The Surgeon—Marcel—the last surviving Dread Doctor, stood alone in his new underground laboratory. The air smelled faintly of chemicals and machine oil, the dim lighting casting long, mechanical shadows across the walls.
It had been weeks since Scott and his pack had raided his last lab, destroying months of work and killing his two companions. Marcel had barely escaped with his life, retreating deeper into Beacon Hills and setting up this new base in a hidden basement.
In order to bring back the Beast, he decided to use an alpha werewolf this time as the chimera instead of Mason because he was scared by how strong Scott and his pack were. He wants to make sure he prepares a strong body for the Beast to possess.
To get the alpha he wants and get rid of Scott and his pack, he reached out to an old acquaintance—a man dangerous enough to get the job done. Marcel told him that a rare and powerful True Alpha had appeared, and if he wanted to know where the True Alpha was, he would have to catch an alpha werewolf and bring it to him.
For a month, Marcel heard nothing. Then, finally, the message came: "I have the Alpha."
Five days later, the heavy steel doors of the basement lab slid open with a mechanical hiss. Marcel turned from his workbench as footsteps echoed down the hall.
A towering figure stepped into the lab—Darius. Massive and broad-shouldered, with golden hair that fell to his shoulders and a thick, mane-like beard, he radiated the kind of presence that made most people instinctively take a step back. His sharp eyes gleamed with a predator's confidence.
Behind him, fourteen others filed in, all following his lead.
But Marcel wasn't afraid of them. He could teleport away if they tried anything, thanks to his electromagnetic powers.
He looked at them and said in his robot-like voice. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
Darius smirked, his lips curling with amusement. "What? No greetings? No warm welcome? We're old friends, after all… old freak."
Marcel's voice was as cold and mechanical as ever. "You're not young either, Darius. You may look like you're in your forties, but we both know you're over two hundred years old."
Darius glanced around the lab, his sharp eyes scanning the machines and dim corners. "Where are your two other freak friends?"
"Dead." Marcel replied flatly.
Darius raised an eyebrow. "Dead? I know you three. You're not that strong, but you're hard to kill… even for me. And I've tried before, remember?"
"They were killed by the True Alpha." Marcel said. "The feeling I get from him is the same one I get from you—powerful. Very powerful. But it wasn't his strength that killed them… it was a weapon that nullified our abilities entirely."
A woman standing beside Darius tilted her head, her voice sharp. "Hold on—are you saying a mere True Alpha Werewolf is as strong as Darius?"
"Yes." Marcel replied without hesitation. "He's a monster… just like Darius."
Darius smirked. "I'm getting more and more interested in this True Alpha. Tell me more about him, Marcel."
Marcel said. "First, give me what I asked for."
Darius turned his head. "Borys."
From the back stepped a giant of a man—taller even than Darius, with a heavy build and hands like sledgehammers. Without a word, he tossed a beaten, unconscious man at Marcel's feet before retreating behind his leader.
Darius said. "This is what you wanted—an Alpha werewolf. Born with vanishing twin syndrome. Do you know how much effort it took us to find him?"
Marcel crouched beside the captive, inspecting him briefly before standing. "I know you like to collect strong and… unique supernaturals for your pride. And I promise you—Scott McCall is worth the trouble. I just don't know if you're strong enough to add him to your pride… or if you'll end up buried in this town, just like every other enemy he's faced."
The woman beside Darius bristled, her eyes glowing red. "Watch your mouth, freak. The one who can kill Darius and our pride hasn't been born yet."
"Selene." Darius said with a quiet chuckle. "Don't be rude. Marcel and his other two friends don't lie—I've dealt with them before. If he says this True Alpha is strong, then he's strong."
He turned back to Marcel. "So… the True Alpha is in this town?"
"Yes." Marcel said. "He and his pack are the guardians of Beacon Hills."
One of the men behind Darius grinned. "Then our trip here is going to be fun."
"Indeed." Darius smirked. "Now, Marcel… tell me more about this Scott McCall."
Marcel's voice dropped lower. "I don't know much. It's hard to find information about him—everyone who knows him is either part of his pack… or dead."
"Then tell us what you do know." Selene said, crossing her arms.
"He's a True Alpha. Very strong. His pack has around twenty members—most of them Alphas. He has a banshee and a hellhound, and even a few members from the Argent hunter family have joined him. Be careful—as former hunters, the Argents may know your weaknesses."
Selene frowned. "That's it? That's all you know?"
"Yes." Marcel said. "You can investigate yourselves… or just capture one of his pack and read their memories. You'll find them at Beacon Hills High. Scott and most of his pack are students there."
Darius raised a brow. "Are you telling me he and most of his pack are just… kids?"
"Yes." Marcel said firmly. "But don't underestimate them. If you do… you'll regret it. Now, I've said what I needed to say. You can leave."
Darius didn't leave. Instead, he smiled dangerously. "How about you join my pride, Marcel?"
Marcel shook his head. "Like I told you years ago—no. I have a mission I need to finish."
Darius' eyes glowed red. "I don't like being rejected, Marcel."
Marcel's body began to flicker, phasing in and out of reality as his electromagnetic powers hummed through the room. "I know you're strong, but I've studied supernatural creatures for two hundred years. I can't kill you—but believe me, I can make you and your pride suffer. And if I decide to leave… you can't stop me. Like you said, you've tried to kill me before, and it didn't work."
Darius snorted, then turned away. "Let's go."
An Asian woman in his group glanced at the unconscious Alpha on the floor. "How about we take the werewolf we gave him back with us?"
"No." Darius said. "Leave him. Maybe Marcel can create something worth adding to our pride."
Marcel watched them leave, then took a pouch of mountain ash and tossed a handful across the door, sealing the lab with a barrier.
He walked over to the unconscious Alpha, examined him briefly, then injected him with wolfsbane. Once the toxin was in his system, Marcel strapped him tightly to a table.
After that, he went to another room where three unconscious potential chimeras were being kept. They were now useless to him—having acquired the Alpha—so he loaded them into a van, drove them deep into the woods, and dumped their bodies on the forest floor. He didn't even bother killing them. Then, he returned to his lab.
---
Darius and his pride, after leaving Marcel's lab, wandered through town. They explored the streets until they came across a bar in the middle of Beacon Hills that caught Darius's eye.
"This..." Darius said, a dangerous smile on his face. "Is going to be our home. Valeria—take care of it."
Valeria, a stunning blonde with sharp eyes, winked at him. "On it, love."
She walked confidently into the bar, followed closely by Darius and the rest of the pride.
Valeria approached a waiter and told him to fetch the owner. When the man arrived, she locked eyes with him, compelling him instantly under her control.
Without protest, the bar owner led them upstairs to the penthouse. It turned out he owned the entire building.
Darius stepped into the luxurious space, surveying it with approval. "This will be mine." He declared. Then he turned to three beautiful women from his pride. "Selena, Valeria, Meilin—you're with me. The rest of you, find other apartments in the building."
The compelled owner obediently guided the remaining pride members to their new residences.
Once they were gone, Darius looked at the three women still with him, his grin widening. "Now, ladies… let's have some fun."
And just like that, Darius and his pride had settled in Beacon Hills.
---
At the ranch, it was late at night. The pack was already asleep.
Heavy rain poured outside, drumming on the roof. In the lake house, Scott and Allison were deep asleep—until Scott's eyes snapped open.
Allison stirred beside him. "What's wrong?"
"It's Lydia." Scott said, his voice tense. "She's outside."
Allison sat up. She could feel Lydia's presence outside their home too. "What do you think is wrong with her?" She asked.
"I don't know." Scott said, already getting out of bed. "Let's find out."
They went downstairs, opened the front door, and found Lydia standing there—soaked through, her hair plastered to her face, eyes distant like she wasn't entirely present.
Allison grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Lydia, what's wrong? Lydia!"
Lydia blinked, coming back to herself. She looked straight at Scott. "Scott… something bad came to town tonight."
"What do you mean something bad?" Scott asked.
"Dangerous people." Lydia said. "They are a group—I don't know if they're a pack—but they're all dangerous. Every single one of them. And they're here… for us."
Her gaze shifted between Allison and Scott. "People are going to die. A lot of people."
"Is anyone from our pack going to die?" Scott asked.
Lydia hesitated, then shook her head. "No… I feel we're in danger, but not mortal danger."
"Do you know where they are or what they are?" Scott pressed.
"No." Lydia said quietly. "All I know is—they are not good people, and they are very dangerous."
"Alright." Scott said, his tone steady. "Don't worry about them. We'll deal with them when we find them. Now come inside and change your clothes."
Allison pulled Lydia into the house. "Let's get you some dry clothes. And don't worry—whoever they are, they'll regret coming into our territory."
Scott lingered at the doorway for a moment, watching the lightning flash across the sky. A grin spread across his face. 'If they can make Lydia this worried… they must be strong. Hopefully strong enough to make me use my full strength.'
He shut the door and headed back to his room. Not long after, Allison returned from helping Lydia, climbing back into bed beside him.
"How's Lydia?" Scott asked, pulling her close.
"She's fine." Allison said with a small snort. "The moment she changed into dry clothes, she went right to sleep—like nothing happened. She doesn't look worried at all."
Allison studied him for a moment. "And you… you seem excited."
"I am." Scott admitted. "I hope these people Lydia warned us about can give me a challenge."
"I'm looking forward to fighting them too." Allison said. "I just hope they won't kill too many innocent people."
"Me too." He kissed her softly. "Now let's sleep."
To be continued… 😊