“Oi, tree hugger, you got a video call,” Sean barked from behind him.

Derek jumped at the voice, turning around to see the smaller man standing there with an annoyed expression on his face. Derek had been so caught up in what he was reading, he’d missed whether Sean had called for him before. His mind worked hard, trying to parse what Sean had said and to try and make some sense of it.

“I have a what?” he finally asked in confusion.

Sean sighed, rolling his eyes and holding out a laptop. “Your dear father wants to talk to you over a video call.”

“I…wasn’t aware that was even possible,” Derek said, putting the words together and only understanding the barest meaning.

“Welcome to the twenty-first century,” Sean said as he shoved the laptop toward Derek.

It took another few minutes before Derek could figure out how to bring the device to life again, then to bring up the program Sean indicated. Sean’s patience with explaining things to him was minimal, and Derek found himself exasperated by the time the laptop began ringing. Derek was fully aware of what the call might entail and motioned for Sean to leave. He was thankfully sat in a relatively quiet area of the factory, and he would prefer that Sean didn’t happen to hear another lecture from his father if he could avoid it.

Sean rolled his eyes as he backed away. “Yeah, yeah, I know, don’t want anyone to hear daddy yelling at you again, I got it. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here and tell him how good of a host I’ve been?”

Derek glared over his shoulder. “Don’t start, I don’t need your help making this worse, thank you very much.”

His father’s voice barked out over the line. “Who are you talking to?”

Derek jerked back toward the screen, seeing his father’s frowning face staring back at him. “Ah, no one Father.”

“Is that how you’ve taken to speaking to those who are supposed to be your hosts? Or is this simply a habit you’ve picked up from them and I can expect to see something similar when you return?” his father asked crossly.

Derek shook his head. “No Father, I promise all is well.”

His father’s eyes narrowed. “So well, in fact, that you’ve been there near on a month now?”

Derek had been waiting for this conversation, but he realized that bracing for it didn’t help him when it came time to deal with it. He’d been wondering how much longer he’d have to stay here in the city as well. Sean hadn’t sent him out on any other excursions since the first one, and he’d yet to see any sort of mobilization from the werewolves of the pack either. For people who seemed to be struggling with a war, Derek hadn’t seen a whole lot of war-like activities going on.

“I have not asked Father, I did not wish to seem as if I were in a rush to leave their hospitality,” he finally explained.

“That, or perhaps they enjoy having one of ours there. No doubt, they could certainly learn a lot from you, or from anyone here. But, we are their spiritual betters, not their teachers. If you for a moment think they’re keeping you for any other reason than your help with their little battles, then you had better inform me,” his father said.

He hadn’t considered Sean might be keeping him here for any other reason than for his help with the vampires. Now he was wondering if perhaps Sean was simply enjoying having him around. He couldn’t very well tell his father that however, since that would lead to some very awkward questions. Derek no more wanted to explain that he was sleeping with Sean than he wanted to bang his head against a brick wall. He really didn’t want to suspect Sean of keeping him here simply because the sex they’d had so far had been good.

“I know my duty Father, if I truly believed they meant to keep me from it, I would be honor bound to do something about it,” he said instead.

“I hope so, I do not need you losing your way over a few shiny baubles. You’ve always been more interested in the human world than you have any right to be,” his father said.

Derek tried to evade the barb. “How is the family?”

“Wondering where you are for one. Otherwise they are fine, as expected. Your brother has already made great strides in his combat proficiencies, he has certainly learned from his mistakes…far quicker than you did at his age,” the Alpha said easily.

Derek tried not to frown at the reminder of his inability to stack up to his sibling. “I’m glad to hear they are doing well. And you?”

His father frowned. “I do not wish to sit before this damnable device and attempt small talk with you. Do what you need to do to get back here, and sooner than you have been. I don’t care if it is seen as rude, you find a way to get back here. I’m beginning to suspect you’re enjoying yourself out there, when you promised you would do anything but. I don’t care what it takes Derek, you figure out a way to finish up there soon, or I will come and retrieve you myself.”

Derek didn’t manage to get a reply out before the window that had shown his father cut to a black screen. His shoulders slumped as he reached out to close the laptop with a heavy sigh. It had been no more than he’d expected, but he couldn’t remember a time when it had bothered him as much as it did now. For a moment, he thought about returning the laptop to Sean, but decided against it. It was bad enough that his father had managed to make him feel as if he were a pup all over again, it would make the wound sting even more to have Sean taunt him about it. Even if it resulted in a session of cathartic sex, Derek would rather avoid Sean and anyone else for that matter.

After pushing away from the table, he hesitated. He wasn’t sure where he could go to avoid everyone. His room sounded unappealing, he needed somewhere open and free of confining walls. Even as a boy, he would wander into the open spaces of the woods and meadows in the mountains when he needed to clear his head. After a moment, he remembered once hearing that there was a door that gave access to the factory’s roof. It wouldn’t be quite the same as wandering through the natural expanse of the woods, but it would give him the open space and privacy he desired right now.

It took him longer than he would have liked to find the door, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he pushed it open to reveal a flight of stairs leading upward. The door at the top opened onto the degraded landscape that made up the roof of the factory. Crumbling smokestacks, corroded metal fencing, and various pieces of masonry lay in piles around the broad expanse of the rooftop. A soft patter of rain descended from above, giving the air the undefinable scent that came with it. Derek felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly as he took a deep breath, appreciating the smell of the air and rain.

He took to wandering around. The roof could certainly use a great deal more work, but he was no expert and couldn’t say how long it would last. It was obvious it hadn’t seen much in the way of repairs. From the roof, he could see the entire territory the factory encompassed. It had looked so much more impressive to him when he’d first arrived, but now it just looked depressing.

“Enjoying the view?” He heard Stephan’s voice ask from behind him.

Sighing, he turned to the werewolf. “How did you know I was up here?”

Stephan shrugged, running his hand over a smokestack. “Rico told me you got yelled at by a ‘big scary werewolf on the computer’ and I figured it was your dad. Someone saw you heading this way, and after that it was just a matter of following you.”

Derek groaned. “Is there any way for me to get a measure of privacy around here? The first time I had a discussion with my father, Sean overheard it, and now your son.”

Stephan shook his head. “No, there’s no such thing as privacy here. I wouldn’t think you get too much privacy living out in the sept either.

“Not usually, but we can at least count on a measure of privacy during a conversation that is obviously not meant for other’s ears. I can forgive Rico, what child isn’t constantly curious of the goings on around them? Your alpha however,” Derek said with a sour expression.

Stephan nodded. “Yeah, he can be a real pain, but you knew that. Does this mean you were in fact on a call with your dad and got your ass chewed?”

Derek thought about keeping the conversation to himself before sighing and admitting the truth. “My father believes I’m taking too long helping all of you. He is coming to the belief that I am either intentionally delaying my return, or that Sean is doing so and I’m simply allowing it.”

“And are you doing either of those things?” Stephan asked neutrally.

“I don’t know if I can answer that and believe my reply will be genuine. On the one hand, I know what my duty is to my pack, and I’ve always intended to fulfill that duty. Yet at the same time, I’ve seen what it means to live here, both the good and the bad. Nothing here is what I expected it to be, and I…certainly don’t dislike it here. If anything, I’ve become attached to living here and that…I’m not sure how I feel about that in all honesty,” Derek told him, unable to look the man in the eye as he spoke.

“Is that such a bad thing? Finding good things here that make you want to stay, and perhaps gaining a new view on how things were for you at home?” Stephan asked.

Derek shifted uncomfortably. “I never said anything about my views of home changing.”

“Did you come up here or wander away the last time you spoke to your dad then?” Stephan asked, still sounding neutral.

“I…no, but I fail to see what difference that makes,” Derek said.

Stephan shrugged. “Maybe it doesn’t matter at all, or maybe it makes all the difference. I know I only go wandering off on my own when something is really bothering me. Probably arrogant on my part to assume you’re the same way, but I’ve never seen you wander off on your own before either. You usually stick with the rest of us, or at least, you’re nearby and easy to get to.”

Derek blinked. “I didn’t realize you were paying that much attention to my habits.”

Stephan gave a wry smile. “You’d be surprised how much I pay attention, especially to my friends.”

Derek sighed heavily. “I suppose I have begun to question more than just my teachings. This is not the first time my father has chastised me, though it has been years since I last allowed it to eat away at me. Perhaps in some ways, it’s having dealt with Sean that has led to my questioning of my home life. I’ve never consciously questioned it, and this is the first time I’ve done both that and said it aloud. Yet, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps there is something inherently wrong with…how I was raised.”

Stephan looked as if he were choosing his words carefully. “I think a lot of people look back on the way they were raised and wonder if it was good. It’s an easy answer for me, my life was absolute crap before the Big Man found me and saved my ass. But with you? I think that’s a lot harder. You were raised to believe that everything your father said and did was absolutely correct, and that you were wrong. You being here is just…opening you up to realizing that maybe your dad isn’t always right, or not nearly as right as he thinks he is. That’s not a bad thing.”

Derek slumped. “It is when questioning is exactly what I’m not supposed to do.”

“Questioning is normal. You think we don’t question Sean sometimes? He’s our alpha, and he leads us, but we still question him, and to his face if necessary. Sean has questioned the Big Man’s decisions before too, including you coming here. I questioned whether or not Sean was right about you, and he turned out to be wrong. He won’t admit that, but he didn’t chastise me for questioning him. A leader who refuses to listen to those who follow them isn’t a leader, they’re a tyrant,” Stephan said with a hard edge to his voice.

“He’s my father,” Derek protested.

“That doesn’t make him immune to criticism, anymore than it means you can’t question what you’re told. Do you think you’re actually wrong or is this just a knee jerk reaction?” Stephan asked.

Derek thought about it for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “I really don’t know. I wonder if coming here was really all that good an idea. I’m not supposed to be wondering whether my father was right, or if I…”

“Or if you really want to take your father’s place?” Stephan finished for him.

Derek, unable to look Stephan in the eye, spoke to his feet instead. “Yes.”

“And what’s so wrong about that? Not everyone is cut out to be an alpha, and especially the kind of alpha your father expects you to be. That takes a certain kind of person, and you know what? You’re not like that, you’re not like your father,” Stephan told him.

Derek’s face fell at the brutal honesty. “I know, I’ve known it my whole life.”

Stephan seemed unable to contain himself, stepping closer and grabbing hold of Derek’s shoulder. “That’s not an insult. From the sounds of it, that’s the greatest compliment anyone could ever give you.”

Derek still refused to look at Stephan. “It sounds more like failure.”

“Look at me,” Stephan demanded.

Derek didn’t want to, but he couldn’t resist a direct order either, finally giving in to look at Stephan. He’d never seen his friend look so serious, so earnest. There was an intensity in his gaze that unnerved Derek. It was obvious to him that Stephan wasn’t angry with him, but he couldn’t help the uncomfortable squirm of his stomach as he fought to maintain eye contact. It wasn’t the same as having to endure his father’s angry criticisms, but he could still feel himself bracing for the coming verbal blow.

“What?” Derek finally asked quietly, wanting to end this soon.

Stephan’s eyes narrowed as he spoke forcefully. “You, are a good person, you understand me? Just because you’re not some asshole who bosses people around and wants to control their lives, doesn’t mean you’re useless or not wanted, you got me? You might not be the man your father wants you to be, but I call that a victory. You care about others feelings, their lives, and you know how to make them feel special. You’re so damn smart but you always know how to show it without making others feel stupid. You’re a strong man, stronger than your father because at least you’re learning from the past, and trying to change how you see things.”

“That’s not who I’m supposed to be!” Derek said, hating how much he sounded like he was whining now.

“Not by his standard, but by any reasonable person on the planet, growing and learning is what you’re supposed to do,” Stephan said, his grip tightening on Derek’s shoulder.

“What am I supposed to do Stephan? I’m supposed to be preparing myself to eventually return to my sept and take over one day as alpha. Every day that passes here, I find myself wanting to do that less and less. What happens when the day comes when I no longer want to leave? Because I can see it happening, I can see it so clearly. What then?” Derek asked, pleading for some sort of guidance.

“Then you make your choice, based on what you want, and what you think is best. Not because someone else told you what you should do, but because you figured out the answer for yourself. That’s what you’ve been slowly realizing you can do, decide for yourself,” Stephan insisted.

Derek’s gaze broke, eyes darting from side to side. “I’m barely tolerated by my pack back home, because of how I am. For all the time I’ve spent here, I can’t say I’m more than barely tolerated here as well. Maybe I should just wander off into the woods and live on my own, at least then I can say I’ll be where I’m wanted not just where I’m simply tolerated.”

Stephan’s hard gaze faltered, a sliver of pain inching into his gaze. “You think you’re not wanted here?”

“I’m a guest, a guest that’s been treated well, but I’m not a part of you all. How could I be? I’m just an outsider, here and at home. Here by virtue of where I come from, and at home because of who I am. I can’t seem to fit in anywhere, that’s how it’s always been. The only people who seem to care one whit about who I really am and what I want are my mother and perhaps my sister,” Derek said miserably.

“Do you really think I would be standing here, having this conversation with you if I thought you didn’t matter, if I didn’t want you to stay?” Stephan asked.

Derek stared up at him with a mixture of despair and painful hope. “I don’t know why you’re doing this Stephan, maybe it’s just because that’s who you are as a person.”

“I might not be the asshole Sean can be, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have this sort of conversation with someone I don’t care about,” Stephan said with a snort.

Derek took a deep breath, letting it out in one slow, shaky exhale. He wanted to believe what Stephan was saying, all of what he’d said. Everything he’d been taught growing up told him he wasn’t worthy of what Stephan was saying. To Derek, every kind word thrown his way was either a matter of politeness from someone within the sept who wished to honor the sept leader’s son, or a scrap of food thrown his way to make sure he didn’t totally sink into bleak despair. Even the smallest kind word thrown his way had to be evaluated, so he could determine just how much worth he could give it. More often than not, any kindness shown to him was for show or to serve some ulterior motive.

Stephan sighed. “I’m not going to tell you to stay or go, because that’s up to you and you only. Don’t listen to anyone else but yourself, okay?”

Derek gave him a half-smile. “Wouldn’t it be going against your advice to take the same advice?”

Stephan snorted. “Okay fine, take that piece of advice, and then after that, you do what you need to do, what feels right to you, okay?”

Not for the first time since the conversation started, Derek felt himself take a shaky breath. He knew Stephan was right, and it was too late to suddenly fall back on old habits. If he wanted, he could make the choice, to stay or to go. It wouldn’t be as simple as just choosing, there would be consequences. It would be a matter of whether he could live with the consequences of either choice.

Derek nodded. “Okay, I think I understand. Not sure I can follow through, but I understand.”

“That’s the first step, you have to do what’s right by you, got it?” Stephan asked, relief showing in his expression.

“And you’ll support whatever I choose?” Derek asked doubtfully.

“If it’s what you feel is right, then I will go along with whatever you choose,” Stephan promised.

Derek shook himself, trying to clear his head. “Okay, I guess I have a lot more thinking ahead of me. Thank you Stephan, I don’t know how well I can follow your advice, but it’s good advice. I guess someone had to say it, right?”

A look of hesitation and doubt crossed Stephan’s face, giving Derek pause. For a moment, he thought his friend was going to take back everything he’d said, to tell him exactly what he should do. He couldn’t have been more surprised when Stephan bent forward and pressed his lips against Derek’s. The kiss was soft and warm, flowing down from Derek’s mouth and into his chest and stomach. It only lasted for a moment, too short for Derek to do much more than stiffen and process what was happening.

When Stephan pulled away, Derek’s fingers rose to his mouth, tracing where the other man’s mouth had been moments before. Derek was at a loss for words, and it didn’t look as if Stephan had any to give him either. The werewolf smiled sheepishly at him, shyly even.

“You’re wanted here, okay?” Stephan asked as he took one step back, and then another, in his retreat.

Derek blinked, saying nothing as he watched his friend back away without another word. His fingers never left his lips the whole time he watched Stephan leave. Only when Stephan had reached the door leading back into the factory did he raise his hand in a lame feeling gesture of farewell. Stephan gave him another small smile, and disappeared into the shadows of the doorway, leaving Derek with a deeper sense of confusion than he had before.