The forest didn't calm down.
It got worse.
The moment Aiden stepped forward—
The air changed.
Not tense.
Not heavy.
Controlled.
Like something unseen—
Had acknowledged him.
Behind him—
Scott McCall wiped blood from his lip.
"Okay… I'm just gonna say it…"
A pause.
"We're not hunting anymore, are we?"
Aiden kept walking.
"No."
That was enough to shut him up.
Beside Aiden—
Allison Argent matched his pace.
No hesitation now.
No uncertainty.
Her instincts had already chosen.
Stay close.
Stay with him.
On his other side—
Lydia Martin walked slightly slower.
Not because she was unsure—
But because she was observing.
Everything.
Him.
The forest.
The pattern.
"You felt that, didn't you?" Lydia said quietly.
Aiden didn't look at her.
"Yes."
Her lips curved slightly.
"Good."
Because now—
She knew she wasn't imagining it.
Something was responding to him.
They moved deeper.
Farther than before.
Farther than Scott liked.
"I just want to point out," Scott muttered,
"this is exactly how people die in horror movies."
Aiden stopped.
Suddenly.
Everyone froze.
"Not people," Aiden said.
Silence.
Then—
A sound.
Not a growl.
Not movement.
Footsteps.
Multiple.
From the shadows—
They emerged.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Werewolves.
But not like before.
All of them—
Eyes glowing blue.
Bodies controlled.
Expressions calm.
Not attacking.
Waiting.
Scott's voice dropped.
"…That's not normal."
"No," Aiden said.
Because he understood.
These weren't hunting.
They were answering.
One of them stepped forward.
Older.
Stronger.
More aware.
Its gaze locked onto Aiden.
"You're the one," it said.
Not a question.
Aiden met its gaze.
"Yes."
No denial.
No hesitation.
Behind him—
Allison felt it again.
That pull.
Stronger this time.
Like standing near something—
That the world itself reacted to.
Lydia's eyes sharpened.
Because this—
Was bigger than attraction now.
This was influence.
"Why are you here?" the wolf asked.
Aiden stepped forward.
And the ground beneath him—
Cracked slightly.
Not from force.
From pressure.
"You came to me," Aiden said.
The wolves didn't move.
Didn't attack.
Didn't retreat.
Because they couldn't.
Something in them—
Recognized something in him.
"We felt it," another one said.
"The fire."
Aiden's eyes burned faintly.
"Good."
Scott blinked.
"Why do they keep reacting like that when you say things like that?!"
No one answered.
Because something else—
Was happening.
The lead wolf stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Not aggressive.
Respectful.
"Tell us what you are," it said.
Silence.
Allison watched Aiden.
Waiting.
Lydia leaned slightly forward.
Interested.
Scott whispered—
"Please don't say something insane…"
Aiden spoke.
"I'm the reason you're here."
Silence.
Then—
The forest shifted.
The wolves reacted instantly.
Dropping slightly.
Not fully kneeling—
But close.
Submission.
Scott's jaw dropped.
"…Nope. Nope. I'm done. I'm actually done."
Lydia exhaled softly.
Eyes shining now.
"That's not dominance," she murmured.
Aiden didn't move.
"It's something else."
She was right.
The lead wolf lowered its head slightly.
"What do you want from us?"
That question—
Changed everything.
Because now—
Aiden wasn't reacting.
He was being offered control.
Allison's heartbeat quickened.
Because she understood what this meant.
Power.
Real power.
Aiden looked at them.
One by one.
Then—
He said—
"Stay out of my way."
The wolves froze.
Not the answer they expected.
Not a command.
Not ownership.
Something else.
Freedom—
With a warning.
The lead wolf studied him.
Then slowly nodded.
"It will spread," it said quietly.
Aiden didn't care.
"Let it."
And just like that—
The wolves stepped back.
Then vanished.
Gone into the forest.
Like they had never been there.
Silence returned.
But nothing felt the same.
Scott turned slowly toward Aiden.
"…You just told a group of supernatural killers to basically do whatever they want."
Aiden glanced at him.
"They won't cross me."
Scott stared.
"HOW ARE YOU SO SURE?!"
Aiden's eyes flickered.
"Because they felt it."
That answer—
Was terrifying.
Allison stepped closer.
Now right beside him again.
No space left.
"You could have controlled them," she said softly.
Aiden looked at her.
"I don't need to."
That—
Hit differently.
Lydia walked up next.
Stopping just slightly closer than before.
"That's either confidence…"
She tilted her head.
"…or something far more dangerous."
Aiden smirked faintly.
"Find out."
A pause.
Then—
A new sound.
Different.
Not wolves.
Not movement.
Something deeper.
From beneath the ground.
A low—
Resonating vibration.
Aiden's expression changed.
For real this time.
"…Now that's new."
The ground beneath them—
Cracked.
Scott stepped back.
"Oh COME ON—"
From the darkness below—
Something was waking up.
And this time—
Even Aiden knew—
This wasn't just another obstacle.
This was something ancient.
Something that didn't answer to anyone.
Yet.
His eyes ignited.
Because now—
It was interesting.