Warning! This Chapter has some mild swearing. Sorry about the slight wait, I shall try to be a bit quicker with the next chapter.
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Chapter 7
It was Cora's turn to drive. Due to the radio's limited choice in music it was switched off.
Isaac was leaning his head against the window. Despite the younger Hale giving up a portion of her bed, the troubled teen still hadn't had much sleep. "…they will turn on you…you will need me." The words had been going around and around again in his head.
"I…I didn't mean to do that."
"Sure you did. You are killer."
What scared him the most was that a part of him was glad Gerard was dead. He thought back to the last "conversation" he had with his father. Mr Lahey had thrown a glass at him, and a piece had stabbed his cheek, just below his eye.
"You could have blinded me."
"Shut up! It is a scratch. It is barley even…" His father was staring at him in shock.
When he put his hand to the "scratch" it was gone. He ran out the door, and cycled away on his bike. His father called his name, but he kept going. As he reached town he could feel his finger nails getting longer, his face was itching, he was about to scratch when he felt facial hair. "No. No. No. Not now." He pulled into a side alley and ditched his bike. He could hear the sound of his father's car getting closer. But whether it was a mile away, or around the corner he did not know. He did not wait to find out. He hid in the shadows. He curled up into a ball. Cold rain drenched his clothes. His claws, facial hair and fangs stared to disappear.
"Isaac!" Came the voice of his abuser.
Isaac pricked up his head. Fear running through his veins. He tucked his head in again.
The car door slammed he could hear his father walking through the heavy puddles. "Isaac! Isaac. Isaac." The voice sent a shock wave hurtling down the teen's back. But it was not fear. It was surprise, for his abuser, his persecutor, his father, for the first time sounded scared, sounded sorry. But Isaac couldn't be sure. His abuser would often trick him into a false sense of security. Getting him to admit to things before striking him with a belt or worse.
"Isaac." The anger was back. The boy shivered as another figure appeared from the shadows.
"Ok that's enough…" Began Mr Lahey, clapping his hands. "…lets go. Isaac grab your bike and let's go." He had taken his wet glasses off. "Isaac?" For the first time in Isaac's memory, his father was afraid.
The figure changed shape. Isaac did not move. Why didn't he move? He just sat and watched as the lizard shaped Jackson ripped his father apart. Isaac felt water dripping down his face, but if it was tears or just rain water he did not know. He didn't want to know. He jumped to his feet and ran. Not wanting to look back. He didn't want to know as the guilt of what he felt sickened him. For in that moment all he could feel was relief.
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"How much further?" Asked Cora.
"About another 2008 miles." Replied Peter.
With a determined glare in her eyes, the she wolf pushed her foot down on the gas pedal. The sudden surge in speed pushed Isaac against his seat, causing him to bump his head. But he made no sound.
"Slow down!" Shouted Peter.
"The faster we get there the more chance we have of saving my brother."
The car was speeding along the empty road, leaving a cloud of dust behind as they continued to increase their speed. The engine roared, piercing the wolves' ears. Finally, the car could not take any more. Black smoke penetrated through the bonnet. A second later there was a small boom, as the car stooped in its tracks.
"Dam it!" Shouted Cora, whilst hitting the stirring wheel.
Her uncle rolled his eyes. "I have some tools in the back. Isaac! You know how to fix a car." It was more of statement then a question.
Isaac gave a slight nod before climbing out the car. He opened the hood.
"How bad is it?" Asked an anxious Cora.
"Well it won't be a quick fix. The engine has overheated." He said taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.
"Great!" Exclaimed the angry she-wolf, knowing that there were no more garages more miles. Her uncle dumped a tool box on the ground by Isaac's feet. "Get to work." He said before grabbing the map and a book and finding himself a spot in the shade.
"Are you sure you know what you are doing?"
"Yes." Sweat was pouring down his face, from the sweltering heat. "Hand me that wrench would you?"
"This one?"
"Yes." He said taking it from her, with a tired smile.
To the worried sister, it seemed to be taking Isaac forever to fix the car. Her heart was pounding as she paced, with her arms crossed. Her mind envisaged every possible thing a hunter could be doing to her brother whilst she helplessly waited for the kid to fix the car.
Her walking had somehow taken her to her uncle. "How do we know he is fixing it?"
"Well, there are these things called eyes."
"I mean how are you so confident that he knows what he is doing?"
"As I have been inside that rather straight forward mind of his, I would say I have a pretty good grasp on what he can and cannot do. And if you must p in that nauseating manner, may I suggest you do it over there?" He was indicting to where the seventeen-year-old was still working hard at fixing the car. "Oh and one over thing. When we do eventually get back on the road, may I suggest a little more haste and a lot less speed".
Cora stormed off and kicked one of the tires.
"Easy! A little harder and I would have another thing to fix." Exclaimed Isaac.
"Can you fix it?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Well, the cooling fans have stopped working so if I …" He said taking a step back to view the entire layout.
"I mean how do know what to do?"
Isaac sighed, as a teary expression made its way over his face. "I had a good teacher." He said at last.
"Your father." She stated.
"No." He said sombrely. "My brother."
Cora's eyes widened. "I didn't know you have a brother."
"Yeah, well there are a lot of things you don't know about me. No doubt your uncle can tell you all about it. Since he seems to have seen just about every memory I have."
"Or you could?"
Isaac went quiet. After they had been told about Camden, he had tried to speak to his father about it, only to be struck across his face and told never to mention his name again. He didn't and had been carrying the grief ever since. He took another deep breath to regain his concentration as he continued to work on the car.
"What is he like?"
"Typical older brother I guess." He said with a smile. "He liked fixing things, like cars and bikes, anything really. He was witty, I mean with his friends he was. He was popular. Everyone liked him. Especially the swim team. Actually, he wasn't unlike Derek in some ways. Whenever either of them tried to teach me things, fixing cars or survival, they wouldn't let me stop until I could do it perfectly; and no matter what, they were always there when I needed them. I mean Derek still is."
"Did he teach you a lot of things?"
"Why do want to know?"
"I guess I want a distraction."
Isaac whipped his forehead. "Yeah, he taught me how to play lacrosse, how to swim, but I was never fast enough for the swim team. Most of all he…"
"What?"
"I can't really explain it." Memories surrounded Isaac, taking him back to the last conversation he had with his older brother.
"Hello, earth to Isaac."
"Huh?"
"Pay attention this is important. I may not be around the next time dad gets a flat tire."
"Why? I thought you told dad you are not going to college?"
"I am not."
"Then where will you be?"
"Um. Well…do you remember me telling you I applied for the marines?"
"Yes."
"My orders arrived yesterday. I will be leaving for Washington in the morning to begin my training."
"Do you have to go?" Tears were falling from the younger brother's eyes.
"Dry your eyes before dad sees you." Said his brother, with urgency. "Look, since mum, things with dad... you know how he gets."
"I know."
"I just can't take it any more Isaac. The way he talks to you, to me. What he does... having to hide it from everyone, it is not right."
"He wouldn't if we were better."
"No Isaac. What he does is wrong. The truth is I am afraid that if I stay I might, do something bad. Something very bad."
"Like what?"
"Kill dad."
"You wouldn't, would you?"
"I can't say I haven't thought about it. But that is why I have to go. I made a vow over mum's grave that I would look after you both. I can't report him but…"
"I don't want you to leave me. I get scared when you are not around."
"I know, but the army will pay me, and they can give me a house, and you can come and live with me. Would you like that?"
"Would dad have to come too?"
"No, knuckle head. That is the point, it would just be you and me. You will just have to be brave till then. Can you do that."
"I can do it." Said the ten-year-old, summoning all the courage he had.
"That's my bro." Said the eighteen-year-old, ruffling his little brother's hair. The closest thing to a hug, he ever gave him.
"What happened to him?"
"About two years after he joined, he was on a scouting mission. His convoy drove into a mine. Killed instantly, at least that is what they told us."
"I am sorry."
"It is alright. It feels good to talk about him."
Cora remembered the fire, the feeling of overwhelming loss at her whole family dying in one evening. Then she thought of the joy she felt, hearing that her older brother had survived. A joy, she realised Isaac would never feel.
There was a rustling as the engine kicked into life. Isaac's face beamed with a wide smile. He turned his head to Cora who leaped up and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you." She said before climbing into the driver's seat.
Isaac stood with his mouth open. Suddenly, he felt like he was walking on air.
"You coming!" She called out the window.
"Yeah." He said sitting down in the back.
Having heard the engine starting up, Peter made his way back to the car. Before long they were on their way again, with a little more hast and a lot less speed.
As Cora continued to drive the car, she though back to the time she had been poised by the Darach.
"What is happening to me?"
"I don't know. But I am not leaving ok. Not again."
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Derek pulled on his chains hoping against hope to break free. But it was no use, after four hours of trying he could feel his arms giving out. "Save your strength." Came the voice of his mother. "You will need it later."
The wolf could feel the electrical pulses continuing through his body taking away his capacity to transform into his wolf form. He closed his eyes and rolled his head over to one side.
"Powerful new Alpha. One of the Hales, building a pack. Do you have any idea how long I have waited to hear something like that? Do you have any idea how it felt to find out you were alive?"
"I am sorry Cora."
"Cora?"
Derek opened his eyes, too find himself face to face with Kate Argent. "Ah. Where you thinking about how you have let your little sister down? Well don't worry, she will be here soon, then you can explain it to her, right before I cut her in half."
The wolf let out a growl, whilst trying to break free. But without the ability to change into the animal, it was more like a weak grown.
The huntress scoffed before turning up the electricity.
Hale screamed and howled in pain as the volts burned through his skin.
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"Turn left here." Ordered Peter.
Cora turned the steering wheel. Her stomach tightened as she could finally see the warehouse in which her brother was being held captive.
They pulled up short of the warehouse so that the car would be hidden from the hunters' view. "I trust I don't need to remind you both that we are probably walking into a trap?"
"No." Said the young bêtes whilst shaking their heads. They climbed out the car and walked the rest of the way to the warehouse.
"Howl!" The sound rippled through their wolf ears.
Anger stirred in the youngest Hale as she splayed her teeth and ran to her brother.
"Cora wait!" Called Isaac, running after her.
Cora was about to open the door when her friend grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me!"
"Shush" Said her uncle putting a finger to his lips. "Think. You are playing right into their hands. As soon as you opened that door you would have been surrounded by hunters. They would cut you open before you got to even within sight of Derek."
"Then what do we do?" Asked Isaac, loosening his grip on his- friend? - Girl-friend? – friend's younger sister.
There was another howl, louder than before which had them shielding their ears with their hands.
When Peter and Isaac looked up Cora was gone. The young wolf sprang forward but before he could go after her he felt himself being pushed backwards. He fell to the ground.
Peter looked down at him with his condescending stare. "Seriously? Even with wolf hearing, they still don't listen."
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What did you think?
Apologies for any incorrect spellings and grammar .
I was thinking of sending it to a beta reader but I don't know how to do that.