Chapter Text
When the dark cloud surrounding them lifted, Greenberg stumbled momentarily, but the sheriff managed to stop his fall.
He half pulled and half carried the young man to the large bed dominating the room and carefully laid him down.
The druid gave him a thankful smile.
"Thank you for saving me again, sheriff, it seems the tally is getting longer."
Trying to breath throught the pain of his broken ribs, Greenberg missed the concern flashing over Noah's face, as well as the man temporarily leaving the room.
A hand carefully shaking his shoulder brought him back to full awareness, and he stared in confusion at the glass being held out to him.
"You should drink something, my boy, your body needs the fluid to heal."
When he didn't reach for it at once, the sheriff joined him on the bed and made him lean against his side.
He held the glass to the young man's lips.
"Small sips, Greenberg, I've got you."
The moment the water entered his mouth, the druid discovered how parched he was and signaled Noah for more.
The older man fed him the content with a steady hand and the patience developed over decades of fatherhood.
When the glass was finally empty, he put it on the nightstand but didn't release his hold on Greenberg.
"Please tell me what's going on, boy."
###
Across town, the Nogitsune materialized outside the hospital and stumbled into a wall. It tried to catch its fall, but ended up in a heap on the ground.
*You should have listened to me*
###
Greenberg raised his head and made eye contact with the sheriff.
"You're a spark, but you're not like others of your kind. When Peter bit Stiles, he released the equivalent of an Alpha spark, something extremely rare, and Bobby believes that you might be even more powerful."
Large, disbelieving eyes held the druid's.
"How? I don't understand..."
"Coach has a theory. He believes that because your father rejected his legacy, the power continued to grow. Imagine something reaching a critical mass and still having no outlet."
The young man grabbed Noah's hand and began playing with his fingers.
"Your spark, both yours and Stiles', has been feeding its excess energy into the Nemeton. You've basically become part of the nexus and the surrounding land."
Anger suddenly darkened the older man's features.
"That damn tree has been playing games with Peter and the pack!"
Shaking his head, Greenberg intertwined their fingers to calm Noah down.
"Not games, sheriff, the Nemeton has been testing us. This land was protected by the Hales for centuries, but the surviving family members abandoned it. Peter has worked hard to make amends, but the nexus expects all of us to play our roles."
"What roles, dammit?"
Greenberg gave a shrug.
"A pack is only as strong as the bonds between its members. The Hales were once a very large family, but now there are so very few original family bonds left. That means new, different bonds are needed."
Noah furrowed his brow.
"What kind of bonds?"
"Mating bonds. By binding the pack members intimately, we and by extension the Nemeton become stronger."
Pulling himself from the druid's grip, the older man jumped up and paced the room.
"Do you hear yourself, boy? That sounds like we're supposed to pimp out the pack, just so that damn tree can get its kick!"
###
Grabbing the corner of a dumpster, the Nogitsune tried to pull itself up, but halfway crumbled back down.
*You're running out of time*
###
Noah didn't expect to be laughted at.
"Nearly everyone in the pack is supernatural, sheriff. With the power that we have accumulated, it's no wonder that we are also drawn to each other sexually. Power always seeks power, it's in our nature to find the most powerful mate to continue our line."
When the older man just stared at him, Greenberg continued talking.
"Do you really think that wolves normally share mates? The Hales should be ripping each other's throat out, instead they have entered into a triad with a powerful magic user and are now adding even another wolf, who is also a hunter."
The druid patted the bed and waited for Noah to sit down again.
"Malia, a werecoyote, has chosen a werewolf-kanima hybrid and a human as her mates, which will allow her to combine the DNA of four different species in her offspring."
Holding out his hand, Greenberg was relieved when the sheriff took it willingly.
"Some of these choices might have been made by instinct, others were premeditated, but in the end everyone of us can walk away from a relationship if it doesn't feel right."
The druid gave Noah's arm a tug, and the older man returned to his earlier place right next to him.
"Lydia, a harbinger of death, is obviously drawn to Coach because of his dark nature, and he seems to believe that she will be able to carry his children, something that is unheard of from void kitsunes."
At this point, Noah squeezed the young man's hand to interrupt him.
"And what about you, Greenberg? Where do you fit into this?"
The druid gave him a serene look.
"I've always been his, from the day Coach walked into my life."
Greenberg could see that Noah was fast coming to the wrong conclusion, so he stopped his train of thought immediately.
"He never touched me. He was my teacher, my supporter, my friend. He stood up for me when no one else did, and pushed me when I needed it. My magic has always been drawn to him, and we became connected long before we developed an attraction to each other."
Seeing the disbelief in the sheriff's face, the young man pointed to the bed that they were sitting on.
"This is Bobby's bedroom, and I've never been in here."
"Then why are we here now?"
Greenberg could see the wheels in Noah's head turning, and he gave him a cheeky grin.
"Because you're hot...?"
Judging by the older man's expression, his attempt at humor was clearly not appreciated.
"Ok, long story short... your spark has turned you into the equivalent of creamy, sugary cake, only not just for Bobby but basically everyone."
Pulling the sheriff's hand closer, Greenberg placed the appendage on top of his half hard cock.
"Even now, with my ribs broken, I want nothing more than to drop to my knees and make you come down my throat at least twice."
Noah wrenched his hand back and again jumped off the bed.
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!"
With his energy levels slowly depleting, the young druid leaned back against the headboard.
"When your spark woke up, Coach shielded you from others, but you lost that protection when you healed me. Bobby, Lydia and I were attracted to you before, so now your power calls to us even more."
"Then why did you pull me out of the hospital?"
"Coach asked me to keep you save. It seems your spark has also attracted the Nogitsune, and it wants to possess your body. We just don't want to lose you."
###
*GET YOUR ASS OFF THE GROUND!*
###
The sheriff raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Why would the Nogitsune come after me when it already took Jordan's body..."
"I don't know, that is something that you need to ask Coach. We're playing for time, the longer we can keep you two apart, the better our chances to get rid of it. We only want to protect you."
Hearing that last statement, Noah couldn't suppress a snort.
"Protect me and apparently get into my pants."
Greenberg tilted his head in a way seen quite often from the wolves.
"Is that really so bad, sheriff? I know that you just lost Jordan, but Coach was right... you shouldn't be alone."
Seeing the vulnerability in the older man's eyes, the druid beckoned him over.
"You don't need to make a decision right now. A lot has happened, and you must be as tired as I am. Join me, just to sleep, I promise I won't try anything."
To Greenberg's surprise, Noah didn't fight him, instead he crawled into the bed and pulled the druid against his chest.
"Sleep, boy, and if you try something, better be prepared to get a spanking!"
Greenberg responded with a light chuckle and snuggled deeper into his arms.
"Promises, promises..."