Burn Amongst Humanity [D. Hale ]

|LXXVI|

"A Promise to the Dead"
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Casey got up and she grabbed a gun off of the bedside table, as her hands steadied. Derek grabbed his and Casey's eyes narrowed, as they were advancing toward the door to the loft.

"Who is it?" Casey signed and Derek was shaking his head, as they pointed their guns at the door. Casey moved to the side and Derek slid the door open.

They both pointed their guns up at whoever it was, only to see that it was Lydia and she let out a terrible scream.

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Casey held out a cup of coffee to Derek, who took it from her with a small nod and she sat back down next to him, with her own in hand.

"Okay." Derek said as he pushed the gym bag full of money across the new table again.

"Don't you two want to know, just why it took so long to return it?" At the way Scott said the words, Casey was fairly certain that she knew why it took so long already.

"How much do you make at the Animal Clinic?" Derek asked and Scott looked confused.

"Minimum wage." Scott answered and Casey smiled a little bit and Derek nodded.

"That's why. Everyone can be tempted, Scott. Even a True Alpha, like you." Derek reminded.

"You're not angry?" Scott asked.

"It's not even mine. This money belongs to Peter. Speaking of money, I should transfer Tye's back to you. Or you're going to pay me rent." Derek said and Casey shrugged.

"Tye is an adult, now. He can have the money for himself." Casey replied and he nodded.

"True enough." Derek said.

"Then where's your money?" Scott asked in confusion and Casey silently was resting her head on Derek's arm, half-asleep from their early start from Lydia waking them up with a scream.

"You're standing on it." Derek answered and Scott looked around a bit, and as soon as he did, Casey realized what he was probably now thinking.

"There is another vault?" Scott asked and Casey was shaking her head with a small smile, as Derek was chuckling.

"No. I own the building. And I have my own bank accounts. All the money from the vault was Peter's. I think we'd actually be better off if the rest never came back." Derek explained as he stood up and, Casey quickly zipped up the bag of money.

"I know that Lydia was here last night. Deaton's still working on it, on figuring out what Kate did to you. If anyone can find an answer, it's him." Scott explained.

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Casey was quietly sitting and watching the lacrosse game with Tye in the stands with her, as Beatrice was on the field and playing with the rest of the Devenford team.

Beatrice watched as Brett shoved Liam mid-run and Beatrice winced a bit as she walked over real quickly and she stood next to Brett. "What the hell did you do that for?" Liam accused Brett and Beatrice, she kept a sharp eye on the others.

"Because you're afraid. I can smell it on you from across the field and, Bea can too." Brett said and Liam looked at Beatrice, who nodded in agreement and Beatrice sighed.

"I know that you and Kira were attacked by a Berserker at the hospital and I know that it scared you. It is okay to be scared, Liam, but it isn't okay to let fear take over and to let it completely control your life. Get up and fight." Beatrice said and Liam looked uncertain.

"Are you hurt?" Brett asked.

"No." Liam muttered.

"Are you still alive?" Brett asked.

"Obviously." Liam shot back.

"Then get up." Brett ordered and Beatrice nodded, as she handed his helmet back to him and the referee came over.

"You good to play?" The referee asked Liam, who nodded at the words and the ref turned to Brett. "You planning on pulling something like that again?"

"Not if he doesn't have to." Beatrice replied and Brett shrugged at the ref with a smirk, as he pulled his helmet back on and then it was both him and Beatrice, who jogged quickly across the field to their positions again.

"You guys helped me because of Scott?" Liam asked and Beatrice was smiling a little, as she walked into the locker room.

"Maybe. Also, because I didn't want Brett to accidentally kill you out there on the field. Although, I trust him with control more than I trust my own." Beatrice noted.

"Why are your eyes a different color, from mine and his?" Liam asked and Beatrice sighed, shaking her head.

"Because I killed someone. In self-defense, I killed a hunter who was coming after Brett, Lori and I during the dead pool. When you take a life for the first time, it changes you, it... It takes something from you, it is a part of you that you can't get back. If I could go back and take the hunter out without killing him, then I would. But I can't, so, my eyes turned blue. Like Derek's used to be. Like Tye's used to be, before he became an alpha." She said and Liam looked at her. "It is okay to be scared, Liam, but it is not okay to let it control you. You hear me?" Beatrice asked and Liam was nodding very slightly. "Good. Now if you will excuse me, I have a big-ass team to deal with." Beatrice murmured softly as she walked out of the locker room.

"That was a nice little pep talk that you gave him." Brett noted as Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"Whatever B. Let's just get the team back on the bus sooner rather than a bit later, I need to sleep." Beatrice's yawn broke her sentence and Brett was shaking his head.

"Piggyback?" He asked as Beatrice hopped up onto his back and Brett was carrying her out of the school and toward the bus.