The air in the dimly lit room felt heavy, suffocating. Gabriella paced back and forth, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes carried a wild, unrelenting fire. Erica and Isaac sat on the couch nearby, their expressions a mixture of concern and apprehension. They exchanged uneasy glances as Gabriella muttered curses under her breath, clearly spiraling. 

Finally, Erica broke the silence. "Gabriella," she said cautiously, her tone laced with worry, "you need to calm down. This... this isn’t you." 

Gabriella spun on her heel, glaring at Erica, her rage barely contained. "Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!" she snapped, her voice trembling with anger. "Lucas, Boyd are dead. And it’s her fault. The next time I see Kali..." Her voice dropped into a dangerous growl. "I will  kill her." 

Isaac leaned back, crossing his arms defensively but still trying to reason with her. "And how exactly are you going to do that, huh?" he challenged, his tone sharp but concerned. "You don’t have your powers—no 'blast thing,' no advantage. What’s the plan, Gabriella? Glare her to death?" 

Gabriella’s lip curled into a snarl as she closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, standing over him with an intensity that made even Isaac falter. "I don’t care," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I will bash her head into the fucking ground if that’s what it takes." 

[...]

The dim light in Gabriella’s house flickered as she poured over maps, notes, and any scrap of information she could find that might lead her to Kali.

Her hands were stained with ink and sweat, her jaw clenched in frustration. Every lead had turned cold, every effort fruitless. She had even gone to the Alpha Pack's hideout, but it was empty, abandoned like a ghost of violence past. 

The quiet of her solitude was broken by a firm knock at the door. Gabriella froze, her instincts kicking in as her heart raced. Her first thought was that it might be Kali—coming to taunt her, or worse. Grabbing a knife from the counter, she cautiously approached the door, peering through the peephole. 

Her tension eased slightly, replaced by confusion when she saw her uncle, Chris Argent, standing on the other side. He looked calm but purposeful, his stance that of a man on a mission. 

Gabriella opened the door, though she kept the knife at her side. "What do you want?" she asked sharply, her voice still carrying the edge of her unresolved anger. 

Chris glanced at the knife in her hand but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he stepped forward, his eyes meeting hers with a look that was both firm and compassionate. "I heard what happened, Boyd... I’m sorry, Gabriella." 

Her grip on the knife tightened. "If you’re here to lecture me or tell me to let it go, save it," she snapped. "I’m not letting her get away with this." 

Chris sighed, stepping further into the house and closing the door behind him. "I’m not here to lecture you. I know what it’s like to want revenge. To feel like it’s the only thing keeping you standing." 

Gabriella’s eyes narrowed. "Then why are you here?" 

"Because I know what happens when revenge becomes your only focus," Chris said, his tone steady but heavy with experience. "It consumes you, Gabriella. And it won’t bring them back." 

Her breath hitched at his words, but she quickly masked the crack in her armor with a glare. "I don’t care about that. Kali deserves to pay for what she’s done." 

Chris nodded slowly. "I’m not saying she doesn’t. But if you go after her alone, with no plan, you’re going to get yourself killed. And that’s not justice. That’s just another loss for everyone who cares about you." 

Chris’s gaze softened briefly before he cut straight to the point. "How about this instead: there’s a recital at school—a memorial for everyone we’ve lost. You should be there."

Gabriella let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "I’m not going."

"You can’t just skip school, Gabby," he said firmly, his tone edging into frustration. "It’s not just about the recital. It’s about being there, honoring their memory."

Her eyes darkened as she took a step closer to him, her voice sharp and unyielding. "How about I go when I have Kali’s head mounted on a stick?"

Chris sighed, his jaw tightening as he studied her. He could see how consumed she was by her grief and anger—how it was eating her alive. "Gabriella," he said, his voice quieter but no less firm, "you’re going down the same road Allison went down after her mother died. And look where that led her."

Gabriella froze for a moment, his words hitting a nerve. But instead of softening, her expression hardened. "I don’t care," she snapped, her voice breaking slightly under the weight of her emotions. "And I guess I didn’t fall that far from the tree, huh?"

Chris stepped closer, his voice steady but laced with urgency. "Gabby, listen to me. I’ve seen where this path ends, and it’s not where you want to go. Revenge won’t bring them back. It won’t heal what you’re feeling right now."

Her hands clenched into fists, tears welling in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall. "Maybe I don’t want to heal," she muttered, turning away from him.

"Maybe I just want her to suffer as much as we have."

[...]

Gabriella was pacing the living room again, her mind a whirlwind of anger and grief. The maps and papers she had meticulously spread out lay abandoned on the table, her focus clouded by frustration. Her phone buzzed on the counter, vibrating insistently. She ignored it at first, but when it kept going, she snatched it up with a growl.

“What?” she snapped into the phone without looking at the caller ID.

“Gabriella, it’s me—Scott,” his voice came through, rushed and urgent. “You need to come to the school. Now.”

“I already told Chris I’m not going to that recital,” she spat, her voice heavy with anger. “I don’t care about some memorial.”

“This isn’t about the recital anymore!” Scott’s voice rose, laced with panic. “Something’s happening. I think someone’s going to get killed.”

Gabriella froze, her heart thudding as a fresh wave of adrenaline coursed through her. “What do you mean?” she demanded, her grip on the phone tightening.

“the Darach,” Scott said, his voice dropping
“it's here. At the school.”

[...]

The gymnasium buzzed softly with murmurs as students and faculty gathered for the recital. Gabriella pushed through the double doors, her expression hard and unreadable, her presence immediately commanding attention.

Aiden, who was leaning against a nearby wall, turned his head sharply as he sensed her arrival.

His gaze lingered on her, his brows furrowed as though he wanted to say something, but Gabriella didn’t even glance his way.

Her focus was singular.

She spotted Chris, Allison, Scott, Stiles, Isaac, and Erica grouped together near the stage, their faces taut with unease. Striding straight to them, Gabriella’s voice was low but urgent. “Where’s Lydia?”

The group exchanged quick, uneasy glances. Scott furrowed his brows, as if only now realizing the absence. “She was supposed to be here,” he said, his tone tinged with worry. “She said she’d meet us.”

“Maybe she’s just late?” Stiles suggested, though the doubt in his voice was clear.

“Lydia doesn’t do late,” Gabriella snapped, her eyes darting around the room. Her instincts were already screaming at her that something was wrong. “You’re telling me you didn’t notice she was missing until now?”

Suddenly a scream pierces the night, nearly sending the werewolves to their knees

The werewolves flinch, hands moving to their
ears.

"Lydia" Gabriella pushed through the deafening scream and ran to where the sound was coming from.

Just as she reaches the door she sees Desks clatter away from the back of the room, revealing Lydia who was sitting on the bound to the chair.

"Lydia?" Gabriella kneels down to her level

"It's Jennifer...she's the Darach, she took the sheriff"

[...]

The steel door slides back with a CLANG and Jennifer Blake rushes in. Voice tremulous with panic, she calls out to the darkened loft.

"Derek? Derek, where are you?"

"Right here"

She spins around and sees Derek step out of the shadows as if he’d been waiting in the darkness for her.

"Thank God" She rushes over, arms wrapping around him "Something happened at the recital. At the school. I need to tell you before you hear it--before you hear any of it from them"

"From who?"

"Gabriella, Scott, Stiles--they’re going to

tell you things. Things you can’t believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me"

"What is it?"

"Promise you’ll listen to me"

"I promise"

She kisses him. Pressing her lips desperately to his. But there’s a hesitancy in him. She pulls back to look him in the eyes, noticing a lack of reaction, a visible unease "They’re already here, aren’t they?"

Scott Gabriella and Stiles step out of the elevator alcove.

"You know we have mobile phones, right? Probs could’ve called ahead to try and counteract your villainy" Gabriella said raising her phone up

Jennifer backs away, nervous "So they told you it was me? That I’m the one taking people?...Committing human sacrifices. Cutting their throats? I probably do it during my lunch hour. That way I can get back to
teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense"

"Where’s my Dad?"

"How would I know? Derek, tell me you don’t believe this"

"Do you know what happened to Stiles’s father?"

"No. I have no idea"

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia"

Jennifer turned to scott "Lydia Martin? I don’t know anything about that"

"OK you clearly won't admit it so let's just skip forward to the dramatic reavel" Gabriella held an open VIAL held in her hands.

Inside are the ground and crushed remains of green and brown leaves.

It was Mistletoe

"What is that?"

With a flick of her hand, the POWDER flies out of the vial, pluming into a cloud of dust.

Jennifer raises her hands, but in the cloud, her face changes to THE DARACH, slashed and SHRIEKING in anger.

Derek flinches back as if he’d been hit.

Dust settling around her, Jennifer looks up with a mixture of rage and fear.

She starts to back away, moving for an escape.

But Derek comes at her

His right hand wraps around her throat, left opening with CLAWS unsheathed.

"Wait, just wait--you need me"

"What are you?"

"The only person who can save your sister"

He blinks, a moment of hesitation as Jennifer struggle to breathe, eyes locked on Derek’s "Call Peter. Call him"

Derek got his phone out, his hand still wrapped around Jennifer's neck

He put the phone to his ear still glaring at Jennifer

The first words that came out of peters mouth as he answers the phone "Cora’s been in and out of consciousness. And she’s vomiting up black blood along with one other alarming substance"

"Mistletoe"

"How did you know that?"

Derek slowly lowers the phone. His grip tightens around Jennifer’s throat.

"Derek? What are you doing?" Scott said as Derek eyes glow red

Jennifer’s mouth opens, trying to draw in air "Her life--it’s in my hands"

"Stop. Derek, stop" Gabriella stepped forward and preyed derek away from Jennifer

They needed her to find the sheriff

Jennifer fall to the floor. She draws in a breath, hand to her throat and glares up at them in defiance "That’s right. You need me. All of you"

"We don't need your tounge so shut up or lose it"

[...]

SIREN LIGHTS FLASHING, an ambulance full of evacuees veers away from the hospital’s entrance.

Derek’s Cruiser, Stiles’s Jeep and Gabriella’s car soar in past and SCREECH to a halt.

Derek gets out and yanks open the passenger door.

He makes no attempt to be gentle when pulling Jennifer out.

Gabriella and erica got put of her car, erica joined them as they left Derek's loft

Shutting the door of the Jeep, Gabriella pauses when she sees Stiles pull a BASEBALL BAT out of the back.

"You got claws. I got a bat"

"Isn't that melissa's" Gabriella says as she follows the others to the entrance.

The five supernaturals and Stiles enter through the side door.

They pass the reception desk the moment Melissa comes rushing back in through the ER entrance "Scott?"

He turns back, the others pausing ahead of him.

"What are you doing here? The hospital’s evacuating" melissa asks looking at the six

"We’re here for Cora"

"All of you?"

"Mom, trust me on this. You need to get out of here. Right now"

Melissa notices the way Derek holds Jennifer’s arm, sees the tension on their faces "the building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes. We’ve got two more ambulances coming back. One’s ten minutes out. The other’s twenty. Cora needs to be on one of
those. They’ll be picking up in the basement garage"

"Got it"

Frightened, Melissa watches her son follow the others to the elevator

Still gripping Jennifer by the arm, Derek presses the button for the second floor.

"You don’t need to keep me on a leash, Derek"

"I would've put you in a cage but no time to get one" Gabriella said as the bell rings and the elevator doors open.

Derek pulls Jennifer out with the four teenagers close behind.

The LIGHTS FLICKER.

All of them notice Releasing Jennifer, Derek moves past the group to the double doors of the Patient Holding Area.

All he sees inside is an empty bed and BLACK BLOOD mixed with mistletoe all over the
floor.

"Derek..."Gabriella nods to the drops of BLACK BLOOD on the floor.

They lead into the corridor and toward TWO DOUBLE DOORS which BURST OPEN.

A BODY soars through, tumbling across the floor and sliding to their feet.

With a GROAN of pain, Peter looks up "We got a problem"

Down the hall, a MONSTROUS WEREWOLF steps into the light. At its feet lies Cora’s unconscious body.

"Ethan, Aiden--stop"  Gabriella said

The Twin Alpha speaks with a voice combining both Ethan and Aiden’s "All we want is her"

As it charged, Gabriella stepped in front of them, her stance unyielding.

“erica, get Cora,” she barked, her voice sharp and commanding.

Erica moved quickly, dragging Cora out of harm’s way as Gabriella squared off against the Twin Alpha.

“You couldn’t beat me before,” Gabriella snarled as the beast lunged at her. In one fluid motion, she slammed it to the floor with a force that echoed through the corridor. “What makes you think you can now?”

The Alpha struggled under her grip, its eyes burning with frustration. Gabriella’s own gaze was cold and steady. She wasn’t going to let anyone else die tonight.

The Alpha Twins snarled in unison, trying to push Gabriella off with their combined strength, but she held firm, her werewolf strength and anger giving her an edge

The Twins roared again, their form shifting slightly as they clawed at Gabriella

Gabriella gritted her teeth as the Alpha Twins clawed at her, their monstrous forms shifting in an attempt to overpower her. The raw strength in their movements made her feel every ounce of her own power pushing against them.

She shifted her stance, planting her feet firmly on the floor, and with a deep growl, she slammed both of their heads together with a sickening crack. The sound of bone meeting bone echoed in the hallway, and both Alphas staggered back, dazed and disoriented.

She didn’t give them a chance to recover. With a swift motion, she grabbed one by the throat and slammed him into the floor with enough force to crack the tiles. The other Alpha, still reeling from the impact, attempted to charge her, but Gabriella was already moving. In a blur of motion, she shifted behind him and landed a brutal blow to the back of his skull, knocking him unconscious in one devastating strike.

The Twins lay motionless on the floor, their massive forms twitching in the aftermath of the battle.

Gabriella stood over them, her chest heaving with heavy breaths, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She flicked her gaze toward Erica, who was kneeling by Cora’s side, her eyes wide with concern as she checked for any sign of life.

"Is she alright?" Gabriella asked, her voice sharp but concerned

Erica's her hands steady as she felt for Cora’s pulse "She’s definitely not getting any better"

"There has to be something we can do. We have to help her"

"You can’t" Jennifer said as she stands on the opposite side of the room "Only I can. I can save her and I can tell you where Sheriff
Stilinski is. But there’s a pack of Alphas in this hospital who want me dead. I’ll help you only when I’m out of here and safe. Only then"

A look of rage in his eyes, Derek rushes toward Jennifer with frightening speed. But Scott quickly steps in between them "Derek, wait--"

Derek glared at her "Heal her"

"Not until I’m safe"

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion. How about we torture her?"

"Am all for it" Gabriella said taking a step towards Jennifer

"Me too" Erica follows Gabriella

They step towards her but paused as THE PA SYSTEM CRACKLES to life.

Everyone looks up to a SPEAKER at the ceiling "Um... can I have your attention..."

Scott slowly steps past the others, frightened by the sound of his mother’s voice echoing through the speaker static

"Mr.Deucalion--excuse me, just Deucalion--requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the ER reception. Do this and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes"

The PA clicks off, leaving Scott breathless and terrified.

Jennifer shakes her head "He’s not going to hurt her"

"Shut up"

"He won’t. Scott, you know why. Tell them it’s true"

Reluctantly, Scott confirms it with a nod.

Gabriella looked at scott confused "What does she mean?"

"You and Derek are not the only one he wants in his pack" Speaking quickly, Jennifer explains her theory "Deucalion doesn’t just want an Alpha pack. He wants perfection That means adding the rarest of Alphas to his ranks"

Gabriella eyes wide in realization "A True Alpha... The kind that doesn’t have to steal
the power from another. The kind that can rise by their own force of will. Our little Scott"

Scott shakes his head "It doesn’t matter, We still have to get her out of here"

Erica looked at scott "Scott, your Mom--"

"My Mom said there was one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes. I don’t think we’ve been here that long. If we could get down to the garage, we could get that last ambulance and get out of here"

"Erica, stiles and I will take cora to the ambulance and make sure she gets out before we come back" Gabriella said moving towards the unconscious cora but paused as Derek spoke up

"I'm not going anywhere without cora"

"And am not going anywhere without you, Derek" Jennifer