Chapter 3

Chapter 3

>On the street<

As I walk to my car, I sense something dart past me. I wheeled about to see what it was, but only a burst of air meets my gaze. And then I see it, standing within the shadows of the building. A giant grey wolf with red eyes.

My eyes aren´t fooling me. This isn´t a hallucination.

The wolf turns around and shoots me a backward glance, before disappearing towards the back of the hospital building.

I think it´s asking me to follow it.

Without giving it a further thought, I break into a run to follow the wolf.

When I reach the back of the building, there´s nothing there. I walk toward the abandoned loading dock, my eyes searching.

“Hello?” I halt in my tracks as the wolf emerges from the shadows, stepping into the light of a street lamp.

I observe the white crescent moon mark on his forehead, stark against the grey of its fur. It bounds slowly towards me. I am frozen in place. I can´t move. I can´t breathe. I tremble in fear as the wolf stops right in front of me. Its face is so close to mine that I can smell the stench of its foul breath that comes out in mists against the cold of the night. I close my eyes, my heart pounding wildly against my chest. 

Suddenly, I feel this unforgiving pain on my left shoulder and I scream in pain. The wolf has bitten me!

>Back in the Forest<

I wake up with a startle. I look around my surroundings.

Where am I? I´m in a forest. It looks familiar. I stare down at my hands and I realize that they are covered in blood. Whose blood is this?

My heart hurts. I struggle to recall what happened until it all starts coming back to me. The wolf. My hand goes to my shoulder. I try to get a good look at it in the moonlight. My shirt is torn, but there´s no wound.

How can that be?! That wolf bit me. There´s no pain. But the warmth lingers. I remember everything now. I felt as if I wasn´t in control of my body, rather in my delirium, I had run away. I had run as fast as my feet would carry me. And then I had lost consciousness.

Now I know where I´m running to. I am running to Lucas.

He´s the only one who can help me now. This trail in the forest leads to his house.

Suddenly, I hear a loud growl. Looking ahead, I see it standing there. The wolf! No. This is not the same wolf. This one is brown and clearly thinner in build, although it´s still gigantic. Also, it doesn´t have the crescent moon mark. Its eyes are yellow and much more feral, with saliva dripping from the side of its maw.

I decide to evade the wolf. I dodge out of the way as it snaps its jaws after me. I haven't gone far when the wolf pounces on me and knocks me to the ground. But I´m ready. I have my knife in my hands, and with a press of a button, the blades slide out from both ends of the handle. I struggle to turn onto my back and drive the knife into the wolfs´ underside. The wolf howls in pain.

“Laura!”

The wolf shudders and goes limp. I pull my knife out and push away the wolfs´ lifeless body from on top of me, then climb to my feet.

“Lucas!”

However, something happens to the wolfs´ body that makes me stop in my tracks. It begins to shrink in size and change shape. After a few moments, it has turned into a human.

“What´s going on? What is this?”

“Laura, you need to get to my house.”

I stared at him, bewildered. Yet he doesn´t seem at all surprised by what he has witnessed.

“This wolf just turned into a human! Did you not see that?”

“I´ll take care of this. Just go!”

What is going on? Lucas isn´t telling me everything. Who is he?

I stare down at my hands and I realize that they are covered in blood.

>Lucas´s House. Daytime<

I awake with a start. I find myself lying on a four-poster bed inside a Victorian-style room. Everything appears as if it´s from a different time.

Where am I? My head hurts like I have a serious hangover. The light outside seems blinding, while the howl of the wind outside the window is deafening. I wince in pain.

“Here, drink this.”

I drink the concoction that Lucas hands me, and I feel the pain begin to ease. My recollection of events starts to return to me in dribs and drabs. Whatever transpired the night before? The giant wolf I killed. The dead man. 

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

“It´s all very vague to me. But that wolf, that man, what was it? Oh my god, please tell me I wasn´t hallucinating and accidentally killed a man!”

“No, you weren´t hallucinating. But you did kill a man.”

“What?!”

“Well, he wasn´t human exactly.”

“What? What do you mean? You´re not making any sense, Luc!”

“Sorry, I´m not very good at this whole explaining thing.”

“What was that thing?”

“You really don´t know?”

“Tell me, please!”

“Wow, you´re really not good at connecting the dots are you. That was a werewolf, Laura.”

“No, it can´t be. Werewolves aren´t real.”

“Yet you saw one last night. It bit you and you killed it. What part of that doesn´t seem real to you?”

“It´s just - it´s just that it doesn´t make sense.”

“The town is called Wolf Springs, duh.”

“I just can´t bring myself to believe it.”

“You´re in the denial stages. That´s understandable. This is all new to you.”

“Wait. How come none of these surprises you at all?”

“Because I´m a werewolf, Laura.”

“What? No way!”

“Yes way. And here´s the kicker. You´re a werewolf too.”

“That isn´t funny, Lucas. I can´t be - “ And that´s when I remember.

>Back at the hospital<

That giant grey wolf with the white crescent on his forehead. The fear that gripped me previously floods back, as I am hit with the realization.

“The werewolf bit me. Lucas, the werewolf bit me.” I inspect my shoulder and see the markings. Bite marks. But it´s all healed up. How?

“These are bite marks. So that means I´m a werewolf now?”

I see a flash of hesitation in Lucas´ eyes. “I´m afraid so, Laura.”

“Luc, how is this even possible? I´ve only known werewolves to exist in legends, in books, in movies.” “Laura, there is a secret world within the human realm where witches, vampires, and werewolves exist. They live, well, WE live among humans, hiding in plain sight. Just like I have done all these years.”

“So, you´re telling me that, aside from werewolves, vampires and witches are also real?”

“Is that so hard to believe after what you experienced last night?”

“Point taken. So, do you know any other werewolves living here in Wolf Springs?”

“I do. And there are other who I suspect to be werewolves. But even if I confirmed it, it´s not my secret to tell. We choose to live in secret for a reason, Laura.”

“I understand. So, the werewolf I killed last night, that means that he´s a man with a family?”

“It´s a possibility. But my guess would be he´s a drifter or something. You see, there aren´t many werewolves remaining these days, because most of them were wiped out during the war.”

“War? What war?”

“The secret war over two decades ago. Numerous vampires and werewolves died because of the witches. But we´ll save that story for another time. Right now, we should concentrate on your first transformation as a werewolf.”

“Luc, this is a great deal for me to process. I feel like I need to call my mom or something.”

“Don´t! I mean, I don´t think this is a good time. This is a very delicate period for you. Soon, you will have to cope with the werewolf fever. Your senses will be heightened, your emotions magnified, your hormones will be in overdrive. And the rage. Don´t even get me started on the rage. You´re going to be a danger to others. So, it will be most appropriate for you to isolate yourself from everyone.”

“I understand.” 

I realize my mom wouldn´t believe me, and she would think there´s something else wrong with me. Because of that, she might decide to fly out here which cause a whole other problem. 

“So, when will this fever start to kick in?”

“You have had the fever since last night. It comes and goes. It will slowly begin to build up, then it will finally culminate in your transformation.”

“Tonight, is still the full moon; does that mean I´m going to transform tonight?”

“Yes, so we must be ready. You have to prepare yourself.”

“Wait a minute. How come you didn´t transform last night?”

“Well, most of the legends regarding werewolves are either incorrect or incomplete. Yes, the full moon does trigger a transformation. But only in new werewolves. As you get older and stronger, you learn how to control these transformations.”

“Show me.”

“What?”

“I wanna see it. I wanna see you transform into a werewolf.”

“Seriously, Laura.”

“Why? Are you not strong enough to control it?”

“Fine.” Lucas´ wolfs out.

Ripped pieces of his clothing fall to the floor, as he turns into a giant wolf. I step back in surprise. He looks magnificent. Reaching out, I feel his soft silky fur. He´s not so scary. In fact, he looks very beautiful. Then, Lucas the wolf begins shrinking and returns to his human form, crouching on the floor. Naked.

“Ah, maybe I should have thought this through before turning. I´m going to need that blanket over there.”

I chuckled at Lucas´ little mishap, and toss the blanket over his naked form.

“Wait for me in the garden. I´ll just go change.” 

Something weird happens. As if I am not in control of my own body. I run towards the balcony, and without thinking, I leap into the gardens below. I hand in a crouch on the ground. 

What just happened?