Author's Note:Sorry for the 2-day gap, got a bit caught up with stuff. Back now—hope you enjoy the chapter.
.....
The drive back should've been quiet, but it wasn't—not because of the road, not because of the night, but because of me.
My hands tightened slightly on the wheel. Not enough to snap it, but enough that I noticed.
I wanted to.
That moment replayed again—Jackson, his arm, that split second where it would've been so easy. Too easy.
I exhaled slowly. "I stopped."
The words didn't feel as reassuring as they should have, because that wasn't the problem. The problem was—I didn't want to.
Silence filled the car again, heavier this time.
Then another thought crept in.
Kate Argent… she's coming. And Gerard—that's worse.
My grip tightened again.
"I really got dropped into this at the worst time, didn't I?" I muttered, letting out a small, humorless laugh.
Of all people. Of all timelines.
Scott McCall.
I pulled the car over for a second and shut the engine off. The silence hit differently now—not empty, just waiting.
My eyes drifted toward the tree line.
The preserve.
I already knew.
If I wanted training, I needed Derek.
I stepped out and headed into the woods.
Preserve
The air shifted the moment I crossed in—cooler, sharper, quieter. Not silent, never silent, but controlled in a way the rest of the world wasn't.
I didn't call out. I didn't need to.
"You're getting predictable," Derek said from the shadows.
I didn't flinch. "You're easy to find."
He stepped forward just enough to be seen, his eyes scanning me like he was taking me apart piece by piece.
"You shouldn't be here."
"You said I'm not in control."
"I did."
I nodded once. "Then fix that."
That got his attention. A pause—small, but real.
"You think it's that simple?"
"No," I said. "I think if it was, I wouldn't still be here."
His expression tightened slightly. Good.
"I felt it at the party," I continued. "You already know that."
"I do."
"And I stopped."
"Barely."
That landed harder than it should have, but I didn't look away.
"Still counts."
"For now."
The silence stretched between us, tense but not hostile.
"You came here for a reason," Derek said.
"Yeah."
I exhaled slowly. "Train me."
He didn't answer immediately. Not refusal—consideration.
"You don't even know what you're asking."
"I know enough."
His eyes narrowed. "Do you?"
I didn't answer directly, because I couldn't—not without saying too much.
Peter Hale. You. The fire. Kate. Gerard.
All of it sat right there in my head.
And none of it could come out.
That's when it happened.
The shift in the air was sharp and immediate, and my body reacted before my thoughts could catch up. I moved just as an arrow cut through the space where I had been standing, embedding itself deep into the tree behind me.
Three figures stepped out of the shadows.
Hunters.
One of them raised a crossbow—Chris Argent.
His eyes locked onto me, not surprised, not rushed—just… watching.
"Take him."
Another arrow fired.
This time, I didn't just see it—I saw the release, the angle, the intent behind it. I stepped aside cleanly.
[Sensory Filtering +0.02][Perception +0.03]
Derek moved instantly, taking down the closest hunter before they could react. The second turned, but too slow—I was already there. I grabbed his arm, redirected the shot, and shoved him back hard enough to drop him without breaking anything.
Another arrow came. I ducked; it passed just overhead, close enough to feel.
[Reaction Speed +0.04][Hand-Eye Coordination +0.03]
Chris didn't fire again.
He was watching me.
That was worse.
"Move," Derek snapped.
I didn't argue.
We ran.
Branches snapped underfoot, air tearing past as the forest blurred around us. The sounds of the hunters faded behind us until there was nothing left but distance.
Deeper in the Preserve
I slowed first, breathing steady—not collapsing, not losing control, just holding it.
Derek turned toward me, something sharper in his expression now.
"Who were they?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
"Hunters."
Yeah. No shit.
I didn't say it out loud.
"More hunters are coming," I said instead.
That made him pause.
"…what?"
I shrugged lightly. "Call it a guess."
He didn't believe me—but he didn't dismiss it either.
"You're not normal," he said.
I almost smiled. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot."
"…you didn't get hit."
"I saw it coming."
"That's not normal."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I figured."
He studied me again, longer this time.
"You reacted before they fired."
"Yeah."
He didn't smile.
"Different."
I didn't respond.
We both knew that already.
"I meant what I said," I added. "Train me."
A pause.
Then—
"…fine."
That was it. No speech. No conditions.
"Don't waste my time."
"I won't."
He turned to leave, then stopped.
"…and if you're wrong about the hunters—"
"I'm not."
That came out faster than I intended.
He glanced back at me, suspicious.
Good.
Let him be.
Because I was right—and that was the problem.
Later
Stiles didn't knock.
He never did.
"You look like you just ran a marathon," he said, stepping into my room.
"Feels like it."
He frowned. "…you went out again, didn't you?"
I didn't answer immediately. "Yeah."
"Where?"
"The woods."
He stared at me. "…of course you did."
"I talked to Derek."
That got his full attention. "You what?"
"I asked him to train me."
"…I'm sorry, what?"
"I need control."
"You need distance," he shot back. "From him. From all of this."
"That's not happening."
A pause.
He ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane."
"Yeah," I said. "It is."
Another pause, then quieter—
"…you okay?"
I thought about it—Jackson, the fight, the feeling.
"I didn't hurt him."
"That's not the point."
I nodded. "I know."
He studied me, then sighed. "Okay. Fine. If you're doing this… I'm helping."
"With what?"
"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I'll figure something out."
That sounded like him.
"Just don't get yourself killed."
He smirked. "No promises."
School
Allison found me before I could find her.
"Hey."
"Hey."
A small pause. Neither of us mentioned the kiss, but it lingered anyway.
"You disappeared."
"Yeah… I know."
"Good reason?"
I smiled slightly. "Yeah."
She studied me, then nodded. "Okay."
No pressure. No demand.
Just trust.
She's a hunter's daughter. This is a terrible idea.
"…you still coming to practice?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll see you there."
And just like that, it felt normal again.
Almost.
Night
I felt it before I saw anything—that same presence, stronger now, closer.
I didn't move. Didn't run. Didn't provoke.
I just stood there and let it settle.
The Alpha. The one behind everything. The one who bit me.
Peter Hale.
The one I was going to have to face.
Come if you want, bitch.
I know what you want today, you want to kill that bus driver don't you.
I exhaled slowly.
This time, I wasn't walking into it blind.
To be continued…