When Sean reached the spot where the gunfire had ceased, he saw that the hunters were still lingering.
As a hunter asked his companion about the whereabouts of the other werewolf with Derek, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows behind him. Sean buried his claws into the man's waist and let out a thundering "RRAAAAAAAGHHH!!" as he hoisted him into the air.
The Argent hunters whipped their heads around in terror at the sight of their comrade held aloft. Further off, Kate's eyes snapped open just as she was about to leave. They had captured Derek and were hauling him toward the dungeon by car. The roar had shaken her. She knew. That terrifying werewolf was enraged.
Sean tossed the hunter aside like a piece of trash. Then, he extended his hand toward the hunters who stood frozen in shock. The moment he slowly clenched his fist, stakes erupted from the shadows of every hunter, piercing through their hearts. Their blood stained the forest floor, and a beautiful, blood-red flower began to bloom.
As the hunters collapsed, Sean walked among them with the slow, measured steps of the forest's true master. His outward calm barely restrained the explosion of fury within. Not far from the scene, a group of hunters held a radio.
"Chris... Kate set him off. His attitude toward us has changed. Be careful. Take care of yourself." The man swallowed hard as he watched Sean approach with those steady strides.
Then, the veteran hunters triggered a trap beneath Sean. Just as a massive bear trap was about to snap his leg off, Sean caught the closing iron. He glared at the hunters with a hardened gaze. The hunters' eyes widened. How heavy was that trap? They couldn't even fathom it.
As Sean bent the iron of the trap and vanished, one of the hunters quickly threw a flashbang to the ground. "Close your eyes!"
The explosion of the flashbang illuminated the surroundings. When the hunter who threw it opened his eyes, he saw the remains of his comrades scattered everywhere. Feeling a horrific aura beside him, he turned his head.
A werewolf stood there, eyes glowing with rage. The whites of his eyes were fluid, as if shadows were leaking into the air. Sean grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. With his other hand, he took the hunter's flashbang, pulled the pin, and held it right to the man's eyes.
BOOM!
"AARRGGGHHH!!"
The hunter screamed in agony, his eyes bloody and his face scorched. Sean tightened his grip on the throat until the sound of snapping bone echoed, then dropped him to the ground. His own hand was bleeding from holding the flashbang, but it healed visibly before their eyes.
Looking at the tree the fallen hunter was slumped against, he wrote "BLOOD FOR BLOOD!" on the trunk using the man's blood.
Before Sean vanished into the woods, he hunted down the poachers, the bounty hunters, and the named hunters one by one. And he did it publicly. When Sheriff Noah arrived at the scene in the forest, it was Sean's handiwork that made him vomit. Corpses, their faces perfectly preserved in states of shock, fear, and sorrow from the moment they died, were impaled around the words "BLOOD FOR BLOOD."
Sean pushed open the vet's door, drenched in blood. Every step left a mark on the floor. The scent of fresh blood still radiated from his body. Deaton was treating Scott. When Sean walked in, Deaton flinched for a moment. A werewolf covered in blood he looked monstrous.
"How is he?" Sean asked simply.
"Fine," Deaton replied. "He'll heal. By tomorrow morning, there won't be a trace left."
Sean nodded, pulled up a comfortable chair, and looked at Deaton. "So, let's see... who are you?" His question carried a hint of curiosity. Deaton felt it, but when he turned his gaze from Scott back to Sean, he realized it wasn't curiosity it was a threat.
By morning, Sean had returned home. He was sitting with Stiles.
"Dude, did you see the murder in the woods today?" Stiles asked. "So cruel... my dad told me very little, but it didn't sound good at all."
Sean looked at him for a brief second. "Yes, I saw it. Very closely. I also saw them shoot Scott with a bullet."
Stiles gasped. "Huh? You were there? Who did it? Derek? The Alpha?"
"Me." The single word echoed in the room. Silence descended. Stiles' eyes widened in shock.
After a while, he forced himself to speak. "W-What do you mean 'me'? Sean, don't. You wouldn't do something like that. Didn't you always say violence isn't the answer? Isn't that why you quit martial arts? What's happening now?"
Sean cut him off. "There are people I need to protect. You, your father, Scott, my mother. I'm not Scott, Stiles. I don't protect people by making sacrifices or trying to be persuasive. I believe that striking fear into my enemies will keep them further away. And for that to protect you, I am willing to turn into a monster!" As he finished, Stiles witnessed Sean's werewolf eyes for the first time.
Stiles recoiled but eventually composed himself. He wanted to say something, but couldn't. The decision had already been made, and there was no going back. He could feel it.
Just then, Scott opened the door and walked in. Seeing Sean and Stiles, he said anxiously, "Allison is in trouble. Peter is targeting her. He might kill her." He started looking around to find where he'd put his phone.
Stiles, looking at Scott's frantic state, said, "Drop it, Scott. You can't protect everyone. Just think for a second, for me. The Alpha is obviously going to take Allison prisoner to save Derek. Isn't that clear?"
"And what if he kills her after he's used her?" Scott countered.
Sean interjected, "People were already dying, weren't they, Scott? Like you? You were about to die from an Argent bullet. If it weren't for Deaton, we might be burying your body by now."
Scott paused. "Allison isn't at fault. The hunter who shot me was someone else. If you're going to hate someone, hate him, Sean. We can't drag innocent people into this."
"I don't think there's anyone left to hate," Stiles said, casting sideways glances at Sean.
"Why?" Scott asked, just as the sound of a car approaching the house reached them. It was his mother.
Melissa McCall was sending a voice recording to Peter on her phone about their meeting yesterday. After the call ended, she started to cry.
Stiles asked, "What happened? Is your mom okay?"
"She's crying," Scott said.
Sean headed to the window and looked at the car. His hatred for Peter intensified. He was going to kill this Alpha no matter what!
Stiles, Sean, and Scott later went to school. After a routine day of classes, they got ready for the formal dance that evening. Sean dressed in a black shirt and linen trousers, adjusting himself in the mirror.
As he walked down the stairs, he saw his mother straightening Scott's tie. Hearing Sean, the two looked toward the stairs. Even Scott's jaw dropped. Melissa looked at Sean in amazement. "Sean... I'm sure all eyes will be on you at the party," she said proudly.
Everything was going well when they arrived at the party. Stiles asked Lydia to dance; Scott danced with Allison. Sean watched them from a distance, a glass of wine in his hand. When he saw Stiles and Lydia separate, he decided to follow them.
"Jackson?!" Lydia shouted.
Stiles saw the Alpha approaching her from a distance. He ran as fast as he could. "Lydia! Get out of there!" He ran, but he wasn't fast enough.
Peter brought Lydia down with his claws and bit her. Just as he was about to kill her, Stiles stopped him.
"You don't want her to die, do you, Stiles?" Peter said. "Then you must help me find Derek."
"How would I know where Derek is?" Stiles retorted.
"You're the smartest of them, Stiles. You always have a thought, a clue. TELL ME!"
As Peter brought his claw to Stiles' neck, he sensed a familiar killing intent. His eyes drifted to a corner in the distance where he saw Sean walking slowly toward him.
Stiles didn't notice. "Derek knew he'd get caught and took Scott's phone. We can find Derek through Scott's phone GPS."
Peter released Lydia and signaled for Stiles to follow him. Stiles nodded, and as he began to follow, a hand wrapped around his shoulder. "Hey buddy, don't worry, you're not alone. No need to be this tense. I told you just this morning I'd protect you." Hearing Sean's sincere voice, Stiles grabbed his arm, feeling an instant wave of relief.
Later, they drove to the parking lot. Peter, sensing the glares directed at him, said, "Hey, hey, don't be like that. If that girl survives, she'll be a werewolf."
"Yeah," Stiles snapped. "A werewolf who goes crazy once a month."
"She's a woman," Peter remarked. "So, twice a month."
Stiles was stunned for a second, then slammed his foot on the gas.
When they reached the lot, Peter handed over the nurse's laptop from his car. Using the GPS on Scott's phone, Stiles found the location and told Peter. Peter looked at Sean and walked away without a word. Stiles exhaled and collapsed to the ground in a fit of nerves as the car drove off.
Sean leaned down slowly beside him. "Exciting, isn't it, Stiles? This life adds a lot of thrill, even for me. But don't worry... I will kill him one day. I promise you."
At that moment, a howl reached their ears. It was Scott's howl. Then, another followed.
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Thanks for reading!!