Davao Region, Mindanao, Philippines
2021 — Present Day
Morning arrived.
The Davis house looked like shit.
One wall was damaged.
Half the windows were gone.
The front door was lying in the yard.
Burn marks covered the grass.
Broken furniture had been piled outside.
And Cherry Davis stood in the middle of it all holding her destroyed toaster.
CHERRY: Shane.
Shane slowly stopped walking.
SHANE: Yes?
CHERRY: Come here.
SHANE: No.
Everyone looked at him.
Cherry's eyes flashed red.
SHANE: I mean... absolutely.
Shane walked toward her like a man approaching his execution.
Cherry held up the toaster.
CHERRY: Fix it.
Shane inspected it.
SHANE: Auntie Cherry, respectfully, this thing got crushed by a fucking Werelion.
CHERRY: Fix it.
SHANE: It's dead.
CHERRY: Shane.
SHANE: I'll fix it.
Ryle drank coffee nearby.
RYLE: Coward.
SHANE: You fix it!
RYLE: I'm not suicidal.
JR walked outside carrying a broken chair.
JR: Where does this go?
Cherry pointed toward the pile.
CHERRY: There.
JR threw it.
Vince walked past.
JR: Where are you going?
VINCE: Somewhere important.
JR: We're cleaning.
VINCE: Alpha responsibilities.
JR stared at him.
JR: Bullshit.
VINCE: Extremely important Alpha responsibilities.
Vince turned the corner.
Thea was waiting there.
JR nodded.
JR: Girlfriend responsibilities.
Vince flipped him off.
---
Thea leaned against a tree examining the strange bullet from the previous night.
Vince approached.
VINCE: Morning.
THEA: Morning.
Vince leaned in for a kiss.
Thea placed her hand over his face.
VINCE: Wow.
THEA: Focus.
VINCE: I was focused.
THEA: On my lips.
VINCE: Very focused.
Thea tried not to smile.
THEA: Idiot.
She handed him the bullet.
Vince's expression became serious.
The circle.
Three claw marks.
The same symbol they'd found carved into the Wendigo.
VINCE: Where exactly did you find this?
THEA: Edge of the property.
VINCE: One of yours?
Thea looked offended.
THEA: I know my ammunition.
VINCE: Just asking.
THEA: And I don't carve creepy cult symbols into my bullets.
Vince sniffed the casing.
Gunpowder.
Silver.
Oil.
Then something else.
His eyes narrowed.
THEA: What?
VINCE: Blood.
Thea frowned.
THEA: On the bullet?
VINCE: Very little.
Vince smelled it again.
His expression changed.
VINCE: Human.
Thea took the bullet.
THEA: A Hunter.
VINCE: Maybe.
Thea looked toward the forest.
THEA: Or someone wants us to think it's a Hunter.
Vince smiled.
VINCE: You're hot when you're investigating.
Thea stared at him.
THEA: Seriously?
VINCE: Compliment.
THEA: You're impossible.
Vince wrapped his arms around her waist.
VINCE: Yet you're still here.
Thea wrapped her arms around his neck.
THEA: Unfortunately.
They kissed.
JR: VINCE!
Vince stopped.
His eyes remained closed.
VINCE: I'm going to fucking kill him.
Thea laughed.
JR: WE FOUND SOMETHING!
Vince sighed.
THEA: Go.
VINCE: One more?
Thea kissed him quickly.
THEA: There.
VINCE: That was barely—
THEA: Go.
---
Everyone gathered around the damaged living room.
The Midnight Howlers.
Cherry.
Thea and Zephanie.
Jay, Mark, James and Dean.
Shane placed a laptop on the surviving table.
SHANE: I checked security footage from two houses down.
VINCE: They have cameras?
SHANE: Yep.
JR: How'd you get the footage?
Shane paused.
SHANE: Technology.
JR: You hacked it.
SHANE: Technology.
Cherry crossed her arms.
CHERRY: Shane.
SHANE: They gave me permission.
Silence.
SHANE: Eventually.
Ryle rubbed his face.
RYLE: Just play the fucking video.
Shane pressed a button.
Grainy footage appeared.
At 11:43 p.m., a dark vehicle stopped near the road.
Three people stepped out.
One carried a rifle.
Another opened the rear doors.
Creatures emerged.
Werewolves.
Werecoyotes.
The Werelion.
Jay leaned closer.
JAY: They transported them here.
MARK: So last night's attack was organized.
JAMES: We already knew that.
DEAN: Yeah, but now we know they have a van.
Everyone looked at Dean.
DEAN: What?
Zephanie shook her head.
ZEPHANIE: Brilliant detective work.
Dean smiled.
DEAN: Thank you.
ZEPHANIE: That wasn't a compliment.
DEAN: Still taking it.
Shane paused the video.
A man stood beside the vehicle.
Human.
Long coat.
Rifle.
Thea leaned closer.
Her expression changed.
THEA: Zoom in.
Shane zoomed.
The image became pixelated.
SHANE: That's all I've got.
Thea stared.
VINCE: You know him?
Thea didn't answer immediately.
THEA: Maybe.
Vince became concerned.
VINCE: Thea.
She looked at him.
THEA: His equipment looks like Hunter gear.
Cherry's expression hardened.
JAY: Hunters working with supernatural creatures?
THEA: Some do.
JR: Isn't the whole Hunter thing supposed to be killing monsters?
Zephanie raised an eyebrow.
ZEPHANIE: I'm literally sitting here.
JR pointed at her.
JR: Exactly my point.
Thea folded her arms.
THEA: Hunters aren't one organization. Families have different codes. Different rules. Some protect humans. Some hunt dangerous supernatural creatures.
She paused.
THEA: Some kill anything that isn't human.
Vince's expression darkened.
THEA: And some will work with monsters if there's money or power involved.
Shane changed the image.
The vehicle's license plate appeared.
SHANE: And this is where things get interesting.
RYLE: You found the owner?
SHANE: Better.
Shane smiled.
SHANE: I found where it went.
---
Two hours later.
The Midnight Howlers stood beside a road surrounded by thick forest.
Jay's pack had remained behind with Cherry to protect the house.
Thea and Zephanie had come with Vince.
Ryle looked around.
RYLE: Where's the building?
Shane checked his phone.
SHANE: About half a kilometer through there.
Ryle stared at the forest.
RYLE: Of course.
JR: What?
RYLE: Why is everything in a fucking forest?
Vince started walking.
VINCE: Come on.
Thea grabbed his shirt.
THEA: Wait.
Vince turned.
VINCE: What?
Thea pulled him toward her.
She adjusted the collar of his jacket.
THEA: There.
Vince smiled.
VINCE: You could've just said you wanted to touch me.
THEA: I regret dating you.
VINCE: No, you don't.
THEA: Every day.
Zephanie walked past.
ZEPHANIE: Please stop flirting.
JR followed.
JR: I've been saying that for months.
VINCE: You're both jealous.
JR: Of what?
VINCE: True love.
Ryle pushed Vince forward.
RYLE: Walk, Romeo.
---
They found the compound twenty minutes later.
An abandoned agricultural facility hidden among trees.
Two warehouses.
A small office.
Several vehicles.
Armed guards.
The group watched from the forest.
Thea used binoculars.
THEA: Six outside.
JR sniffed.
JR: More inside.
Vince listened.
Heartbeats.
Many.
VINCE: At least twelve.
Shane whispered—
SHANE: What's the plan?
Everyone looked at Vince.
Vince smiled.
JR immediately grabbed his shoulder.
JR: No.
VINCE: What?
JR: That smile.
VINCE: Stop judging my smile.
JR: Your smile has nearly killed us multiple times.
Thea handed Vince the binoculars.
THEA: We do this quietly.
Vince looked at her.
VINCE: Quietly?
THEA: Yes.
VINCE: Us?
THEA: Try.
Vince looked at JR.
JR shrugged.
JR: Could be fun.
Ryle stared at both of them.
RYLE: You two don't understand what "quietly" means.
---
Five minutes later.
A guard stood near the warehouse.
A pebble landed beside him.
He turned.
Another pebble.
GUARD: Who's there?
Vince hid behind a tree.
JR whispered—
JR: Seriously? Pebbles?
VINCE: It's working.
The guard approached.
Vince grabbed him.
He covered the man's mouth and dragged him behind the tree.
VINCE: Night-night.
One punch.
The guard collapsed.
Vince looked at JR proudly.
VINCE: Quiet.
JR nodded.
JR: I'm impressed.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed.
Vince flinched.
VINCE: What the fuck?!
Across the compound, Thea lowered her suppressed pistol.
A guard collapsed unconscious after being struck by a nonlethal round.
THEA: He saw Shane.
Everyone looked at Shane.
Shane was standing in the open.
SHANE: What?
RYLE: How the fuck did you fail stealth by standing still?
SHANE: I thought this was the hiding spot!
An alarm screamed.
WEE-OOO!
WEE-OOO!
JR stared at Shane.
JR: Incredible.
SHANE: Oh, fuck off.
Doors opened.
Armed fighters poured outside.
Vince sighed.
His eyes turned bright red.
VINCE: Well.
Claws emerged.
VINCE: We tried.
Ryle's hands erupted into hellfire.
RYLE: Finally.
Thea reloaded.
THEA: You're way too happy about this.
RYLE: I hate stealth.
A bullet flew toward Vince.
Thea tackled him.
They hit the ground.
VINCE: Hi.
THEA: Not now.
VINCE: You're on top of me.
THEA: Vince!
Another bullet struck the dirt beside them.
VINCE: Right. Murder.
They rolled apart.
The fight erupted.
Zephanie charged first.
Her golden-yellow eyes burned.
She jumped onto a Beta and drove him into a vehicle.
BANG!
JR ducked beneath a machete.
JR: Really?!
He kicked the attacker's stomach.
JR: Who brings a machete to a werewolf fight?!
The man swung again.
JR caught his wrist.
JR: Apparently you.
CRACK!
He broke the man's wrist.
Shane slid beneath a truck as bullets hit the ground.
SHANE: I FUCKING HATE GUNS!
Ryle walked forward.
Bullets flew.
He raised a wall of hellfire.
The rounds melted or deflected.
Ryle smiled.
RYLE: My turn.
He thrust both hands forward.
BOOM!
Hellfire blasted three attackers off their feet.
Vince charged two hostile Betas.
The first swung.
Vince blocked.
He punched the Beta's ribs.
The second jumped onto Vince.
Vince flipped him overhead.
SLAM!
The first attacked again.
Vince ducked and drove his shoulder into the Beta.
They smashed through a wooden wall.
Inside the warehouse, Vince rolled across the floor.
He stood.
Twenty cages surrounded him.
Vince froze.
People were inside.
Humans.
Werewolves.
Werecoyotes.
Other supernatural creatures.
Some injured.
Some unconscious.
VINCE: Guys...
A captive Beta looked at him.
CAPTIVE BETA: Help us.
Vince's expression changed.
Then something slammed into him.
BOOM!
Vince crashed into a cage.
A huge figure stepped forward.
A Werejaguar.
Yellow-green eyes.
Massive claws.
Scars across his chest.
VINCE: Fuck.
The Werejaguar attacked.
Vince rolled aside.
Claws sliced through the cage bars.
VINCE: Definitely fuck.
The creature kicked Vince across the warehouse.
He crashed into crates.
Thea entered.
THEA: Vince!
The Werejaguar turned toward her.
Vince immediately stood.
VINCE: Don't.
The creature charged Thea.
VINCE: I SAID DON'T!
Vince tackled it from the side.
They crashed through a table.
The Werejaguar clawed Vince's shoulder.
Vince roared.
Thea fired.
BANG!
The round struck the creature's leg.
It staggered.
Vince punched it.
Thea fired again.
Vince punched again.
THEA: Left!
Vince ducked.
BANG!
A bullet passed above his head and struck the Werejaguar's shoulder.
VINCE: Nice shot!
THEA: Thanks!
The creature roared.
VINCE: Still ugly!
It charged.
Vince caught it.
His feet slid backward.
Thea's eyes widened.
THEA: Vince!
VINCE: Little help?!
Thea grabbed a silver knife.
She ran.
Jumped onto a crate.
Then onto the creature's back.
THEA: Hey!
She stabbed its shoulder.
The Werejaguar roared and released Vince.
Vince grabbed Thea around the waist.
VINCE: Got you.
He pulled her away.
The creature turned.
Vince handed Thea to JR as he entered.
VINCE: Hold my girlfriend.
JR caught her awkwardly.
JR: What?!
THEA: Put me down!
Vince cracked his neck.
Bright-red eyes burned.
VINCE: Now I'm gonna beat his ass.
JR put Thea down.
JR: He's so dramatic.
THEA: I know.
Vince charged.
The Werejaguar swung.
Vince ducked.
Left hook.
Body shot.
Right hook.
The Werejaguar clawed Vince's chest.
Vince ignored it.
He grabbed the creature.
Lifted.
JR: Wrestling again.
THEA: He really likes doing that.
Vince slammed the Werejaguar through a table.
CRASH!
The creature attempted to rise.
Vince roared directly into its face.
The True Alpha roar shook the warehouse.
The Werejaguar froze.
Vince placed his claws against its throat.
VINCE: Stay down.
It stopped.
Vince stood.
VINCE: See?
Thea walked toward him.
THEA: See what?
VINCE: I'm awesome.
Thea kissed him.
Vince froze.
She pulled away.
THEA: You're an idiot.
Vince smiled.
VINCE: Worth it.
JR gagged dramatically.
JR: I'm surrounded by bullshit.
---
Outside, Ryle threw a Beta through a car window.
RYLE: Shane!
SHANE: WHAT?!
RYLE: Door!
Shane looked toward a reinforced steel door.
SHANE: Give me thirty seconds!
RYLE: You have five!
SHANE: That's not how engineering works!
Zephanie kicked an attacker away.
ZEPHANIE: Four!
SHANE: Stop counting!
ZEPHANIE: Three!
Shane ripped open an electrical panel.
SHANE: I hate all of you!
Sparks flew.
CLICK.
The door opened.
Shane smiled.
SHANE: Boom.
Ryle looked at him.
RYLE: Took six seconds.
SHANE: Fuck you.
They entered.
The room was filled with weapons.
Silver bullets.
Wolfsbane.
Chains.
Blades.
Files.
Photographs.
Zephanie picked up one photograph.
Her smile disappeared.
ZEPHANIE: Ryle.
Ryle approached.
The photograph showed Vince.
Another showed Cherry.
Another showed JR.
Shane found more.
Thea.
Zephanie.
Jay.
Mark.
James.
Dean.
SHANE: They've been watching everybody.
Ryle opened a folder.
Names.
Locations.
Species.
Relationships.
At the top of Vince's page:
VINCENT DAVIS — TRUE ALPHA — ROYAL BLOODLINE
Below it:
PRIMARY TARGET
Ryle's eyes became fiery orange.
RYLE: Vince needs to see this.
Then Shane noticed another file.
SHANE: Guys.
He slowly pulled it out.
The label read:
PROJECT CROWNLESS
---
Minutes later, the compound had been secured.
The prisoners were freed.
The surviving attackers had fled or surrendered.
Vince stood inside the weapons room holding the Project Crownless file.
Cherry's photograph.
His photograph.
His friends.
Thea.
Everyone he cared about.
VINCE: Crownless.
JR leaned beside him.
JR: Sounds cheerful.
Thea opened the folder.
The first page contained a sentence.
REMOVE THE CROWN. BREAK THE BLOODLINE.
Vince stared at it.
His jaw tightened.
Zephanie looked uncomfortable.
ZEPHANIE: They're planning to kill you?
Thea shook her head.
THEA: No.
Everyone looked at her.
THEA: Garrick had orders to bring Vince alive.
She turned the page.
Her face changed.
THEA: They need his blood.
Ryle stepped closer.
RYLE: For what?
Thea continued reading.
Then stopped.
VINCE: Thea?
She looked at him.
THEA: It doesn't say.
Shane searched the desk.
SHANE: Maybe this does.
He pulled out an old map of Mindanao.
Several locations were marked.
Davao Region.
Bukidnon.
Cotabato.
Agusan.
Surigao.
And more.
JR stared.
JR: This is bigger than Davao.
Vince looked over the map.
VINCE: They're operating across Mindanao.
Ryle nodded.
RYLE: Looks like it.
A phone rang.
Everyone froze.
An old phone sat on the desk.
RING.
RING.
Vince approached.
JR: Don't answer that.
Vince picked it up.
JR: Of course.
Vince answered.
VINCE: Hello?
Silence.
Then a distorted voice.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Vincent.
Vince's expression hardened.
VINCE: Who is this?
UNKNOWN VOICE: Did you enjoy our little facility?
Vince looked around.
VINCE: I've seen better.
The voice chuckled.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Still arrogant.
VINCE: Still hiding behind a phone.
Silence.
Then—
UNKNOWN VOICE: Your father had that same mouth.
Vince froze.
The room became silent.
Cherry had rarely spoken about Vince's father.
VINCE: What did you say?
UNKNOWN VOICE: Ask your mother what happened to him.
Vince's claws slowly emerged.
VINCE: Tell me who you are.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Soon.
VINCE: Gabriel?
Silence.
The others looked at Vince.
The voice laughed quietly.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Your uncle is only one piece of this story.
CLICK.
The call ended.
Vince stared at the phone.
JR: Vince?
He didn't answer.
Thea gently touched his hand.
Vince looked at her.
His anger softened slightly.
THEA: We'll figure it out.
VINCE: We?
THEA: Don't start.
VINCE: It's dangerous.
Thea stared at him.
THEA: Vincent Davis, I walked into a warehouse full of armed supernatural criminals because of you.
VINCE: That's exactly my point.
THEA: And if you think I'm staying home while somebody hunts you, you're dumber than I thought.
Vince smiled slightly.
VINCE: You really love me.
Thea froze.
JR's eyebrows shot upward.
Zephanie slowly smiled.
Shane whispered—
SHANE: Oh, shit.
Thea stared at Vince.
THEA: What?
Vince suddenly realized what he'd said.
VINCE: I mean—
JR: Don't fucking back out now.
VINCE: Shut up!
Thea crossed her arms.
THEA: Well?
Vince became nervous.
A True Alpha.
Royal blood.
A teenager who could wrestle supernatural monsters twice his size.
Completely terrified by his girlfriend.
Ryle watched.
RYLE: This is painful.
SHANE: Give him time.
RYLE: We've fought twenty people faster than this.
Vince ignored them.
He looked at Thea.
VINCE: Yeah.
Thea waited.
VINCE: I love you.
Everyone became quiet.
Thea's expression softened.
THEA: Took you long enough.
Vince blinked.
VINCE: Wait, what?
She grabbed his shirt.
THEA: I love you too, idiot.
She kissed him.
Vince wrapped his arms around her.
JR smiled.
Zephanie quietly clapped.
Shane pretended to wipe away a tear.
SHANE: Beautiful.
Ryle looked disgusted.
RYLE: Can we please go back to killing monsters?
Thea stopped kissing Vince.
THEA: Jealous?
RYLE: Of teenagers?
VINCE: Definitely jealous.
RYLE: I'll burn both of you.
Vince laughed.
Then an alarm suddenly beeped.
Shane's expression changed.
SHANE: Guys?
Everyone turned.
SHANE: We have a problem.
JR: Another one?
Shane pointed at the computer.
A countdown appeared.
00:29
00:28
00:27
Vince stared.
VINCE: Is that what I think it is?
Shane nodded.
SHANE: Bomb.
Everyone froze.
VINCE: Fuck.
SHANE: BIG FUCK!
VINCE: EVERYBODY OUT!
They ran.
Vince grabbed Thea's hand.
JR carried two injured prisoners.
Ryle lifted another over his shoulder.
Zephanie helped a wounded Beta.
Shane sprinted behind them.
SHANE: TWENTY SECONDS!
They burst from the warehouse.
VINCE: KEEP MOVING!
SHANE: TEN!
Everyone sprinted toward the tree line.
SHANE: FIVE!
Vince grabbed Thea.
He tackled her behind a fallen tree.
JR dove beside Zephanie.
Ryle threw himself over the wounded prisoners.
Shane jumped into a ditch.
SHANE: SHIIIIIT!
BOOOOOOM!
The warehouse exploded.
Flames erupted into the sky.
Metal and wood flew across the compound.
The shockwave tore through the trees.
Silence followed.
Vince slowly raised his head.
His ears rang.
Thea was underneath him.
VINCE: You okay?
Thea coughed.
THEA: Yeah.
Vince smiled.
VINCE: Good.
Thea looked at him.
THEA: You're on top of me again.
Vince looked down.
VINCE: Oh.
She raised an eyebrow.
VINCE: I'm protecting you.
THEA: Sure.
VINCE: Very heroic.
THEA: Get off.
VINCE: Fine.
From the ditch—
SHANE: IS EVERYBODY ALIVE?!
JR: YES!
RYLE: Unfortunately!
ZEPHANIE: I'm good!
Shane climbed out.
His hair was covered in dirt.
SHANE: Great.
He looked at the burning warehouse.
SHANE: Because I think I shit myself.
Everyone stared.
SHANE: I'm joking.
Pause.
SHANE: Probably.
JR burst out laughing.
Even Vince couldn't stop himself.
For several seconds, they stood there laughing beside a burning criminal compound.
Then Vince looked toward the flames.
Project Crownless.
His blood.
His uncle.
His father.
Someone had spent years building something across Mindanao.
And somehow, Vince was at the center of it.
Thea slipped her hand into his.
Vince squeezed it.
Whatever was coming, he wouldn't face it alone.
Behind them, inside the burning remains of the facility, one computer screen remained active.
A message appeared.
PHASE ONE COMPLETE.
Then another.
TRUE ALPHA RESPONSE CONFIRMED.
And finally—
BEGIN PHASE TWO.
The screen went black.
END OF CHAPTER 5