~Breathing Angel Style~

By: Aerys Krystie.

Derek was woken when Jackson groaned and rolled over, dropping his head on his chest. Derek opened his eyes, looking down at Jackson's head. He shook his head and gently pushed the snow wolf back. He needed to get up and be ready to face Sierra. As much as he wanted to hunt her down, he knew that Jackson needed to be present for the fight. That also meant that the others would be around. He could only hope that Scott had given them the warning to stay out of it.

Jackson sighed and picked himself up, before he dropped on the other side of the bed. Derek raised an eyebrow at the way Jackson turned over. It was violent. He threw back the covers and checked the time. It was half an hour before dawn and he could already hear Scott moving around downstairs. He could hear the steady heart of Tsuki and the powerful beat of Vincent's heart. Everyone was going to be present for the fight, which was probably why Sierra had told Peter to return to the town. She figured she was going to be victorious. If they were fighting for anything else, it was highly likely she would win.

Derek looked over his shoulder. Jackson couldn't get comfortable and eventually ended up opening his eyes to glare at the ceiling. Sighing, Jackson's eyes slid over to Derek. For a brief moment, Derek was certain he saw fear and urgent appeal in the swirling eyes. He blinked and it was all gone. Jackson was gazing at him blankly, as though he didn't have an opinion on what was about to happen. Jackson sat up and knelt behind Derek, wrapping his arms around the earth wolf's shoulders.

Jackson pressed his lips to Derek's shoulder and then pulled back. He said nothing as he slipped out of the bed and went into the bathroom. Derek knew he wouldn't be returning to that bed. As much as he didn't want to know, he could feel Jackson's uncertainty. The snow wolf had no idea who was going to win the fight and he didn't want to be present for it. Derek had seen the different scenes playing out in Jackson's mind and he didn't like most of them.

Derek ran his hands through his hair when the shower turned on. Ten minutes later, Jackson walked out fully dressed. They didn't say anything as Jackson went downstairs for breakfast. Derek showered quickly and dressed the same Jackson did, with his magic. He joined Jackson and the others in the kitchen, eating the large meal that was placed in front of him. Tsuki said he would need all of his energy and Derek really wasn't going to argue with the one being that knew the outcome of the fight.

Scott came down the stairs and sat beside Derek, grabbing a bagel and staring at the earth wolf. Derek tried to ignore the gaze, focusing entirely on his meal. He forced half of it down before the nerves made the rest impossible. He swallowed and sat back, closing his eyes and trying to remember what Jackson told him. He already figured that Sierra was a dirty fighter. The only problem was he had no idea how low she would sink in order to win. He really didn't want her to blind him.

Sarah was the next person into the kitchen. She froze when her eyes landed on Jackson and she walked around the table to get away from him. Jackson glared at her, but eventually stood and walked out of the room. Derek tried not to kill her on the spot for making his mate leave. Her mind was still a mess and she didn't trust anyone with swirling eyes, which is probably why Derek always kept his on the usual green. Jackson didn't care who saw his eyes. It was an attitude problem that he had.

Isaac and Liam were the next ones in, gazing at him with sympathy. Derek frowned and looked above his head. He growled at the neon sign that so eloquently said: 'Dead Wolf Walking.' His eyes snapped to the Vincent and the dragon grinned at him, sitting back and drinking his peppermint tea. Derek shook his head and stood, sighing when the sign moved with him. He asked Vincent to remove it and wasn't given an answer. The sign remained, though.

Vincent picked up the paper and frowned at the front page. The strange weather had finally made it to the news and no one had any idea why they were getting a snow storm in the last month of summer. Derek exhaled and headed to the front porch. The others were following him, trying to be as quiet as possible, as though they were in a cartoon and Derek didn't know they were there. He found Jackson standing on the porch, staring at the snow that was still falling.

Derek stood beside Jackson and tried to act as though he wasn't bothered by what was about to happen. He got the feeling that the others could see right through it, but he really didn't care. He needed to remain calm so he could win and kill an alpha wolf-shifter. It was simple enough, except she was likely a born shifter and had been training to fight for her entire life. Derek was only a young shifter compared to her and would likely have his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

He turned his back to the trees and watched the others. They were gazing at the sign above his head and Derek rolled his eyes. His eyes lit up when he heard Sierra howl and shifted into his animal form. Isaac stepped up to him and gave him a quick hug, pulling back before Derek could snap at him. Scott wished him luck and Derek wasn't sure if that would be enough. He looked to Jackson, but his mate refused to look in his direction. He had his eyes closed as he listened to the wind.

"She's angry that you're actually going through with this. You can use that your advantage. The angrier she gets, the less control she has," Jackson explained as he stared at the tree line. "Stay calm and listen to her heart. You'll find that to be easy, since you enjoy doing that."

Derek raised his head and saw that the sign had disappeared. He walked down the stairs and sat down, waiting for Sierra to arrive. Malia and Stiles came out of the house just as Sierra left the trees. The snow came down harder and Derek's eyes flashed green as he got the trees to grow their branches and stop the snow from blocking his view of her. She narrowed her eyes and a dome of ice was created over them. Derek got the feeling that she was smirking as he watched the dome reach its peak.

Just to make sure that no one bothers us. You have laid claim to something that's mine. Derek stood and glared down the foot he was taller by. Her tail swayed from side to side. She was clearly agitated already, but not as pissed off as Derek was. No one was allowed to claim Jackson except him. He had marked the boy before he even knew about werewolves and long before Sierra even knew he existed.

"He belonged to me long before you even knew about him," Derek stated as he walked up to her. She held her ground and snapped at his throat. Derek knew he could win this fight in seconds, but he felt the need to work out some frustrations on her. She had caused his mate nothing but grief since he had met her.

Sierra growled and jumped to the left. Derek figured the fight was on. He snarled as she jumped onto his back, burying her teeth into his ruff and twisting the skin. He could feel it tearing. He dropped to the ground and heard something crack, which he was desperately hoping was something on her. She released his ruff and Derek stood, only to have her grab his throat and throw him against the dome. The ice cracked under the force and Derek felt a spear pierce his side.

He twisted his body and snapped the spear. He landed on his feet and shook his coat, trying to pretend that it didn't hurt. Sierra's eyes widened as she watched him approach her. Derek paused when his paw stepped on a pike of ice, piercing the tender flesh of his pad. He growled and grew the tree roots, letting them wrap around Sierra's body and squeeze tightly. She yelped, but her eyes flashed violet and the roots were frozen. They broke and the shards were fired at him. Derek raised a chunk of rock to take the heat and ran around it, ignoring the fact that a lung had a hole in it.

Derek surprised her from the left and clamped his jaws on her ruff, shaking his head to sink his teeth in further. She whined and turned her head, taking his right leg into her mouth and biting hard; the bone was broken. Derek growled and threw her against the dome. Her blood splattered on the ice and she fell to the ground in a heap. He dropped the chunk of fur and flesh that was in his mouth. The snow was staining with her blood, but she got to her feet, glaring at him.

Sierra used the snow to create a cloud. Derek blinked and tried to listen for her. He hissed as one of her fangs caught the hole created by the spear of ice on his ribs. It was ripped open more and Derek raised his injured leg, scratching her across the face. She shook her head and stepped back as her eye was caught. The snow still hadn't settled and Derek went in for her throat. His eyes widened when she grinned and jumped to the right of him, ripping out a small piece of his skin from the side of his throat. He snarled and turned on her, grabbing the edge of the missing part of her neck in his teeth.

She yelped pitifully and Derek almost let go. He mentally shook his head and ripped it down further, watching as her blood pooled on the snow. He worked his jaws against her throat for a moment, until he was forced to let go when a spear came up from the ground and shot through his right shoulder joint. He limped back and glared at her, trying to figure out a way to kill her. The snow settled and Derek glanced at the others. Jackson looked pained, as though he was feeling everything that Derek was.

Derek's eyes widened when he felt the pain from his shoulder wound disappear and he saw Jackson collapse. Rolling his shoulders, Derek looked at Sierra. She was staring at Jackson. What makes you so special that he would take your pain? She turned her raging eyes to Derek, looking him over and Derek cocked his head to the side, giving her his best grin. Her growl was positively demonic.

Sierra ran at him and the fight was what one would expect two wolves fighting to look like. Teeth flashed and blood sprayed across the snow as each got in lucky shots. They were thrown against the dome; cracking the ice more each time. Their claws lengthened slightly and sharpened as they slashed at the other. After a few minutes, they were standing back, panting and watching the other. Derek's body was struggling to stay upright from the exertion and the blood loss. Sierra was letting out a hoarse laugh as she walking back and forth like a caged animal.

You don't know the first thing about being a wolf-shifter. How could you think that you know how to be a decent mate if you can't defend him properly? Her words were taunting and Derek honestly couldn't say he didn't disagree with her. He knew he had a lot to learn about being a decent mate and an even better wolf-shifter. Scott depended on him to be a great beta. Jackson needed him to be a brilliant mate and Derek would be damned if he was going to let either of them down.

The shaking in his limbs stopped as he lowered his head and snarled. Sierra cocked her head to the side and Derek caught the scent of her confusion. She was clearly expecting her words to have the opposite effect on him. If it were any other time, they probably would have made him feel like shit. However, Jackson needed him to win this. Derek couldn't bear the thought of Sierra mating with Jackson. She was completely wrong for him. She would try to control him, instead of letting him be who he is. Admittedly, who Jackson was is a jackass, but he was Derek's jackass.

Sierra took a step towards him. You can barely remain upright. Does he mean that much to you? Derek was certain she was taunting him again, but there was an edge of intrigue to her words. She wanted to know what Jackson meant to him and he would tell her, if he wasn't fighting her for him. She took another step closer. He claimed that he didn't have a mate, despite carrying another's scent on him. I saw you in his mind. I saw you every time he dreamed. You were always the one that brought him pleasure and made him smile. And that's exactly why you have to die. Derek blinked.

"I'm not dying by your mouth or anyone else's for Jackson. He knows where he belongs and he knows whose side he should be at." Derek raised his head. "If he wanted you, he would have left me the moment he knew you were alive. He's still here, which means he knows where he needs to be. You were just a poor imitation of me and he knew that. You will never be anything more than a sad excuse of a mate to him."

Sierra snarled and charged at Derek. He was expecting it and really hoping for it. It took too much to taunt her into attacking. He caught her left leg in his mouth, biting down on it and nearly ripping it from her body as he threw her against the dome. The back of her head made contact. She stumbled to her feet, gasping when Derek appeared in front of her. He tilted his head, contemplating letting her live for a moment. He quickly discarded it and buried his teeth into her throat, ripping out. He snapped her neck just to be on the safe side.

Her body fell to the snow, convulsing and eventually slowing to a twitch. The dome disappeared, as did the snow and the clouds. Derek gazed down at her body indifferently. He figured he would have felt something, a small pang of guilt or compassion. He felt absolutely nothing for this crazed bitch that had murdered four people and used Jackson as a puppet to make him kill for her. Perhaps she was different before the xylomancer attacked the pack. It was no excuse, though.

Derek raised his head, seeing the shock on nearly everyone's faces. Tsuki and Vincent appeared indifferent that he had won, despite Vincent's sign earlier. Derek couldn't be sure if they were surprised he won or if it was the fact that he had blood gushing from several bites, holes and rips. He was hoping it was the blood thing or he would need to have strong words with them about their lack of faith in him.

Jackson approached him and Derek knew exactly what he was going to do. The moment a hand reached out to him, Derek snapped at it and Jackson gasped, jumping back. Hurt and fear flashed through his eyes, but he nodded and let Vincent pull him off to the side as Derek limped towards the house. He figured someone would deal with the body of Sierra. He really didn't care what happened to it, as long as he never had to see her again.

He managed to get five steps towards the house, before he collapsed. He heard the others cry out his name as they rushed towards him, but someone kept them back. Derek could only assume it was Tsuki, as Vincent didn't care enough and Tsuki was the one that was there for him when the change was taking place. He closed his eyes and let the darkness claim him. He shut down his wolf and subconscious, as well. He really didn't want to be disturbed for the next few days while he was healing.

Derek woke with a start and looked around the room. He was in his room, in his human form for some reason. He thought he was alone until he saw a lump under the covers on the daybed. He sat up and ran his hands over the back of his neck, feeling the smooth skin. He touched his ribs and it was just as smooth as a newborn's chest should be. He threw back the covers and went over to the daybed.

For some reason, he was really expecting Jackson to be the one sleeping there. Stiles groaned and opened his eyes. He offered a lazy smile for a moment, before sleep claimed him again. Derek had no idea how long he was out for or how long Stiles was watching over him. He shrugged and went to the bathroom. He relieved his bladder and showered quickly. He went through to Jackson's room once he was dried and dressed. He pursed his lips when he saw that Jackson was in his animal form and surrounded by the rest of the pack.

Derek stared down at Jackson until the white wolf raised his head and gazed back. He went to take a step towards Jackson, but his body decided to walk out the door and head down to the kitchen. He sat down at the table and stared at the large breakfast in front of him. Tsuki sat at the head of the table, stirring his coffee as he stared at the report for his soul inventory. Derek frowned and figured that Tsuki was responsible for him being down there, instead of curled up beside Jackson.

"I would not push your luck with him just yet," Tsuki said absently as he made a note on the report. "You did snap at him when he tried to help. There is a reason why young Stiles is in your room instead of Jackson. I suppose you do not wish to hear this, though. Your body has been through quite an ordeal. You were out for three weeks. I suggest you eat and recover some energy."

Derek closed his eyes at the information overload. He opened them and sighed, digging into the breakfast without a thought of actually chewing the food. In three minutes, he was done and sat back with a cup of a coffee in his hand. He thought about what Tsuki had said, curious on why he was getting most of his information from a demon. He heard someone coming downstairs and looked over his shoulder as Jackson entered and grabbed the plate of pancakes from Tsuki.

"Thanks, dear," Jackson said sarcastically and kissed Tsuki's cheek before sitting down at the breakfast counter. "Are you still doing the inventory?"

"It is a terribly long list that I must go through. However, someone must do it." Tsuki glanced up, pen poised on the paper as he gazed at Jackson's back. "You are aware that there are nine billion souls in Hell, yes?"

Jackson spun around on the stool and stared at Tsuki. He shook his head. "I didn't even realize there had been nine billion people that were Hell bound." He shrugged and went back to his breakfast. He finished and took the plate to the sink. "Tell Vincent I'm going for my run."

Derek figured it would happen, but he honestly expected Jackson to at least look at him. The snow wolf jogged out of the house, his outfit changing. Derek shook his head and sat back, glaring at the coffee in his hand. He had been in pain when Jackson approached him. Oh sure, Derek knew exactly what he was doing when Jackson reached for him. He didn't want his mate in pain, though. It was bad enough Jackson took on his shoulder injury, just so Derek could continue to fight for him.

With a sigh, Derek finished his coffee and followed Jackson. He kept his distance as he didn't want to anger the snow wolf. He knew what route Jackson took when it came to his runs. As expected, he found Jackson in the clearing that Tsuki created. It was different this time, as Sarah was also in the clearing. She was on her knees, crying into her hands. Derek noticed that Jackson was staring at her, clearly without a clue on what to do in a situation like this.

"Well, you look like you have your own thing going on here," Jackson said awkwardly and went to turn away. Sarah looked over her shoulder.

"Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?" she inquired and Jackson snorted.

"Yeah, I'm not pulling the pin on that grenade," he stated and turned away, shaking his head and running back towards the house.

Derek watched as Jackson passed him and stepped into the clearing, deciding he should probably be the one to talk to her. Something was upsetting her and whoever was meant to be watching her was doing a piss poor job at it. Sarah sighed and looked over her shoulder again, raising an eyebrow when she saw Derek instead of Jackson returning. Derek understood that Sarah was new, but he seriously thought she would have figured out that Jackson really didn't take a shine to people that threw plates and glasses at him.

He waited for her to stand up, brushing off her knees. She turned to him, hardness in her eyes. "Your boyfriend is a dick," she stated and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll tell you this once. I just took out a wolf-shifter for him and if you ever speak the truth about him again, I'll take you out." Derek hid a smirk as he smelled the fear that entered her system. "Now, did you want to tell me why you're out here, alone and crying?"

Sarah exhaled and sat down, drawing lines in the dirt with her fingers. "Allison told me about you and your boyfriend. I know I don't really have a reason to be upset that my parents are dead, since so many people seem to have dead parents around here. Maybe that's why everyone gathered here." She shrugged and raised her head to the cloudless sky. "But I only lost mine a month ago. It still hurts whenever I think about it."

Derek glanced over his shoulder, despite knowing they were alone. He never opened up to anyone about what happened to his family, even though everyone knew what happened. A declaration was kind of hard to ignore, especially for Allison. He sat beside Sarah and also looked up at the sky.

Not a day passed where he didn't miss his family. Jackson didn't know his real parents and his adoptive parents thought that money was the perfect way to raise a child. Stiles had a great relationship with his father, but it was obvious he still missed his mother. Scott's parents were only divorced, but his mother had been his mother and father for so long that Derek was certain Scott forgot that he actually had a dad.

He didn't want to think about the mess with Allison's mother. It had been a terrible accident that he wished he could take back. Derek was grateful that Allison finally realized it was an accident and decided to be civil towards him. However, when it came to telling Sarah that the pain gets easier, he had no idea how to word it without sounding completely insensitive. For a moment, he considered calling Jackson back so he could tell her as he had a natural knack for speaking his mind.

"I lost my nine years ago," he started and lowered his eyes to the dirt. "It still hurts as if it happened yesterday. The pain gets easier to deal with, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less. No one is going to tell you to get over it. Everyone grieves differently."

Sarah inhaled deeply. "I remember going into their bedroom and just seeing blood everywhere. There was so much of it that I slipped in it. Then I saw what happened to them and I…" Her voice broke and she pressed her forehead to her knees. "My mom was such a beautiful person. To see what happened to her was – It was horrible. And that's gonna be my final memory of them."

Derek nodded. He had spent the last nine years desperately clinging to memories previous to the fire. His mother was also a beautiful woman, as were his sisters. He forced back the emotions that were threatening to spill free and watched as Sarah made swirls in the dirt. He raised his eyes to hers and she frowned. Derek knew his magic had dropped and she was seeing his true eye color for the first time. She jumped to her feet, eyes wide with fear of what he could do.

"Are you the same as that other wolf, your boyfriend? Are you going to chase me half way through the town and then to a house filled with strange people that live together? I've heard about that house. And the last thing I heard was that it was meant to be a burned out husk. I know that was nine years ago, but everyone's been living there for so long that it clearly didn't happen overnight!" She was close to hysteria again and Derek had no idea how to calm her.

"You already know that I can shift into a wolf. Jackson is the same. Vincent is a dragon. Tsuki is a demon." Sarah's eyes widened even more. "He's a good demon," Derek clarified and realized what a complete oxymoron that was. He decided to think about it later. "Scott, Isaac and Liam are werewolves. Malia is a coyote."

"Allison and Stiles?" she asked tentatively and Derek could see that she was planning on running away from him, thinking he was out of his mind.

"They're human – completely." Derek watched as the different emotions played over her face. He could hear some of her thoughts; the ones that made sense. The others were a jumble of strange words in a language he didn't recognize.

Eventually, she fell to her knees as she stared at him. "Are you joking?" she demanded. "How do you expect me to believe that anything I've seen hasn't been a trick of the light or an elaborate prank on my behalf?" She raised an eyebrow.

Derek sighed and stood. He shifted into his animal form and sat in front of her, tilting his head to the side. She looked unconvinced and Derek gave her credit. She was delusional enough to believe that she was hallucinating or that he was a projection. He had no idea how to convince her otherwise and he really didn't care. She would probably lose her shit when the full moon rolled around and she saw the others wolf out.

"You could try touching me," he said and raised a paw.

Sarah narrowed her eyes and hesitantly held her hand out. Derek placed his paw in her hand and her eyes widened for a moment, before she frowned and squeezed his paw. Awe and wonder settled on her face. "What are you? You said Vincent was a dragon, but he doesn't look anything like a dragon." She moved closer and ran her hands over Derek's ruff, losing her fingers in the thick, soft fur.

"Jackson and I are wolf-shifters. Vincent is a dragon-shifter. I hear his animal form is rather amazing."

"You mean an actual dragon? I thought those things were myths!" Sarah moved closer and hugged Derek tightly. "You're so soft and warm," she murmured and pulled back, staring at his swirling eyes. "Why are your eyes different to Jackson's?"

"I was bitten by a wolf-shifter, my psychotic uncle. Jackson was a…special case. He wasn't bitten by a wolf-shifter and he wasn't born a wolf-shifter. Apparently the blue and silver eyes of Jackson are only found in human turned shifters." Derek glanced at her and saw that she was hanging on every word he was saying; as though she didn't think he was insane five minutes ago.

Sarah tilted her head to the side, taking in all the information she could. "What makes Jackson such a special case? Did he contract the illness from a wolf?"

Derek narrowed his eyes. He knew she didn't like Jackson, but to imply that he became a wolf-shifter because of unprotected sex with a wolf was low. "No. He was a werewolf before he became a wolf-shifter, which is why he's referred to as a human turned shifter."

"And that's the difference? Wouldn't that make you a human turned shifter, as well? You were a werewolf when you were bitten, even if it was from a wolf-shifter." She shrugged and sat back, watching as Derek's coat shimmered between emerald and sapphire.

"Jackson wasn't bitten by a wolf-shifter. He had no contact with shifters until three years ago, when he met Vincent." Derek frowned and tried to understand why he was telling her all of this. She wasn't part of the pack and she wasn't some kind of supernatural creature. He didn't understand why he was answering all of her questions without hesitation.

"But that still doesn't explain why he's so special. What did he do to become a wolf-shifter? What did your uncle do? How do you become a shifter? It doesn't sound like it's something easy to accomplish." She cocked her head to the other side and Derek mimicked her.

"Jackson came down with werewolf pneumonia, which is basically werewolf rabies. It's a rare disease that affects like point zero-zero-zero three per cent of werewolves. It should send them insane, but Jackson's DNA was already altered and he became a wolf-shifter. My uncle sold his soul to become a wolf-shifter. And no, it isn't easy to accomplish. I was in a living hell for six days as my body underwent the change." Derek shuddered at the memory. "Why are you asking all of this?"

Sarah shrugged and crossed her legs. "I'm curious," she stated and rested an elbow on her knee and her cheek on her palm. "It isn't every day that I learn about new creatures that shouldn't exist. Werewolves are meant to be a myth – an urban legend, just like shifters. Dragons aren't even classed as a real animal. And then there's the crap about Tsuki being a demon." She shrugged again.

"I honestly didn't believe Tsuki to be a demon and I'm still not entirely sure about it, either. He hasn't done anything truly demonic since I've known him." Derek shifted back into his human form. "I guess he could convince me he was a demon if he took me to Hell or something. I guess I should just wait for Lucifer to show up and say that Tsuki is one of his many underlings."

Sarah nodded. "Hmm," she hummed distractedly and Derek raised an eyebrow. She was staring off into space, which happened to be three inches above Derek's head. He remembered Tsuki doing that, but the demon never gave him an answer as to why he did that. "I guess you'll do."

Derek frowned and looked around. He hadn't sensed another being in the area, so he could only assume she was talking to him. "I'll do for what?"

Sarah didn't say anything as she stood and dusted off her ass. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It doesn't matter for now. By the way, why did you pick Jackson to be your mate?"

Derek rolled his eyes at the question. He was getting tired of being asked that. It was his business and his alone. The fact that he didn't have an answer for it was irrelevant. "He looks delicious in a tight pair of jeans," he muttered and walked away from the girl.

He found Jackson on the porch, staring intently at Scott. It lasted a minute, before Jackson broke into a grin and laughed. "You son of a… That wasn't fair!" He collapsed into a chair, running his hands through his hair as he continued to laugh. When he looked up, his eyes landed on Derek and the mirth disappeared completely from his face. "I gotta piss."

Derek watched as Jackson went inside and Scott turned to him, raising an eyebrow. Derek shrugged and headed into the kitchen. He honestly had no idea what the hell was happening. He just woke up and he was almost certain he couldn't be held accountable for what happened after the fight with Sierra. Hell, he nearly died because of that fight. He sighed when he got to the kitchen.

Jackson was sitting at the table with Danny and Ethan. Derek stood beside Jackson and took in his casual pose. He had one foot on the seat as he hugged the knee to his chest. Derek glanced at Danny and Ethan, telling them to leave. They each raised an eyebrow and Jackson glared at him. Danny and Ethan said they needed to pack up their room, anyway. Once they were alone, Derek didn't have time to react when Jackson stood on the chair and wrapped a leg around his neck, taking him down to the floor.

Derek gasped for breath and saw the anger in Jackson's eyes. "You don't get to speak to my friends that way. And if you don't stop struggling, I will snap your neck," he threatened and Derek went still. "I appreciate what you did for me, by taking out Sierra. However, you snapped at my hand when I tried to help you." Derek tensed when Jackson applied more pressure with his leg. "Just remember that I spent three years with a shifter pack, while you were around werewolves. Shifters are more brutal than you could even begin to imagine."

Jackson applied more pressure for a moment and Derek thought he was going to lose consciousness. The snow wolf released his neck and stood. Derek sucked in the air and decided that he should only take on Jackson when he was in his wolf form. As a human, he was more cunning than Derek gave him credit for and much more pliable, too. He sat up and rubbed his throat, gazing up at Jackson. Maybe Jackson was holding back. That was as much of an option as him being a crappy wolf.

"Why do you always hold back?" Derek demanded as he got to his feet and stared at Jackson.

With a shrug, Jackson turned away from him and went to the fridge. He opened the freezer and threw a bag of peas at Derek. "I killed someone when I was with the pack," he murmured and slammed the door of the freezer. "It was a beta. It also happened to be the alpha's only son that I just murdered during a fitness trial. He wanted to skin and gut me for that. I'm an omega and I just took out the favorite to be the next alpha." He sighed and pressed his head to the door of the fridge.

Derek placed the bag of peas to his throat, jerking his head back at the iciness. "What the hell is a fitness trial?"

"It determines where new pack members will be placed in the pack. If they can get the favorite to submit to them, they'll become a beta immediately and possibly even allowed to break off and become an alpha. There are three stages to each trial – omega, beta and then alpha. We were only meant to maim and force submission. I took it too far, as I always do." Jackson lowered his eyes and sighed again. "He had every right to do what he did to me."

The last part was barely a whisper and Derek wasn't sure if he had even heard it. He dropped the bag to the counter and stood beside Jackson, resting his shoulder against the other's shoulder. He had no idea what to say to something like that. He could think of a few things that might make Jackson feel better, but it wouldn't last for long. Jackson detested taking another life. That told Derek that something bad had happened in order for Jackson to lose control like that.

"How long were you with the pack when that happened?"

Jackson sighed and glanced at Derek from the corner of his eye. "Seven months," he answered and pushed away from the fridge. "I never meant to do it, but he was such an arrogant fucktard that I was doing everyone a service by putting him out of my misery."

Derek arched an eyebrow. There was a lot of Vincent in those words and Derek wasn't sure if he was happy with the fact that the dragon had such a strong influence over the wolf. He didn't say anything and focused on Jackson's last words about the alpha having every right to do what he did. Derek couldn't believe that someone would abuse their power like that. He clenched his jaw and lowered his eyes, deciding he wasn't allowed to throw stones, especially in a glass house.

"What did he do for punishment?"

Jackson flinched and tried to leave the kitchen. Derek grabbed his wrist to stop him and refused to let go, even when Jackson glared at him. "What he did was within his rights as an alpha. I know that I'm only an omega, so I can't complain about it. I killed his son." He lowered his eyes for a moment. When he looked back up, his face was blank. "I guess I'm really attracted to those that like to hurt me."

Derek's lips parted and he desperately wanted to say something, anything, to let Jackson know he wasn't like that. He didn't like hurting Jackson, but there were times that he was just begging for it and Derek needed to assert his dominance over the omega. It wouldn't make much of a difference to Jackson, but Derek had to say something. For the life of him, he couldn't think of one thing that wouldn't sound like a pathetic, sad and sorry excuse.

So he let go of Jackson's wrist and stepped back, unsure if they could continue along this path. Every time Jackson tried to get his shit together, Derek destroyed him. He thought back to what Tsuki told him, if he let Jackson go again, how he wouldn't interfere again. He frowned and left the kitchen via the backdoor. He stood on the small porch and glared at the trees. Jackson was told he was the one that summoned the xylomancer. What if Tsuki had a hand to play in that?

Jackson watched him for a moment, chewing his lower lip. "I'm sorry," he said softly. Derek blinked and frowned, staring at the snow wolf. "You really didn't need to know that your mate is a psychopath. I figured that you should know, though. Most of our relationship has been about keeping secrets, so I decided it was time to tell you at least one truth."

Derek brushed his fingertips over Jackson's cheek. He stepped closer and pressed his lips to Jackson's, feeling the other shuddering against him. It was going to take some time, but Derek figured he could continue to treasure Jackson for as long he needed to. He needed to make sure the snow wolf realized he actually meant something to someone, even if that someone did abuse him a little. At least he knew where his faults were and he was trying to work on them.

Jackson pulled back and lowered his head. Derek smiled and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Jackson's smaller shoulders. He kissed the side of his head and closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh scent that surrounded his mate. He idly stroked the scars on Jackson's neck and felt his smile morphing in a smirk as Jackson sighed and nuzzled into his throat. Derek didn't know what the future would hold for them, but he was going to make sure he was by Jackson's side.

At some point, he was going to make sure he was gentler with Jackson, as well. Yet there was something about who Jackson was that made it too easy to slap him around. Derek assumed it was a trust thing, as Jackson trusted him implicitly. Jackson knew he was going to be the omega in every pack, which was a damn good thing for them. No one expects an omega to be so powerful, especially if he could take out a beta. Derek opened his eyes when someone walked into the kitchen.

Isaac looked at them and grinned. He pulled out his cell phone and called someone, saying they owed him an obscene amount of money. Derek heard the Irish tones of Mark and rolled his eyes, deciding that he needed to tell Scott to limit the pack's exposure to that alpha. It was bad enough to know that the Doyle pack had bets going on about him and Jackson; he really didn't need to know how pack was getting in on those bets. It wasn't very professional or considerate.

"Derek, Mark says that you owe Liam's brother three hundred for losing the bet."

Jackson tensed in Derek's arms and the earth wolf quickly moved to stand beside Isaac. Jackson turned slowly, glaring at both of them. "Really?" he demanded as his eyes turned silver. "That's how you keep yourself entertained while I'm away for three years? Everyone places a bet on how long it'll take for me and Derek to hook up?"

Isaac fumbled with the phone for a moment, which meant he turned on the speaker function. Mark was talking about who owed who money and how much it would be. Jackson lowered his eyes to the device and it was frozen over in seconds before it shattered. Isaac jumped back and stood behind Derek, deciding he could be the meat shield. That didn't work too well for Derek, though. He was planning on using Isaac, since Jackson still showed affection for the werewolf.

"This is what Scott meant by Mark 'gave up his mob ways'?" Jackson shook his head and pulled out his cell phone when it buzzed. He answered it, turning his back to the pair. Derek frowned when he heard Jackson laugh. Something wasn't right.

"Wait, did you have a bet in place, as well?" Derek asked and Jackson glanced over his shoulders, eyes swirling and alive. "You cheeky bastard."

"Hey, it was my love life that everyone was betting on. I thought I had a right to get in on the action." Jackson shrugged, smirking.

Derek narrowed his eyes and caught Jackson in a headlock. He ruffled his hair until Jackson was all but begging him to stop messing up his hair. Isaac laughed as he pulled the orange juice from the fridge and poured himself a glass. He shook his head and took his orange juice to the living room. Derek released Jackson and smiled at the pout on his mate's face as he tried to fix his hair.

Vincent entered the kitchen and saw the orange juice. He growled and basically screamed Isaac's name. The werewolf came running, staring at Vincent with large eyes. "If you're done with the juice, it goes back in the fridge. Were you raised by wolves?" Vincent stood back as Isaac quickly put away the juice. "Seriously, I was gone for like two years. Scott!"

Jackson bit his lower lip in a vain attempt to keep the grin off his face as Scott ran into the kitchen and stood at attention. Derek watched as Vincent chewed Scott out for letting the wolves slip into a state of laziness. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the counter. He knew that Vincent had a very strict routine, which is something he learned quickly when being taught by the dragon. Everything had a time and a place, including emotions and tantrums.

"Clearly, I can't leave anyone alone in this place. I ignore Jackson for two days and he runs off. I leave after helping Derek with his magic and he submits to you. I tell you to keep on your pups about their waning ways and you completely ignore me. Did you see the state of my front foyer? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to keep that shit clean?"

Derek shook his head when Scott opened his mouth. The alpha decided to say what was on his mind, anyway. "Isn't this Derek's house?"

Vincent went unnaturally still. Derek and Jackson slowly backed towards the backdoor, ready to make a break for it if Vincent decided to kill. "Derek's house?" he repeated and turned to look at Derek. "It might be his family home, but it's my name on the deed. I'm the one that's paying the utilities and I'm the one that has given everyone here somewhere to sleep and call home, without being disturbed by the county!"

Derek grabbed Jackson and ran out the backdoor. It was now up to Scott to prove how much of an alpha he really was. If he was smart, he would apologize and live to see his twenty-first birthday. If he was dumb, he would be dead in seconds. That was the one thing that Derek never shared with Scott. Though, none of them expected Vincent to return.

Jackson laughed as they rounded the house to the front porch and Derek shook his head. He had no idea how Scott was going to fair, but he hoped that the werewolf would survive. It took Derek a while to grow accustomed to Vincent being stronger than him. Power struggles were bound to pop up with shifters and werewolves in the mix.

Allison, Isaac, Liam, Malia and Stiles were on the front lawn. They were watching the clouds pass by and pointing out shapes they could see. Stiles raised his head and waved them over, telling them they should come and have some fun. Jackson shrugged and lied beside the human, smirking a little as he waved his hand and more clouds appeared.

Sarah came out of the woods and smiled. She went to the join the others, but someone clearing their throat made her freeze and look up. Derek glanced at Tsuki from the corner of his eye and had to raise an eyebrow. He had no idea what Tsuki would want with a human girl, but his face was unreadable, as usual. He only gazed at Sarah and her eyes widened. Tsuki held an arm out and Sarah walked up to him. The arm snaked around her shoulders and they disappeared into the woods.

Derek returned his eyes to the group that was gazing at the sky. He listened as Malia asked for the clouds to look like a herd of horses. Jackson moved his hand and the clouds morphed into what Malia wanted. She grinned and nodded, clearly impressed by the magic of a shifter. Jackson waved his hand again and one of the clouds suddenly looked like Optimus Prime, even down to the red and blue paint job. Liam grinned. Jackson raised his hand and the clouds turned into a pack of wolves, howling at the full moon with a human watching over them.

Stiles pulled out his camera and snapped a picture of it. Derek looked up at the clouds. He felt the need to smile, but when he looked down at the pack and saw their faces as they gazed at the wolf cloud, he did smile. He forgot how happy Jackson could make them, especially when he shifted into his animal form. Feeling his eyes on him, Jackson twisted his head and grinned at him.

Everything was going to be all right, he decided and breathed out.

End.

Thanks for reading!

I also apologize for taking so long to upload this last chapter. There is a third story in the works, but most of my stuff is over at AO3 now.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Drop a line and let me know.

Until the next one.

Peace.

Auska.