The best thing about being a werewolf, well Isaac couldn't say for sure because it was like one giant high. Like he could see the world clearly for the first time-as cliché as that sounded it was true. He woke up and he went through his daily routine thinking nothing had really happened. The bite in his side was slowing at a microscopic pace so he wondered if Derek had been exaggerating the healing abilities. But he also noted that he couldn't find any of the bruises that had existed the day before. He got ready for school and left before his dad was even awake. He heading to school knowing Rowan would already be there. He could smell her, and it was so fucking strange. He caught that scent and he knew where it had come from and it just got stronger and stronger as he approached the gym. He could hear Rowan's music and it was painfully loud and he covered his ears until he could get used to the blaring noise. She stopped the music and then her herd it. Her heartbeat. It was fluttering like a trapped bird, because of the way the dance exhausted her. It was a sound that seemed to pull him close and encompass him completely. The fluttering of her heart made him breath faster until eventually her heartbeat settled in a steady rhythm. Isaac stood there outside the gym listening to her heart pump away like it was a heavenly song. And even when she left the gym and he his from her sight and they both went their separate ways, the steady thrum of her heart still echoed in his ears. Each day he was more painfully aware of her presence. He wanted to reach out to her. He could protect her now, well in theory. His dad shouldn't have been an obstacle but he was. The bite could cure a lot, but not the constant fear that Isaac had of his father. It was an ever-constant emotion. Like walking through a minefield, the explosive anger was a possibility with every step. Isaac was still scared. So when his dad asked him about his grades his usual light tone was there to form his shaky words. His eyes shifted around expertly avoiding his father's gaze and he fiddled with his silverware and pushed his food around. He knew he had a D in chemistry and as hard as he worked in the class he knew he'd probably be lucky if the grade didn't drop lower. So when his dad finally wretched an answer from him, Isaac already knew he'd set his foot in the bear trap. He knew he was in the danger zone and he was just waiting for the pain now. His father was being deceptively lenient. Isaac hated that the most because it hit more than any blow that anyone could land. His dad knew it too. He loved crushing the hope in Isaac and for that same reason he also allowed it to grow. It was cruel.

The plate his father threw shattered and though Isaac was already in the ever familiar position against the wall, with his legs in and his arms around his head, a shard still made it through. The sting of the glass entering his cheek and digging down to the bone made Isaac hiss in pain. He picked out the glass and looked at it surprised. Glass injuries were rare around his house but he knew all about them because a certain best friend of his always got the most horrible cuts. He was trembling but not in fear; not today. He was furious. If that shard had been two inches higher it would have gone straight into his eye.

"You could have blinded me!" he shouted at the man he called father.

"That was your fault." His father shrugged him off. "Quit you're crying it hardly even–"

The cut on Isaac's face reabsorbed the blood and neatly knit itself back together. The pain resided and as Isaac ran his fingers over the smooth skin, faded entirely. Well, shit. He thought, thinking maybe he'd been wrong to doubt Derek's word about the healing that he'd be able to do. It was incredible. He looked back up at his dad. Oh, fuck! His dad was looking at him with an open mouth and wide eyes. The anger faded and without that there was only fear.

He ran.

Rowan heard about Mr. Lahey from the whispers in the hallways at school. They had taken Isaac away as the primary suspect, right from his lacrosse practice. Seriously what the fuck? The boy just lost his father and they have to fucking humiliate him on top of that? Rowan knew Isaac was innocent. She didn't have to know a damn thing about the situation or circumstances. There was nothing that could push Isaac away when it came to his father. Nothing. No matter what the bastard did to him, Isaac always loved him and always hoped that love might one day be returned. It's been four years, thing change. Why should you even care? Part of Rowan argued. The other half was completely offended. I knew him. Not just the boy, I knew his nature and that's something that doesn't change in a mere four years. Either way both arguments pretty much rounded to the same thing: She couldn't know anything, but she believed with her entire being that he was innocent. She was mostly worried about how he would fair in prison.

In the following days, after Isaac disappeared from the station, Rowan started to stew in her anxiety. She was looking for any kind of answer. She was thinking about anywhere she could get information when she settled on Stiles. She did this for three reasons: 1. He was smart ad he was curious, he sought out information which means that he had information. 2. He was the Sheriff's son so there was a greater possibility he actually had something to tell her and 3. He and Scott were hiding something. They were being discrete about the way they talked to each other and they looked constantly stressed. Part of Rowan was curious as to what they were hiding, but her curiosity wasn't enough to break through her anxiety over Isaac. She followed Stiles out of their math class.

"Stiles?" She called out hesitantly. Her voice was hollow from misuse. She'd gotten even quieter than normal lately, which was rather impressive considering she was one of the quietest people. She wondered if one day she'd go to speak and there would be nothing left of her voice at all. It was a terribly depressing considering she actually loved to talk.

"Hey, what's up…" She could tell he was trying to remember her name by the tone of his voice.

"Rowan."

"Right I knew that. What can I do for you?"

"I want to know what you can tell be about Isaac Lahey." She said before she lost her courage. She didn't miss the way Stiles' eyes hardened and he swallowed tightly.

"Never knew him much honestly, seemed like a really good kid to me, I mean I–" she cut off his bullshit rant.

"I know Isaac. What I don't know is why he's disappeared. He had no reason to run, he didn't kill his father."

"How do you know he didn't kill his father?"

"How do you?" she asked genuinely surprised.

"What makes think I think he didn't." Stiles asked in anearly incomprehensible mannor.

"You said 'how do you know,' as in I'm in on the secret. And I know because, I know he loved his father. He could never kill him."

"Yeah well this might come as a surprise to you–"

"His dad beating the shit out of him? Yeah I know that. I know first hand what that monster is capable of. But this is all stuff I know. I need you to tell me what I don't know."

"What makes you think I have answers?"

"I saw they way you squirmed under my question. You know something, which is plausible given that your dad is the sheriff."

"I don't–" know anything.

"Yes, you do. And if impedes on whatever your secret is with Scott, than fine don't tell me." Stiles opened his mouth in panic when she mentioned his secret but Rowan didn't stop to let him talk. "Just tell me he's okay." She tried not to sound like she was pleading.

"He's okay, for now." Stiles said carefully. That made it sound like he wouldn't be soon but Rowan had come to expect that in his life.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know." She nodded.

"Thank you." She said quietly. He nodded, uncomfortable, and turned to walk away.

"Stiles?" He looked at her. "Could you- could you not tell anyone I asked you about this?" She flushed but made herself hold his gaze. He bobbed his head forward in assent before leaving to go find Scott. Now that she knew Isaac wasn't in immediate danger she could go back to her life. Whatever that meant

Who in their right mind invented indoor rock climbing? Rowan looked at the wall with distaste. She remembered two little kids sitting on a park bench "Gym is bad." Said one. "Gym is bad." Agreed the other. The memory was painful. She wasn't as frail as she had been then, being a dancer wasn't a walk in the park, but she still didn't like gym.

"Stilinski, Reyes! You're up next!" Coach Finstock blew his whistle way more that was necessary until Stiles and Erica stepped up to the mat. Stiles was doing good and got all the way to the top. Erica got half way up before getting stuck. She managed to get down much to coaches relief. Rowan's heart clenched in sympathy, seeing Erica surrounded by all these whispering teens. She stepped forward.

"Got higher than I could have." Rowan told her. She smiled tightly.

"You would have made it to the top."

"Maybe. But I'm a dancer so I should be able to do it. I'm not you. If I were you though I could never be that strong. I admire that about you. You're a fighter. Don't let the riff raff of high school ever tell you different." She walked away after Erica smiled at her gratefully.

"No, no, it's Erica!" Scott bounded out of the room and ran to Erica just as she let go of the wall. Rowan let out a startled scream thinking Scott wasn't going to make it. He did though and when he caught her she was seizing. They laid her on her side and Rowan's heart lurched at the sight of Erica Seizing on the ground still clutching Scott's hand.

"Pathetic."

Rowan whipped around at the mark but she couldn't find the low life that had deigned to speak. When Erica finally stopped seizing she laid still for a moment, sagging against the floor.

"Is she finally dead?" The voice said again and Rowan spotted the girl who had spoken. She had a very pale face, cold blue eyes, and a severe cut bob, Rowan stalked toward her.

"Hey!"

"What's your deal Silent Stevens?"

"Oh burn!" Rowan snapped sarcastically. "Maybe you'd be able to actually hurt me if you didn't hide behind the taunts of a child." She snarled fiercely. "You have no right to judge here and no matter who you torment today you're not going to make yourself a person any of us are going to like better."

"Exactly what a loser like you would say."

"You think you better than me?"

"Yeah I do." Rowan walked up getting her face in the other girls. She smiled wickedly.

"Prove it, bitch." She said in a hushed tone. "Show everyone here who's really pathetic. Let them see you bite instead of bark. Or get the fuck out of here." The girl had blanched at the thought of having to fight Rowan. She my have been quiet, but that just made her that much more unpredictable when she came out of her shell.

The girl turned on her blue platform heels and stalked out of the gym.

She had drawn a crowd but she ignored everyone and looked down at Erica who was now sitting up and watching Ro. She walked over and knelt beside Erica.

"Thank you." She said shakily to Rowan who only nodded in assent. Erica took one of her hands and Rowan let her hold it until the medics came to take Erica to the hospital.

When she looked back on it later, even Rowan was surprised at her reaction. She had acted so instinctively that her conserved mask melted away to be replaced with a fierceness that wanted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. She had made herself a target again, and she couldn't care less. They couldn't make her hurt more than she already was.

A/N: I'm so Sorry! I don't know what happened with the formatting there hopefully it's good now. Thank you to CherryTree230 for pointing that out for me!