Chapter 3: The Beast of Gévaudan
Still locked in the same room, Spencer, Emily, Hanna and Alison looked around. As before, there is nothing to tell them where they are. There are no windows and the door appears to be properly insulated, not allowing any noise or odors to pass through. They are stuck, although they can escape. Indeed, they can break their bonds effortlessly. They are of considerable strength, nothing can resist them. If they stay there, it's just to collect as much information as possible and then give it to their Alphas. With this, they can bring down this crazy hunter and have him imprisoned for good.
After waiting for an hour, maybe even more, the door in front of them creaked, a sign that someone was entering. Several armed men entered. They untied them and pushed them down the hallway, leading them into another room. They didn't know where they were going, but that didn't worry them that much. No matter what he's up to, they know how to defend themselves.
Meanwhile, in the forest, the pack continued its search. Everyone was busy sniffing in all directions, wanting to find a trail that could lead them to them. But, for the moment, there is nothing. Apart from what they found at the scene of the attack, there are no other clues. They will have to go to town and question the inhabitants if they want to have any chance of finding them. However, it is not said that the inhabitants of this city will be receptive to their request, especially if they have sided with this hunter. If so, they might call on him to chase them away or even kill them.
Kurt was the one to start the race to Beacon Hills, not even bothering to think about the risks. He wants to find them and will do everything in his power to do so. No one attacks their pack, at the risk of paying a high price. You should never make a werewolf angry, because it is very likely that he will let his rage explode.
In Kurt's case, he's not there yet. He has always been a moderate person, who knows how to manage his emotions in any situation. Aria is a little less so, because she sometimes tends to let her emotions take over. So, in this case, she is not far from letting her rage explode and destroying everything that gets in her way. Like any good Alpha, she cares about all the members of her pack, and will lash out at anyone who harms them.
After thirty minutes of running, the pack arrived in the center of Beacon Hills. It was getting dark, so the streets were pretty deserted. However, the sheriff's office was still open, which was timely. Kurt and Aria went straight there, wanting to explain the situation to the sheriff. After all, they already met him five years ago, so he should remember them. He could help them, thanks to the knowledge and contacts he has.
"Hello sheriff, do you remember us?"
"Yes of course. Five years ago you got rid of a hunter. He had begun to create a climate of fear and had even corrupted all but one of my deputies. Because of him, I had to reshuffle my entire staff."
"Yeah, that's it. I imagine you are aware that he was released for good behavior a few days ago."
"No, I didn't know that. Why didn't anyone warn me?"
"I don't know, but we were informed. I guess the authorities thought we were targets for him and needed to be warned. Anyway, we came to confront him, but before we could find him, he took four members of our pack."
"You want to face him? But you are crazy ! And, you're telling me he kidnapped four members of your
pack? What do you want me to do? Faced with his entire army, I am powerless."
"We want you to help us find them. You have contacts, you know several werewolves, a whole pack even. Call on them so they can help us."
"Okay, I'll call them. Besides, I understand you know Scott, so they should accept. I tell them to come here as quickly as possible."
"Thank you Sheriff. Without you, we would surely have put ourselves in great danger."
At the same time, in the hunter headquarters, Gérard brought the girls into a room, which looks like a kind of improvised arena. Traces of dried blood covered the floor and walls, a sign that several fights took place in this place. This is what awaited them: a visibly bloody fight, but against whom? Or rather, against what?
Spencer looked around and saw no escape. The walls are reinforced concrete, although they are streaked with large claw marks. On the other side of the arena was a large metal door. Given its size, it must let a huge monster or several people pass at once. Gérard went to stand in the center, effectively capturing their attention.
"Well, since you don't want to tell me anything, I have to let my best interrogator ask you some questions. You will see, you will beg me to stop the fight. Your opponent is the famous Beast of Gévaudan. The oldest and fiercest werewolf still alive. It is said that she has been cursed for hundreds of years and no one can kill her. It is also said that whoever manages to subdue the Beast is because he or she is much stronger than it. We'll see if that's what you are."
The four looked at each other, not really knowing what was going to happen. They have never heard of this Beast, nor of its power. All they know is that they will have to fight against an opponent possibly stronger than them. No matter, they will show him that it is their power and that they know how to transform into something other than a big wolf. The original form, a form little known to humans, but very respected by werewolves. So, even though this Beast is aggressive and fierce, perhaps it should stop its attacks when it sees them transform.
A few seconds after Gerard left the arena, the large metal door opened with a loud bang. From this dark and dusty room emerged a huge werewolf with entirely blue eyes. It had huge fangs as well as huge claws. He is all muscle and has scars all over his body, a sign that this is not his first fight. As he entered the arena, he let out a loud howl that resonated. However, it was not powerful enough to shake the walls. When Hanna saw her, she was the first to ask questions and look for answers.
"Is that thing!? It's not a werewolf, this thing. He is a monster who is capable of disemboweling us with a smile."
From the top of his cabin, Gérard observed the scene, happy to see that his secret weapon caused them great fear. In front of the Beast, they no longer dare to be arrogant. If they resist electricity, they will not resist what awaits them. Wanting to have fun, he decided to respond to Hanna, mainly to make fun of her and her fear.
"Dearest, what stands before you is the last thing you will see. If you were arrogant before, I fear it will be over. You will die at the hands of one of your kind. And yes, one werewolf killing another is commonplace."
"Oh, shut up, old man. You don't know anything about werewolves or our way of life. I don't know what it is, but it won't last long."
"If you say so. Come on, now for the fight."
The girls looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Before them stands the Beast, who has bared all his fangs to impress. But, before they could think of a strategy, the Beast launched the first slash of its claws, which failed to reach its target. After this first blow, the fight was truly underway.
Emily was the first to attack, launching herself with claws out at the Beast, who took a step back from the shock he received. Spencer, eager to join in the dance, also took the plunge, but decided to use her fangs. Hanna and Alison watched them do it before going to join them. The four of them overpowered the Beast quite easily. But they only managed to maintain the advantage for a few seconds, because the Beast threw them against the walls. In doing so, she let out, once again, a powerful howl before launching herself in their direction.
The girls looked at each other and decided to try a new strategy, namely attacking from behind. Alison attracted the attention of the Beast so that the others could climb on its back and inflict wounds that could incapacitate it. The Beast quickly understood their strategy, but decided to let them do so in order to better attack them later. Spencer was the first to understand the Beast's strategy, but she didn't have time to react, because she took a claw to the right cheek.
Emily almost had time to react, because she dodged one of the Beast's attacks. But, she did not succeed in dodging the second claw strike, which fell on her left shoulder blade, while moving up her arm. Seeing this, Alison moved away directly, for fear of getting hurt. She never wanted to fight and planned to stay on the sidelines until it was over. But, to look good, she still decided to help a little. Except she didn't plan on getting hurt and it's still not in her plans. Hanna rushed towards her, preventing her from hiding in a corner. She pulled it towards the center, where the Beast is, to continue the fight.
However, before attacking again, they took time to think. A few drops of blood stained the ground and it is out of the question that there will be more. If they want to subdue the Beast, they must show him who they really are and to which pack they belong. Although he is a very old werewolf, probably around a hundred years old, he must know who the original pack is and what they are capable of.
Emily was the first to initiate the transformation, wanting to take her original form to have an advantage in the fight. Spencer followed, although it was painful because of his injuries, as it was for Emily. Hanna followed, as did Alison. As they have not practiced it very often, this transformation is still a little painful and takes a few seconds to complete. But, it's very quick compared to their first transformation, which took several hours and was extremely painful.
Gérard watched them do it. At first, when he saw the Beast hurting them to the point of drawing blood, he was happy. But there, seeing them transform into something still unknown to him, is incomprehensible. He's never seen a werewolf capable of that. This is a hidden form that no one has ever heard of.
"Damn it, someone tell me what that is! A werewolf capable of transforming like that, it's impossible! The Beast should have killed them a long time ago and yet... that's not the case. I have never seen anyone achieve the feat of subduing the Beast. Stop the fight, bring in the Beast and bring them to me!"
Gérard fumed with anger when he saw that his perfect plan did not work as he had planned. Seeing four young wolves, at first barely able to defend themselves, succeed in subduing the Wolf Demon, the Beast of Gévaudan, is incredible. However, for Gérard, this is not possible. They must have been dead or begging him for the fighting to stop.
At the same time, in the arena, the girls looked up when they heard someone screaming. He was this crazy hunter, who got angry when he saw that his whole plan was failing. Seeing this, they burst out laughing, happy to make this guy, who was bragging about everything, lose his temper. Still in their original form, they began to climb the wall to the cabin located above. This is where this hunter was. Upon reaching him, they could take him and bring him back to the city police station, so that he can be arrested and returned to prison.
Meanwhile, still at the sheriff's office, Kurt and Aria were waiting for Scott to come. Only he can help them, thanks to his knowledge of the region and this common enemy. Perhaps he even knows where he is hiding and can lead them to his hiding place. With his pack, he could help them fight him and put him out of harm's way.
After an hour of waiting, Kurt and Aria saw Scott arrive, followed by other people. This must be his pack, although it is rather small. Lunar werewolves don't like having too large packs, but some allow themselves to do so. But that doesn't seem to be the case for Scott, who is content with a pack of around ten people.
Once the presentations are exchanged quickly, because most do not know each other, explanations can begin to be given. As their instincts dictate, it is the Alphas who discuss among themselves, letting their packs argue if they deem it necessary. Kurt was the one to open the conversation.
"Thank you for coming to help us. As you know, four members of our pack, wolves, were kidnapped. From what we know, it was the hunter who was put in prison five years ago who did it. The problem is that we don't know where he took them or even what he does to them."
"Guys, I'll be honest, I don't know either. Since we learned of his release, we have been looking for him everywhere, without success so far. I think he's always been good at hiding and avoiding leaving clues, so it's likely to be a very intensive search."
"Very intensive research? No problem, we know how to do that. We will turn the whole county over if necessary, but we will find them."
"Yeah, but be careful, guys. Gérard Argent, he's not kidding. He's already managed to raise an entire army and it wouldn't surprise me if he did it again. He provided weapons to everyone, although most brought them back, as they did not want to take part in the brewing war. Because, yeah, there's a whole war brewing and no one knows how to stop it."
"He wants war? Well, in that case...he's going to get it. He won't make it this time."
"What I don't understand is that they are capable of freeing themselves, given the strength of your pack. So why didn't they do it?"
"I guess they didn't get the chance. Being so strong means nothing, especially if they are injured. I
know we heal quickly, but there are times when that is not the case. For example, being attacked by werewolves corrupted or weakened with certain substances that affect us."
During their discussion, Kurt and Aria's pack listened attentively, but some analyzed the other werewolves present. Although most appeared to be simple humans, the others had a sullen, even aggressive look. They don't seem happy about having to help people they don't know.
Finn saw one of the guys from the other pack break out of the group and walk towards him. Just by looking at him, you can tell he's hyperactive. He can't really sit still and seems to be dying to ask questions all the time. And, that's what he intends to do, because he continues to approach Finn while staring straight into his eyes.
"Hey, does your heart rate increase when you transform too?"
"I…uh…I don't know…we haven't checked…"
"Hey, Scott, did you see? They have a tail and wolf ears too. Why don't you have a tail? It's so awesome and it must be so practical. And, when I touch their ears, they move on their own. I must have touched a nerve."
Kurt and Aria looked at the scene, taken aback and not sure how to react. Until now, no one had touched them without their permission. Scott seemed just as shocked and taken aback as they were. He cleared his throat, looking for a way to calm the situation before conflict broke out. Aria prepared to counter each of his arguments, if necessary.
"Um…don't pay too much attention to him. He's my best friend, Stiles, and he's also the sheriff's son. He's not too tactful, like most of us."
"Say, wouldn't your friend be a bit of a jerk? Because he asks some stupid questions. I guess he doesn't know the difference between lunar and non-lunar werewolves."
"Yeah…uh…no, he doesn't know it. To be honest, I didn't know it before either. It was you who explained it to me when you came to help us five years ago. And, I admit that I should have explained it to them, but I forgot."
Kurt, who had listened to everything, decided to give all the necessary explanations and answer all the questions. They must have plenty of them, especially the one who played with Finn's tail. At first glance, he seems the most curious and eager to learn new things. Stiles, for his part, was preparing to draw out all the questions that crossed his mind.
"It doesn't matter, I'll take care of explaining everything there is to know, that way, it will be settled and we can start the research. For starters, we are non-lunar werewolves, meaning we are not sensitive to the full moon."
"Okay, so…how do you transform yourself?"
"We do it when we want. We can transform ourselves whenever we want, in any situation. We have the partial transformation, which looks like yours but adds the tail and the ears. Then, we can also transform into a large imposing wolf, whose color varies depending on our natural hair color. The patterns are due to chance. Finally, there is what we call original form. Only the members of our pack are capable of mastering it. You see what werewolves look like in cartoons…big, bipedal…well, that's what they look like but much better, obviously."
"Okay, I want to see that someday. And what about the ears and tail? Is it just an aesthetic detail or does it have a use?"
"Ears allow us to hear better from a distance, although we are capable of the same thing in human form. So, for that, we can say that it is only an aesthetic detail. But, for the tail, it helps us to maintain our stability while we run. Since we can reach very high speeds, it is better to have something to keep us stable. If it is broken, it will be difficult to move around. And as for seeing our original form, you will surely have the opportunity to see it"
"Wow, I didn't know all that. It's okay, I'm going to start writing a book to list all the werewolves on the planet and note all their characteristics and differences."
"Well, you're going to have a lot of work. Because there are a lot of werewolves on the planet and they are all different. Whether they are lunar, non-lunar, warrior, lupoid and many others. It will take you years to find and inventory them all."
"It doesn't matter, I'm very patient. I don't think this kind of book already exists, that's why I'm going to create it."
As Stiles spoke, the door to the police station opened with a loud bang, revealing another werewolf. He appears to have been injured during a fight, as there are traces of blood on his torn clothes. It didn't even take five minutes for Kurt and Aria to realize what had happened to him. He was there when the girls were kidnapped. He must have seen what happened. He may have even participated in the fight, although he does not seem to have won it.
"Derek, where the hell have you been!? We've been looking for you for hours!"
"I was in the forest, but I was attacked by hunters. There were four girls who wanted to take me to their Alphas. I fled the fight, it was too dangerous. Then I went to Deaton's house to treat my wounds. One of the hunters managed to shoot me. The bullet hit my shoulder. It had to be removed so that I could heal."
"Yeah…speaking of which, here are the Alphas they told you about. The girls you met were kidnapped by Gérard and his army. We don't know where he's hiding or what he's doing to them. They came to ask for our help"
When Derek heard this news, he turned pale. He knew full well there would be repercussions because he didn't help these girls. He didn't know them and didn't want to be involved in their problems. So, he made the decision that seemed the most judicious to him at the time, namely to flee to save his skin. As soon as the bullet hit his shoulder, he got up and ran as fast as he could. He hadn't paid attention at all to what was happening and that he had to help them.
So, now that he's facing their Alphas, he doesn't know where to stand. He decided to lower his eyes respectfully, hoping inwardly that this would calm their, possible, anger. As he did this, he replayed in his head all the excuses he could give to justify his escape. He was never someone who submitted to Alphas. He doesn't submit to Scott, and certainly not when it was Peter the Alpha. But, in this situation, submission seems, almost, obligatory. Four members of their pack were kidnapped and it
was his fault. He must take responsibility for his actions, as well as all the repercussions that result from them.
"Oh…yeah…that…I wouldn't really know how to describe what happened. Everything happened so fast, so much so that I couldn't react properly. All I thought about was running for my life. I take responsibility for my mistakes. I should have defended them against those hunters, but...I was injured. I had to leave or risk dying. I know that doesn't justify what I did, but that's the only way I can explain it."
Kurt and Aria looked at each other, unsure of how to react. When they saw this guy walk into the room, covered in blood and dirt, there was no sign that he was going to own up to his mistakes. He seemed like someone who was aggressive and not at all friendly. He also seemed to not care about what was happening. But, that's not the case. He understood the situation, took responsibility for his mistakes and accepted the consequences. For his part, Stiles was speechless, because it's the first time he's seen Derek react like that.
"Wow, Derek owning up to his mistakes…I've never seen that. What happened ? Aliens kidnapped you and brainwashed you, right?"
"Aliens? Have you become even more stupid in the meantime?"
"Oh that's good. I was just kidding, that's all."
Kurt cleared his throat, wanting to intervene in the conversation. Aria was slowly tapping her claws against the desk next to her. It made a slow noise that signaled his anger. The whole pack knows what that noise means. If he is heard, it is because Aria is angry and she is trying to contain herself or show it. Kurt looked at her, trying to calm her through his gaze. Blaine and Ezra kept their ears slightly back, a sign of submission to their Alphas. Kurt was the first to initiate conversation.
"Well…I admit you should have defended them, but…I understand, somewhat, your point of view. You were hurt and you wanted to run away. But, in a pack, we help each other. I know they're not part of your pack, but you should have helped them."
"Yeah, I should have helped them, but I didn't really get the chance to do so. The hunters were shooting in all directions. No one could move without being shot. I got one in the shoulder and it was quite difficult to get out. Besides, I still haven't healed."
"Yeah…I forgot that you have a longer healing time than us. I understand that the situation was very complicated and that getting around was just as complicated. Now…what's done is done. I know them, I know they will be able to cope. If they have not yet been released, it is because they have a plan planned. Maybe they want to collect information for us."
"Okay…okay…well…if there's anything I can do to help?"
"Help us search the city and surrounding areas. The more people there are, the better."
Derek nodded and waited for the next instructions. Although lonely at heart for many years, he feels the need to help them. He is also a werewolf. He too was Alpha, although his pack only had three members. He knows the pain of losing a member of his pack, even if it didn't really happen to him. So he sympathizes and wants to help them. He will do everything he can for that, even if his means are quite limited.
Meanwhile, in the hunter headquarters, everyone was agitated in panic. Indeed, the four imprisoned wolves managed to beat the Beast. They transformed into huge bipedal wolves, which was a completely unfamiliar form to them. As they did not know how to react, they took the opportunity to flee, breaking the large concrete walls with extreme ease. They managed to find the exit and took the road towards the city, thus crossing the forest.
For his part, Gérard didn't understand what was happening. When he ordered the fight to end so he could question them, he didn't expect them to flee. He directly put all his men in search of them, not wanting them to reach the city and call for reinforcements. Werewolves this powerful are a goldmine of information. Killing them directly wouldn't be a good idea, as he wouldn't have any information. And, if he doesn't find them very quickly, the result will be the same.
At the same time, in the forest, the girls were running, fleeing, as quickly as possible. They fought as best they could, but Emily and Spencer are injured, which could slow them down. However, they ignored their wounds or the flowing blood and continued to move forward. As they moved further into the forest, the pain became more and more unbearable. It seems that the Beast of Gévaudan is one of the corrupted werewolves, as their wounds have not yet healed.
After several long minutes of running, they decided to stop, because fatigue was starting to make itself felt. Spencer ran her hand over her cheek and wasn't surprised to find it full of blood. On the other hand, what she was surprised by was that her clothes were torn at her stomach, a sign that she had suffered a blow there. She did a brief scan and discovered a claw mark on the side of his stomach. Under the effects of adrenaline, she did not feel the pain. She didn't even stop to look to see if she was hurt. Faced with this new injury, she growled in frustration as she tore off the few clothes that remained on her back.
Emily, she looked around, not even paying attention to her arm which wouldn't stop bleeding. She feels the pain, but doesn't worry about it that much. Of course, the wound is far from superficial and losing so much blood is not good, but that's not what matters to him at the moment. The only thought crossing her mind right now is finding her pack to be safe and able to receive the necessary care. Until she finds her, she will not pay any attention to her injuries, even if they are numerous.
Hanna and Alison looked at each other. They weren't really hurt, apart from a few small bruises, but it's nothing too bad. They are, therefore, able to travel the last kilometers that separate them from the city and find the help they need. Moreover, two options are available to them. Either leave Spencer and Emily where they left off, while they go get help. Either they wait for them and travel together. However, given the situation, none of these options are good. Unsure, Hanna decided to ask the question, to find out what they are going to do.
"Okay…we have two choices. Either we leave you here until you get help. Either we travel together to the city. But, given the situation, none of these choices seem to be the right ones. So, I don't know what we can do, but we'll have to decide."
Spencer looked at Hanna, unsure of what decision to make. She took a few minutes to think, and to wipe the blood running down her face. Indeed, none of these options are good, but they have no other choice. But, after a few seconds of reflection, she decided not to let the pain take over their progress. That's not going to stop them.
"We don't stop. We can't stop, otherwise they will catch up with us. Don't worry about us, we're fine. A little blood isn't going to slow us down. We must not be very far from the city anymore. We just have a few kilometers left to go."
Emily nodded, agreeing with her. She had also removed the clothes that were torn, leaving her only in her underwear. The others had done the same, because their clothes were unusable. They weren't going to keep them, it's useless. And then, it allows them to keep an eye on their injuries, which are numerous after such a fight. Besides, Emily was staring at Hanna's leg, noticing a trace of claws on her thigh. She was still bleeding, although it seemed less heavy than before. By reflex, Hanna looked at her thigh and noticed this injury. She pulled her t-shirt over it, to mop up the excess blood, and tossed it aside. Once that was done, they took the road towards Beacon Hills, hurrying as night began to fall.
At the same time, Gerard's army had found their trail and was following them, hoping to find a moment to intercept them. They know that they cannot move quickly because they do not know the area and are injured. However, they seem to be alert and attentive to the slightest suspicious noise. It is clear that they will spot them if they do not be more discreet. Their team was rather small, with the bulk of the men concentrating on entering and exiting the forest. By crisscrossing the entire area, they will be able to intercept them at some point and eliminate them. Although Gérard doesn't want to do it yet, he admitted that they represent a danger and need to be eliminated as soon as possible. But, they must be questioned before their elimination.
During their run, Hanna again walked into a bear trap, hidden under some dead leaves. Like before, she removed it in one motion and tossed it aside. She stood up straight away, ready to continue running, but she didn't have time to do so. Indeed, in front of them stood Gérard, accompanied by around ten men. He was armed, like all his disciples, and looked angry. It's obvious to say that he didn't appreciate their escape attempt at all, and that he hadn't planned on chasing them.