Scott and Allison settled into the back seat of the huge SUV.
The car sped off through the semi-dark streets of “Mystic Hills,” and at first, only the low hum of the engine could be heard.
Scott turned to Allison, his face still a little pale, but his eyes had regained their normal sparkle.
He leaned closer to her, shook his head with regret, and then whispered in a very low tone so her father wouldn’t hear:
– Allison… I’m so sorry.
I didn’t mean to appear so crazy in front of your house.
Allison looked at him with concern and whispered in turn:
– Don’t apologize, I was just terrified for you.
Are you sure you’re not in pain?
Scott smiled weakly and continued his whisper:
– I’m fine, believe me.
It’s just that… I really wanted to take you to that stargazing date we agreed on, and I didn’t want to be late.
But it seems my plan went completely the wrong way.
Allison’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she looked down, smiling softly, then whispered:
– Don’t worry about that at all… at least we’re together now, even if my dad is driving.
A faint, muffled laugh escaped Scott:
– Yeah, with a “driver” whose gaze can pierce glass.
Allison laughed lightly, covering her mouth so her voice wouldn’t be too loud, and whispered:
– Be careful, he can hear a pin drop when it comes to me.
Meanwhile, Chris’s expression in the front seat changed.
His eyes darted up to watch the rearview mirror, and annoyance was evident on his stern features from these exchanged whispers and laughter.
Chris cleared his throat loudly, breaking the harmony in the back, and said in a booming, firm voice:
– So… Scott, right?
You haven’t told me what a boy your age was doing running through the woods and tumbling over roofs at this hour of the night?
Scott stopped laughing abruptly, swallowed nervously:
– Uh… sir, I… I was jogging.
Yes, night jogging helps me concentrate for American football games.
Chris raised an eyebrow, looking at him in the mirror:
– Night jogging?
Through the Mystic Hills forest?
Don’t you know the town has recently seen violent “animal attacks”?
Aren’t you afraid of wolves… or anything else that might be lurking in the dark?
Allison felt the tension rising, so she intervened:
– Dad, please, it was just an accident, and he didn’t know.
But Chris didn’t back down; he continued to direct his sharp gaze through the mirror at Scott:
– I’m asking Scott, Allison, I want to hear from him.
Tell me, son, what do you think of these predators that are said to be roaming around?
Scott felt a cold sweat break out on his back and tried to keep his voice calm:
– I… I don’t know much about them, sir.
I’m just a high school student, and I’m trying to focus on my studies and my sport.
Chris replied in a calm tone, but with an underlying threat and great mystery:
– That’s good.
Focusing on sports is excellent.
Because the environment here can be very dangerous for those who don’t know their limits… or for those who meddle in things that don’t concern them.
Allison looked at her father with annoyance:
– Dad, stop scaring him!
Chris suddenly stopped the car at the edge of the town square, where colorful lights and people were gathering to watch the comet.
He turned his body completely to the back, looked directly at Scott with piercing eyes, and said:
– We’ve arrived.
Enjoy the comet night… but remember, Scott, watch your step carefully in this town, the roads here are full of surprises.
Scott nodded slowly, trying to pretend to be brave:
– Thank you for the ride, sir.
Have a good night.
Allison opened the door and got out, followed immediately by Scott, while Chris’s eyes continued to follow them until they disappeared into the crowds gathered under the sky awaiting the comet.
Scott and Allison rushed into the crowds that filled the town square.
The atmosphere was charged with a kind of mysterious magic; hundreds of Mystic Hills residents stood side by side, whispering in anticipation, holding small white candles that illuminated their faces with a warm light that danced with the cool night breeze.
Scott picked up two candles from the nearby platform, turned to Allison, a warm and relieved smile shining on his face after all the divine tension he had experienced.
He brought his flame to hers, so the fire transferred gently and illuminated her hazel eyes.
Scott looked into her eyes and said in a low voice:
– So this is… comet night.
It looks much more beautiful than I imagined.
Allison smiled as she looked at the candle in her hands:
– Yes… there’s something magical about seeing everyone gathered like this.
– I wouldn’t have missed this for anything in the world…
Before he could finish his words, gasps of astonishment and wonder rose from the crowds in the square.
Everyone turned towards the horizon, where the silence of the night was suddenly broken.
The comet appeared in the middle of the sky as a majestic celestial body, dragging behind it a long, glowing tail of cosmic dust and burning gases.
It wasn’t just a passing meteor; it seemed close and huge, as if touching the edges of the forest surrounding the town.
Suddenly, the sky filled with millions of stars that seemed brighter than ever before, as the comet slowly and steadily made its way, painting the dark sky with a stunning visual palette of luxurious royal purple mixed with a magical silver shimmer.
Scott and Allison stood contemplating the scene with wonder and awe, the purple light reflecting on their faces.
Scott felt at that moment that the time had come, and that his heartbeats, which had been racing because of the “werewolf” inside him, were now racing for a purely human reason.
He turned to her, swallowed, and then said in a voice full of emotion:
– Allison… look at me, please.
Allison turned her gaze from the purple sky to look at him with surprise:
– What is it, Scott?
Scott took a deep breath and said with sincerity and overwhelming emotion:
– I know everything seems crazy, and I know we’re in the middle of a chaos I don’t fully understand… but amidst all this, there’s one thing I’m sure of.
Allison… I love you.
Allison’s eyes widened, and she felt a strong hesitation sweep through her chest; everything had happened so quickly between them, and it hadn’t been long since she met him.
She took a small step back, murmuring:
– Scott… I… I don’t know what to say, this is all happening so fast…
But when her eyes met Scott’s, she found nothing but sincerity, warmth, and pure, life-filled love, a love that made her feel a sweetness and warmth spreading through her veins, erasing all her fears.
She smiled gently and said, her eyes shining:
– Me too… I love you, Scott.
Scott’s hand moved slowly to intertwine with her fingers, and they moved closer to each other until their breaths almost merged, and they closed their eyes, about to share their first kiss under the purple sky…
– Allison.
The voice boomed like a thunderclap that ripped through the dreamy moment.
Chris Argent suddenly appeared from nowhere, materializing like a terrifying shadow between them.
He stood at his full height, his eyes radiating a deadly, cold, and harsh glare fixed directly on Scott.
Scott instinctively recoiled in extreme panic, his blood freezing in his veins from the surprise and Chris’s terrifying presence.
Scott looked around in confusion, then stammered incomprehensible words, and turned, running to quickly disappear into the crowd, leaving Allison alone.
Allison turned to her father, her face burning red with embarrassment and anger, and shouted at him furiously:
– What did you just do?!
What was that, Dad?!
How could you do this to me in front of everyone?!
Chris replied in a firm, harsh, and unsympathetic tone:
– What I did was protect you.
You’ve known this boy for at most a week, Allison!
Allison cried, tears about to fall from her eyes:
– And what does the duration matter?!
It’s comet night, and we weren’t doing anything wrong!
Chris interrupted her sternly, pointing his finger in the direction Scott had fled:
– I will not allow him, and I will not allow any insignificant boy like him, to put his dirty lips on my daughter!
You still know nothing about this world, or about the type of people you are getting close to!
Allison shook her head in furious anger and said, her voice trembling:
– You’re not protecting me, you’re just trying to control my life and everyone I breathe next to!
I hate this!
Without waiting for a response from her father, Allison turned away in anger and pushed her way through the crowd, moving away from him, while Chris remained standing in his place, watching her with calm, piercing eyes, his gaze shifting between his angry daughter and the shadows where Scott had disappeared.
Allison wove her way through the crowd, her eyes glistening with pent-up tears of anger, trying to get as far away as possible from her father’s sharp gaze.
She didn’t need to turn around to feel the weight of the situation, but what made it worse was seeing four girls standing in the corner of the square, the candles in their hands illuminating the shock and bewilderment on their faces.
Lydia, Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline were standing together, and unfortunately, they had witnessed the entire drama from the very beginning until Scott’s humiliating escape.
Caroline was the first to speak, her features a mix of awe and intense curiosity.
Approaching Allison, she said in a barely audible voice:
“Oh my god, Allison! Was that really your father? He appeared out of nowhere like some kind of ninja out of the dark!”
Elena shot her a gentle look of reproach to silence her, then stepped forward, looking at Allison with deep empathy.
“Caroline, not now, for heaven’s sake… Allison, are you okay? I’m so sorry we saw that, but your father seemed… incredibly strict.”
Wiping her cheek quickly with the edge of her sleeve, Allison tried hard to compose herself, answering in a choked voice:
“I’m fine… just… I feel so humiliated. I can’t believe he did that in front of me, and in front of everyone!”
Lydia shook her head dismissively, fixing a strand of her strawberry blonde hair while looking toward the direction where Scott had vanished.
She spoke in her usual sarcastic tone:
“The real embarrassment isn’t your father, sweetie. The embarrassment is that boy, ‘Scott.’ I mean, he literally evaporated into thin air the moment your father looked at him! Is this the prince charming you were telling us about? He ran faster than the comet itself!”
Bonnie quickly intervened, trying to soften the tension, and placed her hand on Allison’s shoulder.
“Lydia, stop it. The boy was terrified, and Allison’s father really does have an intimidating aura. Even I got goosebumps when he looked at us.”
“We’ve only been in Mystic Hills for a week, and he’s treating me like a prisoner! Scott didn’t do anything wrong, we were just… we were having a private moment.”
Caroline commented again, putting her hands on her hips and sighing with frustration:
“Oh, believe me, I completely understand. Parents have a superpower for ruining romantic moments. My mom spent the whole night at the police station because of this alleged ‘animal attack,’ and when I asked to go out, she gave me a lecture about being back at ten sharp! As if the comet is going to wait for her schedule.”
Elena took a deep breath and spoke calmly, trying to soothe Allison’s distress:
“Don’t let this ruin your night, Allison. Your father is acting out of fear for you because you’re new here, and the town has been strange lately. As for Scott… if he really loves you, he’ll come back and talk to you tomorrow at school, and your father won’t stop him.”
Lydia looked at her candle and then up at the enchanting purple sky, saying lightly:
“Elena is right. Now, since the family drama is over, and since the sky is painted this stunning shade of purple… what do you say we enjoy the Night of the Comet and forget about men and their harshness for a while?”
Allison looked at her new friends.
Despite the raging anger she felt toward her father and the disappointment of Scott’s escape, having the girls stand around her brought a sense of warmth and safety in this mysterious town.
She gave a weak smile.
“Okay… let’s go. I really need to get away from my dad’s surveillance.”
In a dark corner behind a parked truck at the edge of the square, Scott leaned his back against the metal wall, sweat pouring heavily from his forehead.
He was panting hard, closing his eyes and pressing his fists against his head, trying with all his might to suppress the monster lurking within him.
He felt his fangs on the verge of extending again, and the sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears like drums.
Scott muttered hoarsely and angrily, his eyes flashing gold for a brief moment:
“Damn him… damn you, Chris Argent! Who does he think he is? He almost exposed me… he almost ruined everything!”
“Scott!!!”
The darkness suddenly split to reveal Stiles out of nowhere.
He was panting, his face red from running, and his eyes wide with panic.
He rushed toward his friend and shouted in a mixture of anger and dread:
“Where the hell have you been?! Do you know how much I looked for you?! I searched every single inch of this stupid woods, and calling Deputy Liz几乎 landed me in jail!”
Scott quickly slapped his hand over Stiles’s mouth, whispering with restrained fury:
“Keep your voice down, Stiles! Please, I am in no condition to listen to your shouting right now!”
Stiles shoved Scott’s hand away and stared at him in disbelief, inspecting his torn clothes and pale face.
“What happened to you? And why do you look like you got hit by a semi-truck? Wait… did you turn? Did you hurt anyone?! Scott, tell me you didn’t eat anyone tonight!”
Scott shook his head, trying to catch his breath.
“No, I didn’t hurt anyone. But Allison’s father’s car actually *did* hit me!”
Stiles’s eyes widened in shock, and he grabbed his own head with his hands.
“Chris Argent the werewolf hunter hit you with his car?! Oh my god, does he know? Does he know that you’re… a werewolf?”
Scott sighed in frustration.
“I don’t think so, I reverted to my human form quickly. But it’s getting worse, Stiles. I was with Allison in the square, and we were… we were about to share our first kiss, and suddenly Chris appeared out of nowhere like a nightmare!”
Stiles let out a low whistle, unable to suppress his sarcastic tone.
“Wow… impeccable timing from your future werewolf-hunting father-in-law! And what did you do? Did you stand heroically and defend the love of your life?”
Scott looked down in shame.
“I ran, Stiles… I ran and left her there alone with her father. The look in Chris’s eyes… it wasn’t just the look of an angry dad. It was the look of someone who knows exactly what I am, or at least suspects something dark inside me. I felt myself trembling with fear, and I couldn’t control it.”
Stiles’s expression shifted from sarcasm to serious concern.
He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice:
“Scott, this isn’t normal. The Argent family… they are dangerous to you. Allison’s father isn’t just a strict guy, he’s a lethal werewolf hunter who would shoot you without hesitation. You need to stay away from Allison for a while, at least until we figure out what’s going on in Mystic Hills, and until you learn how to control this stupid shift.”
Scott looked toward the brightly lit square under the purple sky, where Allison was disappearing into the crowd with her friends.
He spoke, his eyes filled with conflict and pain:
“I can’t, Stiles… I really love her. But I’m terrified that being near her will lead her father straight to me… or worse, that I’ll lose control one day and hurt her myself.”
Stiles grabbed Scott’s arm and gently pulled him toward the Jeep parked in the distance.
“Let’s get out of here right now before her dad spots us again. We have a lot of research to do tonight… this Night of the Comet hasn’t brought us anything but trouble.”
As Stiles was pulling Scott toward the Jeep, the darkness split once more with the sudden appearance of Matt Donovan.
Matt was running, clear signs of panic and distress written all over his face; his hair was messy and he was hyperventilating.
He approached them, grabbing Stiles’s shoulder anxiously, his eyes darting between the two of them.
“Stiles! Scott! Thank God I found you… Have you seen Vicki? Has she passed through here?!”
Scott and Stiles froze in their tracks.
They exchanged a quick, tense look.
These days in Mystic Hills, any mention of Vicki Donovan was inevitably linked to mysterious and terrifying things.
Scott swallowed hard, looked at Matt, and shook his head.
“No… no, Matt, we haven’t seen her since we got to the square.”
Stiles added, trying to make his voice sound natural:
“Yeah, we haven’t caught a glimpse of her at all. Did something happen?”
Matt didn’t even wait to hear the rest of Stiles’s question; he let out a desperate sigh and said in a choked voice:
“Damn it! She’s unconscious again and she’s not answering her phone… I have to find her!”
He turned and ran off in another direction in sheer panic, cutting through the crowds to search for his sister.
Scott looked at Stiles, his golden eyes flashing with an instinctive anxiety as his supernatural senses picked up the faint scent of fear and blood in the air.
He said to Stiles in a decisive tone:
“Stiles, something is wrong. I can feel it.”
Stiles nodded tensely.
“And I don’t need werewolf senses to know that things are going to hell. Come on, after him!”
The two took off running after Matt, following him through the crowds until they reached the opposite side of the town square.