Trevor took his time walking over to the Argents' house. When he reached the door, Chris greeted him as always — a firm clap on the shoulder — and led him to the dinner table.
"Hey, kid. Come on, everything's ready."
They sat down, and one by one the others appeared. First Alisson, then Kate — whose smile sent a chill straight down Trevor's spine — and finally Victoria, Alisson's mother, carried in the meal. They said grace, giving thanks for the food. That had caught Trevor off guard the first time he ate there. He never expected the Argents to pray or hold any kind of faith, but they kept the custom even without ever setting foot in a church.
Dinner passed quietly. Chris talked about his day over a beer, and Trevor noticed he looked more worn out lately — maybe the full moon closing in was taking a toll. Chris grumbled a little about how hard it was to deal with certain employees. After that short vent, Alisson spoke up.
"Dad, do you know who one of the new lacrosse captains is?"
That got Chris's attention.
"Who, sweetheart?"
"Trevor's one of the team captains now."
Chris turned to Trevor.
"That's great, kid. I didn't even know you played lacrosse."
Trevor answered, "Seems I've got some talent for it, Chris."
The family offered their congratulations. Kate, in particular, added:
"Congratulations, Trevor. I heard you run every morning. Maybe we could run together sometime? I really need to get moving, you know."
"Sure, we'll figure that out," Trevor replied, not seeing a way to say no.
He had to deal with her. Kate was a snake — she slithered along, trying to go unnoticed, and the moment you relaxed… BAM! She struck. She had no real reason to come after him, but Trevor couldn't expect much from Kate's twisted mind.
After that, dinner went on as usual. Trevor eating at the Argents' had become routine — he was there almost every night.
When they finished, Chris pulled him aside.
"I need to talk to you, kid. Not here. Let's go to my office."
Chris turned and headed upstairs to the second floor. Trevor followed in silence. A situation that once would have surprised him now felt almost ordinary.
Chris's office was a private space. A large wooden desk faced the door, and in front of it sat a couch where Chris was already settling in. He patted the armchair beside him.
"Sit down, kid."
Trevor obeyed, saying nothing, waiting to hear what Chris had to say.
"Listen… I figure you already know the full moon's almost here."
Chris looked at Trevor, searching for confirmation, and got a nod in return.
"Good. Knowing your grandfather, he must have talked to you, taught you about our world. And you've probably noticed what's been happening here in Beacon Hills."
Again, Trevor nodded.
"I owe your grandfather a great deal, and I promised him I'd protect you. That's why I've kept you as far away from what's going on as possible. But we've got an alpha out of control out there. We're afraid of what might happen on this full moon."
Chris paused, as if gathering his thoughts, then continued.
"That's why you're not to go out during the full moon. I'm putting together a group of men to be on standby, in case the alpha loses it even more."
At that point, Trevor spoke for the first time.
"I understand. What about Alisson? From what I've seen, she doesn't know about the supernatural world."
"Yeah… I've been holding off as long as I can. I wanted her to enjoy a normal life for as long as possible. A life I never got to have."
"But I don't think Kate sees it the same way," Trevor shot back.
That grabbed Chris's attention. He gave Trevor a sharp look, as if questioning what he'd just heard.
"What do you mean?"
"We have a project on our family history. Alisson went to Kate for help, and Kate showed her the story of the Beast of Gévaudan and the family necklace."
"I didn't know about that. I'll have a talk with Kate."
Trevor stood up.
"Well, if that's all, I think I should head out."
Chris let out a short chuckle.
"I thought you'd push to get involved."
"I've got no interest in that. I'd rather just stay home."
"Alright, then. Any more questions?"
"No. Thanks for dinner, Chris. Good night."
Trevor left the office and headed home. What he didn't notice — consumed by his own thoughts — was Kate watching him leave the office, a smile playing on her lips.
As for Trevor, his mind was already locked on the night of the full moon. He wasn't going to stay home. He was going to seize that night to put his plan into motion. He was going to hunt the alpha on his own.