The drive to Magnus' didn't take long. Maybe it did, it could've taken hours to drive to the lair, conversations could have arisen and people could have died and Isaac wouldn't have known. His attention went to Luke, his friend, his ally, and his teacher. Even though he hadn't known the other werewolf long, he had become Isaac's friend, and the young werewolf loved him like a father.

         Soon, they had reached the lair and knocked on the door. Magnus came to the door as Luke groaned. "What happened?" the warlock asked.

         "He was attacked!" Simon exclaimed, being a little over the top about the whole situation. Isaac would have taken the time to roll his eyes if one of his friends wasn't dying.

         "He needs a warlock," Clary said, a pleading look in her eyes. She panted at the weight of the unconscious werewolf, even though Isaac was holding much more weight than her. "He needs you."

         Luke groaned again and Magnus pointed to the couch, "Put him here."

         Just then, Luke muttered, "Where are you?"

         The younger werewolf didn't understand. He was almost sure that something was going on in his unconscious state, but he wasn't sure, and there was no way to find out.

         "Luke..." Clary's tone was of sadness and guilt, knowing that she was the reason that he was on the couch, dying from the venom of an alpha.

         "I can't find you," Luke said again, his eyes opened slightly but it was like he couldn't see anything.

         Clary shushed him and Isaac went over to his friend's body, holding his hand and taking away his pain. Isaac watched as the veins of his hand became black and how Clary looked at him in shock as to what he was doing. The curly haired werewolf continued to take away his pain, watching as the older werewolf relaxed, until the blackness in his veins went to his neck, letting go and breathing again.

         "What – what are you doing? Keep doing whatever that was! It helped!" Clary yelled at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

         "I – I can't," Isaac said, taking rest in the seat he was in.

         "No, no, no! You have to!" Clary continued to yell at him, only thinking of Luke's health and not her brother's.

         "I can't, Clary!" he yelled back at her, "If I do, it'll kill me! I can't help him anymore!"

         Isaac watched the place that Magnus had left them, not wanting to talk to Clary anymore. He was guilty for how he spoke to his sister, but in that time, he couldn't think of another way to say it. And apologizing wasn't something he wanted to do, Isaac had said he was sorry too much in the past years and he didn't want to say it again.

         "Jocelyn!" Luke panted, putting his hand on Clary's face, "Jocelyn..."

         "No, Luke, it's Clary." She said, her attention turning from Isaac, "Can you hear me?"

         "Clary, listen to me. Listen...you have to listen to me," Luke told Clary, "I have to tell you, just in case..."

         "No, don't even say it, don't." Clary shook her head, tears in her eyes. Clary was pure, innocent, compared to Isaac. She had never really seen death, never looked into its eyes or danced around with it before, but Isaac had.

         He had seen it when Allison died, again with Aiden. Danced with it when he was electrocuted and left in a coma, looking as if he was dying. Isaac knew death, it was his friend, even if they didn't always get along.

         "No, listen to me," Luke went on, but Clary didn't let him.

         "Luke."

         "No, you need to know! Listen..." Luke tried to on, but he gritted his teeth in pain.

         Just then, Magnus reappeared at their side, "Was he bitten by an alpha?" He asked the group.

         "Yeah, why?" Simon asked, not understanding why the warlock would ask such an obscure question.

         "Three, two, one..." Magnus counted as Luke's eyes opened with a green color on them.

         Everyone took a step back and a sharp intake of breath, besides Magnus and Isaac. Really, the Lahey boy was in shock. He had seen the effects of a scratch from an alpha, or another wound, he knew they took much more time to heal and could be deadly. He knew that the bite of an alpha to a human could create another werewolf if they were strong enough, but fatal if they were weak – if the bite rejected them. Isaac knew much of werewolf culture in Beacon Hills, but it seemed that Brooklyn was much different from the small town in California.

         "Oh, my God," Clary's eyes were wide as she looked at the scene in front of her, and Isaac wished that he could take more of Luke's pain, but he knew he had to recover.

         "Where do you think you're going?" Simon questioned as they saw Magnus walk into another room.

         "Hold him down," Magnus commanded over the loud noise of Luke's groan. "We don't have a lot of time. It'll take a few moments to take effect."

         "What's happening to him?" Clary asked as she saw Magnus put something in between his teeth.

         "Random werewolf transformation," Magnus informed them, "It's a side effect of the poison in the alpha bite."

         There was silence after that as they watched Luke try and turn. Isaac sat beside him, feeling guilty that he hadn't contacted the other werewolf because his feelings were hurt by a little lie. He had let his heart decide over his mind, something he always let happen.

         "You okay?" he heard Simon ask Clary. "Hey...it's me. I know how much he means to you."

         Clary stood up from her place beside Luke, "How could I have doubted him? Simon, he's...he's the only father I've ever known. I can't lose him."

         "We won't, Clary..." Isaac broke in, "I can't..."

         "I get a good vibe from this Magnus bane guy," Simon tried to comfort them, but mostly Clary, "He seems like he knows what he's doing."

         Just then, Magnus walked into the living room, "The bark will stop the transformation for now, but Luke needs an antidote to stop the poison in his system. And I don't have all the ingredients here."

         "Just tell me what you need and how to get it," Clary said, wanting to do all she could to help Luke.

         "No, you stay here," Magnus told her, "Luke will need you if he wakes up."

         "When he wakes up," Clary corrected him.

         "I'll go," Simon and Jace said at the same time, when the latter walked in.

         "Jace, what happened to you?" Magnus walked towards Jace for a second, taking a good look at him.

         "Luke's car may have found its way into a pole while I was stashing it." Jace then looked down for a second, "I don't do mundane driving."

         "Yeah, apparently."

         "What do need for the antidote," Jace aimed to take the attention off the fact that he was a terrible driver.

         "Hey, I got this," Simon broke in, wanting to impress Clary by completely that by his own.

         "Phoenix eyes, moon salt, and Idris fulgurite," Magnus listed the ingredients, walking around his apartment, looking for different things to help Luke.

         "One trip to the pharmacy, it'll take two seconds," Simons aid right before Jace said, "I know a guy."

         The blonde Shadowhunter then turned to the mundane, "And, uh...I don't need him."

         "Too bad. You're getting me," Simon told him. "We'll be right back."

         "One more thing," Magnus stopped the two boys as they were getting ready to leave. "I need Alexander."

         "Uh, why do you need Alec?" Jace asked, a little uncomfortable at the topic of his supposed brother.

         Magnus stopped for a moment to think of an excuse, "Virgin Shadowhunter energy."

         Isaac took a moment to crack a small smile and smother a laugh, knowing that Magnus was telling them a complete lie just so that he could see the Shadowhunter again.

         Simon scoffed when he heard the lie, "That explains so much."

         "Um, Alec, yeah..." Jace shuffled uncomfortably, "I can't."

         "Jace, just ask, please," Clary pleaded with her crush, "You guys need to talk."

         Jace nodded and the two left, leaving the others to try and mix the potion with the ingredients they did have.

_________

         Isaac and Magnus were near the cauldron where the latter was brewing the potion for Luke, adding in the ingredients from time to time.

         "What's all this for?" Clary came into the area from Luke, looking at them confused.

         "The base for the potion," Magnus informed her without a look, just adding in something else. Then, he turned to Isaac, "Stir."

         Isaac did as he was told, wanting to help as much as he could with the only father figure in his life that was actually kind to him. His adoptive father abused him, and his real one...well, his real one was a master criminal who wanted nothing more than power for himself and no one else. So, Luke was the clear winner for good.

         "We need to have it ready before your boy toys get back," Magnus told them, looking around for other ingredients.

         "What if they don't get back in time?" Clary asked him, worried for her own father figure, causing Isaac to flinch at the thought of Luke dying.

         "You can't think like that, biscuit." Magnus looked at her for a moment.

         "That's all I can think about," Clary confused not only to him but to Isaac, "Magnus, I don't know if I can do this anymore."

         "Why do you say that, Clare Bear?" Isaac asked, looking at his sister in pity. She was new to everything, she didn't know about all the pain that Isaac had gone through. Compared to him, she was innocent. And Isaac wanted to protect that innocence inside her.

         "Okay, I'm an art student." Clary started to explain, "All my adventures are supposed to be two-dimensional."

         "Who says?"

         "Me." Clary told them, "Look, it is one thing to draw monsters and demons, but it is completely different to see them up close and personal. I don't know what I'm doing."

         "Don't sell yourself short," Magnus told her, "You forget, I've seen you in action, Clary Fairchild."

         There was a slight silence after that as Clary tried to collect her thoughts and reign in the advice that Magnus had given her. But, it was soon ruined by Luke.

         "Jocelyn! No, don't...don't..." they heard him groan in his unconscious state.

         All three of them went to his side quickly, Isaac using a little werewolf speed to get to him quicker. The younger werewolf could smell the pain that radiated off him, quickly bringing his hand into the other werewolf's again to take more pain, but stopping after a few short seconds since he still hadn't recovered from the first time round.

         "Wait, don't touch her," Luke stammered, his head jerking around as he eyes kept closed.

         "Luke, I'm here," Clary shushed him, putting her hand to his forehead, "I'm here."

         "Let me take your pain away," Magnus pleaded with Luke, but the werewolf just shook his head.

         "No. No," Luke gasped, writhing around in pain as the others watched him, Isaac feeling like he was experiencing his pain.

         "Agitation only makes the venom work faster," Magnus tried to explain to him.

         "I need to tell Clary," he tried again, but the others shot him down.

         "Save your strength," Clary shook her head as Isaac held the girl, trying to comfort her and shield her from the werewolf.

         "No, you need to know," Luke tried to tell her again, "No, please."

         "Magnus, do it." Clary said to him, hiding her head in Isaac's chest as she continued to listen as Luke groaned from the pain.

         "You need to tell her, all of it." Luke told Magnus, grunting and groaning as he did, "Promise me."

         Magnus nodded slightly before using his magic on the werewolf, watching as he continued to writhe around as his magic worked. "The poison is spreading," Magnus informed them, "Your suitors need to hurry."

         Then, it stopped. Magnus returned to get a drink as Clary went to stir the potion. Isaac walked towards the warlock, taking a drink as well before downing it quickly and turning to him.

         "Have you told her?" Magnus asked the young werewolf, "Have you told Clary the truth."

         Isaac shook his head, not looking at him as he stared at where Clary sat, stirring the potion while she tried to control her breathing. He felt guilty about lying, he really did, but what was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to tell her that they were related?

         "No..." he admitted, looking at the disappointed look on Magnus' face. "She already has enough on her plate, she doesn't need the news of a brother dumped on her."

         "But what if that's what she needs?" Magnus tried, "What if she needs someone to hold her and care for her. She needs family right now."

         "And I am acting like that," Isaac stressed. "I'm acting like her brother without her knowing, and maybe that's better."

         He sighed, "Look, Magnus...thank you for telling me, even if Jocelyn didn't want me to know. But Clary doesn't need to know about a brother, she doesn't need one. All she's ever needed...she's only ever needed her mother, that's what Clary always says."

         "But she needs you too," Magnus told him truthfully. "Isaac, I've seen the way she cares for you, puts you before anyone else, even Simon. There's a part of her that feels a connection with you, a bond that only siblings share...and she feels it. The part that's locked away, that part knows that you're her family. She loves you, needs you more than she needs anyone else."

         Isaac sighed, moving around to sit beside Luke. He knew that it was true, he had also felt the bond that Magnus was talking about with her, and with Jocelyn. He knew almost immediately when he met the Frays that they were his family, that he belonged with them. But he never knew why, just thought that it was because Jocelyn was the first mother figure he had in his life that truly cared for him, and that wouldn't leave him.

         Then there was Clary, who felt like a sister to him. She always went to him when she had a crush on someone, always told him about the drama going on at school (something he never had time for during his high school years), and informed him on anything bad going on. Clary trusted him to tell him everything that she wanted to, even when she didn't feel comfortable telling her own mother or best friend.

         And now he knew why. They both knew, in the back of their minds, that they were connected in some way, more than what was told or seen. They both knew that they were related, that they had a special bond only siblings shared, and that made Isaac feel worse about keeping it a secret. But he need to, for now.

         "It won't help her," the werewolf decided as he looked up at the warlock, "Me telling her. A simple revelation that I'm her brother won't unlock everything, or tell her where the Cup is. She needs to know about the Circle, her parents, not her older brother who was never present in her life."

         Magnus walked towards the broken werewolf, handing him another drink before sitting down beside him. "You don't know that."

         Isaac chuckled, taking a sip of the drink. "Yes, I do. If anything, she'll only be angry at me for not telling her sooner."

         "Clary won't hate you," Magnus shook his head, "She could never hate you."

         He laughed again, shaking his head from side to side. "I've seen people turn from love to hate, just because of a secret. I know how they destroy lives...and I don't want that to happen. I don't want my own sister to hate me."

         Magnus took his hand, giving it a squeeze before letting it go, "Look at Clary," he instructed and the werewolf did, "Why won't you tell her? Is it to protect her or yourself?"

         Isaac thought about his words for a moment before deciding his answer. "Both."

         He felt the tears swelling in his eyes, "I'm protecting her from me. She's innocent...gold, lovely...everything I'm not. My childhood wasn't good, not like hers. My family wasn't as easy-going as hers or as good, not after Mary died. Then, Camden tried to protect me, but he couldn't."

         A slight frown found a way onto his face, "I love Camden, he was my older brother. He tried to protect from the beast that was our father...adoptive father for me. But he wanted to protect himself more than me, and I understand that. He enlisted himself into the army, went away and left me with Joseph Lahey.

         "Every punishment Camden got before he left was mine. Every time Joseph wanted to get his anger out, he used it on me. It only got worse once we got the news that Camden died...that his biological son died. Joseph blamed me, made everything worse than before. He started to throw things, leave me in the freezer for days on end as I begged him for mercy..."

         Isaac recollected himself, "I want to protect her from my past...from everything that I've had to endure since I was a child."

         "But you're willing to tell her the truth of the Circle?" Magnus questioned.

         "I can't protect her from that anymore." The Lahey (Fairchild) boy shook his head, "I'm ready to let her be angry at me for knowing the truth about the Circle. I can handle that bit of pain."

         And with on last sigh, the two of them rose up, ready to finally give Clary the truth that she had waiting for from the moment she turned eighteen.

•••

this book has gotten so far, wow! 7k reads, almost 400 votes, and almost 100 comments. wow! thank you guys so much!

dedicated to -margos for your amazingness! I just love you so much!

question of the day,
favorite werewolf on teen wolf?

answer of the day,
scott or isaac, because malia technically isn't a werewolf