I feel like this chapter took a really long time. Sorry about that. I'm on a new medication and it makes me nauseous at night, which is when I usually do my writing. It's really hard to focus on werewolves when I keep thinking I need to go worship the porcelain god.

Isaac's heart was pounding fast. Too fast. His hand was tangled in Kat's hair and he felt his claws extending. He was literally saved by the bell. The chime that signaled it was time to go to class was probably the only thing that jolted him out of shifting right in front of her.

"I'll see you later," he said quickly. He had to put some distance between them. How were they supposed to be together if that's how he reacted when they kissed? He'd been doing so well. Yes, his wolf did get a little restless when he had his arms around her, but he was able to focus on other things. He'd just thought he could handle it.

When school ended Isaac went straight to the train station. He was hoping to just unwind and sort things out, but Derek grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out to the Camaro. Isaac knew asking where they were going would probably be pointless, so he just leaned back and enjoyed the ride.

Sorry, he texted to Kat.

A minute later, she responded. Don't worry.

He stared at the words on the screen for a moment. He didn't know what to do or say. Isaac looked over at Derek but knew right away that his Alpha would probably be zero help in the relationship department.

Isaac's phone buzzed again with a message from Kat. Come see me later?

Yeah, he responded before he could overthink it. He'd figure something out. After all, they'd been fine the other nights he'd gone to see her. But then, he'd been tired then and there had been other things to distract him. Maybe he just couldn't function when things were relatively calm.

Isaac raised an eyebrow when Derek parked in front of a vet clinic. "Uh…are you getting me fixed or something?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Deaton isn't just a vet. He might be able to help us."

Isaac had plenty of other questions, but Derek was already on the move, heading toward the rear entrance. Isaac hooked his thumbs into his pockets and trailed after the Alpha. He was surprised to see Scott there, but soon a plan started to form in his head. He didn't get the chance to talk to Scott though, because Deaton had started talking while pulling an ancient looking wooden box off of a high shelf.

A few hours later, his head was spinning. He couldn't believe that he'd gone so long never knowing that anything supernatural existed. There was so much more to it than just werewolves and Isaac wondered how many times he'd encountered it without noticing. Deaton was another mystery and Isaac had theories ranging from witch to government agent, but most people only saw a friendly veterinarian.

Isaac rushed after Scott. He was a bit nervous. After all, he and Scott had never really talked before and he didn't imagine that Scott had too high of an opinion of him after the fights they'd gotten into.

"Wait," he said.

Scott turned around and seemed quite surprised. "What's up?"

"I needed to ask you about something…" Isaac wasn't really sure how to phrase it.

"Sure," Scott said warily.

"It's about…girls. Or…a girl in particular."

Scott looked vaguely amused. "Are you asking me to tell you about the birds and the bees?"

Isaac scowled. "No, I know about the birds and the bees. I'm just wondering what to do when the bee is a werewolf."

Scott nodded as understanding dawned on him. "Oh, got it. I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? They'd never formally said so. Was that the sort of thing that just happened or did they have to talk about it? "It's…complicated."

"OK? So what's your question?"

"How do I stop from shifting in front of her?"

Scott thought for a while. "It's just one of those things you have to practice It'll come over time."

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Scott shrugged. "Be patient. Just think of something that can keep you focused so the wolf doesn't take over. Its kind hard because if you really like this girl, then your wolf likes her too so it's gonna want to be close to her. It's weird to get used to that, but once you do you can control it better."

"Is there no quick fix?" Isaac asked.

"Not really. I mean, pain sometimes can distract you but I don't think you'd want pain during those situations."

Isaac smirked and bit back a BDSM joke that he was sure would've gone over Scott's head. "Thanks."

"No problem," Scott said. "And hey, Isaac, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me. I'm not holding a grudge or anything."

Isaac smiled. "Thanks, Scott." He avoided Derek's glare as he jogged away. The sun had set by the time he arrived at Kat's house, easily scaling the tree and dropping down inside her room because she'd left the window open.

She was sitting on her bed; twirling a strand of hair between her fingers and so completely lost in the book she was reading that she hadn't even noticed him. Isaac didn't want to say anything to break her out of the reverie she was in. He stood quietly for a few minutes, just watching as her eyes lit up and her lips moved slightly as she read. Something exciting must have been happening because she let out a small squeak and brought the book closer to her nose. It was just another thing to add to the list of things that were beautiful about her.

Finally, she looked up. When she noticed him she clutched the book to her chest. "How long have you been standing there?"

He shrugged. "Not long."

"Creeper," she accused jokingly, throwing a pillow in his direction.

He dodged the pillow and sat on the bed beside her. He took the book from her hands and set it aside, careful not to lose her place. He positioned himself over her on his hands and knees and started to kiss her, maintaining control of the situation so that the kisses stayed relatively chaste. After a while, he felt more confident. He could do this.

Kat's teeth grazed over his lower lip, tugging a bit and urging him to come closer. Her hands rested on his shoulders and he relented, slotting their hips together and resting on his elbows as her lips parted for him. He felt his control slipping, but he fought to keep the wolf at bay. Her hands moved over his chest, down to his waist. He let his claws extend and dug them into his palms. The pain helped to keep him centered.

Soon, he didn't need the pain anymore. He was able to hold the wolf at bay and lose himself in the moment with her. They parted for air and he looked down at her. Her hair was an auburn halo and she smiled at him. They exchanged a few playful kisses and he rolled to the side, pulling her close to him.

After a while, he worked up the courage to ask, "So what is this? Are we together or…" He let the question hang.

Kat smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

Isaac smiled. "I might be."

"Well, if you are, my answer is yes."

::::::::

Isaac went to school the next way still feeling great. He had a smile that just didn't go away. He knew he should have been a little more nervous about what was to come, but he had a weird sense of calm about the whole situation. They had a harebrained scheme for the rave tonight, but he hoped that it would work. He was ready to just be done with the Kanima and the deaths it had caused.

His happy mood started to fade as the time for the rave drew closer. He was relieved that Kat wasn't going to be there. He didn't want her near any of it and that thought sent Isaac down a spiraling road of introspection. For now it was best that she didn't know. Aside from the Kanima, there were also the hunters to think about. He didn't want to put her in danger and she would be a huge target if they thought she knew anything. He wondered if there would come a time that he'd have to tell Kat what he was. Should he tell her? She'd probably think he was crazy.

Isaac had to snap out of it. He and Erica entered the warehouse and the music was so loud it hurt. He looked around until he saw Scott. The other teen discreetly handed him the syringe of ketamine and explained how it worked, ending with, "Be careful."

Isaac scoffed. "I seriously doubt this will hurt him."

"No, I meant you," Scott replied. "I don't want you to get hurt."

It still struck Isaac as odd that anyone could really care about him. Especially Scott, considering the things Isaac had done. After everything was finished with Jackson, Isaac wondered if maybe he could talk to Scott about his situation with Kat. It was nice to be able to trust people.

:::::::::::

Isaac flexed his wrist and hand. It really had been a dumb move putting it close enough for Jackson to grab, but it wasn't the worst thing that had happened. Scott had come close to dying that night. It made it all more real. The hunters really were ruthless. After that, Isaac felt like it would have been stupid to try to talk to Scott about Kat.

For the first time, Isaac started to regret getting the bite. It was a stupid thought and he pushed it aside right away. The bite was a gift. If not for Derek, Isaac would probably still be living in fear of his father and he wouldn't be with Kat. Still, being a werewolf was complicating everything. He hadn't really thought about living his entire life as a werewolf.

He spent the rest of the night texting Kat. They weren't talking about anything of substance, just exchanging stupid jokes and it did nothing to get Isaac's mind off of things, but at least it made him feel like it was all worth it. He'd figure it out someday.