Because I Trust You(Isaac Lahey)|Completed|

Chapter Twenty-One

"Finally." I muttered, throwing the chains to the ground.
The sun finally peeked over the horizon, streams of sunlight beamed through the cracks of the basement hatch.
I looked at the three wolves; their eyes faded back to their normal colours and their fangs and claws shrunk back to size.
A wave of relief rushed over me, and I could tell that it did for Derek too. He hastily wiped his face and sighed loudly.
Derek took them all in, like he was inspecting each individually,"How do you feel?"
"Like shit." I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. My head was pounding and all of my muscles were sore. Just because I could control myself, doesn't mean that I didn't feel the wrath of the moon.
Derek narrowed his eyes at me,"Not you. Them." He pointed towards Erica, Boyd and Isaac.
Isaac stretched and inspected his clothing; his sweater was ripped, there was a gash across the chest and up the sleeves.
Erica and Boyd both yawned, looking exhausted.
Derek nodded,"Luckily for you, it's the weekend. Once we get you out of these chains, go get some rest." We all agreed with his orders.
Derek lifted his head in my direction, his motions meant for me to help get them all unchained.
I took a big breath in and started with Isaac, while he helped Boyd and Erica.
My fingers lazily unlocked the chains around Isaac's ankles, I fumbled with the ones around his wrists and then I move to his harness.
"How do you feel?" I murmured, pulling a leather strap out of a loop.
"Exhausted and sore." Isaac quietly said, his voice laced with exhaustion. I could tell.
I wriggled the harness off and helped him carefully to his feet.
Erica and Boyd were already freed from the chains and harnesses, but they were extra weak- so was Isaac.
His legs seemed like Jell-O as he walked, he had to lean on my for support.
"I'll take them back home." Derek mumbled, going through the back, almost carrying Erica and Boyd.
I wrapped my arm around Isaac's waist and felt his arm drape over my shoulder.
Together, we headed towards the staircase, it felt like I was carrying dead weight behind me.
"Lift your feet." I instructed once we got to the stairs. Isaac's eyes looked heavy and his head was lowering and lowering. He nodded weakly with a clench of his jaw.

Isaac struggled to walk up the stairs, but we managed. Then I felt frustrated when I realized that we had another set to climb!
I huffed loudly and accepted my fate.

"Thank god." I mumbled, once we reached the top of the spiral stairs. I helped him to his room and into his bed.
"Thank you, Ari." Isaac quietly said, as he stripped from his torn sweater. He was left in a flattering black T-shirt.
I raised my eyebrow curiously and sat down on the queen-sized bed,"Is that my new nickname?"
Isaac smiled sweetly,"I thought that you needed one."
Despite the state we were both in, the two of us laughed quietly together.
I find it strange how we can do that- even when we are both exhausted and worn out, we can forget everything for a moment and laugh. What's even stranger, is how I feel around him. I get that weird burning sensation in my chest, my skin gets hot and everything else some how disappears. I am so attached to the kid now, almost like I'm bound to him. The way he looks at me, his perfectly chiseled cheekbones and his deep eyes- all of it makes up the perfection that I'm addicted to.
I was about to get up and go to my own room, but Isaac gently grabbed my hand. His eyes looked desperate and a little nervous as they searched my face,"Can you stay?"
I smiled softly and eased back into place,"Yea, sure."
Isaac pulled my arm carefully to bring me closer, until I was laying right beside him.
I let my head sink into the pillow to soak in the sweet scent of the alluring teen. His eyes followed me intently.
"That was some night, huh?"
Isaac scoffed,"It was terrible. I never want to go through that again."
I felt a heavy weight in my chest; until he gets more control of his actions, the moon will only intensify. My expression must have changed with the thought, since Isaac cut the space between us, his eyes welling with worry.
"Hey, what's the matter?" his voice was soft and light, but yet balanced with heavy concern. His hand cupped my cheek, which shot fire throughout me.
I shook my head as much as I could,"Nothing, its fine."
Isaac was full of doubt, but he went silent. Either he's too tired to pester, or he finally knows something that's good for him.
Isaac settled back into his spot beside me, he slowly removed his hand from my cheek, but other than that he didn't move an inch. We were so close that I could feel his quiet, warm breath against my face as he spoke, I could feel his every heart beat and his every emotion.
There was a pink shade to his cheeks; it could be the raging heat unsettled between us, or maybe the reason why his eyes were glued to me. Whatever the reason, I didn't really want to know because the mystery was more fun.
Isaac swallowed deeply, his eyes glided from my neck to my own,"Do you think this will be over soon?"
"What, the Kanima?" I asked, my eyes were getting sleepier by the minute.
He nodded, his features went along with the curious and also scared theme.
I shrugged as lazily as possible and reached up to his face. I tangled a lock of his hair around my fingers,"Honestly? I don't know."
Isaac looked lost of hope, but I don't blame him. From what has been going on lately, I don't even know how anything will go back to 'normal' around here. We don't know how to successfully capture the Kanima/Jackson or how to fix him. Everything seems so hopeless.
Although there still is one thing I can do; train.
When I looked into Isaac's bewitching eyes, I could see the horrors he went through. I could see the way his father treated him, the way he tortured him. I imagined Isaac working in the graveyard late at night, his nerves running thin. I imagined him digging holes and filling them after, while placing made up life-stories to empty names. If he did anything wrong, then his father would inflict the never-ending pain. After the long night-work, he'd go to school, tired and full of hatred. Hatred towards his father, anyone who bothers him and the world. Some life that would be.
Most importantly, I imagined a better life for him and myself. I imagined taking him away from this town, away from the demons that haunt it. I imagined the two of us taking on the world together- side by side.
My dreams always feel so far away, but in reality, its all possible. All I have to do is find the answers of the Kanima and help Isaac find himself. I have to help him be a better werewolf, I have to be his guardian.
His eyes hid and unhid briefly every time he blinked. I remembered how his eyes look when he shifts- the brilliant yellow that masks the usual sea-blue shade. Its strangely sexy- I guess its the werewolf in me that thinks that.
I stirred in my place until I was comfortable, I yawned quietly.
Isaac chuckled,"Someone's sleepy."
"Hmm." was all that I could muster.
Before I could react, I was pulled into him, absorbed into his warmth. Not that I would have done differently, but I lazily placed a hand on his chest and nuzzled in his neck. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, until finally, the darkness of sleep started to settle in.
"Sweet dreams, Ari." Isaac murmured as he pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.
I was quickly engulfed in a deep sleep.

*
Isaac's words broke the spell. For once in a long time, I didn't have a nightmare. My dreams were like he said; sweet. I don't know how he did it, but I'm thankful as hell.
I was alone, sitting by the pond in a long and white dress as I watched the night slowly float by. Just like the night I took Isaac to see it, the night sounds were the same- owls, bugs, frogs and the whisper of trees swaying in the light breeze. The moon reflected over the water, which created small ripples of brilliant light.
I was seated by myself for a while, until someone emerged from the bushes. Almost soundless, Isaac sat down beside me. I was so absorbed in the night that I didn't even notice his arrival, my long hair was swept from my face by the quiet wind.
"It's beautiful." Isaac whispered, his hand took mine in.
A soft grin sat on my face, my eyes still captivated by the moon's beauty. The long dress was spread out on the grassy earth, the ends were evenly ripped and slightly stained. The material appeared to be a large blanket around me.
I closed my eyes, my lashes were coated in very black mascara, a thin line of silver eyeliner was above my top lashes, which made my eyes pop. My hair was perfectly wavy, one section from both sides of my hair were pulled back with a sterling silver pin decorated with small butterflies and jewels. I looked gorgeous to say the least. I looked like a queen.
There was nothing disrupting me; no supernatural things were near.
Suddenly, Isaac stood up, helping me to my feet as well. He pulled me close to him, my head was against his chest. I could hear the gentle beating of his heart. Both of his arms were around my waist, keeping me in place.
My chin was tipped up by his finger so that he could look me in the eyes, those big, domesticated eyes.
His lips pulled back in a smile,"It's just you and me, Ari." his light words jump-started my heart.
Its like I couldn't speak, but the silence didn't go stale. A hand held my cheek, so that I wouldn't move.
Isaac leaned in closer to me, his lips were just inches away, so close that I could feel his warm breath against my lips. He smelt like spearmint and spring days.
Finally, his soft lips brushed against mine, so feather-light.
Isaac only moved his mouth enough so that ours just weren't touching,"Can you stay with me?"
I urgently nodded, not wanting to leave him.
He smiled and pressed his lips against mine with more force, with more meaning. I melted under his kiss. We moved together in harmony, getting lost in each other. His lips were so warm and delicate, as if I made the wrong move, they'd leave mine.
My hands got tangled in his hair, his hands roamed all over.
Then, he pulled away slowly and gazed into my eyes. I watched his eyes flicker golden yellow- that sexy werewolf colour that creates a stir in my chest.
Suddenly, everything turned a blinding white. It was all gone- my pond, my dress and the perfection between Isaac and I.

I woke up in the strong embrace of Isaac. He was sound asleep with his head on my shoulder. After taking a deep breath in and out, I wiggled out of his grip. He didn't even stir. I didn't want to, just being honest.
I sat on the edge of the bed and thought about my dream. The beauty of it all, how 'magical' it was. Nothing like that would ever happen to me, not in this lifetime.
I shook the thoughts out of my brain and walked over to the curtained window. After making a small gap for me to see through, I could tell that it wasn't the same day. The sun was peeking over the horizon again and it started to weakly shine through the trees. As usual, the fog was still floating around in the forest.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and checked my phone; Sunday morning. We slept a full day and night.
Surprisingly, I actually felt good.
When I turned back around to look at Isaac, he was sprawled all over the bed comfortably. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even, it seemed to hold a rhythm.
I shook my head with quiet giggles as I left the room, and made my way downstairs. There's no way that I could sleep anymore.

Once I reached downstairs, I saw Derek sitting at the table. By his slouching shoulders and concentration, I could tell that he was looking at something. So I walked over to him from behind.
My voice made him jump,"Hey Derek, whatcha looking at?" I moved closer to get a better look.
Derek looked startled, but he held his hand out when he regained himself,"Look for yourself."
I focused on the object dangling from his hand; a small, howling wolf carved from stone hanging from a thin strip of material. Something weird stabbed at me from the inside.
"Can I see it?" I quietly asked, while trying to piece it together.
Derek nodded,"Yea, sure." He carefully dropped it into my hand.
I felt it between my fingers- it was still warm from Derek fiddling with it. I felt a strange connection with it, like I've seen it before. Empty memories flooded into my brain, but none of them showed any real pictures.
"Do you remember this?" Derek asked, his eyes rested on me.
My brain was working hard, but nothing was working. It started to irritate me.
I shook my head and looked up at him,"It seems familiar, but I can't remember."
I admired it some more.
"That's your birth-present. I-" Derek hesitated, but acted like it never happened. I caught it. "I remember when your father gave it to you after you were born. Ever since then, you'd never let it go."
I smiled faintly and held it tightly into my palm.
There was a strangely sincere look in his eyes as he spoke,"I remember before I adopted you how the thing was always around your neck. Also, when I had to wait until you fell asleep to take it off, so that you didn't ruin it during training."
Suddenly, the sentimental values clicked.

I remembered waking up one day at the most recent orphanage and I noticed it around my neck. I never really thought about it until then. It was like my security blanket- my protection from everything. I only took it off to bathe.
I also remember after Derek adopted me, he wanted me to take it off so that I didn't break it and get upset about it. So, he waited one night for me to fall asleep on the couch. Once I had, then he carefully took the necklace off of me and kept it some place safe. When I asked him where it was the next morning, he told me that he would give it back to me later, but I guess that he forgot about it. I hate to admit it, but I forgot about it too.
I looked back up at him, my posture was failing,"What happened to it? Why am I just looking at it now?"
Derek shrugged and sat back in his seat,"I don't know, I guess that I just forgot about it. I found it in the basement while I was going through some things."
Normally, I would have gotten extremely annoyed by his irresponsibility, but it just felt so small. I let it be. Why was he going through things in the basement? I don't remember the last time he's done that! Was he looking for something?
God, I need to keep my nose out of things. Just because he was looking through a bunch of junk, doesn't mean that he's scheming. He's my alpha, I need to give him more trust.
I looked at it one more time, then I held my hand out and open to him,"Here."
Derek looked between myself and the little wolf, then he closed my fingers over my palm,"No, you keep it, it's yours. Take care of it."
I nodded when he pulled his hands away from mine.
Derek stood up from the chair and rolled his sleeves up. It's like he shoved the sincerity away only by clearing his throat,"I'm gonna go back downstairs and continue looking. But do you need anything before I go?" There it is again. Looking. What is he looking for?
I looked blankly at him for a moment, but then I shook my head,"No it's alright, I'm going for a run."
What? Where'd that come from? I was down for watching some old-school cartoons and devouring some waffles, but I guess not. It's too late now.
Derek nodded and wandered over to the basement stairs. He paused at the first step and glanced at me one more time,"Be careful, alright?"
I nodded suspiciously,"Okay...see you later."
Then, Derek disappeared into the darkness of the basement.
I raised my eyebrow, then shrugged it off and headed towards the spiral stairs.

Why was Derek being so jumpy and hesitant? And where I'm the world did that sudden concern come from?! Derek never tells me to be careful when I go jogging or anything. Maybe it's because of everything that's happening? Maybe not. Why is he looking in the basement? I don't know what he could possibly be looking for down there.
I mentally slapped myself. He's probably just looking for a part for the Camaro or something! That thing always needs a part or two.

It was only when I reached my room when I realized that the little wolf was still in my grasp. I absent-mindedly walked towards my dresser, my eyes were glued to the tiny rock wolf. Each time I turned it over, I remembered more about it. The long days I sat in my bed at the orphanage, twirling it between my two fingers in hopes to leave at any given time. Or the times when I refused to take it off.
I fiddled with it one more time, and that's when my attention was captured. I turned it back so that I could see the bottom of it. One little paw had a small named engraved into it that said; Aria.
But in the next paw there was another name-

Derek.
Why would Derek's name be engraved into my little wolf? My birth present?
Had I done it, but I had forgotten?
Whatever the reason, I placed it in an empty spot on top of my dresser, right beside my crystal wolf. So. Many. Wolves.
I hurriedly retrieved my black spandex shirt and matching shorts, then swapped my outfit. Once my laces were tied and my hair was in a messy bun, I left the loft.

The morning air was cold and crisp, but my werewolf blood worked harder to keep my body warm. The sun had successfully risen over the horizon and the fog cleared out. Nine AM, I bet. Dew from the trees and greenery caught the sun's light and twinkled all around me. It was beautiful.

I had ran for half an hour and it virtually unaffected me; all of my training really paid off. I ran like I did when I first started.

But things started to turn for the worse.

I ran down a slope, then I suddenly stopped. I froze in my place while my vision blurred. It was like I was trying to focus in on something, but it was taking its time. Then, I did- a deer.
A large buck was grazing, nibbling at bits of grass and anything it could find. It looked graceful and tempting. I had the sudden feeling like I wanted to chase it- I wanted to hunt. My senses zeroed in on a deer without my consent, my inner wolf needs the thrill of the chase. But it's just so far away.
Things were changing in me. I felt a surge of energy and power in my bones, as if my instincts were setting in.
The big rack on its head knocked against a tree. It was like the buck was mocking me. The sounds pounded against my skull. It's white tail flicked back and forth, which only made it worse.
I felt my teeth grow as far as they could and my eyes changed. My body was buzzing with undying power.

Do it, child. Hunt.

"I can't. It's just a deer!" I cried out, talking to the voice in my head. I pushed away the shift and looked blankly at the ground around my feet.

You call yourself a wolf?!
The voice taunted me roughly and hit me where it hurts. I am a wolf. I am a wolf.

My body and my brain were having a silent battle to figure out which is right. My dilemma would get me a one-way ticket into an asylum if anyone saw.

A real wolf would do it.

That's what did it- that one little sentence, those six little words.
With that, my body was kicked into over-drive. My focus settled onto the buck and it was all that I wanted.
I snapped my claws out, down by my sides and ran. I ran as fast as I could. My body gave into the shift completely and I charged at my target.
My feet bounded against the ground with speed, nothing could stop me.
Once I had gotten close enough, the buck lifted it's head in my direction. It bolted away immediately, but my determination wasn't strung out yet.

It may have been fast, but I was faster.

I leaped over rocks, I dodged trees and I even allowed low growls to escape my mouth- he already knew what I wanted, so what was the point on being silent about it?

I was gaining on him, he was right there. Right there.
Then, the buck turned a corner, around a tree. It threw me off, but I quickly rounded it as well. I dragged my claws around the trunk of the tree, which left five slashes that will eventually rot from exposure. I marked my territory; like a true wolf.
I imagined the feeling of sinking my claws into its flesh and bringing it down. I didn't want to eat it, only kill it for the pleasure. Hunting is an instinct.

The buck was getting tired of running so quickly and I could tell. I felt it.

Out of adrenaline, the buck leaped over a large rock instead of going around it. It didn't do him any justice, for I jumped as well.
I was right on his tail, and it felt like time suddenly froze.
My claws reached out, right around its rear. I could feel the heat radiating off of the tired body.
Just a little more. I almost have it.

My focus was shot when a loud sound echoed around me. My phone. It sang loudly in my pocket. I looked at my pocket confusedly. I retracted my claws and my eyes turned back to normal.
But since I hadn't touched the ground yet, I kept on soaring through the air, right towards a tree.
Time unfroze and I slammed into it. Hard. The air was knocked out of me when my back collided with the bark, I tried to breathe, but then it was sucked out of me even more when I plummeted against the ground. My arm was crushed underneath of me, then it felt like my lungs were unaccustomed to oxygen.
My phone continued to sing, but then it stopped a few metres away from me.
The buck pranced off in victory, I watched through blurred vision.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, then waves of pain burned inside of me. Tears brimmed my eyes.
"Stop crying!" I yelled at myself, but I wheezed and sputtered, the air forced itself into me. I let out a hoarse cough, black blood seeped past my dry lips. I hastily wiped it on my arms.
"Shit." I cursed, as I tried to roll onto my back. Every inch I moved forced agonizing pain upon me, but I slowly managed.
I knew that my werewolf blood would immediately try to heal my broken body, so I tried my best to keep still while I waited.
It suddenly felt like a bone was pushed back into place, so I yelped in pain. Tears dribbled down my cheeks; no matter how much I yelled at myself, they wouldn't stop.
I sunk my teeth into my hand to stop myself from screaming, but then the taste of metal sneaked past my lips. I shakily pulled my hand away and watched as the blood sunk back into the small incisions.
My whole body trembled all the while I healed. It was agonizing to say the least.

Once the pain subsided, I slowly crawled to my feet. I made sure that the healing process was completely done.
When I stood up, I didn't collapse to the ground, so that was a good sign.

I tried to remember what happened to me before I went savage, but most of it was fuzzy. I do remember that the voice was cheering me on, it wanted me to kill it. But why? It usually helps me heal things, not helps me kill things.

I almost killed a buck for the fun of it.

I shook my head weakly and tried to figure out if I truly was okay- not just physically, but mentally as well. I was still trembling, but I guess that was just the shock.
Surprisingly, I actually felt alright(like I wasn't just thrown into a tree), it almost felt like I was 'renewed'. I can't remember the last time I had a full-body heal.

Why did I try to kill it? Why couldn't I control myself?
That's it- I need to train more.

Once I found my right brain, I began to seek out a stream. I could feel the moisture nearby and I could hear the sound of a rushing stream. I went in the direction of where I sensed it. It took a bit of walking, but then it appeared in front of me.
I crouched next to the water and dunked my arms into it. I scrubbed until my skin felt raw. I made sure that there was no blood left. I scooped up some water in my hands and slurped at it to clean the blood from my mouth.
Once I finished, I paused. Then I splashed some water into my face. I tried my best to think that the water would wash everything that happened away.
I wiped my face on my shoulder then tried to find my way.

The whole 'hunt' thing threw me off of the path I was taking, so 'left' would've felt like 'right' if I didn't have proper direction. High intelligence really helps with that.

I followed my scent from before, but then I heard that same song again. My phone once more.
It was right by my foot. It must be the same caller who stopped me from killing that buck. The same caller who saved it.
I felt pretty damn grateful for that caller.
I reached down and picked up my phone. I turned it over and looked at the screen. It was Scott.
I pressed 'answer' with my thumb and brought it up to my ear.
"Yea?" I mumbled as I continued towards the loft.
"Aria, where were you?! I tried calling you like ten times!" By the tone of Scott's voice, something was up.
I hesitated,"I- uh...was sleeping. Yea, I just woke up." Lie.
Scott huffed,"We have a big problem! The night of the Full Moon, Allison's mother committed suicide and she blamed it on all of us. Our whole pack. Now Allison is furious and lethal!"
I paused and took every word in with care. Why would Allison believe that it was us?
"What?! Why would she do that? I know how strong her mother is, she wouldn't be such a coward." It's true though. Her mother would prefer to kill us all than herself for the sake of the hunters.
"But that's the thing though, she didn't kill herself for no reason. Look, she wrote Allison a letter to explain it all, where she said that Derek bit her. She killed herself before she turned into one of us." I got confused by what he said. More questions popped into my head.
"What do you mean, 'before she turned into one of us'?" I questioned, while I absent-mindedly wandered in the right direction.
I could hear Scott stirring around on the other end,"Because Derek really did bite her. It was when she tried to kill me at the underground party. Her and Derek fought, then it accidentally happened. I know that Derek would never mean to do it."
I nodded to myself,"It makes sense, but why tell Allison that?" I wondered.
Scott sighed,"So that Allison would hate us all. It's what Gerard always wanted. They fixed it into her head that we are the bad guys, so now she wants all of us dead. Now she's the hunter they always wanted."
I knew something was up with her. I guess that they started this whole 'reform Allison' plan a while ago, that's why she's been so distant.
"The last time I saw her was that night, but since then she's kept to herself. I heard the Argents hunting last night, but they didn't find anything. They're on yours and Derek's trail, Aria. They're trying to eliminate the threat." Scott sounded genuinely concerned and he has a right to it.
"But why me? Why not just Derek?" I felt bad asking, but I needed to know. The loft was right up ahead, but I stopped and put all of my weight against a tree.
Scott paused,"Because you are their biggest threat."
I didn't say a thing, for the shock was blocking my way of speaking.
"You have knowledge about more things than you should, you're a strong fighter and very determined. The Argents know that you have Derek's skill and then some. They need you out of the way to get to Derek. You need to be more careful, Aria."
Every last word was pasted into my brain. I'm their biggest threat.
I urgently nodded to myself, since I knew that I was taking too long to answer.
"Okay. You need to be careful too, you know. You aren't exactly on Chris' good side either." I responded. I earned a snicker from Scott.
"I don't think that I ever will be. But I have to go. I already told Derek, so he knows about it all. Please, Aria, just stay alive."
"You know me, Scott. Death knows that I'm too stubborn, they wouldn't want me anyways!" I joked, but then I went serious,"Stay alive, Scotty."
I hung up after the line went blank, and I waited in my place.

I'm their biggest threat.
I guess that I'll just have to be an even bigger one.

*

"Why are we training now?" Isaac asked when he walked through the front door. He was dressed in black shorts and a matching V-neck. His running shoes were laced and ready to go.
"Because Allison wants our intestines on a stick, so we need to be ready." I answered, leading him towards the highway.
"Just us, as in me and you?" Isaac questioned, following behind me.
I looked at him,"No. Each and every one of us. You've heard about her mother and you know just how pissed she is about it. Once she sees you, she'll send a Wolfsbane bullet right through your heart."
Isaac looked terrified.
We reached the open road, I turned right, in the direction of where we would be training. I didn't want to take him to where I was yesterday, since I almost killed an animal there. I wasn't in a good state of mind and I didn't really feel like thinking about it every time I ran.
"Start jogging." I ordered while I did the same. Isaac obeyed and jogged right beside me.
"Where are we going?" He asked, sounding unaffected by the physicals.
"The cliff." I answered, while I looked straight ahead of myself.
The cliff is in more of the outskirts of Beacon Hills; it is literally a cliff that looks down into the rest of the town. It's actually a really good view.
Isaac looked at me confusedly,"That's a fairly far run."
I grinned smugly,"That's the point."
Isaac chuckled and continued to run with me.

When we reached the cliff, Isaac was slightly panting, but he wasn't too bad. It was a long run, though we did good. I could see every house and building in Beacon hills, and some snow-patched areas. In the winter here, it does get cold, but we only have a little bit of snow.
The ground under our feet isn't frozen, so it gets dusty. The dirt is dry and easy to tread on.
Isaac held his arms above his head and took deep breaths,"God, that was far!"
"It feels good though, doesn't it?" I asked, regaining my breath as well. He nodded in agreement.
"So what are we doing then?" He wondered, resting against a tree.
I smirked,"What you wanted before- contact."
Isaac stood up straight, his lips pulled back into his own smirk as well,"I like the sounds of that."
I rolled my eyes and took a few steps closer,"Hand-to-hand combat can be tricky, but it's essential. If you can't do this, then you can't fight."
We started to circle each other, a cocky expression was plastered onto his face,"This should be fairly easy."
I shrugged,"If you say so."
"I mean, I'm bigger than you, so it should be easy to take you down." He explained, preparing himself.
"We'll see. If you can bring me down, then you're right. But, if you can't, then you have to do fifty push-ups." I settled, still making circles.
Isaac paused and put his hands on his hips, he held his head in the air,"If I do take you down, then you have to do something, once I think of it." He put his hand out in front of me.
I thought for a moment, then shook his hand,"Deal." I didn't let go.
Isaac looked satisfied and unaware.
Suddenly, I yanked his arm and flipped him around fully until he fell to the ground, stomach first. I sat on top of him, my knee was into his back.
Dust stirred up all around us and I laughed.
Isaac's cheek was against the ground and he winced,"I wasn't ready."
I snickered and ruffled his hair,"I guess I'm just faster then, huh?"
Isaac grumbled.
I leaned forward so that I was closer to him,"I guess that means fifty push-ups." I got up and took a step back. I watched him sit up and dust himself off, he grumbled the whole time.
"That wasn't fair." He mumbled, taking the push-up position.
"Oh, but it was totally fair." I mocked, resting against a rock.
Isaac began the task and counted in his head while doing it. His muscles bent and flexed to his every movement. I had to remind myself not to stare.
I crossed my arms over my chest,"You know, you need more technique. Like I said before, study the opponent well and find their weak spot. And never-"
"Never let my guard down, I know." He chuckled, pushing against the ground once he finished.
I smiled contently,"Good. Now try again. I know that you can do it, you're stronger than you think." I didn't know if my words of encouragement helped, or if they just filled his little, boy ego.
Isaac nodded, he looked into my eyes and thought.

Suddenly, a stick broke in the trees nearby. Both of us snapped our heads up in the direction of where it came from. I heard the sound of sputtering and hissing. The Kanima.
Isaac reached out to me and lightly tugged on my shirt to bring me closer. I abruptly moved closer to him, to be ready to protect him at any second.
After a moment of silence, the Kanima jumped out from a tree and looked at us momentarily. He screeched loudly, then ran off the other way.
I felt Isaac's blood-pressure rising, his breathing deepened.
I turned to see his eyes glow yellow and his teeth grow sharply. His rage was already built high enough towards him, but this was something different.
I stood in front of him,"Isaac, no. Fight it now!"
He tried and I could tell, but it wasn't working. His claws poked out as well.
"I can't...he needs to die." Isaac quietly said, growls came from his chest.
"No, not now. You can't kill him." I growled, gripping onto his shirt.
Isaac snapped his teeth, then it completely happened. His face morphed into his werewolf and the fur grew out on his cheeks.
"He's dead!" Isaac roared, bolting away from me. He ran through the shrubs as fast as he could and out of my sight.
"God damn it, Isaac!" I yelled, and I started to chase after him. I stayed on his scent trail, but the Kanima's scent was screwing with it. I also smelt something different, but I couldn't tell what it was.
I paused. I lost it. Whatever that smell was, it blocked off his scent completely.
"Isaac! Where the hell are you?!" I barked, I tried so hard to pick up the scent, but all I could smell was a sort of chemical. It burned.
I didn't know why my senses were suddenly failing me- it's never happened before!

Suddenly, everything went dark. I couldn't see. Something was over my head and something was over my mouth and nose. I sucked in a ridged breath, but it burnt my lungs. Chemical. Someone's trying to knock me out.
I wriggled and squirmed in the stranger's grasp, but my senses were dying. My thoughts kept going in and out. I squealed to try and get Isaac's attention, but nothing worked. He can't hear me. He's lost.
I felt hazy.
Lost.
My mind....faded.
I can't hold on...
Gone.
There's nothing left, but darkness.


I am their biggest threat.