NEVER ALONE

The Call Of The King

Chapter 5: The Call of the King

The street had become a battlefield.

Broken cars, shattered pavement, and scattered weapons covered the ground. Rain continued to fall steadily, washing streaks of blood and dust into the drains along the road.

But no one moved.

No one spoke.

Because in the center of the street stood Ethan Cole.

And kneeling before him was the Alpha Hunter.

The massive creature’s head remained lowered in complete submission, its glowing silver eyes fixed on the ground. Even the two smaller Hunters had moved closer, lowering their bodies beside their king.

Three monsters.

All obeying Ethan.

Ethan’s heart was still racing.

His hand slowly dropped to his side.

“I… I don’t understand,” he whispered.

Raven walked toward him carefully, her blue blade fading into nothing as she deactivated it. Her eyes remained locked on the Alpha Hunter.

“Neither do I,” she admitted quietly.

Ethan looked at her.

“You said I could control them.”

Raven shook her head slowly.

“No.”

Her gaze shifted back to the kneeling creature.

“I said your bloodline could.”

She paused.

“But this… this is different.”

Across the street, the hunter leader watched the scene with growing unease.

The confident smile he once wore had vanished completely.

Instead, his expression now held something close to fear.

“He’s stronger than the records predicted,” one of his remaining soldiers whispered.

The leader didn’t respond.

His eyes remained locked on Ethan.

“Sir,” another soldier asked nervously, “what do we do now?”

The man clenched his jaw.

“We retreat.”

The soldiers looked shocked.

“Retreat?”

“Yes.”

He turned slowly toward his men.

“Tonight’s objective has already been confirmed.”

His cold gaze returned to Ethan one last time.

“We now know the truth.”

Ethan frowned.

“What truth?”

The hunter leader’s voice carried across the street.

“That the Primordial Bloodline has returned.”

Raven immediately stepped closer to Ethan.

“Don’t listen to him.”

But the man simply smiled faintly.

“This world has forgotten what your kind once was, Ethan Cole.”

Ethan felt his stomach tighten.

“My kind?”

“You will learn soon enough.”

The hunter leader turned and began walking back toward the black vehicles.

“Leave them,” he ordered his soldiers.

Within seconds, the remaining men quickly retreated to their SUVs.

Engines roared.

Tires screeched against the wet pavement.

Then the vehicles disappeared into the night.

The street became quiet again.

Too quiet.

Ethan looked around at the destruction.

“So… they just left?”

Raven didn’t look relieved.

She looked worried.

“That’s worse.”

Ethan blinked.

“How is that worse?”

“Because now they know exactly who you are.”

Ethan ran a hand through his wet hair.

“Which apparently is something called an Alpha King.”

Raven nodded slowly.

“Something like that.”

The Alpha Hunter suddenly shifted slightly beside them.

Its massive head lifted.

Its silver eyes locked onto Ethan again.

Ethan stepped back nervously.

“Uh… is it going to stay friendly?”

Raven studied the creature carefully.

“It’s waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

She looked directly at him.

“For you.”

Ethan frowned.

“For me to do what?”

Before Raven could answer—

The Alpha Hunter suddenly opened its mouth.

A deep roar erupted from its throat.

But this roar was different.

It wasn’t aggressive.

It was a call.

The sound echoed across the city, bouncing off buildings and disappearing into the distance.

Ethan felt a strange vibration inside his chest the moment the roar ended.

Then something even stranger happened.

Far away in the distance…

Another roar answered.

Then another.

And another.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Please tell me those are just echoes.”

Raven slowly shook her head.

“No.”

More distant roars echoed through the city.

Dozens.

Maybe more.

Each one responding to the Alpha Hunter’s call.

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.

“How many of those things are out there?”

Raven didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she looked toward the dark skyline of the city.

Her voice was quiet.

“Too many.”

Ethan’s stomach twisted.

“You mean the whole city is full of monsters?”

“Not just the city.”

He stared at her.

“What?”

Raven turned back toward him.

“For centuries, creatures like the Hunters have existed in the shadows of our world.”

She gestured toward the Alpha Hunter.

“They stayed hidden because the bloodline that once ruled them disappeared.”

Ethan swallowed.

“And now?”

Raven met his eyes.

“Now they’ve heard their king return.”

Ethan stared at the three monsters standing around him.

Then he looked toward the dark skyline where the distant roars continued.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The Alpha Hunter stepped closer to him.

It lowered its massive head slightly again.

Almost respectfully.

Ethan hesitated.

Then, very slowly, he reached out.

His hand touched the creature’s armored head.

The monster didn’t react.

It simply remained still.

Obedient.

Ethan let out a nervous laugh.

“So let me get this straight.”

He glanced at Raven.

“I spent twenty-four years being completely alone…”

He looked at the Alpha Hunter and the two smaller beasts.

“And now I suddenly have an army of monsters?”

Raven crossed her arms.

“That’s one way to describe it.”

Ethan sighed.

“This night just keeps getting better.”

But Raven didn’t smile.

Her eyes had moved past Ethan.

Toward the roof of a nearby building.

Ethan noticed her expression.

“What is it?”

She didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she whispered one word.

“Watcher.”

Ethan turned quickly.

High above them, standing on the edge of a rooftop, was a figure.

A man dressed in a long dark coat.

He had been watching everything.

Completely still.

Rain fell around him as he slowly began clapping.

Once.

Twice.

Then he smiled.

“Well,” the stranger said from the rooftop, his voice echoing down to the street.

“That was far more entertaining than I expected.”

Raven’s eyes narrowed immediately.

“Not him…”

Ethan looked between them.

“You know this guy?”

The man on the rooftop tilted his head slightly, studying Ethan with curiosity.

“Oh yes,” he said calmly.

“I’ve been waiting a very long time to meet you.”

Lightning flashed across the sky.

For a brief moment, Ethan saw the man’s eyes clearly.

They were glowing.

Not red.

Not blue.

But a deep golden color.

The stranger’s smile widened slightly.

“Welcome back, Alpha King.”