The bloodied remnants of the fae woman lay scattered across the clearing. Derek was barely standing, leaning heavily on his left leg with no idea how much of the blood soaking into his shirt, jeans, and hair was his own.
The distant pulse of feet slamming over dry earth matched the sound of his own racing heart, and he let himself relax, slumping down into the dirt. Stiles was coming.
She was on him a second later. Small and delicate looking with soft curls and elfin features, and the strength to grip his throat in one tiny hand and lift him up effortlessly. Fae. Just like the one Derek had barely survived fighting, looking at him with a rage deeper than years could put words to.
âShe was killing,â Derek tried, because more than half the blood soaking into the dirt was his, and there was no strength left to fight in him. He didnât expect it to make a difference, and it didnât. The creatureâs wild eyes swept over him, unforgiving.
Stilesâ footsteps were still pounding closer, seconds away and sounding horribly alone. Backup must have been waiting at the loft or spread out too far across the forest. And why would they need to come? Derek had messaged that the threat was gone.
The faeâs lips twitched before he could even think to shout warning, the cold rage in her eyes melting to something thoughtful and somehow more terrifying. A finger dragged an absent caress across Derekâs throat while her eyes tracked to his pounding heart and outward, as though tracing some invisible thread from Derekâs heart to the source of the sound.
âWell,â she mused, âequal and fair in all things, I suppose. Bravo, hero, stopping the wicked fae. I suppose youâve earned a reward.â
He was expecting a quick tear of nails to his throat, and knew right away it would have been preferable. It was obvious from the curl of the faeâs grin, the hand at his neck, the blood still dripping wet down his temple: a quick death would be the best thing for him.
Instead the fae waited, while Stilesâ footsteps came closer.