"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" Bella cheered alongside Danny as they watched the birthday girl down her drink.

"Wooo!" she cheered as she pulled the empty cup away.

"10 bucks?" Danny turned to Bella.

"Dude I said no!" she laughed. He'd been trying to get her to attempt a keg stand all night. But she didn't feel like landing flat on her face. "Besides, we have school tomorrow."

"I tell you what, summertime Bella was a blast, and school-time Bella is a goody-two-shoes," Danny joked. Throughout summer, Danny had managed to drag her to many of these parties, and she'd honestly had a blast making a fool of herself with him. It also helped take their minds off of Jackson's abrupt departure. "Romeo at 10 o'clock," Danny warned before he darted away from her.

"What?"

"Hey Bella," a voice greeted her from behind.

"Oh," she muttered. "Hey Jared," she turned around to greet the Devenford Prep guy. He'd been at lots of the summer parties, and to say he was determined would be an understatement.

"So, how was the first day back at school?"

"Interesting. English class got shut down because a whole bunch of birds flew into our room, so that was weird."

"Oh that was your class!" his eyes widened in excitement. "I heard about that. That'd be nice, class being cancelled for the day."

"I was more concerned about the 50 dead birds on the floor," Bella grimaced.

"Right yeah… birds," he nodded. "Hey, I was wondering, now that school's back, maybe you'd want to.."

"I um… I have a boyfriend," Bella cut him off.

"Oh," Jared deflated. "Is he here?"

"No," Bella shook her head awkwardly. To be honest she didn't even know if he was her boyfriend.

"What's his name?"

"He's… Stiles?" Bella asked, getting distracted by Scott and Stiles walking through the front door. "Woah," her eyes widened as the birthday girl Heather all but flew across the room to greet Stiles with a kiss and immediately dragged him away. "Someone's in for a fun night," Bella smiled. "Well anyway, that's my friend over there standing by himself, so I'm gonna go join. Catch you later Jared," Bella made a quick getaway and hurried her way over to Scott.

"Hey!" he greeted her, relieved to see a familiar face.

"I didn't know you guys were coming to this!" Bella smiled.

"Stiles knew Heather from preschool," Scott explained.

"I think he's about to get to know her a whole lot better," Bella giggled and Scott could only smile in acknowledgement.

His phone then buzzed and he pulled it out to show a very cute face displayed on the screen.

"Allison," Bella pursed her lips awkwardly as she looked at the image of her friend.

"I promised myself I wouldn't check my phone tonight," Scott put it away.

"I can get you a drink?" Bella suggested.

"Are you going to spike it again?" he asked with a small grin as he thought back to Lydia's birthday party.

"To be fair, the actual spiking was all Lydia," Bella clarified. "I was just in charge of making sure everyone was drinking it. But I promise I won't?" Bella held up her pinky for him to shake.

"Alright, why not," he rolled his eyes before shaking her finger and following her to the drinks table.

"So we have a collection of… hang on a sec," Bella pulled out her phone to see Allison calling.

Scott immediately peered over her shoulder. Why was Allison chasing both of them when she knew they were at a party?

"I swear to god if this is supernatural crap I'm so done," Bella groaned before she answered. "Hey?"

"Is Scott with you? Lydia and I have a…"

"Nope," Bella handed Scott the phone. "It's wolf time buddy," she slapped his shoulder.

"Hey," Scott spoke into the phone. His eyes then widened and he looked towards the door. "You're outside? Yeah, we're coming," Scott hung up. He then returned it to Bella and caught the look on her face. "I mean you don't have to come," he offered. "But you're kind of involved now so I thought it'd be good to include you."

"I'll come," Bella crossed her arm. "But magical voice powers or not, I just want to go to school and have a normal day," she trudged after him.

"Hey," Scott greeted both Allison and Lydia who were waiting out front. "This isn't the talk we were going to have, is it?" he asked Allison nervously.

Allison just shook her head glumly. "I need to show you something," she held her arm out for him to see.

"Oh yeah!" Bella moved to her sister's side and pulled up Lydia's arm. "They have like these weird spooky, matching bruises. Some psycho lady grabbed their arms at school today and bam. Matching bruises. It's like a pattern. She looked upset about something, said she was looking for you. How'd you guys even know the address?" she turned to Lydia to ask.

"I tracked your phone on Find My Friends," Lydia admitted. "I knew Scott and Stiles were headed to the same party so we just made our way here."

"I was going to say. When I saw Allison pop up on Scott's phone I thought she was breaking our no-calling boys pact for tonight."

"Yeah, about that, why aren't you with Isaac?" Scott asked Bella.

"Because Isaac disappeared off the face of the planet," Bella huffed as she crossed her arms.

"What… you don't know," Scott's eyes widened.

"Know what?"

"Derek hasn't called you?"

"Why would Derek call me? Is Isaac ok?" Bella panicked.

"He's alive. He was kidnapped by the pack of alpha's and they attacked him. He was in hospital last night."

"Last night! Your mom was going to tell me something and then she changed her mind," Bella recalled. "Oh my god he was in the same building as me and I had no idea. Is he ok now?"

"He's healing. Derek's helping him. He'll be ok. I left him with Derek at the old Hale house, they're probably still there."

"No, no. Derek would have taken him home," Bella frantically ran her hands through her hair. "Can you guys drive me?" she turned to Lydia and Allison who immediately nodded.

"I'll wait here with Stiles. I'm sorry, I thought you knew," Scott offered up.

"Thank you," Bella nodded before she raced towards the car and threw herself in the backseat. "Lydia!" she whined, making her sister pick up the pace.

"Well this is creepy," Lydia mused as she looked at the building Derek had been living in. He'd bought the whole building so there was absolutely no one else around.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" Allison asked cautiously. It was a creepy area.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I've been here plenty," Bella nodded as she opened the car door. This is where she had her siren lessons all summer. "Thanks for the lift," Bella jumped out and sped walked into the building. As soon as the elevator opened up on the loft floor Bella ran out only to come face to face with Derek. "God you're creepy," Bella jumped in shock. "Where is he?"

Derek merely held a finger up. "He's asleep. He needs it," he ushered her into the loft and shut the door behind her.

"What happened?" Bella turned to her newly-found cousin. "Why didn't you call me?"

"You were in school," Derek sat on the coffee table, opposite Bella who took a seat on the couch. "You said you wanted to stay out of this as much as possible. I thought you deserved a normal first day back at school."

"Derek, it's Isaac," Bella stressed.

"I'm sorry. I should have called you," he admitted.

"I didn't know where he was. He wouldn't call me back. I was worried. Just… what happened Derek?"

"Isaac was following up on a lead I found on Erica and Boyd. He got caught by the alpha's. He got hurt. Some mercenary broke him out and he ended up in hospital. Scott's mom was keeping an eye on him and she called me and Scott. We got him out and I made sure he was healing."

"Derek," Bella leaned forward. "We're 16. Isaac is 16. He's not an adult. He missed school today because he was in hospital. You shouldn't be sending him out there on these dangerous missions."

"It's part of being involved in this world," Derek shrugged guiltily.

"It shouldn't be. We're school kids still Derek. Let him be a school kid. If he wants to help, make sure it won't endanger his life. It's not fair. God, Derek, even Peter of all people made a point of saying I shouldn't have been out last night because it was a school night."

"Peter's not exactly a model of good decision making," Derek frowned.

"That's exactly my point," Bella glared. "He's asleep?" Bella looked towards the stairs.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "Your parents know you're here?"

"Lydia knows I'm here."

"Well if I was a good decision maker don't you think I should send you home tonight?" Derek gave her a small smile.

Bella merely glared. "Hilarious. I'm staying," she stood up.

"Guest rooms upstairs."

Bella was downstairs before both Isaac and Derek the next day. She'd already had breakfast and was just sitting on the couch waiting for someone to wake up. Both of their sleep-ins had meant she'd blown off school today. This was not how she wanted to school year to start, but she couldn't leave without seeing Isaac. Without knowing he was okay.

A point Derek couldn't help but make as he finally walked down the stairs and saw her sitting there waiting.

"I thought school was important?" he teased.

"Is he awake?" Bella ignored his taunts.

"He'll be down in a minute," Derek nodded. "He knows you're here. Just so you know, he doesn't have any memories of what happened. Peter's coming over soon to help."

Before Bella could make a disparaging comment about Peter, thundering footsteps pulled her attention and she immediately jumped off the couch and ran towards Isaac, who was all but flying down the stairs.

She immediately grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. "Oh I'm so glad you're ok," she breathed in relief. "Are you hurt still?" she pulled away to look him over.

"All healed, benefits of being a werewolf," he joked. "But you're hurt," he placed his head on her cheek and looked over the bandage Melissa had placed over her cut.

"I'm fine," Bella dismissed. "A deer ran through the windscreen of Lydia's car and I just got cut by some glass."

"And birds flew into her classroom and smashed glass all over her," Derek added as he sat down and picked up a book.

Bella turned to look at him with a glare. "Nark."

"I leave you alone for 24 hours and look what happens," Isaac joked.

"I think you got hurt worse. I was so worried when I didn't hear from you."

"I'm ok now," he assured. "I'm fine."

"Well Peter will be here in about 5 minutes so soon, none of us are going to be fine," Derek interrupted, wanting to separate the two teenagers before his uncle arrived. The paternal relationship he'd been trying to create with Bella meant he held a strong dislike for Isaac. This meant that Bella had a habit of continually standing very close to Isaac, or grabbing his hand, just to watch Peter's vein in the middle of his forehead pop out.

"Why is Peter coming?" Bella asked.

"There's an old method werewolves used to use to see into someone's memories," Derek explained and flicked his claws out. "You insert your claws into the back of someone's neck and you can tap into their memories. Isaac can't remember what happened, and we're hoping Peter can circumnavigate the block."

Bella's eyes widened as she turned to look at Isaac, who'd all of a sudden become very twitchy. He was giving permission for claws to be stuck into the back of his neck?

Seeing Bella nervous aggravated him even more and Isaac began pacing back and forward in front of the giant window in Derek's loft, his hands clenching and unclenching as his mind whirred.

"You know, I'm starting not to like this idea. Sounds kind of dangerous." Isaac changed directions and began walking back towards Bella. "You know what. I definitely don't like this idea, and I definitely don't like him."

"You'll be fine," Derek briefly looked up from his book.

Isaac came to stand in front of Bella and looked at her. "Does it have to be him?" Peter really let his contempt for Isaac show and he thought there was a chance he'd deliberately try to hurt him just to punish for Isaac being with his daughter.

"He knows how to do it. I don't. Be more dangerous if I tried doing it myself."

Isaac walked over to the table, grabbed one of Derek's books and began fiddling with it in an attempt to distract him. "You know Scott doesn't trust him, right? You know, personally, I'd well, I'd trust Scott."

"Do you trust me?" Derek asked.

"Yeah," Isaac hesitated. Bella moved to Isaac's side and ran a hand up and down his back in an attempt to calm him down. "I still don't like him."

"Nobody likes him," Derek muttered bitterly and Bella could only smirk in amusement.

Right on cue, the door to the loft slid open to reveal said man standing there.

"Boys. FYI, yes, coming back from the dead has left my abilities somewhat impaired, but the hearing still works. So I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is that you're feeling, straight to my face."

"We don't like you," Derek repeated bluntly as he slammed his book shut. "Now shut up and help us."

"Fair enough," Peter smirked before he turned to look at Bella. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Shouldn't you be dead?" she retorted.

"Touche," he smiled. "Take a seat, Isaac," Peter grabbed a chair and moved it into the middle of the room. "And sweetheart, if you'd sit way over there on the other side of the room," he said, aiming to get Bella as far away from Isaac as he could.

Bella rolled her eyes at the man before giving Isaac's arm one final squeeze before moving to sit next to Derek.

"Relax," Peter taunted as he took off his jacket and walked towards Isaac. "I'll get more out of you if you're calm."

"How do you know how to do this, again?" Isaac asked.

"I'd like to know that too," Bella leaned forward anxiously. Peter glanced over at her with a smirk. "Paternal curiosity," she lied.

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by alphas," Peter caved in and explained. "Since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice."

"Didn't you just spend six years in a coma?" Bella asked. "And the last six months dead? How much practice can you have had?"

"I did have a life before the fire you know. It's delicate work."

"Just saying," Bella mumbled as she crossed her arms. "It's been a while."

"You are only going to look at the memories from the other day right?" Isaac suddenly sat up straight and turned around to look at Peter. "Like you're not going any further back?"

There was no way he wanted the man who was about to shove his claws into his neck to see what he and Bella had spent the summer doing.

Peter's eyes darkened as he clearly worked out exactly what Isaac was worried about. He grabbed Isaac's head and forced it to face forward again. "One slip, and you could paralyse someone. Or kill them," he warned.

"You… you've had a lot of practice, though, right?"

"Well, I've never paralysed anyone."

Both Derek and Bella frowned and turned to look at each other as they processed these words, and both of their eyes widened in tandem.

"Wait, does that mean that you…" Isaac started to panic when Peter shoved his claws in and Isaac's whole body lurched up.

Both men were grunting and Isaac's whole body shook as he tried to escape Peter's grasp.

Derek leapt up, one wrong move and Peter could slip and kill Isaac.

"Wait, I see them," Peter announced as his eyes darted around the room as he searched Isaac's memories. "Bella, calm him down."

"Huh?" she stood up beside Derek.

"He's moving too much. You need to tell him to stop before he gets hurt," Peter told her.

"Isaac," Bella stepped forward only to be held back by Derek.

"Just use words, don't get too close," Derek instructed. They didn't need more people at risk.

"Isaac. Stop moving, calm down," she ordered harshly and the boy's body instantly relaxed in submission.

"Well done Bella," Peter congratulated before he started gasping again as he scanned Isaac's memories. Abruptly, he ripped his claws out and flung himself back onto the table behind him.

Bella ran forward and grabbed the side of Isaac's face, checking for any signs of pain before she examined the back of his neck, the wound was already healing.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I can't…"

"I'm sorry, you can move again," she released her command and he immediately moved his hand to rub the back of his neck. "You're ok?"

"Yeah. I think so," he nodded.

"What'd you see?" Derek asked Peter who was slowly standing back up.

"It was confusing," Peter panted as he flexed his hand. "Um, images, vague shapes."

"But you saw something," Derek pressed.

"Isaac found them."

"Erica and Boyd?" Derek asked eagerly.

"I barely saw them. I mean, glimpses," Peter confirmed.

"But you did see them."

"Worse."

"Deucalion," Derek realised. The leader of the alpha pack.

"He was talking to them. Something about time running out," Peter stuttered.

"What does it mean?" Isaac turned to Derek.

"He's going to kill them," Derek surmised.

"No, no, no, no, no. He didn't say that," Peter frantically shook his head. "He did make them a promise that by the full moon, they'd both be dead."

"The next full moon?" Derek's eyes widened.

"Tomorrow night," Peter turned to them. "You and I," he pointed to Bella. "We're leaving town. Right now," he marched toward her.

Derek immediately stepped in his path, stopping his uncle from reaching his cousin.

"No we're not," Bella scoffed.

"It's not up for discussion," he frantically tried to get around Derek.

"You're not taking her," Derek put his hand on Peter's chest and pushed him back.

Peter looked at Derek desperately. "Deucalion has some method of blocking Isaac's memories. Which means that somehow he's gotten inside his head. What if he saw Bella in there hmm?" Peter threw his arms up. "What do you think he'll do now? Bella please, we have to leave."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Bella frowned as she stood up and crossed her arms.

"Why do you think Emelie left town the second she found out she was pregnant? A pack with a siren would be unstoppable. If Deucalion knows what you are he's going to be coming for you. Emelie and I did everything we could to spare you that life. Emelie lost her life running from people who wanted to find you," he cried out, making Bella jolt back in shock.

She'd never spoken about her birth mother with Peter. She didn't know whether she was dead or alive, but she guessed that answered that question.

"If Deucalion knows what you are he'll either recruit you or kill you. It was fine you walking around unprotected when it was just your little band of friends that knew but if he's found out from Isaac's memories… I can't protect you here. We need to run."

"I'm not going anywhere," Bella shook her head.

"Bella!"

"I have… school, homework."

"Perfect, there'll be a school where we're headed. Let's go," he waved his hand, pleading with her. "Bella, please."

"If he does come up to me, couldn't I just tell him to go away and leave me alone forever?"

"If he knows what you are he'll have a backup. He has a woman named Kali in his pack. You won't be able to control her. If he comes for you he'll have her on hand to take you down if it doesn't go his way."

"Well there's a chance he doesn't know," Isaac interjected. He didn't want Peter dragging her away from him after all these years of pining.

"Exactly," Bella nodded. "It could be fine. So why don't we just hang around town and if it looks dodgy maybe then I'll consider taking off, but until then I'm staying."

"But…" Peter tried to continue arguing.

"Peter," Derek cut him off and shook his head.

"We can talk later," Bella added to try and satisfy him slightly.

Derek pulled out his phone to check the time. "I have to go. Scott has something he wants me to see at the school. Are you two going to be ok here?" Derek asked Bella and Isaac and they nodded. "Peter, you're leaving."

"I'm not leaving Bella," he shook his head.

"You can come back later when I'm here. I'm not letting you stay and risk her being abducted by you. She has family here Peter. You can't rip her away. Let's go."

"Well," Peter looked for another excuse. "I'm not leaving two teenagers here unsupervised. That's just bad parenting."

"You're not her parent!" Derek snapped, placing his hand on the back of Peter's neck and forcing him out of the loft.

As soon as they left, Bella turned to Isaac. "Let me see," she said gently as she removed his hand from his neck. It was all already healed. "Are you ok?'

"I can't remember anything," Isaac ran his hands down his face.

"It's ok," Bella reassured. "Derek's working on it, he'll think of something. Everyone's going to be fine. He'll come up with a good plan."