A/N: I'm back! Didja miss me? Or at least the story? :P
I do feel like I owe you guys a brief explanation. The past year has been quite a roller coaster. The company where I had worked for over a decade closed, and so I started a new job. That transition itself was of course stressful enough, but in general I'm just way busier and have a lot less time to write now. On a sadder note my father-in-law passed away after a protracted illness…but on a happier note, I got legally married! We'd been together for almost ten years and were pretty much "common law" married anyway, but I'm glad we made it official!
Anyway, that's what's been up with me and why I allowed updates to stall out for so long, but the story was never abandoned or even officially "on hold" in my mind, and actually I've been working on a heavy round of edits for the past three months to clean things up.
So, diving back in, things are just starting to heat up for this second major act of the story – and there's a whole third act after this – so buckle up because there's a whole lot more adventure, romance, smut, and mayhem to come!
Iron Claws and Fragile Hearts
Chapter 66: The Truth Shall Set You Free
Isaac's stomach twisted as he stepped out of his final morning class and found Ethan and Stiles waiting for him in the hallway...together.
"Here he is." Stiles patted Ethan's shoulder, leaving his hand in place as they both turned mischievous grins on Isaac.
"What's up?" he asked, looking between them and resisting the urge to hide his heartbeat and mask his scent. That would have tipped off Ethan more than his anxiety, and if he didn't act casual Stiles would pick up on it too. Dammit, why did they both have to be so perceptive?
"Relax, Isaac, we're getting along." Ethan smirked as he caught Isaac's eye and held it a beat longer than normal.
"Yeah, man, chill." Stiles glanced at Ethan and snickered before turning a lopsided grin on Isaac. "No need to flip out and destroy commercial property or anything."
Ethan barked out a sharp laugh and turned to usher Isaac and Stiles down the hallway with a hand on both their backs.
"What are you talking about?" Isaac folded his arms and glared at them each in turn. They only laughed harder.
"Ethan was just explaining how I'm basically your favorite rawhide bone and that's why you turned into Mr. Growlywolf that night a couple weeks ago at Deaton's when he got too close to me."
Isaac's cheeks burned as he recalled his behavior that night. He had been hoping neither one of them nor Malia would ever bring it up again. So much for that. "I did not turn into Mr– I didn't get growly!"
Stiles rolled his eyes and addressed Ethan. "Is he lying or full of shit?"
"Those aren't mutually exclusive options, especially where he's concerned." Ethan's hand drifted from Isaac's back to his neck, and he gave it a gentle squeeze, keeping the words from stinging.
Likewise, the smile on Stiles' face was fond and his scent brimmed with affection as he regarded Isaac.
"Well I didn't destroy commercial property," Isaac insisted, fighting to keep his lips from curling up around the corners. "Malia did that."
"Yeah, but let's be real about whose fault it was," Stiles answered, reaching around Ethan to flick the side of Isaac's head.
"He does have a point," Ethan said, smoothing Isaac's hair where Stiles had ruffled it.
Crap, had that really seemed like just a platonic gesture?
"Malia was only acting on instinct," Ethan added, dropping his voice.
"So was I!" Isaac stamped his foot and pursed his lips dramatically, eager to keep Stiles distracted.
It worked. He giggled and gave Ethan a horrified look. "I guess I should just be glad he didn't pee on my leg."
Ethan cringed and shook his head. "Dude, too far."
Isaac was pretty sure his face had burst into flames by this point. "I wouldn't–"
"Don't." Ethan held up his hand and chuckled. "Nothing you can say is going to help your position."
"I hate you both," Isaac muttered with folded arms as they reached the end of the hall.
"Love you too, buddy," Stiles answered.
Isaac choked on his tongue. That– That wasn't something Stiles should say casually to him anymore. He seemed to realize it too as his eyes widened and his cheeks darkened. A moment later the prickly, sour-sweet scent of his embarrassment filled the air.
Ethan seemed more amused than anything else as he led them out through the side doors and onto the sidewalk that would take them to the cafeteria.
After going through the lunch line, they found Scott eating at their usual table – well Isaac and Stiles' usual table. Ethan had never eaten with them before, but he automatically took his place beside Isaac with Stiles on Isaac's other side and Scott across from them.
"Where's everyone else?" Isaac asked, looking around.
"Lydia's in the library." Scott glanced at Stiles and fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket. "She's just studying some boring stuff that wouldn't interest any of us."
Isaac cringed and Ethan sighed under his breath too. It didn't take a werewolf to figure out that Scott was lying and that she must have been reading the darach's journal. Stiles didn't visibly react, but they were going to need to keep a close eye on him for the rest of lunch.
"I'm not sure where Malia was going, but I saw her and Aiden disappearing into the woods by the lacrosse field." Scott unlocked his phone where it rested on the table beside his tray and frowned at the screen. "I texted her, but she hasn't texted back."
Stiles snickered. "She's probably just going to get anchored."
"Get anchored?" Scott's brow furrowed, but then realization washed across his face and his scent flushed with embarrassment. "Ohh...you think she would do that…in the woods?"
"Yeah, who would mess around in the woods?" Ethan asked innocently as he brushed his foot against Isaac's under the table.
Don't get turned on. Don't get turned on. Don't get turned on.
Isaac cut Ethan the subtlest dirty look he could manage.
Ethan smirked at him and pressed their legs together.
"I think it's safe to say she would," Stiles answered with a toothy grin, apparently not paying attention to Ethan and Isaac. "Does a coyote fuck in the woods? It's like that 'does a fish piss in the ocean?' question. We know that they do!"
"I'm trying to eat," Isaac grumbled, elbowing Stiles as he unwrapped his sandwich.
Stiles waggled his eyebrows at him, and Isaac was paranoid Ethan would notice. Dammit, this was way too nerve-racking.
"Here comes Liam," Scott said with a nod toward the door. He lowered his voice and werewolf whispered to him, "Hey man, come join us."
Liam ignored them and made a beeline for a table a couple rows over where Danny and Mason were sitting.
Scott's face fell and he poked at his mashed potatoes with his fork. "I guess he doesn't want to sit with me."
"It's not that," Isaac answered, eying their packmate as he hovered beside the seat across from Mason. His heart was beating a little bit too fast and the scent of his anxiety was already burning Isaac's nostrils.
"Are you ready to tell me the truth about what's been going on?" Mason asked, giving Liam a hard look. "Otherwise don't even bother sitting down."
"What do you mean?" Scott asked, speaking over them.
Isaac desperately wanted to keep listening to Liam and Mason, but he couldn't ignore Scott, especially not when he thought Liam was avoiding him.
"It's not you. He's mad at, uh..."
"Can we talk privately?" Liam was asking Mason as he finally sat down. He smelled so damn vulnerable it made Isaac sick to his stomach.
"At...?" Scott asked.
"He's eavesdropping," Ethan said with a glance at Liam and Mason's table.
"No," Mason was saying, "whatever it is, you can tell me in front of Danny. He's my boyfriend."
"Oh." Scott nodded and looked at their table too. "Is Liam mad at that guy Danny's been dating? They're in the same grade, huh?"
"Mason, and no. Mason's mad at Liam, not the other way around," Isaac answered, straining to pay attention to the other conversation. "But yeah, they're both sophomores."
"I can give you guys a minute," Danny was saying.
"But I thought you said Liam was mad at someone?"
"Shhh." Isaac was so going to feel guilty about shushing his alpha later, but he needed to be ready to stop Liam from revealing the truth.
"Can I call you after cross country practice?" Liam asked.
"I guess we can just meet up instead," Mason answered. "I was going to stay and wait for Danny anyway."
Isaac breathed a sigh of relief as he realized Liam wasn't going to try to out himself to Mason until this afternoon. That gave them a few more hours to talk him out of it. He needed to explain things to Scott so he could handle it…since Isaac had destroyed his own relationship with Liam.
"Mason's his best friend. He wants to tell him about being a werewolf," Isaac whispered.
"Ahh, that makes sense," Scott answered with an easy nod.
"What?!" Isaac turned away from the underclassmen and stared in disbelief at Scott.
"Well I told Stiles I was a werewolf," Scott answered with a smile at his best friend.
"No, technically I told you, you were a werewolf."
"Good point," Scott answered with a laugh.
Isaac huffed. "This is different."
"How?" Ethan asked, his face and tone characteristically neutral.
Isaac folded his arms and glared at him. He wasn't buying the neutrality act. The bastard obviously wanted to hang him with his own logic. "Stiles is special and–"
"Aww, buddy!" Stiles rubbed Isaac's back and bounced in his seat. "I think you're special too!"
Isaac ignored him and the heat spreading up his cheeks. "And we don't even know Mason."
"Yeah, but Liam does," Ethan answered, "and it's his secret to tell."
"I agree," Scott said with a smile at Ethan before shifting his attention to Isaac and giving him an earnest look. "I know you want to protect him, but we can't control the decisions he makes, and it might be good for him to have someone outside the pack he can go to for support."
"He already has Aiden." Isaac inwardly cringed at his own acknowledgment but barely slowed his argument. "And his parents."
"But it's a big adjustment." Scott shrugged. "The more people he has looking out for him the better, right?"
"So you're just gonna let him?!"
How could Scott not see how risky this was? How could Ethan not? A quick glance at Stiles confirmed he wasn't on Isaac's side either.
"I guess we can talk to him and make sure he knows what he's doing and how serious it is, but it's ultimately up to him," Scott answered.
"Well you can talk to him," Isaac muttered.
Disappointment flared in Scott's scent, and he looked offended. "I know you're cranky because you didn't get much sleep but–"
"It's not that." Isaac sighed and scrubbed an exhausted hand across his face. Okay maybe it was partially that. He hadn't meant to get so worked up, but that wasn't even the main problem. "I mean you can talk to him, but I literally can't. He won't talk to me. I'm the person he's mad at."
"Huh?" Scott's lips parted and his brow furrowed. "But this morning he tackled you with a hug."
A cold ache lanced through Isaac's gut. That was true. It was hard to comprehend how things had gone so wrong so quickly.
Ethan's hand landed on Isaac's arm and gave it a squeeze. "What happened?"
"Oh." Stiles shook his head and sucked air through his teeth. "I told you not to tell him."
"It slipped out."
"Tell him what?" Scott asked. Ethan was clearly waiting for an answer too.
"That I almost killed him."
"What?!" Ethan and Scott exclaimed in unison, both gaping at him.
Isaac lowered his eyes. He couldn't bear to see the looks on either of their faces. "It was the first night of the full moon when Iron Claw bit him, and I was taking him to the hospital."
"What happened?" Scott asked as a wave of comfort surged through his and Isaac's packbond.
Isaac gasped, overcome with a burst of emotion that only intensified when a similar surge of pack security flared through his new bond with Ethan, and Stiles draped his arm around Isaac's shoulders. He shrunk further in on himself, embarrassed by the care they were giving him. He didn't deserve it.
"I told you…I almost killed him," Isaac whispered, staring down at his lunch tray.
Stiles squeezed his shoulders and rocked side to side. "The full moon and general blood loss made Isaac's predator instincts go all flooey. The important thing is that he didn't act on the urge."
"Stiles is right." Ethan gripped Isaac's shoulder, his fingers brushing Stiles'. "It says more about your level of control that you could stop than that you had a moment of weakness after spending the night fighting for your life."
Isaac groaned, refusing to look up. Of course Stiles and Ethan would say that…they were his boyfriends. Oh god, he really was a piece of scum.
"Isaac?" Scott's voice was gentle but rang with just enough alpha authority to get Isaac's full attention. He waited until Isaac met his eyes before continuing. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Isaac sighed as warmth washed over him, and his packbond with Scott glowed with approval. "Really?"
Scott nodded. "It's okay. Liam's gonna understand. He's just mad right now."
"Aiden did say he'd get over it if I left him alone and gave him some space," Isaac answered, desperately wanting to believe it.
"Aiden gave you advice about Liam?" Stiles let go of Isaac and tilted his head so far sideways his neck was in danger of popping. "And you took it?"
Isaac shrugged.
Ethan grumbled too quietly for Stiles to hear and returned to his lunch.
"I still need to talk to Aiden about his packbond with Liam and Malia," Scott said.
"He's not using them," Ethan said in a distant, detached voice.
"I know that," Scott answered softly, smiling at Ethan again when he looked up. "I just want to hear him say it."
"Yeah, he's not gonna do that." Ethan laughed, then cleared his throat. "But if you need to hear me say–
"I don't."
"I'm not using Isaac. Or you." Ethan's tone and heartbeat were steady – not that Isaac ever doubted they would be. He brushed his elbow against Ethan's.
"I know."
"Yeah, Scott's a pushover. I'm really the one you need to convince," Stiles said with just a hint of a threat in his voice.
Ethan leaned forward and looked past Isaac at Stiles with an arched brow.
Stiles' face softened and he nodded. "And I'm convinced. We're cool."
"Good." Ethan returned the nod before smirking. "Because you're probably gonna need me again the next time you start to go tumbling down a staircase."
"Tah, please!" Stiles rolled his eyes and waved a hand. "I have plenty of werewolves to catch me!"
"Is that supposed to be some kind of flex or just a general acknowledgment of your klutziness?" Isaac asked, bumping his knee against Stiles'.
"Who says it can't be both?" Stiles answered with a wink.
Ethan laughed, but the smile faded from his face as his phone buzzed on the table beside his lunch tray.
"What is it?" Stiles asked.
Isaac nudged Ethan's leg under the table. He suspected he already knew the answer as distress flared in Ethan's scent. Scott was watching him with a tense vigilance too.
"Just an email I don't know how to respond to," Ethan answered with a forced half-smile at Stiles. They seemed to be going out of their way to be pleasant to each other today, which Isaac both sort of liked and sort of found cripplingly nerve-racking.
"I say ignore it!" Stiles gave him a playful grin. "I hear all that money made the Nigerian prince a total douche-nozzle, and if you ask me your breasts are already the perfect size!"
Ethan stared at him for a moment before letting out a sharp laugh and shoving his phone into his pocket. "Thanks, I needed that."
"So, uh, another message from Megan?" Scott asked.
Ethan nodded, his face sobering.
"She has your email too?" Isaac growled. He didn't even know Ethan's email address…or his last name now that he thought about it. Hmm, maybe if he could get Ethan to email him it would be listed.
"I have all my old accounts forwarding to my current one. I guess she realized Rick's number is blocked." Ethan sagged against the table and rubbed the side of his head. He glanced at Isaac and Stiles, then let his gaze linger on Scott. "Look, I'm really sorry that she's here…killing people because of me."
Isaac wrapped his arm around Ethan and pulled him into a sideways hug, confident Stiles wouldn't read into it under the circumstances. "That's not your fault."
"Of course it's not," Scott said.
"Yeah," –Ethan gave Isaac a quick squeeze before pulling away– "it is. I brought this on myself." He swallowed. "And on Aiden. And I guess now on innocent people too."
"Ethan–"
"I thought we could put the past behind us." He stared down at his lunch tray, his hand closing into a fist. "Aiden said we couldn't. He was right."
"You're responsible for Rick's death." Stiles' words made everyone flinch. "But that's it. Anything else his sister does in the name of revenge is on her. Not you. And we don't even know if that guy in the woods last night is connected."
"He was their emissary."
"Right, so maybe there was bad blood between them that didn't have anything to do with you."
"That does makes sense," Isaac said softly, rubbing Ethan's back. "Killing their former emissary doesn't seem like a great way to get back at you. It was probably unrelated."
"My hunch is he tried to talk them out of coming after me and Aiden, and they didn't like that."
"Well if that happened, Stiles is right," Scott said, catching Ethan's eye and holding it. "That's on them. Not you."
Ethan shrugged. "There's still a lot of blood on my hands regardless…and I can't change that."
They fell silent. Isaac wanted to argue, wanted to find a way to absolve Ethan's guilt, but nothing he could say would help. Ethan had gone from one abusive pack to another, and Isaac didn't believe he was fully culpable for the atrocities he had committed while under Deucalion's thrall or in response to Keith's torment before that. But it didn't matter. Ethan believed it, and Isaac knew firsthand that It wasn't your fault were hollow words to someone who had lived through abuse and trauma.
"Scott!" Liam's whispered shriek from across the cafeteria shattered Isaac's thoughts. "Look!"
Isaac whipped his head in Liam's direction. He had sat down at a table of other sophomores after making his plans with Mason to talk after cross country practice. Mason and Danny were still sharing a table by themselves, and it was that table where Liam was staring wide-eyed and panicked. Isaac's blood ran cold. Danny was straightening the cuffs of a sweater he had just put on…a navy blue sweater.
"Oh fuck." Ethan's voice was several octaves higher than normal. He hopped out of his seat and strode to Danny and Mason's table, leaving Isaac and the others trading unsure glances as they got up to follow him.
"Where did you get that sweater?" Ethan demanded, his tone decidedly lower and more authoritative. It made Isaac's head swim.
Danny blinked at him and furrowed his brow. "Uh, H&M. Why, do you like it?"
"Take it off."
"Wow, you haven't said that to me in awhile." Danny let out a nervous laugh, and his face darkened in a blush as he squeezed Mason's hand. "What's your problem, Ethan?"
"Fast fashion," Stiles blurted out as they joined Ethan by Danny and Mason's table. "We watched a documentary over the weekend about how awful it is for the environment."
"That's right." Isaac gave a crisp nod and frowned. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Danny. Who do you think pays the price for that stylish, affordable sweater that'll end up in a landfill before next winter? The Earth, that's who!"
"I liked them better when they were obsessed with porn," Mason whispered to Danny.
Danny tipped his head in agreement and frowned. "Thanks for the PSA, guys. I'll keep that in mind the next time I go shopping." His gaze caught on Scott's hand, and his frown deepened. "What happened?"
"I got it caught in a cage," Scott answered with barely a glance at his finger sleeve. Then his eyes widened and he shifted nervously in place.
"At work?" Danny asked.
"Uh, yeah at work." Scott's head bobbed in a vigorous nod. "That's totally where it happened. At work. Stupid work accident. Um, anyway back to your sweater."
Danny crossed his arms and sighed. "What about it?"
"Now that you know how bad it is for the environment, why dontcha just go ahead and give it to me to recycle for you?"
"Dude, I'm not letting you recycle my sweater."
"I'll buy you another one," Ethan offered. "A nice, sustainable one. One that you can be proud to wear."
"Maybe in green," Stiles suggested. "A green sweater in green. It's perfect!"
"You do look great in green, Danny," Ethan said with a smile.
"Or red," Isaac interjected. "I think red's his color."
"Or red." Ethan nodded and gave Danny a hopeful look. "Let me buy you a nice, eco-friendly green or red sweater, and in the meantime let's just get that dingy planet-busting blue one off so Scott can recycle it."
"I think you've been spending too much time with them," Danny mumbled to his ex as he glanced at Isaac and the others.
"What's going on in here?" Malia wolf whispered as she walked into the cafeteria with Aiden.
"We need to make Danny take off his sweater," Isaac whispered back as Stiles and Ethan kept arguing with Danny. "We're trying to convince him it's bad for the environment."
"That's a dumb argument, but don't worry, I'll handle it."
"You can't hurt him or just rip it off of him," Scott rushed to add.
Malia grumbled and grabbed a tray off one of the nearby tables. "Are you done with this?"
"No, I–"
"Thanks." She ignored the dumbfounded student and waved at Isaac and the others. "Oh, there you guys are!"
"Malia! Hey Malia!" Scott returned the wave and took a step back, opening the path between her and where Danny was sitting.
"Uh oh! There seems to be something slippery on this floor!" Malia lurched forward and dumped her tray all over Danny. "Oops."
Danny yelped and jumped to his feet, wiping beans and mashed potatoes off the front of his body.
"You did that deliberately!" Mason shouted as he passed his boyfriend napkins and dabbed at some of the mess on his back. Stiles pretended to help too but only smeared the mess and ground it in deeper.
"Of course I didn't," Malia answered. "I don't even know either of you."
Mason gave her a dirty look and whispered to Danny, "I bet she saw that same documentary."
Danny shucked the sweater over his head and scowled as he tossed it on the table.
"Don't worry, I still get you a new one," Ethan said, patting Danny's shoulder.
"You look hotter now anyway," Malia said with a wink. "That sweater didn't do your chest and arms justice."
Stiles smirked. "Malia's answer to the fast fashion crisis is for people to just wear less clothes in general."
"It seems like the obvious solution," Malia answered with a shrug. "Aiden and I have been doing our part."
"I mean, you can't argue with results," Isaac agreed as he followed the others back to their table.
Isaac struggled to stay awake for the rest of the school day and quit trying altogether in his last hour US History class. He had the class with Scott and Lydia, and now Malia too, and something had upset Malia between classes. Lydia calmed her down and got her to start meditating, and Isaac decided he needed to "meditate" too and put his head down. He hadn't meant to fully go to sleep, but he was out seemingly the moment he closed his eyes. Scott or Lydia must have made an excuse for him because no one bothered him until Scott shook him and announced class was over and it was time for cross country practice.
Isaac was wide awake in a matter of moments. Liam planned to come out to Mason as a werewolf after cross country practice, and Scott still intended to let him. Isaac tapped out a series of frantic text message as he walked with Scott to the gym, picking up the conversation where he had left off before class.
Isaac: You have to stop him.
Isaac: You're the only one he'll listen too.
Isaac: Just tell him it's a bad idea
Isaac: Tell him it's too soon
Isaac: Tell him to wait a couple weeks
Isaac was in the middle of his next 'tell him' text when a reply finally came through.
Ethan's Evil Twin: I'm telling YOU to STFU before I block your ass.
Isaac growled, drawing Scott's attention to his phone. Scott covered the screen with his hand before Isaac could respond.
"He will block you if you don't leave him alone."
"Yeah, that's the idea." Isaac smirked and resumed his message.
"You know something might happen with the Cosgrove pack and you might actually need to be able to reach him."
Isaac sighed and slid the phone into his pocket, message unsent. Scott had a point. There were too many scenarios that could involve Ethan being in danger and Isaac needing to reach him or warn him through Aiden.
"So, uh, Scott–"
"No, Isaac."
"You didn't even lemme finish."
"Is it about Liam?"
"It's about…it's about pack security."
Scott shook his head. "I'm not ordering him not to tell Mason. Not that he would listen anyway."
Isaac groaned. Scott had a point about that too. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, his fingers twitching to send one more message to the only person who could–
"No." Scott's tone hinted at real irritation.
"I just don't want him to get hurt," Isaac muttered. "Even if Mason doesn't tell anyone, he might freak out and reject him."
"He might," Scott agreed with a frown, "but what kind of friendship could they have with Liam hiding such an important part of his identity?"
"People hide stuff all the time." Isaac should know.
"But not from their best friends."
The bottom dropped out of Isaac's stomach as he took in Scott's earnest expression.
"What's wrong?" Scott's eyebrows drew together in concern.
"Scott, I-I need to tell you something."
"Okay, go ahead."
They paused outside of the gym doors. When Isaac didn't continue, Scott guided them off the sidewalk and next to the sprawling oak tree that overlooked the building. Isaac swallowed. There wasn't any one discrete moment when he had started hiding things from Scott, but two weeks ago under this tree when he had made sex plans with Ethan felt as significant as any other step in the long march that had led him into this duplicitous quagmire of deceiving virtually everyone he cared about…even Scott, even his best friend who had never been anything but accepting and supportive toward him.
Scott gave him an expectant look.
"I…can't…say it," Isaac choked out, his stomach a jumbled ball of knots and the blood pumping like ice water in his veins. How the fuck had any of this happened?!
"Hey, it's okay." Scott rubbed Isaac's shoulder and squeezed his neck. "Of course you can say it. You can tell me anything."
Isaac shook his head and took a ragged breath. "There's too much…and it's…I can't."
"Okay," Scott whispered, pulling him into a hug. "It's okay too if you're not ready to tell me."
"I want to," Isaac answered, returning the embrace and struggling to get his trembling under control.
"You will when you're ready." Scott patted his back and let go.
Isaac frowned and stared at the ground between their feet. When would he ever be ready to disappoint Scott with the full, horrible truth of what he had done?
"We should get to practice if you're okay," Scott said softly. "Liam might need us."
"R-right." Isaac nodded and hurried into the gym, not waiting for Scott. He was too embarrassed about his aborted confession and too afraid he would go through with it if he didn't get away. It wouldn't have been fair to put Scott in that position. And what the fuck was he supposed to do with Isaac's revelation anyway?
"What's wrong?" Ethan whispered from his locker on the other side of the room as Isaac entered a short time later.
Isaac caught his eye and shook his head, pleading with him not to push for an answer.
"You okay?" Stiles asked with a frown as Isaac walked past him. He was already shirtless, his gym shirt draped over his shoulder.
Isaac gave him the same look he had given Ethan.
Stiles' frown deepened, but then mischief sparked in his dark eyes and he reached for the fly of his pants.
Isaac shot him a silent apology and hustled away without accepting the obvious implicit offer of watching him undress. That didn't keep images of Stiles' cock and balls, and crack and hole, from flashing through his mind, but at least he felt like slightly less of a skeevy prick.
He stole another glance at Ethan. He was shirtless now too, and just pulling his gym shorts over the prodigious bulge at the front of his crotch. He caught Isaac looking and grinned as he readjusted himself, tugging at the stretchy compression material under the baggy maroon fabric and rearranging the outline of his shaft. His abs and chest not so subtly flexed as he handled himself.
Isaac groaned and busied himself opening his own locker. He got changed in record time and turned just as the heartbeat he was focused on reached the space behind him.
"Liam wait."
Liam growled – the sound could just barely pass as human – and stepped out of reach as Isaac grabbed for his arm. He was already dressed in his gym clothes and on his way out of the locker room.
"Leave me alone."
"I'm sorry." Isaac raised his palm in a gesture he hoped was calming. He was about to plead with Liam one more time not to tell Mason he was a werewolf, but changed tacks as he realized there was basically no chance Liam would have stayed to hear to what he had to say. "I talked to Aiden this morning after I found you guys in here."
Liam's eyes narrowed and the bitter, peppery scent of his anger filled Isaac's nostrils.
"Look, I just want to repeat that I'm sorry and say that I'll leave you alone until you're ready to talk." Isaac nodded, trying to convey sincerity. It would drive him mad with worry, but if Liam needed to take some time to sort things out, he would do his best to be patient. He would even stay out of Liam's decision to out himself to Mason if that's what it took to get Liam to trust him again.
Liam huffed and shoved Isaac backward. Isaac braced for the next assault, but instead Liam pushed him back and sideways into a narrow alcove between two banks of lockers, where they would have a measure more privacy.
"You don't get it do you?" he whisper-snarled, his eyes blazing gold.
"Get what?"
"I'm not gonna be 'ready to talk to you.'" He curled clawed fingers around the words in derision. "We're fucking done. Got it?"
"TWO MINUTES!" Coach yelled from the doorway as Liam's words gutted Isaac.
"But Aiden said you just needed time," Isaac mumbled, searching Liam's wolfed out face and enraged scent for any signs of doubt…he found none.
"What the fuck does Aiden know about this?!"
"You forgave him." Isaac clung to that reality like a lifeline. Sure maybe Aiden's fangs hadn't actually been on Liam's throat the way his own had been, but the situations were similar.
"Aiden wasn't my First Bond. You were."
"W-were?"
Golden hate flashed in Liam's eyes. "Do you know how it feels that you almost killed me? Fucking you of all people?!" He slammed Isaac against the wall and a torrent of sour pepper coffee flooded the air between them. "You?!"
Isaac gasped and fought back a sob. He had done that. He had filled Liam with so much pain they could both barely breathe. "I'm sorry."
"Fuck it." Liam shrugged, his fangs retracting. "We're done. Stay away from me."
Isaac sank to the locker room floor as Liam stalked away. Their packbond was still present, a cold, throbbing ache in Isaac's chest – but packbonds never broke. He had no way of knowing if his First Bond with Liam was still intact. Only Liam could feel that. And based on the way Liam felt…
"I don't wanna talk about it," Isaac said without looking up as he used every trick he had learned from his years of abuse to tamp down his emotions and maintain a steely grip on his composure.
Scott sank to his knees in front of Isaac and guided him to his feet. Ethan's and Stiles' arms were around him too. They wanted to hug him. They wanted to comfort him. They wanted to tell him he wasn't an utter piece of shit for what he had done to his packmate, to his friend, to the person he had vowed to protect and not fuck things up with and naively thought he actually had a shot of not disappointing.
"Isaac." Stiles' voice was gentle and warm. Scott's eyes were gentle and warm. Ethan's fingers were gentle and warm.
Isaac didn't want their fucking pity and false assurances.
"I said I didn't want to talk about it." He pulled away and stormed out of the locker room.
"We're not going out in the woods today. There was an incident last night. So you're going to be doing laps around the track instead."
A chorus of groans met Coach Finstock's revelation.
"What kind of incident?" Greenberg asked.
"The kind where you shut your mouth and run. Now. Go. GO! GO!" Coach kept shouting until the entire cross country team broke into a sprint and raced onto the track.
Isaac fell into pace with the majority of the team around the middle of the field. He was in no mood to straddle the line of what could pass for human speed and stamina. Liam on the other hand took off like a supernatural bullet and pulled to the front of the field of runners. Scott and Aiden soon caught up with him and slowed him down.
Isaac carefully avoided listening to their conversation. They were probably talking about Liam's impending revelation to Mason, but there was also a good chance that they were discussing his confrontation with Isaac in the locker room, and the prospect of hearing Liam say anything else about how Isaac had hurt him was too great a risk to take. Hell, just hearing Liam's voice at all right now was more than Isaac could bear. He kept his attention focused on Stiles' heartbeat instead.
It was…off. Not quite the darach's heartbeat, but not quite Stiles' normal, soothing rhythm either.
"You're not wrong," Ethan whispered as he slowed down and Isaac caught up with him.
"About what?"
Ethan just arched his brow and gave Isaac a dull look.
"What?" Isaac looked away under the weight of Ethan's gaze. He wondered if mind-reading was another advanced werewolf skill Ethan hadn't shared with him yet. If it was, Ethan was about to be in for one hell of a painful discovery if he kept looking at Isaac like that.
"I've been listening to his heartbeat since we started running. It's changed."
"But that's normal. He's running." Isaac laughed nervously. He wasn't ready to accept that–
"It's slowed down."
"Stiles is in good shape." Isaac's face heated in a blush.
"I think the darach can mimic his heartbeat."
A sharp terror rolled down Isaac's spine as Ethan confirmed his own suspicions. "Yeah…I think so too."
"The running is throwing him off. He's having trouble accelerating it the way Stiles' pulse would naturally rise."
"You mean you think he's already–"
"Aaaahh!" Stiles yelled and fell to the ground several dozen feet behind them.
Isaac and Ethan raced back to meet him. Coach Finstock and a crowd of their teammates had already gathered around him.
"Get out of the way," Isaac growled, pushing through the ring of runners. He breathed a sigh of relief as he got an unobstructed view of Stiles. He wasn't bleeding, just sitting on the ground clutching his ankle.
He gave Isaac a quick, reassuring half-smile and looked up at Coach Finstock. "I tripped and twisted my foot. It really hurts."
Isaac sniffed the air. Stiles smelled normal, his words hadn't registered as a lie, and if anything his heartbeat was closer to its usual rhythm than it had been moments earlier. The darach must have been behind the fall and had probably done it to punish Stiles, but it seemed he had given up trying to control him for the time being.
"I'll take him to the nurse's office." Isaac nudged the remaining runners out of the way and stooped next to Stiles. Ethan was already on his other side, and together they hefted him up like normal human beings would have.
Scott had reached the front of the crowd by now too, concern written across his face. "I'll go with you."
"No." Coach Finstock's tone was firm as he guided Ethan away from Stiles and gave Isaac an expectant look. Like hell he was going to let go of Stiles!
"Coach, I think I should get it checked out." Stiles voice was tinged with pain, and Isaac had to fight the urge to leach it away. He couldn't do that in public in short sleeves.
"Fine, but Danny will take you."
Danny sighed in resignation and took over supporting the other half of Stiles' weight.
Isaac still refused to let go. "No, I'll take him."
"Lahey, you and McCall have skipped enough practices for one year." Finstock ran a skeptical eye over Stiles. "You too Stilinski, but I'm not going to risk a lawsuit. Danny's always here. Danny will take you."
Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but Scott squeezed his shoulder and shook his head. "Danny will look after him," he whispered.
"Scott, you don't understand." Isaac made the mistake of stepping toward Scott instead of in the opposite direction with Stiles and Danny. He could have held on, but not without disturbing Stiles' precarious balance and risking him further twisting his foot as he tried to right himself.
"What?"
Isaac looked helplessly after Stiles as they broke contact and the crowd of students closed between them.
"We think the darach was about to take over," Isaac whispered frantically at werewolf levels.
Scott's eyes widened in alarm. "Seriously?"
Isaac faltered. "Well not for sure. He seemed like himself at the end there, but…" He looked to Ethan for help.
"His heartbeat sounded wrong before the fall," he finished.
Scott's face scrunched. "Maybe so, but I was checking him just now too. I think it was him. Maybe the darach gave up."
Isaac frowned. He had been thinking the same thing, but they couldn't risk it.
"Everyone get your butts back in gear," Finstock shouted. "Double time to catch up!"
"I'm gonna go after him," Isaac said.
"No, don't. I–"
"McCall, not you. You come with me. We need to assign you a new locker." Finstock motioned with his arm at someone behind Isaac.
Isaac turned, his heart sinking as Mr. Stevenson walked from the parking lot onto the field.
"Barry, do me a favor and watch my boys while I'll take care of something. Won't be but a few minutes. Just keep 'em running."
"Sure," Stevenson said with a nod.
Finstock glared at Isaac and Ethan, who with the exception of Scott were the only players who hadn't resumed practice. "Keep an eye on these two especially. They're shifty."
"They are," Stevenson agreed dryly before clapping his hands at Isaac and Ethan. "You heard your coach. Hustle up!"
They broke into a sprint and easily began gaining ground on their teammates, but Ethan continued darting glances toward the edge of the field where Stiles and Danny had disappeared from view on their way to the nurse's office.
"Screw this," Ethan said as an intense wave of anxiety jolted through their packbond. "I'm going after them."
"Wait, no." Isaac caught Ethan's wrist in the way that Ethan usually held his and channeled a sense of calm through their bond. "If you leave, you'll probably get suspended. Stevenson is fucking staring at us."
Ethan patted Isaac's fingers but pulled himself loose with a frown. "I get why you're not as freaked out. Stiles isn't the one in danger."
It was Isaac's turn to frown as they split apart to pass a slower runner. "What do you mean?"
"Danny," Ethan whispered as they came together again and ran astride. "Lydia's vision. His sweater."
"Oh shit." Isaac's run faltered as the pieces came together…then twisted into a configuration that didn't make sense. "No wait, he doesn't have his sweater. He's in gym clothes."
"He could get it."
"From where? He doesn't have his bag either."
"I don't know. I just…" Ethan raked a hand through his hair and stopped.
"KEEP GOING!" Stevenson shouted from his place in the middle of the track.
Ethan growled under his breath and shot Stevenson a murderous look. "I can't stand that guy."
"Join the club," Isaac said as they resumed their jog.
They were silent for a few dozen yards, but as they reached the far end of the track near the woods, Ethan visibly scented the air and curled a protective arm around Isaac's back as he traded positions with him, placing himself between Isaac and the tree line.
"What is it?" Isaac asked, darting nervous glances into the woods.
Ethan didn't answer him directly. His attention was locked on his brother where he was running on the opposite side of the field with Liam. "Aiden, are you paying attention?"
Ethan's words were spoken out loud in a normal tone of voice instead of in a werewolf whisper to compensate for the distance and the air moving around them as they ran.
"Of course," Aiden's voice answered. Isaac wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been waiting for it.
Isaac's next words were whispered almost silently to Ethan as they accelerated their speed, going around a curve in the track and away from the woods. "You think Megan and her pack are here?"
Ethan nodded, tension visible in the stiff set of his neck. "I heard heartbeats in the woods." The tips of Ethan's fangs dropped and their packbond roiled with frustration and conflict. "Now I can't go after Danny and leave you and Aiden here."
"And Liam," Isaac said, staring across the field at his packmate and hating how small and fragile he suddenly looked.
"And Liam." Ethan said it as a promise as he squeezed Isaac's shoulder. "They probably won't do anything with the rest of the team around anyway."
"Right." Isaac nodded and channeled reassurance back at Ethan. "And Scott'll be done soon. Stiles and Danny too."
"Right," Ethan agreed.
Isaac wasn't sure which one of them believed it less.
The ran in tense silence for another couple laps around the field.
"Lydia and Malia are still here in the library," Isaac said as he realized Ethan didn't know that and needed to be aware of everyone's positions and all the logistics.
Ethan closed his eyes and sighed. "Why?"
"Lydia's reading the darach's journal, and we're going to go to Ezra's to return the druid amulet after practice."
"Who's Ezra?" Ethan's frown deepened. "And wait, Lydia's here with the darach's journal and we don't know where Stiles is?"
"Oh shit!" Isaac's blood froze and a tight net of terror wrapped around his chest. "I didn't think about that. Shit, shit. I'm so tired today."
As if on cue Danny jogged onto the field – alone.
Isaac broke into a frenzied sprint and intersected with him as he reached the track.
"Where's Stiles?!"
Danny smiled and shrugged. "He was faking to get out of practice. I've just been chilling with Mason."
"DID I SAY YOU COULD QUIT RUNNING?" Coach Finstock's voice shouted from across the field. Isaac turned to find him standing in the space Stevenson had occupied as the anatomy teacher strolled toward the parking lot.
Scott was back too, cutting through the field as he jogged toward them.
"Gah, that took so long," he said as he fell into step beside them. "Coach got a call, so I just had to sit in his office and wait." He looked at Danny and tilted his head. "Where's Stiles?"
A blood curdling scream rent the air before Danny could answer, sending shockwaves blasting through Isaac and the other werewolves.
"Did you guys hear something?" Danny asked with uncertainty as he looked around.
"Lydia!" Aiden shouted as he ran past them toward the main school building, Liam racing after him.
"Cover for us with Coach!" Scott yelled to Danny as he and Isaac and Ethan took off in the same direction.
Liam yowled in distress ahead of Isaac as he rounded a corner. Isaac saw why a few seconds later as the entrance of the school came into view. Mason was sitting on the front steps. In Danny's blue sweater. He rose to his feet as the five of them bounded toward him.
Before they could reach him, one of the school doors flew open behind him and Stiles –the darach– raced out. He collided with Mason and sent him tumbling down the steps.
The darach righted himself and maintained his own balance. His clutched his leather journal to his chest in one arm, his other hand gripping the butcher knife Isaac had found in Stiles' bag that morning and left locked in the Jeep under the seat.
Liam snarled and accelerated to reach his friend, but the darach was faster, bouncing off the steps and closing the short distance between himself and Mason.
"Stay back!" the darach shouted in Stiles' voice but with his own uniquely cruel tone. He wrapped his arm around Mason's neck from behind, the journal still clutched in his hand, and poised the knife over Mason's chest.
Liam skidded to a halt, sheer terror pulsing through his packbond with Isaac. "No."
"Wha-why?" Mason was limp with fear in the darach's arms, staring in disbelief at the knife raised in front of him.
"You're out-numbered. We'll rip you apart," Aiden rumbled, his fangs and claws out.
"You'll be too busy." The darach smirked and his eyes glowed silver as he plunged the knife into Mason's stomach.
Liam screamed and everyone lurched forward to attack, but stopped as the darach yanked the knife from Mason's gut and raised it to his throat.
"Mason!"
He was thrashing and wailing in the darach's grip, close to slashing his own throat on the blade as blood soaked the front of the sweater and trickled between his legs.
"Your girlfriend's hurt too by the way," the darach said to Aiden. "And the banshee," he added with a glance at Scott. "Better check on them."
He threw Mason down on the steps and ran around the side of the building.
Liam was already on his knees turning Mason over as Aiden and Scott raced past him up the steps and into the building.
Isaac was frozen in place as he stared after the darach, at a loss for whether to give chase, check on Lydia and Malia, or try to help–
"We need to apply pressure to the wound." Ethan's tone was strong and collected as he shucked off his shirt and pressed it to Mason's bleeding abdomen.
"I-I-I know…I-I jus…." Liam's hand shook as he closed it around Mason's. They both gasped as vines of black pain arced up Liam's arm. "I've never done this before…I didn't know how."
"Liam, what's happening?" Mason whispered in a feeble voice as more blood soaked Ethan's shirt and more pain twined around Liam's arm.
"I'm a werewolf," Liam whispered, closing his other hand around Mason's and rubbing it. "And I think you're my anchor."
-000-
End Notes: Feedback is greatly appreciated!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! There's about a fifty-fifty chance I'll also be posting a Thorey (Theo/Corey) smut chapter of my current Christmas project, "Christmas Chimeras" but either way my aim is to have the next Iron Claws chapter out in about the next two weeks.