The Breaking ➝ Isaac Lahey

Chapter Ninety

"That's the question of the day I guess." Aspen sighed tucking her hands in her coat pockets.

Scott winced slightly. "So Isaac told you?"

Aspen furrowed her brows "You knew he was leaving?"

"He stopped by the clinic. He's leaving tonight with Boyde and Erica."

Aspen frown shifting her weight. "Since when did you two start liking each other?"

Scott shrugged. "He asked for my opinion. I said he should go to you to decide and see how he feels."

Aspen scoffed and let her finger scratch at a spot on her upper lips. "Well, he's gone so it didn't look like it made a difference."

Scott opened his mouth to apologize when Stiles butted in for attention.

"Jackson's here," he said.

Aspen gaped and gently moved Scott aside to walk further ahead, letting the light from the field scour down on her. She saw Jackson tossing in a few shots as if nothing happened. Completely ordinary, void of tail and scales.

"Why--"

"Gerard. He's the master now."

Aspen pressed her fingers against her forehead and let out a breath. She wasn't going to begin to ask why or how Gerard got involved. "Okay, well I mean he wouldn't try anything with so many people here. And you'll be on the field if he tried anything." Aspen gestured to Scott and both boys winced.

"You're not playing, are you?" Charlie spoke for the first time and Stiles was fast to give her his attention. She averted her eyes, keeping her gaze on Scott.

"Guess the bad grades caught up to me," Scott answered, looking at Charlie wearily.

"Coach doesn't give a shit about grades. It's Gerard." Aspen said bitterly. To divert from their impending doom on the field, Aspen nodded to Stiles to get his attention. "your dad coming?"

Stiles rubbed his hands together with a curt nod. "Yeah, he's already here." he pointed to the bleachers and the four teens leaned over to spot Noah and Mellissa chatting on the bleachers.

Aspen and Charlie mirrored similar befuddled expressions at seeing Grandpa Sam and Mina chatting animatedly with Lydia Martin on the seat in front of Mellisa and Noah. Lydia looked exceptionally ordinary since the last time she saw her during her birthday party. Not at all like she's been preparing in bringing her godfather back from the dead. Aspen stiffened when she realized Scott or Stiles were unaware of the ex- alpha's return.

Noticing that they were in people's way, Scott beckons the other to sit on the empty bench. This throws Aspen out of her thoughts and pockets the conversation about Peter for later.

"You seen Allison?" Scott asked as they take a seat in a row on the benches, all leaning forward to speak among themselves.

Stiles let out air from his cheeks and shook his head. "Nope. You know what's going on?"

"Not yet."

"It's gonna be bad isn't it," Stiles asked, his hands toying with one another. "I mean like people screaming, running for their lives, blood, killing, maiming, kind of bad."

Aspen frowned and stared at Stiles and Charlie finally let herself look at him. "Looks like it."

Stiles' eyes flickered among all three of them, not seeming to care if Charlie was present for his confession. His brown eyes looked as if they would water over. "Guys, the other night seeing my dad get hit over the head by Matt, you know, while I'm just lying there and I can't even move, and hearing Aspen get shot, not sure if that was the last time I was gonna see you, it just--"Stiles exhaled a shaky breath. "I wanna help, you know, But I can't do the things that you could do. I can't."