Chapter 98: The Owl

After Scott, Derek, and their packs left the bank, Scott turned to Derek and said. "Hey, Derek, how about you and your pack come with us back to my ranch? That way, I can help if they lose control again. Plus, it'll be good for you to know where I live in case you ever need me but can't reach me by phone." 

Derek thought for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I don't think I can keep them in check the way you did, and like you said, it's good to know where you live." 

Peter smirked. "Count me out, Derek. Since you've already saved your Beta and Cora, I'm heading back home." 

Derek shrugged. "You can leave, Peter. Scott and his pack don't seem to like you, so your absence is probably a good thing. Just stay out of trouble and don't let Deucalion catch you, because I probably wouldn't help you." 

Peter clutched his chest mockingly. "Ouch, that hurts. But don't worry, I know how to survive." 

With that, Peter left, and the rest of them got into their cars, heading toward Scott's ranch. 

On the Road, Lydia was driving at the front, suddenly spoke telepathically. [Guys, I got one of those weird feelings again.] 

Stiles, driving his Jeep, responded first. [Weird how?] 

Lydia sighed. [I'm a Banshee, Stiles. What do you think I felt?] 

Stiles chuckled. [Oh, sorry. I thought you meant the same weird feeling I get when I'm with Malia.] 

Boyd chimed in. [What feeling is that, Stiles?] 

Stiles grinned. [You're single, Boyd, you wouldn't understand. It's like a sneeze, but way better.] 

Allison groaned. [You're such a pervert.] 

Lydia snapped. [I'm not talking about an orgasm, Stiles! I'm talking about the feeling that someone was murdered in the woods. And if you say one more word, I'll cut you out of this conversation.] 

Stiles quickly replied. [Please don't do that! I'll shut up.] 

Scott cut in. [Lydia, ignore that idiot. Follow the feeling. Let's see what we find.] 

Lydia changed direction, steering toward the woods, and the rest of the pack followed. Derek, who was driving behind them, followed as well. 

Lydia stopped at the edge of the woods and got out of her car. 

Braeden, sitting in the passenger seat, frowned. "Why are we stopping? Is Scott's house here?" 

Lydia shook her head. "No. Just stay behind, and you'll understand soon." 

Scott and the others got out of their cars and walked toward Lydia. 

Scott asked. "Is it here?" 

Lydia shook her head. "No, it's a little further in." 

Scott took a deep breath, then frowned. "How far... never mind. I can smell blood." 

Without hesitation, he walked into the woods, following the scent. The others followed closely behind. After a short walk, Scott stopped beneath a tree and crouched down. 

A man's lifeless body lay there. 

Scott examined him and muttered. "He was probably killed just a few hours ago." 

Stiles knelt beside him. "He has no organs… and there's almost no blood." 

Allison crossed her arms. "So we're dealing with a vampire again? Or something that feeds on blood and, apparently, organs." 

Derek glanced at Scott's pack. "How did you guys find the body?" 

Scott looked at him. "Lydia is a Banshee. Don't you remember?" 

Derek frowned. "I forgot about that. And I've never heard of a banshee with glowing red eyes. Are you sure she is a Banshee and not something else?" 

Lydia smirked. "Let's just say I'm special like Scott, and leave it at that." 

Allison suddenly tensed. "Scott, whatever did this… it's still here. I can feel it." 

Scott nodded. "I know. I just wanted to see if you guys could sense it too." 

Stiles started looking around frantically. "Wait… it's still here?!" 

Scott smacked him on the back of the head. "Stop looking around like an idiot and use your senses." 

After a moment of focus, the entire pack turned their attention to a branch of a nearby tree. A long-eared owl perched there, watching them intently. 

Braeden, Derek, Josh, and Cora followed their line of sight and saw it too. 

Stiles gulped. "That's a woman right, and whatever she is… it's definitely something evil." 

Scott looked at the owl and asked. "Does anyone recognize what she is?" 

Allison nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Striga." 

Erica added. "Yeah, I read about them too. They're always female. I think Allison is right." 

Scott asked. "What are her powers?" 

Allison explained. "a Striga is an owl shapeshifter and a vampire-like creature from Slavic mythology. According to the myth, Strigas sleep in graves during the day and emerge at night to hunt humans. They suck their blood before eating their insides." 

Erica added. "And they're very vengeful." 

Scott glanced at the Striga and smirked. "She's an Alpha. Erica, she's yours." 

Erica hesitated. "But I can't fly. The moment I attack, she's just going to take off. I don't think she's dumb enough to fight a whole werewolf pack alone." 

Scott grinned. "That's easy to solve." 

He then turned to the Striga. "Hey, you heard everything we said, right? So I'll give you two options. One you fight my Beta. If you win, I'll let you escape. You can even kill her if you can. I'm sure a werewolf's blood is much more appealing to you than a normal human's." 

He paused, his smile vanishing. "And the second option…" 

Scott's body melted into shadows, and in an instant, he reappeared on the tree branch beside the owl. His red eyes glowed as he looked down at her and said coldly. "You deal with me. And there's no way you can win." 

The Striga turned her head, her large owl eyes filled with shock and fear. She flapped her wings, trying to escape, but Scott grabbed her by the back of the neck. He leaped off the branch and slammed her into the ground. 

"If I were you, I'd choose option one." Scott said casually. 

But the Striga didn't listen. She flapped her wings and took off into the sky. Scott watched her go and then turned to Lydia. "Lydia, please show her that she doesn't have a choice." 

Lydia smirked, removed her jacket, and handed it to Allison. She wore a backless sweater so her wings wouldn't rip through her clothes. A moment later, massive black wings sprouted from her back, and her eyes glowed crimson red. 

With a single powerful flap, Lydia shot into the air, quickly catching up with the Striga. She appeared in front of the owl and let out a piercing scream, unleashing a sonic wave that struck the Striga hard, sending her crashing back to the ground near Scott and the others. 

As the Striga hit the ground, she shifted back into her human form, a stunning, naked blonde woman. She didn't seem bothered by her lack of clothing as she looked at Scott and said. "I didn't offend you or your pack. Why are you attacking me?" 

Scott narrowed his eyes. "You just killed someone in my territory and ate him. Don't you think that's an offense against me?" 

The Striga shrugged. "I couldn't help it. I was hungry." 

Allison scoffed. "If you were hungry, you could've eaten a deer. Why did you have to kill and eat a human?" 

The Striga turned to Allison, licking her lips. "Animals don't satisfy my hunger, gorgeous." 

Allison's expression hardened. "I see. So, just like the book say, you're nothing more than a monster that enjoys hunting and feeding on humans." 

The Striga shrugged. "That's what I am." 

Meanwhile, Stiles was staring at the Striga's naked body when Malia smacked him on the back of the head. "Have you seen enough?" She asked. 

Stiles snapped back to reality. "I wasn't looking at anything!" 

The Striga chuckled and looked at him. "Boy, I'll let you and everyone in your pack do whatever you want to me. Just spare my life. I'll leave your territory and never return." 

Stiles made a disgusted face. "Yeah, no thanks. And on behalf of my entire pack, we'll pass. Except maybe Boyd, he might want to have fun with you." 

Boyd glared at him. "Stiles, are you looking for a fight?" 

Stiles grinned. "No, I'm just trying to help you, man." 

Boyd scoffed. "Thanks, but I'm good." 

Allison rolled her eyes and turned to Erica. "Go ahead and kill the disgusting bitch already." 

Erica smirked, her golden eyes glowing with excitement. She lunged at the Striga, landing a powerful punch to her face, sending her crashing to the ground. She then cracked her knuckles and said. "Let's go, bitch. Show me what you've got." 

The Striga pushed herself off the ground, glaring at Erica with fury. "You're too arrogant for a Beta." 

Then, she turned her gaze to Scott and asked. "If I win… are you really going to let me leave alive?" 

Scott nodded. "Yes." 

She listened to his heartbeat, confirming he wasn't lying, before exhaling. "I hope you keep your word." 

Her eyes glowed red, and her body began to transform. Her head turned into an owl head, her fingers elongated into razor-sharp talons, and her legs morphed into powerful bird-like limbs. Feathers sprouted all over her body, and massive wings emerged from her back. Then, without warning, she attacked. 

Erica barely managed to dodge the Striga's strikes, struggling to land a hit. The creature was too fast. Every time Erica tried to counter, the Striga slipped away with fast speed. Realizing she couldn't keep up, Erica made a bold decision, she stopped dodging. 

The Striga's talons sank deep into Erica's shoulder. 

A smirk spread across Erica's lips. She grabbed the Striga's wrist in an iron grip, refusing to let go. 

"Damn it, let go of me!" The Striga hissed, struggling to break free, but Erica held on tightly. 

"I got you now, bitch." Erica growled. "You may be faster than me, but you're not stronger." 

With that, she unleashed a brutal barrage of punches, each strike harder than the last. The Striga screeched in pain, her struggles weakening until, at last, her body slumped, unconscious, and shifted back into her human form. 

Erica wasted no time. She dug her claws into the Striga's chest, absorbing every last ounce of her power. As the process finished, Erica's golden eyes turned crimson red. 

The Striga's once youthful body withered into that of a frail, shriveled old woman. 

Scott approached and inserted his claws into the back of her neck, diving into her memories. And when he was done, he was about to deliver the killing blow when Erica stopped him. 

"Wait, Scott." She said, taking a deep breath. "Let me do it. I have to take a life eventually." 

Scott nodded. "Go ahead." 

Erica clenched her jaw, then, with a swift motion, snapped the Striga's neck. 

Immediately after, she turned and ran behind a tree, vomiting. 

Isaac followed her, gently rubbing her back. 

Scott sighed, then ignited the corpse with his flames, reducing it to ashes. 

Allison asked. "What did you see in her memories?" 

Scott crossed his arms. "She arrived in Beacon Hills two days ago. That poor guy was her first victim." 

Lydia frowned. "Was she alone? Did she have a pack?" 

Scott shook his head. "She was alone." 

Stiles asked. "Was she drawn here by the Nemeton again?" 

Scott shook his head. "No. Because of what she is, she couldn't stay in one place for too long without risking exposure. She was traveling and chose to stop here to hunt for a while before moving on. She did sense the Nemeton when she arrived, but it didn't matter much to her." 

Just then, Isaac and Erica returned. Scott glanced at Erica. "Are you okay?" 

Erica wiped her mouth and nodded. "I'm fine… Actually, I feel great. I'm stronger than ever." 

Scott smiled. "Good." Then, he gestured toward the victim's body. "Now, what should we do? Should we call Uncle Noah, or should I just burn the body?" 

Stiles said. "What if he had a family? I'm sure they'd want his body back. We should call my dad." 

Scott nodded in agreement. They contacted Sheriff Stilinski, who arrived to handle the situation. 

Once everything was settled, Scott and the others returned to the ranch, where they enjoyed a barbecue with Melissa, Victoria, and Chris. 

To be continued... 😊