David, Alex, and Sarah rushed out of school and saw the three men standing by their bikes. Without wasting a second, they sprinted to Sarah's car and sped off as the men chased them on their bikes.
They reached the woods, and Alex, David, and Sarah jumped out of the car and ran inside. Moments later, the men arrived and spotted Sarah's car parked near the edge of the woods. Catching David's scent, they followed it deeper into the trees.
Alex, David, and Sarah waited silently until the men finally reached them. The leader stepped forward and looked directly at David.
"What are you doing with a human and a coyote?" he asked.
"They're my friends," David replied.
The leader scoffed. "I can understand being friends with a human, but a coyote? Come on. They're the enemy."
"They're your enemy, not mine," David said firmly.
The leader's expression darkened. "I'm Mark, and this is my pack—James and Smith. I'm sure you already know Smith, since you stabbed a branch into his eyes. But that won't matter for long, because you'll be the third member of my pack."
David smirked slightly. "First of all, he was trying to kill me. And by the way, his eyes look fine to me."
Smith growled and stepped toward David. In response, Sarah growled back, her claws extending. Mark quickly ordered Smith to stand down, and he obeyed. Sarah did the same.
Seeing the tension ease, David spoke again. "Look, I'm sorry for stabbing Smith in the eyes—but I don't regret it, because he tried to kill me. And sorry to disappoint, but I'm not joining your pack. I thought I could talk to you and convince you, but I see now that was a waste of time."
Mark looked surprised. "Do you really think your friends can help you during the full moon? Do you think they can help you control your anger, your bloodlust, your thirst to kill? Only we—your family—can help you. Not some random coyote girl."
Sarah's anger flared. "I don't know what you have against me—"
"I have everything against you," Mark interrupted. "You're a werecoyote. Your kind took the one thing I ever cared about."
"I'm sorry about that," Sarah said quietly. "But right now, there's an alpha werewolf building a pack of both werewolves and werecoyotes. He'll kill anyone who defies him—human or supernatural. He's coming to Beacon Hills. That's why my dad is gathering werecoyotes from other packs to help fight him."
Mark didn't look surprised at all.
David noticed. "You already knew, didn't you? That's why you want me to join your pack."
"Yes," Mark admitted. "And trust me, your dad's little army won't make much of a difference. It'll just add to the number of dead bodies."
"Then help us," David said. "Gather werewolves to fight with the coyotes."
Mark growled, clearly angry. "You don't get it, kid. What's coming isn't just a pack—it's an army. And I'll never join hands with a coyote. Not after they killed my sister."
"The coyotes also killed my dad," David said. "He was supposed to teach me about all this supernatural stuff, but he never got the chance. Still, I'm willing to work together. If werewolves and werecoyotes had allied in the first place, maybe your sister and my dad would still be alive. So I'm asking you—trust me."
Mark pointed at Sarah. "I won't trust her kind."
"Then don't," David replied. "Trust our kind."
David placed a hand on Mark's shoulder. "Trust me."
Mark growled softly, then stepped back. "If you need our help, howl—or come to the woods. You'll find us."
With that, Mark and his pack disappeared into the trees.
Alex exhaled. "That could've gone worse."
"He didn't answer my question," David said.
"He didn't say no either," Sarah replied.
Suddenly, police sirens echoed in the distance.
"Fuck the cops," Alex muttered.
"Come on, let's go," David said.
They ran back to Sarah's car and drove off. Sarah dropped Alex at his house, then David at his, before heading home herself.
Later, David told his mom everything that had happened—except for the alpha werewolf coming to Beacon Hills. After hearing his story, she became angry.
"You can't just go around telling people about the supernatural," she said. "And you definitely can't go running into the woods with a coyote to meet werewolves. That's dangerous."
"I know, Mom," David said gently. "But for some reason, I trust Alex."
"What about Sarah and that wolf pack?" she asked.
"I don't know why," David admitted, "but I trust Sarah. As for the pack… I'm not sure."
His mom cupped his cheeks. "It's a dangerous world out there. You have to be careful."
"I will, Mom," David said, holding her hand.
She kissed his forehead. "Okay. Go get some rest."
David went to his room and lay down, letting sleep take over.