The forest around the Hale house was alive with whispering leaves and the distant hooting of an owl, shadows dancing in the moonlight. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, the darkness only broken by the flickering glow of the porch light.
I raced through the woods, crunching over fallen twigs and rustling leaves, until I reached the unfamiliar silhouette of the Hale house. The creaking of the old wooden porch greeted me as I hurried closer.
Listening I can hear Derek and Jackson are entering the house, I circle around the back of the property climbing in through the upstairs window, my movements swift and silent against the cool night air I hurried to the doorway and quietly looked around the frame. The faint sounds of voices drifted down from above — Jackson's nervous whisper, Derek's calm but tense tone.
"This house… it's the same house," Jackson said, confusion lacing his voice.
"What did you say?" Derek responded, his voice low and steady.
Jackson took a shaky breath, voice trembling. "I've dreamt about this place. I remember this staircase, these walls. I remember everything."
I listened carefully, my presence unnoticed, as Jackson's words hung in the air. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
"You've been here?" Derek asked, puzzled.
Jackson spun around, eyes wide with fear. "No, never. I dreamt it." His voice cracked. "There's no one else here… and no one else is coming?"
Derek shook his head slowly, claws flexing in the moonlight.
Jackson's knees buckled as he fell back on the stairs, voice pleading. "No — please, please don't. I'll shut up. I'll never say another word again. I'll leave Scott alone. Please — you can't do this. Please… I don't… I don't deserve it."
Derek's expression was unreadable, but his voice was cold. "I think you do."
Jackson's face twisted with desperation. "No," he cut off Derek sharply.
Derek's fierce gaze hardened. "Look around you. Wouldn't there be someone trying to save you?"
Just then, I stepped fully onto the balcony, clapping loudly to make my presence known. The sound echoed through the quiet woods, startling the two inside.
"Very nice speech," I called out, my voice carrying strength and authority. "Is That's what you do, Derek. you scare school children. Make them feel weak to make yourself feel strong."
Jackson's eyes flicked to me, relief and fear battling in his expression. I turned to him, bringing a hand to my chest.
"Jackson, I am Ross," I said smoothly. "Do you remember me from a few months back? We collided in the mall — when you were carrying your girlfriend's bags while she went into another shop?"
Jackson nodded slowly, recognition dawning.
"Good. Scott sent me to get you out of this. He asks that you leave him out of things in the future. In return for this favour, you can leave now."
Jackson scrambled up the stairs and bolted out of the house, rushing to his car with hurried, shaky steps
I turned my gaze to Derek, my tone shifting. "Now, Derek, I know I said a few weeks back I'd be by. But things have come up. How about we talk now, or do I need to teach you a lesson like I did with your uncle — just twenty minutes ago?"
Derek's face remained stoic. "No, we can talk. No lesson needed."
I chuckled softly, eyeing him. "First, can I ask about that look? Seriously, why does it always seem like you're eating the world's sourest lemon?"
Derek's expression didn't change. "How about you just get to why you're here, and we can get on with our day?"
I nodded, stepping down the stairs until I sat on the top step, the old burnt floorboards creaking beneath me.
"Most questions have been answered, or at least I've figured them out," I said thoughtfully. "I know it's not you killing people — that would be the uncle. My question is — have you helped him?"
Derek shook his head. "No, I've never helped Peter kill anyone."
I nodded slowly, then shifted, getting comfortable. "Okay, question two." I paused, then quickly added, "Cover your eyes."
The room erupts into chaos as an arrow streak through the air, whistling sharply before embedding itself into the wall with a forceful thud. A blinding white light explodes outward, illuminating the shadows like a burst of divine energy. In the chaos, gunfire erupts — metallic clangs, crackling rounds ricocheting off surfaces, and the thunderous roar of bullets tearing through the air.
I dash down the stairs, my heart pounding like war drums. Grabbing Derek quickly, I pull him to the side of the room, seeking cover behind the sturdy wall. We sink against it, the cold concrete pressing into our backs as the relentless barrage of gunfire continues to shake the building. The air thickens with smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the distant sound of shattering glass echoes through the chaos.
Suddenly, I feel the sharp sting of bullets piercing my flesh — two shots to the thigh. Pain shoots through me, but I grit my teeth, knowing I can't afford to fall now. I reach out instinctively, forcing my healing to focus on my legs. The bullets, pushed out by the surge of combined druid magic and bear healing, clattering to the floor like fallen stars.
I shout through the din, voice strained but commanding, "Are you serious? Do you have any idea who I am?" My words are drowned in the chaos, but my voice cuts through the noise, fierce and unyielding.
Outside, I hear a sinister chuckle, low and menacing — an echo of the main man behind the gunfire. My knee bends as I force the healing energy through my body once more, preparing for what's next.
Derek, unaware of my rapid recovery, scrambles to his feet and storms toward the door, thinking he's buying me time to heal. But I've already fully recovered. With a grim resolve, I formulate a plan — there are only five of them.
Derek is on the floor outside and been dragged back to a van. I step cautiously to the door, my voice steady and cold. "Put him down, and I'll go easy on you guys. If not... well," I threaten, my gaze locking onto the woman — her face familiar. A flash of recognition hits me. That's Kate Argent. She's leading this twisted game. "you'll be heading to prison for this
"But the rest of you... you've pissed me off. I'll just kill you," I warn, voice low and deadly.
One of the two men dragging Derek suddenly drops him, raising his weapon to fire on me. Instantly, three others join in. Without hesitation, I dodge to the right, sprinting toward the nearby trees. I start to shift — my body rippling with power, fur erupting across my skin as I kick off my sneakers, before my feet get too big and swell with new strength. I pull my shirt over my head — the buttons no match for the transformation — my pants I ignore, cheap and replaceable.
As I'm forced down onto all fours I break into a full sprint, weaving through the trees. As I run, I begin to change further, my form morphing into a massive, hulking beast — a bear, fierce and primal. I roar — a thunderous bellow that echoes through the woods
"Bearrrrr!!!" One of the hunters screams in terror, stumbling back. I hit him first, crashing through him with a crack as his ribs snap violently beneath my claws. I step onto his chest, feeling the resistance give way, then press on to the next hunter. Bullets bounce harmlessly off my thick fur, but I sense the roots beneath me — alive with energy. I push that energy into the earth, causing roots to surge upward, snaking around the ankles of my next target.
I open my jaw wide, the sharp teeth glinting in the dappled sunlight, and I shred through the hunter's throat, tearing off his head in a brutal, savage act. Blood sprays, and I continue my relentless charge, circling around the building — my speed almost supernatural. I barrel back into position, targeting the final shooter. Derek, meanwhile, is in the van, helpless.
The hunter who helped Kate move Derek into the vehicle begins firing wildly, bullets pinging against my thick hide. Kate bolts for the driver's side, desperately trying to escape. But I ignore her — she's not my concern right now. My focus is on the ones still shooting.
I close the distance to him knocking him aside with a brutal blow, forcing him into the side of the building. I slow my pace, walking deliberately toward the last standing hunter, claws fully extended. Standing on my hind legs, I plunge my claws through his chest with a sickening squelch.
Turning my gaze to the last remaining hunter, groaning on the ground, I begin to shift again. My body shrinks slightly, transforming into a feral, bipedal creature, staying on my hind legs they become my only legs and my front legs become arms again not ready to look fully human yet as I still have Kate to hunt, I go for my biped form like a Lycan from the underworld movie but as a bear.
An imposing nightmare with sleek fur and fierce eyes. My voice rumbles deep and commanding. "Where is she taking Derek? Answer, and you'll live to see tomorrow," I demand, my massive form looming over him.
The man whimpers, trembling. "I... I don't know. She said she wants to teach her niece a lesson, but she never told us where."
I lower my massive head, nose almost touching his face, my voice a growl. "Then what use are you to me?"
He stammers, desperate. "Kate did this without her brothers' knowledge. She said Chris wants us to stay low, but we don't know why."
A wolfish grin spreads across my face. "I can tell you why you've been told to stay low. That's because I'm here. And you might be thinking — why does that matter? Well..." I lean closer, eyes burning. "Because I'm not just a Werebear." I pause for dramatic effect "I am FBI."
His face drops, pure terror replacing any bravado. I watch him realize his fate is sealed — whether I kill him or not, he's already broken.
"Realize how screwed you are? Do you have kids, my friend? Imagine what their lives would be like without you — arrested, missing, or worse. Think about what your wife would say. Does she even know you're a hunter? She might think you're missing, or worse... dead. Or maybe she will think you've ran off and that you're a waste of space and she will poison the kids against you for running off?"
I laugh darkly, savouring his fear. Knowing I'm going to leave him alive and free just to mess with him, knowing he will be constantly looking over his shoulder.
I turn away, nostrils flaring as I follow Derek's scent. The wind carries his trail, leading me to the main road. But suddenly — nothing. The scent is gone.
"FUCK," I curse softly, pounding my fist against a nearby tree. The impact shatters the wood, splinters flying, as the tree crashes onto the main road leading into Beacon Hills, blocking the way.
The woods fall silent, the chaos momentarily stilled, but my mind races — dreading what's next in this twisted game.