Scott and his pack, along with Kira, were patrolling the woods, searching for any supernatural creatures or clues about the vampire threat.
As they walked, Scott glanced around and said. "Stiles, do you remember this place?"
Stiles looked around, his eyes widening slightly. "Yeah… this is where it all started."
Lydia frowned. "What do you mean?"
Scott sighed, a nostalgic smile forming on his lips. "This is where I was bitten by Peter… more than a year ago."
Stiles chuckled. "Back then, we didn't know anything about the supernatural. We were just two idiots wandering the woods in the middle of the night, looking for a dead body."
Allison smirked. "I don't know if that makes you two brave or just plain stupid."
Scott laughed. "A little bit of both, I guess. But in our defense, Uncle Noah and a bunch of deputies were out here that night too. And like Stiles said, we had no idea the supernatural was real."
Erica smirked. "You two were lucky Peter was just looking to build a pack. Imagine if you had run into something worse."
Stiles nodded. "True. But if we hadn't come out that night, none of us would be here right now. And we wouldn't have all these cool powers."
Scott grinned. "Yeah, Stiles and I would probably still be two dorks, and Lydia… well, you'd probably still be a mean bitch."
Lydia gasped. "Hey! That was uncalled for."
Erica burst out laughing. "But he's right, Lydia. You were a mean, mean bitch."
Lydia rolled her eyes. "That was before I knew you guys. I had to protect myself, or I would've been the one getting bullied."
Kira tilted her head. "Wait… you were meaner than you are now?"
Stiles nodded. "Oh yeah, she was the school bully."
Lydia smirked at him. "And I seem to remember a certain dork who had a crush on me."
Malia's eyes narrowed as she glared at Stiles. "What? Is that true?"
Stiles cleared his throat. "Uh… yeah, but that was before. Just a stupid crush."
Malia raised a brow. "Really?"
Stiles quickly pulled her into a hug. "Yes. Now I have the most beautiful girl in the world as my girlfriend, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Malia smirked. "Who are you talking about?"
Stiles raised a brow. "You, of course! I love you and only you, silly girl."
Malia huffed. "Don't call me silly. I don't like that."
Stiles grinned and kissed her deeply. "But you are my silly girl."
Lydia groaned. "Ugh, get a room, you two."
Cora, ignoring their antics, turned to Scott and said. "I still can't believe you've only been a werewolf for a year and a few months."
Scott raised a brow. "Why's that?"
Cora shrugged. "I get the strength part, since we have the ability to absorb other people's powers and abilities. But what surprises me more is how easily you and the rest of the pack kill your enemies without hesitation."
Scott asked. "How else do you expect us to deal with them?"
Cora exhaled. "I just thought that as newly turned shapeshifters, you guys would hesitate more. Killing people isn't easy."
Stiles said. "We only kill evil people, Cora."
Cora nodded. "I know. I've been with you guys for almost two months now, I understand what kind of people you are. I'm not saying we shouldn't kill our enemies. I'm just surprised at how easily you all do it, like it's second nature."
Scott said. "It is what it is. After the first time, you get used to it."
Allison sighed. "Yeah… my first time killing was horrible. I remember vomiting afterward. But like Scott said, you adjust."
Cora hesitated. "That's actually why I brought it up… I haven't taken a life yet."
Scott nodded. "We know. Your eyes were still glowing yellow when we first met you."
Boyd gently took Cora's hand. "If you don't want to kill, I'll do it for you."
Cora smiled at him. "Thanks, but this is something I have to do on my own. I can't let someone like Lydia laugh at me."
Lydia scoffed. "I wouldn't laugh at you for that. Besides, I haven't taken a life yet either."
Cora looked surprised. "You haven't? But what about when you became an Alpha?"
Lydia shook her head. "I fought a Vetala, a bat-like shapeshifter, with Erica. I absorbed her powers, but I didn't kill her, Scott did. But if I ever have to kill, I will. I'm ready."
As they were talking, Scott suddenly stopped and looked deep into the woods. The rest of the pack followed his gaze, sensing something approaching.
Kira, noticing their sudden change in focus, asked. "What's wrong, guys?"
Isaac narrowed his eyes. "Something's coming."
Kira followed their gaze. "Is it dangerous?"
Lydia shook her head. "No… not dangerous. And not evil either."
From deep within the forest, a white doe emerged, walking gracefully toward them before stopping a few meters away, studying them.
Scott stepped forward slightly. "Who are you? I know you're not just a doe… you're something supernatural."
The doe observed them for a few more moments before it began to shift. Bones cracked, muscles reformed, and in seconds, a beautiful Native American woman stood before them, dressed in traditional attire with long brown hair cascading down her back.
Erica's eyes widened. "How did you do that? You shifted without tearing your clothes."
The woman smiled. "I'm not a shapeshifter like you. I'm more like a witch."
Allison asked. "Who are you? And what exactly are you?"
"My name is Agisa, it means doe. I am a Skinwalker."
Erica raised a brow. "A Skinwalker? I've read about them. The books say they're usually evil witches from Navajo mythology who can shapeshift into animals. But… I don't sense any evil from you."
Agisa chuckled. "Not all who walk as beasts are evil. You of all people should know that. The stories you've read tell of those who twisted the old ways into something cruel. But the magic itself is not evil. It is the heart that decides its path."
Erica frowned. "But even if you're not evil, I also read that to become a Skinwalker, one must commit a terrible act, like killing a family member, to gain shapeshifting powers."
Agisa sighed. "My transformation did not come from murder, but from sacrifice. To protect my tribe, my own sister gave her life so that I could gain the power of a Skinwalker and fight our enemies. I saved my people… but in the end, my tribe, including my parents, banished me out of fear. I wandered until I found this place, what you now call Beacon Hills Preserve. Since then, I have protected this forest however I could. When loggers came with axes, I became the bear that broke their machines. When rivers choked with poison, I was the otter that guided clean waters back."
Stiles blinked. "Wait… you can shift into more than just a doe?"
Agisa nodded. "Yes. I am a Skinwalker. While I may not be as strong as you true shapeshifters, I can shift into different animals."
Stiles grinned. "That's actually kind of cool."
Scott tilted his head. "I know it's rude to ask a lady about her age, but… just how old are you exactly?"
Agisa smirked. "I've lost count, but I am over 250 years old."
Aiden whistled. "You don't look a day over thirty."
Scott crossed his arms. "I'm assuming you're not just here to say hi. You want something from us, don't you?"
Agisa nodded. "I saw you the day you fought that monstrous tree near the Nemeton."
Scott's eyes narrowed. "You were there? I didn't sense you."
"I had shifted into a bird and kept my distance. I bore no malice toward you, and I remained hidden. Even someone as strong as you would have difficulty sensing me."
Scott hummed in understanding. "I see."
Agisa's expression turned grave. "After you killed that tree monster and left… something that had been imprisoned in the Nemeton escaped. Something truly terrible."
Stiles said. "We know. It was the Nogitsune."
Agisa shook her head. "No… I do not know of this Nogitsune you speak of. What I am referring to is something else entirely."
Allison frowned. "Then what are you talking about?"
Agisa's voice dropped lower. "A bloodsucker. And not just any bloodsucker… an ancient one."
Stiles' eyes widened. "An ancient vampire?"
Agisa nodded. "Yes. A very powerful one. And I am certain he is somewhere in Beacon Hills right now… regaining his strength."
Scott said. "If he had just escaped, he must have been weak. Why didn't you stop him then?"
Agisa sighed. "I was too late. At first, I did not recognize him. He had taken the form of a frail old man, and that is not how I remembered him. By the time I realized who he was, he had already turned into shadow and vanished."
Scott studied her. "You seem to know him well."
Agisa nodded. "I was one of the people who sealed him inside the Nemeton. We could not kill him back then, so my friends and I did the only thing we could, we used the Nemeton's energy to imprison him. But after that tree monster drained the Nemeton, Victor managed to escape."
Lydia said. "Victor? Do you mind telling us more about him?"
Agisa nodded. "That is why I came to you in the first place. I want to tell you about him… and ask for your help before it's too late."
Scott took a deep breath. "Then let's head back home. You can tell the whole pack your story there."
Agisa smiled faintly. "Alright."
With that, they all turned and began their journey back to the ranch.
To be continued… 😊