47. From the Ashes, everything rises (Derek Hale - ...

From the Ashes, Everything Rises

Therapy was a wonderful thing if you were willing to embrace it. Derek knew that now and with Laura’s insistence, he’d gone. It hadn’t been until he was in college in NYC but he’d gone. He’d finally managed to work through some of the damage Kate Argent had inflicted on him. Not all of it though, not by any stretch of the imagination.

He was in a bar, looking to make a friend. He wasn’t quite up to one-night stands but his last session had made him feel like he could at least try. It wasn’t like with his little fur problem that he wouldn’t have to be extremely careful in making a new friend - but he finally ready to give it a shot. Kate hadn’t managed to kill his sex-drive for good.

The bar was a classy one and you had to have money to get into it. You see, even in modern society, not everyone was comfortable in coming out of the closet.

His nose caught the most enticing smell he’d ever known. It was like woods, cinnamon, and the best old books. It was all of Derek’s favourite things rolled into one unique scent and that was when it struck him. This was his mate.Even a week ago, if he’d smelt that delicious scent he would have ignored it not believing he was worthy of a mate. There was still that thought lingering in the back of his mind but a voice that sounded strangely like his sister told him not to be stupid.

Anthony DiNozzo Junior was in New York evaluating his choices having finished his OSU course. His original intention was to go and play pro-football but his injury had seen that idea turn to dust so now he was re-evaluating his life. He was in New York to see the Post Grad options at NYC or to look at the possibility of joining the Police Force and what his options there would be.

“I’m too pretty to be scowled at like that.”Derek startled. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”The guy grinned, his mate had seriously stunning green eyes. “Yeah you do, I’m Anthony by the way.”“Derek, and I wasn’t scowling.” Derek responded with the good manners he’d been brought up on.

Anthony was grinning proudly and Derek was not quite sure why. “Well, you should know that I don’t mind. As you’ve spoken to me and ignored everyone else.”

Derek found himself smiling. “Is that right?”“Uh huh.” Anthony actually slid onto the bar stool next to him. He looked at Derek like he was a fascinating puzzle but Derek could tell that he was looking beyond his looks. It was refreshing and Derek didn’t doubt that his mate had similar problems.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Derek and Tony had been meeting up for a few weeks before he introduced Laura. Oh, he wasn’t keeping secrets from his sister, and Alpha - it was just logistics and their schedules didn’t match up. Laura met Tony and adored him too, said she would love anyone who could put a smile back on her brother’s face. Tony shrugged and downplayed it. “I am just a simple grad student trying to stave off getting a job for as long as possible.”It wasn’t quite true, with how messed up his family tree was - he adored psychology and figuring out why people did what they did. Still, no matter how many books he read - he still couldn’t understand Senior and had given up trying. He was real grateful to his mother for setting up the educational trust fund as it was allowing him to study without having to focus on anything else.  

“A simple grad student? Hmm, not many of those are studying for a Masters in criminal psychology.” Laura said seeing just what type of man her brother’s mate was.

Tony shrugged. “Shh, don’t let people into my secret ... I like being underestimated.”Laura rolled her eyes. “And that is fine, just don’t forget we’re all but family.”Tony sighed. “Well, you should know that I’ve never really got to enjoy one of those.”

Laura smiled sadly because whilst she hated the fire that had taken her family - she had still got to grow up with an amazingly supportive family around her. They weren’t perfect and their fights would end up with their Uncle Billy, who was a carpenter, being called. Yet she had a family, Derek had already explained that Tony’s familial experience was less than stellar. “That’s okay, Derek and I will show you. You will be so sick of me that you will wish that I would disappear.”Tony shook his head. “Never. I get the feeling that you are going to be the sister I never had growing up. Plus, I think we will drive Derek around the bend. It will be fun.”Laura smirked. “So about that - Derek and I need to explain a few things to you.”

Tony had been expecting an awkward family meal  - not werewolves. Derek’s face after the whole story had been told was like a kicked puppy (forgive the analogy but the face fit). “Why the long face?”

“You hate the fact I am a monster.” Derek said, and his eyes flashed blue now he didn’t have to openly hide.

Tony shook his head and cupped his face gently to lessen his harsh words. “Don’t be a dick, Derek. Why the hell would I care that you can go a bit extra hairy if your mood takes you? Or that around Laura’s time of the month I will make sure she has her favourite chocolate on tap.”

Laura cackled at the look on Derek’s face, he was pressing into Tony’s hand and then also scowling at Tony’s comments. She was glad Tony was a keeper, she wouldn’t force the issue or the like but if he asked for the bite - then it was his.

&*&*&*&*&*

Tony had indeed taken the bite when he was shot at a convenience store with Laura shopping. The bullets were standard rounds so just stung her, for Tony the bullets ripped through his lung. She had protected him from the gunman in the shop but the gang war meant that she couldn’t cover all angles. She had whined in distress seeing at seeing him fall, blood splattering his chest. They had few options, he would have to go to the hospital but she needed to give him the best chance of survival. “Can I bite you, Tony?”

He nodded as that was all the strength and coordination that he had in the world. He didn’t want to leave Derek alone in this world. The only reason he hadn’t said yes was he was terrified of what would happen with Derek if the bite killed another person he loved.

He was dying so he had nothing to lose.

It turns out - he was an excellent werewolf and would run rings around his mate. Much to Derek’s annoyance and Laura’s unholy glee. Everything was going so well ... So after a few years, it just had to come crashing down.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Derek had gone ahead to California, Tony was going to follow him as soon as his day in court was done. Tony had never imagined he would be become a jury consultant but combining his studies, his ability to read people and his werewolf nose meant that it was kind of a perfect job.

Laura, their Alpha, had gone missing and Derek hated the gaping hole inside he could feel. He knew what it meant but there was a stubborn part of him refusing to acknowledge it until a body was found.

Tony had explained he needed to report his sister as missing with the local Sheriff. Derek had done so but he was holding out hope, he traipsed into the Hale Preserve heading towards the ruins of their former home.

“Son, why was Laura here?” The new sheriff, Stilinski, asked.

Derek sighed. “She said there was something going on back on our land and she was coming back here to check it out. She hasn’t spoken to my fiance or me in two days and she has never done that ... not since the fire.”

The Sheriff knew that mattered to the family. He could only guess how tightly knit the two remaining siblings were to each other.

It was not like Derek could explain the truth. It was the best truth he could give. “I will be staying in the apartment complex downtown.”

The Sheriff nodded.”Okay, I’ll instigate a search and let you know anything that we find. Son, don’t think the worst. Can we call anyone?”

Tony breezed into the room having finally made it to Beacon Hills. “No need, I’m here. Come on, Der’ let’s go find food.”

“Not hungry,” Derek replied mulishly. He wasn’t stopping until he knew where Laura was.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Easy darlin’, you need to eat and you know Laura would lecture you also.”

The Sheriff chuckled because he had no doubt this was the fiance. “Hi. Sheriff Stilinski. We’re setting up a search for Ms. Hale.”

“Thank you, Sheriff. Here is my contact number, I will look after Derek.”

The Sheriff watched the couple leaving knowing that more than a few of his female deputies would be tripping over themselves to help either man. Too bad they only had eyes for each other. He turned the business card over Dr. Anthony DiNozzo, Jury Consultant .

The Sheriff’s son came in talking about several million things at once so he got distracted.

&*&*&*&*&*&*

That evening, the matter changed when they heard the howl. It was an Alpha’s howl, a demand for its pack but that wasn’t the concern. The howl didn't belong to  Laura.

“Oh God, she is dead. I could feel it but I didn’t want to believe it.” Derek crumpled to the floor and Tony immediately dropped to his side, comforting him as much as he could. Only he knew something else that Derek in his grief was forgetting - there was an unchecked Alpha running around and they couldn’t allow it to continue. The last thing they needed was hunters taking notice.

“What will we do?” Derek asked.

Tony let his eyes flash appealing to his mate’s wolf. “We hunt, and we avenge Laura.”

The second howl in the night cut through Derek’s grief and sent it spiralling in anger. It felt like the Alpha was mocking their loss. He’d taken away Laura, he wasn’t going to be allowed to continue his path of destruction.

With one look the couple morphed into their beta forms and headed down the fire escape. The hunt is on.

The scents in the preserve were very mixed and it made Tony do the wolf equivalent of a sneeze. Derek grinned at him and then he tore off into the heart of the Hale land. He didn’t need to slow down, he knew Tony would be able to keep up with him no matter what form. The growls from an Alpha were matched by the screams of two teenage boys. They sped up. The last thing they needed was for teenagers to find out about the things that go bump in the night.

As they reached the clearing, it was so much worse. The Alpha was there but his jaw was clamped around the leg of the one shaggy-haired teenager. The other teenager showed a worrying lack of self-preservation. “Heh creeper, leave my brother alone.”The boy was showing defiance and fear but defiance was overpowering the boy’s scent. Tony and Derek would deal with that after they deal with the Alpha. The Alpha looked monstrous, it was probably reflected by its lack of a pack. The murderer deserved no peace, they’d murdered Laura, after all.

The Alpha immediately reacted to the presence of the two beta werewolves, his eyes flashing red demanding their obedience. Tony snarled as Derek’s eyes flashed blue as a response. The Alpha morphed back into a human and the shock sent Derek back to his human form.“Derek?”The two teens had scuttled backward not having a clue what was going on but too scared to move too far away.

Tony paid attention to them because the Alpha could use the teens against them so he was glad that they had moved behind them. It was what Derek said that shocked him. “Uncle Peter?”

“Okay Scotty, we’ll be okay, the hot guys are here to save us.” The one boy rambled with shock. He smelled medical to Tony’s sensitive nose. The boy trailed off hearing Derek. “Oh great, the psycho is Uncle Peter.”

So this was their Uncle Peter, who looked decidedly mobile for a trauma induced coma patient, he was going to be having so many words with the hospital. If he wasn’t satisfied - he would be suing them. “You look pretty spry for a coma patient.”

Derek snorted but inside he was struggling to comprehend the facts as they stood. His Uncle Peter, had murdered his sister, Laura, all so he could inherit the mantle of Alpha, but why?He asked it trying to understand hoping there was enough of his uncle left to get through to him. “Why?”Peter hissed. “Power, the people who killed the family are still here and Laura never took action. She left me here alone and I’ve been healing for the last seven years. Slowly .”

Tony didn’t need the other part to be said because Peter may have been physically healing but his mental condition had obviously worsened every second he was alone. He had no idea what to do here, this had to be Derek’s choice and he would back his fiance.

Peter seemed to freeze as the cloud once more covered the moon. “Bye for now. I will be back for my new beta and you both.”

Tony and Derek shared a helpless look because this situation was getting more and more complicated the longer they stayed in this town. They looked at the teen as the shaggy-haired teenager was looking at his arm in confusion. “It’s healing?”

Derek sighed because that was going to be a perfect recipe for a disaster - a hormone riddled teenager suddenly being bitten and inheriting wolf-powers. The teenager with him was one he recognised as well from the police station.

Tony decided to see the humour in the situation and it was probably for the best. “Babe, it’s a teen wolf. You promised me we would marry before we talked about children.”

And it didn’t stop there, their life in New York was over but they found something infinitely better and more complicated - A New Pack rising from the Ashes of their Life.