CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 180: A PEACEFUL DAY... UNTIL IT WASN’T

It was Sunday morning. Scott woke up to the warm sunlight streaming into the lake house. After a cozy breakfast with Allison, the two made their way to the pack house.

When they arrived, they found Lydia, Kira, Malia, Cora, and Erica outside in the yard, playing with the pack’s new pets—the two giant wolves, Luna and Vesper, along with their two mischievous pups, Ghost and Leila. Surprisingly, Buttercup, the red cow, was there too, happily trotting around like a dog and playing with the wolves without a trace of fear.

Scott raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "That cow is really stupid."

Allison smirked. "No, she’s smart. Smart enough to know Luna and her family won’t hurt her."

"If you say so." Scott replied with a grin.

Allison went to join the girls while Scott walked over to where Stiles, Boyd, and Isaac were sitting nearby. He dropped down beside them.

"I’m honestly more surprised that Malia is playing with the wolves than I am about the stupid cow." Scott said.

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Apparently, Malia went hunting deer with Vesper a few days ago, and now they’re best friends. And that dumb wolf hates me for some reason. Every time I get close to him, he bites my head."

Scott chuckled. "You’re not jealous of a wolf, are you?"

"I don’t know, man." Stiles said, pointing. "Look at him. He’s staring at me like he knows we’re talking about him. He’s probably laughing inside that giant wolf brain of his."

Boyd smirked. "Maybe you should show him who the Alpha is."

"I did, I really did!" Stiles said, exasperated. "Yesterday I shifted into my wolf form and kicked his furry butt. But then he saw the girls walking toward us and pulled some Oscar-worthy performance—started limping, whining, playing the victim. Ran to them like I was the bad guy."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Then what happened?"

"What happened?" Stiles said bitterly. "What happened is that Cora, Erica, and Malia ganged up on me and kicked my ass for bullying him."

Just then, the little white pup, Ghost, ran over to them, growled playfully at Stiles, and immediately started licking and nuzzling Scott.

Stiles pointed. "See?! Even this little shit hates me."

Scott picked Ghost up and scratched behind his ears. "You did scare him when you first met him."

Across the yard, Lydia called out. "Guys! We’re taking the wolves for a walk in the woods. You coming?"

Scott nodded. "Sure, I’m in."

He walked toward the girls, and Isaac, Boyd, and Stiles followed. As the group started heading toward the woods, Buttercup the cow began following them.

Erica turned and gently patted Buttercup’s head. "No, sweet girl. You can’t come with us. The woods are dangerous. Go back to the herd—we’ll play with you when we’re back."

Stiles waved her off. "Yeah, you dumb cow. You’ll get eaten out there."

Buttercup mooed loudly... then promptly headbutted Stiles so hard he flew backward and landed flat on his back in the dirt. The cow mooed again—almost proudly—and trotted back toward the herd.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Scott looked down at Stiles, who was sprawled out on the ground, groaning. "Animals really don’t like you, huh?"

Stiles sighed. "Tell me about it."

Still chuckling, the group turned and headed into the woods.

---

The woods were alive with golden sunlight streaming through the trees, birds chirping overhead, and laughter echoing as the pack strolled among the towering pines. Vesper and Luna trotted ahead, their enormous forms silent and graceful, while little Ghost and Leila darted between trees, chasing leaves and one another.

The group was relaxed, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Suddenly, Stiles tackled Boyd into a pile of fallen leaves. Boyd sprang up and chased him through the trees, which quickly turned into a playful fight as the others gathered around, cheering them on.

Once the impromptu fight ended, the group continued their walk. Vesper lingered near the back, casually glancing at Stiles from time to time.

Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Hey... what are you up to, you stupid oversized dog?"

"Leave him alone, Stiles." Lydia said with an amused smile.

"He’s stalking me." Stiles muttered. "He’s up to no good. I can feel it."

Erica laughed. "You’re overthinking it. Vesper is sweet. You’re the one always up to something."

Just as Stiles turned his attention to Erica, Vesper crept closer. Then—without warning—he leapt onto Stiles’ back, flattening him face-first into the dirt.

"ARGH! I KNEW IT!" Stiles yelled, his voice muffled by leaves and soil. "HE’S TRYING TO KILL ME!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Scott chuckled. "You’re fine. He’s just playing with you."

"I’m not fine!" Stiles groaned, rolling onto his back while Vesper stood triumphantly over him. "This is bullying. You girls spoiled him too much! Look at him—he’s way too pleased with himself!"

Vesper barked once, tail wagging... then gave Stiles a long, slobbery lick across his entire face.

"Ugh! Wolf slobber! This is a hate crime!"

Malia grinned. "He’s just showing you how much he loves you."

Stiles got up, shoving Vesper’s massive body away with ease, and wiped his face with his hoodie. "One day, you’re not gonna have the girls to protect you, and when that day comes—I will make you pay, you stupid mutt."

Vesper barked mockingly, then let out a fake whimper and trotted over to the girls, whining for sympathy.

Allison rolled her eyes. "Stiles, stop scaring him!"

The girls immediately began coaxing and petting Vesper, who looked over his shoulder at Stiles with what could only be described as a smug smirk on his wolfy face.

Stiles groaned. "Damn it... I really hate him."

Scott and the boys burst into laughter.

The group resumed their walk, enjoying the fresh air and each other’s company.

---

After a while, they turned back toward the path home, chatting and laughing—until the peace shattered.

One of Lydia’s seven supernatural crows suddenly swooped down from the sky, landing on her shoulder. Its beady eyes locked with hers as it let out a sharp, rasping caw.

Lydia’s smile disappeared. Her expression turned grim.

Cora immediately noticed. "Lydia? What is it? What did the crow say?"

Lydia turned slowly. "He found dead bodies in the preserve."

Kira blinked. "Wait—bodies? As in... more than one?"

Lydia nodded grimly. "Yes. That’s what he said."

Scott’s expression hardened. "Then we’d better go. Lydia—tell your crow to lead the way."

Lydia gave a single nod, then turned to the crow. "Take us there."

With a flap of its wings, the crow soared into the trees.

The group followed immediately, running at supernatural speed. Erica and Cora carried the pups while Vesper and Luna raced closely behind, their eyes sharp and alert.

---

The group arrived at the spot Lydia’s crow had led them to—and found the bodies.

Three men lay dumped deep in the forest, not far from one another. Each of them had deep gashes running from their chest to their abdomen, their insides exposed to the open air.

Stiles covered his nose and mouth, and knelt beside one of them. "Two of these guys have been dead for a while." He said, gesturing to the bodies. Then he pointed to the third. "But this one... he looks fresh. Maybe died yesterday or the day before. His body hasn’t started rotting yet."

Cora crouched over the same corpse. "He’s missing his heart. And his liver."

Scott frowned, scanning the scene. "We’re dealing with something evil again. Cannibalistic. And I’m pretty sure you can all smell it..." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "She’s a woman."

Allison rolled her eyes. "Of course. Another evil woman."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "You guys think she’s a Vrykolakas?"

Scott shook his head. "No. Vrykolakas don’t eat the hearts of their victims. And look at these bodies—corrupted by dark energy. Even the scavengers avoided them."

Allison crossed her arms. "What if she’s a Vrykolakas who stole a darkness-based ability from another creature? Like Cassandra stole her shadow teleportation ability from a vampire?"

Scott nodded thoughtfully. "Could be. I could be wrong. Either way, Stiles—call Uncle Noah. If we’re lucky, maybe he can figure out where she picked them up."

Stiles said. "Already did. He’s on his way with Parrish and Braeden."

"Good." Scott said. "We’ll wait here until they arrive."

Erica glanced at the bodies again. "Do you think a Chimera did this?"

Scott shook his head. "No... this doesn’t feel like a Chimera."

Kira suddenly spoke up. "I think I know what did this."

Stiles looked at her. "What is it?"

"My dad once told me about a creature in Korean mythology." She said. "It’s like a kitsune, but it’s always evil. A fox that eats the hearts and livers of its victims. It’s called a Kumiho."

Isaac asked. "Is it female?"

Kira nodded. "Always. A Kumiho takes the form of a beautiful woman to charm and seduce men—then eats their hearts and livers. And like kitsune, the more tails she has, the more powerful she becomes."

Stiles turned to Lydia. "Lydia? Do you feel anything? Any banshee vibes?"

Lydia shook her head, frowning. "Unfortunately... no. Nothing."

They waited until Noah, Parrish, and Braeden arrived. After that the group returned to the ranch.

There, they told the rest of the pack about the new evil creature in town—the Kumiho.

To be continued... 😊