I linger as their headlights fade, the silence settling like dust. My senses sharpen—the distant wail of a police siren, probably unrelated, but Beacon Hills has a way of stitching coincidences into patterns. The power of the ritual hums beneath my skin, sharpening the scent of wet asphalt and pine needles carried on the breeze. Melissa's face flashes in my mind—her blush, the hesitant curve of her smile—a complication I hadn't expected but can't dismiss.
*** Flashback ***
A memory surfaced unexpectedly sharp and warm against the chill of the gas station aftermath. It was in the sterile break room of Beacon Hills Memorial in December. Melissa had been unwrapping a sad-looking sandwich, its plastic clinging like a shroud, when I'd gently caught her wrist.
"Let's not commit culinary crimes on our first date," I tease, lifting the picnic basket I've hidden behind my back. Inside: tomato soup steaming in a thermos, beside a foot-long Italian sub with crisp crust, basil, and cured meats—the scent cutting through the hospital's antiseptic haze.
Her laugh—bright and startled—echoes off the linoleum.
"You planned this?" she asks, incredulous.
I shrug. "Doctor's orders," I shrugged. "You deserve real food, You deserve lunch that doesn't look… deceased."
We'd talked for half an hour, elbows brushing over shared paper napkins. She spoke of Scott—her son, a sophomore with asthma and a stubborn streak—her voice softening with pride and exasperation.
I'd listened, genuinely captivated, as she confessed her favourite colour was the deep green of surgical scrubs "I love my green scrubs," she said softly, "but I crave sushi after nights in the ER.", and that she craved sushi after night shifts. When she asked about me, I kept it simple: purple, like twilight over mountains, and comfort food—mac and cheese.
Then, quieter: "But honestly? Anything shared. Especially with you."
The admission hung between us, charged and fragile. She'd looked down, tracing the rim of her soup cup, a faint blush blooming beneath the fluorescent lights. "Careful, Ross," she'd murmured. "That almost sounded romantic."
I'd grinned, stealing the last bite of crust. "Only almost?"
The moment shattered when Nurse Finstock bustled in, clipboard clutched like a shield. Her eyes widened at the spread, then narrowed at me.
"Melissa," she barked, ignoring me for now. "How much longer? ER's drowning."
Before Melissa could answer, Finstock jabbed a thumb my way. "Who's the giant? Visiting hours ended an hour ago."
Melissa didn't hesitate. She gestured at the basket, her smile warm and defiant. "This is Ross. We're on our first date."
Finstock's eyebrows shot up. "Date? Here? With hospital-grade mystery meat?"
Melissa laughed, light and clear. "He rescued me from it, actually. Brought real food."
Finstock snorted, but her gaze softened slightly. "Fine. Ten minutes. Then save lives, not sandwiches." She vanished as abruptly as she'd arrived.
***Flashback End***
Now, leaning against my car, I breathe deeply. The town feels different tonight—charged, watchful. The Nemeton's energy pulses faintly within me, a low hum beneath the surface calm. Argent's hunters are contained—for now—and Derek's cooperation remains tentative. But Melissa… I miss her. Melissa I wish she agreed to that third date I miss her.
A low growl vibrated through the woods bordering the station—too guttural for a dog, too deliberate for wind. My head snapped toward the treeline. The ritual hadn't just heightened my senses; it had tuned me to the town's hidden frequencies. Something was moving out there, something angry and hungry.
The hunt, it seemed, was already beginning.
I took off after the growl abandoning my car.
The chase was brutal. Branches whipped my face as I crashed through the undergrowth, my boots sinking into the muddy earth. The creature—a Large, shadowed form—moved with unnatural speed, its scent thick with decay and ozone. It wasn't running *from* me; it was leading me deeper into the preserve.
I stop.
This was a trap I know it and despite the fact I think I could win a fight I could not risk that. Focusing my hearing, I could no longer hear it darting about I turn and walk back the way I came.
Back at the gas station, my car remains untouched under the flickering lights, but something's wrong. The air tastes metallic, charged. Approaching cautiously, senses heightened, I notice a smear of dark liquid beneath the driver's door—not oil. Blood. Fresh.
And beside it, a crumpled hospital ID badge: Melissa McCall.
But the blood—not hers. It doesn't smell like her. If it weren't for the gifts, I gained from the Nemeton, I might believe someone else's blood is involved. But I know that scent too well
***Flashback Start***
The memory flooded back sharp and sudden—Melissa's hand jerking away from the foil-wrapped sandwich, a thin line of crimson welling on her thumb.
"Damn it," she'd hissed, more annoyed than hurt. I'd caught her wrist without thinking, my thumb pressing gently below the cut.
"tinfoil?" I'd teased, pulling a clean napkin from the basket. "Trying to ward me off?" Her laugh had been breathless, eyes locked on mine as I dabbed the blood away.
"Maybe," she'd murmured. "You're trouble, Ross Arctos."
The moment hung between us—charged, intimate—before she'd pulled back, tucking her hand safely against her scrubs.
"Next time," I'd said softly, "let's skip the hazards. Proper restaurant. Or…" I'd grinned. "Mini golf? Your choice."
She'd smiled, that real, warm smile that reached her eyes. "Deal, call me, yes?" the scent of the blood stuck to my nose a smell I would not forget anytime soon
***Flashback End***
This wasn't random. Someone knew I was here. Someone who saw me returning after over a month away. Seeing me here? That individual changed its plans—trying to pick a fight, sensing a threat.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy hunting you down," I think, "but first, Haohiko needs to be honoured—by having fun with this person first."
Unlocking the cab door, I decide to stay quiet. I'll let Derek and Argent stew for now, not show my face much. I'll see what I can do further out—focus on the missing persons cases in the area. First, I need to inform the sheriff I'm back and officially start.
But right now? I need a shower and more food.
I get into the cab with a bang as the door shuts behind me.