Scott and Stiles arrived at the ranch, and soon the pack gathered at the pack house after he called them, settling into the living room.
Scott glanced at Victoria and asked. "Where's Chris?"
Victoria sighed. "He's at home. He said he wasn't feeling well."
Allison frowned. "Is he sick?"
Victoria shook her head. "No, just tired. You know how it is."
Allison nodded. "Yeah, I talked to him this morning."
Scott shifted the conversation. "Alright, Stiles, show them the pictures and tell them what Uncle Noah found."
Stiles displayed the images of the crime scenes and explained where the bodies had been discovered. When he finished, he turned to Victoria and Deaton. "So… do you guys have any idea what kind of creature we're dealing with?"
Deaton exhaled deeply. "I know of three creatures that can freeze their victims, but I can't say for certain which one we're dealing with."
Stiles leaned forward. "Okay, then tell us about them."
Deaton nodded. "First, the Wechuge, a cannibalistic monster made of ice, but they consume their victims entirely. Then there's the Cryomancer, a rare type of magic user who can freeze people instantly. And lastly, the Frost Revenant, a shapeshifter that takes on an icy form. It needs heat to survive, so it hunts living creatures, especially humans, stealing their warmth and turning them into ice sculptures."
Derek frowned. "The Wechuge is a cannibal, so that rules it out. But the Frost Revenant and the Cryomancer? Either one could be what we're dealing with."
Scott considered this. "Do you know of any creature like those that only targets men?"
Victoria said. "Yes. There's one. It's called a Yuki-onna, which translates to Snow Woman. It's a Japanese supernatural being associated with winter and icy death. It can freeze victims with a breath or a touch and drain their life force. It often appears as a beautiful, pale woman in white robes, luring travelers to their doom."
Scott nodded. "That sounds like a strong possibility, but we won't know for sure until we find it."
He turned to Lydia. "Do you sense anything?"
Lydia shook her head. "Nope. But if you want to know what we're dealing with, you should probably ask the new deputy."
Stiles blinked. "Wait, what new deputy? What's his name?"
Lydia shrugged. "I don't know."
Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Is he a friend or an enemy? And how dangerous is he?"
Lydia smirked. "I don't think he's an enemy… and I don't know what he is exactly. But he feels like Scott."
Allison raised an eyebrow. "You mean strong like Scott?"
Lydia shook her head, amused. "Relax. I don't mean his strength. I mean, he has fire abilities like Scott and that Cerberus we fought before. But there's more… he feels like me, too."
Victoria's eyes widened slightly. "It could be a Hellhound. They're harbingers of death, like banshees. And yes, they can use fire."
Scott nodded. "Then we'll talk to him tomorrow. Derek, I want you to go with Uncle Noah and check him out."
Lydia smirked at Derek. "And try not to scare him, okay? I don't think he even knows what he is yet."
Derek scoffed. "And how do you know all this?"
Lydia rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I just do. I didn't even know about the deputy until Scott asked me if I sensed anything."
Stiles crossed his arms. "Wait, so if Scott didn't ask, you wouldn't have known?"
Lydia shrugged. "Probably."
Stiles grinned. "Ohhh, so if we just keep asking you things, we can get more answers? Alright then, let's test this. What's the creature freezing people in town?"
Lydia deadpanned. "I don't know."
Stiles smirked. "Is it going to kill tonight?"
Lydia sighed. "I don't know."
Stiles leaned in. "Is someone going to be frozen to death tonight?"
Lydia groaned. "I don't know, Stiles."
Stiles snapped his fingers. "Okay, new question, when is a fire-powered creature going to show up in town?"
Erica snorted. "She literally just told us the deputy has fire abilities."
Stiles blinked. "Oh… right. But I meant an enemy."
Lydia crossed her arms and glared at Stiles. "I don't know, Stiles, but if you keep asking me questions, I will probably beat your ass."
Stiles smirked. "Last question, when will a creature with thunder abilities appear in Beacon Hills?"
Lydia rolled her eyes but then suddenly frowned. "I told you to stop asking me questions, Stiles. Besides, she and her mother are already in Beacon Hills, and they're not our enemies."
Everyone froze, staring at Lydia in shock.
Lydia blinked. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Cora tilted her head. "Didn't you realize what you just said?"
Lydia frowned, thinking back. "I just told Stiles to stop with the stupid questions."
Melissa's eyes widened. "No, Lydia, you answered his question. You said she and her mother are already in town. That means there's a thunder ability user and her mother here."
Lydia gasped. "Wait, I just said that?" She turned to Stiles. "Quick! Ask me who my future boyfriend is!"
Stiles grinned. "Who's your future boyfriend?"
Lydia focused, waiting for an answer, then scowled. "Nope. Nothing. My powers are broken."
Erica chuckled. "So, Lydia, do you know anything else about the thunder ability user and her mother?"
Lydia shook her head. "No, but there's a phrase in French that keeps popping into my mind, 'Coup de foudre.'"
Victoria's expression shifted. "That means a bolt of lightning… or, if you want to be more romantic, love at first sight."
Scott frowned. "We should probably find them. In case you all forgot, Lydia is a Banshee, not Cupid. So that phrase probably has a tragic meaning, and people might start dying again."
Stiles groaned. "Great. We haven't even dealt with the ice monster yet, and now we have another unknown threat running around town."
Allison suddenly grinned. "Speaking of the ice monster, when we defeat it, can I have its ability? I really like ice powers."
The pack exchanged glances before collectively shrugging.
"Sure."
"Go for it."
"Fine by me."
Allison beamed. "Thanks, guys!"
Melissa stood up, clapping her hands. "Alright, girls, come help me make dinner."
Just as they were about to leave, Scott suddenly said. "Oh, before I forget, Mom, your ex-husband is in town."
Melissa paused mid-step. "I see. Have you met him yet?"
Scott shook his head. "No. Uncle Noah told me. Apparently, he's here to investigate the Sheriff's inability to close cases… and to figure out why there are so many murders in town."
Melissa sighed, rubbing her temples. "You should probably meet with him and warn him. If he digs too deep, he won't like what he finds. He could get hurt… or worse."
Scott shrugged. "I'm not going to go looking for him. If he wants to talk, he can come to me first. I'll try to keep him alive, he's my father after all."
---
Meanwhile, at the Argent House.
Inside the dimly lit house, Chris sat alone.
The half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand trembled slightly as he poured himself another drink.
The house was too quiet.
Ghosts of his father and sister haunted him, their voices whispering in the back of his mind.
Kate was a monster. Gerard was even worse. But they were his family. And now, they are gone.
Chris took another drink, the alcohol doing little to fill the void inside.
A soft buzzing sound filled the room.
A single housefly hovered near the rim of his glass, circling lazily before landing on the edge.
Chris sighed, barely paying attention as he lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed.
Then, a sudden chill crept down his spine.
The warmth in the room seemed to vanish in an instant.
His vision blurred.
A whisper curled in the depths of his mind.
"Let me in…"
Chris's eyes snapped open, and he was instantly alert. He grabbed his gun, scanning the room.
"Who's there?" He demanded.
Silence.
He held his breath, listening.
Nothing.
After a long moment, he slowly lowered his gun.
He sat back down, exhaling heavily. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe the whiskey was finally getting to him.
Without another thought, he reached for the bottle and poured himself another drink.
To be continued… 😊