Derek was lounging in his loft, watching TV with Braeden curled up in his arms. They were enjoying a rare moment of peace, something Beacon Hills never let last for long.
Suddenly, the alarm blared.
Derek sat up instantly.
Braeden looked at him. "What's going on?"
"Trouble." He said, his tone grim.
The metal door of the loft slid open, and Frank stepped inside, flanked by ten lesser vampires trailing behind him like shadows.
Braeden stood. "I'll get my shotgun." She whispered, disappearing into the bedroom.
Frank took a few slow steps forward, but didn't attack yet. He smirked. "So you're Derek Hale, the Alpha? You don't look that strong."
Derek rose to his feet, cracking his neck. "Funny, we've been looking for you bloodsuckers all over town. Since you came here yourselves… don't expect to leave."
Frank chuckled darkly. "Let's see what you're really made of first."
Frank decided to test Derek's strength before jumping in himself. He glanced back at his minions and commanded. "Get him."
The ten vampires rushed forward.
Derek didn't flinch. His eyes glowed a menacing red, claws extended, and a smile tugged at his lips.
The loft erupted into chaos as the vampires attacked. But they underestimated him. They thought they were fast, thought they were strong, but Derek was faster, stronger, and he hadn't even shifted into his werewolf form yet.
He moved like a blur, precise and brutal. Every time he got close to one of them, it ended in death, ripping out hearts, tearing off heads.
Four vampires were dead within seconds.
Braeden returned with her shotgun. Without hesitation, she fired.
The first vampire's head exploded. The second took a shot to the chest, his ribcage collapsing in a gory mess.
They dropped dead before they could scream.
Braeden smirked. "Let's see if you can heal from that, suckers."
Frank's eyes narrowed. He saw that Derek was too strong, so he decided to use Braeden against him. In a blur, he moved, reaching for Braeden's throat.
But Derek, who had been keeping an eye on her, saw his move. Just as Frank's fingers grazed her skin, Derek appeared between them and caught Frank's wrist mid-motion.
"There's no way I'm letting you touch her." Derek growled.
Braeden gasped, stepping back in shock. She didn't even see Frank getting close to her.
Frank tried to yank his hand free, but it was like trying to move a mountain.
Panicked, he shouted. "Capture the girl!"
The four remaining vampires lunged for Braeden. She managed to fire again, hitting one in the shoulder. He went down, howling in pain, but the other three were too fast.
Derek's eyes glowed brighter. He partially shifted, fur grew along his cheeks and jaw as he slammed a powerful punch into Frank's face, sending him crashing into the wall.
Without missing a beat, Derek turned and went after the three vampires attacking Braeden.
Frank, bloodied and terrified, scrambled to his feet and bolted from the loft. He didn't look back.
Derek made quick work of the remaining three vampires, knocking them unconscious before letting out a long breath.
Braeden leaned against the wall. "Sorry... I was a liability. And that guy escaped."
Derek stepped over and pulled her into a hug. "Don't say that. I'm just glad you're okay."
She nodded, then pointed at the remaining vampires, still breathing but broken. "What about them?"
Derek's eyes turned cold. "I'm going to read their memories... then I'll kill them."
He walked over to the one Braeden had shot in the shoulder and crouched beside him. Without hesitation, he inserted his claws into the back of the vampire's neck. A moment passed as Derek read his memories and absorbed his power. Then, he ripped the vampire's heart out, ending his life.
One by one, he repeated the process on the other three.
When he was done, Braeden asked. "What did you see?"
Derek stood. "Not much. All ten were turned by that guy who escaped, his name's Frank. They don't know where he lives. He showed up tonight and ordered them to capture me alive. They thought I was just a lone Alpha with no pack."
Braeden smirked. "Unlucky for them. And lucky for us, you weren't."
Derek glanced at the blood-soaked floor. "We need to clean this up and head to the ranch. We can't stay here, not until we deal with the vampires."
"You should tell Scott." Braeden said. "What if they go after someone else in the pack?"
Derek shook his head with a small smile. "Don't worry about my pack. They're monsters, even the betas. I already told Cora to come. She's on her way with Boyd. Until they arrive, let's clean this mess up fast. We'll fill everyone in once we're at the ranch. Right now, the one I'm most worried about... is you. I need to get you out of here, just in case they try again."
Braeden blinked. "When did you tell Cora?"
Derek smirked. "Our pack can communicate telepathically."
Braeden rolled her eyes. "Of course you can. Seriously, you guys are way too overpowered. You took down ten vampires without even breaking a sweat."
Derek chuckled. "Want to join us? I don't think Scott would say no. But you'd have to stay in Beacon Hills… for good."
Braeden paused, then smiled. "I'll think about it. Maybe after I take care of the Desert Wolf."
"Then I should probably help you find her faster." Derek said.
"Why?"
"Because you just said you'd join us and stay for good once she's dealt with. And I'd love that."
Braeden smirked and winked. "I think I'd love that too."
Derek smiled, and together, they got to work cleaning the mess.
Not long after, the loft door slid open again. Cora stepped in with Boyd behind her. She took one look at the bodies and raised an eyebrow.
"What happened here?"
"Bloodsuckers attacked." Derek said casually. "Did you bring the truck?"
"Yeah." Cora replied. "Boyd's truck is downstairs."
"Good." Derek nodded. "Let's clean this up and load the bodies and head to the ranch. We'll ask Scott or Stiles to burn them."
Boyd glanced at the corpses. "Were they strong?"
Derek shook his head. "Not really. The only one with some power was the one who turned them. Even he wasn't that tough. Now come on, help us clean this up so we can get out of here."
Together, they finished cleaning the loft, carried the corpses downstairs, and loaded them into the truck. Then they drove off into the night, heading for the ranch.
To be continued… 😊