Chapter 50: "Adonis Physique "

Chapter 50: "Adonis Physique "

Frank stood frozen for a moment before snapping out of it. He bent down and picked up the little "Adonis Physique " book from the floor—only to realize upon flipping through it that it was filled with muscular men. Very muscular men.

"Whose book is this?" Frank murmured, suspicious.

It couldn't be any of the younger kids in the house—they were way too young. That left Liam, Carl, and Debbie, with Debbie being the oldest at just ten.

The only realistic suspects were Fiona, Lip, and Ian.

Could it be Fiona's? Was she into guys who liked guys? Was Fiona... a fujoshi?

That wouldn't be the strangest thing. Frank had known plenty of women like that in his past life—girls who were obsessed with BL (Boys' Love). But the ones they liked were always soft, sweet, K-pop-idol types—pretty boys with delicate features. Not jacked-up beefcakes like the ones in this book.

And even if it was Fiona's little "Adonis Physique ", why was it hidden in Lip and Ian's room?

Fiona had her own bedroom. If it belonged to her, she'd have hidden it in her own space—not her brothers' room. That didn't add up.

If it wasn't Fiona's, then whose was it?

"Veronica's?" Frank thought for a moment.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. Veronica was as bold as they came—if she liked guys who liked guys, she'd leave that book right out in the open on the living room table.

And considering how close Kevin and Veronica were... They were the type to do anything for each other. Frank even knew they'd experimented with some very nontraditional stuff—like Veronica putting on a toy and doing... things to Kevin. Yeah, they'd definitely done that.

If Veronica was into gay stuff, Kevin wouldn't mind. So there'd be no need for her to hide anything, let alone in someone else's house.

That left only one possibility.

This little "Adonis Physique " book belonged to one of the two boys living in this room.

Which meant—one of the brothers was into men.

A straight guy wouldn't be hiding this kind of book.

"Lip's? Or Ian's?" Frank frowned, still holding the little "Adonis Physique " as he fell deep into thought.

"Lip's always with Karen. They've got a thing going on. And besides her, I think he's got a couple of other girls at school. So probably not him…"

"Ian's? But Ian has a girlfriend. He's even brought her home a few times. That Milkovich girl… Mickey's sister. Mandy, I think her name was…"

No matter how hard Frank tried, he just couldn't figure it out. Both Lip and Ian had girlfriends. Neither of them ever showed signs of being into guys.

"Frank—cough cough." Just then, John's voice called out. He had spoken too loudly and aggravated his injury, which made him cough twice from the pain.

Frank snapped out of his daze. There were more pressing things to worry about than which one of his sons might be gay—like the damn shapeshifter on the loose.

He quickly shoved the "Adonis Physique " book back behind the shelf and left the room.

"Did you find the notebook?" John asked.

"Not yet," Frank replied. "But I've got a good idea who took it. My second youngest. He should be home from school soon."

Just then, Dean returned.

Frank followed Dean outside—and was immediately impressed by the car parked in front of the house.

A black Chevrolet Impala—muscular, classic, and absolutely badass. A vintage model. Some might call it a relic, but Frank thought it was art.

"Hey—over here," Dean called with a tilt of his head.

Frank walked around to the back of the car with him. The trunk opened. At first glance, it looked empty—until Ian pulled up the floor mat, revealing a secret compartment underneath.

"Holy sh*t…" Frank inhaled sharply.

Inside the compartment was an arsenal. Pistols, shotguns—that was normal enough. But then there were crucifixes, hand axes, crossbows, wooden stakes. These weren't your run-of-the-mill weapons. These were monster hunter tools.

"This is silver ammo," Dean said, pulling out a box of bullets and handing it to Frank. "Only way to kill a shapeshifter."

He then took out a handgun, tested the safety, and tucked it into the back of his waistband. Then he drew a silver dagger and strapped it to his leg.

For hunters like Dean, firearms were humanity's greatest invention. With the right bullets, most monsters could be killed.

Frank, John, and Dean spent some time going over the plan to kill the shapeshifter.

John still hadn't recovered from his wounds. After eating something and taking his medication, he dozed off into a deep sleep.

"Worried about your dad?" Frank asked, handing Dean a cold beer from the fridge.

"No. He's had worse. This is nothing," Dean replied, taking the beer.

"So you're worried about the hunt," Frank guessed.

Dean didn't say anything—but the silence was answer enough.

"This is your first solo job, right? No backup from your dad. Totally normal to be nervous—it's a damn monster we're talking about. You've got a brother too, right? Sam, wasn't it?"

"He's in school. High school," Dean replied after taking a sip.

"My kids are in high school too. How's your brother doing in class?"

"Don't know." Dean's tone turned stiff. Clearly, he didn't want to talk about his brother.

Frank could tell Dean had some complicated feelings about Sam.

Dean looked like he was only in his early twenties. Around the same age as Fiona. Maybe two or three years older, tops. In a normal family, a guy his age should be in college.

To Frank, Dean and Fiona were both still just kids—and it wasn't hard to read Dean's emotions. Frank could guess what was going through his mind.

It made sense. Dean had been hunting monsters with John for years. Facing death, fighting the unnatural. Meanwhile, his brother Sam was off living a normal, peaceful life—school, friends, maybe even a girlfriend.

Anyone would feel bitter. Unfair, even. Frank was sure that deep down, Dean thought Sam had abandoned them by choosing school over the family business.

"So… when did you and your dad start hunting monsters?"

Little by little, Frank got Dean talking. At first, Dean didn't say much—but with Frank's persistence and charm, he slowly opened up.

Eventually, Frank learned why John and Dean hunted monsters in the first place.

When Dean and Sam were little, a monster had killed their mother. John, devastated and desperate for revenge, had become a hunter—and dragged his sons along the same path. But after all these years, the monster that took his wife was still out there.

After finishing his beer, Dean left.

The plan was simple.

Bait the trap.

The shapeshifter wanted Frank—so Frank would act as the lure. Dean would hide nearby, ready to strike.