They didn't sleep that night. There were too many things for them to catch up on and starting that conversation proved difficult. Derek invited his small pack down to the train station and Isaac and Ro were sitting next to each other with their shoulders pressed together. Rowan had cried for a good long time. She wept with relief at getting her world back. It was something beyond that too though. Isaac had always meant the world to her but her wolf seemed even more taken with him than she ever could be. It was that instinct that made her hold onto Isaac, and when she was forced to let go she stayed as close as possible and she didn't want anyone to touch him. It was strange to her mind but the soul that was now part beast and part girl allowed it. Hell, encouraged it. Isaac was her everything, and she wasn't going to let him go twice. She was forcing her actions to be casual though.

When Boyd and Erica arrived Rowan got up and hugged Erica tightly. Erica let out a pleasant laugh that told Rowan how happy she was that Rowan was now in the pack. She embraced Boyd as well. They had always had an understanding and sometimes they'd eaten lunch together, but Rowan never really let herself have other friends. It was too hard and too painful. He smiled at her though and she took that as his approval.

"I'm glad you're all on such good terms." Derek said. Unsurprisingly he did not sound glad. Rowan didn't let it get to her because she knew somehow that Derek was soft under the mask he wore as their leader. She felt Isaac tense though and reached out to take his hand. "Go home and rest, we're going to train again tomorrow." There was collective grumbling and the group dispersed.

Isaac and rowan left as well but they ended up taking a midnight walk around the quiet town. They ended up at the library and they sat together on the benches. Eventually the words started pouring out, for both of them. They were friendly at first, then accusatory, and heartbroken. They yelled about being apart, and about how they left things. She asked him how he could choose his dad over her with tears running down her face and sobs racking her body. He held her even though he was crying too. Everything he ever did was to protect her and things were the same in her case. They went through all the nasty words and the ugly crying and the sobbing, and then they forgave each other.

"I'm sorry about your dad." She said to him finally.

"Are you really?" She nodded.

"Loosing him hurt you, and for that I am sorry." He nodded but didn't say anything else.

"How has Mariah been to you?" He asked eventually."

"Horrible. So no worse than before."

"How have you been to you?" She shook her head and continued to cry softly.

"Not good." She didn't have the strength to tell him what she had become. He seemed to already know though. He pushed up her sleeves and ran his thin fingers over the skin. On the left arm there were only pale pink scars left. Isaac traced all of them with his thumb.

"These scars are going to fade." He said. "Can you promise me you won't replace them?" She nodded. "The drinking and the partying too. No more." He sounded like he was begging and Rowan would agree to anything to make take the pain out of his voice. "This is our fresh start, Ro. I was always content with family being just you and me but Boyd and Erica, they're good too."

"And Derek." Rowan put in.

"He's …harsh."

"He wants you to think so. I don't think he's really so bad though."

"Okay, he can be family if you approve him." She sidled closer to him. She missed the comfort of having someone literally and figuratively by her side. They stayed at the library until the sun started to rise. Rowan cursed.

"I've got to go home and check on Mariah," She looked down at herself. "And change. I'll see you at school?" He nodded and walked off back toward the train station as Rowan made her way to her house.

That was Rowan's best day of high school yet. At lunch she sat with Isaac and Erica and Boyd. She had friends. Plural. It was the best feeling in the world.

"Oh dear, look at them looking over here." Erica said looking over Rowan's shoulder.

"They'll be trying to sway her from the pack soon." Boyd agreed following her gaze. Rowan turned to see Scott and Stiles looking over at them. When they saw that they'd been caught they looked away shamefully.

"They're both wolves? Or just Scott?" She asked.

"Just Scott, but Stiles knows." Isaac told her.

"Why don't they want me in your pack?"

"They don't like Derek."

"I thought you guys were working together to get the kanima– Jackson."

"We are, but that don't mean a thing. They still don't trust Derek." Boyd said.

"Do we?" Isaac asked.

"I do." Rowan said

"Me too." Erica put in and Boyd made a noise with a nod of his head that indicated he agreement.

"Then there really isn't anything they can say to me that will make a difference." Rowan said with a smile. Isaac bumped her shoulder with his happily. They were together. It was still a shock and both of them were still buzzing with joy. Talks turned to training later today and Rowan wondered what about it would be so terrible.

Boyd moved like she never thought was possible. She watched as his muscles contracted with effort as he sprung himself over the obstacles. His golden eyes were intimidating to Rowan and his gaze wasn't even fixed on her. He'd shed his leather jacket and his muscles arms were bare and gleaming with sweat. As he approached his target he flicked his claws out and Rowan saw the animal within him roaring. Nothing could stop him...

Except Derek who bodily threw him on his ass.

Rowan sighed. None of Derek's betas have landed a blow still and most of them had been at this way longer than Rowan. Isaac was called up next and Rowan watched him run the course and then attack Derek. Unsurprisingly he was thrown on his ass. Rowan was next. This was her first time doing this, and everyone else had already gone at least twice. It felt like none of them were going to get through this. It was like the fucking Kobayashi Maru. She ran the course and when she got to Derek she managed to duck the arm going for her throat, but he still managed to catch her hand as she clawed at his side. Aaaand she was thrown to the ground. Ow. Erica got up for her turn and Rowan walked back down the course.

"Mind if I cut in?" Rowan asked her. Erica smiled and stepped backward. Rowan took a moment to let her wolf rise to the surface. Her eyes shined gold and her teeth sharpened. She took a deep breath giving her senses over to the wolf. She was careful to make sure the human side of her was still calling the shots though. She had watched Derek and thus far he'd been predictable. She looked at Derek and where he stood under the metal railing, an idea was forming in her mind. She ran the course but was so focused on a different goal that Derek managed to catch her. Fuck.

"Again." She said getting up. Derek raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. He looked like he was rather enjoying himself, the bastard. She ran the course again. When his arm shot out to grab her she dodged it and used it as a springboard to catch on to the railing above him. She spun around and down the pole with both her feet locked in front of her to kick him in the chest. Her feet literally touched his chest before he caught her ankle and he whipped her onto her back. He sighed like she had been so close, and it angered Rowan; she was not a quitter. She lifted her legs and threw herself into a crouch before sweeping out a leg and hitting Derek behind the knees as hard as she could. It made him loose his balance but she had to tackle him before he actually fell. She put her claws to his neck and her fellow betas started to cheer. Derek himself was smirking a little. She moved to get off if him but he threw her against the wall instead. Pain rockets up Rowan's back. Did he just break her spine?

"Derek enough!" Isaac shouted to him. He moved to intervene but Rowan held up a hand.

"No." Rowan moaned in response, stretching to let her bones snap back into place. She made herself stand up, panting a little at the pain.

"Again." Kobayashi Maru? Fine, it's time to cheat a little. She walked back down the course. Isaac came up to her.

"You've got nothing to prove."

"I know. I just don't like to loose. Do you remember that time Suzanne Hart tried to fight me?" Rowan had pissed her off and so they'd started to circle each other and when Suzanne's friend had tackled Ro she knew she had been done for. It came completely out of left field and Rowan had unfairly gotten her ass kicked. Story of her childhood. It wasn't a memory she liked to look back on but she was hoping Isaac got the message.

"I- uh, yeah I remember. What's does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. The thought came a bit unexpectedly." She saw his eyes widen and he left her to run the course again but she noticed that he didn't sit down and that he was whispering to Boyd and Erica. Rowan ran the course again. When she reached Derek she ducked his arm as it shot out toward her for the third time and Boyd was there to catch it. Derek threw him off as Erica latched on to his other arm and Rowan rolled between their bodies to be behind Derek. Isaac had taken the arm that Boyd had attacked and Boyd grabbed Derek's legs to bring him to his knees. Derek's struggles were doubled and Rowan latched her claws to the front of Derek's neck. He stilled for a moment and then Rowan felt the vibrations of his silent laughter from between her fingers. She retracted her nails and felt her teeth flatten. She let go of Derek and the others followed suit.

"You're not mad?" Isaac asked incredulously. "You're always mad."

"Got me on the ground and in a kill position. It was a good plan. Especially since you told Isaac about the plan in a way that the enemy wouldn't understand." He told Rowan who straightened a little in pride. "I could have fought harder but I like that you guys were working together. You all keep attacking me in the same way and you're easily defeated that way."

"She didn't even break a bone." Erica said sadly.

"Actually I broke my spine." Rowan interjected as Derek stalked toward Erica. He reached out for her hand and Rowan understood what he was going to do.

"No." She gripped his arm, trying and failing to pull him away from Erica. As it was he was bruising her and she whimpered in pain. Derek looked Rowan in the face.

"You want it to be you're arm?" She hardened and let go of him. He thought she was submitting until she held her forearm out to him with an expression that said go ahead. He stared at her for a long moment before letting go of Erica and reaching out to snap her arm. Rowan groaned loudly but muffled the sound by biting the hem off her shirt.

"So who can tell me why Rowan's first attempts were more successful than yours have been?" Derek went on ignoring Rowans pain. She grabbed her arm and shoved the bone back into place. Ew. Ow. Ew.

"She cheated. She used all of us." Boyd said.

"Not exactly a cheat. Derek's the alpha which mean's he's stronger than all of us individually. Together we had a better chance of getting a scratch on him though," She gestured to Derek. "We still didn't really do that."

"Utilization of prior knowledge, taking your enemies strength's into account, power in numbers. All are extremely important. Power in numbers, it's a pack ideology. I was trying to get you strong enough to start training in pairs but you also have to be smart. You have to strategize." He met Rowan's eyes.

"Rowan is new and she is weak." She looked away shamed. "And yet she is the only one of you that's looked at the situation and taken control of it. She needs to catch up with the rest of you in strength and you all need to catch up to her in strategy. Rowan will run with each of you from now on. Erica you first."

The girls got up and stood at the beginning of the course again.

"How's your arm?"

"Fine, you?"

"The bruise already faded." Erica said dismissively.

"He knows I won't attack. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. Run the course like normal. Don't engage him head on until I get there."

"Get there?" Rowan smiled at her.

"Trust me." She crouched down and flicked out her claws. Erica did the same and they launched into action. Erica ran with purpose straight and Rowan veered off and up to the scaffolding. Erica reached Derek first like Rowan had thought, and she was ducking around him the best she could but Derek grabbed her by the hair. Rowan winced in sympathy, and then launched herself down at Derek from above. She dug her nails in his collarbone and scratched him up the best she could. Her eventually threw both of them off but they had managed to draw blood and that was a huge success. She ran with each of the pack members twice and all attempts turned out pretty good. Rowan collapsed on the floor in exhaustion when the practice was finally over. Isaac brought her a water bottle that she dumped half in her mouth and half all over her head.

"You did good today. Best yet." Derek said cracking her shoulder back into place where Rowan had clipped him in her last run with Isaac. "They next full moon is in two days. It's the worm moon and all of you are still very newly bitten. We're going to chain up here while you all turn. Think about things you can use for your anchor. Practice again tomorrow." Rowan groaned and lay back, landing on the floor with a thump! It was going to be a long week.