Chapter 78: Victoria's Decision

In the warehouse, after the failed ambush against Derek, Chris still held his wife tightly in his arms. Gerard approached them, his expression cold and calculated. 

"Chris." Gerard began, his voice sharp. "You know what you have to do now." 

Chris didn't even look at him and said. "Not now, Gerard."

Gerard's tone hardened. "We are Argents, Chris. We are hunters. When one of us is bitten, we..." 

Chris let go of Victoria, turned to Gerard, and pointed his gun directly at his head, cutting him off. "Say one more word, Gerard, and I promise it will be your last." 

Gerard froze, his eyes flickering between the gun and Chris's furious gaze. After a tense moment, he stepped back, choosing to hold his tongue, though his anger was palpable. 

Chris lowered the gun and turned back to Victoria. "Let's go home." 

Victoria nodded, and the two left the warehouse. They drove back in silence, neither speaking a word until they reached their house. 

---

Scott's POV 

In the backyard of Scott's house, the scent of barbecue and laughter filled the air. Scott was grilling meat with Isaac, while Melissa and Allison were setting the table and preparing side dishes. 

As they sat down to eat, Derek arrived. He stepped into the backyard, the smell of blood and gunpowder preceding him. 

Scott turned to him. "Derek, what brings you here? Were you in a fight? You smell like blood and gunpowder." 

Derek nodded grimly. "We need to talk, Scott." 

Scott gestured to an empty chair. "Take a seat, and say what you need to say." 

Derek sat down, accepted a glass of water, and took a long drink. Then he began to recount everything: Gerard's kidnapping of Josh, the ambush at the warehouse, and the sudden appearance of the Kanima. Finally, he looked at Allison, guilt heavy in his voice. 

"I'm sorry, Allison." Derek said. "But I bit your mother while escaping. She stabbed me in the neck, and I... I reacted instinctively." 

Allison's eyes glowed red as she shot to her feet, her voice shaking with anger and panic. "What did you say?" She growled, the sound animalistic. 

Derek stared at her, his shock evident. "Wait, you're an Alpha too? How is that possible?" 

Allison didn't answer. She took a deep breath, her eyes returning to normal as she sat back down. "I'm sorry." She said, though her voice remained tight. "I know it's not your fault. It's just... I know my mom. She's stubborn. She'll try to kill herself rather than turn." 

She stood again, turning to Scott. "I have to go home." 

Scott rose with her. "I'm coming with you." 

Before leaving, Scott glanced at Derek. "Since you're here, why don't you grab a bite? And by the way, that woman over there is my mom. Look at her the wrong way, and I'll kill you." 

Scott and Allison headed to his car. As they drove, Scott's thoughts raced. 'Victoria's bitten, just like in the original timeline. Then, I'll make her part of my pack. I need someone as decisive and cold-blooded as her.' 

Breaking the silence, Scott glanced at Allison. "Don't worry too much." He said. "Just tell her you're a werewolf too. And if she decides to kill herself, tell her she has to kill you first. If she loves you more than she hates werewolves, she won't do it." 

Allison rolled her eyes. "I believe she loves me enough not to kill me. It's the not killing herself part that scares me." 

---

At the Argent House 

Chris and Victoria sat in their living room after the long, silent drive home. Chris brought a first aid kit and began cleaning the bite on Victoria's arm, his hands trembling slightly. 

Victoria broke the silence. "Chris, you know I have to do what hunters have always done after being bitten." 

Chris shook his head. "You don't have to. I don't care about the hunter code if it means losing you." 

Victoria smiled faintly. "But I care. I can't turn into a mindless beast one day and hurt you or Allison." 

"You can learn to control it." Chris argued, his voice breaking. "You're the strongest woman I know. You can do this." 

Victoria leaned forward, her smile sad. "I'm sorry, Chris. I can't live like that. Knowing I'll lose control someday, it's not who I am. You know I hate losing control." 

Tears slid down Chris's face. He said nothing, his heart breaking as he listened. 

Victoria wiped his tears with her hand and kissed him gently. "You know what to do. And you know what to tell people. Tell them I had a history of depression. Promise me." 

Chris choked out. "I will. I will... even though I've never seen you depressed once in twenty years." 

Victoria added softly. "Allison needs to say it too." 

"But I won't let her believe it." Chris insisted. 

"She'll hear things." Victoria replied. "People will say I was weak. That I took the easy way out." 

Just then, the front door opened, and Allison walked in, having been outside listening with her enhanced hearing. She stepped into the living room, her expression firm as she looked at her mother. 

"Yes, Mom." Allison said. "People will say you took the easy way out. And you know what? I'd believe them."

Victoria's head snapped up, her eyes widening in shock. "Allison? Why are you here? When did you come back?"

Allison crossed her arms, her tone heavy with emotion. "Derek told me what happened tonight. If he hadn't, I doubt I'd ever see you alive again."

Chris remained silent, his eyes darting between his wife and daughter, as he sat next to Victoria, silently praying Allison could change her mother's mind.

Victoria sighed. "Sweetheart, I never forced you to be a hunter. But I was raised as one, and I'll die as one. I won't turn into a beast."

Allison's expression hardened. "Well then, hunter." She said, her voice laced with challenge. "Why don't you kill one more werewolf before you kill yourself?"

Victoria's breath caught as Allison's eyes glowed crimson. "Go on then, Mom. Kill me, I'm one of those beasts you hate so much."

Chris and Victoria both stared in stunned silence. Victoria finally managed to whisper. "Allison… what have you done? Why? Why would you become one of them?"

"It doesn't matter why." Allison replied. "What matters is that I'm a werewolf. And not just any werewolf, I'm an Alpha." 

She strode over to the coffee table, picking up the gun next to Chris. Turning, she handed it to Victoria. "Here, Mom. Take it. Kill me before you kill yourself. Killing an Alpha before you die would make a great ending for a hunter like you, wouldn't it?"

Without waiting for a response, Allison began to shift. Her body grew taller, white fur sprouting across her skin, and her head morphed into the shape of a wolf's. The transformation was smooth but intimidating, her red eyes glowing as she bared her fangs in a low growl. 

"Go on, hunter." She said, her voice guttural and resonant. "Pull the trigger. Kill me."

Victoria's hands trembled as she stared at her daughter, now a fierce alpha werewolf. Her lips quivered, and tears welled in her eyes. She gripped the gun tightly, but her fingers wouldn't move to pull the trigger. 

Slowly, she lowered the weapon and reached out to place a shaky hand on Allison's wolf like head. Her voice broke as she said. "I can't. No matter what you've become, no matter what you turn into… I can't hurt you, sweetheart. I just can't." 

Allison shifted back into her human form, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged her mother. "Then don't kill yourself, Mom. I know how much you hate werewolves, but I've seen far scarier things out there. Things that no hunter can stand against. You need to see this bite as a gift, not a curse. It'll make you stronger. You'll become an even better hunter." 

Victoria wiped her tears and gently brushed Allison's hair behind her ear. "Sweetheart, I… I can't live knowing I might lose control and hurt you or your father." 

Just then, Scott stepped out from behind the wall, a faint smirk on his face. "I can fix that." He said. Then, he glanced at Chris. "Oh, hey there, Uncle Chris. I can't believe you were about to kill the woman you love just because she became a werewolf. I mean, I get it, you're probably worried that from now on she might outmatch you in bed. But come on, you don't have to kill her!"

Chris shot to his feet, his face flushed with anger. "You stupid little punk! That is not what's going on here!" He snapped, his voice filled with fury. He pointed an accusing finger at Scott. "And you… You're the one who turned my daughter, right? I'm going to kill you!" 

Scott smirked, completely unfazed. "She asked for the Bite. And do you want my help or not?" 

Chris clenched his fists, then slowly sat back down. "Fine. What can you do?" 

Scott walked over, sitting down casually on the couch. "Victoria, Chris, you've both seen how special I am." 

Chris gave a stiff nod. "I've never seen or heard of anything like you before." 

Allison chimed in. "Scott's a True Alpha." 

Victoria's eyes widened. "A True Alpha? The rarest kind?" 

Scott nodded. "That's right. But being a True Alpha is just a small part of how special I am." 

Chris narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" 

Scott leaned forward. "I don't have the typical weaknesses of a werewolf, including losing control. So I have complete control over my wolf side." 

Victoria frowned. "That's impressive, but it doesn't explain how you'll help me." 

Scott smiled. "Everyone in my pack has the same full control ability. Join my pack, Victoria. I need a decisive and cold-blooded werewolf or whatever you are going to turn into, in my pack." 

Allison's brows furrowed. "Wait. Are you saying she might not turn into a werewolf?" 

Scott shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes, what you turn into reflects the kind of person you are. And let's face it, your mom's kind of mean. Who knows what she'll become?" 

Allison smirked faintly. "Fair enough." 

Victoria hesitated, glancing at Chris before turning back to Scott. "Are you sure? If I join your pack, I'll never lose control?" 

Scott nodded confidently. "I'm sure. But there's one condition: if you're part of my pack, I'm your Alpha. That means no hunting anyone without my permission. and no more fights with the Hales. Gerard and Kate killed their family, and Peter killed a few of your hunters. Let's call it even." 

Victoria stared at him, then at Allison, who gave her a hopeful nod. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Fine. I can live with that. I may act tough, but to be honest, I don't want to die and leave my family. So, how do I join your pack?"

Scott replied. "I'll give you the Bite."

Victoria frowned. "But I was already bitten."

Allison chimed in, explaining the experiment Scott had conducted on the Omega werewolf. After listening, Victoria nodded in understanding. "I see." She extended her arm toward Scott. 

Scott's fangs elongated, and his crimson eyes glowed. "You might want to head to the bathroom after I give you the Bite. Since Derek already bit you, some black liquid will purge from your body. It'll be painful, but it's necessary." Then, he bit her wrist. 

Victoria grimaced but quickly went upstairs to the bathroom. 

As she left, Chris looked at Scott, his expression conflicted. "As a father, I still hate you." He said. "But as a husband, I'm grateful. Thank you for saving my wife."

Scott grinned. "Don't mention it, Uncle Chris. We're family, after all."

Chris snorted but said nothing more. Moments later, Scott glanced toward the stairs. "You might want to check on her. She's crying."

Chris's eyes widened. "What?"

Allison added softly. "Mom's crying, Dad. Go to her."

Without another word, Chris hurried upstairs. 

Once alone, Allison turned to Scott and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Scott smirked. "You don't sound sincere enough."

She rolled her eyes before pulling him into a kiss. Their moment was interrupted when they overheard Victoria's tearful voice from upstairs. 

"I was so scared tonight." She sobbed. "I thought I was going to lose everything." 

Chris's voice was equally emotional. "I thought I was going to lose you too." Then the sound of their voices gave way to kissing and… other activities.

Allison's face turned scarlet. "I did not need to hear that."

Scott burst into laughter. "Maybe next year, you'll have a little brother or sister."

"Shut up!" Allison snapped, her blush deepening. "Let's wait in your car."

Scott chuckled but followed her out. Once in the car, Allison cranked up the radio, and they sat there until Chris finally opened the front door looking for them.

Back in the living room, Victoria cleared her throat. "Allison, earlier, you said you've seen creatures scarier than werewolves. What did you mean?"

Still slightly red, Allison replied. "I told Dad that Scott killed a Lamia before. But what I didn't mention is that the Lamia wasn't alone. The Alpha of her pack was a Vrykolakas. Have you two heard of it?"

Chris froze, his expression one of shock. "A Vrykolakas? Here in Beacon Hills?"

"Yes." Allison confirmed.

Victoria's face paled. "Allison, please tell me you didn't fight a Vrykolakas. They're too dangerous."

Allison smiled reassuringly. "Well, we already fought her and her pack. They're dead."

Scott and Allison then recounted the battle and shared stories about the other supernatural creatures they'd encountered. Hours passed before Scott finally stood and stretched. "It's late. I should head home. Allison, are you staying here tonight?"

"I'll stay." She said, glancing at her mother. "I want to spend the night with Mom."

Scott smiled. "Alright." He turned to Chris. "By the way, do you want the Bite? Because after tonight, you'll never beat her in bed again."

Chris glared. "Get out of my house, punk. I don't need your Bite."

Scott smirked mischievously. "Whenever you change your mind, let me know. Oh, and one more thing, next time you decide to… have fun with your wife, remember your daughter has super hearing now."

Chris's face turned crimson. "You heard that?"

"Why do you think we went to the car?" Scott quipped, grinning.

Allison groaned. "Scott, did you have to say that? You just made things so awkward."

Scott said. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up. I was going to mention how we heard your Dad crying like a baby, but..."

Chris didn't let him finish. He leapt from his seat, chasing Scott out of the house. 

Outside, Scott stopped and turned serious. "Chris, be careful of Gerard. He'll try to harm Allison and Victoria."

Chris's expression hardened. "If he tries anything, I'll deal with him."

Scott nodded, said nothing more, and headed to his car and drove home.