The Stella Argent - Stiles Stilinski {Book 2}

Chapter 48

Scott and Malia sought assistance from Deucalion because facing the anuk-ite directly risked their bodies morphing into solid stone. Deucalion imparted valuable advice, teaching Scott to rely on his ears and wait silently for auditory cues to locate opponents. Wearing a headband encircling his eyes, Scott attempted to implement these teachings, but Deucalion gained the upper hand with his cane, inflicting three painful blows.

"UGHHHH!" Scott collapsed, gasping for air.

Enraged by Scott's defeat, Malia whispered to him, "Hit him!"

Scott, resting on the ground, felt the cane lightly brushing his cheek. Swiftly, he grabbed it, using it to rise and turn Deucalion onto his back in one fluid motion.

"You might just survive this," Deucalion chuckled, extending a hand, and Scott helped him stand.

"Scott! Scott!" Lydia ran alongside Peter, exclaiming, "None of us are going to survive this!"

Concerned, Scott and Malia questioned, "What? Why? What are you guys doing here?"

"They're coming! Monroe and more—and they have heavy firepower," Peter informed them.

Before they could process this information, a hail of bullets struck Deucalion from behind, causing panic. Deucalion fell face-first, and the group hid behind whatever cover they could find. Monroe, leading the Hunters, pointed a pistol at Scott.

Hidden behind a stone column, Scott glimpsed Malia and the chaos. Deucalion crawled for safety, Peter sought cover, and Lydia and Malia protected themselves. Scott cried out for Malia, narrowly avoiding gunfire.

"MALIA!" Scott screamed, attempting to get her attention. A Hunter with an assault rifle targeted him, but Stiles' Jeep intervened, saving Scott.

"You didn't think you were doing this without me, did you?" Stiles grinned.

"Without us?" Derek appeared with Isaac. Shocked, the group saw their friends transform and leap into the fray, dispatching Hunters.

While the pack struggled, Derek grabbed a Hunter's rifle, knocking them out. Unnoticed by Lydia and Malia, two gunmen approached, but a mysterious man tripped one and incapacitated the other. Isaac revealed the man's identity.

"Mason!" Isaac's cry for help echoed through the chaos, prompting a swift response from a young boy named Mason who rushed over to assist him.

Malia emerged from her hiding place, sprinting toward a Hunter and slamming him into the chain-link fence. Detecting another behind her, Malia pirouetted and utilized her recently acquired sightless acuity to slice him around the chest with her teeth. Reversing her steps, she delivered a powerful kick to the first Hunter's head, incapacitating him effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Peter forcefully shoved a Hunter into one of the stone support columns near the parking lot. Despite an initial block, Peter managed a second strike before kneeing the Hunter in the head. Roaring with glee, his glowing blue eyes and fangs out, Peter rushed off in search of another opponent.

Monroe realized they were outmatched as Derek effortlessly dispatched one of her men. Hurriedly, she raced for her SUV with the remaining Hunters. Once they had left, Stiles, who had been hiding behind Lydia's support column during the transformation, expressed frustration and gave Lydia a reproachful look.

"I know about Stella. I can't believe you didn't tell me about any of this. Not a word! Not a single word!" Stiles looked hurt.

"We had reasons. Really good reasons," Lydia replied, recalling Stella's instructions not to involve Stiles.

They reunited with Malia, Derek, and Peter, joining Scott, who had been attempting, but unable, to save Deucalion. As Deucalion's breaths grew shallow, Scott felt devastated, understanding that Deucalion would not survive.