“Do they always come gift-wrapped like this?” Derek asks, eyeing the lengths of rope and heavy chain that bind the young male’s limbs to the rack.

The tribute seems to hear his voice and stirs, lifting his head weakly to seek out the source despite the mask that renders him sightless; Derek knows it’s a shallow thought, but he hopes that the face underneath it is as good-looking as the rest of him leads to believe.    

His father’s laughter echoes from the bare walls of the basement and he claps a reassuring hand on Derek’s shoulder, saying, “Only when they are one,” then adds in a whisper to his ear, “He’s all yours, son.”

It’s the scent that first betrays the change. It’s still Jackson, the quintessential part of him still familiar enough that Derek can instantly recognize who the bloodsucker is, but everything else smells wrong to him, grotesque, repugnant and vile. 

Red eyes snap to meet his - blood-crazed and mad like the vampires are born - and it’s nothing like a punch to the gut; it’s a black hole opening in the center of Derek’s heart, where love had once been.  

 [I probably should’ve written something cracky for this but goddamn this prompt hit me right in the feels in the best/worst possible way and if I wasn’t already swamped with fic ideas I would write the hell out of heartbroken!Derek and stupid jerkass Jackson who chooses power over their ~love~ ugh ugh UGH /has issues]