Phoebe's POV:

"So, our guidance counselor is a werewolf hunter?" Mason whispered to Liam and I in disbelief as we entered Mrs. Finch's classroom.

I nod, carefully straightening the stack of papers I printed for Mrs. Finch. "I knew something was off about her yesterday as soon as I saw the knife on her desk. She had a quote from Sun Tzu written across the whiteboard behind her about war."

"I'm never asking for guidance again." He muttered in discomfort.

The school bell rings above us which causes us to split up so they could take their seats.

I walk over to Mrs. Finch's desk with a small smile, placing the stack of papers on her desk. "Instructions for today's lab, Miss." I say and she simply nodded.

"Thanks, Phoebe. Can you reorganize the vials into the proper holder near the window? My last class did the complete opposite of what I specifically told them to do. " She whispered and I nod, placing my backpack near her desk and walking over to the sink.

I quickly wash my hands but before I could grab the set of new gloves in the box, I hear Mrs. Finch clear her throat. "Is there a problem, Liam?"

I glance behind me, seeing that Liam's lab partner now sat in the opposite room next to someone else. "Um, no." Liam awkwardly adjusted his posture on the stool. "Not with me."

"Who will let Liam join their group?" Mrs. Finch questioned as she dusted off her hands. Corey and Mason lift their hands, seeing as nobody else raised theirs but Mrs. Finch shook her head. "Someone other than you two."

Liam slowly looked around the class but even with that, everyone else practically avoided his eyes by looking down at their desks in front of them.

Mrs. Finch hummed, taking note of the class not bothering to raise their hands. "You all have one minute to volunteer, or the whole class fails the day's lab."

I worriedly look around, watching some of the students nearby whisper amongst themselves in discomfort.

"Mrs. Finch?" I hesitantly speak up, ignoring the stares from the other students. "I can work with him if you want? I learned about the lab from the summer course so I already know the general idea of what to do."

Her eyes narrowed as she eyed the class in annoyance before she simply shook her head. "I appreciate your offer but he needs to learn the lab as well. Pass out the packets and then get started on the vials, okay?"

I reluctantly nod as I walk to her desk and grab the stack of papers. I went over to Liam's desk first, taking notice of his guilt-written expression. "This is just making it worse."

"Yeah, well, it's about to get worse-worse." Corey muttered as I placed the packet in front of Liam.

"Why do you only show up when there's bad news?" Liam grumbled in annoyance.

"Worse how?" I quietly ask, briefly turning behind me to make sure Mrs. Finch wasn't looking, and thankfully she was already writing something down on the chalkboard.

"The entire lacrosse team is looking for him." He answered, taking the packet from my hands. "They're blocking the exits."

"Why?" Mason questioned in disbelief.

"They're gonna make Liam shift in front of everyone."

My eyes widen. "We can't let that happen. We have to do something."

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Liam asked.

"All right Liam," Mrs. Finch spoke up and I continue to walk, handing out the packets to each desk. "looks like you're not winning any popularity contests, so why don't you work alone. And I'll decide whether or not I was bluffing about failing everyone."

After an hour filled with awkward silence (despite a few whispers and glances at Liam), our class finally finished but we knew we didn't have much time to get Liam out of campus.

The plan Mason came up with is to use Corey's invisibility to cloak himself and Liam while Mason and I guide them to the exit.

Mason and I carefully walk past the students making their way towards the other halls but immediately stop in place, seeing as another pair of lacrosse players blocked the stairs to the second level.

"Hurry it up, please?" Corey whispered from behind me.

I nervously smile at the lacrosse players, wrapping my arm around Mason's to tug him to turn to the next hallway. "Yeah, okay." Mason muttered, continuing his awkward pace.

"We're almost there. I made sure to park near the front of the school." I quietly urge as I pushed more of the students walking past us so they wouldn't accidentally touch Corey and Liam.

Before we could turn to the other exit, I roll my eyes in annoyance at the sight of another pair blocking the double doors.

Mason and I turn to the next hall but immediately skid to a stop, seeing another duo block our path with unamused expressions.

I turn to the stairs but instantly stop, seeing as another pair barely came down to prevent us from leaving.

"This is crazy." I hear Liam whisper.

"We can take them, shh!" Corey scolded.

From behind the duo in front of us, Gabe and another lacrosse player make their way towards us from where they stood near the front exit, seeming determined now more than ever.

"Okay, back exit." I whisper and Mason quickly nods in agreement.

"Turn around, turn around, turn around." Mason nervously repeated, dramatically spreading his arm out as another student walked past us as we turned around.

Just before we could take another step, Nolan steps into view with his hands in his pockets which causes us to stop. "H-Hey Nolan!" I greet with a smile. "Mason and I were just--"

"Heading to the cafeteria to get some lunch!" Mason finished for me with a nervous laugh. "Now, if you'll excuse us--"

In a matter of seconds, Nolan yanks his hand out of his pocket and tosses what seems to be powder directly at us.

I immediately cover my eyes but the sounds of gasps cause me to wince, seeing as the invisibility from Corey wore off and revealed themselves.

Uh oh.

Olivia's POV:

"I thought we were here to talk peace?" I hear Scott ask through Allison's tablet as Lydia, Malia, Allison, and I sneakily approached from the other side of the pathway.

"I agreed to come. I never agreed on peace." Ms. Monroe's voice harshly remarked.

"And...there." Allison whispered, giving us a clear view of Scott standing a few feet away from Monroe and two hunters standing behind her. "Since we're getting a clearer view of them, that means we're close by in their intersection."

"When did you set this up?" Malia whispered, watching as Allison adjusted the volume to its lowest.

"Because of what happened to Brett and Lorie, my dad and I set small surveillance cameras around the tunnels this morning." She answered before her eyes met mine. "They won't sneak behind us ever again."

"If you brought them, I guess Gerard is here, too. Isn't he?" Scott nodded his head behind Monroe as she walked closer to him.

"Right here, Scott." Gerard announced, stepping out of the shadows.

"Whatever he's told you, there's another side to the story." Scott explained, ignoring as Gerard and the two hunters approached the two with his eyes narrowed.

Monroe raised a brow in amusement. "Isn't there always?"

Gerard tilted his head to the side. "What were you hoping for here, Scott?"

"I was hoping to talk to someone reasonable." Scott countered before turning to Monroe. "Trust me, he's not the kind of person that you want to follow. He's gonna lead you off a cliff."

"Following me?" Gerard chuckled as he glanced behind at the two hunters. "No one here is following me, Scott. I'm merely an adviser."

"More like an asshole." Malia growled under her breath.

"He's talking about Monroe." Lydia whispered in realization. "She's leading the negotiation."

"This is because of you?" Scott asked with shock laced in his tone.

"That's right." Monroe smirked. "You're negotiating with me, Scott."

"Okay..." Scott let out a sigh. "Tell me how to settle this. What do you want?"

"I want to see a werewolf beg for peace." Monroe casually answered, causing my eyes to widen.

"Fine. Okay. I'll beg. I'll-I'll do whatever you want." He quickly nodded. "Just tell me that we don't have to kill each other. That we can find a way to make peace."

She shook her head at his words. "That wasn't quite what I was hoping for."

"I have a gut feeling this is about to get ugly." I whisper, feeling my stomach stir in discomfort.

"People are dying."

"They've been dying." She countered with a glare. "You only care now because it's your people."

"You have to want something other than seeing us all dead. What if we leave Beacon Hills? All of us?" Scott suggested.

"If you leave, we'll follow you. We'll hunt you down until every. single. one of you is gone." She emphasized.

I worriedly turn to Allison but she quickly shakes her head, interlacing her hand with mine.

"Some of us have actually been protecting you." Scott tried to explain but Gerard snorted.

"Don't listen to him. He wants you to be afraid."

"But you shouldn't be afraid of us." Scott interjected. "We protect people-- people like you."

"People like me?" She asked in disbelief. "You don't know anything about people like me."

"So help me understand. Tell me what made you hate us so much." He gently spoke.

Gerard slowly shook his head with a smirk. "I don't think you want to press that button, Scott."

"Something happened to you, didn't it?" Scott asked. "Something bad."

"Bad doesn't even come close." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "There was a faculty meeting that ran late one night. We were complaining about the new course rubric. I thought that was the worst thing I'd have to deal with that year...I was wrong. We all heard it, this...sound coming out of the shadows. 'Probably an animal,' they said. But not like anything I'd ever heard."

She paused for a moment as her expression saddened, almost as if it pained her to remember.

"When it moved, it moved faster than anything I'd ever seen. I- I saw teeth and claws...fangs..." Her voice trembled. "And then there was blood everywhere. I couldn't believe I was still alive."

"If one of us had been there--"

"You were there, Scott." She harshly cut in. "You, Allison, three of your pack members, and the deputy. One tried to check the bus, I'll give them that, but you stopped her. Don't you remember?"

Then it hit me.

FLASHBACK TO SEVERAL MONTHS AGO

Chills run through my spine at the sight of the brutally shredded people inside the bus. The sight alone of some of the people's guts exposed stirred my gut in discomfort, causing me to cover my mouth.

Suddenly, one of the guys from inside the bus lets out a cough and a blonde boy holds a hand out towards us. "Help...m-me." He pleaded with a rasp.

With a gulp, I take a step towards him to help but instantly an arm pulls me back as Parrish walked from the side. "It's a trap." His voice deepened, seeing as his eyes glowed with fire and his fangs and claws were out, showing that the Hellhound was still out.

"Please..." The boy pleaded again.

Scott takes a step towards him but Parrish looks back at us once more. "You can't help him." He sternly spoke.

"But what if there are other survivors?" I worriedly ask.

The sound of a roar causes us to freeze and within seconds, the boy's body rips in half and is tossed to the ground in front of the bus. His organs drop to the pavement, causing me to cover my mouth in disgust once more at the sight.

FLASHBACK END

"She was one of the victims on the bus." I whisper, causing Lydia, Malia, and Allison to turn to me. "The ones that the Beast stockpiled in the bus."

Monroe tilted her head to the side. "Did you even think to check if anyone was still alive?"

"I-I didn't know." Scott whispered, guilt laced in his tone.

"You didn't care. How many people have to die so you could keep your secret?" She harshly asked. "So you and your friends could carry on as if nothing ever happened. I was there--lying under those bodies. Hiding and waiting for someone to finally find me."

"Okay, I'm not waiting anymore." Malia snarled, seeing as Monroe slowly reached for her pistol attached to her belt.

She breaks off into a sprint in the tunnel, leaving Allison, Lydia, and I to quickly follow behind.

"You shouldn't have come alone, Scott." Monroe's voice echoed in the tunnels.

Harper, one of the hunters who had been standing behind Scott with a gun in his hands, turned towards us but Malia harshly kicked his chest, sending him to crash right into the wall.

"He didn't." Malia announced, making our presence known as soon as we stepped through to reveal ourselves.

Instantly Monroe, Gerard, and the hunters behind them pull out their guns and aim them at us, causing Scott to immediately lift his hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, hey. We did not come here to fight!"

"Well, then you came here to die!" Gerard harshly remarked, leaving Malia to let out a growl.

"We never wanted this to escalate!" I exclaim, holding my arm out in front of Malia so she wouldn't lunge forward. "We're trying to protect you!"

"That's been what we always wanted." Allison added, nudging Malia's side with a stern look since it seemed that any second she would attack. "There-There doesn't have to be a fight."

"You might want to control your Beta, Scott," Gerard emphasized. "she could get you all killed."

"We're not the enemy! There's something else going on." Lydia worriedly explained. "We don't know what it is, but we promise you, there's a bigger problem."

I worriedly eye the hunters behind her, feeling my heart quicken at the sight of their guns aimed at us. Even if we tried to run, they'd gun us down.

"Something worse than supernatural cannibals?" Monroe scoffed, causing Scott to tilt his head to the side in confusion. "Yeah, I know everything now. Wendigos, Oni, Werecoyotes, Phoenixes,...people being murdered as human sacrifices?"

"We tried to stop those." Scott calmly tried to explain.

"And how many people lost their lives while you were 'trying?'" She emphasized, her voice beginning to rise.

"Too many."

"It was twelve!" She angrily stated before pointing behind her to the hunter. "His son was one of them. His throat was cut, and his head bashed in."

She turns to point to the other hunter. "His brother was a deputy escort to a teenager named Donovan. Gutted and torn apart with his skin burned to a crisp. The official report read 'animal attack with the fire coming from an unfortunate vehicle explosion.'"

"Olivia," Allison whispered and I turn to her, seeing her eye me in concern. "You're shaking."

I hold out my hand, seeing as it terribly shook in place. "I-I--" I accidentally stammer, causing my eyes to widen. "I can't make it stop."

"It's amplifying their fear..." Lydia spoke up as she nodded her head towards the hunters, seeing as their grip on their weapons slightly shook.

"You've all lost somebody and you wanna get revenge. I get that." Scott rose his voice. "But, just listen to me. Something escaped the Wild Hunt--"

"Scott. Scott, it's here!" Lydia shouted. "It's here right now."

Instantly the lights above us shut off, causing a yelp to escape from one of the hunters, and wildly bullets fired around us.

"Get down!"

➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵

A/N:

Y'all I'm finally finishing writing the last chapter of this book and it's tOUGH because of two things.

1. I'm struggling to finish it without it being too cheesy
2. It's hitting me that I'm officially writing the LAST chapter to this book (until the tw movie comes out later this year LOL)

I hope you all have/had an amazing day! Bye!

~Cimbello