Chapter 24: Boundaries

As Scott slipped out of the Argent household, the tension between Allison and Chris was far from settled. Inside, Chris was about to explain himself to Allison. But as he approached her door, Allison's loud shout "Not now, Dad!" left no room for discussion. She stormed into her room, and the door closed with a finality that resonated with both Chris and Victoria. 

"Give her some time and let her calm down." Victoria murmured, pulling Chris back into the living room.

Kate, watching with an amused glint in her eye, threw herself casually onto the sofa. "Looks like your little girl is growing up, Chris," she teased.

Ignoring Kate's taunting tone, Chris took a deep breath, his jaw clenched as he glanced at her and then at Victoria, who stood with arms crossed. 

"So, how strong was that boar, really?" Kate asked, a trace of curiosity mixing with her typical thrill-seeking glint.

Chris looked at her with a steady, grim expression. "It was a monster, Kate. The rifles and weapons we brought barely fazed it. The thing was nearly unstoppable."

Victoria's gaze flicked between them, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Then what do you think could've killed it? Something that size and strength… it would take something even more powerful."

Chris's face darkened, and he hesitated before answering. "If what Scott said is true, then we're talking about a creature with enough power to crush a skull that resisted bullets. Something very powerful."

Kate's eyes gleamed as she spoke up. "It has to be the Alpha—the one that ambushed me yesterday. That thing could've easily torn apart a beast like that boar."

Chris's expression grew serious. "If that's the case, then we're dealing with an Alpha unlike anything we've seen before. It's stronger, and probably smarter. We'll need to be even more prepared next time."

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Meanwhile, at the animal clinic, Scott arrived and let Styles and Derek in, then he made a quick call to Deaton, asking him to come and assist with Derek's injury. As he waited, Scott observed Derek lying on the table, sweat beading his forehead as he battled the effects of the Nordic Blue Monkshood poisoning.

Deaton arrived quickly, bringing supplies from the back of the clinic. He scanned Derek's condition with a look of deep concern, muttering as he examined the wound. "Nordic Blue Monkshood," he said finally, raising an eyebrow. "Rare and deadly."

"Can you fix him?" Scott asked, glancing between Deaton and the pale, trembling Derek.

"Luckily, I've kept some here for emergencies like this," Deaton replied, pulling out a jar of the same wolfsbane from a dusty shelf in the clinic's basement. Carefully, he burned the leaves, letting the ash collect before applying it directly to Derek's wound. The room filled with Derek's screams as the ash burned into his flesh, drawing out the toxins. Within moments, the infection began to dissipate, and the wound closed up as Derek's skin knitted itself back together.

Scott patting Derek on the shoulder. "Are you good now?"

Derek sat up, still wincing from the lingering pain. "Minus the agonizing pain? Fantastic." He tried to sound tough, but the relief in his voice betrayed him.

Stiles, always one to break the tension, smirked. "Hey, you know what they say—if you can still be sarcastic, you're halfway to healed. Trust me, I'm an expert."

Scott, however, was far from finished. He turned to Derek. "We just saved your life," he said. "So now, you owe me one."

Scott doesn't like Derek that much; he knows Derek isn't that bad, but he recalled how Derek treated Scott in the first and second seasons of Teen Wolf. In the first season, he used Scott as bait, and in the second season, after becoming an Alpha, Derek started turning teenagers into werewolves, and he even created the Kanima, plus he beat Scott badly to make him submit and become part of his pack, so Scott has to make Derek understand that he is not to be used or underestimated. And more importantly, keep him away from Allison.

Derek glanced at Scott, clearly taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor. Scott took a step closer, his eyes glowing an intense red as he released his alpha aura, letting the power and authority seep into the air between them.

Before Derek could react, Scott's hand shot forward, gripping him by the neck as he pulled him face to face. "I know you have a grudge against Kate Argent," Scott said, his voice low, dangerous. "But hear me out—if you ever go near Allison, if you even think about involving her in this, you'll find out firsthand that there are things much worse than death."

The intensity of Scott's words, combined with the overwhelming aura he was giving off, left Derek speechless. He could feel the primal power radiating from Scott, the kind of power that made his wolf instincts shrink back in submission. After a tense pause, Derek finally nodded.

Scott released him, stepping back as his eyes faded to their usual dark brown. Derek regained his composure, and asked, "How come you're an alpha?"

Scott shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It is what it is."

Deaton, who had been quietly observing the exchange, stepped forward. "Scott is what we call a 'True Alpha,' Derek," he explained, a faint smile of pride flickering on his face. "He skipped being a beta entirely, I've never heard of anything like it. He's a born leader, a rarity among werewolves."

Derek's eyes widened at the revelation, but Scott simply brushed it off, his relaxed smile returning. "Anyway, as fun as this chitchat is, I need to head home. If I don't, my mom will definitely beat my ass for staying out this late."

He turned to Deaton and Stiles, giving them a casual wave. "Goodnight, guys. And Derek?" He shot a pointed look in his direction. "Remember what we talked about."

Derek gave a reluctant nod, still feeling the weight of Scott's warning as he watched him leave. 

Stiles smiled mischievously as he leaned in and gave Derek a back pat. "Well, Derek, look at the bright side—we didn't have to saw your arm off."

Deaton chuckled lightly, as they left the clinic, Derek still processing the strange turn of events.

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