I arrived at the underground train area feeling just a bit nervous. It was late, Lydia's party no doubt already in full swing by now.
"Good, you're just in time," Derek said when he noticed my arrival. "I'm going to be chaining them up in a minute."
I nodded and walked up to Isaac, greeting him with a hug and quick kiss before waiting with him while Derek got the chains ready.
"You nervous?" I asked him.
Isaac shrugged. "It can't be as bad as last month. And you're here, so I feel pretty safe."
I smiled at the fact that Isaac trusted me as well and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly. He squeezed it back, a small smile on his face.
Derek gestured for us to follow him and we all went on the train. I tried not to feel uneasy at the faded paint, rusty metal bars, and the few bright lights inside, glaring harshly at everything around them.
Derek moved Boyd in between two bars, getting the chains out of the box to wrap around him. Boyd looked sick, like he was about to vomit.
"What if we break free?" he asked.
Derek didn't look up from where he started chaining Boyd to the pole. "Then you'll do anything to get out of here. You'll try to kill me, Y/n, each other, and anything else with a heartbeat."
I mentally sighed. Good comforting skills, Derek.
Derek, finished with Boyd, turned to Isaac. "I need you to hold her."
Isaac nodded and went behind Erica, holding her arms by her side as Derek held up the horrific metal item from earlier.
"Why does she get the headband?" Isaac asked.
Derek stared at Isaac. "Because she'll be able to withstand more pain than you two. I've got another one in the box if you really want it."
Isaac grimaced. "You know, I think I'll pass."
Derek chuckled before going serious, focusing on Erica. "You ready?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Derek gently placed the headband over Erica's head, the girl staring at it with undisguised fear in her eyes. Isaac stared at it behind her, and I saw him subtly tighten his grip on her. Derek gave her one last moment of peace before he began screwing.
At first nothing happened, the screw just getting rid of the space, before it started grounding against Erica's skin, breaking flesh the way one would clay. She let out a gasp of pain, but as Derek continued screwing the gasp turning into a scream, her eyes shut tight as she trembled.
I balked at her pain, feeling useless, before I murmured a spell under my breath that slightly numbed the pain. Erica's eyes flashed to me, gratitude in them, before Derek started on the next screw. There was a trail of crimson blood dripping down her head, following the slope of her nose before it fell to the floor, one drop at a time.
This continued on until Derek had finished the last screw. The top half of her face was painted with streaks of blood, and she was still shaking, her breathes coming out short and fast. I'd used as much magic as I'd been willing to risk, but unfortunately it hadn't been enough to numb the pain completely. I knew I needed to save my energy for if they tried to escape, so there had only been so much I could do.
I was relieved when it was over, though less so when Derek passed me a bunch of chains.
"You can chain him up," he said, gesturing to Isaac, and started chaining the rest of Erica's body to the poles.
I did as he said, moving Isaac to a seat nearby. I started silently chaining him up, gently taking his arm and wrapped the chains around it. My hands were shaking slightly and I willed them to stop, not wanting to show any fear in front of Isaac.
It wasn't that I was afraid of him; I was afraid of what I might have to do if he escaped. I didn't want to hurt him, but if he turned and managed to get out of the chains, what else was I supposed to do but fight him, make sure he didn't escape?
Isaac lifted my chin with his free hand, urging me to look at him. I did and he stared at me imploringly.
"I trust you," he said. "You don't need to be scared."
I smiled, because of course he'd understand why I was upset. I nodded, feeling better, and continued chaining him until Derek came over.
"I'll finish this up," Derek said, "You keep an eye on the other two."
I nodded and stood up, walking towards Erica and Boyd, leaning against a pole as I watched them. By now the moons effects had started, both of them screaming, tugging at their chains, attempting to lunge at me. I did my best not to flinch as I listened to Derek and Isaac talking.
"How do you not feel this?" Isaac asked in a strained voice, close to turning.
Derek tightened a chain. "I feel every second of it."
Isaac snarled. "Then how do you control it?"
"Find an anchor," Derek answered, moving to chain Isaac's feet to the floor. "Something meaningful to you. Bind yourself to it. Keep the human side in control."
"What is it for you?" I asked.
Derek looked up briefly, eyes flickering to me before he looked back down at the chains. "Anger, but it doesn't have to be that for everybody."
"You mean Scott?" Isaac asked, voice rough from the changing.
Derek looked up at him for a moment, face unreadable, before answering, "yeah."
Erica growled and I shifted my attention from the two unchanged werewolves to the two very much changed werewolves that looked like they wanted to eat me alive. I focused on lessening the pain for Erica a bit, because more blood had started trickling down her face from the wound reopening, and she started to relax a bit.
That was until she jerked on the chains hard enough for the pole to bend, a horrifying clang accompanying it. I gasped, stepping back.
"Derek!"
Derek was quick to leave Isaac chained to the seat, moving in front of me to assess the damage done to the pole. He turned on me.
"The pain makes her weak," he hissed, no doubt noticing my magic.
I stopped the spell, and it was enough for Erica to start howling in pain again, her features morphing into fully werewolf mode. Boyd followed, and from the sounds Isaac was making he did too. I looked to Derek and he motioned for us to go outside. I made a point not to look at Isaac as I exited the train.
Derek turned to face me, his expression serious. "What magic do you have that will help us tonight?"
I considered his question, seeing the spell book in my mind. "I'm better at offensive that defensive, but I could try a spell to keep them in the train, similar to mountain ash. I'm not sure how long it would last though."
Derek, thankfully, didn't say anything at the mention of mountain ash or what happened to me last night because of it, but he did send me a look. "Don't bother. We'll play to your strengths. When they get too strong – because they will – I want you to use your magic to weaken them. I don't really care what spells you use, just as long as it's not permanent."
I nodded my head. "What about blood? Won't they get into a frenzy if I make one of them bleed?"
Derek laughed harshly. "Y/n, they'll already be in a frenzy. They'll be too focused on trying to tear you apart to care that one of their own is bleeding."
I swallowed nodding, "okay."
Derek looked at me. "Are you sure you'll be able to do this? Because if you go all crazy witch on me, you'll kill all of us."
I blanched at the thought, but again nodded. I'd done more research on it after Lydia had left, and I was relatively confident I could hold it off. "I'm sure."
Derek nodded, but before he could say anything else a loud crash came from the train. Our eyes darted to it, and it took one look before Derek was bolting towards it with me close on his heels. I skidded to a stop when I entered the train, feeling the blood leave my face as I looked around.
They were all snarling, all screaming. My gaze snagged on Isaac, the werewolf growling at me, baring his teeth. I flinched, just as I heard a loud crash, and turned to find Erica's headpiece on the floor, the girl growling at Derek. Boyd, seeing his fellow werewolf free, started fighting against his chains twice as hard, as did Isaac.
Derek snarled at Erica, dodging her attack and grabbing a fistful of her hair, slamming her head against the pole. When Erica tore her head away, there was a bent pole, a bent pole that had previously been keeping Boyd chained up.
He roared, freeing himself of the chains. My eyes darted back to Isaac, the werewolf lunging at me, the chains the only thing holding him back.
"Y/n," Derek barked. I looked to him. "Boyd!"
Right. Boyd. The escaped werewolf that was looking for its prey, his eyes landing on me. I readied myself as he started running towards me, claws springing out. I threw out my hand and Boyd was thrown back into the air, landing with a crash at the back of the train.
"Get Isaac!"
I turned around, throwing a shield of protection around me just in time. Isaac snarled at the invisible barrier, redirecting himself to go outside. I had little time to think over what just nearly happened, instead running outside after him.
Isaac's head snapped towards me as soon as I exited the train, positioning his body to face me. I walked back a bit and he followed, a predator stalking its prey. I continued walking and soon we were circling one another. I knew it was only a matter of time before Isaac got tired of playing it safe, until he went for the kill.
"Isaac," I said. "Isaac it's me, Y/n."
He snarled.
"Listen, you can control it," I said. "You can fight back. Find your anchor. Control yourself. Get your human side back in control."
Nothing I said seemed to work. Isaac kept stalking me, kept staring at me with those yellow eyes, nothing but hunger inside them.
I swallowed, unsure if I'd be able to hurt him. "Isaac please."
Isaac lunged.
I casted another protection spell, already feeling some of my energy draining away. I knew I wouldn't last long like this, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt him. It felt too much like his dad, hurting him when he was supposed to love him. I didn't want Isaac to feel that ever again, especially at my hands.
He lunged again, claws out, and I managed to dodge him, rolling to the floor to escape being slashed to pieces. Isaac wasn't deterred though, and he surged for me again and again, enough that when he did it a third time I had no choice but use offensive magic, a gash appearing on his cheek.
He let out a whimper, stumbling back, and I felt the guilt pool in my stomach, rise to my throat, making it near impossible to speak without my voice cracking.
"I'm so sorry Isaac," I said. "I didn't mean-"
I didn't mean to hurt him. Not like that. Not that bad. The wound was deep, deep enough that Isaac had to put a hand on his cheek to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry-"
A crash from the train caught my attention. I turned, eyes doing a quick scan of the vehicle, but that was enough time for Isaac to lunge at me, to catch me off guard.
I let out a shriek as I slammed into the floor, Isaac on top of me. He bared his teeth, claws digging into my shoulders as he went in for the kill. I screamed, using my magic to keep him at bay, but it wouldn't be for long. It was another protection spell, and the only thing between me and Isaac ripping my throat out.
"Isaac please," I begged, even as my arms started to shake. "Don't do this."
The protection spell was starting to fail, Isaac inching closer with every second that passed. I couldn't hold this for much longer. Derek was too busy. My mind was racing. I couldn't think of a spell to do, couldn't think of a way out. All I could think of was Isaac.
"Please," I said quietly, for the last time, before the protection spell faltered and disappeared.
Isaac surged forwards and I closed my eyes shut, breathing heavily, but no ending bite came. No slash to the throat, teeth in my neck. Ever so hesitantly, I opened my eyes and found Isaac staring back. Still yellow eyes, but human.
"Y/n?" he rasped; voice raw.
I let out a disbelieving laugh, moving forwards into a sitting position. "Isaac? Are you okay?"
I moved to touch him but he flinched away, staring at me in fear. Did he remember what I did to him? Did he remember how I hurt him?
"I nearly killed you," he whispered, throat bobbing. "I nearly killed you."
I managed a smile, even though my eyes started burning, tears threatening to fall. "But you didn't. I'm safe. We're safe. We did it."
Isaac shook his head. "How could we have possibly done it, Y/n? We still have the whole night ahead of us."
My smile came more easily this time as I slowly reached forward. Isaac didn't flinch, letting me peace my hand on his cheek. "Because you found your anchor."
Isaac looked at me, then at his hands, as if just realising that he was in control. He let out a disbelieving laugh, before turning back to me. His smile faltered slightly, and he grabbed my hand from his face.
"I'm so sorry, Y/n," he said.
I gestured to his cheek which had only just finished healing. "I'm sorry too, but right now we need to help Derek."
Isaac nodded and we entered the train together, just in time to see Boyd lunge at Derek, who was too busy fighting Erica to notice. Isaac moved forwards, blocking Boyd before he could get to Derek and kicked him backwards in between two poles.
I used my magic to tie him up, the chains much tighter than necessary. The adrenaline was affecting my magic and how much I used. I turned to Derek as he punched Erica, the girl stumbling back before baring her teeth at him. She was about to fight back when Isaac came from behind and hit her over the head, knocking her out.
He looked at Isaac wearily, but Isaac just nodded and Derek sighed, grabbing Erica and re-chaining her to the poles. Isaac took a seat and watched, and I went to sit down next to him. He held out his arm to be chained, and while I didn't want to, I started chaining him anyway.
When Derek was done with Erica he walked over to Isaac, taking a seat across from him. "I think you'll be okay now," Isaac just stared straight ahead. "Looks like you found an anchor."
At those words Isaac's gaze slid to me, just as I finished chaining him.
"Y/n."
I tried to hide my smile, feeling many emotions at the fact that I was Isaac's anchor. That I was something meaningful to him.
Derek looked at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "I've seen cases like that before. They're not very common though."
"Scott and Allison?" I asked.
Derek nodded. "They're powerful anchors but rare. Keep them safe."
He stood up then, exiting the train without another word. Remembering what happened last time we both exited the train, I stayed next to Isaac, feeling safe enough to rest my head on his shoulder.
It was a while before Erica regained consciousness, but when she did she made quite a racket. I sighed, leaving Isaac to go check on her, only to be surprised when I found her not changed. She snarled though, still not in the right mind.
Stiles told me of a time when Scott had his full moon and was conscious but not, saying and doing anything to get free, using whatever bit of humanity inside him he could find to manipulate others to free him. That must be the state Erica was in now.
I started tightening her chains with magic when she spoke.
"I don't understand why you're still here."
I raised my eyebrows at her, finishing tightening her chains. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Erica's eyes darted to Isaac before back at me, and she laughed, a cruel, vicious sound. "You mean he hasn't told you?"
"Don't listen to her Y/n."
Isaac's voice startled me, and I turned to him. "What's she talking about?"
Isaac shook his head. "Not now. Just ignore it," he snarled at erica, "not now!"
I turned back to Erica, a feral grin on her face. "What do you mean?"
Erica went in for the kill. "You really thought Isaac was still interested in you after he became a werewolf? You really believed he'd still pick you when now he could pick anybody?"
I frowned, taking a step back. "What do you mean?"
"Erica no!" Isaac yelled, but I barely listened to him.
"Isaac was never interested in you after he became a werewolf. Whenever he met up with you, it was always because Derek told him to. Derek made him spend time with you, to get to know you, to get close with you. He made him make you fall for him. Isaac had no say in it at all. I mean, we had to get the witch on our side somehow."
We had to get the witch on our side somehow.
I shook my head. No. It wasn't true. Erica was just spouting lies in hopes to get free. Isaac hadn't been sent to be with me. He'd gone on his own free will, right?
Isaac's face said otherwise.
It was pale, and he was staring at me pleadingly, not in hopes that I wouldn't believe her lies, but in hopes that I could forgive him.
"No."
Isaac flinched at my voice, at my hopeful words, my begging words, that what Erica had said wasn't true.
"She's lying," I continued staring at Isaac who refused to look me in the eye. "It's not true, right? She's lying isn't she, Isaac? Isaac?"
Slowly, Isaac shook his head.
I stumbled back a step, unable to believe it. No. He wouldn't have done that. He couldn't have done that. Isaac wouldn't have done that to me. He wouldn't have gotton close to me, made me fall for him, made me trust him, only for it to all be fake.
He wouldn't have.
But he did.
"Isaac," I whispered. "How could you?"
Isaac looked up at me pleadingly. "I'm sorry, Y/n. I'm so sorry. It's not what you think though. It wasn't all fake-"
"It wasn't all fake?" I repeated, feeling as if my heart was wrenched out of my chest. "But some of it was. You wanting to see me was. Our relationship was."
Isaac shook his head. "No-"
"Was out first kiss on our own terms or did Derek tell you to?" I demanded.
Isaac's eyes went wide, again shaking his head. "No, that wasn't-"
"Was that day on the roof Derek's bidding too? When we were supposed to be just us, were you really just doing Derek's dirty work?"
Isaac didn't shake his head this time.
Wow. I didn't think it could get any worse, but it did.
I felt all my emotions closing in on me, threatening to overwhelm me. I needed to get out of there. I needed to get away from him. I couldn't stay here, knowing that the person I had trusted betrayed me.
I bolted, running to the exit faster than I thought I could. I distantly heard Isaac yelling at me to stay, distantly saw him yanking on his chains in desperate attempts to chase after me. I ignored him and continued running, sprinting through the empty train station before climbing up the steps. I barely registered the fact that Derek wasn't there, too busy trying to escape Isaac.
I only made it about half a block before the tears started falling. I didn't stop though. I ran faster, harder, as if to outrun the pain I felt. It was foolish though, because how can you outrun something that's inside you? How can you escape something that's already wrapped itself around you, chosen you as their victim, dragging you below with each step, with each breath, until you're so far down you can't see the light anymore? How can you escape misery when it was created to trap you?
How could I escape Isaac when he was already a part of me?