Chapter 10: The Full Moon Looms
Coach blows the whistle so hard I think he's going to pass out.
"AGAIN!"
Scott sprints down the field, dodging defenders like they're standing still. His movements are too fast. Too precise. Inhuman.
He slams into Jackson with enough force to send him sprawling. The ball flies into the net.
The team erupts in cheers. Coach is screaming something about "THAT'S what I'm TALKING ABOUT" and "WHERE has THIS been all season?"
But I'm not celebrating. My Haki is screaming.
Scott's fear is spiking. He's losing control. Enjoying the violence. And he knows it.
I catch his eye across the field. He looks away.
Practice ends. Scott heads to the locker room, avoiding everyone. I follow.
He's leaning against the lockers when I walk in, head down, breathing hard.
"You need to sit out the game," I say.
He looks up. "What?"
"The game on Friday. You can't play."
"I have to."
"Scott—"
"I HAVE to, Adam. This is my shot. Coach finally sees what I can do. If I sit out now—"
"You'll hurt someone."
"I won't."
"You slammed into Jackson hard enough to crack his ribs."
"He's fine."
"This time. But the full moon is in five days. Your control is slipping. You felt it out there—the wolf enjoying the violence."
Scott's jaw tightens. "I need this."
"Why?"
"Because I need to prove I'm not just the asthmatic kid who can't keep up. I need to show everyone—show Allison—that I matter."
The desperation in his voice breaks something in me.
He's sixteen. He shouldn't have to carry this.
"You matter, Scott. With or without lacrosse."
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
He stares at me for a long moment. Then looks away.
"I'm playing," he says quietly. "I have to."
I want to argue. Want to physically drag him away from the field if necessary. But I can't. Because forcing Scott to sit out won't fix the problem. It'll just make him resent me.
"Fine," I say. "But I'm staying close. And if I see your eyes flash gold, I'm pulling you off the field. Coach can deal with it."
Scott nods. "Okay."
2 AM. Kitchen. Coach waiting at the table with a mug of coffee that's long gone cold.
I stop in the doorway. "You're up late."
"So are you."
I slide into the chair across from him. He doesn't offer food this time. Just stares at me with the expression of a man who's reached his limit.
"Sit down," he says.
"I'm already sitting."
"Don't be a smartass."
"It's genetic."
He doesn't smile. "I'm not stupid, kid. The sneaking out. The exhaustion. The—" He gestures vaguely. "—whatever the hell is going on with you. Are you in trouble?"
"Define trouble."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I've got."
Coach leans forward. "Is it drugs?"
"No."
"Gangs?"
"No."
"Then what?"
I don't answer. Can't answer. Because the truth—I'm helping a teenage werewolf survive his first transformation—is worse than anything Coach could imagine.
"It's not about me," I say finally.
"Then who is it about?"
"A friend."
"Scott?"
I don't confirm. Don't deny.
Coach exhales slowly. "Is it illegal?"
"No."
"Are you being safe?"
"Trying."
"Trying isn't good enough."
"It's the best I can do."
We sit in silence. His Haki signature is a mess—fear, frustration, exhaustion. He's terrified I'm going to end up dead like Adam's biological father. Terrified Rebecca will lose another person she loves.
"Your mother cannot know," he says quietly. "It would destroy her."
"I know."
"So whatever this is—you keep it away from her. You keep it away from this house. And you come home alive. Every night. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
He stands, rinses his mug, and pauses at the doorway.
"Adam?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm here. If you need help. If this gets too big—I'm here."
Something tightens in my chest. "Thanks, Coach."
He nods and leaves.
I sit alone in the kitchen, staring at the table. The lunar calendar is still upstairs, circled and crossed out. Five days until the full moon.
Five days.
The coffee shop is busy when Rebecca meets Melissa for their weekly catch-up.
I only know because Rebecca mentions it at dinner the next night.
"I had coffee with Melissa today," she says, passing me the salad bowl. "She's lovely. But she's worried about Scott."
Coach glances at me. I focus on my plate.
"Worried how?" I ask.
"Behavioral changes. He's been sneaking out. Distracted. Aggressive during lacrosse practice." She frowns. "Sound familiar?"
"Mom—"
"I'm not accusing you of anything, Adam. I'm just... concerned. You and Scott are friends, right?"
"Yeah."
"Is he okay?"
No. He's a werewolf. And in five days, the full moon is going to drag the wolf out whether he's ready or not.
"He's fine," I say. "Just stressed about school."
Rebecca doesn't look convinced, but she doesn't push. Instead, she turns to Coach. "Melissa and I agreed to keep an eye on them. Make sure they're not getting into anything dangerous."
Coach nearly chokes on his water. "Define dangerous."
"You know. Parties. Drugs. The usual teenage nonsense."
If only.
My phone buzzes. I glance at the screen.
Stiles: Dude. My mom asked Scott like 50 questions today. The moms are forming an alliance.
I text back: We're running out of time.
Stiles: No kidding.
Rebecca is still talking, but I'm not listening anymore. The moms are circling. The full moon is five days away. The Alpha is escalating.
Everything is converging. And I don't know if we're ready.
Three days until the full moon.
I stand in my room, staring at the calendar on the wall. The red circle around the date seems to pulse, mocking me.
Scott is a ticking time bomb. Derek is hiding something. Allison's family is dangerous. And I'm juggling all these threads while pretending to be a normal high school junior.
Coach knocks. Doesn't wait for an answer before opening the door.
"You're going to be okay, kid?"
I look at him. "Ask me in four days."
"That's not comforting."
"I know."
He studies me for a long moment. Then nods and closes the door.
I turn back to the calendar.
Four days. Ninety-six hours. Five thousand, seven hundred sixty minutes.
Not enough.
But it's all I've got.
Note:
Please give good reviews and power stones itrings more people and more people means more chapters?
My Patreon is all about exploring 'What If' timelines, and you can get instant access to chapters far ahead of the public release.
Choose your journey:
Timeline Viewer ($6): Get 10 chapters of early access + 5 new chapters weekly.
Timeline Explorer ($9): Jump 15-20 chapters ahead of everyone.
Timeline Keeper ($15): Get Instant Access to chapters the moment I finish writing them. No more waiting.
Read the raw, unfiltered story as it unfolds. Your support makes this possible!
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/Whatif0