Chapter 13:

 "So why were you so worried about talking in school yesterday?" Isaac asked. They were halfway to the school, and Stiles nearly swerved.

 "A lizard creature may have killed your dad and you're worried why a newly turned werewolf was acting weird the day of the full moon?" Stiles said.

 Isaac shrugged. "Just curious. Besides, he hasn't been my dad in a while." Stiles glanced over at him. "Come on, Stiles. I'm curious. Who at school is even going to believe you're a werewolf?"

 "Other werewolves. Hunters."

 "There are other werewolves at school?"

 "Scott."

 "How long has Scott been a werewolf?"

 "Since they found that body in the woods. I took him out that night to try and find the other half and we got separated. My dad got me, but he stayed hidden. He got bit by the same guy who bit me." Stiles grimaced. Same thing, different circumstances. Scott got bit and ended up Co-Captain of the Lacrosse team, sans his debilitating asthma, and dating the girl of his dreams. Stiles got bit and got blue eyes, lost his best friend, and was driving the victim of abuse to school the day after his father was killed. Yet Scott was the one who resented the bite more. Once Stiles had gotten past the initial denial, he'd accepted his wolf. Plus, he had a pack now, such that it was. The pack bond was a constant comfort thrumming under his skin.

 "Okay. So, what do you mean by hunters?"

 "Werewolf hunters. They claim to have a code, but I don't trust them to follow it. Allison's a hunter. Her whole family, actually."

 "Even her aunt?"

 "Her aunt killed Derek's whole family," Stiles growled. "Wolves and humans. When I said it was dangerous to know about this stuff, I meant it. People die. Hunters will kill all of us, code be damned. Even the ones that follow the code will kill without hesitation. You too, just because you know about us." Stiles pulled into the parking lot and looked at Isaac. "Do you understand, Isaac? You can't talk about any of this stuff here. Not about me. Not about Derek. Not about Jackson."

 "I get it, Stiles. I won't tell anybody. I won't talk about it. I swear." Isaac held his hands up.

 Stiles scanned him before nodding. "All right. Just, it's pack stuff."

 "Pack stuff? But I'm not Pack."

 "Not technically. Not yet. Just pack adjacent."

 "Pack adjacent?"

 "You keep the pack secrets; you get pack protection." Isaac snorted. "Yeah, it doesn't sound like much cause our pack's small right now. But it's a big deal for bigger packs. My mom was pack adjacent with the Hale pack before they all died." Stiles rubbed his neck. "Come on, Isaac." Stiles got out of his jeep heading for the school. He heard Isaac following after him.

 "I didn't mean anything by it, you know," Isaac said, sounding just a little desperate and smelling vaguely of fear. Like he wasn't also a card-carrying member of the Dead Mom Club.

 "I know. I'm not upset. I get it." Stiles shrugged. "A lot of the things we talk about sound weird cause you don't know the context. You'll either get used to it, or you'll move on. No big deal."

 "I don't plan to just move on. You guys seem like too much fun." Isaac chuckled. Stiles grinned back at him, but before he could reply, he was pinned to the wall. Scott shoved his arm over Stiles' throat, eyes glowing gold.

 "What did you do?" Scott growled.

 "Nothing," Stiles choked out.

 "Don't lie to me, Stiles. What did you do? They found a body last night. Did you kill someone else?" Scott pressed down harder, and Stiles gasped for air. His vision was speckled with black spots.

 "Get off him!" Isaac yelled. He grabbed Scott's shoulder, but the werewolf shrugged him off.

 "Stiles, I swear to God, if it was you, I will help Argent find you," Scott hissed. Then he was gone. Stiles slid to the ground sucking in air and trying to clear his vision. Isaac took him by the shoulders.

 "You okay?" Isaac frowned at him.

 "I'm fine," Stiles managed. He gripped Isaac's wrist. "I'm fine. Just an old friend letting me know exactly what he thinks of me." He let go of Isaac and pushed himself to his feet. An old man cleared his throat.

 "Everything okay here?" the man asked. He smelled like gunpowder, something sour, and something else that made Stiles' nose burn. Probably wolfsbane. He smelled like an Argent.

 "We're fine," Isaac said quickly. "He tripped."

 The man turned to Stiles. "You should be more careful, young man. Wouldn't want you getting hurt."

 "Right," Stiles muttered, purposefully looking anywhere but the man's face. The bell rang behind them.

 "Well, you better get to class." The man nodded to down the hall. Then he walked off towards the school office. Stiles frowned and pulled out his phone.

TO SOURWOLF: Older Argent in school. Scott cornered me and I think he saw it. Isaac was with me.

 "I'll see you in history, Isaac," Stiles said. "Thanks for…" He flailed a little. "You know."

 "No problem." Isaac gave him a small smile before walking off towards his classroom. Stiles headed for math, unable to shake the anxiety the old man had created. He checked his phone again as he sat down.