The school day passed in the usual blur of lectures. Jacob, Stiles, Scott, and the girls endured it with varying degrees of patience.
At lunch, they gathered at their usual table. Tracy joined them, squeezing in next to Scott.
Stiles looked around, then at Tracy. "Hey, where are Isaac and Boyd? They didn't show up today."
Tracy frowned. "I don't know. I haven't seen them either."
Scott shrugged. "Maybe they're just skipping after you bullied Boyd yesterday, Stiles."
Stiles snorted. "He started it."
Jacob knew that Isaac and Boyd had been kidnapped, but he kept the information to himself.
Soon, the conversation drifted to other topics, and they forgot about Boyd and Isaac.
---
When the final bell rang, the group dispersed.
Allison, Lydia, and Malia climbed into the Rolls-Royce where Cogman waited patiently, as always. Jacob glanced at the translucent system window hovering at the edge of his vision:
[Event Sign-In Reminder
Time Remaining Until the Face-Off between Gerard Argent and Derek Hale: 3 Hours]
He dismissed it, swung a leg over his Ducati, and the engine roared to life as he sped off toward the mansion.
Stiles and Erica headed to the mechanic to pick up his freshly repaired Jeep.
Scott and Tracy walked toward his car, ready to head out, when a black Camaro pulled up beside them. The window rolled down, revealing Derek's tense face.
"Scott. I need your help."
Scott blinked. "What kind of help?"
"Not here." Derek's eyes flicked to Tracy. "Both of you. Follow me to the loft."
Before Scott could argue, Derek rolled up the window and drove off.
Scott exchanged a look with Tracy, shrugged, and they followed.
---
Derek's loft was its usual blend of industrial chic and barely concealed desperation. When Scott and Tracy entered, they found Peter lounging on the couch, a drink in his hand, looking far too comfortable for someone who'd lost his alpha spark and nearly died not long ago.
Peter's eyes landed on Scott, and his head tilted. "You seem different."
Scott smirked. "Hello, Rocket Man. Haven't seen you since that night. You look good."
Tracy leaned closer to Scott, whispering, "Rocket Man?"
Scott cupped a hand around his mouth and stage-whispered, "When Jacob healed him, the medicine made people uncontrollably fart. Peter here ran around the woods naked and farting. Jacob even kicked him and made him fly through the air like a human rocket."
Despite the whisper, both Derek and Peter caught every word.
Tracy's eyes went wide. She looked at Peter, lips pressed together, fighting not to laugh.
Peter didn't seem to care much; he simply shrugged. "A small price to pay for keeping my life."
Derek, who had his own unpleasant memories of expired Senzu Beans, cleared his throat awkwardly and steered the conversation back on track.
"Gerard has Isaac and Boyd. He kidnapped them last night."
Scott's smirk vanished. "What?"
Derek's jaw tightened. "He called me. Told me to come alone to save them. No pack. No friends."
Scott shook his head. "Jacob, Kate, Deaton—they all say the same thing about Gerard. Evil, cunning, ruthless. He'll sacrifice anyone to win. This is a trap, Derek. We should call Jacob."
Peter nodded knowingly from the couch. "Listen to the kid, Derek. Remember what happened to Deucalion when he trusted Gerard? The man doesn't play fair. He doesn't play at all—he just wins."
Derek shook his head. "He said if I told Jacob, he'd kill them."
Peter said, "Then forget about saving them."
Derek said, "I'm not leaving Isaac and Boyd to die. I'm not like you, Peter."
Peter shrugged. "Then good luck. I'm not going."
Derek's eyes flashed red. "You're coming with me, Peter. Whether you like it or not."
Peter raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Derek looked at Tracy. "And you're coming too." Then his gaze shifted to Scott. "And since Tracy's coming, you need to protect her—so you're coming as well."
Scott's eyes narrowed. "You think you're clever, don't you? What if I don't want her going at all?"
Derek's voice hardened. "She goes where I say. She's my beta. And in case you've forgotten—I'm stronger than you now."
Scott's lips curved into a slow, confident smirk. His eyes flared red—deep, steady, undeniable.
"Are you sure about that?"
The room went silent.
Tracy stared. Peter's drink paused halfway to his lips. Derek's expression shifted from cunning confidence to disbelief.
Peter recovered first. "How?"
Derek's mind raced, then landed on the impossible truth. "A True Alpha? You're a True Alpha?"
Scott nodded, the red in his eyes never wavering. "Yes. So do you still think you're stronger than me?"
Tracy looked between them, lost. "What's a True Alpha?"
Peter set his drink down, his tone almost reverent. "A rare type of werewolf who becomes an Alpha through sheer willpower, virtue, and character—not by killing another Alpha. I never thought the beta I created on a whim would become one."
Derek exhaled slowly. "I'm still taking Tracy. She's my beta, Scott."
Scott turned to Tracy. "How about you join my pack instead?"
Tracy hesitated, caught between the two. She looked at Scott, then at Derek. "I… I can't betray Derek. He gave me these powers. And Isaac and Boyd are my friends. I want to help rescue them."
Scott's expression flickered—hurt, disappointment, resignation. He didn't like it, but he understood.
"Okay." His voice was quiet. "I get it. And if you're going, I'm coming too."
Tracy smiled and reached for his hand. "Thanks, Scott."
Scott smiled back—but it was tight, strained. He pulled his hand away gently and tucked it into his pocket. He looked at Derek. "So. When are we going?"
Derek watched the exchange with knowing eyes. "Gerard hasn't given me the time or location yet. He'll call soon."
Scott nodded. "Let me know when he does. I need to get to work." He turned and walked out without looking back.
The door slid shut behind him.
Tracy fidgeted, guilt written across her face. "I feel like I did something wrong. Derek, are you angry? Scott seemed angry too."
Derek sighed, rubbing his temples. "You didn't do anything wrong. Scott's just a jealous teenager. He'll calm down."
Peter smirked. "Well, Derek. You just gained a loyal beta and lost a True Alpha's goodwill in one conversation. He clearly didn't appreciate her choosing you over him. They won't last, and I doubt Scott will be rushing to help you again."
Derek shot him a warning glare. "Shut up, Peter."
Peter opened his mouth, clearly ready to add another sarcastic comment, but one look from Derek made him raise both hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine. I'll shut up."
---
After hanging out with his wives for a while in the living room of the mansion, Jacob glanced at the countdown in his system window. Half an hour remained until the face-off between Gerard and Derek.
He stood, kissed Malia, Lydia, and Melissa, then scooped Allison into his arms and teleported to Serendell. They found Cogman in the kitchen, already hard at work preparing dinner.
"Cogman," Jacob said, "did you get the time and location yet? For Derek and Gerard's meeting?"
Cogman paused mid-chop. "Not yet, sir—" He stopped abruptly, his eyes glazing over for a moment as he connected to the digital world. "Wait. Derek and Gerard are talking right now. Give me a moment."
Allison slid down from Jacob's arms. "What's going on?"
Jacob explained quickly—Gerard's kidnapping of Boyd and Isaac, the borrowed Zima hunters, the looming confrontation. "We're going to watch. I want you to see just how truly evil your grandfather is."
Allison nodded.
Cogman's eyes snapped back into focus. "Sir, they're meeting in half an hour. But Derek isn't going alone—he's bringing his entire pack."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Gerard specifically told him to come alone yesterday."
"Indeed. But Derek just informed Gerard that he would not come alone. He said that if Gerard didn't agree, then he wouldn't come at all, and Gerard could go ahead and kill Isaac and Boyd. Gerard agreed."
Allison frowned. "That's cruel. Derek's sacrificing them?"
Jacob shook his head. "No. Gerard's real goal is Derek himself. Derek knows that."
Allison considered this, then nodded slowly. "So Derek's calling his bluff."
"You could say that, but it's not exactly a bluff. Gerard will definitely kill Isaac and Boyd—but not until he gets what he wants."
"I see."
Cogman sent the location of the warehouse to Jacob's phone.
Jacob, of course, already had the location from the system, but he played along. He nodded at Cogman and said, "Thanks. You can finish cooking now."
Cogman's face fell. "Wait—can I come with you?"
"No. We're not going to fight. We're just going to watch the fun. So stay here and cook obediently."
Cogman sighed dramatically and resumed chopping vegetables—with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.
Jacob shook his head, then took Allison's hand. "Let's go get your parents."
---
They teleported directly to the Argent house in Beacon Hills and knocked on the door.
Victoria opened it, surprise flickering across her face before settling into a warm smile. "Hey, kids. We were just about to head to Serendell for dinner."
Allison smiled back, though her eyes were serious. "Something came up, Mom. Is Dad here?"
"Inside. Come in."
They stepped inside and quickly filled Chris and Victoria in on the situation—Gerard, the kidnapped betas, the Zima hunters, the imminent confrontation. Within minutes, all four of them were heading toward the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
---
They arrived at a safe distance and settled into position, hidden by shadows and Jacob's telekinetic shield.
While they waited, Jacob thought to the system: 'System, sign in.'
[Daily Sign-In Successful. Rewards Obtained:
- 200 coins
- A Pair of Slippers
- Fudgy Brownies x60]
Jacob's eyes lit up at the last line. He reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a brownie, taking a large bite. 'Oh, these are delicious,' he thought.
Allison noticed. "What are you eating?"
"A brownie."
She held out her hand. "Give me one."
Jacob handed one over. Allison took a bite, and her eyes widened. "Delicious. Do you have any milk?"
"I have cold milk, hot milk, and hot chocolate milk. Which one do you want?"
"Hot chocolate milk, please."
Jacob produced a steaming cup and handed it to her, then pulled out a cup of hot milk for himself.
Victoria and Chris watched their daughter and son-in-law casually enjoying snacks while waiting for a life-or-death confrontation. Chris cleared his throat pointedly.
Allison glanced at him, then at Jacob. "Give Mom and Dad some. Don't be rude."
Jacob shrugged and handed out brownies and drinks. Soon, all four of them were nibbling contentedly, as if they were at a picnic rather than a stakeout.
---
Ten minutes later, a convoy of vehicles pulled up to the warehouse. Derek, Peter, Scott, and Tracy stepped out and disappeared inside.
Allison asked, "Did you know that Scott was with them?"
Jacob's expression flickered with surprise. "No, he didn't tell me anything."
Chris straightened. "Alright. Let's sneak in."
Jacob wrapped them all in his telekinesis and lifted them silently to the warehouse roof. He found a hole—likely from years of neglect—and guided them through, landing softly on the second-floor rafters.
From their shadowy perch, they had a perfect view of the scene below.
Isaac and Boyd hung limply from chains, hooked up to electrical wires and wolfsbane IVs. Their faces were pale, their bodies slack with suffering.
In front of them stood Gerard, flanked by six Argent hunters and two strong-looking men—the Zima hunters.
Facing them were Derek, Peter, Scott, and Tracy.
The warehouse was silent.
Gerard's lips curled into a thin, satisfied smile.
"Gentlemen. And lady." His gaze swept over them, lingering on Derek. "I'm so glad you could make it."
To be continued… 😊