Burn Amongst Humanity [D. Hale ]

|XX|

"Try it and I will rip you apart limb from limb." Tye said and Erica looked over her shoulders at Derek, who simply shrugged at the words.

"Casey took care of Tye for almost seven years, before I came back to town. Casey is as protective of him, just as he is of her right now." Derek explained.

"So, a born werewolf teenager is defending a born werewolf hunter? Is that not like, some sort of unspoken rules or something like that?" Erica asked.

"Now that would be a hypocritical rule." Casey interrupted and Erica looked at her, before she looked back at Derek and her eyes moved back and forth, before landing on Talia, who was growling and she was now standing in front of Casey.

"Oh, my bad." Erica said.

"Mom, can I kill her?" Talia asked.

"No, unfortunately not." Casey replied as she recognized that Talia, she had gotten her protective nature mixed with Derek's temper and that was never a good thing to see, in a young werewolf. "Derek, can I talk to you?"

Casey walked out onto the roof of the building and Derek looked over at her and he could smell concern. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"What is… I'm sorry, but did you just zone-out for most of that conversation or something?" Casey asked. "Talia asked me if she could kill Erica, Tye looked all too ready to rip her head off and she just disrespected me in front of most of the pack, because I'm fucking human." She was practically shouting at him.

"You are completely now just overreacting to this. Erica is a teenager, who just got power and a boost in self-confidence and self esteem which was something that she hasn't had in a very long time. Tye is going to have to just deal with it, Talia will too." Derek said and Casey swore.

"Sorry. I just, you're right. But the battle lines are being drawn up right now, Derek. You are turning teenagers into werewolves, there is something out there killing people, Gerard Argent is in town with reinforcements and everything… it just feels like it is all falling apart." Casey admitted and Derek nodded a little. "With Tye, Talia, Erica, Isaac… Do you even need another one?" She asked.

"The more Betas I have, the stronger we all are." Derek said and she looked at him silently. "One more Beta, and then, then I'm done biting teenagers." Derek promised and she sighed.

"Okay." Casey replied and he nodded. "As long as I don't hear about missing teens… I mean, other than Isaac." She said and Derek inclined his head.

"You've got my word." Derek said.

"Do not, let the alpha power go to your head Derek, I cannot watch you turn into Peter and get drunk on the power." Casey said and Derek sighed.

"Are you honestly worried about me that much?" Derek asked and Casey, she was nodding swiftly. "Ouch."

~~ Beacon Hills Ice Rink ~~

Casey watched with Tye and Talia, from the sidelines as Scott rather easily took on Isaac and Erica, without much problem.

At least until Derek got involved and Scott was getting his ass, completely kicked into the ice. "Derek, that's enough!" Casey called out as Derek had his boot pressed against Scott's windpipe. "Derek!" She snapped and once they realized that the words weren't working, Derek was thrown to the side.

Tye stood over Scott protectively with a terrible roar of anger, as Scott was beaten and bloody on the ice. Derek stood up and he looked at Tye, as his eyes glowed red.

But Tye stood firm, unwilling to move an inch and Derek growled softly and he looked over at Casey and at Talia, who looked scared of Derek, which seemed to finally snap him back into it.

Tye moved away from Scott and walked back over to Casey and Talia, once he was sure that Derek wasn't going to kill Scott, if he wasn't there.

"Why-why, did Dad nearly kill him on his own back there?" Talia asked and she looked up at Casey, who sighed.

"Your dad just lost his temper for a few minutes there. Scott will heal, as you know well enough." Casey reminded her daughter gently, tucking a piece of stray hair behind Talia's ear again. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Now, Uncle Tye is going to drive you home." Casey said and she handed her keys to Tye, as she looked at Derek, who had followed her out of the rink.

After he had dropped Erica and Boyd back at their respective houses, Isaac had gone into the woods and it was just Derek and Casey in the car. "Were you going to kill him?" Casey asked.

"I knew what I was doing with that demonstration, Casey." Derek said and she scoffed, looking at him.

"I know what you were doing back there too, Derek, beating up a sixteen year old kid for no damn reason other than to soothe your own bruised ego after he insulted you!" Casey snapped.

"I knew what I was doing!" Derek shouted and Casey looked at him, as her head was shaking at the words.

"Remember what I said earlier, about the power going to your head?" Casey asked and Derek nodded. "It already has." She said.

"Oh, save me the Emissary crap…"

"Oh. Emissary crap? That is what we are calling it now?" Casey asked and Derek's eyes narrowed, as they glowed red. "You mean, the Emissary stuff that you asked me to provide your pack with?" She asked and Derek growled.

"Clearly, I would have been better off without one." Casey felt the words like a punch to the gut and when she felt hot tears prickling in her eyes, she fought to keep them back. "An Emissary is supposed to advise their Alpha, not challenge them in front of the entire damn pack!" Derek snarled and Casey felt the tears running down her face. "Why the hell are you crying?!" Derek shouted as Casey looked at him.

"I swore that I would stand by you, my feelings be damned. But I did not sign up to be your verbal, emotional and living punching bag!" Casey snapped as her voice broke and she was shaking her head as she unlocked her door. "You can go to hell for all I care, Derek Hale." She said as she grabbed her bag and she got out of the car.

Casey slammed the door shut and she started walking back to her house, from where the car had been parked at the end of the street.

Casey unlocked the front door and she walked into the house, as she saw that Tye was standing in the kitchen, waiting for her.

"How much did you hear?" Casey asked softly and Tye, he swiftly was nodding at the words and Casey sighed. "You understand why I can't keep…"

"Derek does not deserve to have you or, anyone as a friend, let alone as an Emissary advisor, if all he is going to do is ignore you and then scream at you for the advice you give." He said and she wiped her eyes quickly. "I still need to stay in his pack… But, I also need to know that if I do, can I still be friends and stay here with you?" Tye asked and Casey looked at him.

"Of course you can. Tye, what an outrageous question. Of course, you can stay with me still. One argument with your older brother does not have the instant side effect of me instantly hating every Hale here, just within Beacon County." She said and Tye sighed with relief.