The wind swept through the charred bones of the Hale House, whistling low like it mourned. The old foundation creaked with the weight of memory. Derek crouched in the shadows of the burnt staircase, his eyes glowing faintly blue as he listened.
Crunch. Leaves. Three sets of feet.
He was no longer alone.
A whisper of movement caught his attention, and he rose like a shadow unfurling from the dark. With practiced ease, he slipped deeper into the broken walls of the old house, barely making a sound.
Outside the Hale House
Two men in dark tactical gear crept through the underbrush, sweeping the area with silenced rifles. One gestured toward the ruins ahead. "He's in there."
Behind them, Kate Argent walked casually, no urgency in her stride. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, her sidearm holstered at her hip. Her smirk was sharp and dangerous.
"Boys," she said, voice smooth as silk. "He's not a rook. He'll smell you coming."
The hunters exchanged a glance, but before they could respond, the air shifted—and a blur of dark motion erupted from the doorway.
Derek launched forward with feral precision.
In seconds, one man's rifle was flung aside, and the other was sent sprawling into the dirt, unconscious.
Kate didn't flinch. She reached for her weapon but felt something solid slam into her back—knocking the gun from her grasp. She hit the ground hard.
As she flipped over to retaliate, two glowing amber eyes locked onto hers.
Malik, in his human form now, stood over her. He casually placed a foot on her chest, not to crush—but to pin. The tension in his frame suggested he could snap her spine if she so much as twitched.
Kate let her gaze slide down his body, lingering inappropriately.
"Well well," she purred. "This one grew up in all the right places…"
Malik's brow raised in dry disgust.
She grinned, her voice thick with provocation. "I don't know whether to kill it… or lick it."
Malik bared his teeth in a silent snarl and leaned down, his amber eyes flickering with threat. "Try either," he said flatly, "and you'll lose that pretty smile."
Derek stepped out of the ruins, his gaze shifting warily between them. "Let her up."
Malik didn't move. "She drew first."
"I said—" Derek's voice hardened, "—let her up."
Malik relented, stepping back. Kate rose, brushing herself off with deliberate slowness, eyeing Malik with both curiosity and veiled lust. It made Derek's skin crawl.
Inside the Hale House Ruins
Kate sat perched on the edge of a fallen beam, toying with a silver knife in her hands. Malik remained standing, arms crossed, leaning against the doorway. His eyes never left her.
Derek stood nearby, muscles tense.
"So," Kate said, spinning the knife between her fingers. "Here we are. You, me, and your… pet wolf."
Malik didn't rise to the bait. Derek stepped forward.
"What do you want?"
Kate gave an innocent look. "You think I came to kill you?"
"I don't think," Derek replied coldly. "I know."
She tilted her head. "You're wrong this time. I didn't kill your sister."
Derek's expression darkened. "You expect me to believe that?"
Kate's smile thinned. "You think I'm lying?"
Derek stepped forward slowly. "Wouldn't be the first time."
Malik blinked, silently noting the familiarity in their tones. There was a shared past here—a toxic one.
Kate stood. "Look, Derek… we're both after the same thing: the Alpha. You help me, I help you."
Derek narrowed his eyes. "You want me to believe you're actually here to hunt him?"
"I'm here for a target," she said coolly. "Same one as you."
"And if I say no?"
Kate smiled. "Then you're no longer useful."
Her hand twitched toward her knife—but before she could move, Malik was already there, slamming her back into a scorched beam. Her head snapped against the wood with a dull thud.
"Second time I've stopped you," he growled into her face. "Third time, you don't get up."
Kate laughed softly, even as she winced. "God, I like you."
Malik scoffed and stepped back again.
Derek looked down at her, emotionless. "You're done here."
Kate wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, smirked, and backed out into the woods. "See you boys real soon."
Malik watched her vanish into the trees, tension humming in his body.
"She's trouble."
"Always has been," Derek muttered.
Elsewhere – Later That Night
Scott's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. A voicemail. He pressed play.
"Hey Scott, it's Dr. Deaton. Just wondering if everything's okay. You didn't show up for your shift, and I've got the clinic running solo today. Call me when you get this, alright?"
The message ended.
Scott frowned and started typing a response when the front door opened and Sheriff Stilinski walked into the vet clinic.
Deaton looked up from behind the counter, masking the tension in his voice.
"Sheriff. What brings you in?"
The sheriff looked grim. "Need your opinion on something. Video store downtown. Animal attack. Clerk's dead. Throat torn out."
Deaton's eyes flickered. "That sounds… brutal."
"I'm wondering if we're dealing with a rabid animal," Stilinski continued. "Coyote, maybe a mountain lion?"
Deaton paused. "That's one theory."
The sheriff raised an eyebrow. "You have another?"
The vet leaned on the counter. "You might want to seek a second opinion. Someone more… experienced in animal behavior."
Stilinski frowned. "You know something you're not saying?"
"I know enough to be careful, Sheriff," Deaton replied. "Especially in Beacon Hills."
Stilinski left with more questions than answers.
And Deaton locked the door behind him.