Scott's POV
Scott closed his bedroom door quietly, trying to leave behind the cold and tension of the woods. He collapsed onto his bed, breathing hard, his heart still pounding as if the forest were following him home.
He lay there, wrapped in the sheets, holding his pillow like it could keep him safe. His mind kept replaying it all, the half body, the roar, those glowing red eyes.
Who were they? he wondered, remembering the shadows that had rushed toward him. They had saved him, but from what exactly?
He touched his side where the bite burned with a strange heat, something alive under his skin. Nothing in his life had ever felt like that. He didn't know if he should feel afraid, confused, or… something else.
He tried to reason with himself. There are no real wolves, no monsters… maybe it was an animal? But no, not with that strength, not with those eyes.
Scott sighed and closed his eyes, exhaustion finally winning over fear. Maybe sleeping would help, maybe things would make sense in the morning.
As he drifted off, the last thing he saw in his mind were two figures among the trees, fast, silent, moving with a grace that didn't seem human.
And then… he fell asleep.
Grey and Cora's POV
The forest's silence seemed to follow them all the way back home. Cora walked with her arms crossed, still trying to process what they had just seen.
"I still can't believe it," she whispered. "That alpha… it wasn't like anything I've ever seen before."
Grey walked beside her, eyes focused on the path ahead. "Yeah. And the scent… it felt familiar somehow. I just don't know why."
When they arrived, Talia was waiting by the doorway. Her stance was steady, but her face carried clear worry. Derek stood a few feet behind her, quiet, watching.
"What happened?" Talia asked as soon as she saw them.
Grey exchanged a look with Cora before answering. "We overheard a couple of boys talking about a body in the woods. We didn't know who they were, but we decided to follow them at night. We didn't want trouble, just wanted to see if it was true."
"And it was," Cora added softly, her voice tight. "We found the body. Or what was left of it. And then… that thing appeared."
Derek frowned. "What thing?"
"An alpha," Grey said. "But not like the ones we know. Bigger, faster… it didn't even move like a wolf. It was more like a monster."
Talia stepped closer, her tone sharp but calm. "Did you fight it?"
Grey shook his head. "Didn't have the chance. It was too fast. We barely had time to see it bite the boy before it vanished."
"Is he alive?" Derek asked quickly.
"Yeah," Cora replied, though her voice trembled. "He was bleeding, terrified, but alive. We helped stop the bleeding and told him to get out before that thing came back."
Talia exhaled slowly, her eyes softening. "You did the right thing. But if that alpha's still out there, we can't ignore it. We don't know who it is, or what it wants."
"The scent…" Grey murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "It was wild, but… there was something about it. Something that felt too close to home."
Derek crossed his arms. "Then we need to find out who it is. If it's hunting here, that's not an accident."
Talia nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll search the woods. Look for any sign, any trace. We'll find out what's happening."
Grey and Cora nodded in silence. As Talia and Derek walked deeper into the house, Cora stayed by the window, the moonlight catching her profile.
"Do you think it'll come back?" she asked quietly.
Grey didn't hesitate. His eyes stayed fixed on the dark treeline. "Yeah… it will. If it bit that boy, it's going to come back for him. For its new beta."
Cora pressed her lips together, a mix of fear and resolve in her expression. "Then we have to be ready."
"We will be," Grey said simply.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Outside, the wind rustled the trees, carrying the faint echo of a distant growl, one that promised this was only the beginning.