Chapter 2

"Look at you. Why would Chris Argent want to adopt you? You are weak. You let his daughter die, like to let your mother die, like you let me die."

"I am sorry I didn't mean too."

"You disgust me."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Shut up. Your pathetic. Call yourself a werewolf? You allowed yourself to get captured."

"I tried to fight them off. There were just too many of them."

"Don't make excuses. Could you see Scott getting caught like that?"

"No."

"It should have been you."

"I know, I.."

"Stop apologising! It won't fix anything. Nothing can fix it, nothing. Why do you have to break everything? Answer me!"

"I don't know."

"You don't know. You don't know anything, do you, son?"

"I am trying dad. I am just..."

"Useless that is what you are. What are you?"

"Useless."

"And you know what we do with useless things don't you?"

"No dad. Please no."

"You brought this on yourself son."

"Dad please. No. I can be better."

"Get in the freezer!"

"Please I.."

"GET IN."

"No!"

"Isaac?"

"Sorry I... I must have been dreaming." Said a tired Isaac leaning his head back against the window.

"You hungry? There is a diner up ahead."

"I'm ok." In truth the wolf hadn't eaten since breakfast, but he did not want to be any more trouble than he had already.

"Well I am starving." With that Chris drove up to the dinner and parked the car. "Coming?"

Isaac nodded before half climbing, half stumbling out the car. He instinctively put his hand on his side. The pain was agonising but he made sure to put his hand down before his guardian noticed.

Once inside they took a table by the window.

"Sure I can't get you anything?" Asked Chris from behind his menu. "It will be at least another two hours of driving before we are back in Beacon Hills."

"Ok. I will have a steak." Said his charge.

"Now you are talking." Chris smiled.

When their food arrived, they sat in silence. Isaac was desperately trying to keep his eyes open and not succumb to the pain he was in. Chris gazed out the window, making sure they were not being followed.

Soon they were back on the road again. Lahey turned to look out the window, so that his guardian wouldn't see how pale he had become. His hand rested on his side, giving little relief. Soon he was asleep again.

For a second Chris passed his worried eyes over the teen. His worry turned to concern as he saw the colour was almost completely drained from Isaac's face. Once he realised that his companion was sleeping his concern grew to fear.

"Isaac. Isaac! Wake up!"

But Isaac remained unresponsive.

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Deaton was working late at the clinic, when he heard the bell for the front door ring. "Customers at this hour?" He thought to himself. "Must be one of the werewolves."

Before he had taken the five steps from his operating table to the reception area, he found himself face to face with Chris Argent, and a very pale Isaac.

"He is not healing." Said the hunter. Anyone could tell that he sounded worried, but Deaton detected a deeper feeling which seemed like fear.

"Help me get him on the table."

Once they had the young wolf on the table, Deaton unbuttoned his shirt and removed the dressing. "Let's see what we are dealing with."

The problem seemed to have been caused by a stab wound, which was showing no signs of healing. "Was it like this before?"

"No, it wasn't as bad as this"

"Do you know what was used?"

"This." The hunter palled out a dagger from under his jacket and handed it to the vet.

Deaton looked at it under a microscope. "This dagger has been dipped in wolfs bane."

The hunter clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Deaton started riffling through his collection of herbs before he found what he was looking for. Without a moment to lose he grounded the herbs into a past which he then applied to the wound. "This should cause the effects of the poison to ware off soon." He said whilst stitching up the wound.

"Should we wake him?"

"No. Let him rest, he will come around when he is ready. It will give you time to tell me how our young friend came to be stabbed with your daughter's dagger."

Chris told the veterinarian how he had come home to find his home trashed and his daughter's boyfriend gone. He explained how during the fight one of Isaac's captives had lost his chain, with the symbol for the most infamous group of Mexican hunters known.

He then called Derek who met him just outside of Beacon Hills. Once he had picked up the bête's scent he led him to an abandoned warehouse. The former alpha took out the six hunters standing outside before receiving a text from Braeden, saying that she was in trouble. Derek then left, leaving Chris to find Isaac alone.

"It must have been important. Derek would not have gone unless he felt there was no other choice."

"She had better be dying, for Derek's sake." The hunter still couldn't believe how Derek took off, without even a glimpse of remorse.

"If I was a minute later she would have been." Came the stern voice of Derek. "How is he?"

"He will live." Said Deten.

"Good."

"Braeden?" Asked Chris.

"She is fine. No thanks to your sister."

"Kate?" It was hard to know whether Chris was asking out of concern for his sister or fear of what she might do.

"She got away. Braeden went after her. I am heading off to join her. Now I know Isaac is safe." For his last comments he looked directly at Argent, challenging him to design the former alpha's concern for the bête.

Argent simply gave a nod to show he understood Derek's meaning. With everything straightened out Derek left the clinic, confident in the knowledge that his friend was in safe hands.

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Isaac opened his eyes to find himself back in his room. Light was begging to shine through the gap in the curtains.

"What are doing here?"

Isaac turned his gaze towards the door where he saw Alison's dad looking down on him. The look of hatred in his eyes.

"Because of you my one and only child is dead! It's your fault."

"I am sorry I... I didn't mean..."

"Get out!"

"Isaac?"

"Dad?" Isaac was no longer in the Argent's house he was in the basement at his old house.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing I..."

"Don't lie to me."

"I am sorry it was an accident."

"You know I going to have to punish you."

"Dad please!"

"You brought this on yourself. You caused their deaths. Now get in the freezer."

The sound of his father's voice sent shivers down his spine. And for the first time, Isaac realised he was lying on a flat cold surface. Around him he could see the walls of the freezer.

"No, no. Let me out! Please!" He screamed.

A strong pair of hands grabbed hold of him. He tried to fight them off but they held firm.

"Shush. It is alright. I have got you. It is alright. No one is going to hurt you"

Isaac stopped struggling and the hands loosened their grip. He opened his eyes to see his guardian looking down at him with a worried look.

"What happened?"

"You were poisoned with wolf bane. Fortunately, I got you here in time." Said his guardian releasing his grip entirely before returning to the chair he was sitting in beside the steel table.

Isaac sat up and swung his legs round so that they were dangling off the table. He took a relived breath, realising that he no longer felt any pain from his side.

"Good you are awake." Said the veterinarian walking into his surgery. " I was beginning to worry"

The youth looked at the floor, still not quite understanding why the veterinarian/ Druid would be worried about him.

"What time is it?" Said Chris, suddenly aware of daylight shining through the windows.

"It is seven o'clock." Said Deten.

Chris sprung to his feet. "Isaac get up. If we leave now we can pick your stuff up before I have to drop you off at school. Deten. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's my job." Said the veterinarian giving his patent a final look over.