Teen Wolf: Savage Roots
Chapter 9 — Trust Issues
The clinic door opened slowly.
Every head in the room turned.
Scott McCall stepped in first.
Behind him—
Johnathan.
Dirty clothes replaced with Scott's shirt, sleeves too long for him. His posture was tense, eyes scanning everything, like he expected an attack at any second.
Which… honestly wasn't wrong.
Silence filled the room.
Then—
Stiles Stilinski leaned forward slightly.
"…Okay."
He pointed at Johnathan.
"Who's the new guy and why does he look like he just crawled out of a horror movie?"
Scott sighed.
"Stiles—"
"No, no, let me guess," Stiles continued, standing up. "He's either cursed, possessed, secretly evil, or—"
He paused.
"…all of the above?"
Johnathan frowned.
"I'm not evil."
Stiles looked at him.
"Yeah, they always say that."
---
Scott stepped in front of Johnathan slightly.
"His name is Johnathan."
"Cool," Stiles said. "I already don't trust him."
Scott pinched the bridge of his nose.
"He's a beta. I found him in the woods. Alone."
That shifted the room a little.
Liam Dunbar crossed his arms.
"New beta?"
Johnathan nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
From the side, Peter Hale smirked.
"Well that explains the attitude."
Johnathan shot him a look.
Peter just smiled wider.
---
Scott raised a hand.
"Look, he's not a threat."
Stiles immediately raised his hand too.
"Counterpoint—he attacked you."
Scott didn't even look at him.
"He was hungry."
Stiles blinked.
"…Oh, well that makes it better."
Scott turned to him.
"Stiles."
"What?" Stiles said defensively. "Last time someone showed up hungry, we got a kanima, a nogitsune, and like—emotional trauma."
Scott tried not to smile.
"Not helping."
---
Johnathan shifted awkwardly.
"I said I'm sorry."
Stiles looked at him.
Really looked at him this time.
Not joking.
Not smiling.
Just… thinking.
Then he sighed.
"Yeah."
"That's the problem."
Everyone paused.
Stiles ran a hand through his hair.
"I've heard that before."
The room got quieter.
Scott stepped closer to him.
"Stiles—"
"No, I get it," Stiles said quickly, forcing a small smile. "New kid, tragic backstory, probably bitten, probably confused, definitely hungry…"
He gestured at Johnathan.
"I'm not saying kick him out."
Johnathan looked surprised.
"I'm just saying…" Stiles continued.
He hesitated.
Then said it honestly.
"I don't trust him."
---
Scott didn't argue.
Didn't push.
He just nodded.
"That's fair."
That caught Stiles off guard.
"…Wait, really?"
Scott shrugged slightly.
"You don't have to trust him right away."
He glanced at Johnathan.
"None of us did."
Johnathan looked down.
---
Stiles exhaled slowly.
Then pointed at Scott.
"Okay, first of all—rude."
Scott smiled.
"You literally thought I was a serial killer when we met."
"We where kids in i was being cautious," Stiles said immediately.
"You accused me of murder."
"Again—cautious."
---
A few people laughed.
The tension eased… just a little.
---
Scott looked back at Johnathan.
"This is the pack."
Johnathan glanced around the room.
At Lydia Martin, who was quietly studying him.
At Liam, who looked unsure.
At Peter, who looked entertained.
At Stiles—
Who still looked unconvinced.
Scott continued.
"And if you stay… you're part of it."
Johnathan blinked.
"…Just like that?"
Stiles leaned in.
"Oh no, not just like that."
Scott sighed.
"Stiles—"
"No, no, I'm helping," Stiles said, stepping forward.
He stood in front of Johnathan.
Close enough to make a point.
"You mess up," Stiles said calmly, "you hurt someone, you lie, you do anything shady…"
He pointed at himself.
"I will find out."
A beat.
"And I will be very annoying about it."
Johnathan stared at him.
"…You're already annoying."
Stiles gasped.
Scott laughed.
---
Stiles narrowed his eyes.
"…Okay, I take it back. I don't like him."
Scott smiled.
"Give it time."
---
Stiles stepped back, crossing his arms.
"…Yeah."
Another pause.
Then he added quietly—
"But I trust you."
Scott looked at him.
That landed deeper than anything else.
---
Later…
As the group started talking again, planning, arguing, figuring things out—
Stiles stood off to the side.
Watching Johnathan.
Still unsure.
Still guarded.
But not closed off.
Not completely.
Scott walked up beside him.
"You okay?"
Stiles nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
He hesitated.
Then said it straight.
"I just don't do 'trust' like I used to."
Scott nodded.
"I know."
Stiles glanced at him.
"But you do."
Scott smiled faintly.
"Someone has to."
Stiles rolled his eyes.
"Wow. That was very Alpha of you."
Scott laughed.
---
Across the room, Johnathan sat quietly.
Watching them.
Listening.
For the first time in a long time—
He wasn't alone.
But he didn't feel safe either.
Not yet.
Because even in a room full of allies…
Trust wasn't given.
It was earned.
And something about him—
Still felt off.
Even if no one could explain why. 🐺