The decision didn't sit well with anyone.
Waiting for an attack—knowing someone would get hurt just so they could catch the one responsible—wasn't exactly heroic. It wasn't something Scott would have agreed to a few weeks ago.
But things weren't the same anymore.
Not after everything they had seen.
Not after Aiden.
By the time they stepped out of the hospital, the sky had already begun to darken. The sun dipped low behind the hills, painting Beacon Hills in shades of orange and shadow.
Scott leaned against his car, arms crossed, staring at the ground like it might give him a better answer than the one he already had.
"There has to be another way," he said.
Aiden stood a few feet away, calm as ever.
"There isn't."
Scott looked up immediately. "So we just let it happen?"
"No," Aiden replied. "We control when it happens."
That caught Stiles' attention.
"Okay, I'm listening," he said, stepping forward. "Because that sounds slightly less terrible."
Aiden's gaze shifted toward the forest line beyond the hospital.
"The attacks follow a pattern," he said. "Same time gap. Same type of location."
Scott nodded slowly. "Remote areas."
"Not random," Aiden corrected. "Chosen."
Allison frowned slightly. "Why those places?"
"Less interference," Lydia answered before Aiden could. "Fewer witnesses. Easier to control the narrative."
Aiden gave a small nod.
Scott exhaled. "So we predict the next location?"
"Yes."
Stiles raised a hand slightly. "And how exactly do we do that without, you know, being psychic?"
Lydia glanced at him.
"Not psychic," she said. "Observant."
She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through something.
"The last three attacks were near hiking trails," she continued. "But not the main ones. Secondary paths. Places people go when they want privacy."
Scott frowned. "That's… unsettlingly specific."
"All patterns are," Lydia replied calmly.
Aiden stepped closer, looking at the screen.
"Show me."
Lydia turned the phone toward him. A map of Beacon Hills filled the display, with three marked points forming a loose triangle around the town.
Aiden studied it for a moment.
Then—
He pointed.
"Here."
Scott leaned in. "That's… what, another trail?"
"Not exactly," Lydia said. "It's an old service road. Barely used anymore."
Stiles made a face. "Great. So the killer werewolf is going off-road now."
Aiden straightened.
"We go there."
Scott immediately shook his head. "We don't even know if that's the right place."
Aiden's voice remained steady.
"It is."
There was no arrogance in it.
No hesitation either.
Just certainty.
Scott hesitated.
Because part of him wanted to argue.
But another part—the part that had seen Aiden stop an Alpha without even trying—knew better.
"Fine," Scott said finally. "But we're not splitting up."
Stiles pointed at him. "Yes. Thank you. Finally a rule I can support."
Allison stepped closer.
"I'm coming too."
Scott looked at her.
"Allison—"
"I'm not staying behind," she said firmly.
There was no fear in her voice.
Only resolve.
Scott sighed.
"Okay… but stay close."
Lydia slipped her phone back into her bag.
"I'll come as well."
Stiles blinked. "Of course you will. Because why wouldn't we bring everyone into the potential death zone?"
Lydia raised an eyebrow.
"You're free to stay behind."
Stiles paused.
"…I'm coming."
Aiden turned without another word and started walking toward the forest.
That was the signal.
Whether they liked it or not—
The hunt had begun.
The deeper they moved into the woods, the quieter it became.
The sounds of the town faded behind them, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot.
Scott walked beside Aiden, trying to match his pace.
"You've done this before," Scott said quietly.
Aiden didn't look at him.
"Yes."
Scott swallowed.
"And it always works out like this?"
Aiden's answer came without hesitation.
"Yes."
That didn't exactly comfort him.
Behind them, Stiles kept glancing over his shoulder.
"I just want to point out," he muttered, "that this is exactly how people die in horror movies."
Lydia didn't even look at him.
"Then try not to be the first one."
Stiles frowned. "That's not reassuring."
Allison walked closer to Aiden, her steps more confident than before.
"You already know what we're going to find, don't you?" she asked.
Aiden slowed slightly.
"Not exactly."
That surprised her.
"But enough," he added.
They reached the edge of the old service road Lydia had pointed out earlier.
It was barely visible now—just a narrow path cutting through the trees, overgrown and forgotten.
Scott stopped.
"This is it?"
Aiden nodded once.
"Yes."
The air felt different here.
Heavier.
Like something had already claimed the space.
Aiden stepped forward onto the path.
The others followed.
Minutes passed in silence.
Then—
Aiden stopped.
So suddenly that Scott nearly walked into him.
"What?" Scott whispered.
Aiden didn't answer.
His head tilted slightly.
Listening.
Sensing.
Then—
A faint sound echoed through the trees.
A crack.
Then another.
Like something moving quickly through the underbrush.
Scott's eyes flashed yellow instantly.
"You hear that?"
"Yes," Aiden said quietly.
Stiles swallowed.
"Please tell me that's just a deer."
No one responded.
Because they all knew it wasn't.
The sound came again.
Closer this time.
Faster.
Circling.
Allison's grip tightened slightly around the weapon she carried.
"Where is it?"
Aiden's gaze moved slowly through the trees.
"Testing."
Scott frowned. "Testing what?"
"Us."
That answer hit harder than expected.
The movement stopped.
For a moment—
Everything went still.
Then—
A low growl echoed from the darkness.
Not loud.
Not wild.
Controlled.
Intentional.
Scott stepped forward slightly.
"Show yourself!"
Silence.
Then—
A blur moved between the trees.
Too fast for normal eyes.
But not for Aiden.
His body shifted instantly.
Positioning himself slightly ahead of the group.
The growl came again.
Closer.
More aggressive.
And then—
It appeared.
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
A werewolf.
But not like Scott.
Not like Derek.
This one was younger.
Less controlled.
But still dangerous.
His eyes burned bright yellow, flickering with something unstable beneath the surface.
Scott's voice tightened.
"Another Beta…"
Aiden's gaze hardened.
"No."
Scott blinked. "What do you mean no?"
Aiden took a step forward.
"This one isn't being controlled."
That changed everything.
The werewolf tilted his head slightly, studying them.
Then his eyes locked onto Aiden.
And something in his expression shifted.
Recognition.
Or instinct.
A low growl built in his chest.
But it wasn't fear.
It was challenge.
Stiles whispered from behind, "Okay… that looks personal."
Aiden didn't respond.
He stepped forward again.
Slow.
Measured.
The werewolf reacted instantly.
Charging.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Scott moved to intercept—
But Aiden was already there.
Their collision echoed through the forest.
The ground cracked slightly under the force.
The Beta swung wildly.
Aiden blocked effortlessly.
Every movement precise.
Controlled.
Like he was reading the attack before it even happened.
The Beta growled louder, frustration building.
He lunged again—
Faster this time.
Aiden didn't dodge.
He caught him.
By the arm.
Then—
Twisted.
The Beta crashed into the ground hard.
Aiden stepped over him.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"Stop," he said.
The word carried weight.
Not a shout.
Not a threat.
A command.
The Beta froze.
Not completely.
But enough.
His breathing slowed slightly.
His eyes flickered.
Confusion breaking through the aggression.
Scott stared.
"Okay… that's new again."
Aiden crouched slightly.
"Who turned you?" he asked.
The Beta's jaw clenched.
"I… don't know…"
That wasn't a lie.
Aiden could tell.
"Where?" he asked.
The Beta hesitated.
Then—
"The woods…"
Helpful.
Not really.
But enough.
Aiden studied him for another second.
Then—
Released him.
The Beta scrambled back immediately.
But he didn't attack again.
He just… ran.
Disappearing into the trees as quickly as he had appeared.
Silence returned.
Scott exhaled sharply.
"We just let him go?"
Aiden stood.
"He's not the target."
Scott frowned. "Then what is?"
Aiden looked deeper into the forest.
Past where the Beta had vanished.
"No," he said quietly.
"Not what."
A pause.
"Who."
The realization settled slowly.
Because that meant—
This wasn't the attack.
It was preparation.
Something bigger was coming.
And they had just stepped directly into it.
Allison moved closer.
"What now?"
Aiden's eyes flickered faintly with fire.
"Now…"
A small pause.
"…we stop waiting."
Scott swallowed.
Because for the first time—
It didn't feel like they were chasing the threat anymore.
It felt like the threat—
Was about to come to them.