It's a Werewolf Thing

As soon as Deaton removed the needle, Kacey felt her existence change and for the first time in ages, she felt strong.

"The only question left to ask is whether you intend to use the power you've been given, or if you choose to run?" Deaton asked.

"I'm not the type of person to run away from a fight... let's do this," Kacey said as they headed out to Deaton's car and drove back to the Hale house.

When they arrived, the fight was still underway and Kacey immediately noticed Isaac on the ground writhing in pain with Scott not too far away. It was Stiles that spotted them there first, but he didn't get a chance to talk to them as a pain filled howl cut through the air and Kacey ran into the house.

The other alpha was on top of Derek, pinning him to the floor and smirking as he ran his elongated claws down Derek's bare chest. Everyone froze as Kacey entered the room, turning and staring at her as she surveyed the scene in front of her.

"Kacey?" Derek mumbled, his voice weak and full of pain.

"Enough," Kacey ordered, looking at the alpha with cold eyes and feeling anger boil in the pit of her stomach as he simply laughed.

Remember what Deaton had hastily explained to her on the way over there, Kacey closed her eyes and focus on the alpha who soon found himself flying across the room. Kacey moved over to Derek, helping him to his feet and stepping in front of him as he lunged forward.

"It's not possible," the other alpha stated, standing up and looking at Kacey with some sort of weird admiration, "How did you do it?"

"That isn't information that you need to know, just know that I am powerful enough right now to do some serious damage," Kacey told him, feeling the power prickling at the tips of her fingers as the rest of the Hale pack gathered behind their alpha, "I'm going to give you one chance to leave Beacon Hills for good, or come the full moon the fight will be on and trust me... you will lose."

"You can't kill us," the alpha replied confidently.

"I never said I would, but my pack mates will if they have to and I'll do everything I can to aid them," Kacey said, looking around at her pack, "I may be human, but even humans possess power... even without magic, I have love, hate, anger. My emotions make me strong, they drive me to do whatever is necessary to protect my family and the people I love."

"Your alpha is wounded, he won't be able to fight," one of the other pack members argued with a smirk.

"If you honestly think that a few scratches will stop him from fighting, then you really should have done your homework," Stiles added, causing Kacey to glance over at him and smile.

"I guess we'll see you on the full moon then, sweet cheeks," the alpha growled.

"If that's your choice, then we'll be ready," Derek snarled in reply.

Moving closer to him, Kacey took hold of his hand and squeezed it slightly to calm him down. The other pack froze for a moment as if weighing their options, before the alpha signaled for them to leave and Derek hunched over with a groan.

"Your wounds will take a little longer to heal because they were inflicted by an alpha, so I'll need to clean them up and cover them to prevent infection," Deaton stated, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

Isaac and Scott immediately moved to where Derek was, wrapping his arms around their necks to support him as they moved towards the stairs.

"Wait," Derek instructed, causing his betas to pause, "Kacey, we need to talk."

"I'll come up once Deaton's finished patching you up," Kacey replied, unable to read Derek's mood and feeling her stomach twist with anxiety.

Watching as he allowed his betas to help him climb the stairs to his room, Kacey sighed and made sure that no one else was badly hurt. It was an hour before Deaton returned downstairs, joining the pack who were eating pizza and recovering from the fight.

"How is he?" Scott inquired through a mouthful of pizza.

"It'll take a few days for him to fully heal, but he's going to be fine..." Deaton assured them, turning to Kacey and continuing, "He's asking for you."

"Of course, he is," Kacey groaned, not wanting to face him and hear what he had to say to her.

"Take him some pizza... food is the best way to any dog's heart," Stiles suggested, earning a slap from Scott as Kacey grabbed a couple of slices and a can of soda.

Heading upstairs, she took a steadying deep breath and entered Derek's room where he was leaning against the headrest with his eyes closed. She was just debating leaving the food and heading back downstairs, when Derek spoke.

"What were you thinking?" He asked as Kacey placed the food on the bedside table.

"That you might be hungry."

"Don't start with the diversionary tactics, you know what I'm talking about," Derek growled, flashing his eyes at her for the first time since they met.

"I was thinking that for the first time, since being dragged into the supernatural world, that I might actually be able to help. That I wouldn't have to stand on the sidelines and watch the people that I care about get torn apart... that maybe I didn't have to feel completely useless anymore."

"Having magic doesn't make you any less vulnerable, what you did was stupid and dangerous."

"Wow, thanks, Der, I'm very much aware of just how human I am in the eyes of the pack, but it's good to be reminded of it every now and again," Kacey snapped, turning to the door and pausing when she heard him shift on the bed.

"That isn't what I meant," Derek mumbled, groaning as he stood up and moved up behind her, "I'm just trying to protect you, we don't know what the other pack is planning and your magic isn't a toy... you shouldn't be messing with it the way you are."

"You think I don't know that," Kacey shouted, spinning around to face him, "I only currently possess about half of my potential power and I can already feel it flowing through my veins like lava, burning my skin as if urging me to let it take control. I did this to help you and to give the pack an advantage, so if it's an apology you want then you're going to be disappointed."

"I don't want you to be sorry, I expected you to use a little common sense and just do as I asked for once," Derek growled, "I guess I'm stuck with another idiot with a hero complex."

Kacey felt the anger rise through her at the same time as tears stung her eyes and threatened to fall, but she refused to cry. Staring at him for a few more seconds, Kacey turned and left, ignoring his calls. Everyone was watching as she descended the stairs with Derek following slowly behind, but Kacey needed some space and headed straight outside without a word to anyone.

She had been sitting on the hood of Stiles' jeep for nearly ten minutes, when her phone began to ring and she answered it. The blood drained from her face as the person on the other end spoke, causing fresh tears to cascade down her face and the world around her crumble.

Dropping her phone, she slid to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. It wasn't long before the pack was gathered around her, but Kacey didn't move or acknowledge their presence.

"Kace?" Scott said, crouching down in front of her and keeping his distance to give her room.

"She's gone," Kacey whispered, knowing that the wolves could hear her, "My mum's gone."

Nobody said anything as Derek stepped forward and lifted Kacey into his arms, taking her upstairs where he laid down next to her on his bed. Everything that had been said was forgotten as she laid her head on Derek's chest and cried, allowing him to comfort her. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep, waking up a while later and checking the time on her phone to see that it was almost three in the morning.

Glancing over at Derek sleeping peacefully beside her, Kacey carefully removed herself from the covers that had been placed over her and retreated downstairs. Finding a piece of paper and a pen, she scribbled a note for Derek which simply read:

'Der

I'm sorry, but I can't let them get away with taking her from me... it's my time.

I love you

Kacey xxx'

Leaving the note where she knew it would be found, she quietly left the house and made her way to the Argents.