Allison sat behind Scott while he, Stiles, and Sean were eating lunch. The two of them talked for a while.
"You shouldn't get involved in this," Allison said. "Erica is with Derek now, just like Isaac, right? I mean, she's in his pack. My grandfather's arrival, Derek building his pack... doesn't it feel like the spark of a war?"
"I know," Scott replied.
"There could always be crossfire."
"What am I supposed to do?" Scott asked. "I can't just sit on the sidelines. I can't act like this is normal."
"I don't want you to be normal... I want you to stay alive," Allison said, her voice trembling as she finished the sentence.
Just as Scott was about to speak, Sean spoke up in a slightly raised voice, loud enough to ensure Allison heard him. "He will stay alive. And in the opposite scenario... believe me, Allison, neither your family nor this world would want to know what happens next."
Upon hearing this, Allison quickly got up and left the table. Scott looked at Sean but said nothing. The same sentiment held true for him as well.
"By the way, guys..." Stiles cut in. "Am I the only one who noticed Boyd's table is empty?"
The three of them quickly exited the cafeteria. "Scott, head to the ice rink," Sean directed. "Stiles, take the car to Boyd's house; I'll catch up with you. There are a few things my mom wanted me to pick up. I'll get them and meet you there."
Both of them nodded and left the school.
Half an hour later, Stiles arrived at Boyd's house. However, he wasn't the only visitor. As he knocked on the door, Erica approached him from behind. "Oh, look who we have here... Stiles?"
Stiles leaned his back against the door and looked into Erica's eyes. "Why are you looking into my eyes?" Erica asked with a provocative expression. "Don't you want to look... somewhere else?"
Stiles grimaced. "I mean... no. Truly, no."
"So, you're just going to look at my eyes?"
Stiles nodded. "Yeah. You've discovered some new self-confidence. Congratulations, Erica. But I have to go." As Stiles moved to leave, Erica pushed him back.
"You're not going anywhere."
"Why?"
Erica smirked and held up a car part she had ripped from Stiles's Jeep. Then, she struck him over the head. Once Stiles lost consciousness, she left him there and walked away.
Ten minutes after Erica left, Sean arrived at the scene. He was carrying grocery bags. When he saw Stiles lying unconscious in front of Boyd's house with a faint bruise on his forehead, a malevolent and primal bloodlust radiated from his body.
He opened a bottle of water he'd bought from the market and splashed it on Stiles's face. As Stiles regained consciousness, he instinctively shouted, "Erica?!"
Sean's eyes narrowed with understanding. "So, Erica did this, huh... The girl I pitied last night is now laying hands on my family. How interesting..." His eyes glowed with a dangerous golden hue.
Waking up fully, Stiles noticed Sean and overheard his whisper.
"Sean, calm down," Stiles said. "It's nothing. My head just hurts a bit, that's all."
Sean's expression shifted back to normal. With a friendly smile, he said, "It's okay, Stiles. Would you mind dropping these bags off at our house for me? After you fix the car, of course?"
No matter how polite Sean sounded, Stiles knew the underlying meaning. Realizing he couldn't talk him out of it, he nodded. They went to the car. After Sean left the bags, he departed, while Stiles took his tool kit out of the trunk.
Sean ran toward the ice rink at full speed. When he arrived, he saw Scott had knocked Erica and Isaac down and was fighting Derek.
Derek lifted Scott into the air and slammed him onto the ice.
A trail of blood spread across the rink from Scott's mouth.
"Let's go," Derek said, stepping off Scott and looking at Boyd.
"Boyd! You don't want to be like them," Scott urged.
Boyd lifted his shirt, revealing the bite mark on his waist. "I already am," he said, turning his back. As he stepped behind Derek, a shadow wrapped around his leg, hoisted him into the air, and threw him into the ice resurfacer.
Derek quickly looked around. There was nothing but an intense bloodlust. It was so perfectly controlled that he hadn't felt a thing until the attack on Boyd.
Erica and Isaac scanned their surroundings rapidly. Derek moved closer to them. Isaac seemed to vaguely remember the owner of this power. The fear in his eyes grew. "He... he's here," he stammered.
"Who? Who is it?" Erica asked, looking at Isaac. Isaac didn't speak. As Derek began to shift, he answered, "Sean McCall."
"Sean? Him?" Erica recalled the figure from the climbing practice. Even in her worst state, he was the only one who had protected her. She thought of his good intentions and couldn't understand why Isaac was so afraid of him.
Slowly, Sean emerged from the darkness. When his figure became visible, it was clear he had completely changed.
While his eyes glowed golden, the light within them was pure darkness. He seemed to be hovering in the air. His long hair swayed gently despite the lack of wind. The tips of his pitch-black hair were turning white not a dull white, but a brilliant, glowing white that stood out in the dark.
Beneath his feet, shadow chains danced as if saluting their master, darting in and out of the ground.
"I warned you, Derek," Sean said, his voice cold as ice. "If you touch my family, our deal is off. And today, you didn't just touch Stiles; you touched my brother too." A solid form of bloodlust seeped from his body.
Derek was taken aback. "Stiles? I didn't do anything to Stiles," he said loudly.
Sean's gaze focused on Erica. "But someone from your pack did. Which means you did it." He raised his hand and pointed a finger at Erica.
Chains surged toward Erica in waves from the ground. Derek stepped in front of her and stomped his foot. As the shadows dispersed, he roared at Sean.
Sean chuckled. "You know, Derek? Lately, I've stopped thinking of myself as a werewolf. Like you said, the bite is a gift, but for me, I've realized it was only a key to wake up what was already inside me. From time to time, fragments of the past flash before my eyes. And those are memories filled with more blood than you could ever handle." He chuckled again as he finished his sentence. The sound of his laughter echoed through the rink chilling and demonic.
Erica's heart tightened. The entire weight of his killing intent was being aimed at her consciously.
Derek sighed. "Ignore today for the sake of the help I gave you that day. Us fighting only strengthens our common enemy," he said.
Sean lowered his hand. "Remember, Derek. You just used up the favor I promised you that day." Putting his hands in his pockets, he walked over to Scott.
Derek reverted from his shift. He looked at Isaac and Erica, then went to Boyd, who was struggling to get up, clearly injured.
As Erica stepped aside a few paces to make way, Sean grabbed her by the neck as he passed. Erica's breathing quickened; the fear of death consumed her entire being.
Derek turned his head. "SEAN!" he shouted.
Sean ignored him and forced her to look into his eyes, just like during the climbing practice. "Look into my eyes," he commanded.
His lengthened hair grew even whiter, and an ancient aura enveloped him. Derek's eyes widened. What was this?!
Erica let out a cry of pain and then collapsed, unconscious. Sean dropped her to the ground like a piece of trash. Looking at Derek, he said, "I just put her to sleep." Then, he withdrew his transformation.
He picked Scott up, placed an arm over his shoulder, and they left.
When Derek reached Erica's side, he couldn't believe his eyes. How could a werewolf be knocked out so severely with just a glance? He stared at the back of the departing Sean for a moment. 'If he were an Alpha... Erica would be dead.' He shivered. Then, he felt the weight of his own Alpha status he had to train his pack so they wouldn't fall so easily before someone like Sean.
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Author : Hey everyone! I'll be heading out of town this Thursday. I'm planning to write the upcoming chapters in advance and set them on a schedule. Based on my plans, I should be back by the beginning of next week. Until then, see you soon, and thank you so much for reading!! If I can manage it, I might be able to release two chapters every two days.