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Chapter 4
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2020-11-13 02:39:23Chapter 4
>Edge of the woods. Night.<
The black wolves descend upon us. It´s chaos all around.
Liam and the others transform into wolves and attempt to fend off the attackers. All six of them. We are simply outnumbered.
I struggle to transform at will, because I have never done it before. I don´t know what to do. I peer up against the waning moon, hoping against hope that it will trigger my transformation. It´s not working!
A blur of silvery fur leaps in front of me, fending off a black wolf who was about to pounce on me. They grapple on the ground, jaws snapping at each other. “Liam!” I again attempt to transform, silently praying to the moon to assist me. “Laura!” I turn to look at Seven, who is a few yards away standing protectively in front of Wendy, a dagger in one hand. “Call on the wolf inside you! Release it! Let it take over!”
Seven pulls out a glass globe that was tied to her belt and throws it onto an incoming black wolf. The glass globe fulminates upon impact, covered the frenzied wolf in flames. I need to help them!
I close my eyes and try to summon the wolf inside me, pleading for it to emerge and consume me. Suddenly, it´s as if time slowed down and everything became silent. Then the pain hits me. Sharp and fast. The only sound I hear is that of my bones breaking and rearranging themselves. And then there is a scream. It takes me a moment to realize that it´s emanating from my own mouth. As I complete my transformation, I witness a black wolf knocking Seven to the ground, while another wolf pounces on Wendy. Its jaws find Wendy´s neck, and I hear a loud snap. NO!
Wendy falls lifeless to the ground.
In a burst of rage, I lunge at the black wolf and tear it to pieces with my jaws. (Liam) “Laura, behind you!” Just in time, I manage to dodge another wolf who comes for me. The same wolf then turns its attention towards Liam, who is now fighting two wolves! “Oh, no! Liam!” I am not about to let anything bad happen to Liam, so I go after the wolf. Liam is being overwhelmed by two wolves, as Tank and Lucas are preoccupied with the other two.
I knock the fifth wolf down with one swipe of my claw and run towards Liam. I get to Liam just in time to tackle one of the wolves which is aiming for Liam´s jugular. “Laura, get to safety!” “I won´t leave you!” Just then, Liam falls to the ground as the wolf moves in for the kill, when I place myself in front of Liam. I feel a hot searing pain as the wolfs´ sharp teeth sink into my neck. My vision becomes blurry as I start to lose blood. I collapse to the ground.
Suddenly, there is a flash of blinding light. The next thing I know, an image of my mother consumes my vision. And everything fades into darkness.
>Cliff<
Everything is hazy because this is some form of psychic dream world.
I find myself at the cliff edge where I had my first transformation, looking out across the whole Wolf Springs. It´s so peaceful here. “Laura.” I turn around to see Liam standing there, as handsome as ever. “Liam.” The sound of his name calms me.
“We need you back. I... need you back.” “What do you mean, Liam?” “I need you to come back to me. I can´t lose you.” “Why would you lose me? I´m not going anywhere.” “You are mortally wounded, Laura. Don´t you remember?”
It all comes back to me.
“The attack. Wendy. Where is she?” “She´s dead, Laura.” “NO!” I start to cry: Liam moves closer to me and wraps his arms around me. “I understand that you´re upset. You always think of others. You're so selfless. But you must listen to me, Laura. You are mortally wounded.” Liam holds my face in his hands, and I can feel his warm breath. I begin to calm down. “They´re doing everything they can to heal you. But you need to help yourself. You´ve been trapped in your wolf form since last night. You must turn into a human again.” I look around me and realize that this is not real. “So, I´m not really here. This is all inside my head.” “Yes, Laura. Our minds are connected right now.” “I feel so tired. Perhaps I can stay a bit longer?” “Laura, you need to come back. I need you to come back.”
Liam suddenly kisses me on the lips, and everything becomes bright.
>Lucas´ house. Guest bedroom. Night<
I open my eyes to find myself naked under a blanket. Liam, in his silver wolf form, stands besides my bed. “Liam. Thank you.” Liam bows his head turning to jump from the balcony.
“Laura.” My mom moves to my side from across the room. I suddenly realize that Lucas is also there. “Mom? What are you doing here?” My mom starts to dress me. For a moment, I let her, allowing myself to feel like a child again. I reminisce about the days when she used to take care of me. “Mom, what´s going on?” I look to Lucas for answers; however, he remains silent. My mom hands me a cup of black liquid. “Drink this.” “No, I don´t want to.” I push the cup away, which has a foul smell. “You need this. It is going to help you.” “Just tell me what´s going on, Mom.”
At least my mom looks me in the eye. “Laura, it´s time for you to know the truth.” “Truth about what?” “About myself and who you really are.” “Mom …" “Laura, I´m a witch.” “I know … wait, what?” It takes me a moment to process what my mom has just said. My mom is a witch? That’s when I recall the flash of light before I lost consciousness back at the edge of the woods. “Back in the woods, that was you. It was real.” “Yes. I used a spell to vanquish the black wolves.”
My mom is a witch, but I´m a werewolf … Maybe my father is a werewolf. I look at my mom hopelessly. I want to ask her something but I can´t bring myself to say it. She already knows my questions. “I´m afraid I am not your biological mother.”
I close my eyes and tears roll down my cheeks. “Why would you hide this from me?” “Because I needed to protect you.” “You always say that. Now I want to know why.” “You were born a werewolf, Laura. I cast a spell on you when you were a child in order to suppress your wolf side.” “I don´t understand. When that werewolf bit me, that´s the first time I turned.” “A werewolf bite is fatal to a witch´s magic. When that werewolf bit you, it shattered the spell I cast on you.” “Why would you cast such a spell on me?” “During the witches´ war against the werewolves, an evil with named Stella was determined to wipe out your entire lineage. Stella had your parents killed. I found you when you were just a baby. I raised you as a normal girl, because if that with ever finds out that you´re still alive, she will kill you.” “This is too much, Mom.” “I wanted to protect you. I always did, even when you were far away from me. That´s the reason I asked Lucas to watch over you in secret.” “Lucas helped?!”
I look to Lucas and shake my head in disbelief. “You, too?” Lucas just looks to the floor. “All the secrets and all the lies. I just can´t take it. I just can´t --”
I can feel this anger starting to boil up inside me. I climb out of the bed. “Laura, please …" “I can´t do this, Mom. I need to clear my head.”
I run out of the room and make my way outside into the gardens. I run as fast as my feet will carry me. I know one place where I can be alone with my thoughts.
>Cliff<
Once again, I find myself at the edge of the cliff where I had my first transformation.
This time, I know this is real.
I look out across the vast expanse of Wolf Springs. It is indeed peaceful out here. I feel an approaching presence. His scent is familiar. It´s Lucas.
“I thought I´d made it clear that I want to be alone? Why did you follow me?” “Because I know you need your best friend.” “Best friends don´t keep secrets from each other. It´s like I don´t even know you.” “it´s still me, Laura. And I´m sorry that I had to keep secrets from you. But those secrets weren´t mine to tell.” “I feel betrayed, that´s all. How could you do this to me?” “I did it because it was for your own safety.” “You sound just like my mom.” “Because she´s right, Laura. All the secrets and all the lies, they were necessary to protect you. We all participated in it, because acting in the opposite way would have cost your own life. This is a dangerous world we live in, Laura.” Lucas does have a point. And even though it hurts, I can´t stay mad at Lucas for long.
I stare at Lucas for a very long time, before finally breaking the silence between us. “You´ve always been there for me. In retrospect, it means so much more knowing that you´ve always got my back. Thank you.” Lucas smiles and gives me a hug. “There is one more thing that I think you should know about me.” “Are you serious?” “Dead serious.” “What is it?” “I´m gay.” I am not the least bit surprised. “Luc, I am your best friend. A part of me has always known that you´re gay. Thank you for the confirmation though.” Lucas rolls his eyes. “Thank you, I was actually hoping for a more dramatic reaction from you. You are no fun.” We both laugh. “You know, my family were disappointed in me when they found out. That´s fine, I don´t care at all.”
I can feel his pain, although he tried to act casually. “Luc, it´s ok if you want to tell me more.” “I don´t know how to say it: I´ve remained here to avoid my family for many years. Especially my twin brother, he´s a cocky bastard. “I´ve never heard you mention your family. That´s good, I mean that we don´t keep secrets from each other anymore.” He smiles softly as usual. He´s still my Luc. I realize that.
Suddenly, we both feel the presence of another. “Prince Charming is here.” Liam emerges from the tree line. “I guess that´s my cue to leave.” We hug each other, and Lucas kisses me on the cheek.
Lucas leaves and bumps fists with Liam as they pass by each other. My heart begins to beat faster as Liam approaches. What is this I´m feeling whenever he´s near me? It´s more than attraction. It´s something else. “What you did was astoundingly reckless.” I look at him in surprise. “You could have died. You shouldn´t risk your life for me like that.” “But-” “I´m not finished.” Liam takes my hands in his and my heart begins to melt as his expression softens. “I wouldn´t have been able to forgive myself if you had died because of me. I should be the one protecting you. I care about you, Laura. Don´t ever scare me like that again.”
I am unable to find my voice for a moment. I stare into his eyes and I am lost. “Thank you for saving my life.” “Liam, I-” Liam leans in and kisses me on the lips. It is short and sweet. I stare at him in the light of the moon. Liam tucks my hair behind my ears, and then his fingers brush against my cheek. His touch sends a sensual shiver throughout my body. “I think you´re the most beautiful thing that´s ever happened to me.” The touch of his skin and the sound of his voice ignites a fire inside me.
Why do you have to be like this? I just can´t resist him. The fire within threatens to consume me. I attempt to fight it. I struggle to quench the fire inside me.
“We need to slow down. A lot has happened recently. And I can´t help but feel like my world is spinning.” “I understand, Laura. I really do.” “Thank you. I just need some time to come to terms with everything that I´ve found out today.” Liam smiles softly, but the sadness is evident in his eyes. “Your mother loves you very much. If I were in her situation, I would do the same to protect you. I know I would, because I can see how special you are.” “Thank you, Liam. That means a lot coming from you.” “In the brief time that I know you, I am sure you would do the same for someone you love.” In that moment, I know that Liam is right. I smile at him softly. He takes my hand in his and kisses me on the lips. Hand in hand we make our way back to the house.
>Lucas´ house. Garden. Night. <
When we reach the garden, Robert is there. He sees me and Liam holding hands. It´s a little embarrassing. I let go and nod to Liam in goodbye. I walk across the garden to Robert´s side. “Robert. How did you know I was here?” “I tracked your phone.” “Robert, that´s a complete invasion of my privacy!” “I´m sorry. I´m just worried about you.” “That isn´t an excuse.” “I care about you, Laura. I just had to see for myself that you´re fine. I´m sorry.” Robert´s words melt my heart a little bit. “All right. I forgive you. Just don´t do it again, okay?” “I promise. So, who was that guy?” “That´s Liam. Lucas´ friend.” “Are you two seeing each other?” “Sort of.” “So, you´re not sure. That means you´re not exclusively dating.” “I guess you could say that.” “Good.” “What brings you here, anyway?” “Aside from the fact that I wanted to see you, I came to personally provide you with the information I obtained.” “About CDC?” “Yes. And no, they don´t have the animal attack victims in their custody.” “Where could they be, then?” “I actually found some information in our company records that doesn´t add up. So, I did some digging on my own. This led me to an undocumented sub-level within our laboratories.” “What have you heard, Robert?” “When one of the lab personnel entered the restricted area, I heard people screaming in pain.” “You think those are the animal victims?” “I think so, yeah. And what´s strange is that I also heard howls. Like wolves.”
I am so shell-shocked to hear this bit of information that I am not able to find my voice for several moments. This has to be the new werewolves. “You know what else I think, Laura? I think Nexus Labs is experimenting on humans and wolves.” I try to play it cool. I don´t want Robert to suspect anything. “We´ll look into it, Robert. Thank you for the information.” “Don´t you think you should involve the police?” “Just be content that the right people for this sort of situation will be taking care of it.” “That doesn´t seem to convince Robert. “Look, I´m just helping a friend to get the information.” “You´ve got so many new friends these days. I mean who are all these people at Lucas´ house?”
I can´t think of any better explanation, so I blurt out the first thing that pops into my mind. “Lucas is planning a party.” Way to go, Laura. That is the lamest excuse ever. “Hmmm. So is everything all right with your mom? I saw her in the house.” “We´re working on it.” “Are you sure to remain here at Lucas´? It seems so crowded here. You know you are always welcome to stay at my house, you and your mom.” Robert can be such a sweet guy sometimes that it pains me to have to lie to him. “Thanks for the offer, Robert. But we´re good here.” Robert nods in understanding.
“Look, is there any way we can talk somewhere in private?” “Whatever it is you want to discuss with me you can tell me right here. There´s no one around.” Robert looks disappointed, but he concedes. “I want to be given another chance to date you again.” There´s no denying that I´m still attracted to Robert. And now, after all that´s happened, I think it would be nice to have someone who will remind me of my old life. I might be a werewolf now, but I don´t want to lose my human self during the process. “All right.” “Really?” “Yeah. I mean, my life is complicated right now. I just need someone to remind me of who I used to be. Keep me grounded.” “Thank you. You´re not going to regret your decision.” “Just don´t please act like the jealous boyfriend. Cause I´m done with that.” “I´m going to do things differently this time. We´ll take it slow if we have to.” “Yes, I´m all for it. I think if we´re going to have a fresh start, then it would be wise to do things differently so we don´t get the same result.” “My thoughts exactly.” Robert gives me that sexy, lopsided grin of his. “So, I guess I´ll have to say goodbye for now.” “I´ll see you soon.”
>Lucas´ house. Kitchen. <
I walk Robert to the front door and he kisses me good night. When he´s gone, I decide to get to the kitchen to get some water. My mom is there. I just stand there, looking at her. “Laura. We need to talk.” For a moment, I consider walking away. But I decide that I must settle this once and for all. “Look, I´m sorry about everything that´s happened. But I would do it all over again just to protect you.” “I hate that you had to keep secrets from me. I hate that I feel like I have been living a lie.” My voice begins to break and tears begin rolling from my eyes. “But I can´t seem to bring myself to hate you.” “Nothing has to change between us, Laura. You´re still my baby. And I´m still Mom.” My mom tries to smile as we both seek to suppress our sobs. I just can´t be mad at her, because she´s right. She´s still my mom. And I love her. I wrap my arms around my mom, and she hugs me back even more tightly. “Oh, my beautiful moonbug.” I laugh in spite of my tears. It´s been so long since I heard her call me that. “I love you, Mom.” “And I love you.” My mom wipes my tears from my eyes. “You´re right, Mom. Nothing has to change between us. It´s my world that changed. It´s just that I still need more time to process this.” “You do what you have to do, Laura. Get out. Get some air. Clear your head. It´ll help you think.” “I think that would be a great idea. I guess I´m going out tonight.”
>Town proper. Dark alley. Night.<
I really didn´t know where to go, so I´ve just been walking around town during the night. After checking the time, I decide to swing by Knox Bar and take a shortcut through a dark alley. I wouldn´t normally go down this route, as I´ve always been afraid of getting mugged. But I´m a werewolf now. I can fend for myself. That´s when the unexpected happens.
From the shadows of the dark alley a black werewolf emerges, rabid and feral. I brace myself for the fight. I am ready to transform into my werewolf form. But my adversary moves too swiftly. The black wolf is about to attack when another pure white wolf knocks it down to the ground. His scent is familiar, but I can´t tell who it is. Who is that? Among the shadows, I hear bones breaking as the white wolf shifts into its human form. The figure of a man steps into the light. I am shocked to see who it is.
