The warehouse went silent after Jax's announcement.
Even the air felt heavier.
Deucalion stood behind him like a shadow.
Derek stared like the world had tilted.
Scott swallowed hard, suddenly hyperaware of every breath he took.
Jax didn't move.
He didn't roar.
He didn't show claws or fangs.
He just existed — calm, rooted, unbreakable.
And every wolf in the room felt it.
Aiden leaned toward Ethan, whispering, "We're dead."
Ethan hissed, "Shut up before he hears you."
Jax flicked his gaze their way.
"I heard you."
Both twins stiffened.
Kali stepped forward, chin raised but voice shaky.
"Why reveal yourself now? Why not during our rise? Why now?"
Jax looked at her like she'd missed something obvious.
"Because y'all weren't a problem then," he said. "You're a problem now."
Kali's jaw tightened.
She didn't dare argue.
Scott Steps Forward
Scott swallowed and took a step closer.
"Why me?" he asked. "Why are you here because of me?"
Derek shot him a warning look.
But Scott didn't back down.
Jax turned his full attention toward Scott — the only person he didn't stare down, but studied.
"You got a bad habit," Jax said quietly. "You try to save everybody. Even the ones who'll stab you in the back."
Scott blinked. "That's not… a bad thing."
"It is," Jax said, "when you end up dead because of it."
Scott froze.
Derek's eyes narrowed.
"You speak like you've seen that happen," Derek said carefully.
Jax didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
The look in his eyes said everything:
Yes. He had.
But no one here knew how.
Testing the Demon Wolf
Ennis finally pushed himself up from the floor, furious and humiliated.
"You think you can walk in here and—"
Jax didn't even acknowledge him.
He simply turned to Deucalion.
"Show 'em."
Deucalion inhaled, lifted his chin—
—and his eyes flashed bright, perfect Alpha red.
But next to Jax?
They looked dim.
Ethan whispered, "He looks… weaker compared to him."
Deucalion nodded toward Scott and Derek.
"For years, everyone believed I was the peak," Deucalion said. "The apex. The Demon Wolf."
He stepped aside and gestured to Jax.
"You were wrong."
The Alpha Pack looked terrified.
Derek looked stunned.
Scott looked… conflicted.
Derek's Question
Derek swallowed, fighting to maintain control.
"What do you want?"
Jax turned toward him.
His eyes didn't glow.
His stance didn't shift.
He simply was.
"To make sure Beacon Hills don't turn into a graveyard."
Derek frowned. "And you expect us to trust you?"
Jax smirked faintly.
"No. But you'll learn."
Isaac whispered to Scott, "I… don't think he's lying."
Scott wasn't sure what to think.
All he knew was this:
Jax Thorne was not normal.
Not typical.
Not like any Alpha they'd ever seen.
Even without claws or a roar, he was stronger than all of them combined — and he hadn't shown a single supernatural trick.
Just dominance.
Just presence.
Just certainty.
The Magic Test
Aiden, desperate to regain confidence, snatched the small vial of mountain ash from his pocket and flung a line in front of Jax.
"A barrier," Aiden muttered. "Let's see you cross it."
Derek hissed, "Are you insane?"
Scott took a step back.
Everyone watched.
Jax looked down at the ash line.
Then he stepped forward.
His boot crushed through it like it was dust on the ground.
The line didn't spark.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even try.
Kali whispered, "That's not possible…"
Deucalion smiled.
"It is for him."
Jax didn't look proud.
Or smug.
Or victorious.
He just walked forward.
Like the magic never existed.
Like the universe couldn't tell him no.
The Warning
Jax stopped in front of Scott.
Close enough that Scott could feel the steady heat of his presence.
"You're the one who decides how this goes," Jax said quietly. "Not Derek. Not Deucalion. Not the Alpha Pack. You."
Scott blinked. "Me? Why?"
Jax's gaze softened.
"Because Beacon Hills ain't built for leaders who stand above people," he said. "It's built for leaders who stand with 'em."
Scott stared at him, confused but deeply moved.
Derek watched, tense.
Ennis glared, still recovering.
Kali stayed silent.
And Deucalion…
Deucalion smiled proudly behind his Alpha, like he'd been waiting years for someone else to finally see Jax.
Jax finally stepped back toward the doorway.
"I ain't here to take sides," he said. "I'm here to make sure y'all don't destroy each other before the real threats show up."
Scott frowned. "Real threats?"
Jax paused.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "And they ain't Alpha wolves."
The room fell silent.
Jax turned, hands in pockets, and walked out as calmly as he entered.
Deucalion followed him.
Scott watched him leave, heart pounding.
Derek clenched his jaw.
Isaac whispered:
"Who… is he really?"
No one answered.
But one thing was clear:
Beacon Hills had a new Alpha.
And everything had changed.