Chapter 55: The Winter Formal

Arriving at school, Scott pulled into the parking lot smoothly. The engine purred to a stop, and he got out with a grin. Walking around to the passenger side, he opened the door for Allison with a flourish, earning a playful smile from her. 

"Such a gentleman." she teased, stepping out gracefully in her stunning red dress. 

"Only for you, my princess." Scott replied with a wink, closing the door behind her. 

Hand in hand, they walked into the school gym, transformed into a vibrant, colorful space for the dance. The music was loud, the lights were dim, and the atmosphere buzzed with youthful excitement. 

Inside, they met up with Stiles and Lydia. Stiles was bouncing on his feet, clearly thrilled to be there, while Lydia looked as effortlessly elegant as ever. 

Stiles exclaimed, pointing at Scott. "This is what I'm talking about. You clean up nice, man!" 

Scott chuckled. "Told you I'd bring my A-game. But you're not looking too shabby yourself, Stiles." 

"Thanks! Lydia helped me." Stiles said proudly. 

"Clearly." Lydia said with a smirk. "I couldn't let him embarrass me." 

The four of them moved onto the dance floor, letting the music guide their movements. Stiles was surprisingly good at keeping up with Lydia, who seemed to be enjoying herself despite her usual aloof demeanor. 

Scott and Allison danced close, their bodies moved in perfect harmony, each step echoing the unspoken connection between them. As the soft music enveloped them, Scott gazed into Allison's eyes, the world around them fading into a blur, leaving only the warmth of their shared moment.

Not far away, Jackson stood by the food table, watching the scene unfold. His date—some cheerleader whose name he couldn't remember—was talking, but he wasn't listening. His eyes zeroed in on Scott. 

'Why him?' Jackson thought bitterly. 'Why does he get to be special while I'm stuck being…ordinary?' 

Jackson shoved his date aside without a word, ignoring her protests, and stormed out of the gym. He headed toward the woods, his frustration bubbling over into a toxic mix of jealousy and self-loathing.

Sitting down on a fallen log, he buried his head in his hands. He whispered to himself. "I want to be like him. I want to be a werewolf." 

His mind raced with the possibilities. The Hales. They could do it. They could give him what he wanted. His jaw clenched as determination settled in. 

Back to stiles and Lydia, while they were dancing, Lydia leaned in and spoke softly, her words catching him off guard. "Stiles, I know how you feel about me, but I'm sorry—I don't feel the same way."

Stiles froze for a moment, then shrugged. "It's okay. But did you really have to ruin the moment by saying that?"

Lydia smiled, her expression teasing. "How about this—although we can't date, we could have a one-night stand."

Stiles stumbled, nearly losing his balance. "A one-night stand? With... with you?"

Lydia nodded, her tone playful. "Yes. Do you want to or not?"

Stiles gaped, and blurt out. "Does a bear shit in the woods?"

"What?!" Lydia raised her eyebrow.

"I mean, yes! Yes! Definitely yes." Stiles panicked and said quickly.

Scott, who had been listening from a distance with Allison, couldn't help but chuckle. "What an idiot." He muttered.

Allison shook her head with an amused smile and kept dancing with Scott.

After a while, Scott and his friends walked out of the gym, their laughter still echoing in the crisp night air. They had just finished taking pictures and were heading toward their cars when a distant shout caught their attention.

"Who's that?" Allison asked, her brow furrowing as she glanced toward the woods.

Lydia recognized the frantic voice. "It's Jackson." She said, her tone shifting from relaxed to wary.

The group exchanged looks before quietly moving toward the sound. They stayed low, sticking to the shadows as they got closer. From a distance, they saw Jackson standing at the edge of the woods, yelling into the trees. He was pacing, his movements erratic. 

Earlier, before Scott and his group heared him yelling. Jackson spotted two glowing red lights in the darkness. His breath hitched. 'Not lights…eyes. Red glowing eyes.' He thought, his heart pounded with excitement. 

His heart raced with excitement. "This is it." He muttered, standing up. "The werewolf who will turn me."

"Come on!" he yelled into the trees. "I'm ready! Make me like you!" His voice cracked with desperation as he fell to his knees. Tears streamed down his face. "Please!" He begged, his voice trembling. "I'll do anything."

The red eyes grew closer, piercing through the fog. Jackson's breath hitched. His dreams seemed within reach. But as the figure stepped into the light, his heart sank. It wasn't a werewolf. The red lights were targeting lasers not eyes. Jackson froze as Chris Argent stepped out from the shadows, flanked by two hunters with assault rifles.

Chris's cold gaze bore into Jackson. "Unfortunately, kid, I can't give you what you want." His voice was calm. "But I think you can help me."

Jackson froze, his knees still in the dirt. "Help you?" he stammered.

Chris crouched down, leveling his gaze with Jackson's. "I know Scott is something more than just a human. I just don't know what he is, but you know, don't you? What Scott is. Tell me."

Fear gripped Jackson. The barrel of Chris's gun was only inches from his face. He nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "He's a… a werewolf. He and his friend Derek Hale."

Chris straightened, a grim smile on his face. "Good. Now, go back to the dance and be a normal kid."

Jackson's voice shook. "Don't tell him I told you."

Chris's smile didn't falter. "Of course not. Now go."

Jackson hesitated, but a sharp look from Chris sent him scrambling back toward the school. Just as he reached the edge of the woods, Scott, Allison, Stiles, and Lydia emerged from the shadows.

Scott wasted no time. He marched up to Jackson and, with a single punch, knocked him to the ground. "That's for selling me out." Scott growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Now roll before I do something I'll regret."

Jackson didn't argue. He scrambled to his feet and ran, his face pale.

Allison turned to her father, her eyes wide with shock and anger. "Dad, what are you doing? Why are you asking about Scott?"

Chris's expression softened as he addressed her. "Sweetheart, it's my job. And now that I know he's a werewolf, you can't be with him. It's too dangerous."

He gestured to one of the hunters behind him. "John, take Allison home."

The man stepped forward, reaching for Allison's arm. But before he could touch her, Scott grabbed his wrist and squeezed. There was a sickening crack as John's arm broke under Scott's grip. With a flick of his hand, Scott tossed him aside like a ragdoll.

Scott took a deliberate step closer to Chris, his voice was calm. "You've misunderstood something, Chris."

"I'm not a bad person." He said. "I don't go around killing people. But don't mistake that for weakness. I'm not a pushover either." 

Chris's jaw tightened, but he held his ground, glaring back at Scott. 

Scott's eyes glowed red, burning brightly in the dim light. "And let me make one thing clear—I'm not Derek Hale. You don't get to bully me or hurt my family and think I'll run when I see you or your hunters. That's not happening." 

The six hunters around Chris raised their weapons, aiming directly at Scott. 

"Wrong move." Scott muttered under his breath. 

Before they could react, Scott vanished, disappearing from their sight. In an instant, two of the hunters were yanked together, their heads smashing against each other with a sickening thud as they crumpled to the ground. 

Scott reappeared beside another hunter, his fist connecting with a solid punch that sent the man flying into the air before landing with a painful crash against a tree. 

Chris frantically pulled out a flash grenade and hurled it toward Scott, but Scott closed his eyes just before the blinding light erupted. When the flash faded, Scott was already in front of two more hunters, punching them simultaneously with devastating force. Both were launched backward, hitting trees and collapsing unconscious. 

The final hunter barely had time to turn before Scott appeared behind him, gripping his head and slamming him into the ground with a bone-rattling impact. 

Now, only Chris remained. 

Scott appeared in front of him and snatched the gun from Chris's hands before he could raise it. With an almost casual motion, Scott crushed the weapon into a ball of mangled metal and let it fall to the ground.

Then, Scott began to shift, his human form dissolving into something primal. Black fur rippled across his body, his towering wolf form casting a long shadow under the moonlight. Red eyes burned like embers, glowing with an intensity that made Chris freeze.

Chris found himself staring up at a massive black wolf, its sharp teeth glinting as it growled in a deep, guttural voice.

"Chris, you're not in charge here." The wolf snarled. "Beacon Hills is my territory. And if I ever feel like the Argent family doesn't belong here, I'll make sure you leave." The wolf leaned closer, its hot breath fanning Chris's face. "For Allison's sake, I'm letting you walk away this time unharmed. But if you come after me again, or try to separate me and her, there won't be a next time."

Chris swallowed hard, his usual confidence nowhere to be found.

Scott turned toward Allison, who stood watching him with a mix of awe and concern. "Allison." He said. "Take my phone and car keys from my pants over there and drive my car home. I need to go for a run to clear my head."

Allison nodded, understanding the turmoil Scott was holding inside. She walked over to his shredded clothes, retrieving the items. 

With that, Scott bolted into the woods, his massive wolf form vanishing into the shadows.

Chris called out, desperation creeping into his voice. "Allison, let's go home. You saw what he turned into. That's not a boy, that's a monster!" 

Allison turned to her father, her expression cold and defiant. "No, Dad. He's not a monster. And I'm not going home with you." She paused, her voice rising as she continued. "By the way, Scott—the so-called monster—killed a Lamia yesterday. A Lamia that could shift into a 15-meter snake and was feeding on people in this town. What did you do, hunter?" 

Chris's face twisted in frustration, but he had no response. 

Allison turned on her heel and walked toward Scott's car. "Let's go, Lydia. Stiles." 

Stiles glanced at Chris and the unconscious hunters scattered around him. "Mr. Argent, you might want to get these guys to a hospital. They don't look too good." He waved casually. "Goodbye!" 

Stiles jogged after Allison and Lydia, leaving Chris standing there speechless. 

As they walked, Lydia glanced at Allison. "Are you okay?" 

Allison gave her a small smile. "I'm fine. A little upset, sure, but I know my dad is just trying to protect me. And I don't think he's stupid enough to go after Scott again after tonight." 

"Yeah." Lydia agreed. "That wolf Scott turned into was terrifying… but also beautiful." 

Allison smiled softly. "Melissa has a wolf form like that too. She's gorgeous, though not as big as Scott." 

Stiles shuddered. "She's big enough. The first time I saw her, I thought I was dead. I almost peed my pants." 

Allison laughed. "I can't wait for the full moon so I can shift into a wolf like them. I wonder what color I'll be." 

"Yeah, me too." Stiles said with a grin. "I just hope I don't turn into a golden retriever or something." 

Lydia burst into laughter. "Actually, that would be adorable. Imagine a golden retriever as big as Scott's wolf form!" 

Allison giggled. "Yeah, that would suit you, Stiles." 

"Not cool, girls. Not cool," Stiles muttered, shaking his head. 

When they reached Scott's car, Allison gave Lydia and Stiles a warm smile. "Goodnight, you two. I'll see you tomorrow." 

She got into the Camaro and drove off, heading back to Scott's house. 

Stiles turned to Lydia. "So… do you want to go back to my place?" 

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Sure. But after tonight, we're just friends. And if you tell anyone I slept with you, I'll kill you." 

Stiles nodded fervently. "Deal. And, honestly? Even if we can't be more than just friends, having my first time with the girl I've had a crush on since third grade? I'm very satisfied."

Lydia smiled and shook her head as they got into Stiles' Jeep, and drove to his house.