The sight stopped Lauren in her tracks.
The room was massive, its walls lined with industrial shelves and crates. But it wasn’t the size or the clutter that made her freeze.
It was the wolves. 
Dozens of them, filling the space, their eyes glowing with an unnatural red light. Each one snarled and snapped, their lips pulled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. 
Lauren had forgotten just how terrified she was of these animals. She'd never seen so many of her father’s creations in one place before. These weren’t ordinary wolves. They were rabid, their movements jerky and their stares too focused.
“They’re waiting for something,” Aiden muttered under his breath, stepping slightly in front of her. 
Lauren’s throat was dry. “Yeah,” she whispered. “A signal from my father to attack us.”
The wolves didn’t attack, but their growls deepened as another sound entered the room: a door creaking open. Lauren and Aiden turned sharply toward it.
From a side entrance, Dr. Makovsky stepped into view, wiping a bloody knife with a pristine white handkerchief. He looked the same as the last time Lauren had seen him—white hair slicked back, beard neatly trimmed, and his ever-present lab coat. His calm look made her stomach twist, but there was a certain madness in his eyes that she didn't remember seeing before.
“Daughter,” he called out. “And you brought company. How thoughtful. Aiden used to work for me, you know. He spied on you for weeks while you thought he was in love with you.”
Lauren ignored his words, fighting the urge to lunge at him. “Where’s Eric?” she demanded. "Where Is my friend?"
Makovsky gave a small nod toward the door behind him. “Your friend is in there. I kept him alive. For now.”
Her heart lurched. Eric!
Without thinking, Lauren pushed past Aiden and darted through the wolves, ignoring their snarls and snapping jaws. Her father didn’t stop her. The wolves didn’t attack. It was like they were under strict orders to stay back.
“Lauren, wait!” Aiden called, but she didn’t stop.
She shoved the door open and stumbled into the next room. The air was cooler here in this room. It was another storage space, smaller and dimly lit.
“Eric!” Lauren’s voice broke as she saw him lying on the floor. "Oh, God!"
Eric was curled on his side, his shirt stained with blood. His breathing was shallow, his dark face was now pale, but his eyes fluttered open when she dropped to her knees beside him.
“Lauren?” Eric’s voice was weak.
“I’m here,” she whispered, her hands trembling as she pressed them against his side, trying to stem the bleeding. “You’re going to be okay. We’re getting you out of here.”
Eric winced, his hand weakly gripping her wrist. “He said you’d come,” he managed. "I sent that text to you. I tried to help, but.... he found out. He punished me."
Lauren’s chest tightened. “Don’t talk,” she said softly. “Just hold on.”
Behind her, Aiden appeared in the doorway. He cursed under his breath when he saw Eric’s condition.
“We need to move him,” Aiden said, crouching beside her. “Now, before he bleeds out.”
"Where do you think you're going?"
Lauren and Aiden froze as her father's voice came from behind them. They turned to see him standing at the doorway.
“You’ve come so far, Lauren,” Makovsky continued mockingly. “And yet, here you are, trapped like mice in my little maze. Did you think your pathetic friends could save you? They’ll die alongside you, just as planned. Eric will die too, because he tried to defy me. He could have survived, but nobody defies me and lives to tell the tale.”
His words were filled with venom, and Lauren saw it now. Her father wasn’t just dangerous. He was unraveling. His hands twitched uncontrollably at his sides, his lips curled into a crooked smile. This man was going senile. Perhaps everything he'd done was finally catching up to him.
Lauren stood to her feet, anger roaring in her chest. “You ruined everything!” she screamed. “You destroyed my life. You turned people into monsters—into this!” She gestured at Eric, slumped and bleeding, barely clinging to consciousness.
Makovsky’s lips twitched into a smile. “Ruined?” He barked a laugh. “I’ve perfected humanity, Lauren! You’re too blind to see it. I made creatures that are stronger, faster, smarter than any human could hope to be, that any other werewolf can only dream of becoming!”
Before she could say another word, he struck. His arm swept out, and the force of it sent her crashing to the floor. Her shoulder slammed into the crates, pain lancing through her body.
Aiden moved to help her, but Lauren waved him off, forcing herself to stand. She wouldn’t let Makovsky see her weakness. But then, a sound stopped her cold.
It started low, like a distant waterfall, and grew louder by the second. The entire room seemed to tremble, and the vibrations rattled the shelves.
“What is that?” Aiden muttered.
Makovsky’s expression shifted into alarm. He turned toward the door. “My wolves!" he hissed under his breath. “Something is disturbing them.”
Without another word, he stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him. The metallic click of a lock echoed through the room.
Aiden groaned, throwing up his hands. “Great! Now we’re locked in. How are we supposed to get out of here?”
Lauren ignored him, her gaze snapping to the far corner of the room. “The fire exit,” she pointed towards It.
Aiden frowned. “What about it?”
She stepped closer to the door, her hand hovering near the handle. “I hear something,” she whispered.
Aiden tilted his head, listening. “It’s just that weird roaring from the other room—”
“No,” Lauren cut him off. “It’s closer.”
Before Aiden could argue, the fire exit door burst open with a bang, and there stood Beth, flanked by Axel and Katherine.
“Mom!” Lauren cried, rushing forward to throw her arms around Katherine. Relief flooded her as her mother held her tightly.
"Listen up!" Beth spoke quickly, her eyes darting around the room. “The wolf pack is keeping Makovsky’s wolves busy. Mike and Lia are leading them, but it’s all a distraction to get you three out of here.”
Axel stepped forward and gave a mock bow. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Together, they lifted Eric, supporting his weight as they made their way down the stairs and into the open air. The van was waiting, and as they piled inside, Lauren glanced back at the bar.
“What about the pack?" She asked. "Will they win?"
Axel shook his head. “No.”
Aiden frowned. “What do you mean? Those are my pack members. If they need help, we should—"
"They will be fine!" Axel interrupted. “Did you forget I’m a scientist?”
“What do you have up your sleeve, Axel?” Lauren asked suspiciously.
He met her gaze and said one word. “Fire.”
************
Just as Axel spoke, the wolves began pouring out of the fire exit door. Lauren felt a wave of relief as she watched them scatter outside, but they weren't who she was looking for. She scanned the crowd of wolves desperately, searching for two familiar faces.  
“Where’s Lia? Where’s Mike?” she asked Axel. "They should be out by now."
Axel adjusted in his seat. “They stayed back,” he said. “While Raven and the others distracted Makovsky’s wolves, Lia and Mike went to destroy the serums.”  
“What?” Lauren’s voice rose in alarm. 
Axel glanced at her. “Makovsky’s serum is extremely flammable. I helped create it, remember? In a few moments, this place is going to light up like a bonfire.”  
Before Lauren could respond, the explosion ripped through the night. Flames roared to life, consuming the bar in seconds. The werewolves from Aiden's pack howled and bolted for the safety of the forest as the fiery inferno spread.  
“Drive!” Axel shouted to Beth, who slammed her foot on the gas pedal.  
“Wait!” Lauren yelled. “We can’t leave them! Lia and Mike are still in there!”  
Beth’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I'm sorry, Lauren, but we can’t risk everyone. They will catch up to us, hopefully. We have to go.”  
“No!” Lauren’s heart pounded as she watched the flames engulf the bar. “We can’t just leave them! They'll die!”  
Without thinking, she pushed open the van door and leapt out. Her body twisted mid-air, bones snapping and reshaping as she transformed into her wolf form.  
“Lauren, stop!” Aiden’s voice echoed behind her, but she didn’t listen. All she could think about was Mike and Lia.  
Aiden appeared beside her, his black wolf form keeping pace with her through the smoke and heat. “We’re doing this together!” he growled.  
Lauren didn’t argue. They reached the burning bar, dodging debris and frantic bystanders. She shifted back to her human form as they stepped into the inferno.  
The heat was unbearable. Flames licked at every surface. The smell of burned fur and flesh filled the air. Makovsky’s wolves lay scattered across the floor, dead. The barman was slumped against a wall, his shirt still smoldering. He looked dead as well.
“Lia! Mike!” Lauren shouted, coughing as smoke filled her lungs.  
A weak cough answered her. Lauren’s head snapped toward the sound, and she ran forward. Under a table, half-buried by debris, she found them.  
“Lauren?” Lia’s voice was faint but alive.  
Tears pricked Lauren’s eyes as she pulled them out. “You’re okay,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around them.  
“We set it all on fire,” Mike rasped. “It’s over. Makovsky is dead.”  
Lauren pulled away from Lia. "Where Is my father?"
Mike silently pointed to a corner, where Dr. Makovsky’s body lay sprawled on the floor.  
Lauren slowly walked towards him. His chest was still rising and falling asleep he struggled to take breaths. The moment he saw Lauren, his eyes widened and he struggled to speak.
"Lauren..." He rasped. "I... I...."
Lauren had nothing more to say to this man. All of this was the punishment for the things he'd done, the lives he destroyed. He would die in the mess he created.
Without saying a single word to him, she turned and walked out with her friends.
***********
The van was waiting for them at the back of the bar. As she climbed inside with the others, she took one last glance at the bar, now nothing more than rubble and smoke. Siren sounds filled the night as cops, firemen and ambulances arrived at the scene. The weight she’d carried for years, the shadow of her father, had finally lifted.  
"Is he dead?" Eric whispered the question that was on everyone's minds.
Lauren turned to her best friend, who was propped on a seat with his midriff bandaged. She was so happy to see that he was still alive that a tear fell from her eye.
"He's dead, Eric." She confirmed.
Everyone else seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Katherine hugged Lauren, and they both sobbed in each other's arms. They'd suffered the most from Dr Makovsky's influence, but they were free. Finally free.
The past was gone, reduced to ashes. They could live their lives now.