Chapter 58

Silver hated not being able to drive. It left him constantly dependent on someone else, and tonight that someone was Stiles, who had begrudgingly picked him up from Ren’s house and was now navigating the quiet streets toward Scott’s place.

“Like I said, I told my dad everything I could—” Stiles muttered as he, Scott, and Silver stepped inside Scott’s house. He tossed his keys onto the counter, the jingle of metal echoing sharply in the otherwise silent room.

“But you didn’t tell him about Liam?” Scott’s voice was tight, eyes flicking nervously between Stiles and Silver, still shaken from the night’s chaos.

“You barely told me about Liam! What did you even do with him?” Stiles shot back, spinning to glare at Scott.

Scott flicked a glance at Silver, silently pleading for backup. Silver, however, simply raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest, the faint kitchen light glinting off the scars along his temple.

“He’s upstairs…” Scott said finally, voice low, almost reluctant.

Stiles’s eyebrows shot up. “Doing what?”

Scott hesitated. “…Lying down.”

Silver tilted his head, tone dry. “That’s ominous.” He followed them up the stairs anyway, stepping carefully, each footfall quiet against the carpet.

Stiles stomped ahead, yanking the shower curtain back—and froze. Liam lay in the bathtub, his body wrapped in duct tape like something out of a poorly scripted crime drama. Muffled yells bounced off the tile, echoing unnaturally in the small bathroom.

Silver blinked twice, then slowly drew the curtain closed again. “Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered, voice soft, more to Scott than anyone else.

They retreated to Scott’s room, the tension lingering in the air. Stiles and Scott sank onto the foot of the bed, shoulders heavy with exhaustion, faces drawn and pale. Silver stayed near the wall, leaning against it with arms crossed, his scarred eye catching the dim glow of the bedside lamp.

“So… you bit him?” Stiles asked, voice tight with disbelief, eyes darting between Scott and Silver like he couldn’t quite believe the story he was hearing.

Scott shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. “…Yeah.”

“And you kidnapped him?” Stiles pressed, hands gesturing wildly, like he was trying to physically snatch some sense out of the air.

Scott squinted, clearly cornered. “…Kind of?”

“And you brought him here?” Stiles’s eyes widened with each word, his tone climbing higher, incredulity growing.

Scott’s shoulders tensed. “I panicked!”

Stiles blinked, then slowly nodded, mouth falling open in a dramatic gape. “Yup… this isn’t going to end with us burying the pieces of his body out in the desert, is it?”

A muffled yell came from upstairs, clearly audible over the creaking floorboards. Liam, still wrapped in duct tape, had overheard everything.

Silver, leaning casually against the wall with arms crossed, smirked. “If it does, I’m not digging. Just so we’re clear.”

Stiles snapped his fingers toward him. “Thank you, sarcasm—very helpful.”

“As a reminder,” Stiles continued, pointing at Scott like a teacher scolding a misbehaving student, “this is why I always come up with the plans! Because your plans? They suck!”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “His plans sometimes suck. Yours? They crash and burn spectacularly at least fifty percent of the time.”

“Fifty percent is still passing!” Stiles argued, wagging a finger at him.

Scott rubbed his face, exasperated. “I know—that’s why I called you, okay? So what do we do?”

Stiles’s so-called plan began with taping Liam to a chair. Silver gave Scott a look that clearly said you’ve got to be kidding me. Scott ignored it, crouching in front of Liam as Stiles ripped the tape from his mouth.

“Liam,” Stiles said, crouching to meet his eyes, “we’re going to talk. If you scream, the tape goes back on. If you whisper, it stays off. Got it?”

Liam nodded frantically, jaw tight from the tape burn.

“Okay,” Stiles continued, adopting a faux-serious tone. “You’ve seen a lot of confusing things tonight. And more confusing things are going to happen because of the confusing things that already happened tonight. Do you understand?”

Everyone blinked at him.

“…Not really,” Liam admitted weakly.

“Good. That’s good,” Stiles said proudly.

Silver rolled his eyes. “Stiles, please speak normally.”

Stiles sighed dramatically, pointing at Scott. “Fine. Maybe you should tell him, Mr. Straight-to-the-point.”

Liam’s voice cracked. “Tell me what?”

Scott exhaled, voice softening. “Liam… what happened to you, what I did to you—which I had to do to save you—it’s going to change you.”

“Unless it kills you,” Stiles muttered under his breath.

Silver smacked the back of Stiles’s arm. “Really? Real inspiring pep talk there.”

Liam’s eyes went wide, lip trembling as if he might cry.

“Uh-oh. Is he crying?” Stiles whispered.

Scott crouched lower, calm and steady. “Liam, it’s okay. You’re not going to die. I promise.”

“Probably not…” Stiles muttered, earning a sharp look from Silver.

“Okay, okay—possibly not,” Stiles corrected quickly, hands raised in surrender.

“Would you just help me untie him?” Scott snapped, shooting Stiles a glare.

Together, they pulled the tape off Liam. Scott checked him over quickly. “Are you okay?”

Before Scott could even finish, Liam grabbed the chair he’d been tied to and slammed it into both Scott and Stiles, sending them sprawling.

“What the hell is your—” Stiles started, but a sharp punch from Liam cut him off.

Silver chuckled, strolling lazily to the doorway. “Called it.” He leaned against the frame like he was watching a show he didn’t want to miss.

Liam bolted down the hall, then froze as confusion flickered across his face, glancing down at his leg before spinning around to see Scott and Stiles stumbling after him.

“Ahhh! Get him!” Stiles yelled, charging forward with Scott.

All three collided at the top of the stairs, tumbling into a chaotic heap of limbs, shouted curses, and muffled groans.

Silver smirked, perching casually on the top step. “This is better than TV.” He gave a small wave at Liam as the boy scrambled past and bolted out the wide-open front door.

“Leg! I got him! I got him! I got him!” Stiles shouted from the floor, wrestling pointlessly with Scott.

Silver whistled sharply. Both of them froze and looked up. He lazily gestured toward the door. “Newsflash: he’s gone.”

They turned to see the door gaping open, the night beyond it silent and empty.

Scott groaned, collapsing against the floor, while Stiles slapped the wood in frustration.

Silver rose, hands in his pockets, smirk firmly in place. “For the record? Your plan sucked too.”

Scott shot him a look, but the corners of his mouth twitched. Stiles, flat on the floor, groaned again. “We are so dead.”

💰

Scott’s room was dim, the lamp on the nightstand spilling a warm light across the bed. Outside, crickets chirped steadily. Silver sat at the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, hoodie bunched at his back. He stared at the floor, jaw tight, hands clenching slightly in his lap.

Scott settled next to him, careful to leave just enough space for Silver to breathe, not crowding him. “So…” he started softly, hesitating, “how’d it go with your dad?”

Silver let out a dry laugh that cracked halfway through. “It didn’t,” he said flatly. He rubbed at the seam of his hoodie as if he could erase the tension stitched into it. “I was hoping—” He stopped, pressing his fingers against his brow, eyes dark. “I was hoping this time he’d finally admit it. Face what happened. Admit I’m not crazy. But…” His voice trailed off, fragile. “He didn’t. He just… changed the subject. Pretended again.”

Scott tilted his head, watching the way Silver’s hands tightened over his knees. “You’ve been carrying this forever,” he said quietly, voice low and steady. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted more.”

“I wanted the truth,” Silver muttered, voice barely above a whisper. “Just once. That’s all.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of it pressing down, until Scott’s eyes flicked to something — Silver wasn’t hiding. His hood was down, and the scarred eye glinted faintly in the lamp light, the silver shimmer beneath the cloudy surface catching Scott’s attention.

“You know…” Scott shifted slightly, trying to lift the heaviness in the air, “this is the first time you’ve walked around without hiding your eye since… that night.”

Silver blinked and gave a small shrug. “I keep forgetting,” he said simply. “Guess I stopped thinking about it.”

Scott’s lips curved into a small, fond smile. “Good. Because—” He hesitated, cheeks warming as he reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from Silver’s forehead. “Because it’s beautiful.”

Silver’s head snapped toward him, brow furrowed. “What?”

“I’m serious,” Scott said, voice soft, thumb grazing the edge of the scar. “The way it looks — the scar, the shimmer, all of it — it’s beautiful. It’s proof you fought and lived. It’s you.”

Scott slid his hand gently to the back of Silver’s neck, thumb tracing the edge of the mark. “I don’t want you hiding it anymore. Not from them. Not from me.”

Silver’s eyes softened, sidelong, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah? You gonna protect me from all the staring?”

“Absolutely,” Scott said, deadpan, but there was a quiet warmth under it. “I’ll snarl at anyone who even looks too long.”

Silver smirked, the corner of his lips twitching. “Hot.”

Scott laughed, shaking his head. “Come here,” he murmured, tugging Silver gently until their foreheads touched. The warmth of his breath brushed Silver’s skin, grounding him.

Silver exhaled, a small, shaky smile tugging at his mouth. “Fine. Maybe I won’t hide it. For you.”

Scott pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “For you,” he echoed, voice low and certain.

Silver groaned, leaning in anyway, letting himself be caught in the quiet intimacy of the moment. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love it,” Scott said, teasing, but there was tenderness beneath the words.

Silver’s smirk softened into something gentler, almost vulnerable. “Yeah,” he admitted quietly. “I do.”

💰

“These are your math notes? No wonder Malia’s failing,” Ren said, sliding into the empty seat next to Lydia in biology. He leaned over, peering at her screen full of numbers, letters, and strange symbols. “Seriously, some of this looks like alien hieroglyphics.”

“Some of them are my notes,” Lydia murmured, eyes narrowing as she scrolled, “but the rest… I think it might actually be a code.”

Ren raised his eyebrows. “You don’t remember writing it, do you?”

“Not in the slightest,” Lydia replied, her tone dry. “But considering my drawing of a tree led us to the Nemeton, I should probably figure out what it means before it tries to kill us.”

Ren leaned back in his chair, smirking faintly. “Maybe it’s like the Enigma code the Allies used?”

Lydia shot him a sidelong glance, unimpressed. “Sometimes I listen to my dad,” she muttered.

“I see,” Ren said, feigning understanding, though his eyes twinkled with amusement.

“I think it’s a variation on something called the Vigenère Cipher,” Lydia continued, scanning the letters with narrowed focus.

Ren tilted his head. “Do you know how to crack it?”

“With a key…” she started, pausing just as her mother appeared, holding out a set of keys.

“Remember the rules—no more than six people in the lake house, stay out of the wine, and if anything gets broken, it’s going on your credit card,” Natalie said briskly, holding the keys out to Lydia.

“Fine,” Lydia replied, reaching for them, but Natalie paused, holding the keys just out of reach.

“And lock up the basement! From all the scratch marks I found on the walls, it looked like a pack of wild animals got down there.” She finally handed Lydia the keys, then began to walk away.

Just then, Silver stepped out from the back row with Ren, adjusting his glasses. The light caught the subtle shimmer across his scarred eye, the lenses muting the raw red tones of the mark and giving him an almost scholarly, bookish appearance.

Natalie froze mid-step, her gaze softening in a way that startled even Lydia. “Silver,” she said quietly, her voice gentler than usual. “You look… good. The glasses suit you. They really bring out your eyes.”

Silver blinked behind the lenses, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. “Uh… thanks, Mrs. Martin,” he replied, a faint flush rising to his cheeks.

“They really do,” Natalie added, her brisk tone softened with warmth. “It’s nice to see you looking more like yourself.” She gave him a small nod before finally continuing down the hall, leaving Silver standing there for a brief moment, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

💰

Silver sighed as he turned the corner, catching Liam mid-step and making the younger boy jump. “Just stop,” he said, patting Liam’s shoulder with a dry, unimpressed look. “They’re not going to give up.”

Liam froze, blinking at him. “Who… what are you?”

Scott and Stiles came jogging up a moment later, panting slightly. “We need to talk—” Scott started, but Liam cut him off with a sharp hand gesture.

“No, you need to back the hell up, okay? All of you.” His voice cracked with frustration, and Silver raised an eyebrow, staying put, arms crossed like a brick wall.

“Can you just listen for one second? Please?” Scott asked, his tone pleading now.

Liam exhaled hard, running a hand through his hair, and finally waved a hand for Scott to go ahead.

“Liam… we’re brothers now,” Scott said, voice steady but intense, eyes locking on him.

Silver immediately shot Scott a side-eye, incredulous. “Wait. Brothers?”

Stiles, squinting and leaning slightly forward, muttered under his breath, “Oh God, that’s…”

Silver leaned toward Stiles, whispering with a smirk, “What the hell is he saying?”

“Don’t ask me,” Stiles whispered back sharply. “He’s your boyfriend.”

“What are you talking about? We just met, and you bit me,” Liam said, looking at Scott like he’d completely lost his mind.

“The Bite… the Bite is a gift,” Scott said awkwardly, and Stiles immediately slapped his own forehead.

“Scott, stop. Please. Stop,” Stiles said sharply, pointing at Liam. “You! You, we’re trying to help you, you little runt!”

Liam raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. “By kidnapping me?”

Stiles pursed his lips, nodding. “…Just to clarify, Scott kidnapped you, okay? I merely aided and abetted.”

Liam blinked at him, caught somewhere between suspicion and confusion, unsure if Stiles was joking or serious.

“Liam, I’ve gone through this before. Something’s happening to you—something big,” Scott said, stepping forward, hands slightly raised as if to comfort.

“Nothing’s happening to me,” Liam said firmly. He ripped off his bandage, revealing a perfectly healed arm. “Nothing!” He turned on his heel and started to stride away, every step sharp with frustration.

Silver let out a low whistle, eyebrows raised. “Well… that went great, sweetheart.”

Stiles groaned, collapsing back onto the nearest rock with exaggerated defeat. “Perfect. Love it. Nailed it.”

Silver leaned against a nearby tree, arms still crossed, smirking faintly. “Really, you guys might want to rethink the approach next time. Step one: don’t terrify him into thinking we’re all insane.”

Scott gave Silver a sheepish glance. “We’re doing our best.”

Silver shook his head, adjusting his glasses, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Your best… is adorable, but also terrifying.”

💰

“I’m not sharing my basement,” Malia said flatly, arms crossed, as the pack clustered between two school buses.

“Actually, it’s my basement,” Lydia corrected, flipping her hair back. “And my mom noticed how you tore it up last time.”

“Alright, she’s still learning,” Stiles said, holding up his hands defensively in front of Malia.

“We’re going to use the boathouse for Liam,” Scott cut in, trying to sound in control. “It’s got support beams—we can chain him to one of them.”

They all stared at him.

“Wait. Chain him?” Ren asked slowly, arching an eyebrow. “You know how that sounds, right?”

“But how do we even get him out to the lake house if he doesn’t trust us?” Kira asked.

“I say if it keeps him from murdering someone, we chloroform the little bastard and throw him in the lake,” Stiles said, gesturing dramatically with both hands.

“I’m in,” Malia said immediately, raising her hand.

Silver, leaning against one of the buses with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, gave a low chuckle. “Bold plan. Morally questionable. But bold.”

Ren smirked faintly and added, “Sounds like a Tuesday night with you guys.”

“We’re not killing or kidnapping him!” Scott said firmly.

Silver raised his brows. “Kinda late for that part, babe.”

Scott shot him a look, but Silver only smirked.

“Then let’s be smarter. We tell him there’s a party and invite him,” Lydia suggested, her tone matter-of-fact.

Stiles squinted at her. “So, you’re going to ask out a freshman?”

“No. I’m done with teenage boys,” Lydia said, rolling her eyes.

Ren tilted his head, glancing between them. “Then who’s our bait?”

“If we’re playing a trick on someone…” Silver started, his tone sly. “Why not use the trickster?”

The whole group turned toward Kira.

“Who, me? No way. Not me,” Kira said quickly, looking around like she might find someone else to pin it on.

“Yes, you!” Lydia said brightly. “You know what they call a female fox? A vixen!”

Kira’s eyes widened. “Me?” she asked awkwardly.

Silver smirked, leaning forward slightly. “You can do it, Kira. Be a vixen. We believe in you.”

💰

“I just talked to Kira and Ren. They’re on their way. He said it’s all going fine,” Silver said as he and Scott pulled up to the lake house.

Scott frowned, sensing the shift in Stiles’ tone. “It’s not that… I have to tell you something,” Stiles said, pulling out his phone.

Silver raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Stiles scrolled a little, then looked up, a tight expression on his face. “I asked around about Liam. We know why he got kicked out of his last school.”

Scott and Silver exchanged a glance.

“This is going to be bad, isn’t it?” Scott asked.

Stiles let out a long sigh and nodded. “He kind of got into it with one of his teachers. The kid’s got some serious anger issues.”

Silver’s scarred eye narrowed. “How serious?”

Stiles handed Scott his phone. “Well… that’s his teacher’s car. After Liam took a crowbar to it.”

Scott’s stomach sank. On the screen was a photo of a car battered almost beyond recognition—windows shattered, tires flattened, scratches gouged deep into the metal spelling out ‘THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT.’

Scott turned the phone over in his hands, speechless. Silver let out a low whistle.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, his voice grim, “he’s not exactly… subtle.”

💰

Silver stood firmly between Scott and Lydia as the door creaked open and Liam stepped inside, flanked by Kira and Ren. The younger boy froze at the sight of all of them gathered. His shoulders stiffened, and he immediately turned on his heel to leave, but Ren moved quicker. He pushed the door shut behind Liam, forcing him back into the room, and offered a sheepish smile that didn’t quite land.

“Sorry,” Kira murmured, shifting awkwardly.

Liam’s eyes darted from face to face, his breath quickening. “What the hell is this?” he demanded, suspicion sharp in his voice.

“Think of it like an intervention,” Stiles said, stepping forward, his hands gesturing wildly as if that made the situation less threatening. “You have a problem, Liam—”

“And we’re the only ones that can help,” Scott finished, his tone gentler but firm, cutting in before Stiles could make it worse. He held Liam’s gaze, then launched into a careful explanation, laying out everything they’d kept from him until now.

Liam blinked rapidly, his confusion turning into disbelief. “Werewolf?” he asked, staring at Scott, who nodded silently.

“Werecoyote?” he asked next, eyes shifting to Malia. She gave a single nod, her posture tense, but her glowing eyes confirmed it.

“Banshee?” His gaze landed on Lydia, who managed a small, awkward smile before nodding as well.

“Fox?” he asked Kira. She shrugged, shoulders rising like she wanted to downplay it. “Kitsune. But ‘fox’ works,” she said softly.

Finally, Liam turned on Stiles. “What are you?”

Stiles hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh… for a little while, I was possessed by an evil spirit… very evil…” He trailed off, grimacing. The others nodded grimly, acknowledging the truth of it.

Liam crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. “What are you now?”

Stiles pursed his lips. “…Better?” he offered weakly.

“By the way,” Ren added quickly, raising his hands, “we’re just humans. Normal. No glowing eyes, no fangs, no banshee screams. Totally boring.”

Liam’s gaze flicked back to Silver, lingering for a moment on the glasses perched across his face, before sliding down to the faint scar by his temple. “What’s with the scars and missing eye then?” he asked bluntly.

Silver’s jaw tightened,”Not related to this right now.”

Before the silence could stretch, Liam’s eyes caught on the heavy chains lying coiled on the table. “Are those for me?” he asked, voice sharpening with unease.

“No, they’re for me,” Malia interrupted. She stepped forward, letting her eyes flash a vivid, unnatural blue. The sudden glow made Liam recoil, his back hitting the wall behind him.

“How did you do that?” he stammered.

“You’ll learn,” Scott said firmly, stepping forward. “But first, you need to get through the full moon.”

“The moon’s already out,” Liam shot back, irritation spilling into his words.

“And you’re starting to feel something, aren’t you?” Silver asked quietly. His good eye studied Liam closely, noting the tremor in his hands, the way his breath hitched like something was pressing on his chest.

Liam shook his head quickly, trying to deny it. “I feel like I’m surrounded by a bunch of psychotic nutjobs!” he yelled, his voice cracking.

“You guys are out of your freaking minds!” Liam’s voice climbed, panic lacing it now. “I don’t know how you did that eye-thing, and I don’t care—I’m walking out the door right now, and if any of you try to stop me, I swear to God, I’m gonna—” His threat broke off as he suddenly clutched his head, screaming in pain.

“What’s wrong, Liam?” Ren asked, his tone calm and steady despite the chaos.

“You don’t hear that?” Liam shouted, his voice shaking. His claws scraped against the side of his head like he was trying to block out a sound no one else could hear.

Headlights cut through the room as a car pulled up outside, flooding the windows with bright beams. Everyone’s eyes widened at once.

“Did you tell anyone about this?” Silver demanded, his voice sharp.

“My friend Mason…” Liam gasped, collapsing to the floor, his chest heaving as sweat rolled down his temple. “You said it was a party.”

“Who did Mason invite?” Stiles pressed urgently.

Kira darted to the window and glanced out, her eyes widening. “Everyone.”

A low growl rattled in Liam’s throat as his claws lengthened, dragging across the wooden floor and leaving deep grooves. His body jerked with spasms as he fought against the transformation overtaking him.

“The floors! Get him off the floors!” Lydia shrieked, panic flashing in her voice.

Liam’s head snapped up, his face twisted, eyes glowing, as he roared at her. Lydia stumbled back in fear, but Ren was faster—he grabbed her arm and pulled her sharply out of Liam’s reach.

“We need to get him to the boathouse—now!” Scott barked.

Silver moved before Scott could, stepping in front of him just as Liam lunged. “Scott, get back!” he barked, pressing his body between Scott and Liam, his shoulder colliding with Liam’s chest. His glasses slid down his nose but he shoved them back up with his good right hand, his scarred left side catching the pale light from the windows.

Liam roared, snapping his head toward Silver. His claws slashed the air inches from Silver’s arm, but Silver held his ground, muscles tensed like steel cables. His good eye flicked around the room, searching for anything to use.

His hand shot out and closed around the handle of an old shovel leaning against the wall. In one smooth motion he swung it like a bat. The flat of the metal blade cracked against the side of Liam’s head with a sharp, hollow CLANG.

Liam’s growl choked off; his claws retracted mid-swipe. He staggered, eyes rolling, and dropped like a stone to the concrete floor, groaning faintly.

Scott stared at Silver, half-shocked, half-relieved. “Silver—”

Silver lowered the shovel slowly, his good eye wide. “Did I just kill him?”

Scott dropped to one knee, two fingers pressed to Liam’s neck. “No,” he muttered, “but you definitely knocked him out cold.”

Silver blew out a breath, leaning the shovel against the wall. “Good. Because that’d be one hell of a first impression.”

Scott glanced up at him, exasperated but trying not to smile. “Nice swing.” Silver smirked, adjusting his glasses. “You wanted him restrained. I restrained him. He’s not dead. You’re welcome.”

Scott smiled softly despite himself, his hand coming to rest on Silver’s shoulder. “You always know how to keep me safe,” he murmured, warmth in his eyes.

Silver smirked, but there was softness there too. “Someone has to.”

They moved together to chain Liam to the post. The clatter of metal echoed around them as Silver worked quickly, his hands steady even as he kept his body angled protectively toward Scott. Every time Liam twitched or shifted, Silver braced, ready to push him back.

“He’s so young,” Silver said quietly, his voice almost lost under the faint lap of water outside. His good eye flicked over Liam’s slumped figure, the pale skin, the trembling in his hands.

“He is. Only fifteen,” Scott said, his tone tinged with regret. His eyes flicked toward Silver, protective even now.

“What exactly are we going to do with him?” Silver asked.

Scott sighed softly. “We’re going to help him.”

Silver raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. “And if he doesn’t want our help? Especially when he finds out about all the supernatural drama that tends to follow us?”

Scott’s gaze softened as he looked at Silver. “He will,” he said firmly, the kind of certainty only Scott could summon.

Silver chuckled and shook his head. “I envy how you can be so confidently sure all the time.”

For a moment, silence fell, only broken by Liam’s shallow breaths and the faint thump of bass from the distant party.

Scott’s head tilted slightly. “I can hear the music from the house,” he murmured.

Silver furrowed his brow, listening. “What the hell are they playing?”

“Electronic,” Scott replied with a small smile.

Silver hummed and nodded, leaning a shoulder against the post opposite Liam. “Do they ever play slow songs at parties, or is that just school dances?”

Scott raised an eyebrow at him. “Why? You like slow songs?”

Silver’s mouth quirked into a faint smile. “Maybe… if I had someone to dance with.”

Scott’s lips curved, and he shifted subtly closer, his hand brushing Silver’s as if to say I’m right here. “Maybe you do,” he murmured.

“Come here,” Scott said, holding out his hand. Silver furrowed his brows, but he let Scott help him up, letting himself be pulled toward the water. Scott pulled his phone out and searched for a slow song. When the music started playing, Silver couldn’t help but laugh softly as Scott set the phone down.

Scott walked back to him, holding out his hand with a teasing smile. Silver returned the smile but glanced toward Liam, who was sitting off to the side.

“What about him?” Silver asked.

Scott shrugged casually. “He can dance with me next time,” he said, earning another soft laugh from Silver as he took Scott’s hand.

Scott pulled him closer, and Silver felt warmth spread through him. “I’ve got a question,” Silver said, his thumb brushing over Scott’s hand as he intertwined their fingers.

“What?” Scott asked, tilting his head.

“How are you so good at staying in control on a full moon?” Silver said, a mixture of curiosity and admiration in his voice.

Scott smirked. “A lot of it is making sure my pulse doesn’t spike, heart rate stays steady… The rest is because you would probably kill me if I lost control,” he said, making Silver laugh and nod slightly.

“So, you’ve mastered all of it?” Silver asked, raising an eyebrow.

Scott shrugged. “It still takes a lot of concentration,” he admitted.

Silver’s brow lifted playfully. “So… if something were to distract you?”

Scott’s lips quirked as Silver leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He chuckled softly.

“I’m in-distractable,” Scott said, smirking.

“Is that a challenge I hear?” Scott teased, brushing a hand over Silver’s neck.

Silver smiled. “Is it?”

Silver chuckled before grabbing the back of Scott’s neck and pulling him into a slow, deliberate kiss. Scott hummed softly, melting into it for a moment before pulling back slightly, shaking his head.

“Nothing?” Silver asked, teasing.

Scott just smiled and shook his head.

Silver leaned in again, pressing a soft kiss to Scott’s jaw and letting his lips trace upward along the line. Scott closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

“Anything?” Silver whispered when he pulled back, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Scott opened his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing.”

Silver raised an eyebrow, amused. “Is that so? Then what’s the cause of the red eyes I’m seeing?”

Scott smiled sheepishly, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“Cheater,” Scott said, chuckling.

“You said you were indistractable,” Silver replied.

“Well… yeah, just not with you. You always distract me,” he admitted, making Silver smile warmly.

“Not surprising,” Silver said, before pulling Scott back into a deep, lingering kiss. Their lips moved in perfect sync, slow and teasing, until Silver’s brow furrowed. He pulled back slightly at the sound of a low growl.

“That didn’t sound like your growl,” he said, glancing toward the boathouse.

They turned to see Liam wide awake and fully wolfed out, growling at them.

“Those chains are definitely not going to hold him, huh?” Silver asked, eyes narrowing.

Scott shook his head. “I think they can… definitely. He can’t be that strong,” he said, though his voice carried tension.

A heartbeat later, Liam broke through the remaining chains with a deafening snap, roaring furiously. He launched himself toward the window, smashing through the wood and glass in a blur of claws and rage.

The forest around the lake trembled with Liam’s furious growls, the sound echoing off the tall pines and bouncing across the still water.

“GRRRRRRR!” Liam’s roar tore through the night air, a mix of fear and rage that made Silver’s stomach twist.

“Liam!” Scott shouted, sprinting after him, boots crunching on the leaf-strewn ground. “Liam, wait! Stop!”

“What did you do to me?” Liam barked, his claws scraping the dirt as he surged forward like a living hurricane.

“Liam…” Scott began, his voice trembling, but the younger wolf ignored him entirely.

“This is your fault! It’s all your fault! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” Liam bellowed, voice cracking in fury. “AHHH!”

Silver’s heart pounded. He could see Scott’s desperation, the strain in his shoulders as he tried to reach Liam, and he felt powerless. Then movement from the shadows caught his attention. Argent appeared, stepping forward with a strange device that pulsed with low-frequency sound.

The vibrations rippled through the ground, and Liam staggered slightly, a growl rumbling deep in his chest as the force nudged him toward the woods. Silver blinked, adjusting his glasses, his right eye scanning Liam’s erratic movements.

“Dad?” Silver called, uncertainty in his voice.

“How did you know?” he asked, his tone calm, almost eerily so.

“Scott texted me,” Argent replied, his voice firm. “There’s a clearing just north of here. All you have to do is corral him there—the rest is taken care of.”

Scott skidded to a halt behind them, chest heaving and eyes wild with worry. “What are you going to do?”

“He’s your Beta, Scott,” Argent said, his gaze sharp. “The better question is… what are you going to do?”

Scott ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched into every line of his face. “He won’t listen to me.”

“He will,” Argent said firmly. “If you start using your own words.”

Silver swallowed hard, watching Liam thrash forward again. The younger wolf’s claws dug into the dirt, tearing grooves into the forest floor, and Silver could feel the raw power radiating off him. He took a cautious step forward, instinctively ready to intervene if Liam lunged again.

Then Liam’s roar split the night: “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Here. Go,” Argent commanded.

Scott hesitated only for a heartbeat, eyes flicking to Silver. The silent reassurance in that glance told Silver that Scott trusted him to stay safe, even in the chaos.

And then Scott bolted into the forest, weaving between trees as he raced to catch Liam, leaving Silver and Argent behind. Silver’s chest tightened as he watched him disappear into the shadows, the echo of Liam’s growls and Scott’s shouted warnings filling the night.

The forest went quiet for a beat after Scott vanished into the trees, leaving only the distant roar of Liam and the thrum of the sound diffuser. Silver stayed rooted to the spot, watching the shadows where Scott had disappeared until his breathing steadied again. His hand hovered at his glasses, adjusting them out of habit, trying to ground himself.

Argent powered down the diffuser, the low hum fading until the only sounds left were the crickets and the soft lapping of water against the lake shore. He glanced at his son.

“I’m sorry,” Argent said quietly. His voice wasn’t the clipped hunter tone he used in the field — it was softer, heavier.

Silver’s good eye flicked toward him, confusion etched across his face. “For what?”

Argent stepped closer, his boots crunching softly on the damp pine needles. “This isn’t on you, Arthur,” he said, using Silver’s given name. “I’m sorry you felt like you had to keep Kate from me. I’m still your father. You’re still my son.”

Silver shifted his weight, his shoulders tensing. “Dad, it’s okay—”

“No, it’s not.” Argent’s voice cracked slightly, but he steadied it. “You’re still my kid. You shouldn’t have to carry all of this on your back.”

For a moment Silver didn’t say anything, staring down at the forest floor, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. The moonlight caught the edge of his scar, making it glint pale.

“You’re not wearing your sunglasses tonight,” Argent said suddenly. “I can see your eye.”

Instinctively, Silver reached up, fingers brushing the scarred edge of his left cheek, tracing the skin just beneath the ruined eye. “Scott’s been helping me accept it,” he murmured, voice quieter now.

Argent’s expression softened. “He loves you,” he said simply, but there was weight behind it — approval, maybe even pride.

Silver exhaled slowly, shoulders loosening. “Yeah. He does,” he said, and there was a small, reluctant smile at the corner of his mouth. “And I love him.”

Argent’s gaze drifted back to the dark forest, his jaw working as if he wanted to say more but couldn’t. “He’s a good kid. But you’re my kid,” he said finally. “And I don’t want to lose you.”

Silver stood there, feeling the night press in around them, the distant sound of Scott shouting for Liam somewhere in the trees. “You won’t,” he said quietly.

Argent looked at him for a long moment, then nodded once, sharp and decisive, like he was locking the moment away. “Come on,” he murmured, reaching for the diffuser again. “Let’s back him up.”

Silver adjusted his glasses, his good eye narrowing toward the forest. “Yeah.” he said, tone steady now. “Let’s go.”