Isaac panted as he tightened his hold on the body currently slung over his shoulder.
"We can't leave," a cracking voice coughed from behind his back. "We need to help them."
"And how exactly are you going to help them right now?" Isaac whispered, peering around the corner of the bank and flinching at the sight of the beaten and bloodied alpha.
Ethan was still crumpled over on the concrete but he was starting to moan and move. Isaac backed up and swore. He had listened for Deucalion and Aiden to leave the alley before approaching. Neither had noticed him around the corner and at the other end of the building as he had scaled down the wall with a half-conscious Erica around his shoulders. Growing up, Isaac had gotten pretty good at keeping quiet. At least he could thank his father for something.
Going back wasn't exactly an option. It was nothing but wide open road and parking lots. Far too easy to be spotted, even if the only other alpha outside the bank was currently exchanging fists with a vampire on the roof. If Deucalion so much as caught a glimpse of them trying to escape, this whole ridiculous, half-cocked plan would be ruined. The back alley was closest to the woods, and cover. But it was also where a waking alpha was laying.
Securing his grip on his friend, Isaac closed his eyes, took in a breath, and ran. He was almost to Ethan when he leapt up onto the brick wall, pushing off of it and sending a kick straight to the side of the alpha's skull. The twin went down again and stayed down. Still, Isaac brought his boot to the werewolf's forehead a few times for good measure, and, if he was being honest with himself, some fun.
"Isaac, we have to go back."
"We have to get you to Dr. Deaton," Isaac hurried toward the tree line, breathing a sigh of relief as they disappeared through it, but not stopping or slowing down. "And then I have to go help Derek. And then we're all taking a nap, for like a week."
Erica didn't protest this time, closing her eyes and focusing on her own breathing as the world spun, upside down, around her.
"Still waiting, by the way," Isaac grunted after a few more minutes of running.
"For what?" Erica coughed.
"For you to say how good it is to see me."
Erica laughed against another cough, smiling.
Deucalion heard the screams of his pack and twisted his head toward the noise just in time to miss Stefan's attack. The alpha went down but recovered easily, crouching across the roof from the vampire.
"What did you do?"
"This."
Stefan reached into his jacket, pulling out another wolfsbane grenade and tossing it toward the man. It exploded inches from the alpha's face and Deucalion went down with a shriek.
"How's it going on your end?" Caroline panted, pulling herself out of the hole.
Stefan answered her with an uppercut to Deucalion's chin.
"What did you want with Elena? With Tyler?" Caroline stalked toward the alpha, leaning over him while Stefan held him upright by the throat.
"You'll find out," the alpha croaked against the hold, "soon enough. But for now -"
The syringes were out of his pocket and in their necks before either vampire could react. The grip on his neck loosened as Stefan teetered to one side and Caroline slumped.
"Did you really think that I wasn't prepared for vampires? Come now."
Deucalion rose to his feet as the pair finally finished falling, landing in a heap together on the roof.
"You're both just lucky that you're wanted alive."
The alpha straightened his jacket before turning, marching, a faint limp in his gait, away from the two vampires, Stefan's hand still reaching out to grab him in vain.
Isaac's fist slammed against the door of the veterinary clinic. He had called Scott, who had called Deaton, who was supposed to be there by now. He was about to kick down the door when the man appeared on the other side, twisting the lock. Isaac didn't wait for him to open it as he pushed himself in through the door and past the doctor.
"She was -"
"Wolfsbane," Deaton followed him to the back and motioned toward the table. "I know. Scott told me."
"There was a lot of it," Isaac shook his head. "She was okay at first, but then she collapsed."
"She's been held captive for months," the doctor started looking the werewolf over, "probably pretty weak. I'm amazed that she's not losing control after the lack of exposure to the effects of the full moon like Cora and Boyd, even with the wolfsbane."
"She wasn't," Isaac nodded. "She was fine. I didn't even think about that."
"It's probably taking her a great deal of effort to be doing so. All her strength is focused on staying in control instead of healing."
"How?" Isaac ran a hand through his hair. "How does she have control? Scott said Cora and Boyd are like monsters."
"I'm not sure," Deaton grabbed a few supplies out of a cabinet.
"But you can help her, right?" Isaac gripped his friend's hand.
"Yes," Deaton looked over, locking eyes with the worried werewolf, "I can. And you need to go help Derek and Scott now."
"I know, but -"
"I'll take care of her."
"What if they come here? The Alphas?"
"They can't hurt her, not in here." Deaton put a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Now, go."
With one last look back at Erica, Isaac hurried from the building and toward the school. His eyes couldn't help but wander toward the dark sky, and the round and bright full moon resting against the clouds. He could feel the pull, warm and wild, and hoped for his sake, and for all his friend's, that this night would be over soon.
