Chapter Three

"Claws"

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The growls of the alpha were much louder and more jarring than the sharp reports of a dozen gunshots.

James lifted his head with painstaking effort. He grabbed onto the sturdy root of a tree, rolled over, and started crawling toward the bushes. He could see the strap of his duffel, and soon it would be within arm's reach.

He risked a glance toward the clearing nearby. Chris Argent and the other hunters had their guns trained on the alpha, though the beast moved almost too fast to see. The great, black creature darted side to side, and then disappeared into the trees.

The hunters aimed around them in wide arcs, but there was no sign of movement.

Then the alpha reappeared without warning and struck down one of the hunters, before vanishing into the trees once more.

"Guard our flank!" Chris's voice rang out. "Don't give it any more openings!"

James looked away from them. He pulled his duffel toward him and ripped open the zipper. He was slightly frantic as he felt around inside the bag. Finally he felt the cool handle of his father's uzi.

He tore it out of the bag, bumped the bottom of the magazine as he moved to his knees, and took aim. He was panicking, but you wouldn't know it to look at him. He aimed right and left, his movements sharp and precise as he searched for his target along the sight of his gun.

There was a scream of pain as the alpha leapt through the circle of hunters again, culling another of them with another well-placed strike. Blood spurted from the hunter's neck as he went down. The others wielded their firearms in vain, and a few of them squeezed rounds into the trees, but there was no sign of the alpha.

James' hands were sweaty on his weapon. "Argent..." he said uncertainly. It was a nervous undertone, but it carried.

Chris's eyes flashed in his direction. "I told you to stay in town."

"I know," whispered James, his aim faltering.

"Don't start doubting yourself," ordered Chris sternly. "That is what will get you killed. That and reckless abandon." James saw the older man's eyes flicker briefly to Will's body, but he couldn't bring himself to look.

Another howl shook the trees. It seemed to come from all around them.

Chris held his gun steady and took a few steps away from the other hunters. He moved further into the clearing, out into the open.

"Chris -" someone protested.

But Chris cut him off. "Maybe we can have a calm discussion," he said in a very loud voice that was clearly intended for the alpha. "No more bullets, no more claws. Just talking. Can we do that?"

The forest seemed to blanket his words and swallow them up, but Chris knew the alpha would hear him no matter where he was.

Another harsh yell broke out and another hunter went down in a rush of blood and flailing limbs.

Chris whirled to face the sound with his finger on the trigger. Once again, the beast had disappeared. "Alright..." murmured Chris. His eyes flashed with a deadly gleam. "No discussion. Just the facts. You're not walking out of this forest under your own steam, and that's the truth."

The forest and the hunters were silent for a moment. Chris was hyper-vigilant with his aim. There wasn't even a hitch in his shoulders as he sighted his weapon between the trees.

There - a quick movement under the cover of shadows.

Chris jerked his weapon left and fired three times in quick succession.

There was a roar of pain. The alpha stumbled into the light, leaning sideways to catch its balance. The sapling it leaned snapped in half with shocking loudness. By then all the hunters had trained their guns on the beast.

The bullet had struck the creature's thigh. It wasn't lethal, but the wound was smoking. Wolfsbane would already be entering the alpha's system.

Chris wondered if he should take another shot while the beast was off-guard. But one should be enough...

The alpha was fifty yards away, slightly past the tree line. It shook its great, black neck as if trying to recover.

Chris took a few strides toward the alpha. "Surrender," he commanded strongly. "If you haven't spilled the blood of the innocent, no more harm will come to you."

The alpha werewolf regarded Chris through narrowed, blood-red eyes. Its snout began to twist and wrinkle, exposing white fangs. A rough sound came from its throat that sounded like a broken snarl. Then, Chris experienced a moment of real doubt.

The alpha wasn't snarling. It was laughing.

Chris turned cold. For the first time, his heart took a faster beat. He kept the alpha in his sights. "All we want to do is talk. No tricks - just the facts."

The alpha rumbled out another harsh, laugh-like sound. With its crimson eyes fixed on Chris, it slowly lowered its massive, bulking form toward the ground. Its neck stretched slightly and its back curved until it was staring up at Chris from ground level.

Chris anticipated its move a split second too late. "Don't move -" he shouted, his finger moving back to the trigger, but the alpha was too fast.

It leapt upward with unnatural speed, and ricocheted off a large tree to fly back toward Chris.

Gunfire erupted, but stopped almost as suddenly.

The alpha had disarmed Chris with one sweeping slash, and leaped behind him, capturing him with its claws at his throat. Except it didn't look like the beast anymore.

The alpha had taken its human form. Peter Hale stood before them, naked, dirty, and covered in dried blood. He twisted Chris's arms behind his back and pressed his sharp claws into the front of the hunter's throat, poising to rip out his jugular. Chris's gun lay on the ground at his feet.

Peter yanked Chris backward across the forest floor, limping slightly. "Hold your fire," he growled at the hunters. His tone was forceful and his eyes glinted. "Hold your fire or I'll kill him."

The hunters stared at the beast and at Chris. They paced nervously, their guns trained on what they could see of the alpha. They couldn't see much of him; the werewolf was using Chris as a shield, and it would be too risky a shot.

"What do we do, Chris?" Someone ventured nervously.

"Nothing," said Chris without moving a muscle. Peter's claws were starting to draw blood from his neck. "Don't do anything."

Peter laughed loudly, devoid of any humor, and a leer contorted his otherwise handsome face. "Now that is good advice, men. Pearls of wisdom can be found in the most unlikely places. How about dropping those weapons and reaching your hands to the sky?" His tone implied a gentle suggestion rather than a command.

"Don't... do… anything," repeated Chris, grimacing. Peter's body was supernaturally hot against his back, and Chris was starting to sweat. He blinked, trying to control the liquid beads as they gathered on his forehead. He couldn't afford to have a drop fall into his eye.

Peter's grip tightened around his throat and his claws cut deeper, nicking muscle. "Tell them to drop their weapons," he whispered beside Chris's ear. "Or playtime is over."

Chris struggled to keep his cool. Slowly, his eyes found his comrades. When he spoke, it sounded as though he despised the sound of his own voice. "Lower... Lower your weapons."

One by one, the small group of hunters did as they were told.

Chris felt Peter relax as soon as he was released from the aim of their weapons. "Much better," cooed the alpha. "Now we can cover my terms and conditions. Only for those of you who will be leaving this place alive, of course..."

Chris looked incensed. "You know how many hunters will converge on this forest if you kill anyone else?" He ground out, keeping his anger in check. "You'll be dead long before the next moon."

Peter tensed, and for one moment, Chris thought the alpha was going to rip out his throat right then. But instead, Peter twisted his captured arm sharply. Chris let out a string of profanities, his voice reaching higher pitches as the alpha kept twisting. "God damn it!" He yelled over the sickening crunch of breaking bone.

"Who said anything about killing anyone else?" Breathed Peter into the crook of Chris's neck as Chris tried to suppress his agony. "This is still playtime."

James Cole got tremulously to his feet. He could see Will's body in his peripheral vision. "What do you want?" He asked the alpha in shaking tones of desperation.

Peter turned his attention on the stocky young man who he had so nearly killed. He smiled. It was an eerie, unsettling smile beneath brightly glinting eyes. "What I want is Scott McCall."

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In the shadows of the dense undergrowth, Derek tried to hold onto Scott, but he couldn't. Scott threw him off and strode out into the clearing.

When he burst forth, the hunters raised their guns quickly, half of them swinging around to aim at him.

Scott didn't afford them even a glance. His glowing, yellow eyes were fixed on Peter. "I'm right here."

Peter turned sharply to look at him. His red, raking eyes took stock of the boy, and a slow smile touched his lips. "Scott," he demurred, his tone completely different from a moment before. "You look much better. You're healing well..." It wasn't a question.

"Do not shoot the beta!" Chris managed to grind out. Peter had further constricted his throat the instant Scott McCall arrived.

Scott's mind was a storm of fury and doubt as he stared at Peter's face. Somehow he kept his features composed as Peter regarded him. He tried not to think about the unabashed interest in that intrusive gaze, which the alpha made no effort to hide.

Scott lowered his chin and fixed Peter with a challenging stare. "Let him go."

Peter looked delighted. His expression seemed complacent, and almost innocent. "Can't we have some playful banter? We were starting to get really good at that."

It was mockery. "I'm the one you're looking for," growled Scott, pushing aside his fury once again. "He has nothing to do with it."

Peter looked appraisingly at Scott. The moment was long and drawn out, and Scott saw again a particular gleam in the alpha's eyes.

It gave Scott's rage the upper hand. "Let him go!" He yelled furiously and advanced toward them, his fangs sharpening.

"Careful, Scott," warned Peter. He pushed Chris forward and placed one hand on his back, curling the fingers of his other hand into the soft spot next to Chris's jugular. The threat was clear: if Scott approached any closer, he would kill Allison's father.

Scott hovered on the spot. It took everything in his power to remain where he was.

"You're smarter than this, Scott. You know you are," crooned Peter with a wink. "What did you think would happen if you found me?"

"It doesn't matter," said Scott quietly, "I guess we'll find out together."

Peter smirked and looked at the sky for a few beats. He shook his head, chuckling quietly, then met Scott's gaze again. "You truly are the bane of my existence, Scott. You have no idea what you can become. Your lack of understanding is absurdly vast." Peter shook his head again and chuckled. "If I didn't know your true potential I would never guess it."

Scott knew Peter was trying to anger him, to make him lose his focus and his edge. But try as he might, he couldn't shield himself from the man's words. He started to breathe faster as color crawled up his neck, heating his skin.

Peter didn't allow Chris to move an inch as he continued addressing Scott. "It was stupid to come here alone. These humans can't help you. You really misjudged your cards."

Scott growled softly. "I didn't."

Peter smirked. "I hate to burst your cute little bubble, but look around you, Scott. I have the winning hand."

"No," said Scott. The air around him was still like the calm before a storm. "I mean I didn't come alone."

There was a question on Peter's face for a moment. Then, Derek's roar shook Scott's bones as the other beta flew out of the shadows toward Peter. Derek collided with Peter and Chris, and the three of them crashed to the ground, limbs sprawling and teeth flashing.

The sound of their roars was unlike anything Scott had ever heard, and it momentarily stunned him.

But not for very long.

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