The clearing of the redwoods turned into a whirlpool of raw power as Damien, in his complete Lycan state, let out a thunderous roar. The roar sounded through the ancient trees, a call that even the veteran Alpha, Peter Hale, was unable to disregard. Peter, stunned for a moment by the sheer magnitude and surprising strength emanating from the changed Damien, took a faltering step back, red eyes narrowed with a mixture of shock and growing unease. The aroma of the Lycan was strong, ancient, a stark contrast to the raw, freshly achieved power of his own Alpha status. It described a bloodline much older and more entrenched in the world of wolves.
Coralia and Scott, who had been engaged in a bitter but unequal battle with Peter, ceased their assaults, their eyes staring wide with wonder and an injection of new hope as they gazed upon Damien's new form. The awkward, agonizing shifts he had tried before were past now, replaced by a smooth, potent change that was testament to an inbred affinity for the wolf. This was not a freshly bitten werewolf fighting for control; this was something different, something old and powerful.
Sheriff Stilinski, upon witnessing the impossible before his own eyes, could but stand there in dumbfounded silence, his gun lying forgotten in his shaking hand. The very magnitude of the creatures standing before him, the sheer strength that appeared to radiate from them, was more than anything he could ever have envisioned. His comprehension of the world had been irrevocably shattered.
Damien, Lycan, was a giant of a creature, his dense, dark fur sheeted with muscle. His great paws were sunk deep into the ground, and his golden eyes blazed with a fierce, untamed light. He could feel power running through him, a wild awareness of the world around him, a deep, animal comprehension of the wolfen universe. Peter's earlier attacks now seemed tame, overcome by the raw power that flowed in his veins.
He released another low growl, eyes locked on Peter, a silent challenge. The tension between them crackled, the old authority of the Lycan bloodline meeting the freshly forged power of the Alpha.
Peter, shaken off his first shock, exposed his fangs, a low growl vibrating in his chest. He had not become an Alpha to turn aside a challenge, but something in the Lycan before him, some presence of old strength, held him back. He could feel the raw power, the underlying control that Damien appeared to have even in his first full change. This was not a novice he could simply overpower.
The standoff was short, yet seemed to last forever. Peter, his pride struggling with the basic urge to protect himself, ultimately decided rationally. He was outnumbered now, and this new force was one he knew was powerful. The coming of the humans had already made things difficult, and this was not the time for confronting anyone head-on.
With a last, threatening glance at Damien and an angry snarl at Coralia and Scott, Peter dissolved into the shadows of the giant redwoods with an unnatural haste, vanishing as rapidly as he appeared. The only reminder of his existence was the pervading smell of raw power and the nervous tension that clung in the crisp night air.
The clearing grew quiet again, the heavy breathing of the Lycan Damien and Scott's rough gasps the only sounds. Coralia dropped her guard, her eyes wide with relief and wonder as she gazed upon Damien's Lycan shape.
"Damien…" she breathed, her tone infused with a reverence that she hadn't before. "You… you shifted completely. And with control."
Damien, slowly becoming accustomed to his enormous size and the overstimulating sensations, emitted a gentle growl, a sound full of wonder. He sensed the power inside him, the connection he had to the wolf both thrilling and frightening.
Scott, his own adrenaline fading, looked at Damien with a newfound respect. The stranger who had arrived in Beacon Hills was not just another supernatural creature; he was something powerful, something ancient.
Sheriff Stilinski finally found his voice, his tone a mixture of disbelief and a grudging acceptance of the impossible. "What… what was that thing? Bigger than any wolf I've ever seen."
Coralia swung back to him, her face stern. "That, Sheriff, was a Lycan in his natural state. Damien's natural state." Her eyes snapped back to Damien, the flicker of understanding in them. "Your father's blood runs true, Damien."
As the initial rays of dawn penetrated the thick canopy of the redwoods, casting an otherworldly light on the clearing, Damien gradually shifted back, the reverse process happening with a surprising amount of control. He panted, his body protesting, but the sense of power he had accessed, the bellow that had driven back an Alpha, lingered in him. The sanctuary had been breached, but in its defense, a latent legacy had risen and the power structure of the supernatural realm of Beacon Hills had just started to change.