Part Two
DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One.
Isaac hesitates just a little too long.
"OK, how about this? You either come with me and get into the car, or I carry you."
"You wouldn't." The words slip out of Isaac's mouth before he can stop himself. When he realises what he's done, it's too late.
xxx
Derek puts Isaac in the back seat of his Camaro, gets in himself and grabs hold of his prisoner before he can get out the other side. He locks Isaac firmly in his arms to keep him from escaping and addresses the person in the front. "Drive."
Isaac can't see who's in the driver's seat. He doesn't care who it is. He tries to wriggle free, but the Alpha holds him fast and says: "Easy. Take it easy. We're not going to hurt you."
"It's for your own good," the driver says as he starts the car.
xxx
Derek enters the loft with Isaac over his shoulder. Boyd walks in a little way behind them.
"Guess he didn't come quietly."
Isaac can't see Jackson's face from his current position, but he just knows he's got a sardonic smirk on his face. He clutches the back of the Alpha's jacket as if it's the only thing keeping him from drowning.
"Hey, what the hell, Derek?" That's Scott, and he sounds horrified. "You said you were gonna retrieve him, not kidnap him!"
Derek walks over to a chair and carefully deposits Isaac into it. Then he backs away before turning blood-red eyes on Scott and growling; Scott flinches and bows his neck in submission. Isaac looks around him, heart racing faster than he thinks it has ever done before. Derek, Scott and Jackson are standing in front of the chair. High-heeled shoes clack across the wooded floorboards behind Isaac, making him jump. He knows its Lydia and Erica.
Isaac is literally surrounded by wolves.
When Scott dares to raise his head again, he says: "Derek, he's terrified."
"Aww, poor puppy," croons Erica as she steps around the chair. She puts a hand on her hip and grins at Isaac; her lips are painted a brilliant crimson. "He's adorable. Can we keep him, Alpha? I want to keep him."
Derek ignores her. "I meant what I said, Isaac. You're safe with us."
"What's gonna happen to me?" Isaac's voice is cracked.
"You're staying with us for the time being. Actually, you're staying until further notice," Lydia explains. "You probably don't know much about werewolf law, do you?" When Isaac shakes his head, she continues. "If a werewolf has reason to belief a human is in danger and can back it up with proof, he or she can ask the Alpha to put said human under the pack's protection until the danger's passed. If the human's a minor, under certain circumstances the Alpha can remove him or her from the current guardian until another person is found to take custody. And since you don't have any other relatives..."
Isaac tells himself there is no way this can be legal. But even if it isn't, does he really want to go back to his father, knowing what's waiting for him?
He can't find his voice, so he looks at the floor instead.
"Great," Jackson says. "Now that's sorted, it's movie night."
xxx
Just like that, Isaac finds himself sitting on a sofa between two of the werewolves, watching an X-Men film. He can't believe how normal everyone's acting; he takes popcorn when it's offered and says thank you, but it almost doesn't seem real. He can feel Derek's eyes on him, and Scott keeps a hand on his shoulder throughout the film. When Isaac looks at him, Scott smiles reassuringly.
The adrenaline is slowly draining from Isaac's blood, leaving him feeling sleepy. He blinks rapidly in an attempt to brush away the tiredness from his eyes.
Before long, he's asleep.
xxx
He nestles against the warm material beneath him. It's such a relief to be back in his own bed instead of the freezer; everything's so warm and comfortable, and...
Then it comes rushing back. Isaac sits upright sharply and looks around him. He's alone in what he thinks is a bedroom that's been darkened by the night. He's fully clothed, except for his shoes, and covered by a soft duvet.
What happened, where is everybody? Are they still in the loft?
The door opens suddenly, revealing a figure in the half-light. Isaac knows from experience that doors being thrown open means he's going to be hurt; he flinches backwards, pulling the duvet up to his chin. The figure turns on the light; when Isaac's stopped squinting, he sees the Alpha in the doorway.
"You OK?" Derek asks. Isaac nods silently in reply. He doesn't ask how the Alpha knows he's awake.
xxx
Next morning, Isaac finds a pile of clean clothes beside the bed, along with a towel. He showers, gets dressed and nervously heads down to breakfast. Derek is already at the table; he motions with his head towards the empty chair.
Over the next few minutes, the Alpha makes something very clear: he expects the same obedience from Isaac as he does from the Betas. Isaac is not a werewolf, but he is under the pack's protection and that means he is under the Alpha's authority. He will still be attending school, but he'll be coming back to the loft afterwards.
Derek drives him to school. Isaac can't help but look around anxiously as he gets out of the black Camaro.
The Betas are already there, waiting by the school doors. They enter the school together, Isaac firmly in the middle of them. They're sending a message, loud and clear: do not touch.
When school ends, Isaac looks around for the black Camaro. Instead, he sees the Argents.
xxx
"You can't do this." Mr Lahey's face is twisted as he snarls in rage. "You have no right to take my son."
"Yes, I do," replies the Alpha, calm and deadly as a blade. "I have the right to take him under my protection; it's my duty as an Alpha. We know what you've been doing to him."
"Yeah, we found the freezer," Scott adds.
It's a standoff: Derek, Isaac and the Betas on one side with Mr Lahey, Chris Argent and his backup on the other. Allison is standing beside her boyfriend, making it perfectly clear whose side she's on.
"Wait. You actually went into my house? When did you do that?" Isaac asks, barely stopping himself from tensing at the look of pure fury on his father's face.
"We needed actual proof, so we broke in." Jackson sounds as if he's talking about a walk into town to get ice cream. "Course, we could have taken pictures of your back, but that would have meant asking you and you'd have said no."
"You thought nobody noticed the marks? The bruises?" Scott's angry now. He's glaring at Isaac's father as if he wants nothing more than to tear out his throat.
"Then you won't mind if we see them now." Chris Argent steps forward; with his silvering hair, quiet but stern authority and pale eyes, he looks every bit as wolf-like as Derek does.
They're in the open. There are people watching. Isaac doesn't like this at all, but if it's the only thing keeping him from going back to his father, then he'll do it. Although the Alpha will probably spirit him back to his place whether Argent agrees or not.
Isaac's face burns with shame as he pulls his hoodie and T-shirt over his head. The gasps coming from the crowd bring tears to his eyes, but he turns around and shows Argent his back.
There's silence. Then Argent says three words.
"Get the Sheriff."
To be continued…
