Killer | Derek Hale

ASKING NICELY

"Happy birthday!"

Maia turned around and watched Stiles enter Derek's loft with a box in his hands. She crossed her arms, "It's not my birthday."

He shrugged, "Okay, maybe I just wanted cake."

She rolled her eyes and made room for him to set down the box. Derek moved to her side of the table and traded his spot with the boy.

He opened the box to show them the dessert, "Bon appetite!"

He handed them two forks and waited for them to eat. Derek saw the suspicious look on his face and shrugged, going to put the food on his fork.

Maia already knew that Stiles was up to something simply by the look on his face. She watched him with narrowed eyes before stopping Derek's hand as he moved to put the food in his mouth.

"Don't. It has wolfsbane," she stated.

"Ah, so your senses are still in their prime!" Stiles celebrated.

"You poisoned cake?"

He nodded.

"You monster."

He sheepishly shrugged. Derek scoffed and tossed the fork into the box.

"Were you testing us?" he asked.

"Yeah," he answered simply, "And you failed."

Maia rolled her eyes, "Explain."

Stiles nodded and clapped his hands together, "Okay, so I figured that if you could sense it, then Eric could too. Meaning we can't use wolfsbane against him."

She took the box and tossed it into the nearest garbage bin. Stiles' face fell in disappointment as she glared.

Derek tried to ask another question but was cut off by his own alarm. They turned to look at the box with the flashing red button.

Stiles groaned in annoyance, "That can't be good."

The window behind them burst. Derek threw himself over Maia, protecting her head from the spray of glass. Stiles ducked beneath the table for cover.

They saw a blur of a figure jump over them. Once all the glass was on the floor, they slowly straightened up and looked to the center of the room.

Eric, who had rolled to a perfect stop, grinned.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked rhetorically.

Stiles hopped back up, "Do all of you Arceneaux's have the same level of attitude or-"

"Not helping," Derek muttered. Stiles nodded in agreement and said a quiet apology, returning to the background.

The siblings looked at each other with a mutual hatred. Their eyes glowed red but neither moved to attack.

"I don't feel like wasting my energy on fighting," he stated, "So I'll give you a choice: you either come with me willingly or I'll make a quick death of your friends."

He folded his hands behind his back casually. She narrowed her eyes, feeling Derek and Stiles tense besides her.

"What do you want me for?" she asked.

"Because in this case, your stupidity has actually made you useful for once."

He held his hands out in an open gesture, "You should know that I already have two of your friends in my possession. And the only way I'll let them go is if you come with me."

He stepped closer slowly.

"And this is me asking nicely."

Derek growled quietly and took a step forward to push him back. But Maia held a hand up to stop him, keeping her glare on her brother.

"That's all you want?" she questioned, "Me for them?"

He nodded.

"Fine," she conceded.

"No!" Stiles argued, "Not fine! Very much not fine!"

She moved away from her side and stood in front of Eric. She calmly steadied herself and made sure she looked strong.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," she whispered, knowing that it wasn't the truth.

He knew it too.

He leaned closer, matching her volume and smirked,

"You were never a good liar."

-

Eric knocked Maia out soon after they left the building. Derek and Stiles wanted to fight but she warned them not to. True to his word, Eric left them unharmed while he led his sister out.

While she was unconscious, he brought her to the woods where the nemeton rested. At the base of the stump were two people heavily sedated: Deaton and Liam.

When she woke, the two watched as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes widened and she immediately struggled against the chains restricting her movements.

"It's no use," Liam said tiredly. He held up his own chains, "I already tried."

She squinted at his fatigued state, "Did he poison you with wolfsbane?"

He weakly nodded and let his head fall on his shoulder. She looked to Deaton to see that he was similarly exhausted, but he claimed that Eric used a paralytic.

"How did he get you?"

"I was leaving the library after I met with Mason to study," Liam answered.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"Let's just hope that he doesn't kill us."

Deaton nodded his head to gesture behind her, "Speak of the devil."

She turned her head to see her brother approaching them from the opening in the clearing.

Eric chuckled in amusement, "I wouldn't say I'm the devil-"

"I would," Liam snapped.

Eric's amused expression fell instantly. He pulled a large knife out from behind his back and strode towards the boy.

Maia struggled against her restraints to stop him, "Eric, leave him alone!"

He ignored her and squatted in front of Liam's face. He brandished the knife, running it just barely above his skin, taunting him.

"Just tell me what you want."

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at her, "I want you to suffer."

He stood up and walked over to her, "And the best way to do that would be to bring back our family. Unfortunately, you stole Roan's book and I need a full moon to complete the ritual. Ignoring the fact that you also destroyed the talisman in the process...I have no way of doing that."

"Then I can't help you."

"See, that's where you're wrong," he sighed. He twirled the knife in his hand and began to pace in front of the three, "You see, in your attempt to find a way to stop me from killing everyone in this pathetic town...you actually gave me an idea."

Her face paled, "The nogitsune."

He tapped his nose to gesture that she was right.

"You see, a nogitsune would probably have enough power to take me down. But it would also have enough power to bring everyone else back."

Deaton shook his head adamantly and spoke to her directly, "You can't do this."

Eric's reflexes were quick. He pressed the knife tight against the vet's neck, almost drawing blood.

"Yes, she can," he seethed, "And she will."

He turned his head towards her,

"Because if she doesn't...I'll kill this whole town."

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