Asher and Erica crawled out from under the desk. Erica quickly reached for her clothes, tugging on her pants and shirt while Asher slipped back into his, brushing dust from his sleeves.
Asher opened the door, peering down the dim hallway.
Down the corridor, Scott and Stiles stepped out of the principal's office, mid-argument.
"Scott! Stiles!" Asher called out.
Both turned immediately. "Asher?" they said in unison—then their eyes widened as Erica stepped out from behind him, fixing her collar.
"Erica? What are you two doing here?" Stiles asked, suspicion all over his face.
Erica didn't even blink. "Asher just had a really good idea for a heartbeat training method," she said, linking her arm with his and flashing a teasing smile. "So… we had a long training session. Right, Asher?"
Asher nodded, his smirk deepening. "Happy to see your boldness is back, Erica."
"Eh? What do you mean—" she started, but Stiles immediately waved them off.
"Okay, okay, you two rabbits in heat," he muttered. "Save it for later. We gotta move."
The four of them hurried down the hallway and out the back doors.
Waiting beside the Jeep was Derek Hale—tall, broad-shouldered, dark stubble on his jaw, and wearing that perpetual scowl that could make anyone feel like they'd done something wrong just by existing. His leather jacket glinted under the streetlight as he turned toward them.
He jabbed a finger at Scott and Stiles. "Now I'll kill both of you! What, you wanted the entire state to know there's a werewolf loose at the school?!"
"I didn't think it would be this strong—" Scott started, but Derek cut him off sharply.
"And you," he snapped, eyes turning to Erica. "What are you doing here? And who the hell is—" His glare stopped when he saw Asher step forward. His tone darkened. "You're that Asher?"
"I told you to stay away from him!"
Erica stayed quiet, biting her lip, guilt flickering across her expression.
Asher stepped up calmly and extended a hand. "This is our first time meeting," he said with a faint, respectful smile. "Pleasure to meet you. Asher Sable."
Derek just stared at his hand for a moment, unimpressed. He looked from Asher to Erica, then back again. Great, his eyes seemed to say. Another teenager to babysit.
But as Derek finally met Asher's gaze, something in the boy's stance made him pause—an unspoken confidence, a raw edge of willpower.
Not fear. Not defiance. Just quiet strength.
It was… familiar.
A kind of mutual respect that wild things shared.
Derek's brows furrowed slightly. "What are y—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his head snapping to the side.
"Shh." He raised a hand sharply. His eyes darted toward the dark of the parking lot. Something moved. Something heavy.
Everyone froze.
"Where's Deaton?" Stiles asked suddenly, noticing the empty front seat of Derek's car. "He was just there!"
All heads turned.
"What did you do to him?" Scott demanded.
"Nothing," Derek said instantly, but his voice was taut. He could feel it—the presence nearby. Watching. Waiting.
"Deaton?" Asher frowned. "Scott's boss? Why would he—"
Then the world exploded in motion.
A blur of black and claws pierced through the air. Derek gasped as something sharp impaled him through the back, lifting him clean off the ground. His breath hitched—blood spilling from his mouth.
The Alpha.
It had come.
"Run!" Stiles shouted.
The four bolted back into the school, slamming the doors shut behind them as Derek's body hit the wall with a sickening crash. He slid to the ground, blood streaking the bricks.
"Block the doors!" Scott shouted.
Stiles whipped his head around. "You think I have a key?!"
"Use something!" Scott barked back.
"And what, exactly?" Stiles snapped, already glancing around.
"Anything!"
Then Stiles' eyes widened. He'd spotted something outside—lying on the stairs where they'd entered earlier.
The huge pliers he'd used to pry open the entrance before.
"No. Stiles, don't—" Asher began, but it was already too late.
Stiles sprinted for the doors, slipping outside before anyone could grab him.
"This guy is insane," Asher muttered under his breath, moving closer to the door.
Stiles crouched low, his breathing shallow, and reached for the pliers. The night air felt thicker now, pressing against him like a warning. He grabbed them quietly, fingers trembling just a little.
"Stiles!" Scott, Asher, and Erica shouted in unison when they saw him through the glass.
He turned his head toward the cars—then froze.
Across the parking lot, something moved.
A massive shadow, crawling on all fours, closing the distance at impossible speed.
The Alpha.
"Crap—crap—crap!" Stiles hissed, bolting back through the doors. He slammed them shut and wedged the pliers into the handles just in time.
A heavy thud hit the other side. The entire frame rattled.
Everyone stood frozen, staring at the door.
Then… silence.
The Alpha was gone.
"Where did it go?" Erica whispered, her voice barely audible.
Stiles grabbed his flashlight from his pocket and aimed it through the small window. The beam cut across the empty stairs, the cracked asphalt.
Nothing.
No Alpha.
The four slowly backed away from the door, tension gripping the air.
"He won't come here, right?" Scott asked, not sounding convinced even as he said it.
"Probably…" Stiles swallowed, "not."
For a heartbeat, there was silence again.
Then—
ROOOOOOAR!!!
To be continued...
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Sorry for not having posted for a while guys, being busy with school tests and stuff.