Howling to the Heart || Isaac Lahey

55.

Neriah barely slept last night after Stiles got back into his jeep and drove away, taking any love she had for the boy with him. Derek and Isaac silently sat on the couch with her for an hour, until they started quietly talking about how Isaac got his memories taken away by an Alpha.

The topic caught Neriah's attention, and she ended up joining in, needing a distraction. When Isaac was rushed to hospital a few days ago, it was because of some type of attack and the only way for him to get his memories back was to ask her pathetic father for help. Which lead to now, where Neriah was sitting on the edge of the table near the grand windows that Isaac paced in front of while Derek sat near her on a chair, flipping through a book.

"You know, I'm starting not to like this idea," Isaac said, his voice full on uncertainty as Neriah curiously watched him, silently agreeing. Asking her father for help was the worst idea. "Sounds kinda dangerous."

"It is dangerous," Neriah said, glancing at Derek and then back at Isaac who was watching her while still pacing and fidgeting with his hands. "Anything involving my father is dangerous."

Isaac's face slightly fell, and she softly cringed. "You know what? I definitely don't like this idea, and I definitely don't like him," he declared with a nod.

"You'll be fine," Derek monotoned, not reassuring Isaac even a little.

Isaac stopped pacing, looking at the back of Derek's head. "Does it have to be him?"

"He knows how to do it. I don't," Derek said, still reading some old book while Isaac walked toward Neriah. "Be more dangerous if I tried doing it myself."

Isaac stopped beside her, placing a hand beside her thing on the table where his fingers lightly brushed her jeans and set a fire under her skin. "You know Scott and Riah don't trust him, right?"

"For good reason," Neriah interjected, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know, personally, I'd—Well, I'd trust Riah and Scott," Isaac admitted and Neriah raised a brow with a small smile. She never thought she would hear those words out of his mouth.

Derek looked up from the book to him. "Do you trust me?" he asked his beta with raised brows.

Isaac contemplated his thoughts before answering with a simple, "Yeah," that made Neriah snort.He did not trust Derek.

"Well, I still don't like him," Isaac added as Neriah braced her hands behind her, slightly leaning back on them.

"Nobody likes him," Derek and Neriah said at the same time.

With loud squeaks, the loft door slid open in front of them, revealing the deadbeat father dressed in a fine coat with a clean shave.

"Guys," Peter drawled, walking into the loft. "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," he finished, stopping before the three of them.

"You're a shit, deadbeat father that should have stayed dead and I'll happily make sure you end up dead again," Neriah said in a bored tone with a fake smile. "Oh, and we don't like you."

"What she said," Isaac said, pushing off the table and crossing his arms over his chest as Peter raised a brow at his daughter.

Derek slammed the book closed in his hand, throwing it beside Neriah on the table as he stood up with an unimpressed look on his face. "Now shut up and help us."

Peter looked between them and then nodded his head. "Fair enough," he said simply before flexing out his class by his side.

Five minutes later, Isaac was seated in a chair as Neriah sat on the floor in front of his feet, watching her father walk toward the boy while Derek watched, sitting in another seat near them.