Tethered // Teen Wolf // Isaac Lahey

NINETY-SIX

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KOREY

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"Well, I see trees over there," I pointed to the right, "and over there," I turned to the left, "whole lot of trees."

"Thank you, Sweetheart, that's very helpful," Isaac smiled easily, rising from where he'd been crouched, studying the ground to come towards me to tilt my chin down. He kissed the top of my head softly, his hand rising up to caress my cheek before he pulled back, trailing his hand down my arm until he could hold my hand.

"I try," I grinned up at him before turning to Peter and Allison, who were part of our forest search group. "Any luck?"

"Nope," Allison sighed lightly, turning in a circle to study the trees surrounding us, "I've got maple trees, oak trees, pine trees, and yet, not a single infected tree."

"What does an infected tree actually look like?" Peter voiced a very valid question, "Will it be sneezing? Do we need a thermometer to check its temperature?"

"We don't know," I shrugged, keeping my smile firmly in place as I tried to convince myself that being in a dark forest in the middle of the afternoon was not a bad idea.

"We actually only know that there are infected trees, and they might be near the Nemeton," Isaac explained further. "We're working with nothing."

"I'm so glad I gave up my evening for this," Peter muttered flatly.

"It's not like you go anywhere," I mused, turning randomly to walk down another path. "You order takeout and watch soap operas until dawn."

"I will have you know I had to reschedule a hot date because of this little search," Peter protested behind me.

"A hot date with your couch, maybe," I snorted, looking up through the tree canopy to the orange hues of the setting sun above us.

"It was with a woman!" Peter quipped, "A very attractive woman!"

"Watch your step," Isaac mumbled quietly, pulling me back towards him slightly.

I glanced down at the dip in the forest floor I'd nearly slipped down, "Why would that be in the middle of the forest?"

"We may actually have just found a lead," Allison rushed forward as well, "something is telling me that there was definitely some kind of dip where the Nemeton was based."

"I think I remember something like that too," Isaac nodded slowly, letting go of my hand to slip down the slope. He held his hand out to me again once he was down, smiling widely, his dimples digging into his cheeks.

I accepted it, letting him help me down before I stepped further into the clearing, studying the new array of trees.

Isaac stayed behind a moment to help Allison and Peter down as well before he tailed after me.

"Her name is Carol," Peter blurted out suddenly, "she works at the movie theatre."

Amusement tickled my stomach and I glanced back at him. "Peter, whether you had a date or not, no one is going to judge you."

Peter scoffed dramatically, setting his hands on his hips, and he looked up at the sky. "I can't believe an eighteen year old has a better love life than me. I'm great, I'm attractive, I'm—"

"A murderer?" Isaac offered, tracing his hand up a nearby tree, "Psychotic? Vengeful?"

Peter pressed his hand to his chest before he snapped his eyes to me, "There are other fish in the sea, you know."