The next morning, after dealing with Jennifer and her coven, Scott and Allison woke up in the lake house. After taking a shower together, they headed to the Pack House (The mansion on the ranch, which we'll call the Pack House from now on.) and found the rest of the pack still asleep.
Scott and Allison started making breakfast, and before long, Boyd joined them.
One by one, the rest of the pack walked into the kitchen, sitting around the table, chatting, and laughing.
As the food was ready and everyone began eating, Satomi walked into the kitchen.
Scott looked up at her with a welcoming smile. "Come and join us."
Satomi nodded, took a seat, and said. "First, I want to thank you for saving me."
Scott shook his head. "We didn't do much. We just followed Deaton's instructions over the phone to heal you."
Satomi met his eyes. "No, you didn't just save me from the poisoning. You saved me from Julia, or Jennifer as she called herself. I owe you and your pack my life. Thank you, McCall."
Scott nodded. "You're welcome. And you can just call me Scott."
Satomi gave a small smile before her expression turned serious. "What happened to Jennifer? And do you know what became of Deucalion and his pack?"
Scott answered plainly. "They're dead. Jennifer and her coven, and Deucalion's entire pack, except for one, Aiden."
Satomi sighed. "What a shame. Deucalion used to be a good man who believed in solving problems peacefully."
Stiles scoffed. "Well, he turned into a monster who killed his own pack and made others do the same."
Satomi's gaze darkened. "That's what happens when people like us lose control, or worse, when we choose to stop controlling ourselves. We become the monsters the world already believes we are."
Lydia tilted her head. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."
Satomi hesitated, then exhaled. "As much as I wish I could deny it, I have lost control once before. And it cost the life of someone who had been kind to us."
The pack fell silent as Satomi continued.
"I was one of the Japanese-American internees at Camp Oak Creek in the early 1940s. I had already been bitten before being sent there, so I struggled to control myself."
Allison said. "That must've been incredibly hard, especially for a Japanese-American after The Pearl Harbor incident. Being imprisoned in one of those camps and also trying to control your wolf side."
Satomi nodded. "It was. I was scared, angry, and constantly on edge. The only thing that helped me stay in control was keeping my mind occupied by playing 'Go' to distract myself. But in 1943, a riot broke out in the camp. I lost control and shifted in front of the other internees, and the soldiers. In my rage, I grabbed a Molotov cocktail from one of the rioters and threw it at a corporal. He died from his burns. That day, I swore I would never lose control again. I learned to suppress my anger… no matter what."
Scott asked. "how did Jennifer capture you? I don't think she and her group were stronger than you and your pack."
Satomi shook her head. "They weren't. We fought them, and we won. But I spared their lives, thinking they would leave us alone."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, that was a stupid decision. The kind of decision that gets people you care about killed."
Lydia said. "So, you didn't just learn to suppress your anger, you stopped using your brain too?"
Satomi took the criticism without protest. "I understand that now. It was a mistake. Jennifer and her group came back for us. They captured one of my youngest betas and threatened her life. I had no choice but to surrender to save her. If you're asking me if I regret my decision? The answer is no."
Scott's voice was calm but firm. "Do you realize what would have happened if we hadn't stopped the thing Jennifer and her coven summoned yesterday? A lot of innocent people would have died, all because you didn't have the guts to kill Jennifer and her crazy group when you had the chance."
Satomi's eyes remained steady. "I understand your perspective. But my pack and I, we don't believe in killing unless there's absolutely no other option. We believe the best way to survive is to remain calm, and to seek peace."
She took a deep breath before adding. "Our mantra is: 'Three things cannot long be hidden… The sun. The moon. The truth.'"
Allison furrowed her brows. "What exactly does that mean?"
Satomi answered simply. "The truth cannot stay hidden."
Lydia leaned forward. "We know what the saying means. What does it mean to you?"
Satomi's voice was steady. "The truth, for me, is that we, our kind, are violent creatures, who eventually will not be able to control their violent impulses. The mantra helps us subdue our nature."
Boyd crossed his arms and said. "Sometimes, or most of the time, violence is the only answer."
Satomi shook her head. "Not for me and my pack."
Then she turned to Scott and asked. "What do you and your pack believe in? What is your way of life?"
Scott leaned back in his chair, considering her question. "I'm seventeen. I'm still figuring life out. But I'll tell you this: if someone wants to harm me or my pack, we'll harm them first. If someone tries to kill us, we'll kill them first. We don't hurt innocents, but we won't hesitate to eliminate anyone or anything that poses a threat to us."
Satomi sighed. "That sounds too violent. Violence will only lead to more violence."
Scott gave her a small smile. "I read a quote once that stuck with me: 'You can't truly call yourself peaceful unless you're capable of great violence. If you're not capable of violence, you're not peaceful, you're harmless.' And Satomi, neither I nor my pack are harmless. We try to live normal lives as much as we can, but if someone provokes us, then they'll have to face the beast inside us."
Satomi studied him carefully. "Aren't you afraid of that beast inside you?"
Scott's smile widened. "Never. The beast is me, and I am the beast. Instead of fearing that side of myself, I embraced it. I merged with it. Not just me, everyone in my pack has. We're human when we need to be, and we're monsters when we have to be. That's all there is to it."
Cora, who had been silent until now, looked at Satomi and said. "You remind me of my mother. You two were friends, after all. She hated violence, believed in peace, and, like you, thought avoiding conflict was the best way to survive. But like Scott said, hunters thought she was harmless. They didn't fear her, even though she was the strongest Alpha in Beacon Hills. And they took advantage of that. They killed her and her pack… and she didn't even fight back. I loved her, but she could've done better."
Satomi's expression softened. "You're Talia's daughter? I didn't recognize you." She lowered her head for a moment in respect. "I'm sorry for what happened to her and your family. She was a good friend of mine, one of the greatest werewolves I've ever known. But you don't seem to share her philosophy."
Cora shrugged. "No, I don't. I'm an eye for an eye kind of girl."
Satomi nodded, as if she had expected that answer. "I see." She glanced at the pack one last time before standing. "It was nice meeting you all, and again… thank you for saving an old woman's life. I should return to my pack. They're probably worried about me."
With that, Satomi left.
Scott and his pack exchanged looks before gathering their things, and went to school.
---
Somewhere in the Beacon Hills Preserve, a couple jogged along a secluded trail, enjoying the crisp morning air. The towering trees cast long shadows, the scent of damp earth filling the air.
But the woman suddenly gasped and stopped in her tracks. Lying on the dirt path ahead was a frail old man, dressed in tattered rags. His skin was ashen, his limbs unnaturally thin.
The woman turned to her partner, concern etched on her face. "What should we do?" She asked, hesitant to move closer.
The man frowned. "We should call 911… but let's check if he's still alive first."
Cautiously, he stepped toward the old man and crouched beside him. Gently shaking his shoulder, he spoke. "Hey, are you okay?"
Slowly, the old man lifted his head, his hollow eyes meeting the jogger's. His voice came out as a whisper, dry and cracked.
"I'm thirsty..."
Sympathy flickered across the jogger's face. "Here, take some water." He said, reaching for the bottle strapped to his waist.
But the moment he looked away, everything changed.
The old man's dull eyes flashed crimson, his face twisting into something monstrous. His mouth stretched open, revealing elongated fangs. In a blur of unnatural speed, he lunged, sinking his teeth into the man's neck.
The jogger's body jerked violently as the old man drained his blood, the old man's lips sealed over the wound like a leech.
The woman stood frozen for a split second, then sheer terror took over. A piercing scream tore from her throat as she turned and sprinted down the trail, her heart pounding in panic.
But the monster didn't even glance her way. He remained locked on his prey, feasting until the jogger's body withered, his skin turning pale as snow, his veins dark and empty.
Only then did the creature release him, letting the lifeless body collapse to the ground.
Licking his lips, the old man finally turned his attention to the fleeing woman. His blood-red eyes gleamed with hunger.
He smiled.
And then he vanished.
A moment later, he reappeared in front of the woman, materializing from the shadows like a specter.
She barely had time to gasp before his cold hands seized her.
"No! Please!" She choked out.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Fangs sank deep into her throat, cutting off her scream.
Like before, the old man drank greedily, her blood draining away until her body crumpled in his grasp.
When it was over, he took her lifeless corpse and dropped it beside the first.
For the first time in years, he felt... alive.
His once frail body thickened with muscle, his sickly pale skin gained some color. He straightened, rolling his shoulders, feeling his strength returning.
But it wasn't enough. Not yet.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers, then at the two lifeless bodies at his feet.
"This is not enough." He muttered, his voice stronger now, yet still carrying the weight of age.
He ran his tongue over his sharp teeth. "I need more blood... but first, I must hide these bodies. I can't afford to alert whoever is protecting this place. Or the hunters. I'm still too weak... for now."
And after burying the two corpses, he melted into the shadows once more, disappearing into the forest.
To be continued... 😊