The walk towards the parking lot was tense. Scott walked beside him, shoulders hunched, radiating that familiar chaotic energy. Nikolai kept his own energy calm, trying to project an aura of quiet understanding. He could feel Scott's apprehension, his confusion, his desperate need for an explanation that didn't involve him losing his mind.
"So," Scott began, his voice hesitant, "what did you mean? About the world... humming?"
Nikolai chose his words carefully. "It's difficult to explain. It's not something you hear with your ears. It's more... a feeling. An awareness. Like sensing the underlying energy of everything. The land, the air, the living things." He glanced at Scott. "And sometimes, people. Especially when they're going through something... significant."
Scott stopped walking, turning to face him fully near the edge of the grassy area bordering the parking lot. His eyes were wide, searching. "Significant? Like finding half a body in the woods?"
"That," Nikolai confirmed, nodding slowly. "And maybe... something else related to being out there that night." He let the implication hang in the air. He didn't need to state it outright. Scott knew.
Scott swallowed hard, his hands clenching into fists. "Since that night... everything's just... changed. My senses are going crazy, I feel stronger, faster, but I can't control it. I keep hearing things, smelling things... It's like I'm going insane."
The raw desperation in Scott's voice was real. 'He's terrified,' Nikolai registered, a flicker of genuine sympathy cutting through his strategic focus. 'And he thinks he's alone.'
"You're not going insane, Scott," Nikolai said softly, making sure his tone was reassuring. "You're just... suddenly aware of that hum. That energy. It feels chaotic because it's new to you. And it's amplifying everything about you. Your senses, your reactions, your emotions."
Scott looked skeptical. "But... how? Why? What is it?"
'Now or never,' Nikolai thought. He needed to show him, not just tell him. He needed proof that his strange words weren't just philosophical musings. He glanced around. Stiles was still talking to Coach. No one was watching them. Perfect.
He looked at the grass at his feet, then at a small, wilting leaf that had fallen from a nearby bush. He focused his senses, feeling the faint, fading life energy within the leaf, its connection to the dry earth. He focused his will, drawing on the hum he felt within himself, the controlled energy flow Eleanor had shown him.
He channelled the energy gently, subtly, pushing it towards the leaf. He imagined the leaf responding, drawing strength, rejuvenating. He felt the connection solidify, a faint warmth spreading from his hand towards the ground.
He kept his expression neutral, watching Scott, who was still staring at him expectantly.
Scott suddenly gasped, his eyes fixing on the leaf. It hadn't moved, hadn't changed color dramatically. But it seemed... to straighten slightly. To regain a faint hint of green where it had been brown. The wilting edge seemed less sharp, less brittle. It was subtle, almost imperceptible to someone not looking for it, but undeniable once noticed. And Scott, with his heightened senses, clearly noticed.
"What... what did you do?" Scott whispered, crouching down, staring at the leaf as if it was an alien artefact.
Nikolai knelt beside him, though he didn't touch the leaf. "I just... influenced the energy around it. Nudged it, you could say. Everything has energy, Scott. Everything responds to it. Some people are just more... connected to it than others. More able to feel it, or even interact with it."
He looked at Scott, his gaze steady. "What's happening to you... it feels like a sudden, massive influx of that energy. Like you've been plugged into a power source you didn't know existed. It's overwhelming because you don't have the filters, the control."
Scott looked from the leaf back to Nikolai, his face a mask of shock and confusion. "Energy? You mean... like, science energy? Or... something else?"
"Something else," Nikolai confirmed softly. "Something older. More fundamental than physics. It's the energy that powers the world, Scott. That binds things. That allows some creatures to do extraordinary things."
'Creatures. Plural,' he emphasized internally. 'Planting the seed that it's not just him. Or the thing that bit him.'
He stood up, dusting off his jeans. "What happened to you in the woods, Scott, it wasn't just some random animal attack. It connected you to something powerful. Something that exists in this town. And it's changing you."
Scott remained kneeling, staring at the leaf, then up at Nikolai, his mind clearly reeling. "So... I'm not crazy? This is... real?"
"It's real," Nikolai stated, his voice firm. "And it's dangerous. That energy you're feeling... if you don't understand it, if you can't control it, it could consume you. Or attract things that do understand it. Things that might not have your best interests at heart." 'Like the Alpha. Like Hunters. Like whoever comes next.'
He offered Scott a hand up. Scott took it, his grip surprisingly strong, even shaky.
"I don't... I don't know what to do," Scott admitted, looking lost.
"You learn," Nikolai said, his tone shifting slightly, becoming more purposeful. "You learn to listen to that hum. You learn to understand the energy. You learn to control it." He paused, letting his gaze meet Scott's directly. "Maybe... I can help you learn. I feel the energy of this place differently. I've been trying to understand it since I got here. Maybe together, we can make sense of what's happening to you."
Scott stared at him, weighing the offer. The alternative was facing this alone, or potentially falling under the sway of the terrifying creature that bit him. Nikolai was strange, yes, but he didn't seem threatening, and he'd just done something with that leaf that defied explanation.
"Why would you help me?" Scott asked, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
'Good question, Scott. Let's go with a partial truth.' "Because," Nikolai said, choosing his words carefully, allowing a hint of sincerity to show, "I don't like seeing people confused and in pain if I might be able to offer some clarity. And because... whatever happened out there, it's brought something significant to Beacon Hills. Something that's waking things up. It's better if the people affected by it... aren't alone. Better if they have someone they can trust." 'And better if I know exactly what's going on and can steer the ship.'
Scott looked torn, scared, but desperate. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Okay. Okay, yeah. Please. If you... if you know anything... help me."
'First piece acquired. Not a pack member yet, but a vital connection.' Nikolai felt a surge of quiet triumph mixed with the weight of responsibility. He was now involved, not just observing.
"Alright," Nikolai said, a sense of purpose settling over him. "It's going to be confusing. It's going to be difficult. But we'll start with the basics. Listening. Sensing. Understanding that energy."
He felt the hum intensify, a low, urgent thrumming from the direction of the Preserve. The sun was setting. The moon was starting its ascent. Tonight was the full moon. Scott's first shift.
And he could still feel that cold, patient, predatory energy lurking nearby. Peter Hale. He was watching his handiwork.
'He'll be looking for Scott tonight,' Nikolai realised. 'To push him, to force the shift, maybe to manipulate him. I need to be ready. Scott needs to be ready. As ready as he can be.'
He looked at Scott, who was rubbing his temples, clearly still overwhelmed. "Listen, Scott. Tonight... tonight might be rough. Whatever this energy is doing to you, it might be strongest when the moon is full. Try to stay calm. Find somewhere safe. And if things get... out of control... try to focus on the things that ground you. People you care about." 'Like Allison. Or Stiles. Use the anchors, Scott. Use the anchors.'
Scott looked terrified. "Out of control? What does that mean?"
Nikolai hesitated. He couldn't tell him about shifting yet. Not like this. "Just... be careful. And if you need me, call. Or... or maybe I'll just feel it." He wasn't sure if he could actually feel Scott specificially needing him across town, but it sounded good.
Scott nodded, still looking panicked. "Okay. Yeah. Okay."
As they walked towards Stiles' jeep, where Stiles looked increasingly impatient, Nikolai felt the hum pulse, stronger, more insistent. He felt the rising energy of the full moon. He felt Scott's internal storm escalating. And he felt the shadow of the Alpha, drawing closer.
'Tonight,' Nikolai thought, a grim determination setting in. 'Tonight is the real test. For Scott. And for my ability to keep him, and potentially myself, alive and in a position to build something powerful.'
He needed to get home. Talk to Eleanor. Prepare. His nascent potential felt like a tiny spark against the incoming storm, but he had knowledge, strategy, and a mother who could rival an Alpha. It was a start. A precarious, dangerous start.