The focus in her jewel-bright eyes made his blood run hot. There was an appraisal there that was perhaps different from before; Derek was far from a stranger to it, but the subtle shift was unexpected. She riled him too easily, he thought, willing the warmth away. Slowly, he let out a breath.

She was testing him, testing what boundaries he would set. Derek had never been raised to lead. He was, essentially, winging everything since stepping into the too-big shoes of his alpha, and his sister. But in this much, his stubbornness served him well - he did not appear as uncertain as he was. If she wanted to leave an opening there, a flexibility, so could he.

"I think keeping each others' backs is a good place to start," he replied, steady. He didn't truth the fae to keep him alive. He barely trusted his pack with that. But he, too, could be reasonable.