Derek just wanted to sit at Laura's side until she woke up but he was the alpha, his pack needed him. Having Boyd and Erica close did help, they smelled like pack. It covered the phantom stench of fire and smoke.
His pack was here, they were alive. Laura was injured but she would recover, Derek didn't allow himself to think otherwise. Laura was a werewolf, an alpha, she didn't die easily. The doctors, and Kira before Derek couldn't even start to express how grateful he was that the kitsune had been there, had done what they could to keep Laura alive. That was all she needed. They had bought her time, her nature would do the rest.
Derek glanced over to where Stiles was standing with Kira. They were talking quietly but Derek didn't bother with listening in to them. Stiles was there. They were here and alive, that was all Derek needed to know.
Way too soon Derek had to let go of his betas but Officer Martin wanted to get going. She was gentle and patient but Derek could tell that she was uncomfortable with seeing him with the betas. Not that he cared about that but he wanted to get this over with, he wanted to get back to Laura as soon as possible.
For now, however, he left her under Kira's watch. A part of him was against it, she wasn't pack and Laura was at her most vulnerable, but the rational part of his brain knew the kitsune would and could defend her against Kate.
Boyd and Erica left as well, they wanted to prepare their place for Stiles and their alpha, looked like that would be their den for the foreseeable future.
Derek didn't like that his pack was separated like this so he focused on the one pack member he had at his side. Through the rearview mirror Officer Martin kept glancing at him but he couldn't care less about her opinion. Derek felt himself spiraling and the only thing grounding him was Stiles so fuck what she might be thinking, Derek kept Stiles close. And if his nose ended up in the hollow of their neck to inhale their scent so what?
A police car was already waiting for them in front of the building and two officers greeted them but they kept their distance. Derek still felt their eyes on him when he walked up to the entrance. At least today he wasn't a suspect. He let out a sigh at that thought.
The apartment was empty but it smelled of too many people. Strangers had been all over the place, they had looked at everything, had touched everything. And above all that the stench of blood and wolfsbane hung heavy in the air, making Derek gag.
This was their den. It was supposed to be safe.
He would never feel safe here ever again. They could replace the door, fix the holes in the wall, wash off the blood, but that wouldn't change the fact that somebody had invaded their den and shot his alpha. Laura, the only family Derek had left, almost died in here. Had died in here.
There was no way he would ever sleep a night here ever again.
"Take your time," Officer Martin said. For a moment he had forgotten that she was even there. "I'll wait outside."
The door didn't close properly any longer so Derek could see her standing guard with her back to the door. It did nothing to make him feel safer in here.
"Let's just grab some basics for now," Stiles suggested. "We'll figure out the rest later."
Derek nodded numbly and went to get their bags. They had arrived here with one bag each, Derek's hadn't even been half-full, they could leave like that and start over somewhere else.
While Derek went to get his things, Stiles packed the bag for Laura. Ironically they knew better what Laura might need than Derek.
On autopilot, Derek threw clothes, toiletries, and the few personal things he had into his bag. Stiles had told him to decorate his room but he'd never come around to do so. Now he was glad that the room didn't have a personal touch.
"Do you want to have a look at her things?" Stiles startled him out of his thoughts. "See if there's something she would like to have with her right now?"
Laura had more personal things than him and she kept the few things they had left of their family in her room but there was nothing Derek could think of she would like to have around at the hospital. Her pack. She needed her pack around, everything else could wait.
"We'll get the rest once you found a new place," Stiles agreed easily. Derek hadn't even mentioned that he did not intend to come back but Stiles understood.
"My colleagues have contacted the landlord," Officer Martin informed them when they were ready to leave. "He's going to replace the door later today."
Derek just nodded. He doubted that somebody would steal the pictures they had left of their family, he couldn't care less about the rest. The only thing of monetary value was Laura's gaming setup and that already was a replacement.
They brought their things over to Boyd's and Erica's place but Derek was restless, he wanted to get back to Laura.
"Isaac is driving Coach home." Erica brought them up to date. "He has a concussion but nothing too serious. He's already trying to convince Issac to drive him back to the office."
Derek hadn't even thought about Coach since Isaac had left with the other officer but he was glad that his boss was okay. Kate could just have killed him and it would have been on Derek. He'd dragged him into this mess. If he'd just kept his job as a driver for that stupid app …
"Stop blaming yourself." Stiles gently took the handles of the bag he was still carrying out of his hand. "You did nothing wrong. She decided to break into the office. When she knocked out Coach, when she came to your place, that's on her. You're not responsible for what she did."
"Just being around me puts you all in danger." Ignoring Stiles' comment Derek looked over to his betas. "Staying here with you makes you a target as well. It would be better if I just left."
It wasn't that easy. Boyd and Erica needed an alpha, he couldn't just abandon them. Maybe he could help them find another alpha but until then they were stuck with him.
"We're pack," Boyd stated with a flash of yellow eyes. "Laura is pack and like it or not, you're our alpha now. You're not going to bail out of this."
Derek felt his throat working at his words. He didn't know what to say.
He didn't have to say anything because a second later his pack took him in the middle.
"I knew werewolves are tactile creatures but this is getting ridiculous," Stiles said into his chest but didn't let go. With their long arms they kept Boyd and Erica squished to Derek as well but neither of them seemed to have any intention to let go of him ever again.
Derek let his forehead drop to Stiles' shoulder and just let his pack hold him.
They did let go eventually but before she let him go back to Laura, Erica forced breakfast on him. Derek didn't even know what time it was but he hadn't eaten since yesterday so she was probably right that he needed some food. He wasn't hungry but he did force down a slice of buttered toast.
Over breakfast, Stiles kept the conversation on Isaac and Coach and didn't start to analyze what had happened to Laura. Derek was grateful for that. He knew that they would grill Kira for every little detail once they got the chance and that they would go over what had happened over and over again, looking at it from every angle. Most likely they would bring in the fire as well but for now, they kept the focus away from that.
Derek could tell that the betas wanted to do the same. They only knew the basics about Kate, of course, they had questions but for his sake, they waited with those.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Stiles asked when Derek couldn't sit with them any longer. He needed to get back to Laura.
It was tempting, Derek didn't want to be alone but on the other hand, it didn't feel right to leave Boyd and Erica to themselves. Derek didn't know what difference Stiles made, they were human, the werewolves were way better equipped to defend themselves than they were but they did make a difference. It just felt right.
"Call me if you need something." Stiles accepted his decision without questions. Maybe it felt right to them as well.
"Same to you," Derek answered and made sure to include the betas as well.
As promised there was a police car parked outside and when Derek arrived at Laura's room, an officer was sitting next to her door. Derek hadn't seen the man before and he appreciated that he took the time to make sure that Derek was who he claimed to be even if it took a minute Derek would have rather spent with Laura.
"Your girlfriend is with her," the officer said when he gave Derek back his ID.
"My girlfriend?" Dread pooled in his stomach. Had Kate managed to sneak in? Ready to rip out the door in his haste to get to Laura, Derek almost missed the name the officer stated.
"Kira Yukimura?" Suddenly unsure himself, the officer checked his list. "She's on the list, marked as girlfriend?"
Derek let go of the doorknob without ripping it off. With his other hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Kira is Laura's girlfriend," he clarified. His heart was still racing but he forced himself to breathe out slowly. "I don't have a girlfriend. If somebody claims to be my girlfriend, don't let her in."
Derek reached for the door again but paused.
"Except for Stiles," he added as an afterthought. "They can come in."
"Wait what?" The officer blinked at him, not following.
"Stiles Stilinski, they're on the list." Derek tapped the clipboard. "They might turn up in a skirt at some point. You let them in."
He didn't know how Stiles would react to all the stress, they might swing hard as they called it, he didn't want them to get turned away just because they had put on a dress and some make-up.
"I have a Stilinski on the list," the officer confirmed. "He trans or something?"
"They are on the list," Derek said firmly. "You let them in, that's all you need to know."
He was not going to explain Stiles to some random officer who had already looked miffed at the mention of Kira as Laura's girlfriend.
"He's marked as partner, here." The officer emphasized the word. "That one belongs to you?"
"Stiles is my partner, yes." Why were they even discussing this?
"Do you have a problem with that?" Derek didn't let the red bleed into his eyes but he did put the authority of an alpha into his posture.
"No," the officer hurried to say, clutching the clipboard to his chest.
"Good." Derek turned his back on him and finally entered Laura's room.
Once the door closed behind him, he heard the officer muttering to himself: "Damn queers everywhere."
Derek chose to ignore it. He just hoped that his bias didn't bite them in the ass if Kate dared to show up here.
"Hey," Kira greeted him in a low voice. She was sitting in the same chair Derek had used earlier and she too was holding Laura's hand.
"Hey." Derek stepped closer to have a better look at his sister. She was still sleeping but her vitals looked fine as far as he could tell from the numbers on the screen above her.
"She hasn't woken up but the nurse said that it could take a while," Kira said. "Not that they're telling me much, I'm not family."
Derek made a mental note to find the doctor in charge but for now, he just wanted to stay with Laura. He got a second chair and sat down on her other side.
"If you want to be alone for a while …" Kira made a vague gesture and was already halfway out of her chair.
"Please stay," Derek said to his own surprise. Kira was right, she was neither family nor pack, it should feel wrong having her here but it didn't.
Reluctantly Kira sat back down.
"I think she would like to have you here." Derek brushed some hair out of Laura's face.