#annnd we're officially goin out of order LOL

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve x Eddie Werewolf AU

Part One

Part Two

Steve hadn't intended to be the Alpha werewolf of a capitol P Pack.

Of course, he hadn't planned on discovering an entire hell dimension hiding under Hawkins either so it was safe to say most of his predetermined life plans had gone totally sideways.

Now, as he stood amongst his friends, his family, who were once again gearing up to fight something they shouldn't have too, he couldn't keep his eyes off the odd wolf out.

Except Eddie "the freak" Munson wasn't out of place--and that was the problem. 

Steve watched as he tussled with Dustin, the serious edge that had been clinging to the younger boy's shoulders disappearing as Eddie tackled him to the ground, cackling. 

It made them look their ages for once. 

"Are you thinking about bringing him into the Pack?" Robin asked as she poured more gasoline into a bottle, ever observant. 

Steve didn't bother playing dumb. No point, with her. "I was going to offer, yeah. Before we go back into the Upside Down." 

Robin hummed softly, setting the bottle aside for a moment. 

"Would give him way better protection against Vecna." Steve said, as if that was reason enough to claim Eddie, and not like he hadn't basically adopted the guy since the older wolf stuck a bottle against his throat. 

Which in turn had made Steve's own wolf wake up and take notice.

He'd thought he was going to have to fight off the urge to shift, form his hands into claws and  tear into Munson. Instead what he’d gotten was a confusing tangle of approval, admiration and his ever present urge to protect coming out in full force. 

It wasn't his fault he'd immediately noticed the sheer fear rolling off Eddie, and how he'd overcome it to fight anyway. 

How he trembled as he knelt down, his wolf staring out of his eyes, but never once lost control. 

Listened to Dustin, and respected the kid enough to calm down for him, even though the younger boy was really the only person Eddie knew was truly friendly, let alone trustworthy staring him down in that shed. 

Then came all the sass, how he lit up when Steve brought him his favorite foods. The dramatic way he'd crooned and hugged Steve, like the act of giving a box of honeycombs was akin to a proposal. 

(Of course, for Steve, it was.

One that he and his wolf made together.

An offering of family. Of protection, safety and love. 

The decision wasn't just his to make, though and he knew it. 

It never had been.

Steve might have been raised by snide, old school Werewolves, born and bred to do things the traditional way, but all tradition had ever done was hurt him in ways he had sworn to never pass on to his own packmates.)  

"It would also give him a home with people who know and understand what going through all this does to you." Robin added softly, leaning into Steve's side and putting her head on his shoulder. "I definitely needed that. After Starcourt."

Steve put the bottle he was working on down next to Robin's, then leaned his head atop hers. 

"We all did." He agreed.

"Plus he fits in." Steve didn't have to see her face to feel her smirk as Eddie went to pull on Dustin’s underwear, cackling madly as Dustin shrieked and called him a cheater. 

 "But you already knew that."

Steve smiled. "The kids love him, yeah." 

He got an elbow to the gut for that one. 

"Not what I meant dingus, and you know it." She pulled her head back, only so she could look onto Steve's face. "That boys been flirting with you since you brought him beer." 

Steve sputtered. 

"I've had to bear witness to the Harrington charm before, don't think I didn't see it in action the other day." Robin poked him in the cheek with a finger. "Just because you're a bit more reserved when it comes to flirting with guys doesn't mean I didn't catch it.” 

Nancy walked up the hill, coming to sit down next to them as Steve sputtered. 

For once she didn't say a thing about how close Robin and Steve were sitting, instead opting to sit on Steve's open side. 

"Are we discussing claiming Eddie as part of the Pack?" She asked, causing Robin to give her a delighted grin. 

"We are indeed, my extremely smart friend." 

"No arguments from you then if I offer?" Steve asked. 

He wasn't going to bother asking the kids, he knew what their answer would be. 

The decisions were made among the elder pack members anyway, and would be until the kids reached an age were they could make decisions that didn’t constantly end in half of them getting killed, but with Jonathan out of the picture in California it came down just to Nancy and Robin. 

Nancy put her head in a hand, watching as Lucas and Erica became involved in the tussle with Eddie and Dustin. 

"No." She said, after a moment. 

'He's dominant, Nance." Steve warned, because the last thing he needed was to bring Eddie in only for a fight to break out over who would act as the Packs Second in Command. 

Nancy smiled, looking gentle as she tucked her legs up underneath her. "If he wants my position he can have it. The kids listen to him better anyway." 

“You're sure?” Steve asked. He knew she was, could feel through their bonds that she was, but he had to ask it. Needed to hear the confirmation. 

Nancy rolled her eyes at him. “Yes Steve. Now are you going to go get him, or are we going to wait for Vecna to spring something on us? Because for once it would be nice to add a pack member without some kind of threat forcing it.” 

Steve rolled his eyes back at her, but quietly agreed. 

“Make sure Robin doesn’t blow herself up making molotovs, would you?.” He asked as he stood, dusting grass and dirt off his pants.

Robin flipped him off. 

xXx

"Guys, I need to borrow Eddie for a second." Steve called as he approached, mostly to prevent anyone from turning on him at the last second and trying to physically drag him into their game. 

"Fine Steve, but I want him back as soon as you're done!" Dustin shouted, releasing his hold on Eddie’s jacket. 

The older wolf grinned. "Oh I'm sure Harrington will be gentle."

Steve rolled his eyes, but turned around when Eddie reached him, taking a meandering path back up to the winnebago.

"You can call me Steve, you know." He said as they walked. 

Eddie just jostled him with a grin, playfully bouncing on his feet. "Aww, but that's just no fun, Handsome!" 

Steve felt a blush burn at the tips of his ears, but kept kept it off his face. "Handsome works fine too." 

"So what're we talking about? Is this more Vecna plans? Stuff kiddies ears cannot hear?" 

Steve wobbled his hand back and forth. "Yes and no. It'll help with Vecna, but it's…more than that."

Eddie raised an eyebrow at him as the path Steve took them behind the van, well away from the kids and just out of sight of Robin and Nancy. 

"Well spit it out man, you're blue balling me here." 

"You're not part of a Pack, right?" Steve blurted out. It hadn’t been until this moment that he realized he'd never actually offered this to anyone, having always claimed someone either in an emergency or via the kids being pushy assholes. 

Offering a place in a Pack was a big deal, but given the nature of his, Steve felt he earned the ability to say his was beyond special. The people he invited into it were as well, and they deserved to be asked properly. 

Eddie deserved to be asked, properly. 

The same Eddie who blinked at his question, then laughed.

It wasn’t a nice laugh.

“What do you think? No one wanted me before I was the town murderer, and even if I survive this shit?” He leaned in, like he was sharing a secret. “Absolutely no ones going to want me now.” 

Steve frowned at him, startled. 

Caught how Eddie’s scent changed right before he got a handle on it, reeling his emotions in before the sadness soaking his words became obvious. 

”That’s not--no--right, okay.” Steve huffed, frustrated at himself. “Any Pack would be lucky to have you, Eddie. They’d be stupid to buy the murderer crap.” 

Eddie scoffed. “I think you of all people should know anyone would be stupid to take me on.” 

“Guess it’s a good thing I’m a dumbass then.” He responded, before mentally kicking himself. 

He was fumbling. He knew he was fumbling, and a part of him wanted to groan aloud. 

This was not how this was supposed to go. He was getting Dustin to write him a speech, stat. 

On second thought, maybe he’d have Nancy write it. 

"What?” Eddie asked, but it was flat, the playfulness gone. Now there was apprehension in those big eyes of his, and fumbling or not, proper or not, Steve wasn’t having it.  

Not for the guy his kids adored. Not for the one who had leapt into a lake after him to fend off bats, and then complimented him after.

"I'm saying I want-- I'd love to have you in mine." 

A pause. 

"My uh, my Pack." Steve clarified in the growing silence, like it wasn’t obvious. 

Eddie stared at him. 

Steve was blowing this. He was absolutely and totally blowing this, and he was going to workshop a whole damn spiel the next time this happened. (Not that he ever wanted to claim anyone else. Damn Pack was already too big.) 

"I'm offering to claim you." He added dumbly, when Eddie didn't say anything. 

"I'm dominant, Steve." The older wolf deadpanned. "Not enough to gun for your position--and frankly man after seeing your warrior form rip those damn bats in half I don't think anyone in Hawkins is dominant enough to take you--but." 

Eddie worked his jaw, looked away. "I'd definitely be a problem for your current rankings."

As if Steve hadn’t already figured that out. 

"Nancy has agreed to step down as Second." Steve told him, glad he'd had the forethought to have an answer to a problem for once.  

Eddie gave him a disbelieving look. "Nancy, "more guns than sense--and she has a lot of sense" Wheeler agreed to bow out of being the Pack's second? For me?" 

"For you." Steve agreed, knowing the implication that Nancy found him worthy to succeed her, would make Eddie blush. "If it helps though I think you're doing her a favor. I worry a lot about the kids and I think she's tired of riding herd on them. She's happy stepping down.” 

"All of the power, none of the administrative overhead." Eddie agreed vaguely, fiddling with his rings. His hair swung down to cover part of his face as he stared hard at his hands. 

"Which means of course, means you get to help cart around the kids." Steve tried to grin at him, hoping they were getting back onto firmer ground. 

"I see how it is, you're bringing me in for my van." Eddie said, as if he hadn't ditched his vehicle halfway in the woods. 

His voice was off though. 

It wasn’t until Eddie made the mistake of glancing up that Steve saw how wet his eyes were. The tears he was holding back through force of will alone. 

"I'm wanted for murder, Steve." Eddie whispered, voice pained. "I can't drag the kids down with me. I can't drag any of you down with me. I'm not worth that." 

And oh, fuck that. 

One hundred percent fuck that. 

"You are absolutely worth it." Steve said fiercely, the hesitant, careful energy gone. Replaced entirely by the protective streak he was known for, the assuredness that had made him a good team captain and a better Alpha werewolf. 

 "And I hate to break it to you, but you're not even our first fugitive. So unless you can give me a solid excuse, Munson, then I expect you to accept." 

That got him. 

 “You’re serious.” Eddie said, and it wasn’t a question. He stared full on into Steve’s eyes now, a challenge for a werewolf. This though, wasn’t one, and Steve’s wolf didn’t react negatively. 

Knew instinctively, that he was being searched for any hint of a lie. 

“When it comes to this? To you?” Steve found himself gravitating closer, honesty bleeding through every pore. “I will always be serious.” 

A sniff, followed by a quiet huff of laughter as Eddie rubbed his eyes on his sleeve. "Shit, you sure know how to make a guy feel special." 

"You are special.” Steve fired back. “That’s why I want you.” 

It should have been we, as in we The Pack, want you, but Steve would examine where the “I” came from later. 

“If--if you’re sure you won’t regret it…” Eddie trailed off, shyly holding out his hand as his face blushed scarlet. 

Steve took it, offering a customary kiss to the hand with bare knuckles before tugging him closer. “I will never regret meeting you, Edward Munson.” Steve told him, eyes rolling gold as his wolf took a mental step forward. 

Not to overtake him, but to combine with him, to put the two halves of his souls back together in a way that only the strongest could. 

“You would honor us should you accept our offer to be Pack.” That was him and the wolf talking together, the formal way his wolf spoke taking over Steve’s more lax language. 

“God you’re unreal.” Eddie choked out, a wobbly smile taking over his face. “Ask me again. Formally and shit.” 

Steve grinned. 

Formal he could do. 

'Thank you asshole parents, for assuming I'd be an Alpha and making me take the etiquette classes.' 

Left hand went on Eddie's shoulder, right hand brushed his hair back before going a supportive hold at his waist. 

Eddie sucked in a breath, scent mixing both with awe and fear. 

Steve's wolf didn't like the former, set about immediately to soothe.

'Mine.' It whispered in their head. Unusual, if only because it usually laid claim with a solid "Ours" but Steve wasn't going to question it. 

Vecna had done a number on him, as a Pack leader. He'd earned his wolf being a bit odd for the day. 

He opened the door in his h

"Edward Munson," Steve said, knowing his eyes were pulsating gently with wolf gold as he leaned forward to touch foreheads with Eddie. 

"We ask you to aid this Pack as one of its members. Defend those bound to you, as they in turn will defend you, so long as you run with us?”

Eddie breathed in shallowly, once.

Twice. 

"Yes." He whispered, as if speaking louder would make Steve take the offer back. 

Steve pulled on the Pack's Magic, felt it build within him, an invisible pressure that flickered to life as yellow electricity dancing out of his eyes, down his teeth. 

He moved to the point where Eddie's neck met his shoulder, fangs extending, long in his mouth. 

“Through bite and blood, I claim you as Pack.”

Steve gently kissed the spot once, before sinking his fangs deep. Channeling the magic he’d built deep into Eddie’s skin, directing it instinctively down and around Eddie’s chest. Arks of energy engulfed them both, a vibrant red magic rising to meet Steve’s yellow.

Eddie arched into the contact, but his neck remained in Steve;s mouth, body language submissive. 

Magic pulsed like a live wire, growing visible around them in Steve's signature yellow, cackling across his skin to Eddie's and back. The two colors danced together for a moment, weaving and combining, until a bond was forged to the Pack. 

The bond finished and Eddie went limp, knees giving out underneath him.

Having been prepared for just that, Steve held him close, before lowing them both to the ground. 

Slowly he removed his fangs, the pack magic sealing the wound it left behind, with one long, careful lick. 

“I’ve got you." He murmured as Eddie shook violently for a moment, gasping like a drowning man seeking air as the bond settled. “I’ve got you.” 

For now, and for as long as Eddie would have him and his Pack.