Your grip tightened automatically on Loki's arm when you smelled the other werewolf. The wolf was close, but you couldn't get a proper lock on his location yet. The smells of the city were hindering your nose. "What is it?" Loki asked softly, automatically taking a more defensive posture, though nothing appeared to change about him as he walked next to you.

"There's another werewolf. He's close." You realized that Loki, though he had sharper senses than the humans, couldn't sense the werewolf. Of course he couldn't smell the wolf either. You were the only werewolf he'd met, so he probably didn't know how to distinguish by scent. That was also probably not a thing he logically did, either, where using your nose had been trained into you from birth.

You had to take point here. You scanned the people around you casually, scenting the air for the other wolf, without appearing to do so. You still couldn't get a lock. He wasn't close enough. You knew that he wouldn't leave you alone, though, he would come find you. Females wolves out in the world were rare. The wolf wouldn't waste an opportunity to meet one no matter who he was. "Summon two silver daggers and give me one," you ordered Loki, a plan forming as you walked. You were surprised that he obeyed without question and bit back a sneeze at his use of magic. He trusted your judgment when it came to werewolves and didn't balk at taking an order, even from you. It felt so wonderful and refreshing to be trusted, especially for something like this.

You walked with Loki back toward the car, both of you alert and aware, looking for the danger. It was when you were cutting through a playground on the way back to the car that the werewolf stepped out in front of you, thankfully in human form. Loki automatically dropped your hand and moved to step in front of you. You touched his arm to stop him. You recognized the wolf. How could you not? You'd known him your entire life.

"Hello, Daniel," you greeted the werewolf warily. None of the pack had followed you here, the Alpha had actually ordered them to stay away after you'd left. He had hoped isolation would drive you home. It had backfired terribly; you'd rather be a lone wolf than go back. And you hadn't seen another werewolf in four years, until tonight.

"Is that how you greet your brother?" Daniel asked sourly, his arms held open for a hug. He was offended that you hadn't rushed to hug him. You had planted your feet and were holding onto Loki's dagger tightly instead. Loki was watching, evaluating, but not acting until you gave him a signal. For now, he was pretending to be nothing more than your escort for the evening. It was a relief that he was letting you be in charge. The pack never would have, no matter the situation.

You just stared at Daniel, not daring to move toward him. "What do you expect, Dan?" you growled at him. He hadn't done what he was supposed to for this conversation to go well. If he refused to honor the niceties, this was going to turn into a brawl.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "If you insist on formalities, sister dear," he started, his tone put-upon and upset. You didn't care. You were insisting on the formalities. He pulled a knife the length of his arm from a sheath at his side. He held his arm out to his side and carefully knelt to place the blade on the ground. He stood again carefully. "I come for parlay and lie down my weapons. I offer you no harm on this night." The words were formal, ritual.

You didn't sense a lie in his words, so you held your dagger out to your side and knelt, placing the dagger on the ground. You stood again equally carefully. "I accept your parlay and lay my weapons down. I offer you no harm on this night," you replied equally formally. He looked over at Loki glaring, so you quickly added: "Loki of Asgard does not know our ways. He is my sworn protector," thank all of the gods for that silly oath, it was saving you now since it meant Loki didn't have to leave the parlay "and as such will not harm you this night excepting the necessity of the defense of my person."

Dan nodded, accepting your words. You turned to Loki. "You can put the dagger down, we're safe enough until the parlay is over," Loki hesitated, but vanished the dagger. You and Daniel both sneezed at his use of magic. You were getting better at fighting the tickle in your nose at his magic, but not this time. Dan growled, taken by surprise at how the magic would affect his nose. "Loki, this is my brother Daniel. Daniel, this is Loki of Asgard." The men jerked their heads in a nod at each other. That was the best you were getting out of them, which was fine. You weren't expecting this conversation to be pleasant.

Dan opened his arms again for a hug. You hesitated. "Are you seriously going to make me go back to mom and tell her you wouldn't even give me a hug? You know she's going to demand every nuance of how this conversation goes." You sighed and grumbled, taking a step forward. You waved to Loki before he could get too worried over your safety, gave Dan as quick of a hug as you could, and stepped back again.

"Why are you here, Dan?" you asked him firmly. "I know Ferris, the alpha," you clarified that for Loki's sake "ordered the pack to stay away from me until I decided to come home."

"I'm here to tell you to come home. Ferris sent me to talk to you,"

You shook your head firmly. "I'm not going back, Dan. I left for a reason," you reminded him. He had been there the day you left, and was still in denial about why.

"Yes, you wanted to prove your independence. You have a duty to the pack and you know it. Come home, sister," he ordered, his voice a growl as he tried to assert his dominance over you. You just glared up at him and let his order brush right past you ineffectively.

"Knock it off with the dominance games, Dan. You know that shit doesn't work on me," you growled at him. He sighed.

"Ferris warned me you wouldn't be reasonable." You shrugged. You never were according to the pack and they tried to break you for it. They hated that they had a defective Omega by their standards. Omegas were supposed to bring peace, tranquility, and balance to the pack with their puppy-like happiness and ability to share calm. You couldn't give them peace, calm, or happiness when you had none for yourself. You'd figured that out living with the Avengers for less than a month. You were perfectly capable of sharing your peace and happiness with them, even if they hadn't figured out that your presence was doing it.

"So he sent me with a message. His words, not mine," Dan looked apologetic.

You sighed and rolled your eyes. "Get on with it, Dan,"

"Jareth will come for you to bring you home himself the day after you graduate. Ferris also ordered that I remind you that Winter's Moon is coming. What are you going to do around all of those super humans when it comes? Come back to the pack where we can keep you safe. His words, not mine!" Dan added quickly while you glared at him.

"I'm going to do the same thing I've done for the last four years' worth of Winter's Moons," you growled at him, snarling that he would bring it up. "And what do you mean, keep me safe? You didn't keep me safe the last Winter's Moon I was with the pack. You all rolled over on your back and bared your throats for Jareth. I had to fight off his advances myself that night," you snarled, fighting back the emotions of the memories. They wouldn't help now.

"Your duty is to marry Jareth. He's the alpha's son, next in line. It's an honor, Y/N!" Dan yelled at you, frustrated that you wouldn't just lie down and do what you were told. You balled your fists in frustration and anger, but you wouldn't break the magic of parlay.

"Jareth is a douchebag, asshat, fucktard," you replied with a snarl. "I don't give a shit that he's the alpha's son. I give a shit that he's an abusive asshole who I did not consent to marry, nor will I. If that's all you want, Dan, then go home. Tell the Alpha I won't come home until after graduation. That's true enough that you won't get in trouble for the lie." Damn it, even though Dan wasn't being any better than the rest of the pack, your instinct was still to protect him. He was family after all.

Loki stepped up then and wrapped an arm around your shoulders protectively, moving to pull you from the argument and danger. He'd had enough of it, of your anger and hurt. You were grateful for his presence. "So you're with him now, instead of a wolf, instead of one of your people?"

"One, he's a friend and my escort for the evening. Two, even if I were seeing him, or any other man, my life is none of your business. Go home, Dan. The parlay has ended," you told him firmly. You whirled, turning your back to your brother and picking your dagger up off of the ground. You trusted Loki to watch your back. "Oh, and tell mom I love her," you added as you turned back to Dan with your dagger in hand and took Loki's offered arm, letting him lead you from the playground back to your borrowed car.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked as you walked quickly. He sounded like he wished he had stepped in further or earlier. You took a deep breath to steady yourself and try to find your calm again. The pack got you riled up too easily.

"I'm fine," he gave you a look so you quickly rephrased. "I'll be fine. Seeing any of the pack... stirs up emotions. I'll be fine when we're home." You told him firmly, also trying to convince yourself.

"You have a real home with us, little wolf," Loki told you softly. You knew he'd demand answers later, and you would give them, but for now his focus was on getting you home safely. You weren't going to distract him from that goal either. All you wanted was home, and you realized that you'd found it in the tower of misfits.