Chapter 27: The Hale House - Part 1
Sunset paints the Hale house in blood-red light.
The ruins stand skeletal against the sky. Burned timber. Collapsed walls. Six years of decay.
We take our positions.
Derek inside—bait in the center of the trap. Scott and Allison north, hidden in the tree line. Stiles and Lydia south with communications equipment and backup supplies. Chris Argent east, rifle ready, expression unreadable.
Jackson and I take west.
He clutches Coach's mountain ash bat like a lifeline. "I don't know what I'm doing."
"None of us do," I say. "We're making it up as we go."
"That's not comforting."
"It's honest."
My Haki extends. Mapping the area. Deer in the distance, spooked by our presence. Birds settling in trees. The mountain ash perimeter glows faintly at the edge of my awareness—Lydia's work, precise and perfect.
Then I feel them.
Two massive presences. Approaching from opposite directions.
North: primal rage, ancient power, intelligence twisted by trauma.
South: cold calculation, predatory focus, human malice.
Peter and Kate.
"They're both coming," I say into the comms. "Five minutes. Maybe less."
Derek's voice crackles through. "Positions. No one engages until I give the signal."
Confirmations echo back.
Jackson's hands shake on the bat. "What if this doesn't work?"
"Then we improvise."
"I hate improvising."
"You'll hate dying more."
He laughs. High-pitched. Nervous. "Did you steal that from Lydia?"
"She has good lines."
The presences grow closer. Three minutes now.
My Haki sharpens. Kate's bringing three hunters. Infrared scopes. Crossbows. Wolfsbane-tipped bolts.
Peter's alone. But he doesn't need backup.
"Kate has hunters," I report. "Three. Armed."
"Chris?" Derek asks.
"East perimeter. Hasn't moved."
"He's waiting to see which side wins," Stiles mutters.
"Or waiting to stop Kate," Allison counters. "He said he'd help."
"Words are cheap."
Two minutes.
I can feel Peter's amusement. He knows this is a trap. Knows we're here. But he's coming anyway.
Because he thinks he can win.
One minute.
"Here we go," Derek says.
Kate approaches from the south.
Silent. Professional. Hand signals guide her hunters into position around the house.
They don't see the mountain ash line. Don't see us hidden in the shadows.
My Haki tracks their movements. Thermal scopes sweeping. Crossbows raised.
Kate enters first.
Derek waits in what used to be the living room. Standing amid ash and memories.
"Hello, Derek." Kate's voice carries false warmth. "Nostalgic, isn't it?"
"You murdered my family here."
"I eliminated a threat. There's a difference."
She raises her crossbow. Aim steady.
"Peter's here," I say into comms. Intentionally loud. "North side. Thirty seconds."
Kate's head snaps toward me. She heard the echo from my earpiece.
Intentional.
"You brought backup." She spins, scanning the tree line. "Smart. Won't help."
Her hunters close ranks. Three crossbows trained on Derek.
Then the north wall explodes.
Peter crashes through timber and stone.
Full Alpha form. Red eyes blazing. Roar that rattles my bones.
One of Kate's hunters fires. Wolfsbane bolt catches Peter in the shoulder.
He doesn't slow.
Backhands the hunter. The man flies ten feet. Hits a tree. Sickening crack.
Spine broken.
Kate rolls, firing three precise shots. All hit center mass.
Peter laughs. Pulls the bolts out like splinters.
"You burned me alive, Kate. Bolts won't finish the job."
Derek shifts. Eyes flash red. Fangs extend.
Nephew vs. uncle.
Old wounds reopening.
They clash in the center of the ruined house. Claws. Teeth. Rage made manifest.
The mountain ash perimeter activates.
Lydia's signal triggers the barrier. Glowing white line erupts around the property.
Trapping everyone inside.
Peter breaks away from Derek. Turns slowly, surveying the perimeter.
"You trapped us together." He sounds impressed. "Clever."
His gaze finds the tree line where Jackson and I hide.
"Come out, void-touched. Let's see if you burn like I did."
He knows where I am.
Jackson looks at me. "What do we—"
"Stay here. Maintain the barrier."
"Adam—"
I step from the trees.
Nen shimmers around my hands. Blue-white light in the dying sun.
Peter's eyes lock onto mine.
"There you are. The one who doesn't belong. The one touched by the void." He tilts his head. "Do you know what you are yet?"
"I'm the one who's going to stop you."
He laughs. "You can't stop what you don't understand."
Then he moves.
Thirty feet in a second.
My Haki screams warning. Shows me the trajectory. The killing intent.
I project a Nen barrier. Full strength. Twenty-foot dome.
Peter hits it like a freight train.
The barrier holds.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Shatters.
Peter's claws reach for my throat.
Note:
Please give good reviews and power stones itrings more people and more people means more chapters?
My Patreon is all about exploring 'What If' timelines, and you can get instant access to chapters far ahead of the public release.
Choose your journey:
Timeline Viewer ($6): Get 10 chapters of early access + 5 new chapters weekly.
Timeline Explorer ($9): Jump 15-20 chapters ahead of everyone.
Timeline Keeper ($15): Get Instant Access to chapters the moment I finish writing them. No more waiting.
Read the raw, unfiltered story as it unfolds. Your support makes this possible!
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/Whatif0