Jennifer's POV
After escaping from the classroom, Jennifer concealed herself with an invisible energy barrier and used all her strength to run. She sprinted to her car, got in, and sped away from the school.
She drove for a while, making sure she wasn't being followed, before heading to a house in town. Parking outside, she stepped out, marched to the door, and knocked. A man opened it, his expression neutral until he noticed her anger.
"What's wrong, Julia?" He asked.
Jennifer's eyes flashed with fury. "I told you not to call me that, Sloan."
As she stepped inside, her beautiful face twisted and changed. Three deep scars slashed across her features, and her lips vanished, leaving her disfigured. Without hesitation, she rushed to a nearby room, threw on a black cloak, and pulled the hood over her ruined face. When she returned to the living room, Sloan was sitting with another man and two women, all watching her curiously.
Sloan leaned forward. "Care to tell us what happened to you? And why do you look like that?"
Jennifer's hands clenched into fists. "It's Scott and his pack." She hissed. "The moment they saw me, it was as if they knew I was a Darach. I could feel it, they all wanted to kill me. If it weren't for the other students being there, I'd be dead by now. And to escape, I had to burn through all the energy I absorbed from the last sacrifice. Now, I can't even maintain my beautiful appearance."
A woman named Nyomi frowned. "But isn't Scott a True Alpha? The legend says a True Alpha never kills people."
Jennifer sank onto the couch. "I don't know what to tell you, Nyomi, but I'm certain that if I had been alone with those monster kids, they would have killed me. And the feeling I got from them… it was far scarier than anything I ever felt from Deucalion and his pack."
Another man, Kenneth, scoffed. "I told you they were dangerous. When I went to spy on Scott's mother and that red-haired girl, the moment I looked at them from the woods, they noticed me instantly. If I had stayed a second longer, they would've killed me. But none of you believed me."
Sloan waved him off. "You said you didn't see them shift or anything. You ran before they even looked at you. For all we know, they didn't even notice you, you just got spooked and bolted. They could just be normal humans."
Kenneth shook his head. "I'm telling you, man, they are definitely not normal."
Sloan smirked. "If you say so."
A woman named Vivian, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "At first, I thought we could use the True Alpha's blood for the summoning ritual, but it looks like he and his pack are too strong. For now, let's focus on getting Deucalion's blood instead."
Jennifer frowned. "But we're not strong enough to take on Deucalion and his pack yet, Vivian."
Vivian's lips curled into a smirk. "Then we keep feeding the Nemeton with more life force. Once it's strong enough, we'll absorb its power and make ourselves stronger."
Sloan rolled his eyes. "It's called a sacrifice, Vivian. Show some professionalism as a Darach, would you?"
Vivian shot him a glare. "Shut up, Sloan."
Jennifer exhaled sharply. "I don't think we can catch people and kill them in Beacon Hills without Scott and his pack finding us."
Vivian shrugged. "Then we try. If Scott and his pack interfere, we hunt outside Beacon Hills. We bring people back alive and kill them all on top of the Nemeton at once. Personally, I think that's a much better option than relying on those stupid Telluric Currents and their convergence nonsense."
Nyomi frowned. "We should stick to the ritual."
Vivian scoffed. "That's just bullshit. My way is faster and more efficient."
Kenneth nodded in agreement. "I'm with Vivian on this one. The end result is the same, so why waste time with old traditions?"
Jennifer stood abruptly. "Whatever we do, we need to start hunting now. I need to regain my beauty first."
Vivian shook her head. "Not today. We should lay low for a while."
Jennifer's eyes burned with frustration. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one with an ugly face."
Sloan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Jennifer. Vivian is right. Scott and his pack are probably looking for you as we speak. We need to stay hidden for now."
Jennifer clenched her jaw, then let out a long sigh before sinking back into her seat.
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The Twins' POV
After walking away from Scott and his pack, Aiden and Ethan headed to the lacrosse field, where Deucalion and the rest of their pack were waiting.
Deucalion turned toward them. "Where is she?"
Aiden answered. "She left with Scott and his pack. And you told us not to fight him for now."
Deucalion sighed. "Well, it matters not. Since she left, there's nothing else to do here. Let's go."
Kali frowned. "But she knows where we're keeping Derek's betas. She'll lead them there, and they'll rescue them."
Deucalion smirked. "Let them. Tonight is the full moon. Even if they save them, they'll lose control and try to kill anything in their way. If Derek wants to stop them, he'll have to kill them himself. Although I would have preferred to trap him in the vault with them and make sure he kills them, this outcome works just as well."
Aiden clenched his fists. "When are we going after Scott? He and his pack are too arrogant. I really want to teach them a lesson and make Scott kill some of them."
Deucalion snapped his head toward Aiden and, without warning, struck him across the face with his cane. "When I say so. Or are you questioning my will?"
Aiden lowered his head. "No. I'm sorry."
Ethan hesitated before speaking. "Deucalion… something about Scott and his pack feels off."
Deucalion raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Ethan took a deep breath. "First of all, they showed no fear or panic when they saw us. They knew Aiden and I were both Alphas, yet one of Scott's betas, said he wanted to 'teach us a lesson.' And the way three others looked at us… it was like we were prey."
Ennis scoffed. "They're just a bunch of cocky teenage betas who don't know their place."
Ethan shook his head. "That's the problem. They don't feel like betas. The feeling I got from them…" He trailed off, as if struggling to put it into words.
Deucalion said. "We don't have all day. Spit it out."
Ethan exhaled sharply. "When I first saw them, every instinct in me was screaming to run. Especially Scott. He feels dangerous. Very dangerous."
Ennis sneered. "I didn't know you were such a coward, Ethan. Are you seriously afraid of a pack of teenagers who just became werewolves?"
Aiden glared at him. "Ethan isn't a coward. And what he's saying is true. But I don't think they're strong, I think someone in Scott's pack isn't a werewolf. Something… else. Something that makes people feel fear. We need to figure out what we're dealing with."
Kali nodded. "We know Scott is a True Alpha. Marin confirmed that. But it wouldn't hurt to learn more about his pack."
Deucalion was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then he said. "Let's not concern ourselves with them for now. Our priority is bringing Derek into our pack."
With that, Deucalion and his pack left the school.
To be continued... 😊