Payment (revised)

Chapter 36

Second to last chapter, though the next chapter is the epilogue so technically last chapter!!!!! She's a little messy but we love her anyway.

There are two songs for this ch:

1. I will always love you (minor key)- Chase Holfelder (this is for the first half of the chapter)

2. Yellow- Sara Bareilles (star this one when Derek makes it back to the warehouse)

As always thanks for reading, the journey is almost over!

edited: 5/15/20

A guttural howl clawed its way out of Derek's throat.

Stiles fell faster than Derek could process, but at the same time it took an eternity for the boy's body to hit the floor.

Either way, the image would forever be imprinted on the back of Derek's eyelids. Every time he closed his eyes, even for a split second, a flash of Stiles, motionless, on the stained concrete would haunt him.

Stiles's body was still plummeting to the ground. Or maybe it had already hit a thousand times over.

Derek didn't know anymore. Derek wasn't there anymore, he couldn't be. The Alpha had taken his place, and for the first time in a long time Derek was truly lost to the monster that he kept locked away within him. Where before Derek had been able to leash that shadowed demon to work for him, now he was nothing but a slave to his damnable needs. If Derek was still inside somewhere there was a chance he wasn't getting out any time soon.

The Alpha belatedly watched as Scott lunged forward for Stiles with a cry of his friend's name. A group of people The Alpha recognized to be part of his pack were running to Stiles. Allison was already taking charge and ordering Isaac to get a doctor. Isaac was sprinting away before the order finished sounding.

It was all muffled, all lagging, like there was a barrier between The Alpha and the events taking place before him.

His ears pricked.

Every sound was swathed in cloth, every movement was slowed as if a tether was hooked in everyone's chest holding them back.

Everything was too much...except for the pinprick patter of Gerard's feet as he fled the scene.

He was trying to escape, knowing he had lost his leverage to his recklessness. Now there was nothing stopping The Alpha from tearing him apart.

That was The Alpha's next mission. He was going to kill Gerard Argent.

The Alpha had taken off at a sprint, following Gerard as he barrelled into the adjoining building where he had kept Stiles hostage. Another flare of pain and anger ripped through The Alpha.

Stiles was still falling.

Distantly, he noticed Allison's gaze follow him as he tore towards her grandfather. He knew that she saw the bloodlust in his eyes, knew she knew what it meant.

He burst through the door Gerard disappeared through.

"Argent," The Alpha thundered as he turned a corridor.

Bodies lined the walls. With each step he crushed brain matter into the bottom of his shoe. He noticed there was one body mangled beyond that of the others.

"I bashed her head in."

Stiles's words came back to him. A pleased, animalistic, rumble of approval vibrated through the man's chest.

But Gerard's footsteps were almost out of hearing range, and The Alpha knew he didn't have the time to honor the gift Stiles had left for him.

"You can't run," The Alpha said.