Training and party

After school, Alastor decided to go to Mr Tate's house to meet Malia. Mr Tate's house was on the outskirts of town, surrounded by woods, as if it were a natural place that protected its inhabitants from the world. Driving up in his black Mustang, Alastor got out of the car and went to the door. Mr Tate opened it almost immediately, as if he had been expecting this visit.

- Alastor! - he exclaimed happily, holding out his hand. - Thank you so much for finding my daughter. You have no idea what it means to us.

Alastor accepted his warm welcome with a slight smile. He had always been surprised by such genuine kindness, for in a thousand years he had rarely met such people.

- Glad to help, Mr Tate, anyone in my position would do the same. - He replied calmly, nodding politely in respect.

Tate escorted him into the house where Malia was already getting ready. A few minutes later they got into the car and headed for a modest steakhouse on the outskirts of town.

The atmosphere in the place was pleasant: wooden tables, dimmed lights and the aroma of fried meat. Alastor ordered a medium-rare steak and a salad, though he was surprised himself - it was rare that someone could please his taste in food. However, the food was unexpectedly good. He watched with interest as Malia ate her steak. She clearly didn't bother with manners, just savouring every bite.

- You don't worry much about what others think, do you? - He remarked, looking at her with a slight smile.

Malia looked up, chewing on a piece of meat, and shrugged.

- Why? I'm just eating. Isn't that what people come here for?

Alastor liked her directness. He was used to people who tried to be something they weren't, hiding their identity behind masks. Malia was different - natural, genuine. It made her stand out.

After dinner, they headed into the forest where Alastor was going to begin her training.

Malia looked around, not quite sure what to expect. The forest was thick and the sounds of nature surrounded them, creating a secluded atmosphere. Alastor sat down on a large boulder, leaning on one arm, and watched her silently for a while before speaking:

- 'Werewolves use different methods to control their essence,' he began, his voice calm but firm. - Some find an anchor in the person they hold most dear. It helps them ground their power and not lose control. But. this method is for those who do not accept their nature, for those who fear their power.

He paused, allowing her words to penetrate Malia's mind.

- But your inner beast is not your enemy, Malia. It is a part of you, and it must be accepted. When you accept it, then you can control it.

Malia listened attentively, but her face expressed doubt. The memories of that first transformation, when she had lost control and torn her family apart, were still fresh. It was a wound that didn't heal so easily.

- I don't know...' she whispered, looking down at the ground. - What if I hurt someone again?

Alastor stood up from the boulder and slowly walked over to her, his gaze serious.

- I can help you,' he said calmly. - I will induce the transformation in you by force, but your job is to focus. Remember the sensations of the transformation, concentrate on the force that fills your body. Feel how it warms you from the inside out. Later you will be able to invoke the transformation by replicating those feelings.

Malia took a deep breath and nodded. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself. Alastor gave a short growl, his eyes glowed a bright red light, and Malia began to transform. Her body tensed and her skin began to fur, but this time she didn't lose control.

They trained until dusk. Alastor watched her every move carefully, correcting her when necessary. Malia still couldn't turn into a coyote, but she was able to partially transform.

-I doubt it will be enough for her to restrain herself during a full moon, but you can't learn that in one training session. - Alastair thought, mentally noting the need for daily self-control training, if she accidentally kills her father during the full moon, she will break.

As they drove home, Alastor wondered about the future of her training. He realised that the real tests were just beginning. When she learned to control her power, it would be time to teach her how to fight. These thoughts brought a slight but sinister smile to his face. Malia noticed it and involuntarily felt a shiver.

- What?' she asked, a little warily.

- 'Nothing,' he replied with a smirk, keeping his eyes on the road. - You'll find out soon enough.

The next day, Alastair arrived at the school with Malia. He helped her sort out her admission paperwork. At first, the principal had said the paperwork would take some time, but a couple of generous notes that happened to fall into his pocket magically sped up the process.

Later, at lacrosse practice, Alastair overheard Stiles and Scott talking. From it, he learned that a wolf hair had been found on the body of one of the recent victims. That surprised him. In ancient times, the ability to fully transform into a beast had been rare, but now only a few possessed the gift. Of all the modern werewolves, only the Hale family could have such power. But did that mean the alpha gathering the pack was one of them? Alastair wasn't sure. The Hales had a good reputation among wolves, and they wouldn't kill innocents. He needed to find out more about the victim and the current head of the Hale family before he could draw any conclusions.

He was brought out of his musings by the coach who was giving his motivational speech, boosting the morale of the players. Everyone dispersed to their positions and the game began. Although Alastair was immersed in his own thoughts, it did not stop him from scoring goals and delivering masterful passes. Scott McCall used his ability to perform moves unbelievable to the average person, even doing a somersault through three players before scoring a goal. This impressed the coach so much that he immediately made Scott a striker.

Later that evening, Alastair was driving behind Malia, pondering whether it was really a good idea to take her to a party on the night of the full moon. 'It's definitely worth it,' he decided. She needed to have some fun after everything that had come over her. And if she suddenly lost control, he could calm her down. After picking up Malia, they headed to Lydia's house, where the party was already in full swing.

Lydia's house was large and luxurious, a sign that her family was well-to-do. Alastair discreetly surveyed the facade, parking his car. Malia, looking out the window, whistled.

- I didn't realise Lydia had such a huge house,' she murmured.

Alastor nodded curtly, even though he'd lived in castles and mansions much larger than this one.

They entered the house where the party was already in full swing. People were dancing, laughing, and the smell of alcohol and teenage carelessness was in the air. Alastair didn't feel much attraction to such events, but Malia could benefit from it. Her life was just starting to get better, and perhaps she needed to feel like a normal teenager.

Alastair headed over to the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Malia reached for a glass for herself as she followed him, but he slapped her playfully on the arm.

- You're too young for such drinks,' he said with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow.

Malia frowned and stretched out pitifully:

- But I'm sixteen, the same age as you!

Alastair laughed loudly, taking a sip from his glass.

- I'm sixteen and a half,' he teased, eyes flashing mockingly.

Malia glared at him angrily, but didn't insist any further. 'You should know how old I really am,' Alastair thought to himself with a slight chuckle. Someday he would tell her, but today was not that day.

Leaning back against the wall, he allowed himself to relax and look around. His gaze stopped on a guy standing not far from Scott, staring at him intently. It was a werewolf, and Alastair felt it immediately. But not just any werewolf - he had Hale blood in him. Now that he was standing next to him and Malia at the same time, he noticed that there was something similar in their scent.

'Malia's a Hale, too,' his mind raced.

But that didn't make any sense, the Hales wouldn't abandon their child. 'But how did she end up adopted into the Tate family?'

Questions began to pile up in his mind, confusing the picture more and more. The guy he saw wasn't an alpha, but he might know more than Alastair. Tonight, however, he wasn't going to find out the answers - tonight was for Malia.

- Shall we go dancing? - He asked, distracting her from her dull thoughts.

Malia, feeling a sudden surge of mood, nodded. They went to the dance floor. Whether it was the effect of the full moon or her attraction to Alastair, something inside her was burning. Noticing a couple kissing nearby, Malia suddenly felt an inescapable urge to do the same.

Without thinking, she reached up and kissed him. Alastair was slightly surprised at her boldness, but responded to the kiss, their tongues beginning a passionate struggle for dominance. However, Alastair came out victorious as always, submitting her to his will.

But at that moment he felt the full moon affecting her. The heat in Malia's body increased, her arousal mixed with her wolf nature began to turn. Alastair was quick to notice this. He moved sharply closer to her face so that only she could see his eyes. His eyes turned red.

- Calm down,' he commanded in a firm voice.

Malia felt as if she'd been brought out of a trance. She took a deep breath and her turning stopped.

- Thank you,' she whispered, feeling relieved.

Alastair grinned.

- 'Let's save the kissing for next time,' he said with a charming smile, making her blush.

Alastair realised that while he and Malia had been kissing, Scott and the boy from the Hale family had disappeared. Apparently Scott was starting to lose control and Hale had decided to follow him to make sure he didn't hurt anyone. 'If he's so concerned for the safety of those around him, then he's probably not in league with Alpha,' Alastair thought to himself, but immediately dismissed the thought. 'I have too little information right now to draw such conclusions.'

Alastair decided not to think about it just yet. He and Malia sat down in a secluded spot, cuddled together. Alastair drank his whiskey slowly and told her funny stories that had accumulated over his unusually long life, and Malia laughed out loud at each one, feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time.