The pack returned to the warm glow of the family home. Mrs. Jane stood at the doorway, her hands folded, eyes searching each of their faces.
"Any progress?" she asked as they stepped inside.
"Yes," Tengen replied simply. He moved to the sofa and sat down, the pack fanning out behind him like a silent guard. Mrs. Jane lowered herself into a chair opposite him, the air heavy with expectation.
Mr. Charlie emerged from the hallway, his gaze sharp. "Did you find anything?"
Tengen leaned forward. "We found an old house deep in the woods. When we entered… we ran into vampires."
Mrs. Jane gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.
"We fought them and crushed them," Tengen continued, his tone calm but laced with weight.
"That's good," Mr. Charlie said as he took a seat.
Tengen's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's not all good. One of the vampires said something before I killed him there's a vampire chief council member in Mugen, comfirming our suspicions."
Silence fell.
Mr. Charlie's expression darkened. "That's… no good news, although we had only made a theory about it but it clearly isn't a fact until now."
"No," Tengen agreed. It clearly isn't good news "If this is true, we could be drawn into a fight to the death. Vampire chiefs have slaughtered multiple alphas over the decades. They don't just fight to win they fight to erase."
The tension was almost physical. Every breath seemed heavier.
Then Tyler spoke, his voice breaking the stillness. "So what if they've killed alphas? Our job is to protect this town, and that's exactly what we're going to do. We didn't come here to back off we came to march forward, even if it means ending whatever threat comes our way." A grin spread across his face, defiant and alive.
The air lightened, the shadows lifting.
"Tyler's right, Mrs. Jane," Jasper said, straightening.
"We've faced a vampire chief before," James added, glancing away. "We can do it again."
Henry smirked. "And we've got Tengen and Tyler two strong wolves in one pack."
Tyler elbowed him playfully, earning a few chuckles. Tengen's lips curled into the faintest smile, one no one else caught.
"You heard the boys," he said, looking directly at Mr. Charlie and Mrs. Jane. "Leave it to us." His grin was quiet confidence.
Off to the side, Helen slipped out of the room quickly, her steps sharp against the floor. James noticed and followed.
"Helen!" he called.
She ignored him, quickening her pace. Reaching her room, she shut the door and locked it.
James knocked. "Helen… come on, I want to talk."
"Go away, what do you want," came her muffled reply.
"Please," James pressed.
After a long pause, the lock clicked, and the door cracked open. Helen stood there, eyes rimmed with tears.
"What do you want?" she asked, voice low.
"I want to know what's wrong," James said gently. "You've been different ever since we met you."
Her brow creased. "How do you know I'm not fine?"
"Because I can see you're not. And I want to help. We all do."
Helen's eyes welled again, her voice trembling. "My sister was killed by a vampire last month. We were together… and she saved me. She pushed me down the stairs when the vampire attacked our school at midnight. It killed her. I could do nothing just run like she told me. I feel so weak. I should've been the one to die."
James's expression softened. "There's nothing you could have done. Your sister saved you for a reason. You need to live up to that. I promise, we'll take down whatever's in Mugen but don't carry this like it's your fault."
A small, bittersweet smile tugged at Helen's lips.
"Why didn't Mrs. Jane and her husband tell us about this? Why would they keep it a secret? James thought"
The rainforest air was thick and heavy, the kind that carried the scent of wet earth and promised rain in the next few hours. The sky above was a dark, moody gray, with clouds rolling slowly, gathering weight. The dampness clung to their skin, and every step sank slightly into the soft, moss-covered ground. Distant rumbles of thunder teased the horizon, and the sound of dripping water echoed from leaves high in the canopy.
Tengen led the way, his eyes scanning the shifting shadows. "Keep your eyes out, boys," he said, voice low. Their boots pressed into the moist forest floor as they walked deeper into the green maze.
James broke the silence. "Guys… I have something to say." His voice was quieter than usual, almost hesitant.
"What is it?" Tengen asked, glancing over his shoulder.
James told them about Helen's sister about the vampire attack during prep at her school, and how her sister had died pushing her down the stairs to safety.
Henry's voice was sharp. "What?"
Jasper looked down, his tone heavy. "So that's why she's been so gloomy…"
Tyler's eyes hardened. "Why didn't the family tell us? Why hide it from us?"
"I know," Tengen said. The four boys froze, looking at him.
"They told me," he continued. "Mr. Davidson knows too. The family decided to put it behind them. They grieved, they mourned, but they chose to keep moving forward. Helen… she'll have it hard, but in time, she'll heal."
The group fell silent, the only sounds now the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a bird.
They kept walking until Tengen stopped suddenly. The others didn't need to ask they felt it too. Vampires.
Three men dropped from the trees, eyes wild.
"They look like newborns," Tengen warned. "Be careful they'll break anything in their path."
The vampires lunged, and in a heartbeat, Tengen and the pack shifted. The rainforest filled with snarls and the crunch of combat. Tyler and James flanked one vampire Tyler snapping its legs before James delivered the killing blow. Jasper and Henry tore into another, Henry's fangs breaking bone before both finished it together.
Tengen faced the last one alone. A quick twist crushed the vampire's arm, and before it could recover, he ended it in seconds.
Tyler and Tengen shook their fur clean.
Then, a sound one sharp clap from above. All heads snapped upward.
A figure stood on a high branch a vampire with long red hair that caught the dim light, and glittering violet eyes that didn't blink. He leapt down, landing effortlessly.
"Very good," he said, smiling. "I knew those newborns wouldn't stand a chance. But tell me…" He bent to the ground, dragging a long nail through the dirt to draw a wolf's head. "…how would you fare against someone stronger?" His violet eyes gleamed.
No doubt… this is a vampire chief council member, Tyler's voice echoed through the mind channel.