Isla crossed her arms at the sight of him. Her eyes were still a touch red from crying, but her expression was ice cold. Lips pursed, she raked her gaze up and down her Alpha's form. He had shaved and was dressed in a clean cardigan and a pair of dark jeans and he looked good, if not a little rattled. Unsympathetic, she asked, "What're you doing here?"

Deucalion made no move to enter her apartment. His gaze softened as she held herself a bit tighter. Whether it was due to the draft of the hall or his mere presence, he wasn't sure, but he didn't like it. He also didn't like that she smelt vaguely of McCall, but Deucalion wasn't about to risk touching her. Not when she was so skittish. Instead, he replied simply, "I was just checking in on you."

"I'm fine." She offered him a brisk nod and moved to slam the door in his face.

His hand shot out to stop it from closing. At the spike of fear in her scent, the Alpha eased his grip. "Isla. We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"There's plenty to talk about." Deucalion swallowed and clenched his hand. His fingers had mostly healed, but there was still a tingle of tenderness to the action. "I need to know if you've made your decision."

The redhead squinted at him. One of her hands went to the back pocket of her baggy pajama pants. Her posture straightened. "What decision?"

"About whether you'll stay in my pack." When her gaze dropped, he nodded. "I've made arrangements...for you to speak with another Alpha tomorrow. She's older, very experienced. Her pack is well established. I think it could be a good fit for you."

A cold pit formed in Isla's stomach as relief and bitterness welled in her. The idea of him giving her up so easily, like she had been a mistake he couldn't wait to be rid of, stung. She knew it was for the best. That she would get so much more from being mentored by literally anyone else, but she wanted Deucalion to succeed. Not just for her but for himself. He had so much good in him. She had seen it. Knowing he was passing her off so he could go back to being an animal made her pity him, but Isla supposed it shouldn't have surprised her. Deucalion couldn't change. He hadn't even tried to. Pretty promises or not, all her Alpha had ever shown her was a beast...but the young woman knew that was a lie.

The man who had blushed his way through their first kiss hadn't been a monster. Who had mapped out her features with shaky fingers in the rain, who had been so gentle with her in the hospital and had looked so sad when they had broken up. Maybe Deucalion wasn't a monster, but he wasn't much of a man, either. At least not the kind Isla wanted him to be.

She flinched as he cupped her cheek.

A strong thumb eased over her sensitive skin, mapping out her sharp features as he frowned. "This isn't something I'm doing lightly, Isla." He brushed over her temple. "I want you to have the best possible chance, even if it's not by my side."

"Yeah, well, you had your chance." Isla pulled her cheek from his touch and ignored the disappointment in his face as she shifted away from him. "So save it. I'll see you tomorrow, Duke."

"I'll pick you up at ten."

Instead of replying, Isla simply shut the door in his face. The Alpha felt rage flare in him at the disrespect, but he forced it down as a low growl rose in his throat. Claws digging into his palm, he reminded himself that this was exactly why he was letting her go. He couldn't control his instincts, and right now, his instincts were telling him Isla was a Beta to be disciplined. Nothing more than a possession. Worse, the feeling was tinged with lust and that was a dangerous combination. Which was exactly why she had to go.

The next morning, Isla was standing outside her building. She was rather formally dressed, in a teal cowl neck sweater and a pair of black trousers. Deucalion watched her a moment. He hadn't seen her in sunlight before. It made her orange hair all the more striking; flaming and bright, pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Typing a quick text out to her mom to let her know what was happening, she caught a familiar scent in the wind and started as a smooth voice came from behind.

"I didn't know they still made flip phones."

Isla shot her Alpha a glare and hit send. "It works fine."

Deucalion arched an amused brow, but didn't comment further. Instead, he nodded. "Shall we?"

The two fell in step. Out of the corner of his eye, the man regarded his Beta. She seemed very composed, her posture tight and confident and he felt a swell of pride at the prospect of presenting her to another pack. Then he caught sight of her shoes; a pair of old sneakers being held together with duct tape and quite possibly sheer willpower. Licking his teeth and forcing back a grin, he asked if she had any questions.

Isla slipped a strand of long orange hair behind her ear. "You said it was a woman? What's her name?"

"Sitomi." Deucalion's strides were long and unforgiving, something the young woman appreciated. It was nice being able to keep up with him and stretch her legs without worrying about her heart collapsing. "She's very well-established. Her pack's been in California since the '40s, I believe. Charming woman."

"Hm." Isla lifted a brow. "And she's open to taking me in?"

"She seemed very interested in meeting you- ah, here we are."

The redhead blinked at the sight of the local recreation center across the street. It was a well-maintained building, but not at all what she was expecting. "What-?"

"We decided it would be best to meet on neutral ground, with her pack in attendance of course, given my history."

"Of mass murder?"

Deucalion paused for a beat. "Yes."

As his hand skimmed her lower back, Isla stepped out from under him. His smirk waned at that, but he followed her over to the building. Not bothering to knock, he held the door open for her and ignored her thanks. They were greeted by a young man behind a desk, who upon seeing them, merely lifted a brow and told them rather bluntly, "Meeting room six," as he pointed with him pen.

"Thanks," Isla offered him an awkward wave before slipping down the hall.

Deucalion followed, not appreciating the way the younger man's eyes flickered over his Beta's form. Repressing a growl, he let his eyes flash at him.

"Dee," Isla warned from the end of the hall. A hint of mirth in her voice, she ordered, "Put your dick away."

The Alpha shot a glare in her direction but his scowl lifted at her smile. When he approached her, he slipped a hand over her waist. She didn't push him away, but her blue eyes narrowed slightly. With a roll of her eyes, she nodded over to a door clearly marked six and Deucalion led her toward it.

He knocked briskly before opening the door. Several eyes turned to face them. There were ten people crammed in the small meeting room. Two women and eight men, all under forty and blank faced.

The lone seated woman seemed considerably more at ease than her Betas. She was a regal woman of perhaps sixty, with a stern mouth but warm eyes. Dressed in a black jacket and a cream blouse, she made no move to stand as Deucalion greeted her.

"Sitomi. You're looking well."

"Thank you." The woman's eyes flickered down to where the Demon Wolf was so delicately touching the young redhead's back. "I see you've been busy."

The corner of Deucalion's mouth twitched. "You could say that. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice."

"I have to admit, I was rather surprised when you called...but I can see why you were so concerned." Sitomi offered the redhead a soft smile. Isla returned it, but it fell when the woman finished with a shake of her head, "But I don't think I can help."

"How did I fail the interview before I even opened my mouth?" Isla asked with a bemused smirk. Still a touch of fear lingered in her eyes.

Sitomi picked up on it right away. The woman glanced behind her. "Leave us."

One of her men protested, "But-"

"Now, please." Her Betas hesitated, but left, leaving the three of them alone. Sitomi would have none of it. A hint of amusement shone in her voice, but her gaze was stern, "You, too, Duke. I'd like to speak with the young lady in private."

Deucalion frowned, but at the reassuring nod from Isla and a subtle squeeze of his hip, he left.

The women waited until he shut the door before looking at one another again. Sitomi extended a hand toward the chair across from her desk. "Please. Take a seat, Miss Crane."

Curious, Isla obeyed. "You know my last name?"

"I know many things about you." Her fingertips came together to rest on the tabletop. Dark eyes flickering over the girl's features, she kept her tone even and a bit brisk as she explained, "Deucalion was very thorough in his description of you, but he failed to mention how deep your bond is. I suspected it, but I was unaware that the two of you were so... entangled. Emotionally. The bond between Alpha and Beta is already substantial, but this is something else entirely and I'm afraid a bond like that is not easily broken."

Isla leaned forward. A bit of eagerness, or perhaps desperation, played on her youthful features. "But there is a way to break it? Permanently."

Sitomi lifted a casual shoulder. "You could kill him."

The redhead recoiled. Stomach tight and blood cold, she swallowed. "Besides that."

"He could kill you." Sitomi frowned as distress rolled from the girl in thick waves. Empathetic, she sighed. "You could try a trial separation, but that rarely works out well. It usually just makes an Omega, and since you're female, that could be exceedingly dangerous. Not just for you, but for the entire town."

"So there's really nothing you can do?"

"Not without risking the safety of my pack."

After a moment, Isla nodded. She couldn't fault the woman for wanting to keep her family safe and moved to stand. "Thank you for your time."

An inquisitive lilt broke through the woman's cool voice, "If you've already bonded with him, why are you so eager to break it?"

The waitress licked her lips and offered her a weak smirk. "I thought he could change, but he hasn't."

"How long has it been?"

"A week," Isla clenched her jaw. "But it's been a few days since I've seen him."

The elderly woman chuckled. The optimism, or perhaps arrogance, of youth was staggering sometimes. "And you thought your love would simply erase his flaws?"

"Well, considering his flaws are killing people, I thought he'd at least work on them," Isla replied stiffly, her pale cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"And has he?"

"He hasn't shown me anything." Isla crossed her arms and dropped her chin. "He treats me like I'm some puppy that's going to bite."

"You are."

Isla's expression puckered at the slight.

Sitomi offered her another, more patient smile. "An untrained Beta is a dangerous thing." Her dark eyes softened. "I won't pretend to know what happened between you, but I knew Duke. Before he lost his way. The man who presented you with such pride is the closest I've seen Deucalion act like himself in years."

Still holding herself, Isla fiddled with her sweater a moment before chancing a curious glance at the woman. She hoped she came off as nonchalant, but the redhead knew she didn't as she repeated, "You knew him?"

"Not well. Not like Talia Hale did, but well enough to know if he was going to change, he would need an anchor." Sitomi smirked. "And that anchor may very well be you."

The young woman shook head her. Her hands fell to her sides, one of them coming back to slip into her pocket. Bold, she raised her chin. "I shouldn't have to be that for him."

Sitomi arched a brow. It wasn't like Betas to be so straightforward with an Alpha- much less a stranger. Torn between respect and annoyance, the woman raised her own in reply. "I'm not telling you to be subservient. No one is forcing you to stay and no one is forcing you to be in a relationship with him. You're an adult. Make your own decisions. Just don't expect change to happen overnight."

"Thank you for your time." With a curt nod and a frown, Isla left before the woman could get another word in.

Deucalion arched a brow as his Beta slipped out of the room. Isla merely spared him a glance and jerked her head and he fell in line- much to the surprise of Sitomi's pack, who had been watching him diligently for the past five minutes. Falling in step with her, the Alpha couldn't resist.

"So I take it that went well?"

Isla shot him a dark look but merely kept walking.

Deucalion chuckled, his hand finding her waist as they moved past the front desk and out into the warm sunlight. Offering her arm a rub, he almost buried in face her hair, but thought better of it. Still, his condolences came, "I'm sorry she rejected you."

The redhead scowled but didn't reply.

"She doesn't understand the...delicate circumstances-"

"She seemed to understand just fine." Isla rounded on him. Her hair was bright and her skin almost blinding, like ivory in the sun, and he couldn't stop himself from drinking her in. With her fierce gaze and sharp cheekbones and the sheer rage that radiated from her core. So much more tantalizing than the bitter scent of her illness. It was striking, as were her bright yellow eyes, as she sneered, "She says I'm stuck with you! That you need some kind of anchor and that I'm gonna end up an Omega if I leave you! And what the hell is an Omega anyway?!"

"Isla." Deucalion slid his hands up her arms and cupped her shoulders. When she tried to jerk away from him, the man held tight, just barely burying his sensitive fingertips into her delicate skin under her light sweater. "Calm yourself."

The young woman tried to rip away from him, but he held tight. Snarling, she spat at him, "Fuck you."

"Isla," He growled, flashing his own startlingly red eyes at her.

The redhead flinched. With a blink, her gaze returned to its human state and Deucalion slipped his hands up to her collarbones. They were thin and delicate and he could snap them like twigs, but instead he offered them a careful rub with his thumbs as he spoke, "I'm not going to let that happen to you."

"What is it?" Isla tilted her head. Taking in his serious disposition, she clarified, "An Omega?"

"It's a wolf without a pack."

Not understanding the severity of her words, Isla shook her head. "That doesn't sound so bad."

The man frowned. "It's incredibly dangerous. Wolves aren't meant to run alone, Isla. Solitude...changes us. Makes us unpredictable, sometimes volatile; a prime target for hunters."

"Like Gerard Argent?" She watched him carefully. It was unsettling, how he faltered before her, but his simple response reeked of genuine unease and Isla appreciated that.

His chin dipped a moment before he met her gaze with a swallow. "Yes."

Her fingers found his cheek and the young woman remembered how they had looked in Deaton's pictures; all soot covered and burned. Her Alpha leaned into her touch, catching the heel of her hand with a gentle kiss before she pulled away. More sad than angry, Isla shook her head at him. "I'd rather be alone than under your thumb."

Deucalion cringed at that. There had been no inflection in her scent, her words completely honest and he felt like he had been dealt a blow to the stomach. "Please don't say that."

The redhead pursed her lips at the quiet desperation in his words. His hands slipped into hers and she went to pull away, but he held tight.

Thumbing the back of her knuckles, he stared at her fingers. The long, slender digits which had so calmly touched him just moments before. Untarnished by blood or death or malice and he couldn't tear his gaze from them as he ordered, "I want you to call Scott."

Isla blinked. "But-"

"No," He shook his head and met her wide eyed stare with a wan smile. "No arguments. He's the Alpha you need. The one you deserve."

"He's just a kid." The redhead shook her head and once again he was struck by how utterly coruscating her hair was. "He doesn't deserve-"

"He might not deserve your baggage, but you deserve someone like him. A True Alpha." Deucalion let his gaze caress her face, taking in her sharp features and the odd freckle and the crease between her brow as she frowned at him.

"But he's just a kid-"

"A kid with exponential potential." His smile bloomed, genuine and warm. "Just like you. You deserve the best, Isla, and since I can't give it to you, you should be with him." Her Alpha's hand moved behind her and he eased her phone from her back pocket. Pressing it into her palm, he ignored how her scent twisted with fear and rage and hurt and told her, "Call him. He wants to take you in. Let him." His fingers caressed the back of her hand, over her knuckles and wrist, as if taking in the smoothness of her skin for the last time. "This isn't something I'm doing easily, Isla. It's not a punishment; it's the only gift I can give you."

"If I call him…" Isla licked her lips and met his gaze. Worry shone in her blue eyes, worry and a hint of dread as she asked, "Are you going to stop?"

His brow creased. "Stop?"

"Trying to be a good person." Her chin fell as her cheeks flushed. "I know I wasn't enough-"

"I am trying. It just takes time to get back to such a mindset." Gentle hands grasped her by the shoulders. "It's more difficult than I thought it would be, but I'm going to keep trying to be the Alpha you deserve." Her shoulders fell in his hold, her entire body sagging with relief as he kept on, "Whether you're by my side or not."

"Good." With a swallow and a nod, Isla met his stare. It was intense, but it eased into relieved as she told him, "I hope you do, because I think you could be a really great one if you tried."

A faint blush crossed his cheeks. Pleased, and a bit intimidated by her faith in him, Deucalion ran his hands down her arms to cradle her hands once more. "Perhaps one day I'll be able to live up to your expectations, but for now, for your peace of mind, I want you to call Scott."

Still not totally convinced, the young woman sighed. Quick fingers typed out a brief text (I changed my mind. I'll be at the diner.) to the teenager before she tucked her phone back in her pocket. It chimed, but she ignored it in favor of looking up at her Alpha.

Deucalion offered her a terse nod. "You made the right decision. Scott is a fine young man."

"I know."

They quiet, the redhead fiddling with her fingertips as the man before her clenched his jaw. After a moment's hesitation, he took her hand. "I hope when you look back on our time together, it will be with fondness and not regret, Isla."

"I wish I had been enough for you to try," The young woman winced as her voice cracked. Bottom lip quivering, she kept her head down as he sighed.

"My failure doesn't fall on you." Deucalion's fingers smoothed back her long bangs. They were soft and cool to the touch. "Perhaps one day when I've learned to control myself, we could try again. If only as friends." He offered her a wry smile as she met his gaze. "I don't have many you know."

Despite her misty eyes, Isla returned the warm expression as his hand came up to thumb her flushed cheek. With a cheeky smirk, she told him, "You'd have more if you stopped killing them."

He chuckled and Isla could have wept at the sound. She knew she was making the right decision, that Deucalion wasn't ready for a pack or to treat her like she was anything but a liability to him...but that didn't make it any easier. She had walked away from him before and she could remember the grief it had caused her. She had hoped, after all he put her through, the idea of a fresh start might be cathartic.

And in a way it was a relief not to know she wouldn't be burdened with the responsibility of his morality, but he had been her first love. Isla had never felt quite so much like herself than when she was with him and worried she wouldn't again.

So when he asked if he could still visit her, if he could stop by the diner some nights, she nodded. With a watery smile, she told him, "I'd like that."

The Alpha smiled and pressed a tender kiss to her temple. Deucalion inhaled her sweet scent and nuzzled against the softness of her skin a moment before he pulled back. Her eyes were still misty, but her expression firm as he told her, "I wish you all the luck in the world, Isla."

"You too, Dee."

And with a brief kiss, he left her to her own devices.