Chapter 3: Rogue, Not Rough.

“Why is she so nosy?” Anthony sighed as soon as Jessica and Jaden were out of sight.

Immediately, he got up and packed all the chemistry and physics text books into his school bag. He hadn’t come here to read chemistry. He came for something else. 

The university's mini library was hardly used because there was a much bigger one in the main campus. The main library was so beautiful and it even had a museum in it. The e-library and ‘graphic charts' that helped aids explanation for any course, was a huge topping on the parfait.

So, Anthony was confused as to why Jess and Jaden had come here instead. The University management had warned that students desist from the mini library at night. It wasn’t connected to the power supply so they had to use candles to read. It wasn’t advisable and it could cause a fire. The mini library was no safe too, as it was at the farther end of the school. It was supposed to be used only in the day time by special students who couldn’t use the public library for a valid reason.

When Anthony started visiting the mini library at night, he used to tip the librarian. But very soon, there was no need to do so because, they were the same.

Anthony usually went to the mini library to read supernatural books–especially, books about werewolves. He held his textbook closely so that whenever anyone came close, he would quickly replace it. Not like anyone would suspect him to be a werewolf just because he was reading such books but, he was scared. The day the librarian caught him, he began to stammer.

“I just… I just have interest in these stuffs, you know.” 

“Man, no one asked you.” The man had dismissed him, and went about his normal business. 

He still felt uncomfortable throughout so he decided to leave. The librarian had stopped him, brought his lips so close to his face as if he was gonna plant a kiss on his cheek, then he whispered to him, “I know.” 

Anthony had almost shit on his pants that day. The librarian asked him to sit down for a talk.

“Man, I run this library and I know which books are here. I know that you read those books so don’t try to decieve me. I’m gonna tell you this just once. You’re not fiction, stop reading those fictions and stop trying to act like them.”

“Stop it. I just enjoy reading them.”

“You are a werewolf. I know it.”

“Werewolves are not real.” Anthony countered.

“You are not fiction. It is not a figment of your imagination. You’re a werewolf,” Yugo, the librarian told him. “and that’s okay, because…”

Anthony had interrupted him.

“Stop forcing this on me. Werewolves do not exist. Stop it, Mr. Yugo. Infact, I am done here.” 

Anthony knew. And he was scared. How did the man know? He hated that the man knew and wanted him to believe it by all cost. He knew and he thought of it as fiction or mere hallucinations. It was easier to remember himself in his werewolf form as him having flashbacks from a movie he had watched and that, the wolf was someone else. 

That was why, he had attacked Jess, and he had bitten her. She made it true. She kept calling his name, Anthony. Kept reminding him that his wolf, whom he had another name for, Carson, was the same as him.

That day, anger enveloped him and he punched Mr. Yugo on his stomach. As soon as he did that, the older man fell to the ground, holding on his stomach in pain. Anthony took two steps back.

The man trembled greatly as his bones cracked themselves, making shifts to fit the shape of his wolf. He groaned out loud from the pain, as his cheekbone elongates, and so did the rest parts of his body. The petite man seemed to grow bigger. His eyes turned black and a brown wolf replaced him.

Anthony turned from him. He couldn’t understand why he could hear the wolf when it wasn’t even speaking.

“I am real. We are real.” The voice enveloped Anthony and he felt it was messing with his mind.

“Werewolves do not exist.” He kept on chanting until he heard Mr. Yugo laughed. He had changed back to his human form.

“There’s a lot you do not understand. Why are you running away from it? If you keep on doing so, you would never understand. Why did you come to New York?”

“I don’t understand.” He admitted, although not truthfully.

“You are Mexican. Why are you here?”

“I am not Mexican.” He denied. “I am from New York. This is my place.”

Mr. Yugo had gotten so mad at this point. He yelled. “Will you stop lying and let me help you?”

Anthony was overwhelmed by fear. He regretted ever coming to the mini library, first of all. He regretted picking up the book that had gotten him into trouble. He regretted being a… werewolf?

He knew he had to give in. He had questions he was too ashamed to ask. He also didn’t know who to ask.

“Yeah, I am Mexican.” He admitted softly. 

“I know also that you are a rogue.” 

“Yeah, I am a rogue.” Anthony admitted again, bowing his head down in shame.

“Yeah, me too.” Yugo announced, causing Anthony to chuckle.

“Talk.” Yugo urged him.

“The hunters attacked my village. Every pack had their warriors come out to fight for them. Their Alpha, plotting ways to keep them safe. They were barely attacked successfully. Rogue were the easier targets. We were in danger, with no one to protect us. I had just turned fourteen and confused. I never understood,” He paused to sigh. “I still do not understand why we were different. Different from humans, still different from werewolves. I do not want any of that, I just wanted to read. So, when I had the chance, I fled and I came to New York.” Anthony finished. Yugo nodded his head and excused himself to get a book. The book looked quite old but not a single page had torn. The title interested Anthony, he nodded at Yugo in appreciation as he received the book that was handed to him.

‘Rogue, Not Rough.’ It read.

“Trust me when I say, it took me many years of research to know these things. If you want to know, you would have to embrace the reality of what you are. You are not fiction. Stop reading those fictious story that tells you that you are what you aren’t. They are just figment of the human mind but you,” Yugo pointed at him then tapped his own chest, “We have seen it happen. We have felt it. So, what do you think about reading books from people who have felt it too? I think…”

“Would be nice, I guess.” Anthony answered the rhetorical question.

“So, come here everyday and there would be a new book in that drawer, waiting for you, whether you’ve finished the old one or not.” 

“Wow, how many do you have?”

“Enough to carry you through a year and few weeks into the new year if you read two a week.” 

“Thank you.” Anthony had said, carried his stuffs and headed towards the door. 

“And if you are wondering if I can transform at will, yes, I can.” Yugo shouted to him as he was leaving. 

When next he came, he didn’t have to tip Yugo. He never had to tip Yugo again. 

Jessica had begin to complain frequently about the crowd in the main library whenever they had gone to read. Whenever they were reading overnight and she paused to sleep a little, people stared at her weirdly. And whenever they decided to go home at midnight, it was so hard for her to walk from the main campus to their home, unlike from the mini library. Jaden had explained to the librarian that worked night shifts at the mini library that his girlfriend was pregnant and the stares from the students at the public library often made her feel like puking.

Her pregnancy bump was barely visible yet. Jaden mentally prepared himself for the time it would become visible. He would try to convince her often that they weren’t staring at her because of her baby bump as he had failed trying to convince her that people in the library weren’t staring at her when she tried to sleep. They weren’t even staring at her at all. She wasn’t even the only one who slept off. He did too. A lot of people took break periods but Jessica was having none of that.

It took a little tipping too, to convince Yugo. He warned them sternly not to disturb the boy who would be reading there. In his own words, “Sit far from him. He doesn’t like to be disturbed.” 

But somehow, Jessy's discussion with her boyfriend that had come out of nowhere seemed to have piqued his interest and he felt the need to 'correct' her. The girl argued too much and it annoyed him. For some reasons, he was greatly triggered by her persistence, he was fuming inwardly and he felt like hitting her.

Teasing her so that she could shut up wasn’t working. He could tell that she could sense something was wrong. He hated her for that. He felt that they would know… that they would know. He always felt that someone would find out. His heart was always beating fast and it seemed like he wore a tag that read 'Werewolf.’

When Jessica and Jaden had left, he put his books away and walked to the drawer to check which book the librarian had kept for him. Curiosity had almost gotten the best of him as he waited impatiently for them to go. The inscription on the drawer read 'staffs only.’ 

“The greatest Alpha in the werewolf history.” He read the title out as he did always. Like almost all the books Yugo have him, it was old. This one had a green book cover, a thick book jacket that had began to peel, not the greatest sight. The book had weight. As usual, he opened the last page to know how many pages. It was numbered in Roman numerals so he couldn’t tell how many pages but it was certain that it was over a thousand page.

He had barely read a line from the first page when his phone beeped multiple times. Mr. Yugo had sent him the same text five times. He chuckled. When he starts reading, he barely blinks, he ignores his phone and everything around him. 

He only picked up his phone because, the first page was the acknowledgement page and he wasn’t glued to the book, yet. 

“Stay inside the library. The full moon has began to form. Be safe.”- Mr. Yugo.

If the full moon just began to form, he would go immediately before it sets fully, he reasoned. There was no way he could explain to the librarian who took the morning shift that had slept throughout the night inside the library. First, who let him in? Mr. Yugo could lose his job and he could be expelled for violating the school rules if he was reported. And, he just needed to go home, to his safe place. 

He put the book in his backpack, along with his other books. Then, he made sure every window was locked. He had seen the orange of the moon reflect into the library, but he brushed it off. He, infact, didn’t give that any thought. 

After putting the candle off, he stepped outside. 

He wasn’t so wise, or was he?

“Ah, shit.” He cried out as he felt something his body heating up. He tried to race back into the library but he had already locked it. He let a soft growl escape his lips as he whimpered in pain. The moon wasn’t forming. It had formed already, it was glowing.

Ignoring the pain, he tried to figure out which key from the bunch he had used to lock the door but, his vision had already darkened, everything was blurred. He couldn’t push himself further because he had become very weak. The pain he felt was more than usual, he wondered if something else was going on with his body apart from the transformation. 

Anthony clenched his teeth tightly and tightened his fist, hoping that, he could control himself or prevent his wolf from coming out, not like that had ever worked.

The air began to shimmer and his bones cracked, shifting into his wolf's shape. Tightening his fist made the whole process more painful, so he stopped… more like gave in. His skin was replaced by black furs and his eyes were glowing red. He cried out as his dark paws formed.

As soon as he was fully transformed and the pain lessened, he had time for the sight he beheld while he was transforming. He charged at the girl who tried to film him. He destroyed the proof first. Werewolves can never be real.

“Anthony…” She called.

Anthony felt like a ghost watching everything happen. He wanted to tell her that the wolf wasn’t Anthony.

 Anthony would never do that. Even though he despised her, he would never grab her like that.

Carson, Anthony’s wolf, was mad. Anthony could never control the wolf. His conciousness was very thin whenever he had transformed, he was angered greatly as she kept calling 'Anthony.’ She was hurting from the scratches but it wasn’t enough, to him. He leaned over her back and he, bit her.

After that, Carson abandoned her and ran deep into the field, to get a hold of himself. Anthony was sorry, but not Carson.