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The air in Derek's loft vibrated with raw, untamed power. Dust motes danced in the harsh beams of the exposed industrial lighting, each particle a tiny witness to the brutal dance unfolding below. Derek dodged Kali's razor-sharp claws as they ripped through the air where he'd been a fraction of a second before.
He pivoted, using Ennis's lumbering advance against him. The sheer size of the Alpha was a weapon in itself, but Derek had learned to use that mass, that predictable brute force, to his advantage.
"You're fast, Derek," Kali sneered, her voice a husky rasp that carried over the din of the fight. Her bare feet, lethal weapons in their own right, scraped against the concrete as she adjusted her stance. "But speed isn't everything."
"No," Derek grunted, landing a solid kick against Ennis's knee, momentarily throwing the behemoth off balance. "But it helps."
Across the loft, Erica moved with a serpentine grace that belied her youth. Boyd met the fused Alpha twins, Ethan and Aiden, head-on. Their combined form, a grotesque parody of human anatomy, towered over them, a ten-foot-tall monstrosity of fused muscle and bone.
Isaac darted around the edges of the melee, his claws extended, leaving shallow, stinging cuts on the twins' exposed flesh.
They were holding their own, Derek realized with a surge of pride. He could see the echoes of Astrid's training in their movements, the precision and coordination she had instilled in them. He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the immediate threat. He couldn't afford to be distracted. Not now.
Erica feinted left, drawing the twins' attention, while Boyd used the opening to land a brutal blow to the fused abomination's sternum. The sound was sickening, a wet crack that echoed through the loft. The twins roared, a guttural sound that seemed to vibrate the very foundations of the building.
"They're getting stronger," Erica gasped, her chest heaving. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and a trickle of blood ran from a cut above her eye. "This isn't working."
"Keep at it!" Derek roared, deflecting another swipe from Kali. He could feel the burn of her claws against his skin. The fight was taking its toll. He needed to end this, and end it fast.
He saw an opportunity. Ennis, still recovering from Derek's kick, was momentarily vulnerable. Derek seized the chance, launching himself forward. He grabbed Ennis by the throat, ignoring the immense strength of the Alpha struggling against his grip.
"You should have stayed away from my pack," Derek snarled, his voice low and dangerous.
He slammed Ennis against a steel support beam. The impact reverberated through the loft, shaking the very foundations of the building. Ennis groaned, his eyes wide with surprise and pain.
Kali shrieked, a sound that cut through the air like a shard of glass. She lunged at Derek, her claws extended, aiming for his eyes. He released Ennis, spinning to face her.
"Erica! Draw them in!" he yelled, his voice barely audible above the din. "Boyd, flank! Isaac, support!"
Erica, understanding flashing in her golden eyes, moved with renewed vigor. She taunted the twins, dodging their clumsy attacks, leading them towards the center of the loft.
Boyd circled around the twins, his eyes searching for an opening.
Isaac harassed the twins from the periphery, distracting them, creating opportunities for Erica and Boyd to strike.
Derek, meanwhile, continued to fight Kali and Ennis. He was outnumbered, but he had something they didn't: a pack. A real one.
He used their attacks against them, weaving between their blows, using their momentum to throw them off balance.
He parried Kali's attack and saw Erica and Boyd executing the move that Astrid had drilled into them for hours. There was a brief window of opportunity that presented itself and with a thunderous roar, Boyd landed a solid punch into the face of the fused Alpha twins.
The twins faltered, their movements becoming less coordinated. They were weakening, but they were far from defeated.
"They're still too strong," Erica gasped, clutching her side.
Derek knew she was right. They needed to do something drastic. Something dangerous. He remembered something Astrid told them about the twins fusion.
He locked eyes with Erica, and a silent understanding passed between them. He nodded, and she returned the gesture.
It was a gamble, a desperate move, but it was their only chance.
"Isaac," Derek yelled, "prepare yourself!"
Isaac, his eyes wide with surprise, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He knew what Derek was asking him to do. It was insane, reckless, but he trusted Derek.
Derek turned back to Kali and Ennis, his eyes burning with determination. He had to create an opening. He had to give Isaac the chance he needed.
He roared, a primal sound that shook the loft. He charged at Kali and Ennis.
The three of them clashed, a maelstrom of claws, teeth, and muscle. The air crackled with power, the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Derek was taking a beating, but he refused to yield. He had to hold them off. He had to buy Isaac time.
And then, he saw his chance. Kali, momentarily distracted by Derek's relentless assault, left herself vulnerable.
"Now, Isaac!" Derek roared.
Isaac, without hesitation, launched himself at the fused Alpha twins. He latched onto the twins' back, his claws digging deep into their flesh.
The twins roared in pain and rage, thrashing wildly, trying to shake Isaac off. But Isaac held on tight, his grip unyielding.
He reached the top of the twins' fused form, his eyes fixed on their weak point of their fusion. He knew what he had to do. It was insane, suicidal, but he had no choice.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused all his energy into his claws.
And then, with a desperate roar, he plunged his claws into the point of fusion and pulled.
The twins screamed.
And then, silence.
The fused Alpha twins were gone. All that remained was Aidan and Ethan who were separated and on their knees.
Derek staggered back, his body battered and bruised, his lungs burning. He looked at his pack, his eyes filled with pride and relief.
But the fight was far from over. Before Kali and Ennis could attack, a sharp, echoing clapping sound filled the room, cutting through the tension like a knife.
Every head turned, seeking the source of the unexpected applause. Astrid stood framed in the doorway, her expression a serene mask that belied the lethal power she possessed. Behind her stood the rest of the expanded pack: Athena, Alison, Bella, Stiles, Lydia, and Cora, a silent, watchful guard.
"Guess I was worried for nothing," Astrid said, her voice carrying with an unexpected lightness. A small smile touched her lips. "You guys have outdone my expectations, and I couldn't be prouder."
Her gaze shifted, hardening as she focused on Kali. "What was it that Deucalion said? You guys took the power of the individual parts and became a greater individual whole." She shrugs. "Well, I guess this goes to show that power without numbers means absolutely nothing. At least if the twins stayed separate this would have worked in your favor." A curt nod to Allison was all the signal needed. Alison, Bella, and Athena moved with blinding speed. In a matter of seconds, they had the twins and Kali restrained, their supernatural strength proving more than a match for the surprised Alphas. Stiles, Lydia, and Cora remained by the door.
Ennis roared, struggling against Derek's grip, desperate to aid his allies. Derek, his own face a mask of grim determination, held firm, his enhanced strength barely enough to contain the enraged Alpha.
Astrid continued her advance, her steps measured and deliberate. "You know, usually when you get your ass kicked multiple times and don't get an answer to your proposal, it means the other party isn't interested, and you move on." She stopped directly in front of Ennis, her eyes locking onto his with an unnerving intensity. He snarled, the sound feral and menacing, but Astrid remained unmoved.
Suddenly, Lydia gasped, her breath hitching in her throat. Stiles instantly noticed her distress. "Lydia, you okay?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
Cora, her eyes narrowed, answered for her. "She's a Banshee, remember? I'm guessing someone's about to die here." The words hung in the air, heavy with dread.
Astrid's eyes remained fixed on Ennis, her expression unreadable. "But you guys kept coming back." A shadow flickered across her face, a hint of the darkness that lay within. "So this time, I'll give you a permanent warning."
The next moment happened too fast for anyone to react. Astrid's hand shot forward. Before Ennis could even register the threat, her hand plunged through his chest, her fingers wrapping around the source of his life. A collective gasp filled the room as she ripped out his heart, the sound a sickening squelch that echoed in the sudden silence.
Blood, dark and viscous, dripped down her arm, coating her hand in a gruesome sheen as she held the still-beating heart aloft. The light faded from Ennis's eyes, replaced by a dull, lifeless glaze. His body, still held upright by Derek, slumped, becoming a dead weight.
Kali let out a primal scream of grief and rage, her eyes widening in horror as she witnessed the brutal execution of her pack mate, her lover. Her struggles intensified, but Athena held her fast, her grip unyielding.
Astrid didn't flinch, didn't show a flicker of remorse. She turned her cold, unwavering gaze to Kali, the beating heart still clutched in her hand. "Stay away from my pack, or you'll be the next one to fall." The words were a promise, a decree delivered with chilling certainty.
The room remained frozen, the silence broken only by Kali's ragged breathing and the faint, rhythmic pulse of the dying heart in Astrid's hand.
Lydia, her eyes wide and unfocused, gripped Stiles's hand tightly, drawing strength from his presence. The Banshee wail she had felt building inside her had subsided, replaced by a chilling silence, a void filled only by the cold realization of what she had just witnessed.
The twins, subdued and terrified, stared at Astrid with a mixture of awe and fear. They had underestimated her, and they had paid the price. They knew, with a certainty that chilled them to the bone, that she was not someone to be trifled with.
Astrid released her grip on the heart, letting it fall to the ground with a soft, sickening thud. She wiped her hand on Ennis's jacket, the blood staining the fabric a permanent testament to her ruthlessness.
"Take the body with you and leave," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. She turned and walked towards the door.