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Tasting the tang of blood on his lips, Derek looked down the empty hall, watching the flickering light as the spirit of the Nogitsune disappeared into the ether. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he felt the red glow of his eyes drop back to normal, and heard Lydia scream in the distance.
“Derek.”
His eyes shifted to see Stiles standing beside him, pulling him into action.
“Come on. We have have to go. Grab a tarp or something.”
Derek snapped back to reality and let his mind go on autopilot. As peaceful as the Hales were, they all grew up knowing how to hide a body. They were never intentionally man killers, but sometimes a secret had to be kept.
Snapping the doorknob off the nearby janitor’s closet, he pulled out an extra large garbage bag and tarp, setting about wrapping up the body that had fallen, and started wiping the floor down with bleach and rags. In the distance, he heard a song filter through the all too silent night.
Come on skinny love just last the year,
Pour a little salt we were never here,
Smirking slightly, he focussed on the task at hand. Ensuring there was no blood left behind, and the body was thoroughly wrapped, Derek let out a snarl telling the rest of the Pack to disperse. There had been enough death the last few days. He felt Ethan’s life slip away, Allison had passed not long before. The Sheriff had been the Nogitsune’s first victim. He could see to this clean up on his own. It was his duty as Alpha.
Moving out to the woods, not far from his family property, Derek made short work of burying the remains of the body, not that there was much left at this point. Looking up to see Stiles waiting for him, he Derek smiled a tired smile.
“C’mon. Let’s get you home and cleaned up.”
My my my, my my my, my-my my-my...
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer.
The drive back to the loft was surprisingly quiet, considering who he’d had with him as passenger. Climbing the stairs to the loft, he made his way straight to the bathroom. Seeing look on his mouth, and dried mud and blood on his hands, he stripped off and poured the water as hot as he could stand it. Watching as the accumulated grime and destruction he’d wrought on his body poured down the drain, he felt his shoulders shake in silent grief off all they’d lost recently.
Tell my love to wreck it all,
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall,
Shutting off the water, he towelled dry, padding silently towards his bedroom. Sniffing the air, he was alone in the loft. Not surprising. There would be time for him to join in the group mourning. Right now…he just needed some time to fix himself.
My my my, my my my, my-my my-my...
Right in the moment this order's tall.
Laying down for the night, he felt the adrenaline leave him, causing him to shiver like he was stuck in the cold. Normally he fold himself into Stiles, clinging to the young man like the life preserver he was.
And I told you to be patient,
And I told you to be fine,
And I told you to be balanced,
And I told you to be kind,
Settling for holding Stiles’ pillow, and drawing in the scent, he felt the tears prick at his eyes.
And in the morning I'll be with you,
But it will be a different kind,
'Cause I'll be holding all the tickets,
And you'll be owning all the fines.
Time had passed. Aiden left Beacon Hills. Scott had withdrawn from the Pack. Kira was cordial, but they weren’t really friends. Malia had flitted through their lives once she’d gained control over her shifting. It had been quiet. Even Peter was behaving himself. Chris and Isaac had since returned from their world tour, and Chris was sneaking him a strain of wolf bane that wouldn’t kill him, but would let him get drunk.
Which he did.
Frequently.
Stiles came around as much as he could but even that wasn’t doing much to buoy his spirits. Looking up as Argent left the vial of wolfs bane extract on the counter, he quirked his eyebrow.
Come on skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres,
“Derek…you can’t just keep going on like this. It’s been almost a year since…”
“I don’t need a reminder Chris,” he had snapped, instantly regretting it at the flash of pain in the older man’s eyes.
“I mean…I know what you’re saying. Any leads?”
Chris shook his head.
“Nothing.”
My my my, my my my, my-my my-my...
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split.
Stiles had watched the exchange from the seclusion of the kitchen, eyes downcast, shaking his head. Chris left the loft, barely sparing a glance at the young man in the corner. Moving towards the living room, resting a hand on Derek’s, Stiles sighed.
And I told you to be patient,
And I told you to be fine,
And I told you to be balanced,
And I told you to be kind,
“You really should be nicer to Chris you know. He did lose his daughter just before that night.”
“I know.”
“And I know you know. And I know she was Pack…and the Pack is dwindling…”
“The Pack is gone Stiles. I drove them away.”
“You did what you had to.”
Derek shook his head.
“I destroyed it. I loved it, and I killed it.”
And now all your love is wasted,
Then who the hell was I?
'Cause now I'm breaking at the britches,
And at the end of all your lines.
Stiles sighed, shaking his head. Moving back towards the kitchen.
“A lead?”
“Hmmm?”
Who will love you?
“A lead on what?”
Who will fight?
“The Nogitsune.”
“Ahh. I see. Your white whale?”
Derek smirked and nodded, pouring a dram of scotch.
“Something like that.”
Tilting the amber liquid back, he closed his eyes, the scene playing back in his mind as it did every time he fell asleep.
He was chasing the Nogitsune down the hallway of the school, having finally determined what it would take to destroy the being that was inside of Stiles body. The body duplicate the Nogitsune created had disappeared to smoke, getting their hopes up that the duplicate was real, and they were left with the imposter.
Reaching out with a clawed hand, he felt as his nails sunk into the pale flesh of his Lover’s shoulder, the smell of his Lover’s blood filling the hallway. One bite, and the toxin in Stiles’ body would be destroyed. Yes, Stiles would be a werewolf, but at least he’d be Stiles. Not a demon. Not a monster that killed his own father.
Spinning the laughing demon around, he opened his mouth to bite the arm, but the Nogitsune was too fast. Pulling Derek towards him, mouth still open, Derek found himself unable to arrest his bite. Sinking his teeth into Stiles’ throat, from the corner of his eye, he saw the Nogitsune leave Stiles’ body.
Alive.
Intact.
Opening his mouth, he dropped Stiles, whose eyes were wide with shock, but unseeing.
Setting the body on the ground, Derek did all he could to keep from screaming out loud. It had taken some time for Lydia to realize it wasn’t just Ethan’s death she felt.
It was Stiles.
His Stiles.
His mate.
And who will fall far behind?
“I killed you.”
Stiles smiled a little sadly, nodding his head, face pale, as though he were losing grip.
“I know.”
Come on skinny love,
“I love you.”
My my my, my my my, my-my my-my…
My my my, my my my, my-my my-my.
Stiles watched as the glass fell from Derek’s hand, and the slowing of his chest.
“I know.”