"What? No!" Eric says "Why does it have to be you? Why can't he take Scott or Jackson?" Isaac winces at the flood of anxiety and fear from his mate before sighing and continuing. "I'm Derek's second it is protocol that I go with him. If I don't it will look like we're not taking the meeting seriously. It's very important that we maintain these treaties." "Why does it have to be so formal? Why can't you just call each other or bleed on some papyrus to show your good will. Or use Skype. This isn't the 1800's why…." Isaac crosses the floor to where Eric is pacing and wringing his hands. "Baby come here." Reaching out Isaac pulls his frantic mate in to an embrace. "Why can't I come with you?" Eric whimpers in to Isaac's chest. "It's a show of trust that we go to their territory without the rest of our pack. When they have come here it's been the Alpha and their second. This time they are hosting the meeting." Eric shudders before saying weakly "Can't I stay at the hotel or something they don't have to know." Isaac chuffs out a soft chuckle. "No baby we'll be staying at their pack home. It's only for a few days we'll be able to talk on the phone and text each other."
Eric pulls back and looks at Isaac. Isaac frowns at Eric's tear stained face and the look of near panic on his mates face. "It's not right Isaac. I don't like this. Something bad is going to happen I can feel it." Isaac sighs as he brings his hands up and gently holds Eric's face rubbing the tears away with his thumbs. "Remember in Texas when you dealt with those hunters at your house? Even though I was terrified. Even though I wanted nothing more than to lock you away so you'd be safe. I trusted you. Will you trust me?" Eric frowns exhaling shakily. "I trust you and our pack. It's the rest of the world that makes me worry." Isaac moves his hands down to Eric's shoulders squeezing slightly. "Hale pack and Jones pack have been allies for decades. It's not a dangerous situation it's just a formality. We'll be safe I promise…Trust me?" Eric takes a deep calming breath and nods his head. "Sorry to be so needy." He finally says. "I'm smothering you." Eric frowns looking at his feet. Isaac smiles fondly gently lifting Eric's face. "Baby boy you're not needy you're my mate….my treasure. Your feelings are not trivial. I love every minute we spend together. I just can't get out of this I would if I could. I promise that I'll make it up to you." Eric sighs forcing a small smile. "You don't have to make anything up to me puppy. This is just another part of being a wolf I have to get used to." Isaac pulls Eric against his chest and rubs his back and asks. "Can I make you lunch?" he asks. "Why don't we go get something? Ask Derek if he wants to come too?" Eric says. Isaac smiles "Sure I'll go ask him." Eric smiles and walks in to the closet.
"So how did it go?" Derek asks when Isaac walks in to the study. "About like we'd expected." Isaac says sighing with a deep frown on his face. "You shouldn't have waited so long to tell him. He's your mate. Not just that but he's still new it's not fair to spring this on him at the last minute. His emotions are still unstable." Derek says sternly. "I know. I just…. It physically hurts when he's upset. I hate it when he is not happy." Isaac says guiltily. "Want to come have lunch with us?" "Sure." Derek says grabbing his jacket.
A short while later they are seated in their usual booth at their favorite diner. Derek can feel Eric's sadness and worry but says nothing. The waitress has just set down their food and walked away when Derek blows the whole day. "Are you packed?" looking at Isaac. Isaac's eyes go wide and he freezes. Derek groans inwardly and looks to Eric who had just dropped his fork. "When are you leaving?" Eric asks softly. "Baby please I…" Isaac starts reach for Eric but stops when Eric speaks again his tone cold and dangerous. "Isaac…when..are..you..leaving?" "Tomorrow morning." Isaac whispers. Eric's eyes flash a furious bright orange and the entire pack flinches at the explosion of hurt and anger over the bond. Seconds later Eric's phone starts ringing then Isaac's then Derek's. Eric pulls his phone out of his pocket and snarls gripping it so tightly the screen cracks. "Move." He says. "Baby please." Isaac says frantically. "Isaac, if you don't move so help me god I will flip this fucking table over and we'll never be able to come back. Now move!" Isaac hurriedly slides over and out of the way so Eric can get up. Eric slides out of the booth and practically runs out of the diner without so much as a glance in Isaac's direction. Isaac looks at Derek with tears in his eyes. "What do I do?" he whimpers. "Go after him, apologize, beg for his forgiveness and never ever pull something like this again. Go!" Isaac shakes his head and scurries after Eric. Derek pulls his phone out that had been ringing nonstop "It's OK." he says without even looking to see who was calling. "What the hell happened?" Stiles demands anxiously. "Isaac's just learned not to keep things from his mate." Derek says with a sigh noting the slashes in the seat from Eric's claws.
Isaac leaves the diner and looks around. Closing his eyes he draws on the mate bond to locate Eric. He's hit with a wave of hurt, grief and sadness from Eric. Sprinting after Eric he catches up to him sitting on a bench in a small park a couple blocks from the dinner. Eric's eyes are still a burning orange. Thankfully there is no one around to see. Isaac pauses for a moment but proceeds when he sees Eric pat the bench next to him. Isaac hurries over and sits down next to Eric silently. They sit in silence for a few minutes. "I'm guessing you didn't tell me because you figured I'd be upset and you didn't want to ruin your last day here." Eric says staring in to the trees. "I should have told you right away I'm so sorry." Isaac says pleadingly. "I was so nervous and cautious when you first told me we were mates. I thought it couldn't possibly be true. You were just so perfect. How could I ever hold on to someone like you. How could someone like you ever want….." Eric shudders and shrugs his shoulders "me. I thought you'd realize your mistake and that would be the end of that. You convinced me though and I believed it…. I threw myself into the relationship. You've made me the happiest I've ever been. I never dreamed I could be so happy. If you don't trust me enough to handle some bad news how can you want to spend the rest of your life with me."
Eric shakes his head before he snaps, his hurt and anger flaring "God damn it Isaac am I not allowed to be upset that my mate is leaving?! We can barely stand to be apart when I go to work. Now you're leaving for days! To another state! Why would you keep something like this from me?! Did you honestly think my reaction to you keeping this from me would be better than if I had a week or two to get over this!? Jesus fuck!" Eric says shaking his head and closing his eyes as tears streak his cheeks. Isaac whimpers and reaches for Eric but stops when his mate does something he's only ever done once before.
He pulls away.
"It makes me think that if you think so little of me…..if I'm really that bad that maybe this is the first step towards you leaving me." Isaac opens his mouth to say something but Eric cuts him off. "Just give me a minute Isaac. I do not want our first argument to be right before you go away. I know we've been upset with each other before but this is different. I know I'm over reacting but it hurts…Isaac physically hurts… You've….. You've hurt me. You've never hurt me before…...You promised you'd never….Just give me a minute." Not looking at Isaac Eric misses the shattered look on his mates face. Isaac nods numbly and starts to stand up. Eric quickly grabs his arm with a clawed hand careful not to injure his mate he tugs gently for Isaac to sit down. When he speaks his voice is rough low as his wolf makes its displeasure known. "No don't leave, be here with me please. Just….. let's be quiet for a moment so I can work through this. OK? I refuse to be this upset just before you leave….Just….please Isaac." Over the next couple of minutes Eric's eyes return to normal and his emotions level out.
Isaac reaches for Eric's human hand and kisses it softly. Eric looks at Isaac when he feels something wet land on the back of his hand. Isaac is crying. "Please Eric, please forgive me." Isaac whimpers out. Eric pulls his hand free gently before putting it around Isaac's shoulder and pulling him close. "The Bite did amazing things for me but I still have the same insecurities Isaac. This happens once and never again. I can't live wondering if there's something you're hiding from me. I'm your mate. We do things together. You told me… You promised. OK?" Next to him Isaac relaxes slightly and nods his head yes. "Please believe me I'm not going to leave you I'd never do that you're my life my soul I love you so much. I just didn't want you to be upset I hate it when you're upset. I wanted to tell you we've just been so busy, and you were so happy, and time just ran out and I knew you were going to be upset and then it was today and I….. I'm so sorry I hurt you baby I promise it won't happen again."
Eric sighs his scent tainted with a mixture of hurt and anger. "Are…..are we ok?" Isaac asks softly almost hesitantly in a sad quiet voice Eric never wants to hear again. When Eric doesn't say anything Isaac keens sadly. "Am I still your puppy?" Isaac asks even softer. "You'll always be my puppy. My sweet beautiful puppy." Eric says laying his head against Isaac's. "You hardly ever call me Isaac. I….I don't think you've ever been that mad at me before." Isaac shivers "I don't like it." Leaning closer to Eric Isaac closes his eyes. Eric sighs as his mates closeness calms his and his wolfs rattled nerves. "I can't lose you Isaac my own emotions are bad enough but my wolf. Just the thought just the whisper in the back of my mind that you might leave… You know? That's where I immediately went. That I was a burden and you'd finally realized you'd made a mistake with me." Eric says enjoying the scent of Isaac returning to his usual comforting aroma and not the panic and worry of the past few minutes. Isaac's phone rings and he answers it. "We're OK wait for us?" He hangs up a moment later. "Come on puppy lets go eat." Eric stands offering his hand to Isaac who takes it eagerly. Eric pulls his shaken mate in to his arms and hugs him firmly. "I love you." Eric whispers in Isaac's ear. "I love you too baby boy." Isaac replies.
A few minutes later they both slide back in to the booth. As Eric sits there is a crunching sound from his pocket. Eric pulls his phone or rather the 4-5 pieces of his phone out of his pocket and lays it on the table. Shaking his head at the pile of broken technology Eric says. "It wouldn't stop ringing so I got a little angry. I hope Danny can salvage it. I have some pictures that I'd hate to lose. I'll go get another one tomorrow." Isaac frowns knowing it was his fault and puts his hand tentatively on Eric's leg under the table. Eric leans in to Isaac's side and twines his fingers with Isaac's. Derek shakes his head and goes back to his lunch. Eric closes his eyes and focusing on the pack bond shoves reassurance and love out to the rest of the pack. "I'm sorry for upsetting everyone Derek." Derek chews his food moving his eyes back and forth from Eric and Isaac.
"You never keep anything from your mate Isaac. Ever. Your mate is your partner, humans like to call people their other half. You both are each other's other half. When you claimed him on the full moon and sealed the mate bond you both became dependent on each other. You're irreversibly woven together. Whatever it is no matter how bad it's better dealt with your mate at your side than on your own. Trust and respect your mate enough to not keep secrets." Isaac lowers his head. He loves Derek nearly as much as Eric. His friend, his brother, his Alpha. Derek had saved Isaac. Made him strong enough to be able to weather his father's abuse. He'd been there helping Isaac after his father's death and had stepped up and became his legal guardian without a moment's hesitation. Having upset the two most important in his life in the same day weighs heavily on his conscious. "Yes Derek." He almost manages to say without a whimper. Eric squeezes his hand tightly and sends love and comfort over the mate bond. "Eric, you're going to come up with some excuse for how you shredded the cushion and pay the manager for it. That's the worst I've ever seen your control you have to be more careful." "But.. I…. Yes Derek."
Eric is silent a moment before he pulls his pocket knife out and breaks the blade leaving a sharp jagged stub then reaches around and cuts through his back pocket. Satisfied he shoves the knife in his back pocket and looks at Isaac. "Could you let me out puppy?" Isaac smiles softly and slides to the side and stands up. Eric walks by running his hand down Isaac's arm and heading to the front of the restaurant. Speaking to the manager Eric gestures back to the table then pulls the knife out pointing to the broken blade explaining how he'd broken it at work the carelessly forgot to fold in the broken piece before shoving it in his pocket shrugging in an embarrassed manner. He turns and shows that his pants had been damaged as well. He pulls his wallet out and hands some cash to the manager before going back to the table. "Broken pocket knife? Good story." Derek says impressed. Eric shrugs. "It was the only thing I could come up with. Buy me a new knife and all is forgiven puppy." Isaac smiles and nods "Why do you even still carry a pocket knife?" he asks. "Force of habit I guess. I always needed a various tools and the Swiss Army knife was the best way for me to have them without carrying a tool box around with me. I guess I don't need to anymore." Eric says shrugging. "I'll get you one, and a phone we can get them tonight." Isaac says. Eric leans in to Isaac's side and kisses him on the cheek. Derek rolls his eyes and says. "Finish up, I promised Stiles we'd pick some things up for dinner on the way home."