She shook herself, muttering, “Sorry.” More briskly, she strode over to the bookcases that functioned equally as walls in the studio apartment, and picked up a small, round container, smaller than the palm of her hand. She held it out to him. “I need to find out what this is. Someone’s been putting it on my windowsills at night, and I don’t recognise it.”
Isaac took the container, frowning when it seemed to feel almost hot. He opened it before cursing and dropping it, accidentally spilling the mountain ash everywhere. Some of it got on him and he scrambled away from it, covering his face where some had got in his eye. He howled in pain and cringed, ducking away from it.
“Isaac?” Summer said, shocked. “Isaac, what is it?” The powder seemed to be burning him, like some kind of skin allergy. She hurried to the kitchen area, wetting a cloth and bringing it back to him. His limbs were everywhere, it seemed, and she found it difficult to help him. “Be still,” she finally hissed, “and let me fix this.”
Summer didn’t say anything for a long moment, just looked at him, mouth pressed into a thin line. Her eyes seemed to fall out of focus for a moment. A queer emptiness was in her voice when she spoke. “You loved him, and you feared him, and you had no idea how to get out. And now you aren’t even sure you deserve what you have, because it’s so different.”
Isaac bit his lip before nodding slowly. “Yeah,” he mumbled quietly. “He’s dead now. I’m torn between feeling guilty and relieved most of the time,” he said, shrugging and looking out the window, leaning against the wall and clearing his throat. “But I’m not here for you to learn about me. What do you want me doing?”
She shook herself, muttering, “Sorry.” More briskly, she strode over to the bookcases that functioned equally as walls in the studio apartment, and picked up a small, round container, smaller than the palm of her hand. She held it out to him. “I need to find out what this is. Someone’s been putting it on my windowsills at night, and I don’t recognise it.”
“In a freezer,” she repeated slowly. “Honey, you are six foot something. Who the hell could even put you in a freezer?”
Isaac rolled his eyes. “It was one of those industrial freezers that fishermen use to store their fish. My dad would put me in there if I upset him.”
Summer didn’t say anything for a long moment, just looked at him, mouth pressed into a thin line. Her eyes seemed to fall out of focus for a moment. A queer emptiness was in her voice when she spoke. “You loved him, and you feared him, and you had no idea how to get out. And now you aren’t even sure you deserve what you have, because it’s so different.”
She made a grumpy, inarticulate growling kind of sound and rubbed her hands over her face. “Explain to me about this werewolf thing,” she said instead. “And how you just decided it was okay to show me by casually picking up my car.”
Isaac clicked his tongue before nodding a bit. “The alpha who changed me did it to help me. My life before was kind of total shit and about half of it was spent in a freezer,” he said, nodding a bit before looking her over. “I don’t know. Didn’t know another way to show you.”
“In a freezer,” she repeated slowly. “Honey, you are six foot something. Who the hell could even put you in a freezer?”
“You don’t even know me,” she snapped, releasing the cat, who galloped off. She came to her feet, shoulders hunched and arms folded. “You’ve got an hour’s worth of observations and that’s it, and I’m telling you, I’m a horrible, selfish, cruel, ugly person. Nobody likes me, because I don’t deserve to be liked.”
Isaac held his hands up and took a few steps back. “Fine. You’re a horrible, selfish, cruel, ugly person and I still have to do whatever you say for the next twenty-three hours,” he said, shrugging and leaning against the wall. He wasn’t going to argue. It was futile anyway.
She made a grumpy, inarticulate growling kind of sound and rubbed her hands over her face. “Explain to me about this werewolf thing,” she said instead. “And how you just decided it was okay to show me by casually picking up my car.”
Her fingers curled into the cat’s fur, holding for comfort now and not to restrain. “I loved him,” she said softly. “Still love him. I thought he loved me.” She had to swallow. “He did. I don’t know — he — I don’t — ” Words deserted her. After a long moment, she managed, “He’s not wrong. I’m a horrible person.”
Isaac frowned and dropped his hand. “You’re not a horrible person, Summer. He’s just trying to mess with you,” he said, shrugging and taking a few steps back. “Don’t let him make you feel bad. You haven’t done anything wrong,” he said quietly.
“You don’t even know me,” she snapped, releasing the cat, who galloped off. She came to her feet, shoulders hunched and arms folded. “You’ve got an hour’s worth of observations and that’s it, and I’m telling you, I’m a horrible, selfish, cruel, ugly person. Nobody likes me, because I don’t deserve to be liked.”
Rubbing at his neck, Jesse spat a swear word and stumbled back. “You’ll regret this. I warned you. She’ll ruin you and use you and break you and you’ll beg her for it.” The door stood open as he backed away and left.
Summer swallowed hard, looking down at the cat. She could hear Jesse striding away, anger rolling off him like a cloud, and couldn’t look up at Isaac.
Isaac rolled his eyes, not buying the bullshit for a second. He closed the door behind Jesse and leaned against the door. “Well… He was a dick,” he said matter-of-factly before frowning at her. “Hey…” He walked up to her and tilted her chin up, making her look at him. “Summer… You okay?” he asked, frowning and looking her over.
Her fingers curled into the cat’s fur, holding for comfort now and not to restrain. “I loved him,” she said softly. “Still love him. I thought he loved me.” She had to swallow. “He did. I don’t know — he — I don’t — ” Words deserted her. After a long moment, she managed, “He’s not wrong. I’m a horrible person.”
“Isaac! Isaac, put him down!” Summer screamed. She didn’t dare move, because the cat would immediately bolt out the door. As it was, it had its ears flat to its head.
Jesse had his hand wrapped around Isaac’s wrist. His face was warped into a sneer, and he hissed, “What’d she promise you? What’d she do to you? You’re a slave and you can’t even see it.” Twisting fruitlessly, he glared at Summer. “Witch!”
Isaac looked back at Summer and reluctantly set him down. “I’m not a slave.” Alright, technically he was actually Summer’s slave for the next twenty-four hours, but that wasn’t the point. “I wasn’t promised anything to kick your ass out. You’ve just managed to piss me off that much,” he said, narrowing his eyes at him before taking a step back and crossing his arms. “Leave. Now. And don’t come back.”
Rubbing at his neck, Jesse spat a swear word and stumbled back. “You’ll regret this. I warned you. She’ll ruin you and use you and break you and you’ll beg her for it.” The door stood open as he backed away and left.
Summer swallowed hard, looking down at the cat. She could hear Jesse striding away, anger rolling off him like a cloud, and couldn’t look up at Isaac.
It wasn’t clear whether Jesse hadn’t noticed Isaac’s eyes change, or he was just ignoring it. Summer stood stock-still, only moving when a large, fluffy cat paced past her and toward the open door. She dropped to one knee and snagged it by the scruff of the neck.
Jesse breathed into Isaac’s face, “Do you know what she is? She doesn’t need a sad pathetic little whelp like you to protect her. If she wanted, she could have you stumbling after her uselessly, like some lovesick fool. I’m the only one she can’t touch; I’m immune to her.”
Isaac just stared at Jesse in disbelief. Was this guy serious? He couldn’t be, right? It was too ridiculous. Isaac picked him up by the throat and slammed him against the wall. “You are the most annoying person I have met in my entire life, which is really saying something if you knew Stiles,” he growled, hoisting him up higher. “I’m gonna put you down, and you’re going to leave and never come back.”
“Isaac! Isaac, put him down!” Summer screamed. She didn’t dare move, because the cat would immediately bolt out the door. As it was, it had its ears flat to its head.
Jesse had his hand wrapped around Isaac’s wrist. His face was warped into a sneer, and he hissed, “What’d she promise you? What’d she do to you? You’re a slave and you can’t even see it.” Twisting fruitlessly, he glared at Summer. “Witch!”
Jesse spun around and slammed his palm against the doorframe, blocking Isaac’s entrance. The two were of a height, which clearly bothered the older man. “I control her absolutely. Any freedom she’s got, it’s because I let her have it. And I’m doing this for people like you. That girl is dangerous. I’m protecting you.”
Isaac held back a growl when he was blocked. He reached out and pushed Jesse’s arm out of his way easily, maybe using a little more strength than necessary. “Funny, because… I’m here to protect her. From people like you, who are obviously way in over their head,” he said, eyes flashing yellow at him.
It wasn’t clear whether Jesse hadn’t noticed Isaac’s eyes change, or he was just ignoring it. Summer stood stock-still, only moving when a large, fluffy cat paced past her and toward the open door. She dropped to one knee and snagged it by the scruff of the neck.
Jesse breathed into Isaac’s face, “Do you know what she is? She doesn’t need a sad pathetic little whelp like you to protect her. If she wanted, she could have you stumbling after her uselessly, like some lovesick fool. I’m the only one she can’t touch; I’m immune to her.”