Howling to the Heart || Isaac Lahey

89.

Neriah was dead silent as she sat next to Isaac's bed in the hospital, Scott standing at the end of the bed after telling her what had happened at the animal clinic with Stiles—void.

The last twenty-four hours had been a shit storm running through Beacon Hills. Isaac got electrocuted and still hadn't woken up, but he was starting to heal. The bomb at the police station and Derek being framed for murder with Mr. Argent. Coach getting shot with an arrow in front of Neriah, his blood still feeling as if it's on her clean hands. Finding out her father cheated on her mother and had another daughter who she had already met and turned. And now Stiles was locked in a loony bin because of all the events of the nogitsune.

"Scott, what the fuck do we do?" she asked after ten minutes of dead silence, only Isaac's machine beeping around them. "Like what are we actually going to do? Ryker had to go back to New Orleans just to get Ezril and convince him to come help us. Isaac is literally half-dead in front of us. My pack is down. Stiles is going insane. My father is a lying cheater, and my cousin is in jail."

Scott dropped his head with a tired sigh. "Deaton might have a plan," he admitted, gripping the end of the bed tighter. "I know I'm asking for a lot right now, but we do need you. Isaac is still safe here—"

"Is he?" she cut him off with a dreadful look. "Stiles might be in the loony house and drugged, but what if something happens before then? No one is safe in Beacon Hills and we both know that better than anyone." She held Isaac's hand tighter before placing a kiss on his knuckles. "What are a group of teenagers supposed to do?"

Scott was slightly surprised with how easily she was giving up. Usually, she would be the one determined to find a solution and have a few complaints during it, but still at least trying. But now, sitting beside Isaac's bed, he could see she was giving up completely, losing hope completely.

"Isaac would want us figuring something out," Scott said quietly and knew straight away that he said the wrong thing by the fire setting alight in her eyes with anger. "O-Or maybe he wouldn't—"

"Did you seriously just try to convince me by using Isaac?" she fumed, letting go of Isaac's hand to not squeeze it any harder. "Maybe Isaac would want us to figure something out or for me to help, but he's currently in a fucking coma! What could I even do to help? I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't even think for long enough to get my thoughts in order."

"Turn it off."

Neriah got to her feet, her eyes shooting to the door as Scott turned around with a growl, only to quiet himself at the sight of Ryker and Ezril.

"Did you make up your mind?" Neriah asked Ezril, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or come back to tell me I'm pathetic?"

Ezril didn't smile or frown. Only kept an unreadable look on his face. "Not yet," he admitted. "But I know how to help you." His dark brown eyes traveled to the true alpha and then the beta. "An alpha takes care of their injured, but when an alpha is needed for higher priorities, their pack takes care of the injured."

"In other words," Ryker drawled, walking toward her. "Go with Scott and Ezril will take care of Isaac for you."

"I can't just leave him, okay?" she argued with a stern voice. "The second I leave here, I'll be too stuck in my own head worrying about him and I won't be any help to anyone then."

Ezril clicked his tongue with a considering nod. "Which is exactly why you need to turn it off."

"I still think she doesn't have to," Ryker snapped harshly, sending a glare to Ezril. "What if she can't turn it back on? Then what do we do?"

"If she's our alpha, then she'll turn it back on for her pack."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Scott asked, his eyes jumping between the two of them.