Here you go :)

Chapter 32

"Derek!" Melanie screamed.

She threw her newly acquired martial art weapon at Ennis as the werewolf tried rip Derek's head back with the intention of pulling it from his body completely. The sai pierced through Ennis's shoulder, throwing him back a few feet and setting Derek free.

Stiles and Cora burst into the loft, stumbling a few feet. Cora went straight after Kali. Deucalion watched from the corner near the couch, his cane in front of him, centered with both hands over it. Stiles slid down to his knees as Kali pushed Cora to the side. Stiles, with his bat in hand, swung it at her. The end of the bat splintered into hundreds of pieces and as if in slow motion, taking her legs out. She fell backwards.

"I've got to upgrade to metal," he mumbled.

Pieces hung off the sharp edges stiffly. Kali bounced back from the surprise attack, baring her teeth. He kicked her across the face then scrambled backwards.

"Stiles!" Cora screamed.

Derek turned around quickly as Cora moved in front of Stiles to protect him, but he struggled in trying to protect her. Her scream wasn't out of general fear. She was afraid of losing him. Derek growled, the rage That's why she was staying so close. It wasn't because they'd been paired together during training.

Stiles dropped to his knees, dodging Kali's attempt to grab him.

Isaac jumped over him, and slammed Kali against the nearby column with his shoulder. The concrete spider webbed from the amount of force. He roared in her face, his golden eyes facing her red ones. His claws pierced her shoulders. Stiles hadn't seen strength like that before. It was like alpha strength. He stared wide eyes and frozen.

Melanie didn't see Isaac enter the room. She and Derek were taking on the giant. In the back of her mind, she hoped that Ethan and Aiden were doing their best to keep Lydia and Danny safe. She dodged one of Ennis's punches and shoved her remaining sai into his stomach and twisted. He roared loudly and backhanded her backwards. Her world went spinning. It felt like her head had detached from her body. A burning blazed across the side of her face. She blinked rapidly, regaining straight vision.

Derek came up behind Ennis, his full form shown, and wrapped his arm around his throat. The attempt to strangle him was short lived. Ennis reared back and his claws sunk into Derek's neck right under his jaw. Pulling him over his head, he threw Derek. He landed on Melanie who was trying to stand.

Ennis advanced on them and grabbed Melanie by the throat from underneath a barely conscious Derek. She gasped and coughed from the tight grip that made her throat itch as it closed. Her hand made a loud slapping sound as she grasped his wrist and tried to wrench it free. Her face shaded deeper and deeper red.

"You are a pain in my ass," Ennis growled, pulling her close to his face, leaving only inches. "How can you even fight us, any of us?"

He was actually curious. Melanie just glared.

"Because," she breathed, "I'm the girl who was raised by wolves. I'm also smarter than you."

His grip tightened. He grinned as her face started turning purple. His hold on her life supply was ripped away suddenly and she fell to her knees and winced. Those'll be bruised in the morning, she thought. She coughed hard. Her glasses were flung off her face, leaving her vision blurred. Isaac punched Ennis and he fell to the ground. Blood dripped over his fingers off. Some of those bones in his hand have to be broken, Melanie thought.

Though her whole body shook as oxygen filled her burning lungs, she stood up as Isaac took Ennis's head between his already healing hands.

"Isaac, don't!" she screamed.

He jerked the alpha's head to the right. The snap of his neck resounded through the room making everybody freeze in the midst of the fray. The red of Ennis's eyes died and he fell to the ground, lifeless. Isaac's dark stare didn't leave Melanie when he took the life right out of the alpha. Melanie shook inside out. She held her aching side as she looked from Isaac to Ennis. There were deep indents in his head from Isaac's claws. It was impossible that he could die at the hands of a beta.

Stepping over the lifeless body, Isaac stopped before her. He touched her throat tenderly, checking that she was alright. Melanie tried to back away, but her legs wouldn't have it. The touch lingered and her head swam and stomach Derek growled from behind her at the beta.

Loud footsteps, heels clacked loudly then stopped. Stiles swept around to see Scott, Lydia and Allison standing there, paralyzed at the scene. Allison's eyes sparkled with tears. Her crossbow hung limply in her hands. A single breeze of even the smallest proportions would make it fall from her hands.

Melanie's stomach twisted. She sucked in a breath. Isaac fell to his knees, submitting to her. His head laid against that ugly pit of her stomach, making it twist even more. Melanie released a few short sobs. The last bit of denial she had turned to dust.

"Interesting," Deucalion said, voicing his curiosity. Kali silently wept.

Everybody stared in a mixture of awe and horror. Tears fell from Allison's eyes at seeing her boyfriend hugging Melanie's waist, nearly in tear himself. Melanie's mouth hung open as she stood there motionless staring ahead into some sort of dead space. His arms hugged around her waist limply. She could hear him sniffle, crying as he nuzzled his nose into her stomach.

This was real. Isaac wasn't just pleading with her. He needed her. Deep down, she knew that and there was no way to explain how. All of this was illogical.

Melanie met Allison's eyes. Isaac pressed his fingers into her hips, making her jump. She gulped and closed her eyes, unable to keep eye contact. Derek was right. Something inside of him had chosen her. It had all been laid out in front of them. He had chosen her. And now, he was going to protect her.

Scott turned and faced Deucalion. Derek approached, ready to pounce at the slightest movement.

"Leave town. For good this time," he ordered.

"Under whose authority?" Deucalion replied to the beta.

"Mine," Derek growled. "You've lost enough tonight. This is your last chance."

"I see. Let's leave Kali."

Kali looked at him enraged. Hair hung in her face in a sweaty mess. She looked back at Ennis who was now surrounded in his own blood.

"He killed him!" she screamed.

Deucalion grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from jumping at Isaac and Melanie. Melanie flinched. Angry tears fell across her cheeks.

"We're going!" he roared.

Deucalion and Kali turned and left the loft. Scott and Derek turned and looked at Ennis's lifeless body then at Melanie and Isaac. Her lips parted, as she shook her head.

Lifting her shaky hand, it felt so heavy. Her whole body shook like jello. This was it. Her heart beat hard like mines blasting across a field. His hold was warm. It safe.

She laid her hand on his head. It was all she could do because she did love him, though she tried not to. Her fingers slid through his hair. She stared ahead at the concrete wall. He was hers there on his knees, submitting in front of everybody.

Isaac sniffled like a child, afraid of losing his most prized possession. His fingers twitched against her as if to make sure she was still there in his arms and she wasn't going to leave.

"We have a problem," Stiles muttered, staring at the two muddled in confusion. He looked to Scott for help, but Scott shook his head just as confused.

Isaac looked up at Melanie helplessly. His eyes were illuminated fuchsia. She backed out of his tender hold with a look of fear and ran past Allison out of the loft. The hunter's crossbow clattered to the ground. The darkness in the loft shadowed her pain.

Isaac fell to his hands, slumping in a heap. His body shook.

Stiles turned to Cora. The corner of her forehead bled. Taking her face into his hands tenderly, he tilted it up to get a better look. She watched him contently, holding his elbows lightly. The concern was sweet.

"I'm okay," she told him.

"I know. I'm just checking," he said, meeting her eyes.

He wanted to kiss her, but couldn't with Derek standing so close by. Part of him was thinking 'fuck it'. He caressed her cheek giving a soft smile.

Stiles was ripped away from the small moment with the fem-wolf and slammed against the column Kali had been thrown against earlier. He grunted, his back aching with surges of pain shooting along it. Derek stared down at the terrified teenager, growling. His breath was hot on his cheek.

"Derek," Cora screamed, trying to peel him off of Stiles.

Derek shoved her back effortlessly.

"You think you can do what you're doing?" he snarled.

"Derek, nothing happened! He was just checking to see if I was okay!" Cora shouted. She grabbed his arm, trying to yank him off, but he was stronger.

"I saw how you were looking at each other! I won't accept this!"

Scott remained by the girls prepared to protect them if Derek came after them next. He would've leaped in to help, but Stiles stopped him with a quick wave. Allison stared at Isaac who still didn't move. He stared down at his hands like they weren't even his. She felt nothing. No anger. No sadness. Nothing. It hurt too much feel anything. The only thing she did feel was the urge to puke.

"Let's go," Lydia whispered. She tugged on Allison's arm. Allison didn't budge.

"Look at each other like what!? Derek, he means nothing to me. You wanted me to train him and that's all I've been doing. You know how he can be," Cora yelled, trying once more to pull him off.

Derek let go, shoving Stiles hard against the concrete column. Stiles stared at Cora in disbelief. Even now she wouldn't tell Derek. He scoffed. He wish he was shocked. He was disappointed.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong. Just trying to make sure your baby sister doesn't get herself killed," Stiles said, making his way to the door angrily. "Don't worry. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Cora's eyes watered as she stood there motionless, watching him storm out of the loft. She wiped her eyes quickly before Derek could see and hurried to help Isaac stand. He was weak like he wasn't even in his body. He turned and looked out the murky window.

"I couldn't let her die," he mumbled.

It was nearly an hour and a half later after taking several roads through town and the neighborhood when she reached the road out of town. Her legs ached. She hugged her arms around herself. She kept her head down and her hood up as she walked, to keep passing cars from seeing her face. More specifically, she didn't want Isaac or Derek to see her if they were out looking for her.

Thank god it's summer, she thought. She breathed in slowly. Her ribs ached. Anyone's ribs would ache if a 187 lb. werewolf was thrown on them. The beating from tonight was settling in now.

Her feet were smeared in blood. She wiggled her toes. It was slimy. She grimaced in disgust. In the distance there was a rumble, making her stiffen. Melanie looked around, contemplating jumping in the woods. Maybe a wild animal would kill her. That wouldn't be so bad. The car got closer, its headlights making her shadow visible. Just pass me, I'm nobody, she thought.

The car slowed beside her.

Shit.

She stopped walking. Please be a stranger, she prayed.

She closed her eyes as she turned not knowing who she was going to face. When she saw who it was, she felt relieved, but she kept her cold, hard shell up. The right sneer would send the driver away.

"Are you going to tattle to Derek?" Melanie snapped.

Stiles hung out the window of his powder blue jeep. The vehicle crept alongside her.

"No," he said. "I was just wondering where you're going."

"I don't know,"

"Want a ride?"

"Go home Stiles," she said.

"Do you want a ride?" he asked again.

"Your Dad will kill you."

"Maybe, but I'm in the 'Not Caring' zone," he said. There was no playful smirk.

Melanie hadn't seen him this distressed before. A lot of people got hurt tonight and not just due to physical injury. Peter was missing in action. Scott was stuck in Derek's shadow, a place that he hated being in. Allison and Isaac's relationship was officially crumbling. Aiden and Ethan were traitors to their pack. The only ones that might not have any problems were Lydia and Danny. Running away felt like a really good idea.

"Okay," Melanie said.

She walked around to the passenger side and got in. Stiles hit the gas and they drove off past the town sign. The rainbow of color on it was faded making it more ominous than friendly.

Leaving Beacon Hills, Come Back Soon.