The forest didn't feel the same anymore.
Not after that encounter.
Aiden walked ahead, silent as ever.
But his mind—
Was moving fast.
Behind him—
Scott McCall kept glancing around nervously.
"Okay… so let's recap."
A pause.
"We've got a psycho Alpha, random controlled Betas, and now some mysterious 'messenger wolf' talking about ancient forces."
Stiles Stilinski would've loved this.
Scott sighed.
"…Yeah, we're definitely going to die."
Aiden stopped walking.
Scott nearly bumped into him.
"Dude—warning?"
Aiden ignored the complaint.
"Feel that."
Scott frowned.
"…Feel what?"
Aiden turned slightly.
His eyes glowing faintly.
"The shift."
Scott focused.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
A faint sensation.
Like pressure in the air.
Like something unseen—
Pressing down on everything.
"…Yeah," Scott whispered.
"I feel it."
Behind them—
Allison Argent stepped closer.
"I don't," she admitted.
Aiden glanced at her.
"You will."
That wasn't reassurance.
That was inevitability.
They stepped out of the forest.
The edge of Beacon Hills greeted them with quiet streets and dim lights.
But even here—
That pressure lingered.
Aiden's gaze shifted toward the town.
Something was calling.
Not loudly.
Not clearly.
But enough.
"Go home," Aiden said.
Scott blinked.
"…That's it?"
"For tonight."
Scott hesitated.
"…You're not coming?"
Aiden shook his head.
"I have something to check."
Scott frowned.
"That sounds like a bad idea."
Aiden's lips curved slightly.
"Most things involving me are."
Scott sighed.
"…Yeah, fair."
He turned—
Then paused.
"…Be careful."
Aiden didn't answer.
But he didn't need to.
Scott left.
Now—
Only Aiden and Allison remained.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was… charged.
Allison crossed her arms slightly.
"You're not going to tell me to go home too?"
Aiden looked at her.
"You won't listen."
She smiled faintly.
"…Probably not."
A pause.
Then—
Aiden stepped closer.
Close enough that the world narrowed again.
"Then stay."
Her breath caught.
Because there was something different in his voice this time.
Not command.
Choice.
But a dangerous one.
"…Where are we going?" she asked softly.
Aiden turned.
"Somewhere the others won't."
That didn't sound safe.
But she followed anyway.
Minutes later—
They stood before an abandoned structure at the edge of town.
Old.
Broken.
Forgotten.
Aiden stopped.
"This is where it started."
Allison frowned.
"What started?"
Aiden stepped forward slowly.
"The shift."
The air here felt heavier.
Colder.
Even Allison could feel it now.
"…Okay, yeah, I feel that," she whispered.
Aiden's eyes burned faintly.
"Stay close."
They stepped inside.
The building creaked under their weight.
Dust filled the air.
But beneath it—
Something else.
Something wrong.
Aiden moved deeper.
Then—
He stopped.
On the ground—
Was a symbol.
Burned into the floor.
Dark.
Twisted.
Ancient.
Allison stepped closer.
"…What is that?"
Aiden's gaze sharpened.
"A mark."
A pause.
"Not werewolf."
That alone was enough to raise alarms.
Because in Beacon Hills—
Everything so far had been werewolves.
But this—
Was different.
Suddenly—
The symbol flickered.
A faint glow.
Then—
Heat.
Aiden's eyes ignited instantly.
"Back."
But it was too late.
The symbol activated.
A surge of energy burst outward.
Aiden reacted instantly.
Pulling Allison toward him—
Shielding her—
The energy slammed into him.
And for the first time—
Aiden felt it.
Pain.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Something that tried to push back against his power.
His flames flared violently.
Burning brighter.
Stronger.
The energy resisted—
Then cracked.
And shattered.
Silence.
The glow faded.
The symbol dimmed.
Gone.
Aiden stood still.
Allison was pressed against him.
Closer than ever before.
Her heartbeat—
Fast.
"…You okay?" she whispered.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"…Interesting."
That was his answer.
Allison pulled back slightly.
"…That's not a normal reaction to almost dying."
Aiden looked down at her.
"I wasn't going to die."
A pause.
"…But whatever that was…"
His eyes flickered.
"…it's strong."
That mattered.
Because very few things could challenge him.
Allison studied him.
"You felt it, didn't you?"
Aiden didn't deny it.
"Yes."
That honesty—
Meant something.
A silence followed.
Then—
Without thinking—
Allison spoke.
"You don't have to face everything alone."
Aiden looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And for a moment—
Something shifted.
"…I don't need help."
Her expression didn't change.
"I didn't say you needed it."
A pause.
"I said you don't have to be alone."
That—
Was different.
For a brief second—
Aiden didn't respond.
Then—
He stepped closer.
Closing the distance again.
Dangerously close.
"You're still here," he said quietly.
Her breath slowed.
"…Yeah."
"Even after seeing this."
"…Yeah."
A faint flicker of something—
Approval.
Possession.
Danger.
Crossed his gaze.
"Then don't fall behind."
Her heart raced.
"…I won't."
Outside—
The wind picked up.
Because something had changed tonight.
Not just in the town.
Not just in the supernatural world.
But between them.
And far away—
Hidden in the darkness—
Someone was watching.
And smiling.
Because the Hellhound—
Had finally stepped onto a much bigger battlefield.