transforMATivE || Derek & Erica
Derek didn't waste any more time with Allison and Scott. He was so sick of being villainized by everyone with Allison Argent leading the way. He was not responsible for her mother's death and he would never take the blame for that as long as he was in his right mind. Victoria had tried to kill Scott and he had done the only thing possible to keep her from succeeding. The bite was not a death sentence. If the Argents were so blinded by their own ignorance and prejudices, it was their decision and fault alone if a 16-year-old lost her mother.
He was mad at Scott for not telling Allison the truth. No matter what had happened between them and no matter how much Scott wanted to protect her from more pain, it only caused more trouble if he kept her from hearing the truth for much longer.
But this was all so low in Derek's list of priorities right now that he didn't even want to think about it anymore. He knew there was a possibility that the Alphas were still around but he couldn't go without having tried anything. He had lost Boyd and Cora already, he couldn't leave without finding Erica.. or what was left of her. Somewhere deep down he knew that the others were probably right. Erica and Boyd had been missing for months; they had been in the hands of their worst enemies so far for months.. Isaac had seen a body and identified it as Erica. How much hope was there really left?
And still, Derek was in denial. He didn't want to believe it, he couldn't. He would no sooner believe that Erica was really dead than when he held her lifeless body in his arms. Allison's and Scott's voices faded away behind him, Scott calling something to him, but Derek was already running through the vault and out the now open door to enter the rest of the building. He tried to focus, to find Erica's scent beneath all the strange ones of the Alphas and of blood and dirt. He couldn't find it. Although it had been months since Derek had last had her scent in his nose, he knew he could recognize it immediately; but Erica just wasn't in the air.
When Scott's voice called for him again, Derek stopped abruptly and looked back. The other two were following him, Allison yelling something about having found Erica. The look on her face made Derek's heart freeze but he still wasn't willing to give up. He had to see it with his own eyes..
The werewolves followed Allison through corridors and hallways, clogged by waste and old furniture until they reached a small room that smelled like ammonia. Derek pulled a face but refrained from covering his nose. His heart was pounding and he couldn't tell if it was from the fight or from his fear of what they might find behind that closed door. Allison looked like she had seen a ghost and since none of the others wanted to open the door, Derek grabbed for the handle and slowly pulled it open.
It was dark inside, but his eyes were used to the dim light by now. A small sigh escaped him when his eyes fell on the body in the corner. With slow steps he walked over and crouched down. He knew those pants, Erica had worn them the day she and Boyd had left, he knew this blouse.. her long blond hair.. Derek frowned. Her skin was ice cold and black and blue, like something had wreaked havoc inside her body. He sniffed and narrowed his eyes. "That's not Erica.." he suddenly said, getting up.
When he turned around, Scott was looking at him with something that couldn't be described as anything but pity. "It's not her!" Derek repeated a little louder and brushed past them out of the room. He looked around. The Alphas must have left or they would have been here by now. Maybe luring Scott and Derek here to let them get slaughtered by Boyd and Cora was the only plan they had had.
Derek took a deep breath and let out a loud growl that made the floor beneath him and the trash lying around shake lightly. There was no response, other than Scott telling him they had to hurry before the Alphas came back - if they planned on doing so. "Not without her.." Derek said and closed his eyes to concentrate on his hearing alone.
Dripping water pipes, creaking wooden panels, rats crawling around in the dust.. and a.. beat. A heartbeat. So faint Derek almost missed it. He opened his eyes again, that were now glowing red, and ran, no longer caring if Scott and Allison followed. He ran through another hallway and through a room that looked like an office full of file cabinets before he reached a door. Derek's own heartbeat sped up and almost drowned out the other when he reached for the knob. It was locked, but Derek didn't waste anymore time by looking for a key. Ramming his shoulder against it twice, he tore it open and stumbled into the small room behind it.
And there she was.
Lying in the corner, hands and feet tied together cruelly, her heartbeat so faint that Derek got scared it might stop any minute. Her blond hair was dark from blood and dirt and her clothes were torn in some parts that revealed cuts and bruises. She obviously had been too weak to heal or they were fresh. Alpha wounds didn't heal as fast as normal wounds, but Derek didn't want to think about all the horrible things the Alpha pack might have done to his Beta.
"Erica..?" he asked, carefully getting closer, although he was pretty sure she was unconscious. He kneeled down beside her and without hesitating much longer, picked her up from the cold floor. With her scarily light body in his arms, he got up and walked out, back to the other two who stared at him with big eyes. "We need to get her out of here. Now," Derek said and already started walking towards the exist with fast steps.
