Written & Created By: Eddie Yagami

*Readers Discretion Is Advised*

Two weeks had passed since Stephanie made her confession, and Mac still found himself grappling with his feelings. He hadn't given her a solid answer—not because he didn't like her, but because life had become far more complicated than a normal high school relationship.

With Alpha's presence constantly buzzing in the back of his mind and not knowing what The Order has been up to, Mac feared that being close to Stephanie would only put her in danger. Yet, despite his best efforts to keep things normal, Stephanie wasn't the type to give up easily.

One day at school, just after the final bell rang for the day, Mac was making his way out of the school building while reading a book and not paying attention to his surroundings, even Alpha was just along for the ride.

He unknowingly walked by the student council room when suddenly someone grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and was pulled inside with the door closing right after.

Mac and Alpha were confused as to what was happening as whoever had grabbed Mac tossed him on a chair which almost fell over, then he realized who it was as she just straddled him.

"Oh? Well, well... what do we have here?" Mac questioned, jokingly.

Stephanie was looking at Mac directly in his eyes, he knew that she had enough of him avoiding her. He then looked at the predicament that he was in, "I'm not letting you go until I get an answer from you," Stephanie demanded.

Mac looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "What kind of answer are you looking for?", Mac already knew what she wanted to hear, but he liked the situation that he was in and decided to drag it out.

"Oh, don't play with me 'Chandler', you know exactly what I want to hear," she said as she placed her arms around his neck. Seeing what Stephanie was doing, Mac reciprocated and put his arms around her waist.

She smiled at him, "Oh? I see that you're not afraid to accept the challenge," Mac chuckled, "Didn't realize I was being challenged, but it doesn't seem you mind." Stephanie simply shrugged her shoulders.

While all this was going on, Alpha was just along for the ride and wasn't going to interfere, he understood that whatever was going on, was personal for Mac and Stephanie.

Mac then let out a heavy sigh, "Listen Steph, the reason I can't give you an answer right now is because there are things going on in my life that I don't think you're ready to handle," Stephanie was curious by what he meant. "It's not just about taking over the family business, Steph. There's... a lot I can't tell you yet."

Stephanie sighed and looked Mac in his eyes. She knew that he was being truthful, but she still wanted to be more involved in his life. "Why? What secrets are you hiding that you can't trust me with?"

Mac didn't like what she was suggesting, "This has nothing to do with trusting you or not, but more---", Mac hesitated to continue with what he wanted to say without revealing too much.

Stephanie looked at him, wide eyed and curious, but Mac looked away and sighed. Then, she did something that even took Mac by surprise as she just grabbed his chin and turned his head to look at her, and just kissed him on the lips. Mac was shocked by her action, but he didn't fight back and just went along with it. However, Alpha was thrown for a loop.

After a few moments, she pulled back from the kiss and looked at him, "Whatever it is that you're struggling to tell me, I can handle it. I want you to trust me."

Mac thought for a moment and shifted his focus to Alpha, "I know what you're going to ask me and we can't risk it. If she becomes involved, then her life will be put in danger." Alpha said with concern in his voice.

Mac quickly responded, "I know that, but why don't we leave that decision up to her. I'm not saying to tell her everything at once, but slowly bring her into the fold," Alpha was worried, but Mac had a point, "Talk to Luis first to get his opinion, then make your decision," said Alpha, Mac nodded his head internally.

"Fine, but give me a day to think it over. I promise to tell you, although you need to understand that there might be things that you won't believe at first." Stephanie took one last look at Mac, she trusted him enough to agree to his request.

"So... am I free to go?", Mac asked reluctantly, and without warning Stephanie kissed him one more time on the lips and then got up off of him. Mac sat there for a moment, dazed and confused.

Later that day, Mac headed to the studio for what was supposed to be a light sparring session. But, even here, his mind wandered back to Stephanie, distracted by the way she had smiled when they parted earlier that day. Alpha's voice echoed in his thoughts.

"You know, for someone who has fought a Creature of The Darkness, you're surprisingly bad at handling feelings," Alpha said, trying to hold back a chuckle.

Mac rolled his eyes, blocking another attack from Mr. Lou with more force than necessary. The sharp clack of their wooden practice weapons reverberated through the studio. Mr. Lou stopped, lowering his staff with a raised eyebrow.

"Distracted today," Mr. Lou observed. "What's on your mind, Chandler?"

Mac sighed, "There's this girl at school, Stephanie, and we've been hanging out a lot lately," Mac said before he could stop himself.

Mr. Lou grinned slightly. "Ah. Women. They're harder to fight than any enemy you'll ever face." He followed his comment with a small chuckle. "Tell me about it," Mac groaned, tossing the staff aside. "I just don't know how to... you know, deal with it."

Mr. Lou chuckled softly, but his expression turned serious. "You're facing a lot more than most people your age. It's okay to feel confused. But remember, even in chaos, you have to find balance."

Mac sat down on the mat, rubbing his hands together. "What if I mess it all up? What if getting close to her puts her in danger?"

Before Mr. Lou could respond, Alpha's voice chimed in again. "Danger is always going to be part of your life now. You can't run from it—and honestly, you don't seem like the running type."

"Alpha's right," Mr. Lou said, pretending as if he could hear Alpha. "You can't protect people by pushing them away. You just have to trust yourself to do what's right," said Mr. Lou.

For a moment, Mac almost asked Mr. Lou about his past—about the connection he seemed to have with The Order. It was a conversation they had avoided until now, but the curiosity was eating away at Mac. He needed answers.

"Mr. Lou..." Mac began carefully. "What's your part in all of this? Other than training me to control Alpha's powers."

Mr. Lou's gaze darkened, clenching his fists, but for a moment, it seemed like he might open up. "That's... not something that I want to discuss, not yet at least." Mac leaned in, intrigued. "Why? Is it something personal for you?"

Mr. Lou gave a small, sad smile. "No, it's nothing personal, but if you want me to tell my story, you'll first need to learn the secrets behind the company that your parents operate. Not that there's anything bad, but you should talk with your parents as well." Mac was confused, what kind of cryptic message was that and what did he mean by it. There was only one way to find out.

That evening, Mac's curiosity pushed him to explore further. With Mr. Lou's cryptic words still fresh in his mind, Mac found himself standing in his father's office at Santera Medical HQ.

It was a space he usually avoided when no one was around—filled with neatly stacked papers and files he was never meant to touch. But something about today felt different. Alpha's presence stirred in his mind, nudging him toward the locked cabinet near the desk.

"Alpha... do you think there's something in here about you?" Mac whispered, half expecting a sarcastic response.

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"Only one way to find out, isn't there?" Alpha replied with amusement.

After a few moments of hesitation, Mac found the key hidden inside a drawer at his father's desk and unlocked the cabinet. Inside were old files—some dating back to when his parents first started the company. One folder, in particular, caught his eye.

It was labeled: Project Alchemist.

Heart pounding, Mac opened the file. Inside were notes and diagrams, detailing strange experiments and references to mystical energies. His parents had known more about the supernatural than they ever let on.

And more than that, The Alchemist's teachings seemed to have shaped some of Santera Medical's greatest breakthroughs. It wasn't just about curing diseases—Santera Medical had been built on mystical knowledge for a very long time.

In some of the files, he found some old photos of his parents when they were younger while on a trip to a small village at the base of Mt. Everest.

"I hope that you're ready to learn some truly deep secrets about your parents and this company that they run." Alpha warned Mac. They were there to provide medical aid for people in need, but in the notes that were with the photos, they explained meeting a strange man who told them that they were destined to save the world.

As Mac continued to go through the photos, he came across one that surprised him, his eyes opened wide in disbelief, "Alpha... why is Mr. Lou in this photo with my folks?"

Then he flipped the photo over and found some writing, 'Crispin, Samantha & Luis, Mt. Everest, 2004'. His mind raced. How deep did his parents' connection to this mystical world go? And what else had Mr. Lou been hiding?

On top of this discovery, Mac noticed something else about this photo, about Mr. Lou... he looked exactly the same as he does now. Mac only met Mr. Lou a little over 5 years ago, so how long have his parents' actually known him for?

"Alpha..." Mac said. "What are you not telling me about Mr. Lou and my parents?"

Outside Crispin's office, Crispin was watching his son through a security camera on his phone, he had received a notification that there was movement inside his office and found his son snooping around.

Samantha approached him after coming out of her office, "What wrong dear?" she asked, then she looked at what he was looking at and her eyes grew wide, "Our son is beginning to learn the truth."

Back inside the office, Mac continued to look through the files as Alpha began to give some sort of explanation, "Chandler, if you want to learn the entire truth about Luis, you'll first need to hear your parents side of the story," Alpha said.

"But, what I can tell you is that everything that your parents have accomplished with Santera Medical have been through teachings that were left behind by my creator, The Alchemist."

Mac stared at the notes, overwhelmed by the revelation. "But... why me? Why was I chosen to host you?"

Alpha was silent for a long moment. Finally, he answered quietly. "That's something only The Alchemist knew. I wish I could tell you everything, Mac... but there are other things that you need to learn first."

Mac clenched his fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. The more he learned, the more questions arose.

He couldn't shake the feeling that his life had been chosen for him—that every step he took was part of some plan he didn't fully understand.

Then the door to his father's office opened and Mac saw his parents walk in and just stared at them, Crispin let out a heavy sigh, "Listen Chandler, I know that you have a lot of questions now, and Alpha can't really tell you much."

Mac's curiosity only continued to grow as Crispin explained further, "But, now is not the time for you to learn the entire truth."

Mac was confused, "What do you mean 'now is not the time'? What are you not telling me?", his confusion changed to irritation, then Samantha walked up to Mac and gave him a hug.

"Son, please understand that we're not trying to hide anything from you," Samantha began to explain, "It's just that we were more prepared to tell you after you turned 18, when Alpha was supposed to awaken properly."

Mac made the realization, Alpha was here now and Mr. Lou was training him harder than before, but no matter what, Alpha was always going to be a part of his life.

"I understand," Mac said with a deep sadness in his voice, "But, what does that mean for me?" Mac's parents looked at each other, confused, "What do you mean, Chandler?"

Mac took a moment before dropping some serious news on his parents, "So, there's this girl at school..., "and before he could finish, Crispin and Samantha looked at each and then looked back at Mac, then they both dramatically responded with their hands on their face and a surprised expression, "WHAT?!?!"

Mac wasn't the least bit surprised by their reaction, "Oh, my baby boy finally has a girlfriend," Samantha said with enthusiasm.

"Good job, mijo! Now, you can continue the family bloodline," Crispin said as he thought about the future. "And grandchildren!!!" They both said simultaneously.

"Alright, alright that's enough of your wild imagination, we're not even official yet," Mac told his parents, then they snapped back to reality. "So, who's the lucky lady?", Samantha asked with anticipation in her voice.

"Her name is Stephanie Connors and she's the current student council president of my school." Crispin stroked his chin, "Very good Chandler, picking someone who wants to be a leader."

Mentally, Mac thought that, "Yeah, that's not why, but it's a plus." Alpha hears this and just starts to laugh, "Yeah, I can think of two big reasons why you like her." Mac gave Alpha a mental irritated look, "Shut up!"

"Anyways, yes, I have feelings for her, but if my life is going to be this complicated mess of learning to control Alpha's powers and dealing with The Order, then how can I have a relationship with Stephanie without telling her the truth?"

Mac's parents understood his concern, but they had a simple solution, "Chandler, what kind of woman does Stephanie want to be?"

Mac thought for a moment, "Well, like you said, she wants to be a leader, but a fair one. Also, she strives to help others in need." Crispin liked what he was hearing, "And well, she's kind of pressuring me as well. I want to tell her and be with her, but I don't know how she'll handle the truth."

"How well do you know her?" Crispin asked, "Well, I've known about her since I started high school, but started to become closer with her since after I went back to school over a month ago."

Before Crispin could give him an answer, he pulled Samantha aside and asked for her opinion, "What do you think, love? Should he bring in an outsider into this world of ours?"

Samantha thought for a moment, but she already knew that there was only one way to figure this out. After whispering between each other for a bit, they approached Mac, "Chandler, we think it's best for you to make that decision. Since we cannot predict the future, then it's up to you to figure out if telling Stephanie and bringing her into this side of things is the right thing to do," Mac paced around the office for a moment, thinking.

"And what if I'm wrong? What if I make a mistake?", Samantha and Crispin looked at each other with some concern, then looked back at Mac. "Then it's a mistake that you'll have to learn from. We're only human and we're not perfect... well, not all of us," Crispin said.

Alpha chimed in for a moment just to annoy Mac, "I'm starting to think that the toughest enemy we've faced so far is your love life." Alpha couldn't keep a straight face after saying that, but Mac just ignored him.

Mac wondered what his father meant by that, but decided not to push any further. Mac left it at that and would make his final decision by tomorrow, since that is what he promised Stephanie. Then as if on cue, Crispin's phone sounds off and he looks at it, it was a text message from Stacy telling him that their visitor has arrived.

He had completely forgotten about what he and Samantha were actually going to tell Mac about another change in his life.

Just as Mac was beginning to process everything, his parents dropped another surprise on him that evening. "Chandler, we've arranged for you to have your own personal bodyguard," Crispin announced, standing with his usual stern expression. "Effective immediately."

Mac blinked in disbelief. "Wait... what?" He was confused, wondered why they were doing this, then Crispin opened the door to his office and in walked none other than Danielle Nguyen, the police officer who handled Mac's burglars since he moved into his apartment over a year ago.

A little over half a year ago, Crispin and Samantha began looking into Officer Nguyen and her police record, and what they found was astounding. Nothing but clean arrests on her record, trained in mixed martial arts, one of the very few officers who was not corrupt or being bought by the local criminals and gangs.

Her reputation was one-of-a-kind for someone who was in the force for nearly 10 years, but was stuck from moving up as she wanted to become a detective.

Since she wasn't the kind to be bought, her superiors blocked any chance of promoting her, but then she was scouted by the McCullen's and they brought her in to work for them. Amazed by her accomplishments, they gave her an opportunity of a lifetime, but it meant bringing her into the world of The Order and The Darkness.

The McCullen's told Danielle everything that there is to know about the hidden mystical world and those who hide in the shadows, but they intentionally left out Alpha and the role their son had in the events so far or in the future.

They were surprised to see that Danielle accepted everything that she was told and believed it, but to seal the deal, the McCullen's still showed her some things from the mystical world. Then they told her what she was going to be doing for them and she knew that she was going to enjoy working for them.

"She's going to be moving in with you," Samantha, added gently. "Just until we're certain that everything is... secure." Mac remained speechless, "And there will be no objections, we're doing this for your own good," Crispin ordered. "Also, she's already aware of the mystical world including The Order and The Darkness," Samantha said.

Mac threw up his hands in exasperation. "You mean until you're sure The Order isn't coming after me."

"Like I said, it's not up for debate," Crispin said firmly. "Danielle is the best at what she does. So, she'll keep you safe."

Danielle was carrying a duffel bag over one shoulder and wearing her usual playful smirk. "Looks like I'm moving in, kid." Mac groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me." Mac glared at his parents.

"A babysitter? Seriously?" He crossed his arms, clenching his fists tight to stop himself from saying something he'd regret. Danielle only gave him that annoying, knowing smirk—one that told him she was already in control of this situation.

"Oh, don't worry." Danielle grinned, clearly enjoying his frustration. "I'm very low-maintenance." Alpha's voice echoed in Mac's mind. "This should be fun."

Mac shot a glare at no one in particular, knowing Alpha was having far too much fun at his expense. "This is gonna suck," Mac muttered under his breath.

Danielle clapped him on the back, her grin sly. "Cheer up, kid. It'll be fun. And I make a killer breakfast." Mac groaned, rubbing his temples. His life had just taken another unexpected turn—or so he thought.

Just as he began mentally preparing for the headache Danielle was about to become, his phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: 'You're not safe.'

To Be Continued….