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The forest of Beacon Hills slowly fell silent.
Minutes ago it had been filled with chaos—gunfire, snapping branches, the savage roars of wolves defending their territory.
Now there was only the wind.
And the smell of blood.
The ground was torn apart from the battle. Broken rifles, empty shell casings, and torn hunter gear were scattered across the dirt.
broken Bodies lay among the trees.
At the edge of the clearing, Derek stepped out from the shadows, breathing heavily.
His shirt was torn and smeared with blood that wasn't entirely his.
Behind him, Laura emerged from the forest.
Her eyes still glowed faintly red in the darkness.
The younger wolves immediately noticed.
Even without trying, the air around her carried the unmistakable weight of an Alpha.
Derek glanced at her.
"You chased them pretty far."
Laura wiped blood from the side of her face.
"They ran."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes still burned with anger.
"They won't come back tonight."
The hunt had ended.
And the hunters had paid the price.
At the forest road, four figures staggered out of the darkness.
One of them collapsed against the side of a truck, breathing heavily as blood soaked through the sleeve of his jacket.
Another hunter limped forward, using his rifle as a crutch.
Standing in front of the vehicles was Gerard Argent.
His cane pressed into the ground as his sharp eyes scanned the forest behind them.
Beside him stood Kate Argent, her hair messy, clothes torn, and streaks of blood across her cheek.
Not all of it belonged to the wolves.
Kate wiped sweat from her forehead and looked around.
"…Where are the others?"
One of the surviving hunters swallowed hard.
"There were fifteen of us when we entered Hale territory."
He looked toward the dark woods.
"Only four walked out."
Kate's expression darkened.
Eleven hunters.
Gone.
Torn apart in the forest.
The second hunter spoke quietly.
"They weren't weak like we thought."
He shook his head slowly.
"They had two Alphas."
Gerard's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
He had felt it during the fight.
Two Alpha presences echoing through the territory.
One ancient.
One newly born.
Kate turned toward him.
"So what now?"
Her voice carried anger, but beneath it was something else.
Frustration.
Gerard tapped his cane once against the ground.
"We leave."
Kate blinked.
"Just like that?"
Gerard looked back toward the forest.
For a moment, the old hunter was silent.
Then he spoke calmly.
"This was supposed to be a hunt."
His eyes hardened.
"but It became a massacre."
"we became a joke, the hunters became the hunted"
He turned toward the truck.
"We lost eleven hunters tonight."
Kate crossed her arms.
"we burned their people before. they will take revenge."
Gerard didn't respond immediately.
Then he said quietly,
"And now they have two Alphas."
He opened the truck door.
"Which means continuing tonight would be suicide."
Kate looked toward the forest one last time.
Her lips curled slightly.
"…This isn't over."
Gerard stepped into the truck.
"No."
He agreed.
"It isn't."
The engines started moments later.
Headlights cut through the darkness as the vehicles slowly drove away from Hale territory.
Leaving the forest behind.
Deep within the woods, the Hale pack gathered in a clearing.
Several pack members moved between the injured, helping bandage wounds and carry water.
Despite the brutal battle, most of the pack had survived.
The hunters had underestimated them.
And they had paid for it.
Near the center of the clearing stood Laura Hale.
Her breathing had finally slowed.
The red glow in her eyes had faded back to their normal color.
Across from her stood Derek Hale.
He had been watching her since the battle ended.
Finally he spoke.
"…Laura."
She looked at him.
"What?"
Derek folded his arms.
"I've fought beside you before."
He gestured toward the forest.
"But tonight… you were different."
Laura frowned slightly.
"Different how?"
Derek hesitated.
"You were stronger."
He looked directly at her.
"Way stronger."
Laura shrugged.
"I was angry."
"That wasn't just anger."
Derek shook his head.
"The hunters felt it too."
He lowered his voice.
"They said there were two Alphas."
Laura blinked.
"But Mom is the Alpha."
"Exactly."
Derek glanced toward the edge of the clearing.
Someone else was approaching.
A man calmly adjusting his glasses.
Alan Deaton.
Derek nodded toward him.
"…Maybe he can explain."
Laura crossed her arms.
"Explain what?"
Deaton stopped in front of them.
His calm eyes studied Laura carefully.
Then he spoke.
"There are several ways a werewolf becomes an Alpha."
He raised one finger.
"The most common way… is by killing another Alpha and stealing their power."
then raise the second finger.
"Another way is inheritance. When an Alpha willingly passes their spark to someone else."
Laura glanced toward Talia Hale, who was resting nearby but still watching the conversation.
Then Deaton continued.
"But once in a very long time…"
He looked directly at Laura.
"…an Alpha rises without killing or inheritance."
Derek's eyes widened slightly.
"You mean—"
Deaton nodded.
"A True Alpha."
Silence fell over the clearing.
Even the nearby wolves stopped talking.
Laura stared at him.
"…Wait. That's real?"
Deaton allowed a small smile.
"Extremely rare."
Derek slowly looked at his sister again.
"So you just…"
"…became an Alpha?"
Deaton answered calmly.
"Yes."
"But it doesn't change the leadership of the pack."
Laura gestured toward Talia.
"Mom is still the pack's Alpha and leader."
Laura looked toward her mother.
Talia simply gave a small approving nod. then smile.
Respect remained.
Order remained.
The pack structure had not changed.
There was simply…
Another Alpha now.
Laura scratched the back of her head.
"…Okay."
She muttered.
"That's a lot to process."
Nearby, sitting quietly on a fallen log, Arthur watched everything.
His brain was racing.
True Alpha Laura.
Talia still leading the pack.
Hunters nearly wiped out.
He slowly rubbed his face.
"…Yep."
He sighed under his breath.
" Gerald showing this early. the hunters supposed to die under peter's assault, died in the claws of the pack."