i won't turn my back on you

Isaac grinned to himself when he heard Sari tell him that she would be there if he wanted to talk, which he did know but it was still hard for him to open up to people about what had happened to him at his father’s hands. Maybe one day, if Sari was allowed to stay in Beacon Hills, he might tell her everything. His friends only really knew because they found out in various ways, but here was such a beautiful person who he wanted to impress, not bring down the mood by telling her how abusive his father was. He sat down on the bench and pulled his sneakers off, putting the skates on his feet before tying the laces. “Are you ready to be enthralled by my natural skating skills?” He grinned as he looked at Sari, obviously he was joking as his skating skills came from being a werewolf. Standing up he held his hand out for her to take once again, simply just because he wanted to hold her hand again and have that contact with her. He would completely understand if she wanted to skate closer to her sister, though he hoped she didn’t as Scott was there for Freya and Isaac wanted to spend time with Sari where they were alone, just the two of them. But he still gave her the choice, and he was fine with whatever she decided to do, as ice skating was for the sisters to have some fun, after all.

---

Freya could feel her heart race inside her chest when Scott winked at her, she definitely trusted him to catch her if she did end up falling on the ice. She hadn’t expected for him to flirt with her, mainly because he had seen first hand what her father could be like. How her father could get, she was worried that her father’s actions and words would have scared Scott away. Or made him think that there would be too much trouble if he continued to spend time with her. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” She breathed out feeling him take her hand, she hadn’t meant to, but she realised just how firm her grip was on his hand, the closer she got towards the entrance of the ice rink. She didn’t loosen her grip though, she didn’t want Scott to get too far ahead of her on the ice. Freya slowly stepped onto the ice after Scott, she just stood still yet her skates glided across the ice. “Don’t let go,” She looked at Scott who was being so patient with her, but the feeling of being on the rink was very unnatural to her and she didn’t have werewolf reflexes. She didn’t look graceful like Sari did on the ice. With Scott holding her hand and being there for support, Freya started to nudge her feet forward so she could get used to skating.

Sari finished lacing up her skates before she blinked when she heard Isaac’s words. Peering over at him, she arched an amused brow, but offered a small grin. “Oh, for sure,” she told him in an amused hum, tilting her head as he examined him. “Does that mean you’re gonna show off?” Not that she’d mind; in fact, she was sure she’d enjoy the sight of it, but she knew she probably wouldn’t be able to join in if it came to that, she’d probably just watch. When Isaac offered his hand out to her, she blinked in thought and peered over at Freya, worried about her sister, not wanting her to take on learning how to skate alone - not that Sari would be any help, since it would be her first time as well - but, when she saw Freya’s hand in Scott’s and the pair heading to the ice, her heart settled a bit, and she smiled, hopeful that her sister would have fun. The way Freya and Scott interacted, Sari couldn’t help but to hope that something amazing could spark between the pair, because Freya deserved that. Still, blinking, she looked back to Isaac and nodded. “Right, let’s go.” Offering a small grin, she placed her hand in his before she stood up, being as careful as possible, though she motioned for Isaac to lead the way, allowing herself to trust him.

---

Scott couldn’t help but to notice the way Freya’s heartbeat picked up, but he didn’t dare bring it up, not wanting to startle her and definitely not wanting to put her on the spot, but he couldn’t help but to grin, his head ducked to hide the warmth that was forming on his own cheeks with the thought that, perhaps, he’d been the cause of that reaction. Still, he nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze when she decided she was ready. “Alright, let’s do this, then,” he told her with a small grin as he examined her, being careful with her, giving her hand another gentle squeeze as he led the way to the ice, taking things at her pace, because he didn’t want to rush her. “I know you can do it.” And, he did. He was so, so certain that, once she got the hang of it, she’d be amazing on the ice, and he was going to be there to help her every step of the way when it came to getting used to the ice and skating on it. He’d do whatever he had to, whatever Freya needed him to, to make sure that she was safe and that she wouldn’t get hurt and that she had fun, because she deserved it. Still, when he heard her request, he offered a small smile to her, wanting to assure her in any way that he could. “I wouldn’t even dream of it. I’m right here, I promise. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not gonna let go, not unless you end up wanting me to.” But, a part of him hoped that she wouldn’t want him to. Still, seeing her take her first movements onto the ice, he grinned, following her carefully and staying near her, his hand still holding hers, and he watched her, staying beside her to keep her steady.

“I’ll be showing off for you, and only you.” Isaac grinned as he looked at Sari, he was desperate to impress her. He didn’t want to go over board and act like someone that he wasn’t, but he wanted Sari to see him in a light that no one else did, because he was still single. He didn’t mind if Sari joined in or if she just watched him, secretly he wanted her eyes to be solely on him. He still didn’t know where this confidence in himself came from, but he was beginning to believe it was because Sari was there, she had come into his life when he needed someone the most. Now he hoped that she stayed in his life, as a friend or a girlfriend, he just needed her to stay. Noticing her hesitation, he glanced over to her sister before looking back at Sari.

“She’s in great hands with Scott, you honestly have nothing to worry about with him. He’ll keep her safe, he keeps everyone safe.” Isaac still couldn’t thank Scott enough for everything he’s done to help him since they met, he knew that Scott would look after Freya and that meant Sari could have the night to enjoy herself and not worry about a single thing. Smiling, Isaac took Sari’s small hand into his own and guided her over to the rink, he took his time knowing Sari hadn’t been ice skating before. He stepped onto the ice first and gave Sari all the time she wanted, “It’s a strange feeling at first, but I know you’ll get the hang of it so fast.” He wanted to encourage her all that he could, because he already knew that she would do amazing things and would be an amazing person.

---

Once Freya heard the words that she wanted to hear from Scott, that he wouldn’t let her go, she felt herself trusting him completely. Something that her father would lecture her about if he knew, as his daughters couldn’t possibly trust someone who wasn’t family that much. “Thank you,” She smiled at him as she focused on staying upright, but she did sneak a glance over her shoulder to see her sister was stepping onto the ice as well. But what really captured her attention was that Sari was holding Isaac’s hand, she knew Isaac was the type of guy that Sari needed right now. Freya could feel in her gut that he was a good guy, someone who wouldn’t pressure her or work her to exhaustion, like their father did. He would support her and try to fix things for her, even if he couldn’t, he would still try. If they stayed in Beacon Hills, Freya knew she would do everything in her power to make sure that her sister got a happy ending, she deserved it more than anyone else.

Freya was slowly starting to feel a bit better on the ice, which is when she realised just how tight her grip was on Scott’s hand. “I’m so sorry, you should have said something.” She looked at him as she relaxed her hand, she didn’t let his hand go, no she liked holding his hand a lot. “So, if I stay here and go to school, will you be there too?” She asked as she wanted to stay in Beacon Hills, obviously she had zero say in the matter, she would have to do whatever her parents decided on. Like how they decided to move to Beacon Hills in the first place, now that she was there, it was the best decision that they had made in Freya’s mind.

For a moment, Sari paused to stare at Isaac with surprise, wondering if she’d heard right. Of course, she knew she had - she was a werewolf, after all, with impeccable hearing, there was no way she’d heard wrong, but the shock that came from hearing Isaac’s words made it almost easy to believe that she’d misheard him, that surely he hadn’t said that. But, as she took him in, she couldn’t quite convince herself that she’d misheard, because his grin seemed so genuine and real and sweet, and she could feel her expression softening, her cheeks warming a bit. “I’ll have to remember that,” she murmured eventually, deciding that it was the most that she could really offer in response, though she was sure she could never forget it, anyway.

Listening to him, she watched her sister for a moment, still unsure, but she wanted to believe Isaac, finding herself trusting him more than anything else, and she peered at him with the thought, watching him for a moment before she nodded. “I’ll take your word for it,” she told him quietly, watching him, though she felt her heart race when Isaac took her hand, her cheeks warming again, but she let him, following him quietly, finding herself too drawn to him to really bother to stop herself. Looking out at the ice, she watched it for a moment, chewing on her lip, a little nervous, but she nodded slightly. “Guess all there is to do now is to just… Try.” Her gaze settled back on him and, upon seeing him on the ice, she took a hesitant step onto the ice, gripping tightly to Isaac’s hand to try to steady herself.

---

Scott watched Freya for a moment, curious, but when she spoke, he offered a smile, helping her as much as he could. “You don’t have to thank me,” he assured her quietly, shaking his head, making sure to stay close to her, to be there for her, so that she knew that she could trust him, that she’d be safe, and that he wouldn’t let her fall. His eyes ran over her features, looking for any sign of distress or concern, and keeping an eye out in case she lost her balance or anything. He wanted to do everything he could to ensure she didn’t get hurt - even if an injury wouldn’t be too severe here, the last thing he ever wanted was for Freya to get hurt, because she absolutely didn’t deserve it, she was too amazing for something like that, especially when he wanted her to enjoy herself.

When she apologized, though, he blinked with confusion, unsure of what she was talking about until she loosened her hold on his hand, and he put the pieces together, offering her a smile. “It’s nothing to apologize for,” he assured her with a grin, shaking his head slightly as he gave her hand a squeeze, hoping to assure her that it was okay. “It didn’t bother me at all.” In fact, he’d enjoyed having the contact, knowing that she seemed comfortable with relying on him, and he was glad to help in any way he could. As he moved with her, still holding onto her hand still, but he smiled when he heard her question, taking her in before he nodded. “That’s right. Beacon Hills High. As long as you end up at that school, I’ll be there with you.” He watched her, hopeful. “I hope you end up staying.” And he meant it, more than he’d ever meant anything in his life.

For a split second Isaac thought that his comment had offended Sari or that she didn’t want to hear it from him, that maybe he had looked to far into things between them already and that he had gone too far for her. All of which he would hate and probably kick him for, the last thing he wanted was to make Sari uncomfortable in any way. However, then she spoke and he could feel the relief wash over him as he could tell that he hadn’t offended her. He was being honest with her, he wasn’t much of a show off to begin with but there was a part of him that did want to make more of an effort when Sari was around. He wanted to have her attention solely on him, he wanted her eyes to focus on him and to have her smile be because of him. He wanted to make her feel safe and wanted and accepted, Isaac would make it his mission to make sure that Sari always felt those emotions when he was around her as that is what she deserved. He could see the hesitation in Sari’s stunning eyes as she glanced over to her sister, “If she does need you then we’ll be close by.” Not that Freya would need her sister’s help, she was with Scott after all and he knew his Alpha well. Scott would put himself in dangers way before he let anyone he cared about get hurt, Isaac hadn’t seen Scott look at anyone in the way that he was looking at Freya, for a very look time.

Isaac couldn’t stop from smiling as he watched Sari step onto the ice for the first time, even if she did fall, not only was he there to catch her but she was also a werewolf who healed quickly. Yet he would take it as slow as she needed, he wanted her to feel comfortable and actually enjoy the time spent with him. “There you go, and if you need to hold onto the railing then it’s right there for you.” He told her as he held her hand securely, he made sure to stay close to the wall until Sari got the hang of being on the ice and even then, he would wait until she told him that they could start skating away from the wall of the rink. “How are you feeling?” He asked as he smiled at her, in his opinion she was doing amazingly. Maybe he was biased because he had formed feelings for the beautiful werewolf already, even though they hadn’t known each other for long. There was something about Sari that drew him in, she was gorgeous of course. But she was also smart and seemed to stand up for what she believed in, plus she was the exact opposite of her father.

---

Even if Freya didn’t need to thank Scott, she wanted to thank him and let him know how much she appreciated what he and Isaac were doing. It was different for her at home, she had more freedom and was allowed to go out for short periods of times. Sari wasn’t so lucky, their father barely gave Sari spare time to do anything. All Sari did was go to school, do her homework and then go to training. Freya wanted to thank Scott for taking them away from their parents, because he’d never know what it was like for her sister. She had heard his story, all werewolves knew the story of the bitten True Alpha. “I wanted to thank you,” She looked at him briefly before she turned her attention back onto her skating and ensuring that she kept her footing, she wanted to glance over her shoulder to check on Sari but she knew if she did that, she would probably lose her balance and she didn’t want to give her sister another reason to worry about her.

Feeling Scott squeeze her hand after she had apologised to him about gripping his hand so tightly, made her feel better even though she knew it wouldn’t have bothered him. “I hope that I get to stay here too,” Looking at Scott again she nearly lost herself in his warm eyes, she wanted to stay there in Beacon Hills with Sari but she had this bad gut feeling. That her father wasn’t being as honest as what he was making them all believe, the last thing Freya wanted was to have her father bring trouble into Scott’s life. Keeping those thoughts to herself as she didn’t know if what she was feeling in her gut was right, and she didn’t want to share her thoughts with anyone in case she was wrong. She also didn’t want to ruin any chance she had at staying in Beacon Hills, she wanted to stay there and get to know Scott more. Spend more time with him and his friends, meet his pack and have some time away from her own family.

Sari’s gaze didn’t leave her sister until Isaac spoke again, her concern for her sister still prominent, still very much present, but she didn’t want to smother her sister with her concern, and she certainly didn’t want to make her sister feel like she was being too protective. Lifting her gaze to Isaac, she thought for a few moments before she nodded slightly. “Right, of course,” she murmured quietly, “Of course you’re right, she’s right there, we’re not far. I just… Worry.” She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug, mildly worried that she was being overbearing or that Isaac might be bothered by her constant concern about her sister, but she couldn’t help it. With everything their father put them through, and how poorly Freya was often treated by those around them, those in the pack, all Sari could ever try to do for her sister was to protect her, to keep her safe.

Breathing out, her gaze turned down to her feet, to the ice, and she tried to keep herself steady, tried to stay focused, though it was comforting to have Isaac’s hand in hers, a part of her trusting that she could rely on him, that he really wouldn’t let her fall. “Okay,” she murmured with a nod when he spoke about the railing, and she peered over at it, just to know where it was exactly so that she could be prepared to reach out for it if she needed it. She felt unsteady, unnatural, but she felt a surge of excitement, too, that she was getting to try something new. Hearing Isaac, she looked over to him and offered an unsure smile. “I think I’m feeling okay,” she murmured, “Just… Adjusting to this.”

---

Scott paused with surprise when he heard Freya’s words, and he watched her for a moment, his eyes searching hers, but he smiled slightly. “Well, if you insist, then… You’re absolutely welcome, Freya,” he told her quietly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze to assure her. “I’m happy to be able to do this for you, really.” And, he meant it, because he truly believed that Freya deserved to have some fun, to get out of the house, to experience the world a bit. And, if he got to be the one to show it all to her, to help her experience everything, then he would be happy - but he would be happy either way, so long as she was happy. His eyes searched her face for a moment, looking for any signs of discomfort or concern, wanting to do whatever he could to help her, wanting to ensure that she had a good time, that she got to have some fun, because he was sure it was difficult when her father seemed so… Harsh.

As they continued to skate, he grinned slightly with hearing her words, and he thought for a moment. “You know, if worst comes to worst, you and your sister could always stay, even if your parents leave,” he suggested tentatively, a little hesitant to bring it up, because he didn’t want to seem like he was pushing her towards anything - he wanted her to make her decisions for himself, a part of him feeling like she didn’t really get to do that often. “You could become emancipated minors or something.” He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug, but he watched her for a moment. “It’s something to think about, at least, in case you end up wanting to stay here if your parents leave…” More than anything, though, he just… Wanted her there, with him.

Isaac knew how Sari felt, the concern and worry she felt for her sister. He had witnessed Sari’s father first hand, his actions reminded him much of his own drunk father. “She’ll be safe with Scott, plus she has her amazing sister watching over her too. I doubt anything will happen to her,” He looked at Sari as he tried to comfort her, all Scott needed to do was say the word and the pack would protect both of the sisters. Whether they needed protection from future threats, or their own family, they would have the protect no matter what. “Scott’s clearly taken by her and I’ve seen how he is with people he cares about, he’d do whatever he has to and he always put his family and friends before himself.” He grinned as he glanced over to his Alpha before his attention settled back onto the beautiful werewolf, “Scott will put her first,” He promised as he knew the look Scott had in his eyes, it was the same look Scott had when he asked Isaac to join the pack.

“You’re doing really well,” He encouraged Sari as she continued to find her feet on the ice, his thumb rubbing the soft skin of her hand as they slowly made their way along the ice. “I hope I get to show you more of the town, give you more experiences.” Isaac smiled fondly as he looked at Sari, he wanted her to stay in Beacon Hills. He wanted to show her the world, there was so much that they could see of the world and he wanted to travel with Sari by his side. “I hope you stay here,” His voice lowered to a whisper, his hand gently squeezing hers as he enjoyed the simple contact they were sharing.

---

Freya smiled when Scott accepted her thanks, he couldn’t possibly understand what this meant to her which is why she needed to thank him. There had been times when Freya and Sari were allowed to go out and enjoy themselves, but it was always just the two of them which Freya didn’t mind at all. But Freya wanted her sister to have a life, a life that she could enjoy and make her own choices. Maybe now Sari could have this, maybe Isaac would be the one to help Sari with this. There father wouldn’t stop until he believed Sari was ready to be the next Alpha, she would take over his place when that time came. Freya wasn’t sure what her father was capable of, because of that she wanted to see her sister have a life before it was taken from her when she stepped up as the new Alpha of the family pack. She looked at Scott as she listened to what he was saying, it was something she had even considered before. She knew her father was stern and tough, her extended family had never made her life easy but could she really leave them? She wasn’t sure if she was brave enough for that, she wasn’t sure if Sari would want to leave their family and she couldn’t lose her sister.

She nodded her head slightly, “If that times comes then I’ll think about it,” Not that her parents would allow it to happen, her father… Freya was certain that he would lose all patience if he heard such a thing, and he didn’t hold much patience to begin with. “I’m not sure how my father would take that,” She looked down at the skates as she glided across the ice, she did want to stay there and learn more about Scott. Grow closer to him and be in his life, she hoped her parents decided to stay in Beacon Hills so she wouldn’t need to consider legally leaving her parents.

Upon hearing Isaac's words, Sari blinked, peering up at him with surprise, and she could feel her cheeks warm a bit with the fact that Isaac thought she was an 'amazing sister.' It made her heart warm, because all she cared about was Freya's safety, her happiness, and Sari hoped her sister got it all, because she deserved the world. "I hope you're right," she murmured quietly, peering over at Freya once more before she looked ahead, "About all of it. I think Freya is fond of Scott and… She deserves all the happiness in the world… She deserves somebody who cares about her the way you're saying Scott does."

Her gaze dropped to her feet as she worked on learning to skate, being as careful as she could, though she found herself easily distracted with the feeling of Isaac's thumb rubbing her hand, and she chewed on her lip, trying to stay focused. "Thank you," she said quietly, though she blinked, peering up at him, and she offered a smile. "I'd like that, really." The thought of spending more time with him was more than a little tempting, after all. But, her heart swelled with his layer words. "I hope so, too."

---

Scott watched Freya for a few long moments, curious to what was going on in her mind, on what she was thinking about. A part of him hoped it wasn't anything too serious, and if it was, he hoped she would talk to him about it, because he wanted her to know that he would listen if she needed somebody to talk to, and that he would always be there for her if she needed him, no matter what it was, no matter how silly it seemed or how serious it was. He just wanted her to know that she wasn't alone, because she deserved to know that she mattered, that anything she needed or wanted to talk about mattered. "Are you okay?" he asked her, wanting her to know that she could talk, that she didn't have to hold it all inside.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he offered a smile as he listened to her. "Good, you should definitely think about it. And just… Know that the offer will always stand, alright?" he told her quietly as he watched her, taking her in, wanting her to know that he'd always be there for her, in any way that she needed him to be, in any way that she wanted him to be. He didn't want her to ever think that or feel like she was alone, because she definitely wasn't. "Don't worry about your father, alright?" Shifting, he nudged her gently, offering a small grin in hopes of reassuring her. "I'll make sure everything's okay, if it comes to that. Promise."

Isaac could feel his heart ache for Sari and what she was going through, he wanted to take her away from it all. Take her away from her overbearing father, the pressure of taking his place as the new Alpha, the words from her family that she isn’t good enough to lead the family pack. He wasn’t too sure of what he could do to help her, but he wouldn’t stop until he figured how the way he would be able to help her. “And she’ll get all of that, I’m sure of it.” Isaac knew that Scott would take care of Freya, he would give Freya the world if that is what she asked of him. “And if you need anything, support… protection… you have me,” He looked at Sari so she knew that he was being serious, “I understand what it must feel like with a father like yours.” He didn’t want to go into how abusive his father was just now, but he would tell Sari another time.

Because he understood and felt like he could be there to support Sari if she needed it, he didn’t want her going through anything on her own. “How about we spend as much time together now, just in case anything happens later on?” He looked at her knowing her parents could take her away at any time and on any day, she could be there for a few more days or another week or another month. They didn’t know so if they spent as much time together now, then it would be something and Isaac hoped that Sari agreed. He wanted to spend all his free time with her, to show her what it was like to have a life and have a friend who wasn’t her sister, to experience being a normal teenager just for once, to stay out all night and talk until the early hours of the morning. He wanted to give Sari the world.

---

Freya looked at Scott and nodded her head, “Yeah I’m okay… just thinking that’s all.” She told him hoping he wasn’t going to worry about her, which the offer that Scott gave her, there was a lot to think about. Not that she thought it would ever come to something that serious, because she knew her father wouldn’t allow it to happen. He wouldn’t allow himself to lose his daughters, yet she wasn’t sure what lengths he would go to keep his family together and that did worry her. “I know, if we need to take up on the offer then you’ll be the first one I tell.” Freya wasn’t sure what Sari would think of the offer, if she wanted to be the next Alpha of their pack then she would continue following every little order that their father barked at her. This was how their life was, it may be tough at times but it was what they were born into.

Feeling the gentle nudge, Freya wanted to tell Scott not to underestimate her father because he always found how to get his way. “I know but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” She wouldn’t let her father harm Scott in anyway, because Scott didn’t deserve what her father could throw at him. He was after all the reason why they moved to Beacon Hills, because her father wanted to meet a True Alpha, at least that’s the reason he had given his family.

Sari peered over at Freya, watching her sister quietly from where she was as she continued to skate with Isaac, though she still listened to what he had to say. A part of it was because she didn’t want him to think she was ignoring him, that she wasn’t paying attention, or that she didn’t want to talk to him. A bigger part, though, - the more important part, in fact, - was that she wanted to keep talking to Isaac, she wanted to keep spending time with him. “I hope so,” she murmured quietly in regards to Freya, nodding slightly before she turned her gaze up to Isaac, watching him, though she blinked with surprise as she listened to him. For a moment, she was sure her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t want to read too deeply into what he said, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. “Well… Thank you,” she said quietly.

As he continued to speak, though, she shifted a bit, admittedly uncomfortable with the thought of talking about her dad - even more so with the thought that Isaac seemed to figure out what her dad was like despite only spending a short amount of time with her father. “What do you mean?” she asked eventually, watching him, wondering how he could understand something like that. Had he been in a similar situation? Not wanting to make him feel as though he had to talk about it, she cleared her throat but offered a small smile and nodded slightly, finding herself looking forward to the thought, because spending time with Isaac made her feel wanted, safe. “Sure, we can do that… I’d like that a lot, actually.”

---

Scott watched Freya with concern, finding himself just so easily lost in her, he couldn’t help it. Still, he nodded slightly. “Do you want to talk about what you’re thinking about?” he asked gently as he took her in with concern, “Not that you have to, I just… Worry about you. So, if it’s something serious, just know that you can talk to me, any time, no matter what.” Still, as she continued to speak, he couldn’t help but smile slightly, and he couldn’t help but take her in, admiring her, relieved at least that it seemed like she at least knew or understood that he could trust him, and he nodded slightly. “Well, in that case… I’m glad to hear it.” He watched her. “I hope it never comes down to you needing to take it up, but I’ll always be here regardless. And you can come to me for anything, no matter how small or how simple it is. I promise, okay?”

When Freya spoke further, he nodded slightly. “Yeah, let’s hope so,” he agreed quietly as he watched her, because she didn’t deserve anything bad to ever happen to her. She deserved to be happy, to have a carefree life. She deserved to just… Be herself, without others causing trouble for her and without her pack trying to convince her that there was something wrong with her. In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with her, not at all. In fact, to him, she was perfect - and he wished he could tell her that, but he didn’t think now was the time, especially when she and her family could leave any time soon, and there was nothing he could really do to stop it. “Anyway,” he started and smiled, hoping to steer the conversation in a more positive direction, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Isaac noticed the light brush which warmed Sari’s complexion and he very much enjoyed the sight of the tint of colour on her cheeks, as long as he was the reason for the colour on her cheeks. He knew that Sari could protect herself and keep herself safe, yet he wanted her to know that he would be there for her whenever she needed him. If there was ever a time when she did need him. He looked at her as the continued to skate on the ice, he could sense the discomfort from her when her father was mentioned. And although, he didn’t like talking about his own father and what happened, he thought that if Sari knew about what his father put him through then she might feel like she could relate to him and she would then know that she wasn’t alone in any of this. “I didn’t really have a happy or safe home,” He started as he did want to tell Sari about his father, but it was still hard for the words to come from his mouth.

“It was great when I was growing up, but then my mom died and everything changed from that moment.” Isaac hadn’t really seen the abuse coming until it was too late, sure his dad started spending more time at the bar but once the first hit happened, it all continued from there. “My dad would spend all his time at the bar, drinking all day and night before he came home. At first he would just pass out, but it wasn’t much longer before the slaps and punches became a nightly occurrence.” He explained in a softer voice as he struggled to make eye contact with Sari, would she see him any differently now? He didn’t think she would but she might, and he wouldn’t blame her. “I never fought back because I was terrified of him, I never knew what he’d do next. The hardest night was when he locked me into a freezer and just left me there,” He sighed softly as there were moments during the abuse where Isaac thought dying would be better than living.

---

Freya looked at Scott before her eyes moved across the rink to where her sister was, she didn’t want Sari to overhear what she told Scott. But her sister seemed to be occupied with listening to whatever Isaac was saying to her, turning her attention back onto Scott, she took a deep breath. “I don’t know why he came to Beacon Hills, he’s never done this before. Other times when he’s wanted to meet another Alpha, then he’ll go either on his own or with my Uncles. But he’s never moved to a town just to meet another Alpha,” She told Scott what was on her mind, normally this was something that she would take to Sari but she didn’t want to alarm her sister if she was reading into all of this too much. Which was something she could do at times. “I know he’s been training Sari harder the past few months, like he knows that she might need to take over his Alpha position soon. Which wasn’t the original plan, he as going to wait until Sari at least finished high school.” She knew she could trust Scott, she knew that if he could help then he would. He’d do whatever he could.

“I think he has a plan that he hasn’t told anyone, and I have a bad feeling about it.” Freya explained biting down onto her lip, there wasn’t much Scott could do right now as her dad hadn’t done anything. She just had a bad feeling about all of this in her gut, but at least if Scott knew her concerns about her father then he could use that information if whatever way he needed to. Even if Scott just kept an eye on her father, just in case. “I am enjoying myself, even if I am slowing you down out here.” She smiled at the True Alpha, knowing he would skate as slowly as he needed to for her.

Sari focused on Isaac when he began to speak, her expression softening. She listened intently, wanting him to know that she cared, that he wasn’t alone - she was sure he knew that already, though, because he seemed to have pretty great friends, if Scott was anything to go by. “I’m sorry, Isaac,” she murmured quietly as she watched him, and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to reassure him in some way. “That really couldn’t have been easy, even remotely. But… You survived, you know?” She offered a weak smile, certain the words sounded lame, or that she seemed like she was pitying him when she definitely wasn’t.

“I’m glad you survived.” Because it meant that she got to meet him. Even if she knew she might not be here for long, because her dad may decide to uproot them again the first chance he got, she wanted to be able to enjoy this while she could; she wanted to be around Isaac, get to know him and be there for him. “I can’t even imagine going through all of that… It sounds awful.”

---

Scott could feel his brows furrow as Freya began to speak. The fact that she didn’t know what her father was up to was concerning, especially when she said he’d never done anything like this before. “That… Seems strange,” he admitted quietly, wondering if that meant her father was up to something he shouldn’t be. As she continued to speak about how her father was training Sari, though, it seemed to make things a lot more difficult to understand or to wrap his head around. He couldn’t even begin to think of what was going on, but still, he tried not to worry too much, not wanting to make things harder for Freya. “Maybe he just… I don’t know, thought this place would be good for you two or something.”

It seemed like a weak excuse, he was sure. And he was even more sure that it probably wasn’t the right answer. But the last thing he wanted was for Freya to have to worry or stress about all of this. Shifting, he squeezed her hand gently, offering a smile as he watched her, trying to get both their minds off of all of it. “I’m enjoying myself too.” With a small grin, he shook his head, mildly amused. “And you’re not slowing me down at all. I like being like this with you.”

Isaac felt the gentle squeeze on his hand as Sari spoke, she was still there with him skating around the ice rink. His past hadn’t seemed to scared her away, he didn’t see himself as a damaged person even with the abuse he suffered by his father. The abuse did change him but it made him stronger, drove him to protect the people he loved and cared about. There weren’t many of those people in his life because the abuse also made Isaac put a wall up, in order to protect himself at all times. But he knew Sari wasn’t there to hurt him, he felt in his gut that he could trust her even in the short time he had known her. “It wasn’t easy but he had nothing to do with me, I just happened to be in his line of fire. He had his own problems and he never dealt with them,” He shrugged his shoulders lightly before he looked at Sari, “I’m glad that I survived too.”

If he had given in and there had been many times when he wanted to, then he wouldn’t have meet Sari nor would he have gotten the chance to get to know her. Knowing her for even a small amount of time, if her family decided to move away from Beacon Hills, was worth it in his opinion. He hoped that it wasn’t a short time that he had Sari in his life, because he wasn’t ready to let her go or have her leave Beacon Hills. She was already such a bright light in his normally darker life, it was like she was brought into his life at the right time. “You’ll never go through anything like that,” Isaac couldn’t help but promise Sari that, because he’d never let anyone hurt her.

---

Freya could tell that Scott was trying to take her mind off what her father could be up to and what he was planning, it proved that her initial thoughts of him were correct. He could have easily asked her more questions about her father, which she would expect from an Alpha who wanted to protect their territory, but Scott was completely different. He wanted to protect his pack and the people he loved, more than protecting his territory. “Yeah of course, maybe they wanted to give us a change of scenery,” She looked at him and smiled when he expressed that he was enjoying himself and that she wasn’t slowing him down. As she looked at him, she knew how easy it would be for her to get lost in him. Get lost in his dark eyes and his heart-warming smile, his kindness shone through and how he put himself last.

She was so taken aback by Scott and the type of person that he was, that she was focusing less on skating and where her skates were going. It took her second to realise what had happened and by that time it was too late. Her skate had knocked into her own skate and it threw her balance off, the worst part was that as her body was falling, she didn’t let go of Scott’s hand. Once her back hit the ice, she couldn’t stop from laughing as she looked at him, “I’m sorry”.

Sari listened to Isaac intently, wanting to give him her full attention, wanting him to know he mattered, she cared. She offered a small nod. “It sounds awful,” she whispered, “You didn’t deserve that. Nobody does.” It pained her to think that somebody could harm Isaac in such a way, especially his own father. A parent was supposed to care about you, love you, protect you. They weren’t supposed to harm you. She blinked, though, when she heard Isaac’s promise, her gaze lifting to watch him, surprise evident in her expression, because she hadn’t expected to hear him promise something like that. Still, she smiled. “Yeah… I’m sure you’re right,” she murmured, nudging him playfully, though she was careful about it since they were still on the ice, “I’m glad I’ve got you in my corner, Isaac.”

---

Scott smiled slightly and he nodded in agreement, genuinely hoping that that was all it was, that her parents simply wanted to see what else was out in the world. He didn’t want to automatically assume her father had any ill intentions, not when it was her family, and not when it could cause trouble for his own pack. “Yeah, maybe,” he agreed quietly as he watched her, enjoying that she seemed to be so happy right now - and she deserved that happiness more than anything. He gave a surprised sound, though, when they both fell, but he quickly shook his head when he heard her apologize, not even really realizing the position they were in, himself partially over her. “No, no, it’s nothing to apologize for,” he quickly assured her, his eyes scanning over her features with concern, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”