Appetite for Destruction

Stay Wild, Moon Child

Robey Avenue was a truly forgotten place. The site itself was ominous, more so was the hidden door that led to a set of concrete stairs down into the earth and opened up into an abandoned subway station. It was a large open space home only to shelves and beams and barrels and a rusted train car that took up half of the room. It was about on par with the Hale house in terms of accommodation but at least no one had been murdered here. 

Probably.

Derek was pacing around the depot, tense and practically vibrating with the need to do something. My retelling of the evens of last night had rattled him, probably more than he was letting on, and I couldn't really blame him. Seeing someone cut in half with a sword still made me feel sick whenever I thought about it.

At least Lydia had been found, naked and confused but unharmed and still not a werewolf. So there was some good that came from last night.

I'd made myself comfortable on the floor as I wondered how best to broach the subject without Derek accusing me of avoiding the current problem.

"So, uh... I need to talk to you about something." So much for not beating around the bush. I stared down at my hands clasped together on my knees, forcing the words out. "I've been thinking about, uh, pack dynamics and stuff like that - especially after the whole thing with Peter. One of us is always getting captured or hurt, and now with the Hunters declaring war on us..."

The sound of Derek's pacing ceased. In my mind's eye Derek was glaring at me, arms folded across his chest, and I really didn't want visual confirmation. If I didn't look at him it would be easier to keep going with this conversation.

"You want to bring someone else into the pack." Derek clarified, tone unreadable.

"Yeah," I was still looking at my hands. "I know it's not my job to tell you what to do, but I know someone who I think might accept the offer if we gave it to them, and we need to be stronger for when shit really hits the fan."

Derek started pacing again, but it was less of the agitation from before and more contemplative. "You know the risks." Something bitter crept into his voice, a remembered pain. "The bite might not take - and it doesn't matter what happened with Lydia, it can end in death. Do you really want to risk that?"

I grimaced. That particular reminder was entirely unappreciated.

"I've got a feeling about this one, Der." I finally looked up at him. If Derek was surprised at my conviction he didn't show it, and when he spoke again it wasn't the dismissal I expected.

"Tell me about this new friend of yours."

"Uh..." Good start, Ginger. "I haven't really spoken to him except for like, once? I met him the other night when we were looking for Lydia and helped him not get mauled by the Omega, but we really didn't have time to talk because werewolves, yay."

I caught a quiet murmur of "for the love of God" before he said louder, "So you've spoken to him once. What makes you think he'd be a good addition?"

Oh. That was a sobering question. I hugged my knees to my chest. "I told you, I've got a good feeling about Isaac, I know he'd be a good Beta - not like Jackson, but not like Scott either. I know if we offered him a place with us he'd take it."

Derek thought about that for a long moment. "This... Isaac, he's someone you'd be comfortable calling pack?"

"Yes."

When I didn't elaborate a heavy silence fell over us. I tapped my fingers nervously on my arms, uncomfortable at the look Derek levelled at me. "Whatever you aren't telling me, it's probably important."