For the fifth time in a row, Erica's on her back, wincing as pain cracks through her entire body like lightning. Cora stands above her, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face.
"You got close that time." She says.
"Really?" Erica groans.
"No." Cora says simply. Erica glares at her as Cora laughs and holds her hand out. Erica takes it with chagrin and Cora helps her up with a sigh.
"Don't focus on strength, focus on strategy." Cora tells her. Erica simply nods once and positions herself as Cora faces her. Erica charges forward and Cora sidesteps her easily, knocking an elbow into her back. Erica rolls onto her back despite the pain and jumps back to her feet, a growl escaping her throat. She swipes a clawed hand at Cora's face and Cora easily dodges it, but she doesn't see Erica's other fist coming. It smacks into her stomach and she doubles over before recovering quickly and kicking out at Erica's knee. Erica dodges it and goes to elbow Cora in the face, but Cora grabs her elbow and wraps an arm around Erica's neck from behind. She digs her foot into Erica's knee and forces her to the floor, fangs inches away from her neck.
"Are we interrupting something?" They both look up from the ground to see Derek and Boyd watching them, Boyd's face filled with awe and Derek's expression amused.
"I'm teaching her how to fight." Cora says, standing up.
"Since when?"
"Since we were locked in a vault by an Alpha Pack for four months and almost killed and said Alpha Pack is still roaming around Beacon Hills." Erica says through gritted teeth. Derek's smile fades and he sighs.
"I see what you mean." Cora pushes herself off Erica and helps her up. Erica sighs lightly and Cora knows she's disappointed in herself.
"You're getting better, Erica. Really." Cora says, touching her shoulder lightly. Erica simply smiles grimly and nods once.
"Thanks for helping me."
"Anytime." Erica walks over to the metal pipe hanging between two poles and jumps up, grabbing it and pushing herself up to her chin and slowly lowering herself down before repeating herself.
"Try 20 chin ups this time. No stopping." Cora calls out. She simply grunts in response.
"Any news?" Cora asks her brother, placing a hand on his bicep. He looks at her before shaking his head.
"Nothing."
"Erica, come on, we gotta head to school." Boyd calls out to her, picking his bag up off the floor.
"I've just got 8 more to do!" Erica pants out.
"You can do them when you get back. Go." Derek says. Erica hangs from the pole and glares at her Alpha before submitting to his order and dropping from the pole. Isaac makes his way down the stairs, ruffling his hair and yawning loudly.
"You could've woken me up, y'know." Erica grins as he passes her and she jumps on his back, growling playfully. He simply carries her, grinning back at her.
"You smell." He says, wrinkling his nose.
"Like success!" She shouts. Cora rolls her eyes and Derek shakes his head.
"Go on, take a shower and get out of here. Your mom already gave me an angry call about you skipping school yesterday." Derek says, sighing. Erica hops off Isaac's back and rushes upstairs while Isaac walks into the kitchen to grab a piece of toast.
"Anything on the Alpha Pack?" Isaac asks. Derek shakes his head and Isaac's expression turns grim.
"You know, maybe Cora and Erica have the right idea. Maybe we should start learning how to fight. How to defend ourselves."
"When it comes to an Alpha Pack, it won't matter." Derek says firmly.
"We should still at least know how to do something, Derek." Boyd says, crossing his arms over his chest. Derek looks at them both for a few seconds before bowing his head and nodding.
"I'll start training you tomorrow. All of you."
"I'll help." Cora says, standing up from her seat. Derek simply nods once and runs a hand through his hair.
"I just want to know what they want." He says, sighing.
"My guess? Numbers. You're an Alpha, they're an Alpha Pack…" Isaac says, biting into his piece of toast with a shrug.
"Yeah, but in order to join an Alpha Pack, I have to kill my own Pack. And I'd rather die than hurt any of you." Derek says firmly. To their credit, Boyd and Isaac don't make any jokes, they simply nod, understanding their Alpha's worry.
"All the more reason to learn to defend ourselves. If they try to kill us, we'll fight tooth and nail." Boyd says. Derek smiles, something Boyd and Isaac know is incredibly rare for their Alpha.
"Good."
Erica comes bounding down the stairs, her blonde curls bouncing and her backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Alright, let's go to school." She says, rolling her eyes. She grabs her leather jacket, a gift from Derek, from the chair where it's resting and puts it on over her red singlet top, throwing her hair back.
"If anything happens-"
"Call you. We know." Isaac says, clapping Derek's shoulder. Boyd grabs three apples and throws the other two to his beta brother and sister before waving to Derek and closing the sliding door behind him. Derek looks at Cora, who smiles sympathetically at him.
"You're protective of them."
"I almost lost Boyd and Erica. I know what it's like to lose family and I'm not prepared to lose more members." He says simply. Cora's expression turns stony as she masks her emotions and nods.
"I understand. But you and I both know that losing members of your Pack isn't like losing family. It's like-"
"Losing a part of yourself. I know." Derek says with a sigh. Cora watches him for a second before surprising him with a hug.
"I'll help you keep them safe, Derek. Erica and Boyd…they're like part of my family now. Spending four months locked in a vault scared for your lives kinda forms a bond. I'll fight to keep them and Isaac safe just as much as you will." Derek smiles grimly and hugs her back with a sigh.
"Thanks." Cora chuckles against his ear.
"The Hale Pack reborn, huh?" Derek can't help but genuinely smile at that one.
"Looks like it."