The train rumbled through the night, its dimly lit cabin alive with the low murmur of passengers, the soft clink of cutlery from the dining section, and the occasional rustle of newspapers. Outside, streaks of darkness flashed past the windows, broken only by the brief blur of passing station lights.
Jasper and Tyler sat together near the left window, Tyler leaning slightly back, his thoughts drifting as he glanced at Tengen from across the aisle. Henry, James, and Tengen sat together on the opposite side, the latter talking animatedly, his hands cutting through the air as his voice carried above the quiet cabin. Tyler thought to himself that Tengen had been talking nonstop from the mansion all the way here yet his charisma somehow made people want to listen.
On the way to the train, Tyler had run into Mr. Hudson, who had urged him to keep his friends close and to follow Tengen's lead. He'd also met Sophia, whose unusual distance and vague farewell had left him unsettled, though he stubbornly told himself it didn't matter.
Tengen was now recounting, in colorful detail, how he had once killed a vampire that attacked his grandmother. Henry seized the moment to ask if he had ever heard of the One Mind Wolf. Tengen scoffed, saying it was a myth no one had achieved it since Constantine's era. James interjected that it wasn't a myth, revealing that Tyler had entered it. Tengen looked at Tyler, who turned away, but his disbelief broke into loud laughter. Even Jasper backed James, insisting it was true.
Tengen, still grinning, teased Tyler about whether he could "fly" in that state. Tyler's patience thinned; he stood sharply, telling Tengen not to mock him if he didn't believe it. Tengen tried to calm him, saying it was just hard to believe especially when even the Alpha hadn't reached that form.
Their exchange was interrupted by a woman in a red hat and long leggings, who leaned toward James with a grin and asked if they were headed to Mugen. When he confirmed, she warned them of numerous disappearances there. The boys exchanged uneasy looks. Tengen asked if she was also going to Mugen, but she explained she'd be leaving at the next stop for another town.
Jasper remarked that it sounded eerily similar to Lake Black Sea, and Henry agreed. Tengen, unfazed, draped an arm over Henry's shoulder, boasting that they'd handled worse before. Tyler, still edged with tension, replied firmly that they could manage on their own.
The steady clatter of the train's wheels over the tracks was a constant hum in Tyler's ears as he excused himself from Tengen and the others, muttering that he needed some air. He walked down the narrow aisle, passing passengers absorbed in quiet conversations, card games, or the glow of handheld devices. The faint aroma of warm bread drifted from the dining carriage, mingling with the sharp tang of engine oil that lingered in the air. Eventually, he found an empty seat near the rear, where the cabin was quieter.
Dropping into the seat, Tyler crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the floor. Tengen's voice still echoed in his head boasting about how he would one day marry Sophia and make her his queen. The arrogance made Tyler's jaw tighten. It wasn't jealousy; it was the complete lack of tact that got under his skin.
The train swayed gently, the rhythm almost soothing until a faint, acrid scent sliced through the calm. Tyler's head lifted slightly. His senses sharpened. That smell… metallic, tainted, predatory. Vampire. His eyes scanned the carriage just in time to see a man in a black hat and an equally dark overcoat step in. He moved slowly, deliberately, his posture both casual and menacing as he lowered himself into a seat near a group of children.
Tyler's gut clenched. A vampire on a train, in such close proximity to innocent lives, was a dangerous situation. The stranger's head turned, and their eyes met Tyler's narrowing, the vampire's glowing faintly with that unmistakable purple hue. It was a brief connection, but enough to ignite unease in both of them. Tyler could tell instantly: this one was headed for Mugen. That meant whatever awaited them there was far more serious than any of them had anticipated.
He thought of all the dark rumors potions, forbidden magic, and vampires chasing immortality. If Susun truly gained dominion over the sun, it wouldn't just be a victory for darkness; it would be an irreversible loss for the living. His thoughts flickered briefly to his family. His parents, before they died, had never been wolves, though his father's grandparents were. Both his parents had been ordinary humans brave, stubborn, and fiercely protective, perhaps more so than many wolves he knew. He and Bella had inherited the wolf's blood, but courage was something he believed came from them.
The vampire stood suddenly. Every muscle in Tyler's body tensed. Rising, he followed at a careful distance. The vampire glanced over his shoulder, forcing Tyler to duck between two passengers, masking himself behind a woman. The predator moved on, weaving between travelers then, without warning, shoved a man to the floor. Tyler reacted instinctively, stepping forward, but the vampire slipped away in a blink. He scanned the rows ahead, but the figure had vanished into the maze of carriages, leaving only the faint, lingering scent of danger behind.
"Tyler ran to the pack and met Tengen panting".
There is a vampire on the train Tyler said, I saw him and then when I tried following him he vanished like...
Relax Tyler, are you sure you really know it's a vampire tengen cut him off his eyes sharp, of course I know it is a vampire, I smelt and saw it Tyler replied. Maybe we should check it out James said as he stood up, yeah Jasper said also standing, if there is a vampire on the train people are not safe.
Hold up tengen said as the boys were in a haste, his face unreadable. The people are safe, if there is a vampire on the train it won't hurt anybody until it gets out, he stood up so what if you find him, do you plan shifting on the train. It's best if we wait and act normal, the last thing we need now is a vampire knowing there are wolves around.
The boys looked at Tyler, Tyler nodded. Your right, it's best if we wait, he sat down, followed by jasper, James and Henry who sat beside him. Tengen took his sit, I know you guys want to make the people safe, tengen said as he grinned but we have to do things orderly.
"The pack boys nodded"
Don't worry boys tengen said his eyes forward, we would end whatever threat awaits us in Mugen.