Teen Wolf: Alpha Reborn

Chapter 12: Friendship

Ash swirled in the air, still settling from the battle. Scott's chest heaved with the remnants of adrenaline, and he felt more alive than ever. But as the dust cleared and reality began to settle in, Derek's eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked from the remains of the ghoul back to Scott.

"How do you know my name?" Derek's voice was low, suspicious. His tone made it clear he wasn't in the mood for games. There was an edge to him now, a defensiveness that had little to do with what just transpired and more to do with the wounds that time hadn't yet healed.

Stiles fidgeted next to Scott, shifting awkwardly before finally breaking the silence. "Uh, I know about you because of, you know, the fire. The one that killed your family." Stiles hesitated, his voice softening. "It was a pretty big deal around here."

Derek's eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. The mention of the fire, the tragedy that had stolen nearly everything from him, was like reopening an old wound. He clenched his fists, but he didn't say anything.

Scott, sensing the tension, stepped in. "I know about you because of the fire too," he said, his tone sincere. His gaze met Derek's, and for a brief moment, the bravado Scott usually wore so comfortably softened. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your family."

For a few seconds, there was only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. The words hung in the air between them, laden with a weight that even Scott couldn't brush off easily. Derek's face remained impassive, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—grief, anger, perhaps even gratitude. But whatever it was, he swallowed it down quickly.

The atmosphere felt thick with unspoken emotions, and Scott, never one to dwell in awkward silences, decided to change the subject. He glanced back at the pile of ash that was once the ghoul and raised an eyebrow at Derek.

"Have you ever seen one of those before?" Scott asked, motioning toward the remains.

Derek blinked, clearly relieved by the shift in conversation. "No," he admitted, his arms uncrossing as he relaxed slightly. "I've never seen one, but I've heard stories. My mother told me about ghouls once. They're rare, but dangerous. They feed on human flesh, and their stench gives them away long before they attack." He glanced at the spot where the ghoul had stood, frowning. "But I've never encountered one before today."

"Guess it's a good thing I was here then, huh?" Scott quipped, flashing Derek a confident grin.

Derek shot him a sharp look but didn't respond. He was still wary of Scott, uncertain of this teenage werewolf who seemed to wield power beyond what he should have.

Scott, sensing Derek's mistrust but not particularly bothered by it, clapped his hands together. "Well, it's been fun, Derek. I'm sure we'll see each other around." Without waiting for a response, he turned and nodded toward Stiles. "Let's go, Stiles."

As they walked away, Stiles glanced back at Derek, who was still watching them with narrowed eyes. "He doesn't like us, does he?"

Scott shrugged, completely unconcerned. "Eh, he'll come around."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "You sound pretty sure of that."

"I am," Scott replied, his tone full of that easy confidence he'd grown into since arriving in this world. "Derek's tough, but he's not the enemy. We'll need him at some point. He just needs to learn that I'm not like the other werewolves he's met."

Stiles snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. You're like a cheat code for this whole supernatural business."

Scott grinned, but it faded slightly as his thoughts shifted. They were heading toward the clinic, but Scott's mind was already elsewhere—thinking about the future, about the dangers that lay ahead. He glanced at Stiles, who was humming some tune under his breath, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of what was coming.