a chance, but you don’t really tell Sean anything when he’s in one of his moods. I was hoping he would ease up a little on you, but it don’t look like he’s gonna quit anytime soon huh?”

Derek thought about the night before, shrugging. “I suppose we’ll have to see.”

“Let me set you up with another cup and we can go meet Luca, he’s probably still awake,” Stephan said as he took the mug from Derek.

“Still awake? Does he take the night watch shifts?” Derek asked as he waited.

“Nah, he doesn’t really do much but tinker away in his little lab. Guy doesn’t fight or anything, but he’s good at what he does. He says he prefers to work at night because it’s quieter, but I think he just likes the idea of being alone. It’s not like we bother him too much when he’s working, and the kids know better than to interrupt him,” Stephan said as he fixed the next cup and handed it to Derek.

“He sounds…a lot different from anyone else I’ve met around here,” Derek said carefully as he followed Stephan out.

“That’s one way of putting it. The guy can be kinda weird sometimes, so don’t feel bad if you find yourself thinking it. He’s good people though, and he helps a lot around here in his own way,” Stephan explained as they walked down the hallway.

They’d only walked a handful of steps when he heard Sean call after them. “Hey, Stephan!”

Stephan turned. “What?”

Sean jogged down the hallway toward them. “You busy?”

“I’m entertaining our guest, since you can’t be bothered to do it. What do you need?” Stephan asked.

Sean peered around Stephan, and spotted Derek. “Well hey there sept boy, didn’t see you hunched over your cup back there.”

Stephan shifted so he had Sean’s attention again. “Did you need something or not?”

Sean snorted. “Aren’t we grumpy this morning? Don’t worry about it, if you’re busy I’ll just throw Richard on it or something. Where are you taking him this time?”

“To meet Luca, since he hasn’t got to meet him yet, figured I should introduce them,” Stephan told him.

“I just came from there; the guy is so wired up on coffee right now I’m pretty sure he can taste time. Good luck getting anything out of him,” Sean said with a derisive laugh.

“I’m sure we’ll manage. He likes me more than you, remember?” Stephan asked with a grin.

Sean nodded, pushing past them. “Still, good luck. Oh yeah, and sept boy? Find me later, you and me gotta have a little chat.”

Derek nodded, even if he didn’t like the sound of that. He’d yet to decide if he wanted to continue anything with Sean, but the look of promise on the Alpha’s face said he was dead set on continuing. Derek’s gut squirmed, partly from anticipation, and partly from worry. He wasn’t sure what the pack would think if they knew something was going on, but he knew damn well his own pack would be livid. His father would get over Derek’s predilection for males with only mild grumbling, but he’d be furious if he found out Derek had laid with a City Wolf.

He paused when he saw the thoughtful look on Stephan’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Stephan looked at him, shaking his head. “He’s just being nicer than before, which is…weird for him.”

“Maybe he got a good night’s sleep?” Derek asked weakly.

Stephan snorted. “More like he got laid, he doesn’t act like that unless he’s gotten some. Didn’t think he’d left last night, but eh, I’m not prying into his business. Lord knows he’ll get drunk one night and tell me all the sordid details…like he always does.”

Derek, praying that happened after he was long gone, decided to change the subject. “He said Luca was busy?”

Stephan continued walking. “Luca is always busy, or that’s what he wants us to believe. I think sometimes he just runs around when someone comes in to make us think he’s working. He still gets shit done, so I’m not going to complain.”

The large room Luca was apparently using was an absolute mess. There were various pieces of equipment scattered all over the place. Derek wasn’t sure what the room had previously been used for, but guessed from the size and shape that it might have once been a meeting room. There were various sized tables with different pieces of technology on them, and several different types of computers. There was a tall, thin werewolf darting about in one corner.

“Hey, Luca, what are you mumbling to yourself about over there?” Stephan called when he spotted the man.

Luca glanced up, looking owlish as he blinked slowly behind a set of glasses perched on his nose. “Stephan? What the hell are you doing up at this hour?”

“It’s 9 am Luca,” Stephan said in a tone that said he was trying not to laugh.

Luca glanced at one of the nearby screens, huffing. “Damned thing isn’t telling the time right again.”

“Which one? You have a dozen of them laying around bud,” Stephan said.

“And not one of them is telling the right time. What good is it to have all of these devices capable of processing vast amounts of information, if they can’t even manage to tell me the proper time of day?” Luca asked, though he seemed to be speaking to the computer he was looking at rather than them.

“Before you get caught up in your work again, why don’t you come say hi to our guest?” Stephan said.

Luca’s head bobbed back into view. “Guest? Oh yes! Someone did mention we were having someone from the mountains come for a visit, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, that someone was me, now would you come say hi like a proper person would?” Stephan asked with a grin.

Luca strode over, touching pieces of equipment as he went. “Yes yes, I swear, I left my pack to get away from all the nagging, and now I’ve got you as a replacement nag. If it weren’t for you constantly pestering me, I might get something done.”

Stephan rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s awful that I check in to make sure you’re eating and sleeping, with an occasional shower thrown in. I don’t know how you tolerate it.”

Luca stood before them, sizing Derek up. “Yep, you certainly look like you just tumbled out of the forest. Dreadful place, always hated it, was glad to see it behind me.”

Derek blinked. “Were you a member of the sept?”

Luca’s gaze was already drifting away from him, looking over his shoulder. “Hm? Oh, yes, once, but it was ages ago. My parents were more than happy to get rid of me since I kept sneaking different pieces of human tech into the sept to tinker with. Don’t know what they told the rest of the sept, but that’s not my business. I can play and learn to my heart’s content here, Sean is kind enough to let me do nothing but my work, so long as I make sure to help the pack. Seems a fair trade, doesn’t it?”

“I apologize, I don’t remember ever having seen you,” Derek said, thinking they were close enough in age that he should have.

Luca wandered past them with a wave of his hand. “No no, it wasn’t your sept. My sept is somewhere south of here, in the desert of the southwest. Nothing but sand and grit that gets everywhere. Big Man took me in when I came up this way after the city packs down that way didn’t want me around anymore.”

Stephan nodded. “Good, now tell the man what you do so we can leave you in peace.”

Luca snorted. “As if you have any intention of giving me peace. Fine, I arrange to get hold of any information Sean or the others might wish to have. I keep track of various deaths in the city to see if vampire activity is on the rise in our territory, while keeping track of any records that come through on the alias of any known vampires. I monitor our resources, making sure to keep a strict record of them so we always know where we are. It’s all very tedious, but I can’t say that it isn’t necessary, and Gaia knows none of these brutes are going to do it.”

Stephan smiled. “He’s our tech and info guy, like I said. He might have the manners of a chipmunk, but he’s good at what he does.”

Luca waved at him from somewhere behind a table. “Yes, very good. It was lovely to have met you Derek, but would you please get him out of my hair?”

“Ah, it was lovely to have met you as well Luca,” Derek called, hoping he didn’t sound as perplexed as he felt.

When they re-entered the hallway, Stephan nodded. “I’d say he likes you.”

“How could you tell?” Derek asked, bewildered.

“Because he made eye contact for a second there. If he doesn’t like you, he pretends you don’t exist. He’s never spoken to Richard once, so that’s a good thing for you,” Stephan said.

Derek stared at the closed door. “He is…certainly unique.”

“That’s a nice way of putting it. Hey, before you go running off to listen to Sean insult you while he tells you what he wants from you, you wanna come with me?” Stephan asked.

Any reason to put off Sean was appealing to Derek. “What are your plans?”

“I promised I’d spend the rest of the morning and afternoon with Rico. He seems to like you, and he’s still insisting he has to show you what a cat is. I think he’d like having you around,” Stephan said, sounding almost awkward.

Derek smiled warmly at that. “I would love to.”