They moved through the maze of boiler corridors, the air thick with heat and the low hiss of escaping steam.
Every corner looked the same—rusted pipes, valves, flickering bulbs.
But the Alpha's footsteps… were gone.
No growls.
No scraping claws.
Nothing.
They stopped, flashing the light forward to cut through the haze.
"Guys…" Asher suddenly halted, one hand raised. His ears twitched slightly. "Do you hear that?"
The others froze, listening.
A faint, rhythmic sound echoed in the distance.
Tring… tring… tring…
"A phone…" Erica whispered.
Asher nodded slowly. "Yeah. But whose—"
Scott's eyes widened, realization slamming into him. "That's Allison's ringtone."
Stiles groaned under his breath. Being normal really sucked.
"Wait—Ally's here?!" Erica asked, startled.
"Ally?" Asher glanced at her. "When did you two get that close?"
Scott cut in, urgent. "Stiles! Your phone—give it to me!"
"What? Why?"
"I can't find mine—just give it!" Scott said, already reaching for it.
Stiles fumbled it out of his pocket and handed it over.
Scott dialed fast. The ringtone echoed faintly again through the pipes before the line clicked.
"Allison?" he said quickly.
"Stiles?" came her confused voice through the speaker.
"No, it's me—it's Scott," he said, breath quickening. "Where are you?"
"Uh… at school," she said, puzzled. "I was looking for you. You said you'd come by—"
"Allison, listen to me," Scott interrupted, voice sharp. "Where exactly are you right now?"
"Um…" she hesitated. "First floor. Near the pool."
Scott's grip tightened on the phone. "Okay. Go to the front entrance. Now. Don't stop, don't wait for anyone. Just get there."
There was a short pause on the other end. "Scott… what's going on? Why do you sound—"
"Just do it, Allison!" he snapped, desperate.
"O-okay… okay, I'm going," she said, her voice small and uneasy.
The call ended.
...
The front doors creaked as they swung open, letting in a gust of cold night air.
Allison stood there, clutching her phone, confused but relieved when she saw Scott running toward her.
"What are you doing here?" Scott demanded, breathless.
Allison frowned. "Because you asked me to…" she said, her voice soft, uncertain.
"I… asked you?" Scott blinked, confused.
She hesitated, then pulled out her phone and showed him the screen.
A message glowed faintly on it:
[Meet me at school. URGENT — Scott]
Scott stared at it, his throat tightening. He slowly looked back up at her.
"I'm guessing that wasn't you," Allison said quietly, a nervous laugh dying on her lips.
"In fact, it wasn't," Scott said, voice tense. "I called you from Stiles' phone because I couldn't find mine."
"Wait," Stiles cut in suddenly, glancing around. "You came by car, right?"
"Yeah. With Jackson," Allison answered.
"There's even Jackson?!" Asher said, incredulous.
"And Lydia!" Allison added, voice rising. "She's with us—what's happening?! Who sent that message—"
Her phone rang again, cutting her off.
"Lydia," she said, relief flashing across her face as she answered. "Where are you?"
Before anyone could reply, the front doors behind them creaked again—
and Lydia stepped through, phone in hand, Jackson right behind her.
"There you are!" Lydia exhaled, brushing her hair back. "Finally. Can we get out now? It's freezing in here—"
Her words stopped when she noticed someone standing behind Scott.
"Oh, you're here too, Ashy," she said, waving casually.
Asher's brow twitched. "Yeah. Great timing, Lydia."
Jackson rolled his eyes. "Can we not do introductions in a haunted boiler room?"
Then—
A deep, metallic groan echoed from above.
The ceiling—specifically the piping network between floors—was bending, warping under pressure.
Everyone froze.
The sound grew louder.
Creak… crack…
They all looked up.
"Run!" Asher shouted, grabbing Erica's hand and pulling her away.
Scott didn't hesitate. He took Allison by the wrist and bolted after them.
Stiles, Lydia and Jackson following suit.
Behind them—
CRASH!
The roof caved in. Pipes burst, sparks flew, and something massive slammed into the floor in a cloud of dust and steam.
Scott's heart dropped.
Allison didn't understand. Neither did Lydia or Jackson.
But Asher, Erica, Stiles, and Scott knew exactly what it was.
The Alpha had found them.
...
They burst into the cafeteria, slamming the double doors shut behind them.
Scott and Jackson immediately grabbed the handles and threw their weight against them.
"Ehm, guys—" Stiles started, Asher right beside him.
"We have to block the doors!" Scott barked, ignoring him.
He and Jackson shoved a heavy ice cream freezer against the doors with a screech of metal.
"Guys, not here—" Asher tried to interject, but Scott and Jackson were already stacking tables.
"Girls! Help us out! Chairs—stack them!" Scott ordered.
Allison, Lydia, and Erica didn't hesitate. They grabbed every chair they could find and piled them against the barricade, the crash and clang of metal echoing through the room.
"Guys, it's Stiles talking…" Stiles tried again, waving his hands. "Guys…"
No one listened.
"Guys!"
That last shout didn't sound normal.
Asher's voice had changed—deeper, rougher, with a strange edge that vibrated in the air.
Not human. Not quite a growl.
Almost like… a fox's howl.
Everyone froze.
The sound cut through the room like an instinctive command, ancient and undeniable.
Scott and Erica stiffened; even Jackson and Lydia flinched. Allison's breath hitched.
They all turned toward Asher.
For a brief second, the tension in the air was palpable—like something primal inside each of them wanted to kneel, to submit.
But then Asher just… exhaled, his eyes softening again, the sound fading from his throat as if nothing had happened.
"…Thank you, Asher," Stiles said flatly, finally stepping forward. "Guys…"
He looked at the barricade they'd spent the last minute building—freezers, chairs, tables—all piled against the doors like a fortress.
"Good job," Stiles said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "A really great job."
Everyone blinked, confused.
Then he gestured grandly with both arms, spinning toward the other side of the room like a showman unveiling a trick.
"Now…" he said. "What do you plan to do about this huge wall of windows?"
Behind him, the cafeteria's far wall gleamed— an entire stretch of glass, cracked and fragile.
The perfect way in.
To be continued...
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