When Scott and Cassandra ventured deeper into the woods, Melissa's worry for her son reached a boiling point. She didn't waste time with words or pleasantries. Without hesitation, she lunged at Malika, her movements a blur of speed.
Malika barely had time to react before Melissa's fist connected with her face, sending her flying backward. The impact left Malika sprawled on the forest floor, she groaned, spitting blood as she pushed herself up. Her expression darkened as she wiped her mouth. From that one punch, she understood the grim reality, Melissa was far stronger than her. With a low growl, she made her decision.
Her body convulsed as she began to shift. Muscles rippled and bones cracked, elongating and expanding. In seconds, she transformed into a monstrous two-meter-tall werehyena. Her arms grew longer and thicker, her frame became bulkier, and her body was cloaked in yellowish fur speckled with dark spots. A chilling hyena-like laugh escaped her lips, echoing ominously through the forest.
Despite her opponent's intimidating form, Melissa didn't falter. Still in her human form, she charged again. But this time, Malika raised her thick, muscular arms, effortlessly blocking the attacks. Blow after blow, Melissa found herself unable to land a decisive strike.
Malika's transformed body was a fortress, built for endurance and defense. Realizing this, Melissa took a calculated step back, her sharp gaze assessing her opponent. She exhaled slowly, then let the wolf within her take over.
With a fluid motion, Melissa shifted into her werewolf form, her speed and strength amplifying exponentially. She became a whirlwind of motion, each strike landing with precision and ferocity. Malika's once-formidable defense began to crumble. Gashes opened across her body, blood flowing freely.
Then, without warning, Malika's movements slowed. Her vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She glanced down at her wounds, her breathing quickening in panic. The bleeding wouldn't stop, and her body refused to heal.
"You… you poisoned me." Malika stammered, her voice weak and trembling. "When… how?"
Melissa didn't respond. Her expression remained cold, her red eyes glowing with resolve. She stepped forward and delivered a devastating punch to Malika's face, knocking her unconscious.
The werehyena collapsed to the forest floor, her hulking form shrinking back into her human shape. Blood pooled beneath her as she lay motionless.
Melissa shifted back into her human form, her breaths steady as she crouched beside Malika. Her claws extended, and she pressed them into the back of Malika's neck. After confirming that Malika was a cannibal, Melissa didn't hesitate.
After Melissa absorbed Malika's power. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "For the lives you've taken."
Then, with a final twist, she broke her neck, ensuring the threat was permanently eliminated.
---
While Scott and Cassandra disappeared deeper into the woods and Melissa clashed with Malika, Allison and the rest of the pack—Stiles, Lydia, Boyd, Erica, and Isaac—set out to hunt the Whowie.
The forest was eerily quiet as the group spread out, their senses heightened. Stiles noticed Lydia staring intently at a nearby tree.
"Lydia, what is it?" he asked, walking over.
"There's something… strange about that tree." She replied, her tone cautious as she pointed at it.
Stiles narrowed his eyes at the tree, then smirked wickedly. "Gotcha."
Unbeknownst to the pack, Carvel—the Whowie—was camouflaged against the tree, blending seamlessly with his surroundings like a lizard. He had been watching them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But the sly grin on Stiles' face unnerved him. 'Could they see me? No, it wasn't possible.'
Stiles rummaged through his bag and pulled out a Molotov cocktail. "Let's light things up." he said, igniting the bottle and hurling it at the tree with all his strength.
Carvel's eyes widened in panic as the flaming bottle shattered against him, setting him ablaze. He let out a guttural roar, his camouflage breaking as he flailed and rolled on the ground, trying desperately to extinguish the flames.
"Bullseye!" Stiles shouted, laughing triumphantly.
Allison's voice rang out. "Don't let him put the fire out! Keep throwing!"
The pack sprang into action, pulling more Molotov cocktails from their bag and hurling them at the burning creature.
Realizing he was moments away from being burned alive, Carvel roared in frustration and began shifting into his Whowie form. His body expanded, his skin turning reptilian and slime-like, extinguishing the flames. His limbs stretched into four muscular arms, and his head morphed into a grotesque frog-like shape.
Carvel glared at the group with pure hatred, his gaze locking on Stiles. "How did you know what I am? And that fire forces me out of camouflage?" he growled. "No matter. I'll kill all of you, starting with you, punk!"
With a powerful leap, Carvel lunged at Stiles, who yelped and darted away.
"Damn it, you ugly bastard! Why are you chasing me? They all threw bottles at you!" Stiles shouted, weaving through the trees.
Carvel growled in frustration, realizing he couldn't catch Stiles. He switched tactics, shooting his long, lizard-like tongue at Stiles with bullet-like speed.
Stiles barely evaded, rolling to the ground just in time. Before Carvel could strike again, Boyd appeared, wielding a thick tree log. With a mighty swing, Boyd smashed the log into Carvel, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Boyd, you're a genius!" Stiles cheered.
Seizing the opportunity, Stiles snapped off a thick branch from a nearby tree and began whacking the downed Carvel. Erica and Isaac followed suit, each grabbing branches and joining in.
For a moment, it seemed like they had the upper hand, but Carvel roared and regained his senses. With three of his four arms, he grabbed the branches mid-swing, snapping them like twigs.
"Run!" Stiles yelled, letting go of his branch and bolting. Erica and Isaac quickly followed suit.
Boyd stepped forward, hefting his log for another swing, but Carvel shattered it with a punch and snarled. "Damn brats! I'll kill every one of you!"
Carvel lunged at Stiles again, who threw up his hands in exasperation as he ran. "Why is it always me, you ugly bastard?"
But the prolonged chase took its toll. Carvel's breathing grew labored, his movements sluggish.
Allison, observing from a distance, saw her chance. "He's getting tired. Scott warned us to keep our distance, but he's not as strong as he looks. I think we can take him."
"I think so too." Boyd agreed.
Lydia added. "His strength lies in ambushes. Without the element of surprise, he's vulnerable."
"Alright." Allison said decisively. "Let's do this. Stay sharp and watch out for each other."
The pack nodded, and Boyd was the first to strike. He sprinted forward and delivered a powerful kick to Carvel's back, sending him sprawling.
As Carvel tried to rise, Isaac darted in and kicked him square in the face. The Whowie lashed out, attempting to grab Isaac's leg, but Allison and Lydia flanked him, slashing his back with their claws.
Carvel howled in pain and turned to retaliate, only for Erica and Stiles to strike his exposed back with their claws.
The pack worked in perfect harmony, attacking in turns, their strikes relentless. Blow after blow, Carvel's movements slowed until he was barely able to defend himself. Finally, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Stiles looked down at the unconscious Carvel and grinned. "That was awesome, but man, his stamina really sucks, doesn't it?"
The pack shared a laugh, their camaraderie strengthened by the victory.
Melissa stepped into the clearing, having arrived earlier but choosing not to intervene. She smiled at the group. "Good job, kids."
Boyd crossed his arms and smirked. "I could've taken him alone."
Melissa chuckled. "I know you're strong, but wait until you've gone through your first full moon before making claims like that. Even then, it's always better to have someone from the pack by your side. Remember, we're wolves, and wolves hunt in packs."
Allison asked. "Should we go find Scott? What if he's in danger?"
Melissa shook her head. "Don't worry. He told me his fight is over, and he's on his way back."
Elsewhere in the woods, Scott shifted into his wolf form and dug a grave. Carefully, he buried Cassandra, honoring her in silence despite her deeds.
Afterward, Scott decided to test his newly acquired shadow teleportation ability. His black fur blended seamlessly into the surrounding darkness as he vanished, reappearing 100 meters away. Nodding to himself, he thought. 'Unlike Cassandra's 50-meter limit, my range is limited to 100 meters. If I want to teleport that far again, I'll need to wait for a while. She mentioned needing five minutes to recover, but I think I only need two. And for short distances, I can teleport six times in a single minute.'
Testing the ability again, Scott melted into the shadows and reappeared a few meters away. A small grin formed on his face. 'This is going to come in handy.'
---
When Scott returned, the pack was still gathered around Carvel's unconscious body. Emerging from the shadows in his wolf form, he towered over them.
Isaac froze, his eyes wide. "What… what is that?"
Allison stepped forward with a smile. "That's our Alpha."
She ran up to Scott, marveling at his massive size. "Scott, you've gotten even bigger!"
Scott's deep, rumbling voice resonated through the clearing. "After absorbing Cassandra's powers, my wolf form grew stronger… and larger."
Erica tilted her head, intrigued. "Are we all going to have forms like yours? I mean, I knew you and Melissa could turn into huge wolves, but this…"
"Yes." Scott replied. "The stronger you become, the larger your wolf form will grow."
Turning his attention to Carvel, Scott said. "Let's deal with him and head back."
Shifting into his werewolf form, Scott knelt over Carvel and absorbed his abilities. Moments later, he snapped Carvel's neck with grim efficiency.
Stiles, always curious, asked. "So, what did you get from him?"
Scott stepped to a nearby tree, his black fur shifting until he blended perfectly with the bark. "Camouflage." he said simply, stepping out of the shadows.
Scott then returned to his wolf form, dug graves, and buried both Carvel and Malika. "Let's go home." he said.
The pack returned to their cars, and Scott grabbed a change of clothes from his trunk since his earlier ones had been destroyed during the fight with Cassandra. After changing, he drove with Allison home.
Once back at the house, they gathered in the living room. Melissa, sensing Scott's unease, asked gently. "What's wrong, son? I can feel your sadness."
Scott sighed heavily. "It's Cassandra's memories."
Then Scott told them about Cassandra's memories.
Lydia frowned. "That's tragic, but it's no excuse to become a monster."
Allison added. "Exactly. Think of how many tragedies she caused, how many happy families she destroyed."
Melissa placed a comforting hand on Scott's shoulder. "They're right, Scott. There's no need to feel sad for her."
Scott gave them a wistful smile. "I'm not sad for her. I'm just thinking… what would I do if I lost one of you? And I didn't like the answer to that question. Don't get me wrong, I won't hurt innocent people, but I can't deny that I'd probably start a carnage."
The pack exchanged worried glances, but Scott's smile reassured them. "Don't worry." He said. "I'm just tired and need some sleep. I won't lose any of you. We're strong, and we have a telepathic bond. If anyone's in danger, they can call for help immediately. Besides…"
He turned to Lydia. "We have Lydia. A banshee is a blessing, not a curse."
Stiles grinned. "Exactly! We've got Lydia! And by the way, I'm going to start reading all your books and journals from now on, Lydia."
Lydia shot him a glare. "You know, Stiles, I just had a vision of you dying… at my hands."
Stiles raised his hands defensively. "Calm down! I'm just saying, what if you write something important in a trance and forget about it?"
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll double-check my notes. And Allison and Erica can help. Why does it have to be you?"
Scott chuckled. "Don't worry, Lydia. After your first full moon, I think you'll have much better control over your abilities."
After dinner, Scott bid everyone goodnight and retreated to his room. Allison followed him, and they shared a warm, intimate shower together. Afterward, they climbed into bed, cuddling under the covers and finding comfort in each other's presence.
Soon, they drifted off to sleep, their breathing steady and peaceful.