Isaac couldn't help the feeling of dread that twists in his stomach as he watches Stiles walk away. He feels utterly worthless. What was the point of all this power if he couldn't protect the person he cared about? Instead, it was Stiles who had to come to his rescue, getting himself injured in the process. He should have been able to protect Stiles, should have been able to protect him. Why wasn't he strong enough?
Boyd and Erica each grabbed one of his arms and hoisted him to his feet. He hissed as a feeling like liquid fire ripped across his chest. It felt as though his skin was being pulled away from his chest piece by agonizing piece.

"Maybe this will teach you not to be such an idiot," Erica said from his side. Isaac looked down at her slightly smaller frame. Her eyebrows frowned, and a look of worry overtook her usual confident smirk. "Never," he replied with a teasing smile, "you know me. I'm always an idiot." Erica did not look impressed as she turned to glare up at him. The look reminded him of Stiles and immediately his mind was overcome with images of the boy he cared deeply for. "Stiles-"
Boyd cut him off before he could finish speaking, "He's fine."
"No, he's not," Isaac groaned, "He smelt like blood." Neither answered as they roughly shoved him into the passenger seat of Erica's tiny red convertible. Boyd raced around the other side of the car with Erica's fuzzy pink keychain dangling between his fingers. Isaac caught Erica's wrist in his shaking hands before she could turn to walk away. "Please," he begged, "can you make sure he's all right, please?" She stared at him, unblinking for what felt like hours before she turned away with a huff. Her eyes were softer when Erica turned back to face him. "Fine, but if he annoys me I can't promise he'll be in one piece."
"I expect nothing less from you," he smiled.
Something akin to relief settled over Isaac, but he knew he would not be able to rest until he knew that Stiles was ok. He settled back into the seat just as Erica slammed the car door shut. He could faintly hear Erica and Boyd conversing over the roof of the car, but he was too tired to ease drop on their conversation.

The car jostled as Boyd climbed into the tight space behind the steering wheel. He jammed the key into the ignition and revved the engine to life. "What about Erica?" He asked, voice barely about a whisper. Boyd pushed the car into drive as he replied.
"Said she would catch a ride with Stilinski." Isaac nodded. He leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes, no longer able to keep them open on his own accord.

*Ω*

When Isaac opened his eyes sometime later he found himself laying on a lumpy mattress with a thin woollen blanket pulled up around his chin. He groaned, the skin across his chest pulling tight as he tried to push himself up onto his elbows. "Stay down," a gruff voice spoke. Through the dark train car, Isaac could barely make out the stiff form of his Alpha, sitting hunched over one of the rusted seats.

Isaac fell back against the mattress, sighing. Having his Alpha near calmed his racing mind but there was something itching under his skin, begging to be freed. The need to know where Stiles was and how he was doing, it left his hands shaking and his heart thudding against his ribcage. "Is Stiles-"
"He's fine," Derek growled. His eyes flashed in the dark, two red beacons that called to something primal inside Isaac, a baser need to please his Alpha at whatever means possible. "You, however." Derek stood from his seat and cross the small space in two long strides. "Are a complete and utter moron. What were you thinking running off with him like that, without a plan or any backup? You both could have been killed." Isaac jumped as Derek kicked a nearby crate sending it into the wall of the train car. "You are part of a pack, Isaac, not a lone wolf. You should have called and told me that Stilinski was going after the omega. You should have waited for instructions."
"I just wanted to-"
Derek growled, cutting him off, "You what? Wanted to listen to his dying screams, to hold his dead body in your arms, because that is what would have happened if Boyd hadn't seen you sneak out of school and called me!"

Derek loomed over him, his eyes still bleeding red. Isaac whimpered as an image flashed before his eyes, of his father standing over him, fists raised and a sneer across his withered face. It was gone as quickly as it came but the damage was already done.

Derek crouched down beside him and rest a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Isaac. I know you care about Stilinski but if you want to protect him you need to start acting in his best interest and that means keeping him out of situations like today." The Alpha's eyes drained of their colour until they resembled something more human. Isaac swallowed deeply. He knows that Stiles will never stay out of the supernatural world, even if it gets him killed and Isaac doesn't know what he would do if Stiles died because of him. And so, he nodded, a small part of him preening at the satisfied upturn of his Alpha's lips. However, his mind was still abuzz, trying to determine how best to keep his human crush safe.

*Ω*

By morning Isaac was feeling much better but his chest still stung with a phantom pain when he stretched too far. The pack was gathered in the centre of the train depot in what had come to be called the den. They were sitting on whatever flat surface they could find, most of them on their phones, except for Erica who was standing away from the group, leaning against the side of a train car as she glared daggers towards Scott and Jackson.

Just the sight of the two betas set Isaac's own nerves on edge. Isaac wanted nothing more than to run over there and rake his claws along their faces for the horrible things they have done to Stiles, but he also knew that he would be outnumbered and likely taken down before he could reach either one of them.

Instead of listening to his bodies desires Isaac leaned back against the train car by Erica's side, hands clenched into fists where they were held across his chest. "You're looking better," She spoke softly.
"I feel better." Isaac glanced over at his friend, noticing the clench of her jaw and the unmistakable claws peeking out from the tips of her fingers. "What's wrong?" She didn't answer. Erica stood, unmoving, her eyes never leaving the group of gathered wolves and human.

A high-pitched laugh echoed through the train depot. The Beta looked over just in time to see Scott tackle Allison to the floor, peppering kisses to her flustered face. Beside him, Erica growled. Her claws lengthened, drawing strips of blood along the crease of her elbows. "Train with me," Isaac said. He knew that look in her eyes, the deep and primal need to draw blood and slash your claws until you hit bone. "What?" Her brown eyes are softer as she looks up at him.
He repeated, "Train with me. I need to get out of here before these idiots drive me insane and you obviously need to blow off some steam." Erica grinned around her sharpened canines.
"Deal, but don't complain too much when I wipe the floor with you."
"In your dreams blondie."
"I have better things to dream about than you," her eyes trailed over to Boyd, who was lounging on a dusty bean bag, flipping through pages of an old leather-bound book. Isaac gagged as the fruity scent of womanly need wafted past him. "Shut up, Isaac."

He grinned. This was the first time in weeks that he has been able to joke around with Erica and act like friends instead of two people on opposite sides of a feud.

They trained for hours, kicking and clawing their way through training dummies and each other until they both lay on the dirty floor, panting as their sweat began to cool, clinging to their clothes and body like a second skin. Somewhere off to the side, Isaac's phone buzzed. He groaned loudly, throwing an arm over his eyes. Just as his phone stopped ringing it started up again. Isaac groaned again, louder this time. He dragged himself off the floor, ignoring Erica's undignified snort.
Isaac grabbed his phone from his jacket pocket, pausing at the name on the screen. He took a deep breath before bringing the phone to his ear. "Hey," he said, cringing at how lame he sounded.
"Hey," a gentle voice answered. "I was, uh, just calling to see how you are. You weren't in first period, so I thought maybe you died or something." Isaac could almost hear Stiles cringing through the phone line.
"No, Not dead, very much still alive. I uh, I was just training. I lost track of time is all."
"That's good, good that you're not dead I mean," Stiles replied. They both fell silent, an uncomfortable silence that made Isaac's skin crawl. He loved hearing Stiles voice, but their conversation felt forced and awkward. Isaac wanted to say so many things to Stiles but was afraid of how he would react if his feelings came spewing out like last time. Stiles wanted a friend, so Isaac was going to be that friend, even if it made him feel like he was dying on the inside.

Stiles cleared his throat. "So, um, the bell is about to ring. I should go to class, don't wanna be late for Harris."
"Yea, of course. I might uh, might see you later?"
Stiles laughed, the sound was music to his ears. "That would be cool, yea...um, see ya."
"Bye." Isaac groaned as he hung up. Why was he such an idiot? He was tempted to bash his head against a wall until he was dizzy and ready to vomit.

"That was pitiful. It's like watching a car crash, brutal, yet I couldn't look away." Erica's voice did little to quench his desire to bury himself alive in a shallow grave and wallow in self-pity.
He groaned, "I know."
"You know what would have made that conversation less traumatic, is if I shot you in the face."
"Please shut up," Isaac said. He slid down the wall until he was seated, legs stretched out before him. He kept his phone tightly held in hand as he watched Erica throw her long curls into a loose ponytail. The other beta watched him the entire time like she was trying to see deep into his soul. "You really like him, don't you?"
"Yea." Isaac whispered, "God, I'm so pathetic."
"Yea, yea you are."
With a shake of his head, he replied, "Thank you for the vote of confidence." Erica sprang to her feet, wiping away the dust from the back of her pants.
"Get up," she said.
"Why?" She placed her hands on her hips and in what has been come to be known as 'typical Erica' fashion smirked down at the other Beta. "I'm going to give you a makeover and when I'm done I'll teach you how to properly talk to guys." Isaac was surprised, surprised by her sudden interest in helping him get closer to Stiles and by the sincerity in her voice, which wasn't there three days prior.
"I don't need a makeover and I know how to talk to guys." Isaac slowly stood, dusting off his own pants. He grabbed his jacket, throwing it over his shoulder.
"Yea, no you don't." Isaac opened his mouth to reply but the she-wolf merely raised her eyebrows.
"No, I don't." He sighed.

Erica squealed excitedly. She reached out from his arm with a smile. He was defiantly regretting this already.