Chapter 49

Silver stood in between Allison and Scott in the animal clinic while Deaton talked to Argent over the phone, “Did you have any trouble with Ikeda?” Argent asked. “Only minor. The white wolf was exactly where you said it would be. But we have two problems now. First the lichen is not a cure- it’ll wear off in a matter of days.” Deaton explained.

“But, while it does work, the Oni won’t go after Stiles, right?”

“I hope. Eichen House has an unusual history. It might not be all that safe for the Oni there, as well. I checked with your contacts in Japan. The Yakuza boss you saw killed by the Oni never found the scroll.” Deaton said making them look at him confused, “What scroll?” Silver asked and Deaton looked up at him. “A Shugendo scroll. The Shugendo scroll were the ascetic mystics of Japan.”

“The scroll had information on how to exorcise a Nogitsune.”

“So we need to find that scroll?” Scott asked and Deaton nodded, “Exactly. And, I did get the name of the man who last purchased it- Kincaid.” Deaton said. “He was with Katashi. He’s the guy who met with Isaac to buy the gun.” Allison said, making them all look at her, “Sounds like Katashi wanted the scroll for himself.” Deaton said

“But Stilinski already told me nothing like it was found among his things… And a paranoid like Katashi would keep it close. Probably on him at all times.”

“What does a Shugendo scroll look like?” Allison asked and Deaton got up and pulled out something that looked like a scroll you’d see in a medieval movie. “Something like this.” He said handing the scroll to Allison, “Do they come in different sizes?” She asked. “Any size.”

“Then I think I know where it might be.”

🦊

Allison stood in the center of Argent’s office, arms folded tight across her chest as she addressed Scott and the twins. “My father said all of Katashi’s evidence is being moved to a federal lockup by armored car tonight—probably within the next few hours.” Her voice was calm, but there was an urgency beneath it that made everyone in the room straighten.

Ethan’s eyes went wide. “We’re going to rob an armored car?”

Silver, standing just off to Allison’s side, gave a small, wry smirk but didn’t answer right away. He glanced over at Lydia as if passing the responsibility to her. “Well…” he said, letting the word hang in the air.

Lydia stepped forward without missing a beat. “We’re gonna try.”

Michael, who had been leaning against the far wall with his arms loosely crossed, arched an eyebrow. “Seriously? You’re all saying that like it’s just a casual Friday night plan.”

“This is a really bad idea,” Scott cut in, his tone sharp.

“It’s not that bad,” Lydia countered, then paused when everyone looked at her like she’d just grown a second head. “Okay… it’s not that good either.”

Ethan let out a frustrated sigh. “We don’t even know what route the truck’s taking. That’s not a small problem.”

Michael pushed off the wall, his expression turning serious. “That’s why Allison and Silver need to get one of their dad’s GPS trackers on the armored car. If they can do that, we’ll have the exact route. Once it’s on the move—”

“We attack ’em?” Aiden cut in, grinning.

“No,” Lydia snapped, shooting him an irritated glare. “Your bikes will be in the middle of the road, like you guys just got into an accident. When the driver gets out to check—”

“We attack ’em,” Aiden said again, smirking wider.

“No!” Allison, Silver, Michael, and Lydia all said at once.

Lydia exhaled hard, clearly running low on patience. “You’ll distract the driver. Scott will break into the back.”

“And then you get Katashi’s finger,” Lydia added casually, as if the phrase made any kind of normal sense.

Ethan stared at her. “It’s not his actual finger… right?”

“You are so out of our league,” Lydia muttered, rolling her eyes.

Michael stepped in again, voice low and deliberate. “Once Scott’s inside, we grab what we need and we’re gone. Fast. Quiet. No slip-ups.”

“Why don’t we just go to Stilinski?” Ethan asked.

Silver ran a hand through his hair, letting out a quiet breath. “If Stilinski gets involved and this blows up, it’s the Sheriff tampering with federal evidence. He’d lose his badge, and that’s if he’s lucky. We can’t put him in that position.”

Allison took a step forward, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “We can do this. We have to do this. We’re losing Stiles. My dad and Derek are in jail for murder. We don’t have time for someone else to save the day. It’s us.”

The room went still. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Michael gave a slow nod. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. No half-measures. No second chances.”

Silver met his gaze, his own expression hardening. “Then we’d better get moving.”

🦊

“You’re up,” Silver said, his voice low but urgent.

Kira nodded once, determination flashing in her eyes before she darted across the lot toward the armored car. Her movements were quick and precise, and within seconds she was kneeling by the rear wheel, carefully placing the small GPS tracker underneath the frame. She gave a quick glance back toward Silver, Michael, Scott, and Allison, flashing a small, confident smile.

But the smile vanished the instant a heavy door to the warehouse creaked open. Kira’s instincts kicked in, and she flattened herself against the side of the vehicle, holding her breath.

Deputy Parrish stepped out, walking casually toward the passenger side of the armored car. He opened the door like he belonged there, but the moment he glanced inside, his posture changed—he froze, drew his gun in one smooth motion, and began moving toward the rear of the vehicle. Silver’s eyes narrowed, and Michael shifted beside him, his hand subtly inching toward the weapon at his hip.

“What is he doing?” Allison whispered, her tone laced with confusion.

None of them had an answer. Parrish rounded the back, scanning the shadows like he sensed something. He reached the center of the armored car, right in front of the double doors.

And then it happened—those same doors burst open with explosive force. A man shot out, grabbing Parrish before he could react. The stranger slammed Parrish’s head against the metal with a sickening clang, sending the deputy collapsing to the ground in an instant.

Scott’s eyes widened in shock. “Who the hell was that?”

“Kincaid,” Silver muttered grimly, his jaw tightening.

Kincaid reached into the back of the armored car and pulled out a gleaming silver prosthetic finger. As Scott, Allison, Silver, and Michael cautiously approached, Scott’s voice was firm. “We need that finger.”

Kincaid looked them over, raising an eyebrow like he found the request amusing. “Why should I give it to you?”

Allison didn’t hesitate—her crossbow came up, aimed straight at his chest. “There’s a briefcase in there with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars inside.”

Kincaid chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Cute. But the scroll hidden inside this prosthetic finger? Worth three million.” He slipped it into his pocket like the matter was settled.

Scott stepped forward. “Give me the finger.”

Silver gave him a look. “Really?”

Scott groaned. “You know what I mean.”

Before negotiations could continue, Kira sprang onto Kincaid’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck. But the man barely reacted—he simply reached back, grabbed her like she weighed nothing, and hurled her aside. She hit the pavement hard, rolling to her knees with a wince.

“I guess negotiations are over,” Kincaid said, and in the next heartbeat his blue eyes flashed and his canines lengthened. The growl that followed rattled the air.

Kira lunged again, but Kincaid’s hand shot out, clamping around her throat. She choked out a pained sound as he tossed her away a second time. Allison stepped in with her weapon, but Kincaid swiped at her with terrifying speed, sending her crashing into the brick wall behind them.

Silver moved in next, Michael right on his flank. They struck together, one aiming high, the other low, but Kincaid countered every move with brutal efficiency. Michael barely avoided a crushing elbow to the head, while Silver took a blow to the ribs that forced the air from his lungs. Both were shoved back, Kincaid standing tall and almost unbothered.

Scott charged, throwing rapid punches, but Kincaid caught his arms mid-swing, growled in his face, and smashed his forehead into Scott’s. The alpha stumbled, dazed, and Kincaid’s follow-up punch dropped him to the ground. A vicious kick to the ribs made Scott gasp in pain.

Kincaid crouched beside him, his voice mocking. “You have the eyes of an alpha, but where’s your strength?”

“Up here,” Ethan’s voice called from the metal staircase above.

Kincaid turned just in time to see Ethan and Aiden leap down together, the two ex-alphas hitting him hard. The impact actually made Kincaid stumble, and for the first time, he seemed caught off guard.

Nearby, Lydia rushed forward, helping Allison and Kira to their feet, while Silver moved to steady Michael.

“Ethan, Aiden, stop!” Scott’s voice cut through the chaos.

Both twins froze mid-strike. “You want him to come after us later?” Aiden asked sharply.

“Scott, we’ve seen guys like this,” Ethan said. “Trust us—he’s dangerous.”

“So are we,” Scott countered, his tone steady despite the pain. “And he’s smart enough to remember that.”

Silver stepped forward, his eyes locked on Kincaid. Without a word, he reached into the man’s pocket and pulled out the prosthetic finger. He tossed it to Scott, who caught it and let the tiny scroll hidden inside slide free into his palm.

“We’re here to save a life, not end one,” Scott said quietly, letting the finger fall to the ground with a dull metallic clink.

🦊

“There isn’t much here, unfortunately…” Deaton said, looking down at the scroll. “Does it say anything?” Scott asked. “My Japanese isn’t great… But, it appears to say that one method of expelling a Nogitsune is to change the body of the host.” Deaton said and Scott and Silver glanced at each other. “Change the body?” Scott asked.

“Which begs the question… How do we change Stiles’ body?” Deaton asked and Silver closed his eyes and sighed before looking back at them, “…By turning him into a Werewolf.” He said.