I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
Patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 106: Unintended
Lucas leaned against the open car door, his frame still, eyes fixed on the scene inside. Malia stood beside him, her arms rigid at her sides, staring down at the two unconscious hunters slumped awkwardly across the backseat like discarded mannequins. Their bodies were motionless, chests rising and falling faintly. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the nearby trees and the distant hum of traffic, barely audible from this side of the parking lot.
Breaking the heavy silence, Malia finally spoke, her voice low but edged with concern.
"What are we supposed to do with them?"
Lucas let out a long, controlled exhale and rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze flicking briefly from the hunters to Malia's face.
"I'm still figuring that out," he admitted, the weight of uncertainty pressing into his words.
Malia shifted her stance, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "You know other hunters are going to come looking. These two won't just vanish without someone noticing."
"Not likely," Lucas countered. "From what I heard, they were working on their own. And I already disabled their phones—no signal, no tracking."
Malia gave a slow nod, chewing on the thought.
Lucas added, "They came after you, to get to Derek. You think I was just going to sit back and let that happen?"
There was a pause—brief, but charged. Malia's jaw tightened, her expression hardening for a moment before something softer flickered in her eyes. "I appreciate that. But I can take care of myself."
"I know," Lucas said, holding her gaze. "But they were also talking about running into Derek at the morgue."
Her brow furrowed. "Why would Derek be at the morgue?"
Lucas shrugged. "You'll have to ask him that yourself. I just know what they said before I took them down."
Malia reluctantly nodded, looking back at the hunters. "So… what if we just leave them here?"
"We could," Lucas said with a shrug. "I dropped them before they even knew what hit them. But they came after you. You think they'll stop if we just left them here?"
Malia glanced back at the unconscious pair, then back at Lucas. Her silence was answer enough.
Lucas continued, his voice low but insistent. "We can't leave them here anyway. This spot's too close to the school. Sooner or later, someone's going to notice."
Malia clicked her tongue, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. She glanced once more at the unconscious men, then gave a reluctant nod.
"We should take them to the Animal Clinic," she said. "There, we can figure out the rest."
Lucas didn't argue. He gave a single nod of agreement, then circled around the front of the car and slid into the driver's seat. Malia followed, pulling open the passenger door and casting one last wary glance over her shoulder at the motionless forms in the back. Her jaw clenched as she slammed the door shut.
The engine rumbled to life. Lucas steered them out of the lot and toward the back roads, the car's suspension creaking under the extra weight in the backseat. His grip on the wheel tightened as Beacon Hills High vanished in the rearview mirror.
The road wound through Beacon Hills, the hum of the engine filling the silence between Lucas and Malia. The hunters in the backseat stayed unconscious, their shallow breaths the only sign of life.
Malia's phone buzzed sharply halfway through. She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and answered without hesitation.
"Laura?"
Lucas kept his eyes on the road, but his hearing was sharper than any speakerphone. Every word carried.
Laura's voice was tight, controlled, but edged with urgency. "Derek's been stabbed. Wolfsbane—rare type. Deaton slowed it, but he doesn't have a cure. We need the exact kind that was used."
Lucas felt Malia stiffen beside him. Her voice didn't waver. "What do you need me to do?"
"We need to find the hunter who stabbed him. His name's Edward. He's the only one who knows what he used. Derek's running out of time."
"I understand," Malia said firmly.
The call ended with Laura's clipped goodbye. Malia lowered the phone, staring straight ahead. Outwardly she looked steady, calm. But Lucas could see it—the way her fingers curled into her palm, the way her jaw clenched just a little too tight. She was hurting, even if she hid it.
"As you heard," Malia said, forcing her voice level, "we need to find this Edward guy. He's the key to saving Derek."
Lucas nodded, no need to add words she didn't want to hear. Instead, he slowed the car and pulled over on the side of the road.
Malia turned to him, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing?"
Lucas twisted in his seat and reached into the back. He fished through one hunter's jacket, then pulled out a wallet. He flipped it open, thumb brushing over the ID card.
"Pretty sure I heard that one call this older guy Ed," Lucas said. He held up the card so she could see. "And look at that—Edward Wallace."
Malia leaned in, scanned the ID, then looked at Lucas. For a heartbeat, she was still—then her eyes widened, brimming with sudden emotion. A radiant smile broke across her face, and before Lucas could say a word, she let out a breathless laugh and threw her arms around him. The hug was fierce, almost trembling, as if she'd been holding back the weight.
Lucas froze for half a heartbeat before returning it. "Okay," he said quietly, "but finding Edward is only step one. We still need the wolfsbane he used."
"Right," Malia said, pulling back, her voice firm again.
Together, they climbed out of the car and went to the trunk. Lucas lifted it open, revealing the neat rows of hunter gear Nestled among them were three glass vials, each glowing faintly in the light.
"Wolfsbane," Malia muttered, picking one up, sniffing cautiously. She wrinkled her nose. "All of them look and smell the same to me."
Lucas's hand hovered over the set, then pointed firmly to the middle vial. "That one. It's sharper, stronger. Trust me."
Malia glanced between the three, then shrugged. "If you say so. But we're taking all of them to Deaton."
Lucas pocketed the vials carefully, shut the trunk, and they returned to the front seats. He started the engine, the weight of their discovery pressing heavy in the silence.
This time, though, Malia didn't look distant. She looked determined.
The car rolled back onto the road, carrying them and their unconscious cargo toward the Animal Clinic.