Erica's mother came downstairs to get herself a cup of tea, still sniffling. Her daughter had been missing for days and no one was out looking for her- hell, even the police had brushed her off, saying Erica had probably just spent her time with her friends.
"Hello Mrs. Townsend," a sickly sweet voice said.
A long, feminine shape moved in the shadows before stepping into the light thrown from the bulb over the stove, Mrs. Townsend moving back into the counter in shock. She had never seen this woman- or any woman so beautiful or menacing- her intruder taking a seat at her table. "Who- who are you," Erica's mother asked, her heart giving a quiver that made Maia smile.
"I'm a friend of your daughter's."
Mrs. Townsend reached behind her and snatched a knife out of her block, holding out towards the woman.
"Where is Erica? Have you hurt her- I want my daughter back!" The Alpha moved swiftly and disarmed the woman with ease, pressing the blade back at her throat, "I'm afraid that you won't be getting her back- she's not a possession and even if she was, she wouldn't belong to you. Erica's mine now."
"Her medication," Mrs. Townsend said, struggling for leverage. "She'll die without it."
Maia snarled and scoffed, narrowing her eyes. "Well, let's just say you and those quacks you call doctors won't be poisoning her anymore. But I didn't come here to call you out on your lackluster parenting: Erica asked me to deliver a message," Maia said, moved back the fraction of a step, allowing her to read it. Mrs. Townsend's eyes scanned the letter before looking at Maia, confused, "Emancipation?"
"Erica has her life now… and if you love her, if you value your life- you'll sign the paper. Now." The older woman looked at Maia and the Alpha allowed her eyes to shift as she held out a pen to Mrs. Townsend, seeing her eyes cloud with fear, "Now, please."
Derek looked up as Maia came out of the darkened house, document in hand and a smile on her face. She slid into the car, turning around to dangle the emancipation in Erica's face, "Looks like you're going to be with us from now on sweetheart." The Alpha male laughed and pulled away from the curve, shaking his head. "You leave her alive Mai?" His mate looked at him and glared before shooting a smile back to Erica. "I didn't have to kill her Derek- you know how extremely persuasive I am," Maia replied calmly as she called their lawyer to get the paperwork in process. Derek sighed and agreed, "That I do."
Isaac was waiting for them back at the warehouse, the pack driving out of town for a late night bite to eat so that he could get out of the lair and stretch his legs. Derek picked him up and the two Betas talked animatedly, trying to get him to crack a smile.
They walked inside of a truck-stop diner to the stares and silence of many men, the two women smirking at the impression they made.
"So, you excited for school tomorrow," Derek asked Erica, the question receiving a glare from his mate. Erica started to speak before giving Maia a perplexed look, her fellow Beta laughing at the amused expression on Derek's face, "Looks like mom is having some issues with separation anxiety."
"Screw you Isaac," Maia replied as she glared at the menu in front of her. "You're under me enough that I don't have to worry about separation anxiety."
He leaned in and kissed her with a grin, the Alpha relenting just a bit. Erica only shook her head before turning back to Derek, "To answer your question big dog, I am thoroughly excited for school tomorrow. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the population of Beacon Hills High."
"You sound like your mother. Even without the claws, she was a menace during her last two years of high school. And then when she actually got those talons, man, death toll would rise in every town we passed through-" Maia called Derek's name sharply and he went quiet, both of the Betas curious. "You actually killed people," Erica asked quietly, leaning across Derek to look at Maia. She sighed and ran her fingers back through her hair, "Its not as bad as he makes it sound. Derek and I have always had a very… active sex life- and nothing good comes without a few casualties." The Alpha male sipped his coffee, muttering underneath his breath, "Thirty- four casualties."
Their food came and Maia was amused at how famished both of the fledglings were, ordering two and three entrees before they were sated- for the time being, of course. Derek as well, had a healthy appetite, and by the time they had left, had two steak platters in a takeout box to snack on later.
Maia drove back along the winding road to town, sighing, "I need to run this off. I hate having a full stomach- I always have."
They pulled over somewhere they could park the Camaro safely, stepping out and promptly stripping out of their clothes. "So when can we phase, like for real? Because I love being half-wolf, half-human thing, but I wanna really run with you guys," Isaac said, looking at the Alpha pair hopefully. Derek shrugged and turned towards the darkest part of the woods, "I don't know Isaac, it just… depends. Maia was always good at channeling her anger and when she phased for the first time, I know she could really think straight. My first few times I just went wild- completely primal with no control whatsoever. You learn how not to let things matter and focus on becoming every muscle and tendon and cell of your wolf and you'll be just that: a wolf."
With that Derek phased and Maia laughed before chasing after him, the two Betas exchanging a look. Isaac let his eyes roam over her form before licking his lips, smiling devilishly as he started towards her.
"Hey Erica, you wanna take off?"
"In your dreams, little brother," she laughed before streaking off through the woods.
The pack played for lack of a better word, chasing after each other as the Betas tried their best to pull on Derek and Maia's tails. All too soon they saw sunlight starting to filter into the trees and Derek sighed before phasing back, holding his hand out. Maia yipped to him before nipping at the back of his thigh, giving him an expression that was akin to a wolf's smile before standing up on her hind legs. She seemed to shake as the air around her wavered and moved, finding her skin and wrapping it around herself like a blanket. "Sometimes I hate phasing back, but it's the only time I get to hold your hand lover," Maia said, lacing her fingers through his and reaching up to kiss her husband's cheek. He nuzzled her face before moving to wrap his arm around her shoulders, Isaac running to catch up to them with Erica on his back.
"You know, I love us," Erica proclaimed suddenly as they walked back to the Camaro, looking at her Alphas with a smile. "I mean, being together feels like home- and I for one have never felt like this. I love it. I love being with the three of you and being a family and everything. I mean, come on! We get to run around naked!"
Isaac bust out laughing and spun Erica in a circle, "You're a perv!"
Maia shook her head at the two of them before leaning into Derek's side, her voice just loud enough for him to hear. "I'm glad we did this- glad we have them. Like she said, I love being a family," she murmured before looking up at him. He sighed knowingly, feeling the urge the same as she did, "But we're not finished, not yet. We need at least one more pack mate to be at our strongest and that's exactly what we need with the hunters assembling."
"What?"
Derek recounted the whole tale with Scott, the Omega and the hunters to Maia, seeing how her eyes glowed. "Maia… baby, did you know that Omega? Because when he mention the 'butchering' of 'women and children' I thought of you… because that's something you would say," he murmured, trying to keep her from the sting in his words. She pulled away and looked at him, spitting her words through her teeth, "What, you think I led that man to his death? He was an Omega Derek and if I had been building a pack, you would have been the first to know. I spent my years looking for you-"
"Alright Mai! I was just asking you a question," Derek said, seeing Erica look at him. "Goddamn."
"Fucking asshole," his mate muttered as they reached the car, grabbing her clothes and yanking them on. Everyone dressed in relative silence before piling into the car, speeding back to Beacon Hills. The two Betas felt the tension between the mate and tried to make themselves as small as possible, Erica attempting to breathe as lightly as she could so as not to bring attention to herself.
Derek unlocked the door to the warehouse and Maia immediately reached out for Isaac, pulling him towards their bed. "Not even," the Alpha male said, Erica stepping back as Maia turned to glare at him. Isaac slipped his fingers from hers and gave the two a wide berth- he'd seen them go at each other once before and they were considerably more angry now than they had been over the last piece of toast.
"You know, I am so sick of your attitude Derek," she snapped, pulling off her jacket and throwing it to the side. "Makes me wonder why I fucking married you- no, mated with you in the first place. Lord only knows that I hate a bitch."
"So I'm the bitch now? When you're the one freaking out over dumb shit, like always."
Maia reached out and laid a rough blow against Derek's cheek, the much bigger male shoving her arm out of the way before wrapping his hand around her neck. Erica and Isaac both winced as he brought her down to the ground, Maia having the wind knocked out of her. But she was back up like a flash, wrapping her thighs around Derek's waist and flipping him onto his back. She wrapped her hands around her husband's wrists and panting, held him down. "Call me a bitch again," Maia challenged, Derek lunging up. "You crazy, psychotic… bitch!" She smiled and slammed him against the ground again before glaring over her shoulder at the Betas, "You kids go and play now- mom and dad have to have a little talk."
"Get ready for school," Derek said to Erica, before struggling against Maia again.
Isaac followed after his pack mate, stretching out across the train seats as she rifled through her pile of clothes. "They're going to rip each other apart… and then Derek's going to rip her a new one," he said, seeing her pull up a flowered dress.
"Like a modern tale of Sodom and Gomorrah-"
"Erica, go take a fucking shower and let me get your clothes," Isaac said impatiently, seeing her bemused face. He smacked her ass as she moved past him before getting up and picking out an outfit that would have them drooling at school- he knew exactly what he liked and what would look good on her, and those were pretty much the same thing. Isaac peeked out of the window of the train car to stare at Derek and Maia, hearing her crying out in a mix of pain and pleasure that made him hungry in a primal sense. He laughed as Derek fisted his hand in his wife's hair and pulled, his hips smacking into her lush backside, "Who's the bitch now Maia? Who's the bitch now?"
Maia arched her back as her scalp tingled in all the best ways, kicking her feet against the backs of Derek's calves. She squealed and bucked away from Derek, gritting her teeth before screaming.
"Fuck you Derek!"
When Erica was dressed, Isaac stared at her, licking his lips, "I am a god." She was clad in a low-cut white tank top and leather miniskirt, a pair of boots laced up her calves. He tossed Erica her leather jacket and stood, extending his arm to her. "Seems like I'm driving you to school today miss," Isaac grinned, walking out to where Derek was standing over Maia. She was splayed out on the ground, her face buried in her pillow as she felt the soreness settle in to her body. "Hold up a second Isaac. I don't want you out alone- and you can drive Maia's car, of course, but I want to ride with you," Derek said, breathing heavily as he disappeared into the shower. Maia was still relatively angry, but it was a half-hearted effort- no woman could really be mad after being ravaged like that by a man like Derek. She felt the Betas watching her worriedly and lifted her head up, "I'm not dead."
"It sounded like you should be. Jesus, shouldn't your ass hurt," Erica asked, the Alpha before her flopping back into the bedding.
"It better hurt. That took a lot of effort on my part."
Derek came out of the bathroom in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, stepping into his boots as he shot his mate a glare. "Need anything while I'm out? Ice, maybe," he asked tauntingly, pulling on his jacket.
"You just wait," Maia replied threateningly, Derek knowing that she was in no shape to be making threats.
He only smirked and grabbed her keys off of the makeshift table by the door, leaving her to heal after the rather brutal assault. The three slipped into the Challenger, Erica climbing in the backseat to let Derek in the front. "You think she'll retaliate," Isaac asked as he drove towards the school, the Alpha shrugging. "Maia might drag her teeth- like her teeth- up my dick and draw some blood. Sucks, but it wouldn't be the first time. I don't want you guys to think I'm being mean to her, but sometimes I have to put her in her place. She usually humbles my massive ego as the Alpha, but like I said, sometimes she needs a firm hand-"
"Or a firm fucking," Isaac suggested, Derek slapping him upside the head.
"Watch your mouth when you talk about your mother."
Erica smirked and grabbed her book bag as she prepared for her return to school, Derek stepping out to slide the seat up for her. "Thanks," she smiled as she got out, feeling everyone turn to her. Even with her back to them, Erica could hear their whispers and shock in their voices, imagining their faces with mouths agape. Derek was surprised when she stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed him, lacing her arms around his neck. And then Erica grinned and let go, walking up the sidewalk towards school, "See you at three Derek."
"I feel bad for whoever she targets," Isaac said when Derek slipped back into the car.
Derek watched her retreating form and shook his head, knowing that she was going to target everyone she could. Isaac pulled out of the parking lot, the Alpha beside him choosing his words carefully before he spoke, "Isaac, you know that Maia and I value your opinion, right? And so, we need something from you…"
"Anything."
"We need another wolf in the pack," Derek said, his Beta turning to him. "McCall would be the logical choice, as we wouldn't have to groom him as much, but he's proving difficult. And so I need you to think of someone unlike you and Erica: bigger, more intimidating- or with the potential to be intimidating- can stand on his own within and outside of the pack."
Isaac pondered the question before smiling, looking at Derek, "Wanna go ice skating?"