In Argent house in the gun room Chris was loading up poisoned rounds into his rifle magazines.
"Chris," his wife called out to him. "I got the reports."
"And?" he asked, turning to her.
"No victims with drained blood so far."
He narrowed his eyes. "Which could mean one of two things—we're dealing with cursed vampires, or ones that feed only on animals or blood bags."
"Exactly," she nodded. "That's why our main focus should be on the Alpha. Oh, and I've got a report back on that kid."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "What's it say?"
"Clean. He's from Los Angeles. His father was a DEA officer—currently missing. His mom works at Beacon High, and he has a little sister.
"He had decent grades, he's quick on his feet, and his stamina is incredible compared to other kids—but nothing else stands out."
"Still, we should stay alert. There's a high chance the Alpha turned a teenager. They're the most likely to survive the bite.
Back at school, Iván sneezed. "Someone must be talking about me behind my back," he muttered.
"Iván! Over here!" Rowan called out, waving him over to a lunch table.
Iván joined them and set down his tray. "So, how were your classes?"
"Mostly boring," Rowan said with a yawn. "Hey, CJ, what about you?"
"I'm angry, that's what I am!" CJ huffed, grinding her teeth. "This school put me in Directed Studies. I don't need extra help!"
"Well, couldn't you get it changed?" Iván asked her.
CJ crossed her arms with a huff. "Yeah, I could try—"
Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Olivia! Come sit with us!"
She waved over a girl standing nearby. "I made a new friend. She's a little shy, but once she gets used to you, she really opens up."
Olivia, hearing her name, shuffled over and slid into the seat next to CJ.
"Um… hello," she said, giving a shy wave.
"No need to be shy," CJ said with a grin. "This is Rowan—my best friend, and he doesn't bite. And this is Iván. He's in our homeroom."
"We've met," Olivia said softly, glancing at Iván just for a small moment.
"Good, then! I have a feeling we're going to be great friends," CJ said with a grin.
Friends, huh?Iván thought, a small smile forming on his face.
"Yeah, I think so too," he said.
Rowan turned to Iván. "So, where are you from?"
"Los Angeles—a city of endless traffic," Iván said with a chuckle. "Seriously, it's the worst."
Iván leaned back slightly and added, "It's kinda nice not having to deal with that anymore."
"I'll bet," Rowan said. "I went through L.A. once to visit Disneyland, and let me tell you—it was awful. And why is everything so expensive? Seriously, four dollars for a bottle of water!"
"Well, that's Disney for you. I went once and never again," Iván said with a laugh. "Even my little sister doesn't want to go back. I mean, come on—two hours just to get on a single ride?"
"Oh, and you, Olivia," Iván said gently. "I heard from your dad that you just moved here too?"
She looked up, a little startled. "Huh?"
He smiled. "Sorry—I heard your last name is Argent, and I happened to run into Chris Argent on my morning run."
"Oh… yeah," she said, her voice soft but clearer this time. "We used to move a lot, and never stayed in one place too long."
She gave a small smile—still shy, but definitely starting to open up around them.
Behind them, Olivia's older sister stood watching with a small smile, glad to see her little sister making friends.
"So, Allison, tell me about yourself," Lydia asked, while Jackson shot a glare at Iván.
"Jackson," Lydia said, looking annoyed, "stop glaring at the freshmen, you look like a creep."
Back at Iván's table, they were deep in conversation when Scott and Stiles walked up to them.
"Hey, is this seat taken?" Stiles asked.
"Nope," Rowan replied. "Go ahead, grab a seat."
Both of them quickly sat down in the far corner, speaking to each other in low whispers.
Iván leaned over and whispered to Rowan, "So, you know them?"
"Yeah," Rowan nodded. "CJ and I went to middle school with them. They're a grade above us."
Then something strange happened. Everyone turned to look at Stiles and Scott — a low, unnatural growling sound was coming from Scott.
Stiles quickly grabbed him and ushered him out of the room, whispering something urgently.
"That was weird… hope he's okay," Iván said, concerned.
Rowan's eyes narrowed as he watched the two disappear. "Yeah… me too," he muttered, not entirely convinced.
"I wonder what… what is this feeling?" Iván muttered, placing a hand over his chest as a burning sensation spread through it.
"Are you alright?" Rowan asked, noticing the shift in his expression.
"Do you need medical help?" CJ asked, her tone sharp with concern.
"No, I don't think so," Iván replied, still puzzled. "I just… don't know what that was."
Rowan exchanged a glance with CJ and gave her a subtle nod.
Olivia, however, quietly asked, "Was it a burning feeling in your chest?"
The three of them immediately turned to her, surprised.
"How did you know?" Iván asked.
"Oh, um…" she stammered shyly. "It's just… the expression on your face. And you put your hand on your chest, so I guessed."
"Olivia, did you happen to study medicine or something?" Rowan asked.
"Oh, yes!" she nodded eagerly. "I want to work in the medical field," she added, a spark of admiration in her eyes.
Iván took in her words as he looked up at the ceiling. That strange feeling in his chest still lingered.
The discomfort was gone, replaced by something harder to explain—almost like the sensation he felt under the moonlight, but weaker.
That feeling clung to him a little longer. He turned, glancing past the cafeteria window and into the woods. For a brief second, he thought he felt… something.