Lauren stepped outside, frowning when she saw Beth and her mother, Katherine, hovering near the doorway, clearly listening in. She folded her arms and asked, “What exactly are you two doing out here?”
Beth and Katherine exchanged a sheepish look. “We were…just curious,” Katherine admitted, glancing away.
Beth nodded, her voice quieter as she added, “We wanted to know what was going on. It sounded…serious.”
Before Lauren could respond, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Mike emerging from the room, looking more relaxed than he had a moment ago. Katherine noticed him as well and asked, “Is everything okay now?”
Mike nodded. “It’s fine for now, but we need to focus on stopping Dr. Makovsky for good.”
Lauren’s stomach tightened. Just the mention of that name was enough to make her blood boil. But before she could reply, she heard something—a series of voices and footsteps coming from outside the house. Her heart jumped, and without a word, she moved quickly toward the front door. She didn’t have to look to know that Katherine, Beth, and Mike were close behind.
Lauren yanked the door open and peered outside. Relief washed over her as she spotted three familiar figures approaching the house—Aiden, Axel, and Lia. The sight of Aiden safe and sound filled her with such a profound relief that she couldn’t hold back. She rushed forward, threw her arms around him, and held him close. 
“You’re okay,” she whispered. It took her everything not to burst into tears.
Aiden chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’m fine, Lauren. We all are.”
Lauren pulled back slightly, studying him as if to assure herself that he was really there and unhurt. Over his shoulder, she noticed the movement behind them. A whole pack of werewolves—strong and silent—had gathered, waiting just a short distance away. The sight took her breath away.
Beth, standing nearby, whispered, “Is that…is that all of Jacob’s pack?”
Lia turned to her with a smile. “They’re Aiden’s pack now. They chose him as their new Alpha.”
Beth’s eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face. "That's good."
Together, the group turned and made their way back into the house, leaving the werewolves outside to stand guard. Once inside, they settled around the kitchen table, each one finding a seat or leaning against the walls. 
Katherine broke the silence first. “So, what happened out there with the Council of Alphas?”
Aiden, Axel, and Lia shared a look, and then they began to tell the story, each one filling in parts of the tale.
“It was chaos at first,” Aiden started. “We didn’t even know if we were going to make it out alive.”
“Yeah,” Axel agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. “They came at us with everything they had. Those Alphas aren’t exactly the forgiving type.”
Lia leaned forward and whispered. “But Aiden stood his ground. He faced them down, one by one. They're all dead now."
Katherine’s eyes were wide as she listened, her hand covering her mouth. “I can’t believe it. How did you…?”
Aiden shrugged. “It wasn’t easy. But the pack helped me."
Mike grinned, clapping Aiden on the shoulder. “Sounds like things are finally coming together. Now we can focus on taking care of Makovsky.”
Beth let out a yawn, stretching her arms. “Maybe we should all get some rest and head out to Perkins in the morning?”
Lauren shook her head firm. “No, no! We’re doing this tonight. We’ve waited long enough.”
The others stared at her, taken aback by her out burst. Katherine’s brow furrowed in concern. “Lauren, are you sure? It’s late, and we’re all tired…”
"Look at this!" Lauren held up her phone, showing them a message on the screen. “Eric sent me this earlier. It has an address.” She paused for effect, her voice low as she read it out loud. “432 Meadow Lane. It’s a bar in Perkins. That’s where he said we’ll find Makovsky.”
Axel leaned forward, glancing at the screen. “432 Meadow Lane… I know that area. Shady place, but it’s perfect for someone like Makovsky.”
Beth glanced nervously around the table. “Are we really ready for this?”
"Lauren is right." Aiden reached over, taking her hand. “We have to be. If we don’t stop him now, he’ll keep coming after us.”
Katherine glanced around the group with a look of resolve. “Well, if we’re really going to confront Dr. Makovsky tonight, we’ll have to be prepared to defend ourselves,” she said. “Especially those of us who aren’t werewolves.” Her eyes flickered to Beth and Axel, who both nodded in agreement.
Beth’s lips curved into a smug smile, and she folded her arms. “Good thing I’m always prepared.” She tilted her head, motioning for them to follow her. 
With purpose, she led the group down the hallway to a cupboard under the stairs. The others exchanged curious glances as she unlocked it and swung open the door.
Inside, a small arsenal of weapons gleamed in the dim light. Guns, knives, and even a few carefully concealed silver stakes lay organized on shelves and racks. Lauren’s eyes widened as she took in the sight, while Aiden and Mike exchanged approving nods.
"How come I never knew this was in the house I lived for so many years?" Lauren wondered 
“You’ve been hiding this under our noses?” Aiden asked, half in admiration, half in disbelief.
Beth shrugged, looking almost proud. “After what Makovsky put us through last time, I decided to be prepared. I wasn’t going to let him catch us off guard again.” She picked up a sleek handgun, checking its magazine before handing it to Katherine. “It’s loaded. I figured this might come in handy.”
Katherine took the gun carefully. “I never thought I’d be holding one of these again, but if it’s what we need to take down Makovsky, then so be it.”
Beth continued handing out weapons, her tone practical as she instructed them on each piece. “Lia, take the pepper spray and silver dagger. Lauren, this knife should fit nicely in your jacket.” She passed a small, sharp blade to Lauren, who took it with a determined nod.
Axel raised an eyebrow, smirking as he picked up a crossbow. “Always knew you were full of surprises, Beth.”
Beth rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of satisfaction in her smile. “I just figured we could use all the help we can get. This is more than enough. With these, we’ll have a fighting chance.”
“This is it,” Aiden said, looking at each of them in turn. “We go in strong, we stay focused, and we don’t stop until Makovsky’s finished.”