Forbidden Gift [Derek Hale]

Chapter 18: Strength

Liz's entire day was spent with him. She couldn't stop looking at him, or listening to him, or just being around him. She sat on the couch, laid up against his side with his arm draped around her shoulders. The night had just fallen and he turned on a movie. Half-way through it, she looked up at him. "Will you tell me how I can stop him?"

His face showed that the question alone stressed him out. "Liz, you don't have to stop him. You don't have to be everyone's hero."

She threw his arm off of her, facing him with her legs crossed Indian style. "You don't get it do you? He killed my mother. He tried to kill me. It's like you don't even care."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't care!!"

"You're not acting like you care."

"God, Liz! You're so stupid sometimes! You don't see that even though things aren't going the way you want them to, life is perfect. Everyone is happy. Except for you. You have no idea how selfish you sound!"

"If that's how you feel, maybe you should leave," she said, standing up with her arms crossed.

"You know you don't want me to. Besides, you need me to find him." He stood. His 6 foot body towered over her 5 foot self.

"GO AWAY! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" she repeatedly began punching at his chest, letting every ounce of emotion pour out of her with each punch. Tears streamed down her face, drying quickly as she continued swinging. As she ran out of steam, he pulled her in close to him.

"It's okay. Shh. It's okay." He lifted her chin. "Hey, we're gonna find him, okay? If that's what you want, we'll find him." Liz buried her head in his chest once more, nearly falling asleep in his arms. He sat her down gently on the couch, still holding his arms around her torso.

"I love you, Derek."

"I love you too, Lizzie."

After she settled down, he took her into the kitchen. He ordered Liz to sit on the bar stool, which wasn't a hard task to follow...especially since he said it like a drill sergeant. "Alright, this is what we do."

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"Man, what's going on? You haven't talked in three days," Ethan said, approaching Aiden in the court yard of the school. "Is this about Liz? If you like her, go get her man."

"She chose him."

"Then be her friend. Be there for her. She's lost everyone. She could use a friend," he said, taking a seat. "She's going after her dad, you know?"

"I know."

"So help her."

"She's got Derek. Why would she need me?"

"You know she can't be with him without breaking the law. Just talk to her."

Aiden stood from where he was sitting. He looked around, spotting her inside with Lydia by the lockers. He nodded at Ethan as if to say thanks. Aiden ran through the courtyard, bypassing multiple people all at once. He ran through the doors, nearly knocking over everyone he zoomed past, but came to a screeching halt when he ran directly into Liz as she turned to begin walking. Her books fell to the floor as Lydia stood in awe that he even came near her. "I'll just leave you guys to talk," Lydia said, walking away with her eyes glared at Aiden.

He leaned down to help Liz with her books. "We need to talk," he said, handing her a history book.

"Go away, Aiden."

We stood from the ground. "Liz, I'm not trying to be anything more than your friend. I know you've got nobody. I want to help you find and if it comes to it, fight your dad."

"First off, I don't want anything more from you than a 'oh yeah I know him.' Second, I have my friends and Derek. Third, I don't want your help, Aiden." She stepped around him, walking in the opposite direction.

"Liz, please wait," he thought in his mind. She turned, giving Aiden a strange look before walking back over to him.

"Don't you play that card, Aiden. Not on me. Not now. Don't act like any of this is my fault. I cannot help what happened or will happen."

"You don't know what powers you hold, Liz. I can help you. Ethan can help you. Derek can help you."

She pondered the idea before speaking. "Ethan and Derek I'll take. You stay out of life. I don't need you anymore." She walked away and he was left speechless. He walked back outside to find his brother still sitting in the same place. He approached him and slowly sat down.

"So? How'd it go?"

"She doesn't want to be friends."

"Why?"

"Don't know. She wouldn't say. She just told me to stay out of her life. If she's accepting help from anyone, she said it'll only be Derek or you if you offer."

"Not you?" he asked, slightly confused.

"She doesn't need me anymore. She doesn't need anyone." Aiden stood, raging. He immediately went to the parking lot, finding his bike and mounting it. He took off without a trace of where find to him.

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"Aiden, what a surprise," Derek said as Aiden threw the door open to his loft.

"What have you done to her?" Aiden walked in, his hands clinched into fists at his side.

"Me? I've done nothing. She came to me Aiden. Me. Not you."

"Before you go all big bad boyfriend on me, remember who her alpha leader is. She may come to you, but I will always be the leader."

"You really don't listen in those wolf classes at all, do you? She's a Pilae, idiot. It doesn't matter if she's part, half, or three eighths werewolf, she is her own leader. A Pilae is stronger than all of your little alpha pack put together. If she knew the powers she held, she could destroy all of us with one mere thought."

"Then why are you so focused on her father?"

"I'm not. She is. She wants revenge. He killed her mom so she wants to kill him. It's the natural instinct of both werewolf and Visionary."

"Okay, well answer this," Aiden paused for a small moment. "If she's more powerful than her dad, than you, than an entire alpha pack..shouldn't you be worried about what damage she'll cause?"

Derek looked up at him with pure fear in his eyes. "I am."