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Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Back in Action!

"Stay away from Allison…"

Scott muttered under his breath, walking briskly through the crowded school hallway.

"Stay away from Allison…" he repeated, turning a corner, clutching his bag tighter. He was determined—not to cross paths with her again.

Then he spotted her coming up the stairs.

"Allison—!" he hissed, immediately spinning on his heel and heading the other way.

Luckily, she hadn't seen him.

"Stay away from Allison…" he whispered again, taking a random turn—

And almost collided with Jackson, who stepped out of a classroom.

"Stay away from Jackson," Scott muttered, changing direction again.

Then—

"Hi, Scott." Lydia breezed by him, giving a polite smile.

Scott threw his hands up. "Oh, come on!"

---

By the time he made it to class, he felt like he'd survived a war.

He spotted Stiles sitting at the back, slouched in his chair, eyes fixed on the desk. Scott hesitated for a second before taking the seat behind him.

No greeting. No glance. Just silence.

"You still not talking to me?" Scott asked quietly. He dropped his bag to the floor, guilt pressing on his chest.

"Look, at least tell me if your dad's alright," he tried again. Stiles didn't move. "It's just a bruise, right? Some… broken ribs? Nothing serious?"

No response.

"I'm really sorry, okay?" Scott said, his voice softer now.

Stiles didn't answer, but his jaw tightened. He was clearly torn between staying mad and giving in.

"Alright," Scott sighed. "But listen… if I told you I'm trying to fix it—me, Erica, and Derek—we're trying to find the Alpha and—"

Stiles whipped his head around, eyes widening. "Wait—what? How—"

The bell cut him off.

Then, the classroom door opened—

And in walked Asher.

Both Scott and Stiles blinked. "Asher?" they said in unison.

Mr. Hargrove immediately greeted him. "Sable? What a great surprise. How are you feeling?"

"I am much better now," Asher said, an easy smile spreading across his face. "Thanks for the interest."

Immediately, the girls reacted.

"Asher!"

"Are you okay?"

"Does it still hurt?"

Within seconds, half the class had crowded around him, a storm of worried questions and eager smiles.

"Alright, everyone—back to your seats!" Mr. Hargrove said, clapping his hands sharply.

The girls reluctantly dispersed, though more than a few kept sneaking glances at Asher.

Mr. Hargrove adjusted his glasses. "So, Sable—did you come just to visit us, or…?"

"Oh, no," Asher said, chuckling softly. "I'm officially back."

Mr. Hargrove blinked. "Back? Already? But... the hospital said you wouldn't return for months..."

The entire class fell silent, eyes turning toward Asher.

Even Scott and Stiles exchanged a look.

Asher scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin. "Yeah, uh… guess the hospital overexaggerated a little."

Mr. Hargrove frowned in disbelief. "Overexaggerated? They said... your injuries were critical..."

Asher chuckled awkardly.

...

The bell rang, echoing through the hallway as students poured out of the classroom.

Scott, Stiles, and Asher walked side by side, weaving through the crowd. Stiles kept glancing sideways at Asher, like he was waiting for him to suddenly sprout claws or start glowing.

"Asher," Stiles finally said, pointing at him. "Be honest. You're sure you're not supernatural?"

"Again, Stiles… I'm just stronger than average."

"Stronger than average?" Stiles repeated skeptically. "Your liver was split open, your lung was shredded, and you're walking around like it was a paper cut! I think we should redefine what 'average' means here."

Scott laughed quietly, shaking his head.

Asher turned toward him. "Anyway, Scott—how's the training with Derek going?"

Scott sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his face. "It's hell. Literal hell. He jumps me out of nowhere—at school, at the grocery store, in the parking lot—just to 'keep me alert.' I can't even buy milk without getting tackled."

Asher chuckled softly.

"And he even broke my phone yesterday!" Scott said incredulously.

...

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter, trays clattering and chairs scraping against the floor. Asher, Scott, and Stiles slid into a corner table, trying to claim a small slice of peace amid the chaos.

Scott, however, immediately ducked behind a thick book, peering cautiously over the top.

Asher followed his gaze and spotted Allison, Lydia, and Erica sitting together at a nearby table. His eyes widened slightly. Erica… became friends with Allison and Lydia? he thought.

He leaned toward Scott, lowering his voice. "Hey… why are you hiding from Allison? Did something happen between you two?"

Scott's hands tightened around the book. "No… Derek said I need to stay away from Allison… to unlock my primordial anger…"

Asher raised a brow. "Does that count for Erica too?"

Scott flinched behind the book as Allison's gaze briefly swept in their direction. Luckily, she was too engrossed in her own reading and conversation to notice.

"The what? Of who?" Lydia asked, curiosity flickering across her face as she tried to follow Allison's words.

"The Beast of Gévaudan," Allison replied, holding her book with care.

Erica's ears perked up instantly, her drink forgotten. She had become much closer to Allison since Asher's accident—and through Allison, she had begun bonding with Lydia, despite lingering irritation.

"Listen," Allison began, flipping pages deliberately. "It's a quadruped monster, very similar to a wolf—"

Erica almost choked. Did she just say… a wolf?

"Erica?" Allison asked, glancing at her.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine," Erica stammered, trying to recover.

"All right," Allison continued. "This beast terrorized the French regions of Albergne and Dordogne between 1764 and 1767."

"The beast killed over a hundred people…" Erica thought, leaning forward, her hands tightening around her cup. Is it... a werewolf?

"The Church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan," Allison said.

"Boring," Lydia muttered, rolling her eyes.

"All cryptozoologists suggest it may have been an ombulated predator, possibly a bezonihide," Allison continued, ignoring Lydia's sigh.

"Still boring…" Lydia mumbled again.

"All right, but some think it was a sorcerer capable of turning into a cannibalistic monster," Allison finished, flipping a page slowly.

Erica's hand trembled slightly, her mind racing. It's a werewolf...

"What does all of this have to do with your family?" Lydia asked, now mildly interested.

Allison's eyes glinted as she continued reading. "It is thought that the beast was eventually trapped and killed by a famous hunter, who reportedly lost his wife and four children to it. His surname was Argent."

Erica remained silent, her thoughts turning cold. Lydia, by contrast, looked more disinterested than ever.

"Your ancestor killed a big wolf," Lydia said flatly. "And…?"

"It wasn't only that…" Allison said, closing the book and slowly turning it toward Erica and Lydia. "Look at this image."

Both girls leaned in. Erica's eyes widened in shock. Her chest tightened. The Alpha… she thought, a cold shiver running down her spine.

Lydia's gaze fell on the image—and she froze. Her hands gripped the edge of the table, her body trembling slightly. She didn't speak. She just stared, the memory of the creature she had seen nights ago rushing back, sharp and vivid.

To be continued...

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Also, am I confusing the timelines too much or can you follow? Like we jumped from episode 2 to episode 6 and all that happened in between will be explained as we go on if somebody doesn't remember it.

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