I don't own Teen Wolf only my story and OC

Chapter 9 – Nemetons

Derek gets up. He sees out of the corner of his eyes that David is following his lead. As a concerned parent he signaled him to keep out of side. You never know who is at the door, even if it is a familiar scent, which he only can smell and not see for now, protecting his family has become priority number one.

Because the pack normally calls ahead, if they turn up at his door. The only exception is an emergency. So Derek really hopes that it is nothing serious as he steps to the door. As soon as he sees that his boy is out of sight, he opens the door. Two people stand on the other side. One of them he never accepted to see at his loft again. "Mrs. Yukimura, Scott?" he greets them. It was a question as well; what they want is simply implied in it.

"We heard the cry for help." Scott tells him matter-of-factly. That didn't surprise Derek in the slightest, because the pain was carried around the city with the cry. But why did they follow the scream? The only explanation he has is that they felt that the protector needed help and so they acted accordingly.

His assumption was confirmed as Kira's mother looked at him without greeting him back and simply asks. "Alexa is here?"

For a moment Derek was panicked not that he doesn't trust her, but why does she know that. Apparently it comes with the territory to be worried for Lexi, not only because she is his mate, but he is the guardian as well. But he tried to hide his panic as he answers with a counter question. "How do you know that? Better now, how do you know her?"

The defensive stance can be heard in his voice and was as clear as day for the other two in his body language. But only Scott was bewildered by it. Mrs. Yukimura simply smiles and states simply. "You are the guardian." It wasn't a question, nor a statement, but a fact, something that Scott's bewilderment heightened.

Derek was insecure, how to answer that? Not that he was ashamed to be the guardian, no on the contrary, he was honored to be the mate of the protector. But by giving up this information it makes him and Alexa vulnerable. It can be used against them. Even with security risks, he wouldn't deny it, because she was his mate and he is proud of it. "Yes." was his short and simple answer.

The smile on Kira's mother grew bigger as she steps into the loft and puts her hand on Derek shoulder. "Be good to her and keep her save, she needs it." was all she said to that, before she changed the topic back to the reason, why they were here in the first place. "What happened?"

"Tamora." was Derek short and strained answer, because he was pissed with that woman. He really hoped that they finally could shake her, but of course fate has other ideas. "She killed her parents." Not that he wanted to tell David that in this way, but it couldn't be helped. He will talk about it later with him.

"Damn it." Scott curses.

"That explains the pain in the cry." Mrs. Yukimura says.

"That isn't all." Derek tells them. Why keep it to himself, this way they can prepare themselves for the attack, which will be coming. Tamora has to be stopped and Derek hasn't a problem with being the one, who does it. She caused his mate pain and will continue doing it as long as she alive. All in all she is a thread, who has to be eliminated. "She threatened coming for her and everyone Lexi loves." he states and the other can hear in his voice that he is looking forward to the confrontation between them. It is clear that he wants to be the one to come out on top of it.

Before either of the two can answer to it, a scream comes from upstairs. Instinct took over as Derek turns around to run for his bedroom, because the scream comes from Lexi. His heart is beating as loud as he runs as fast as he could. What is it now? As he enters the room he sees Lexi on the floor writhing in pain. Sarah as well is screaming and crying. Derek is torn at first, who he shall consult, but David helped with him his decision as he sees him taking his sister into his arms form the corner of his eyes. Derek sends him a short proud smile, before he walks to Lexi to take her in his arms as well, but she stopped him.

"No, stay away." she grits to her teeth. The pain must be enormous that it is hard for her to talk. She doesn't know how or why it is happening to her or if it can affect him. She doesn't want to hurt him. Of course, Derek doesn't know, what goes on in her mind, so he is a bit hurt that she said that. It hurts him to see her like this and he really fights with his inner wolf not to go to her. He doesn't know what is more painful hearing her screaming or seeing her in pain.

For Alexa on the other hand it wasn't the pain that caused her to scream, but what she is seeing at the moment makes her also nervous. One of the Nemetons is burning down and the power, that not simply can leave this world is transferred into the only thing that is the origin of the tree, her, Alexa. The power transfer is painful and with the loss of one of the Nemetons the balance of the supernatural world is tipping.

To ease the pain Alexa curls herself into a ball on the floor, while the others watch. Derek has to do something. He doesn't know how long she was on the floor, but not matter the time it can't be good for the kids to see their Mom in this condition. So, against her statement he walks to her, while the others watch him and know they can't stop him. They see that he needs to do something, so he embraces her, even if she is trying to get away from him and hopes he can give her strength this way.

As Derek reaches her and puts her in his arms the images lessen and only the pain remains. Like said before the pain is bearable alone. In Derek's arms even the pain weakens, like he takes it away from her. With it her screaming stops, but until now she didn't know that she was also crying, and her tears need to dry before she can, talk about it. Together in his arms they weep on the floor and calm down.

After Derek was sure that her tears were dry and she was herself again, he invites the kids with his hands to join their hug. That is another step to calm Alexa down further and tell her that her pack, her family is there for her. Only moments later the kids were at their sides. Scott and Miss Yukimura watch them with curiosity and foreboding.

Nobody spoke a word. No-one wanted to stress Alexa after the ordeal, so they waited for her to start her explanation. The silence was deafening, but seconds become minutes and minutes wore on longer and longer, until Alexa simply whispered one word. "Nemeton."

"What?" Derek wants to know, because he doesn't see the connection.

"She killed a Nemeton." Alexa explains further.

"How can you kill a tree?" Scott wants to know. An almost childish question, but Derek has to give him that, he has a point.

A sarcastic laugh escapes Alexa as she answers. "The Nemeton isn't a normal tree."

"Meaning?" Mrs. Yukimura wants to know.

The burning of this first Nemeton dictates her actions and she must give away her secret now. It is the only way to make them understand, what is important and what has to be done? With red eyes from crying she looks up at Mrs. Yukimura and Scott and says with a sigh. "As you may know I am the protector." They nod as answer. "But not many things about me is written down. One of those things is that I am not a different protector, but a reincarnation. That is anchored into this world through a Nemeton. That means when I die I become a Nemeton, like every version before me did."

The stern and hard voice of Alexa tells them that she is speaking the truth. But she wasn't done yet. "The task of the protector is to protect the supernatural world and this way I keep doing it after I die. But the tree and with it the essence or power can be killed, by burning the tree to the ground. Only problem is, because of me walking the earth now that instead of blowing out, the power it goes back to his origin … Me. That is a good and a bad thing for us."

"Such us?" Scott wants to know in a hard voice, after Alexa didn't elaborate further. That earned him a hard glare from Derek that took Scott off guard. After all he is his second in command and would be normally on his side. But this was something else, but being the guardian trumps every other position Derek has, Alexa always comes first. The kids are a close second and then all the others and the rest.

With that glance Derek told Scott that he shall stop stressing her. The killing of the Nemeton rattled her and it takes time to overcome it, apparently if it is possible at all. Because even for their world this is nothing anyone saw coming. How often does it happen that you meet a real life reincarnation, who happens to become a powerful tree with her death? The chances are zero to none, but with Alexa all the cards are of the table, if you even play a card game and not a game of chess.

Before a growl can escape his mouth, Alexa says. "Der stop, I know you want to protect me, but it is ok and I can do it." To give her words more meaning she looks into his eyes to convoy that she means what she says. In a whisper she adds. "Please trust me?" The I-know-what-I-can-handle hangs in the air, but both understand the meaning.

Again, Derek was thorn, on the one hand he wants to trust her or better he trust her with his life. But on the other hand it is his duty to keep her save, not only because he is the guardian or his mate. But most of all she is pack, family and he doesn't want to see her hurt in any way. Begrudgingly he nods his head and accepts it.

Scott follows the interaction with great interest. He has many questions. Why has Derek the sudden urge to protect Alexa? Has it something to do with the term guardian, he heard before? That leaded to what is the guardian? All in all, the most important question is, what the hell is happening? He really needs answers to these questions.

All those questions must have been written all over his face as Alexa says. "We will explain no worries. But first let's finish this. The good thing as I already said is that the power of the Nemeton is now in me, even if I don't know what I can do with it now and Tamora doesn't know that, she only thinks that she destroyed a beacon of hope. The bad thing is harder to explain, because I really don't know what will happen. I only know that the balance of the supernatural world is shaken up and I really don't have an idea, what that means for us. It literally can mean anything."

"That is not good." Derek voiced what everyone else, even the kids was thinking. They may not know that it would be bad, but they feel or better sense that something bad is coming.

"What are we going to do?" Scott asks the room.

It was Alexa, who answered. During her pain and image inflicted break down she decided that enough was enough and she has to stop hiding. It is time that she steps into the light and that the supernatural world fights back against forces like this Tamora bitch. For that they all have to be on the same page and that means that a gathering is needed. "For now, nothing or almost nothing. I will contact all my resource to invite them here." was her answer.

"What good does do that?" Scott wants to know.

"The supernatural world needs to work together therefore we have to gather our resources. I think a month should be enough to spread the word to the most leaders of all beings around the globe for them to send an ambassador for a council, think of it like in the Lord of the Rings." she says with a smile.

Derek has to smile as well, it was a nice metaphor. He can feel that she was way calmer now, determined to chance something and make it better. But even with her calmer now, he wouldn't let go of his family, considering that the kids are still shaking, they still need the connection with their parents. Without talking about it, Alexa took Sarah in her arms while Derek holds them and David to himself. Derek was only listening to the conversation with one ear, his main focus was his family and he will keep it that way until he felt save letting them go. Considering that leading is what Alexa is destined to do and he is destined to keep her save, he lets her do her job.

"Why here?" Mrs. Yukimura wants to know.

"Because of the Nemeton, it is the most powerful in the world." Alexa answers.

"And, why is that?" Scott further wants to know.

"It was the first version of me, if you want to call it that." Alexa answers. "Everything started here and with the monsters, who are captured in the Nemeton now, the trees power grew enormously, but we can't let it be destroyed. That is why we must keep it save. That was always the goal, that I come here and protect myself. Sounds funny if you look at it like that." After she learned about the happenings with the Nogitsune and that it is captured in the Nemeton, she decided that she has to come to Beacon Hills, when she is ready. It was or is too dangerous to let the tree unprotected. But she is or was until now the only one, who knew about the importance of it. Yeah, they all knew that the tree has powers, but not what those involve or that he could be a danger.

"Ok." was Scott answers.

The kids still wouldn't calm down; they probably need time alone with them, so Derek decides. "What do you say, you bring the pack to the loft tomorrow and we talk about it more than."

It wasn't a request, but a concealed order and Scott understand it at what it is. So, did Mrs. Yukimura. Both get up and leave the pack alone. Nobody spoke until they all hear as the door on the ground floor was closed from the outside.

"Shh, baby, everything is fine, look I am ok." Alexa says as soon as the door is closed and lifts her little girls chin so that she can properly look in her eyes. "I am sorry, that I scared you."

Instead of answering Sarah simply goes back to hugging her Mom with a little more force than before. She really was scared as she woke up to her Moms screaming and she is happy that it has stopped, for now. But the fear that it will start again is still there.

"Are you sure, Mom?" David asks her in a shaky voice. That he calls her mom tells Alexa that he is a scared as Sarah. He normally wouldn't do it, because he still fears that other people could hear it and would look at them differently. But Alexa doesn't care much about that, if her son wants to call her Mom so be it. She loves it, when he does it.

"Yeah, sweetie, everything is fine." Alexa answers as she reaches with her hand for his.

Instead of starting to smile or to accept her answer, he looks at Derek and asks. "Is she telling the truth Dad?" Not that he doesn't believe her, but he knows that she sometimes plays things down, so that she doesn't worry him or Sarah too much.

Now Alexa was perplexed, when did it happened that David accepted Derek as his Dad. Only a moment of thinking tells her that it probably was at the same time as Sarah accepted him. He just wasn't so vocal about it. It makes her happy that her son has someone to look up to now.

Being called Dad makes Derek smile, but seeing Alexa smile about it makes his heart almost burst. But he still has to answer a question. One look at his girl tells him, that she still is in shock, but is trying to play it down. For the kids' sake he will do it as well, while he watches her moves to catch her should she fall. "I think she will need something to eat and a nice pack cuddle while sleeping." he answers his son and Alexa sees what he is doing; she is happy that he like her puts the wellbeing of the kids before themselves. David accepts that answer with a smile and hugs both his parents. "So what do you say, Are we going to do that?" Derek adds after a moment.

"Yes." was the twin answer from Alexa and David, while Sarah simply nodded.

"Ok, I order pizza for us, while you three take a seat at the bed and get comfortable." with that he gives Sarah a kiss on her forehead, ruffles the hair of his son and kisses Alexa for a moment, before he gets up to order.

It took him only moments to order some pizzas for them, before he is back in his room. He sees that his family is already on the bed, Sarah in the middle of Alexa and David. Following his instinct he takes the place behind David to keep the kids in the middle of them, so that they are protected if it is needed. They cuddled, scent marked and joked with each other while they waited for the pizza, which arrived after 30 minutes. After they all ate their full, they fell asleep in a mass of limbs.

A pack is like a family, stronger together than apart. They share their emotions this way and built a unit, they are simply one. But this pack is more special than any other pack, because they will change the world, not that they know that now. That is a story for tomorrow.

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