Dreams And Disturbances

The night was quiet, the dark school bus sitting empty in the middle of the parking lot. Scott moved slowly down the aisle, every sense on edge. As he reached the back, he saw a figure shift in the last seat. He felt his instincts surge—his vision sharpening, hearing picking up the slightest rustling. In an instant, he transformed, letting his wolf side take over, and leapt forward with a snarl, tearing into whoever was lurking there. But as he turned around, he caught his reflection in the window. His face stared back, grotesque and twisted beyond anything he'd seen before, with gleaming red eyes that held a murderous edge. These eyes weren't his, nor did they have the familiar, fierce glow of Jasper's Alpha red; they were darker, almost black at the center.

Scott jolted awake, gasping for breath. It took a few moments to realize it had been a dream. But it felt real, too real.

The next morning, as he parked Stiles' Jeep in the school lot, he couldn't shake the dread. "Man, that dream… it was too much," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. Stiles was about to offer some comforting sarcasm when they heard a commotion. People crowded around something by the school bus, students and staff whispering and pointing as police tape blocked off the area.

As they moved closer, they caught sight of the sheriff, his serious expression confirming that something terrible had happened.

"There's a body," Stiles whispered, worry etched across his face. "Looks mauled. You don't think…?"

Scott's stomach twisted as he nodded. "It might've been me, Stiles. I—I thought I had it under control, but what if last night…"

Stiles glanced around before pulling Scott aside. "We need to talk to Jasper. He'd know if something like this was possible."

Scott nodded. "Let's find him at lunch."

Lunch Break

In the cafeteria, Scott and Stiles scanned the room for Jasper, spotting him sitting alone at a table. They started toward him, but just as they reached the table, Allison, Lydia, Danny, and a few others joined them, filling the empty seats. Jackson strolled over, stopping next to a freshman and glaring until the kid groaned, getting up reluctantly.

"Get up," Jackson ordered.

The student rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ever ask Danny to move?"

Danny, biting into a green apple, smirked. "Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot."

Everyone chuckled as Jackson took his seat, ignoring the comment. Scott cast a dark look at Jackson, but before he could say anything, Danny spoke up.

"So, I heard they're saying it was an animal attack. Probably a cougar."

Jackson scoffed. "I heard mountain lion."

"A cougar is a mountain lion," Lydia said flatly, barely looking up from her tray.

Jackson raised an eyebrow, caught off guard, and Lydia immediately backtracked, realizing she'd revealed her surprising knowledge. "…Isn't it?"

"Who cares?" Jackson replied, dismissing her. "The guy was probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway."

Stiles, who had been looking up the case on his phone, frowned. "Actually, the guy's still alive." He held up his phone, showing a news clip.

The reporter on the video narrated, "The Sheriff's department won't speculate on details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Myers, survived the attack. Myers is in critical condition at a local hospital."

Scott's face paled as he recognized the name. "Wait, I know him… he was my bus driver when I used to live with my dad."

Jasper sat back, a small, knowing smile on his face, observing the group's reactions. He was amused by the way things played out, seeing it all unfold with a certain nostalgia, remembering how he'd watched these moments unfold from his screen before.

Lydia shifted in her seat, clearly bored with the topic. "Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?" She turned to Allison with a bright idea. "Where are we going tomorrow night?"

Allison blinked, looking between Lydia and Jasper, who was sitting beside her. "Um, we haven't really decided yet…"

Lydia grinned, undeterred. "Well, I am not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are hanging out, we're doing something fun."

Jasper gave her a playful grin. "I'm in, as long as Jackson here doesn't back down from a little competition."

Jackson scoffed, shooting Jasper a look. "Only if there's actual competition."

Allison's eyes flashed, determined to prove Jackson wrong. "How do you know we're not 'actual competition'?" She turned to Jasper, a playful smile on her face. "You can bowl, right?"

Jasper met Jackson's gaze, smirking. "Enough to crush amateurs."

Jackson's jaw clenched, and Lydia quickly interjected, sensing tension building. "Great! Tomorrow night, bowling it is." She tugged Jackson's arm, pulling him away to plan their strategy.

Once they left, Jasper and Allison got up to leave as well, with Allison slipping her hand into his. Scott opened his mouth to call Jasper back, but Stiles nudged him and pointed at his phone. Jasper had sent him a text earlier: Meet me after class at Hale's place.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a look. Whatever this was, it wasn't over yet.