The next morning after dinner with the Yukimuras, Scott and his pack were having breakfast when a worried Victoria walked into the kitchen.
Allison looked at her mother and frowned. "Mom, what's wrong? You look troubled."
Victoria hesitated before answering. "It's your dad."
Allison immediately stood up. "What's wrong with Dad?"
Victoria shook her head. "I don't know."
Melissa quickly walked over, guiding Victoria to sit down. "Tell us what's going on." She urged gently.
Victoria took a deep breath. "It started with him drinking about a month ago, but he seemed fine. Then, three or four days ago, he started acting... strange."
Scott leaned forward, his expression serious. "Strange how?"
Victoria rubbed her forehead. "He's been spacing out a lot, sleepwalking at night. One time, I swear I felt… danger from him. And yesterday morning, he snapped at me for no reason. I've been married to Chris for twenty years, and this is the first time he's ever yelled at me."
Scott's eyes widened as he suddenly stood up. "Shit."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so worked up?"
Scott turned to the group. "Don't you guys get it? Did you forget what Noshiko told us yesterday about the Nogitsune?"
Lydia's face paled. "Wait… Are you saying Chris is possessed?"
Scott nodded grimly. "Yes. Normally, the Nogitsune wouldn't be able to possess him so easily, but Allison told me he's still grieving over Kate and Gerard."
Victoria looked between them, confused. "Nogitsune? What's going on?"
Melissa explained quickly. "A Nogitsune was imprisoned in the Nemeton, but it escaped a few days ago. We only found out about it yesterday."
Allison's breathing quickened. "Is Dad going to be okay?"
Scott placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Relax. He'll be fine. I'm more concerned about what he might do."
Victoria tensed. "What do you mean?"
Scott exhaled. "The Nogitsune thrives on pain, suffering, death, and destruction. And Chris has an arsenal of weapons. You can imagine the chaos it could cause if it fully takes control of him."
Deaton, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "Scott is right. Victoria, where is Chris now?"
Victoria shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. He didn't take his phone, and I looked for him all night, but I couldn't find him."
Allison's eyes widened. "Mom! Why didn't you tell me he was missing?"
Victoria sighed. "I didn't think he was possessed or missing. I thought he was just angry with me and needed space… I didn't want to worry you."
Deaton said. "We need to find him as soon as possible."
Stiles frowned. "And once we do, what exactly are we going to do? How do we get the Nogitsune out of him?"
Scott answered. "That's the easy part. I just need to give him the Bite."
Isaac blinked. "That's it?"
Deaton nodded. "That's it. If an Alpha bites a Kitsune, they lose their Kitsune abilities and transform into a different type of shifter. The Bite can also exorcise a nogitsune of its host because the body is changed."
Allison let out a breath of relief. "I was really worried there for a moment. But this… this is actually a good thing."
Victoria looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Allison smiled faintly. "This means we can finally give Dad the Bite, making him safer in this crazy town."
Victoria nodded. "I guess you're right. But first, we need to stop him before he hurts someone. He'd never forgive himself if he ended up killing innocent people."
Scott said. "Alright, here's the plan. Stiles, you and Malia go to the sheriff's station. Tell Uncle Noah and Parrish what's going on. We need their help looking for Chris."
Then he turned to Lydia. "Try to see if you can sense anything that might help us find him. Deaton, help her if you can."
Looking at Melissa and Victoria, he said. "Mom, Victoria, you two should go to the Yukimuras and tell Noshiko about Chris. The Nogitsune might go after her for her tails, and we need to keep an eye on her."
Victoria frowned. "Keep an eye on her! Why?"
Scott's expression darkened. "Because she hates the Nogitsune. If she sees a chance to kill it, even if it means killing Chris too, she might take it. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
He turned to Allison and Erica next. "You two go to school and keep an eye on Kira and her father. The Nogitsune might target them."
Finally, he looked at Boyd and Isaac. "The three of us will search around town and see if we get lucky. Victoria, give me the addresses of any warehouses or places Chris might go to arm himself or hide."
Victoria quickly wrote down the addresses and handed them to Scott.
With the plan in place, the pack split up, each heading to complete their assigned task.
Only Lydia and Deaton remained at the pack house.
---
Meanwhile, inside Chris's mind, he found himself seated across from the Nogitsune, playing a game of Go.
The Nogitsune, wearing a tattered military jacket, his face wrapped in bandages except for his sharp metallic teeth, leaned forward with a sinister grin.
The Nogitsune said. "Let me read your memories, and I will leave your body."
Chris smirked, placing a black stone on the board. "I was careless, and you managed to take control of my body… but I'm not foolish enough to let you read my memories. You don't just want information, you want to consume my soul entirely and erase me."
The Nogitsune chuckled darkly. "It doesn't matter. Sooner or later, I will devour your soul, and this body will be mine. And as for your memories… I've read enough."
Chris leaned back, his smirk widening. "No, you haven't. You know some things, sure, but not everything. For example, you know that Victoria killed Kate, but you don't know what Victoria truly is, do you?"
The Nogitsune's grin faltered for a split second. "She's a shapeshifter… and she, along with your daughter, is part of that little punk werewolf's pack."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then tell me… what's the little punk's full name?"
The Nogitsune growled, its fingers digging into the wooden table, but it didn't answer.
Chris laughed. "I was just guessing, but it turns out I was right. You didn't actually read my full memories, did you? You only latched onto my grief over Kate and Gerard, using it to manipulate me and take control. But when you tried to dig deeper, you failed. You aren't strong enough to forcefully read my memories."
Nogitsune said. "It doesn't matter. You cannot reclaim control. Your wife, your daughter, and their pathetic pack will protect me from Noshiko's Oni, until I'm strong enough to crush them all."
Chris placed another stone on the board and smirked. "You really have no idea what you're up against, do you? Believe me… once you realize the mistake you've made, you'll wish you had never set foot in Beacon Hills."
The Nogitsune narrowed its eyes. "What do you mean?"
Chris smiled. "You'll find out soon enough. And when that moment comes, I'll enjoy watching the fear in your eyes."
The Nogitsune tensed, suddenly uneasy. With a snarl, he flipped the Go board. "ENOUGH! LET ME IN! LET ME READ YOUR MEMORIES, OR I WILL SLAUGHTER EVERYONE YOU LOVE!"
Chris didn't even flinch. "I was stupid enough to let you take over my body. I won't make the bigger mistake of letting you into my mind. Now get out of my sight."
The Nogitsune growled, but Chris merely smiled. "Tell you what… let's play a game. If you answer my riddles, I'll let you read my memories."
The Nogitsune sneered. "Fine. Go ahead."
Chris grinned. "What has keys but can't open locks?"
The Nogitsune's expression darkened. "I… don't know."
Chris said. "A piano."
The Nogitsune growled in irritation.
Chris said. "Alright, next one: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?"
The Nogitsune slammed his fists on the table. "Enough with these games!"
Chrissaid. "The answer is… the letter M."
The Nogitsune's breathing became ragged, anger boiling over.
Chris smirked again. "Here's another: The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?"
The Nogitsune clenched his fists.
Chris said. "The answer is Darkness."
The Nogitsune snarled, but Chris wasn't done.
Chris said. "One last one: I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. What am I?"
The Nogitsune roared in frustration. "ENOUGH!"
With that, it vanished from Chris's mind, retreating in fury.
Back in the real world, Chris's Nogitsune-possessed body opened its eyes, an eerie smirk forming on its lips.
Nogitsune said. "Once I'm strong enough, I'll make you regret playing games with me."
He cracked his knuckles and looked around.
"Now… let's cause some chaos."
To be continued… 😊