CHAPTER 2

My heart was racing, pounding even, I can't believe I had to try this hard for this, I turn to see a figure on the ground, its heart beating even louder and faster than mine. How did he do it?

"I won again this time, Michael," I say in a very shaky voice

Michael is the one who's raised me, well, he and Esther, both raised me even though they didn't have a child of their own so technically I'm their son, but not their son. I guess you could say because they are humans, and I'm a werewolf, I can't be their son but because I'm raised by them, I am.

"This time, y you did go all out huh" he replied to me while almost breaking out in a laugh.

"Yeah, I've also been learning the combat techniques you taught me. Wanna have a go?" I ask half expectant and half doubtful he'll want to spar.

"Nope. There are limits to how far I can go Damien, also you need to fight someone of the same physique, I'll be a limit." He replies, analysing everything as usual.

"Okay okay. Then let's head back, I'm sure Esther would be mad at us again". I stand up. and walk over to give him a hand when I smell smoke, it was so potent, its scent, and making it worse, in the middle of the woods where it could be from anywhere, my mind could only register one thing. 'Esther'

After helping him get up and letting him know what I perceived, his whole face changed, this was the first time I'd seen his face like this, he didn't even wait for me, he ran, not as fast as I would but it would've been better to stay behind him and not get in his way.

It became visual, both our fears, our house was being burned down, black figures from the cloaks they wore stood there watching as I saw her, mom, she was being held by the throat and lifted, I couldn't accept that, no, we couldn't.

I tore off my clothes and shifted, it was painful but after a few more it'll be painless but that didn't bother me, as I was advancing I saw Michael equip two daggers, I didn't know where he got them from but as long as he's fine, I'm sure it'll be okay.

They sensed me and turned towards my direction, some had shifted backwards from the sight and others had walked forward, I couldn't contain my anger anymore, it was then I collided with something, it was invisible, a force field? Witches? As I looked around it became clear, that this was staged, a trap.

I tried hitting out of it but none of that worked, as I turned to look back at Michael, our last hope, what I saw, broke me down to the middle, three of such figures had approached him, two held him in place as the last one walked up to him and paused. The hatred in his eyes was something even I knew would never leave, the hooded figure snapped his neck almost instantly and while the light was fading from his eyes, it removed the head from the body and threw it down to the floor.

If words could describe how I felt, despair, anger, hate, I couldn't do anything, I was useless, just as I was about to use all my strength to break through the force field to get to mom, a long white hair had come out of the cloak from the one lifting Esther, I kept hitting, growling, trying so hard to break out of this field but nothing worked.

Esther looked at me, her eyes were mixed with feelings I couldn't ever possibly know, but I knew one thing, she was sad, it didn't look like it was for her or Michael, was she sad for me?

She muttered something under her breath but before she could finish, her neck was broken. To watch the ones you love, you care about die like this. I couldn't, I didn't know how to react, whether I should be angry, broken or both.

I didn't even notice when they all surrounded me and stabbed me from all directions with spears, silver-coated spears smeared with wolfbane.

The pain was cording away my sense to feel sad, but the anger was forever increasing, my eyes were only on the one who killed Esther, as he walked over without as much as a hurry to his style. I hated him, I hated him so much.

As he neared me, towering over me with his height, he knelt and put a hand on my head, then brought his hooded face closer to my ears,

"Don't worry, you'll join them soon" a voice, female.

There were so many questions in my head, who did this, why would they do this, why me.

All of these thoughts faded away once I felt a dagger to my heart, with poison flowing into my heart. I looked up at her,

"I hate you, and I will f, find you."

My voice and eyes were shaky, dizzy.

"Hm, I highly doubt that kid. But you're welcome to try". She said as she turned and walked away from me.

"Burn everything down". This was the last thing I heard.

I didn't know what was happening, was this how people felt when they were dying, was this how they felt? This wasn't a good feeling. I'm sorry Michael, Esther. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.

I couldn't feel anything, not anymore.

...

I'm floating somewhere, the darkness around me feels so corrupted like it would eat me apart. I couldn't see anything, just pitch black.

How long has it been? Where am I? These questions were in my head for a while as the anger and hatred I had in me couldn't subside. It just couldn't.

Then something happened, from the darkness a figure was formed, it wasn't distinct and it wasn't a human figure…I couldn't tell its beginning and end but one thing I was sure of, it was a wolf.

"Little one, I can feel your anger, I can feel your hatred, the ones who robbed you of life are but your kin. There isn't one chosen to have the gift given by the moon goddess, so it shall be you." The voice was loud and hoarse, I didn't understand but I knew it was speaking to me.

It was then I felt a shift in my soul, no, I am a soul. I felt a shift in me, it was amazing, I felt whole but incomplete at the same time. It spoke again,

"And as a gift from me, I shall let you, a lone wolf, lead the stray. This should serve as compensation for not giving you your entitlement sooner."

I don't know what he said but that isn't the point, what would all these do for me if I'm not even alive.

"Little one, you are alive, soon."

He paused, then continued.

"An advice for you little one, if the wolf kind doesn't correct its ways and return to the path which the moon goddess hath prepared, there will be no more time. A thousand years for you to grow can never be enough; there is a war coming, best be prepared".

"I, I will do my best," I say, I didn't know what else to do.

"You can leave, we will meet again before that time. When we meet, you will prove your worth".