Chapter Text
“Witches?” Isaac asked.
“Yes,” Derek answered, leading them through the woods to the well hidden cabin.
“Witches?” Isaac asked again, sounding completely mystified.
“Yes,” Derek insisted, rolling his eyes at his young Beta.
“Everybody looked at me like I was crazy when I asked Deaton if he was a witch,” Isaac said, leaping over a tree root jutting out of the ground.
“That’s because he’s not a witch,” Derek pointed out.
“Debatable, but okay,” Isaac snorted. Derek rolled his eyes again, signaling for Isaac to be quiet and keep following.
It had been a month since Boyd and Erica disappeared and they hadn’t found a single trace of them. Isaac was getting antsier as the time passed, especially after they had gotten more info on the Alpha pack that left their mark on their front door. Word around the werewolf circles was they were not a pack to be messed with. So Isaac was convinced that Boyd and Erica were in danger and needed to be found immediately. Derek was less convinced, since the two Betas had told him they were planning on running before the whole kanima debacle. He figured they just kept their word. But Isaac was adamant, so Derek went along with it for the most part. He couldn’t afford to lose any more packmates. And making more sounded like a terrible idea, looking at his history.
If Derek had to choose one Beta of his who he thought was best, it would have to be Boyd. Solid, levelheaded Boyd. His junior ROTC background lent well to pack dynamics and until he decided to run off, he was the most dependable. Erica was a bit of a wild card, overwhelmed by her newfound power and not sure yet how to use it. She was the one most likely to lose control and get them all into trouble. While she had started to mellow out before she decided to take off, there was still that edge to her that didn’t look to have softened.
And then there was Isaac, the last Beta he made who was still with him. Derek had to admit that he had a soft spot for the boy. It was impossible not to, given his history. But Isaac was complicated. He was this strange mixture of defiant and eager to please. Isaac had been game to do whatever he wanted at first, seeking that approval he’d been lacking for so long. But then he would start to question things more and Derek could smell the guilt pouring off of him in waves. Isaac was in a constant internal battle between being the best Beta he could be and sticking to what he believed was right. Which is why they were out here now.
Derek had to pick and choose where to give in and where to stay firm. He needed to keep his Beta happy enough to remain in the pack, but not blur the lines of their relationship. He was an Alpha, not a father. An authority figure, not a nurturer.
So now they were trudging through the woods in the middle of the night, trying to sniff out the cloaked cabin of a witch who rolled into town last week, hoping she’d have something to help track down the missing members of their pack. And that she’d be willing to help. Derek hadn’t had the best experiences with witches in the past, but he was going to try to not let that get in the way of possibly getting some aid in their quest.
They finally stumbled upon the place they were looking for, after wandering in circles for what seemed like hours. If she was powerful enough to hide this well, she probably was good enough to help them.
“Let me do the talking,” Derek directed, acknowledging Isaac’s answering nod. This might take a little finessing and Derek was better at that than Isaac. He was more likely to default to some sort of snarky comments and they didn’t need a pissed off witch. Derek moved Isaac behind him, approaching the door with caution. Witches were damn tricky and he didn’t want to set off some kind of booby trap by running in half cocked. He listened carefully to see if he could hear any movement, but there was nothing. Not surprising, if she was able to cloak her location so well. They would just have to do this the old fashioned way. Derek knocked firmly on the door, stepping back again just in case. Isaac was just over his shoulder, glancing around the area in suspicion.
“Maybe she didn’t hear you?” Isaac whispered, shifting his weight in anticipation.
“Oh, I heard you,” a voice said from seemingly nowhere and everywhere. Isaac’s claws immediately flicked out, but Derek grabbed his wrist in warning. Losing their cool so soon wouldn’t be a good thing.
“We aren’t here to cause problems. We just wanted to ask for your help,” Derek said, focusing all his attention on his senses.
“What makes you think I’d help you?” the voice asked, humor coloring her words.
“Maybe we can help each other?” Derek suggested, nodding toward the door. “May we come in?” The door slowly creaked open, giving them just enough room to squeeze through. It was dark inside and surprisingly bare, but Derek wouldn’t be shocked to find out there was more that they just weren’t able to see. They walked to the center of the room, Derek staring straight ahead while Isaac’s eyes were darting around looking for signs of danger. Twitchy Isaac didn’t make an appearance as often as he used to, but the new threat and missing packmates were getting him all out of sorts.
“And what do you think I could need from a couple of dogs?” the witch purred, finally stepping out from behind a wall. Derek suppressed his growl, forcing his body to stay calm and not give out aggressive vibes.
“Beacon Hills is a complicated town. You might need help with the lay of the land during your visit,” Derek said, making it clear he didn’t want her to stick around for long.
“I’ve been managing well enough so far,” the witch laughed, checking her nails as if they were boring her. Isaac was as tense as ever, breathing down Derek’s neck. He should’ve made him wait in the car. “I am curious by nature, so why don’t you tell me what you came for, so I know what I’m saying no to.”
“I need help finding a couple people,” Derek said, grinding his teeth hard enough to crack. He couldn’t lose his cool while they were on her turf.
“Aren’t you supposed to be good at stuff like that? Can’t you sniff them out like the mutts you are?” she hissed, eyes gleaming as she saw their barely concealed disdain for her. As if they’d be here if it was that simple. “If you’re looking for love, you’re in all the wrong places.”
“I’m looking for my pack!” Derek snapped, his worry for them briefly overshadowing his worry for himself. He was not going to stand by and let her make a joke of his people.
“And why would I help you find your lost little puppies? Hopefully they got hit by a car,” the witch sneered, cackling at Isaac’s soft, mournful whine.
That was it. This was a lost cause, so why bother leaving her intact? Derek let himself shift, roaring out in anger and aggression. The woman stepped back a little, but not out of fear. Derek’s mood was making him sloppy, so he didn’t have time to react before she sent a blast of light in his direction. He braced for the impact, but instead of an unnatural force hitting him, a body did. Derek immediately retracted his claws, not wanting to accidentally cut Isaac as he caught him. They fell together to the floor, Isaac bouncing back up faster than he expected.
The witch was gone, only the dissipating signs of smoke left in her wake. Derek jumped up, keeping his back to Isaac’s as they scanned for any other signs of attack. He would deal with Isaac jumping in front of him when they got somewhere safe. After another minute of nothing happening, Derek let himself settle back to human. He turned Isaac around roughly by the arm, checking him over as best he could in the weak light.
“Are you okay?” Derek demanded, poking at his chest where the blast most likely hit.
“Yeah, yeah I think so. What was that?” Isaac asked, checking over his own body as well.
“I don’t know, but I doubt it’s good,” Derek sighed, running a hand down his face. This was the last time he’d willingly deal with a witch.
“Maybe we should get out of here? This place gives me the creeps,” Isaac said, frowning at all the dark corners that surrounded them. Derek snorted, turning around and walking toward the door.
“We live in the hollowed out shell of my burned down childhood home and this place gives you the creeps?” Derek scoffed, shaking his head. When he didn’t hear a response or Isaac following him, he looked back. Isaac was frozen, staring blankly ahead in confusion and fear. “What is it?”
“Something’s not right,” Isaac mumbled, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he pitched forward in a dead faint. Derek lunged, catching him and carefully guiding him down into his lap.
“Isaac! Come on, wake up!” Derek commanded, patting his cheek. Isaac jolted awake with a scream, writhing around in agony. Derek tried shouting over him, telling him to turn. Isaac either couldn’t or wouldn’t, only screaming in an inhuman way. Derek couldn’t do anything besides hold onto him, making sure he didn’t hurt himself worse as his body tried to shake itself apart. He was reminded of Erica’s seizure, but this didn’t look like something a broken arm would take care of.
After what felt like hours, Derek thought he was losing his mind, because somehow he thought he felt Isaac getting smaller. Isaac wasn’t someone anyone would consider small, with all those long limbs, but somehow he was starting to fit in Derek’s lap in a way he hadn’t before. Isaac had always had a way of making himself smaller than he should’ve been able to, thanks to years with his abusive father, but Derek could feel his bones shrinking. All Derek could do at this point was hold on, praying that whatever was happening right now wouldn’t end in a dead body. He couldn’t lose another Beta.
The screams turned to whimpers, then the whimpers went from a deeper tone to a softer one. Derek could only stare in horror as the teenager he’d come in with shifted into a tiny bundle of child.
“Isaac?” Derek whispered, releasing his grasp as the kid in his lap startled and tried to scramble away. The boy scooted away a little, his face red and wet with tears as he gripped the giant clothes he was swimming in close to his body. Derek had never seen pictures of Isaac as a child, but this was definitely him. He was all curly blonde hair and big blue eyes.
Derek felt an urge to scream and panic like he hadn’t in years, but he couldn’t let himself. He had to focus on Isaac right now and get him somewhere safe so they could figure out how to change him back. He shoved his hand in his pocket, digging out his cell phone. By some miracle, whatever cloaking the witch had used didn’t affect his signal. He scrolled down his contacts to find the stupid group text Stiles had insisted they start. Derek had immediately put it on mute and never sent any messages, but now he was glad to have it to avoid the few extra steps it would’ve taken to text everyone separately. All he sent was “Deaton’s, now,” but he knew it would be enough. If he was actually texting, it was important. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, turning his full attention to the boy in front of him.
“Hey Isaac, do you know who I am?” Derek asked, using the softest voice he could muster right now. This would be a lot simpler if Isaac had all of his memories, but was just stuck in a kid’s body. It would suck for Isaac, but at least he’d be able to reason with him on a different level. Isaac shook his head, biting at his trembling lips. Well, that complicated things. How do you earn the trust of a boy who was huddled almost naked in an empty cabin with a strange man? That witch was dead if he ever got his hands on her.
“My name’s Derek,” he said, racking his brain for anything that wouldn’t sound creepy to a little boy. He needed to get Isaac to Deaton’s, but he didn’t want to just grab him and carry him against his will. They may be in the woods, but you never knew who might overhear the shrieks of a child. “I think you got lost, but I can take you somewhere safe.” Isaac still didn’t move, shivering in his little pile of clothes. Derek was running out of ideas and patience. He knew it wasn’t Isaac’s fault that he was scared, but he just wanted to get them somewhere safer. Somewhere he wouldn’t be alone to deal with this issue.
“My friend has a few puppies you can pet,” Derek offered, resisting the urge to slap his forehead as soon as those words came out of his mouth. What was he going to do next, tell Isaac he had candy waiting back in his van for him? He had younger siblings and cousins once, why was this so hard? What would he have said to them to gain their trust?
“Isaac, I know you’re scared, but you can trust me, okay? I have a little sister your age and I wouldn’t want her to be alone out here like this. Will you let me take you somewhere where we won’t be alone? Somewhere safe?” Derek asked, pleading in his mind to let Isaac agree. He avoided saying anything about his home or family, because he didn’t know how things were there at this point in Isaac’s life. Bringing up his father right now might cause him to panic even more. By some miracle, Isaac eventually nodded, wiping at his face and staring up at him with the saddest eyes Derek had ever seen.
Derek shucked off his own jacket, carefully wrapping it around the boy to give him more coverage and protection. He scooped him up, tucking him under one arm and grabbing whatever clothes hadn’t stayed on him. Isaac wrapped his arms around his neck, burrowing his face down into the jacket. Maybe the wolf senses were still there, sparking a deep recognition inside Isaac that connected him to his Alpha’s scent. Derek would take whatever he could get at this point.
He sprinted in the direction of his car, running faster than any human could and not caring if anyone saw. Isaac bounced along in his arms, only the occasional sniffles coming from him now. The trip back was a lot quicker than the trip out thankfully, and they got back to the car just as the sun was coming back up. Derek set Isaac in the passenger’s seat, tucking the sweater he’d left in the back over him before he buckled him up. Isaac curled up, gripping at the seatbelt that was laying across his face. Derek slid into the driver’s seat, accelerating at a speed just under breakneck, knowing he’d have to slow down once they got onto the main streets. This wasn’t something he’d want to explain to a police officer if he got pulled over.
He glanced over at his tiny Beta, wondering how they were going to fix this mess. If Deaton didn’t have a solution, Derek didn’t know what he would do. He wasn’t a parent. He couldn’t take care of a child, no matter who it was. He didn’t even have a proper home. This was way more complicated than anything he’d considered when he chose to become an Alpha.