new york wolves } { of lone wolves and complicated fathers

[wildkingdom]

Malia: [so after she leaves Jeremy's and picks up coffee she heads back to the penthouse, probably intending on letting everyone know she made it back in one piece before collapsing into bed to do some studying]

Peter: [he's up late, reading a few files with the open laptop in front of him, and he's making notes in a journal. It was one of the family journals he had picked up while in Beacon Hills, and he was updating it with information. He didn't look up when she entered] Your sisters are already in bed.

Malia: [nods a bit] Cool. [and she's just going to keep on walking ... and will decide to slide back over once she reaches the doorway, before pausing] So what do you know about other packs on the east coast?

Peter: [nope, that has his attention] Things here and there. It'll depend on if they've ever had dealings with Talia or the Ivanovs mostly. Why?

Malia: Know of one in Virginia? Lockwood, maybe?

Peter: [his eyes narrow a bit] Yeah, I know of them. Through the Ivanovs.

Malia: [oh. welp. that isn't good] Tyler Lockwood is going to NYU. I met him and some of his friends at a party tonight.

Peter: [thinks a moment] I don't know Tyler, but he's the nephew of Mason Lockwood who is... a very interesting character. He's the muscle for his brother, Richard, who is the alpha in that pack.

Malia: [she shrugs] He knows who I am, but he didn't seem ... hostile or anything.

Peter: From what I've heard, Richard is cruel and very controlling. I would image his son would be either a protégé, or would hate his father and want nothing to do with him.

Malia: So I guess that's for me to find out.

Peter: It would probably be a good idea. The Ivanovs are reduced greatly in number, but they aren't all gone. I don't want you getting into their sights.

Malia: [nods] I'll talk to him.

Peter: Good. It'll be safer for him. Word of the Ivanov hunt may not have reached that far south yet.

Malia: [nods again] True.

Peter: Everything else okay though?

Malia: Yep. Everything's fine. Just wanted to check in.

Peter: Alright. Sleep well.

Malia: You too. [and she'll make her way back to her room, but before she collapses into bed, she knows she needs to talk to Tyler. so she knows that the fastest line between her and Tyler is Jeremy, so before she sleeps she texts him:] Can you tell Tyler to text me?

Jeremy: [he's already out since damn, Malia you wore the human out. But he will see the message and pass it along to Tyler in the morning.]

Tyler: [yeah, he's sure he knows what this is about and texts back:] Malia, it's Tyler. Jeremy said you wanted me to text you?

Malia: Wanna get coffee?

Tyler: With me?

Malia: Yeah. We need to talk.

Tyler: Okay. I'm free at two.

Malia: You know the Au Bon Pan on campus? I can be there at two thirty.

Tyler: I'll hold a table for us.

Malia: Great. See you then. [and she's rushing to get to wherever she needs to be today and will meet Tyler there at two-thirty!]

Tyler: [and he will be there, halfway through a sandwich because he was starving werewolf] Hey.

Malia: Hey. [and she'll slide into the seat across from him, dropping her bag next to him and getting right to the point] So you're part of the Lockwood pack.

Tyler: [blinks, looking around a bit to see if anyone was listening] Yeah. Kinda obvious, you'd think?

Malia: I'm not good at subtle, and no one's listening anyway. [there's too much noise and college kids are always drowning in headphones and laptops. It's why she picked here]

Tyler: Well, I'm not really here with any pack blessings, so I am trying not to get a target painted on me

Malia: [squints slightly] From your pack or Victor?

Tyler: [looks down at his plate] I'm just trying to get away for a few years and have a life, Malia. It's the only time I'm gonna get.

Malia: Hey, I'm not trying to get you into trouble, okay? We don't want any. But the Ivanovs have a whole lot of targets painted on their backs, so if you actually do come in peace, you should talk to Victor Kirsanov sooner rather than later.

Tyler: [is all shades of confused] Why wouldn't I be here in peace, and... I'm staying the hell away from the Ivanovs.

Malia: [sighs a bit, before wrinkling her nose] The Ivanovs made a move against the Argents a few months ago. All their allies are pretty much coming up in the cross hairs if they set foot in the city. My ... [she started to say uncle and then realized that that's not entirely accurate anymore but can't really bring herself to say dad either - at least not to another wolf] ... Peter said he worked with your uncle when he was doing some work for the Ivanovs. I just don't want you to get hurt. If you go to Victor, he'll protect you.

Tyler: [sighs and just takes a deep breath] I knew I should have stayed in Europe. [he looks at her] I haven't talked to my uncle in years. But my dad and The Kirsanovs aren't allies, so I do that, and I'm pretty sure I'll never see the light of day again.

Malia: [sighs] Look, this isn't our turf, otherwise I'd say you could talk to Laura. But I couldn't just let you walk around blind, you know?

Tyler: What are Hales even doing in New York anyway? I thought your territory was in California.

Malia: Yeah, and in California the rest of them got burned to death. We've been out here ever since.

Tyler: ... Okay, I haven't really paid much attention to all the diplomacy side of werewolf life beyond the lay of the land. You're saying the Hales are mostly gone?

Malia: About seven years ago one of the Argents got a crew together and burned their house to the ground. It was mostly humans and kids, but their alpha was in there. Some of them are still recovering.

Tyler: Huh. I'm sorry.

Malia [she shrugs] I didn't really know them.

Tyler: But... so you're a distant relative?

Malia: No. It's complicated. [a beat] I was a coyote at the time.

Tyler: ...... You were what?

Malia: A coyote. [a beat] When I was eight I had my first shift and I killed my mom and sister in a car accident. My shrink thinks that the trauma was so strong that I fully shifted and used it as a means of escape.

Tyler: [nods] Right.

Malia: [she shrugs] Laura found me and made me shift back, so it all worked out. Mostly.

Tyler: Well, at least I can say my pack isn't the weirdest.

Malia: Oh no. I think we will all the awards for that one.

Tyler: [snorts, crumping up the paper his sandwich had been in] Well, my pack isn't really all the best, if you can't tell already.

Malia: I've learned not to judge people by the company they keep. [especially considering the whole admitted killer thing]

Tyler: Good. Because for the record, I'm nothing like my father.

Malia: Good. Peter will be happy to hear it. He wasn't a fan.

Tyler: But that's why I can't see the Kirsanovs. If I do, it'll bring my dad here and I'm not risking that

Malia: Why would it bring him here?

Tyler: Because I'm his only child, and fraternizing with the enemy would pretty much bring his wrath down on my head.

Malia: Why does he have to know?

Tyler: You don't know my Dad, Malia. He has friends everywhere. And he's got a temper.

Malia: [makes a face] You can't just be out there on your own.

Tyler: As long as I keep my head down and don't make waves, I'll be fine.... but thanks for the warning.

Malia: Okay. But if you need help, our penthouse isn't far from here.

Tyler: I'll keep that in mind.

Malia: [nods. there's a long pause before ...] Does Jeremy know?

Tyler: That I'm a wolf? Yeah.

Malia: [nods once] Does he know about me?

Tyler: I'm not going to out another wolf, Malia. My father's the asshole. I try to at least act like a decent person.

Malia: [nods a bit] I don't particularly care. As I said, I suck at being subtle. I'm just trying to figure out how he feels about all of it.

Tyler: Well, seeing he's still one of my best friends - pretty sure he can handle it.

Malia: Okay.

Tyler: Just.... go easy on him. If you can. The last three years have been rough on him. College is supposed to help even him out and get a fresh start.

Malia: ... I'm no looking to hurt him or anything.

Tyler: No, I figured that. I wasn't.... Jeremy just isn't good with things in moderation.

Malia: [there's a beat] We're just having fun.

Tyler: I know. And that's fine. Just friendly warning, that's all.

Malia: .... Ooookay.

Tyler: Alright, I'm obviously stepping out of line, so I'm just gonna go.

Malia: No, you're not ... I'm not mad, I'm just ... confused. I don't always get things the way normal people do.

Tyler: [licks his lips] I'm trying to protect you. Jeremy's like a brother to me, but sometimes... he's lost a lot in his life, and sometimes when he gets something good, he dives head first into it and doesn't think.

Malia: Well, we talked about it. If it was okay if we just hung out and he said he was cool with it. But ... I'll keep an eye on it I guess.

Tyler: Just let me know if you need any brotherly intervention. That's why he jokes about Matt and me being his babysitters.

Malia: Will do.

Tyler: I should probably get going. But yeah, if I catch wind of anything like hunters, you'll be the first one I call.

Malia: Good. I'll see you around.