David woke up, his body still aching from the night before. He took his bath quietly, letting the warm water run over his skin, then dressed and went downstairs. When he reached the dining room, he saw his mum sitting at the table, clearly waiting for him. He walked over and sat down. His mum looked at him with concern and asked,"So how was last night? I was so worried that I came back home before my shift ended just to check on you, but you were already asleep." David replied,
"It was fine… apart from the pain and my bones snapping."
His mum nodded slowly and said,
"Your dad said it would be like that on your first transformation, but it would be easier with every passing full moon."
David hesitated, then asked,
"Mum, aren't werewolves supposed to be hairy and huge?"
His mum smiled faintly and replied,
"Your dad wasn't hairy or huge as a werewolf, but he was huge as a wolf. He only had red hairs at the sides of his face, and his face was wolf-like, with fangs and claws."
David frowned and asked,
"Why?"
She explained,
"According to your father, there are different types of werewolves, and every type of werewolf has its own features. Some are more hairy, some are larger, some are stronger, and some are more dangerous. All of these werewolves become huge and beast-like when they transform—except for one special type."
She continued,
"These special werewolves only have red hairs at the sides of their faces. Your dad said the reason they don't tear up their clothes or become huge when they transform is because they stay connected to their human side. That connection prevents them from turning into full beasts. Instead, they remain mostly human, except for the fangs, claws, and wolf-like face. That happens because their werewolf gene mixes with their human gene—just like the werecoyotes."
David's eyes widened.
"Wait… werecoyotes are also like that?"
"Yes," his mum replied.
"When werecoyotes transform, they are not hairy. They only have hair at the sides of their faces, and theirs is brown. They are also connected to their human side. But unlike the rare werewolves, werecoyotes can turn into full beasts. Even then, they still only have claws, fangs, and a coyote-like face, which makes them similar to those rare werewolves in a way."
David swallowed and asked,
"So that means Dad was a rare werewolf?"
"Yes," she answered.
"What is the name of the rare werewolves?" David asked.
She shook her head.
"I have no clue, but your coyote girlfriend should know."
David exclaimed,
"What?! Sarah is not my girlfriend. She's just a friend!"
His mum replied calmly,
"Well, you should go ask her."
David frowned.
"I thought you didn't want me near Sarah because she's a werecoyote."
"But you said you trust her," his mum said. "Or do you not anymore?"
"I still do," David replied, "but I don't want to involve Alex or Sarah."
She sighed.
"I wish I had the answers you desire, but I don't."
"It's okay, Mum," David said. "I'll figure it out."
He picked up his backpack and left the house. But instead of going to school, David headed toward the woods.
Back at Beacon Hills High School, Alex and Sarah were worried because David hadn't arrived. Sarah walked over to Alex and said,
"I hope David isn't in the woods."
Alex, surprised, asked,
"Why would he be in the woods?"
Sarah replied,
"At the first stage after transformation, werewolves and werecoyotes tend to transform at night in their sleep and sleepwalk to hunt as predators. It's a force of habit. For werecoyotes, we intend to hunt in the mountains or somewhere cold. For werewolves, they intend to hunt in the woods where it's warm."
Alex, shocked, asked,
"Why would you guys even want to do that?"
"Like I said," Sarah answered, "force of habit. So I don't know if David is somewhere in the woods right now, lost and totally out of control of his own body when he shifts into his werewolf or wolf form."
"I don't think so," Alex said.
"Why do you say so?" Sarah asked.
Alex replied,
"Because last night he was in some kind of control over his body and his shifting. I mean, at first he was in control, then he wasn't, and he tried choking me to death."
Sarah interrupted him immediately.
"What? David attacked you? How could he have broken through the chains? Or did you not chain him tight enough?"
Alex scoffed.
"Are you kidding me? I chained him like an animal. I'm sure if I chained a normal, not-supernatural human like that, they would have been bruised. I chained him to a steel pole in his basement, and guess what—"
"Don't tell me he broke that too," Sarah cut in.
"Breaking it would have been better," Alex replied. "He practically ripped it apart. But there was something strange about his transformation."
Sarah asked curiously,
"And what would that be?"
Alex explained,
"At first, before he lost control, I went to see him when he yelled my name after transforming. He only had claws, fangs, yellow eyes, and a somewhat wolf-like face with red hairs at the sides. When he lost control and began choking me, he managed to gain control back and shifted into a human."
Sarah said firmly,
"That means David is a rare werewolf."
Alex looked at Sarah and asked,
"What is a rare werewolf?"
Sarah replied,
"There is a special breed of werewolf that, when they transform, have the power to stay connected to their human side. That connection prevents them from shifting into a full beast. Instead, they grow red hairs at the sides of their faces, claws, and fangs, with a wolf-like face, but they still look human. That means they don't shift fully or tear off their clothes when they turn which werecoyotes also do."
Alex frowned and asked,
"If werecoyotes don't tear up their clothes when shifting, then why did we find your clothes torn to pieces in the woods?"
Sarah replied calmly,
"I shifted into a coyote, not a werecoyote."
Alex shook his head in confusion and said,
"This is all very confusing. So do you all have red hairs at the sides of your faces, or is it gender specific?"
Sarah answered,
"For male werecoyotes, the hair at the sides of their faces is brown."
Alex asked,
"What about female werecoyotes?"
"We don't have hair at the sides of our faces," Sarah replied. "But our faces are more coyote-like than the males."
Alex nodded slowly and asked,
"So how does a normal werewolf look when they've shifted?"
Sarah explained,
"They become taller and larger than an average human, which makes them huge. Their clothes tear off, their heads become bigger like a wolf's, with longer and larger jaws. They grow hair all over their bodies, with big feet, claws, fangs, and longer ears."
Alex thought for a moment and said,
"So rare werewolves are only special because of their transformation?"
"It's not just that," Sarah replied.
"Unlike other werewolves, rare werewolves become stronger with every transformation, either with or without the full moon. Eventually, when they reach a certain amount of power, their eyes automatically change from yellow or blue to red."
Alex's curiosity grew.
"Oh! I've been meaning to ask—what's the deal with the eye colors? At first, I thought maybe werewolves have red eyes while werecoyotes have yellow eyes. But David's eyes are yellow, and now you just said blue. So what do they mean?"
Sarah explained,
"The different eye colors represent different things. Red eyes mean alpha—the leader of a pack. Yellow eyes are the default eye color. Blue eyes mean that the person has killed an innocent, and that changes their eye color to dark blue."
Alex opened his mouth wide.
"Wait, wait, wait! So red eyes mean alpha, yellow is the default, and blue means you've taken an innocent soul?"
"Yes," Sarah said. "But we also have betas and omegas."
Alex looked confused.
"And what are those?"he asked
"Betas and omegas can have either yellow or blue eyes," Sarah explained. "A beta is a member of a pack, while an omega is a lone wolf. Lone wolves don't survive long because they're considered the weakest."
Alex swallowed.
"So that means David is an omega."
"Yes," Sarah replied.
Alex then asked,
"How many werewolves are in the woods?"
"I don't know," Sarah said. "Mark's pack normally carries out their activities in the woods because Mark has a cabin there. But there should be other werewolves that patrol the woods."
Alex's face grew tense.
"And what if David is in the woods as a newly bitten werewolf and comes across those werewolves?"
"It won't be nice," Sarah said seriously. "Werewolves are territorial."
Alex added,
"And what if they're in a pack?"
"That's worse."
Hearing this, Alex said,
"Yeah… we better go check the woods."
Sarah nodded.
"Yeah."
They ran to Alex's jeep and drove toward the woods. From a distance, Jack saw them leave and became suspicious. He got into his car and followed them from behind.
Back in the woods, David was still searching for Mark and his pack when his leg suddenly got caught in a trap hidden beneath dried leaves scattered on the ground. The moment he moved, the trap snapped shut, spikes piercing through his skin.
David screamed in pain as blood began to pour from his leg.
Mark and his pack heard David's voice and ran toward the sound.
When they reached him, they saw David struggling desperately to remove the trap. James stepped forward, wanting to help, but Mark stopped him.
Mark looked at David and said coldly,
"Remove it yourself."
"I've tried," David replied, gritting his teeth, "but I can't."
"You're trying as a human," Mark said. "Now try like a werewolf."
"I don't know how," David said.
"You have super strength," Mark replied. "Now break the trap."
David grabbed the trap and tried to force it open. It opened slightly—then snapped shut again. David screamed as the spikes dug back into his flesh.
Seeing this, Mark's voice deepened and grew louder.
"I said break it."
Mark roared, his eyes glowing red.
David instantly shifted into a werewolf. He grabbed the trap and ripped it off his leg, then managed get on his feet. As Mark studied him, he noticed the red hairs at the sides of David's face.
"You are a rare werewolf," Mark said.
David shifted back into a human and replied,
"So I've been told."
"It's been a long time since I've seen a rare werewolf," Mark said.
"That's why I'm here," David replied. "I want to know what I am."
Mark smiled slightly.
"You come from a breed of werewolves called the Red Werewolves. They are one of the strongest werewolves, second only to the Dire Werewolves."
David asked,
"What is a Dire Werewolf?"
Mark answered,
"Dire werewolves are the strongest and most ruthless of all werewolves. Their fur is as black as coal, and some say it smells like death. They kill for sport, and wherever a dire werewolf goes, death follows."
He continued,
"The Dire Werewolves and the Red Werewolves are enemies. The Dire Werewolves knows that only a Red Werewolf can compete with them based on raw power. Red Werewolves grow stronger with every shift—either into a werewolf or into their wolf form. And when you reach a certain level of power, your eyes will change from yellow to red, like mine."
Mark's eyes glowed.
David asked,
"What does the color of our eyes represent?"
Mark replied,
"Red means alpha. Yellow is the default eye color for both werewolves and werecoyotes, usually possessed by betas, though some omegas have it too. Blue eyes mean you've taken the soul of an innocent."
David frowned.
"I understand alpha, but I don't understand betas and omegas."
"Betas are werewolves or werecoyotes that belong to a pack," Mark explained. "Omegas are those who don't."
David asked,
"Which breed of werewolf are you?"
"I'm a black werewolf," Mark replied.
"Are there other breeds?" David asked.
"Yes," Mark said.
"Black and brown werewolves are the most common. There are also grey and white werewolves, though I haven't seen any of them in Beacon Hills."
David asked,
"Do different breeds have different features?"
"Yes," Mark replied.
"Red werewolves are the rarest and second strongest in raw power. Dire werewolves are the deadliest and most dangerous. White werewolves are among the smartest and tallest in werewolf form but normal-sized in wolf form. Grey werewolves are the fastest, as they're closer in size to normal wolves. Black and brown werewolves are common and similar."
David then asked,
"Are there any Red Werewolves or Dire Werewolves in Beacon Hills?"
"Not that I know of," Mark replied. "But if anyone would know, it would be the Seer."
"Who is the Seer?" David asked.
"The Seer is an ancient werecoyote," Mark said. "Some say she practices dark magic, which grants her knowledge."
"Okay," David said. "Let's go ask her."
Mark shook his head.
"I've never seen her. I've only heard of her. All I know is that she's not in this woods. And even if she were, I wouldn't take you there—because she's a werecoyote."
A voice spoke from behind them.
"She stays uptown, but holds meetings in the woods downtown."
David turned and saw Sarah and Alex.
Alex said jokingly to Sarah,
"See? He wasn't sleepwalking in the woods. He was just walking and talking to killer wolves."
Mark shot Alex an angry look. Alex immediately panicked and whispered to Sarah,
"Oh my God… I think he heard me."
Sarah looked at David and asked,
"What are you looking for?"
"I need answers," David replied.
"Well, you certainly aren't going to find them here with them," Sarah said.
James snarled and moved toward Sarah, but Mark stopped him and ordered him to stand down.
Sarah took David's hand.
"Come on. Let's go."
Mark asked Sarah,
"How do you know where the Seer is anyway?"
"She was good friends with my mum," Sarah replied, "before my mum was brutally killed by werewolves."
David asked Alex,
"How many woods are in Beacon Hills anyway?"
"Three," Alex replied. "This one, the woods upfront, and the woods downtown."
"When can you take me there?" David asked.
"That will be tomorrow," Sarah replied. "She's currently in a meeting outside Beacon Hills with my father, gathering werecoyotes from other packs. She'll be back tomorrow to hold a reinforcement meeting."
"Okay," David said. "Then we go tomorrow."
"But Mark and his pack can't come," Sarah added.
"Why?" David asked.
"The woods downtown is mainly coyote territory," Mark answered.
Sarah nodded.
"Exactly. So it'll just be me, you, and Alex."
Alex exclaimed,
"Why do I have to go? I'm not built for this kind of problem. I barely handled David alone, and now you want me in werecoyote territory?"
Sarah replied,
"Come on. Wouldn't you have gone if you didn't know about werecoyotes and werewolves?"
Alex sighed.
"Of course not… well, maybe. You know what? I would have. But that's different."
Suddenly, Mark stiffened and sniffed the air.
"There is a werecoyote among us."
Alex looked confused.
"Of course there's a werecoyote among us—we can see her."
"I'm not talking about that two -legged girl," Mark said. "I'm talking about the two-legged one behind those trees."
Mark's eyes glowed.
Jack stepped out of hiding.
Alex stared at Sarah.
"Wait… Jack is a werecoyote?"
"Yes," Sarah replied.
"And you didn't think to tell us?" Alex said in disbelief.
David asked Sarah,
"Couldn't you have sensed or smelled him?"
"I was distracted," she replied.
Alex sighed.
"We've got to work on those senses."
Jack clapped his hands.
"So, Sarah… these are who you leave me for?"
"Jack, back off," Sarah said.
"Wait till your dad hears about this," Jack replied.
"He won't," Sarah said. "Because you're not going to tell him."
"And why wouldn't I?" Jack asked.
David stepped forward.
"She's your girlfriend. That should stand for something."
Jack laughed.
"Wait… so you haven't told your new friends?"
David turned to Sarah.
"Told us what?"
"She broke up with me after the party," Jack said.
He looked at David.
"So I guess you're happy."
Alex said,
"Yeah, actually I am."
Jack glared.
"Not you, nerd."
"Oh," Alex said. "You meant David."
David asked,
"Why would I be happy?"
Jack sneered.
"I bet you're dying to confess your love to her—but I won't let that happen."
"What do you have against me?" David asked.
"It all started when you arrived," Jack said. "She started drifting away."
"I started drifting away long before David came," Sarah said.
Jack growled in anger and shifted into a werecoyote.
Sarah shifted as well, ready to face him—but David shifted into a werewolf and held her back.
"No," David said firmly. "It's me he wants."
David stepped forward.
Jack chuckled.
"Come on, wolf."
David's eyes glowed. He roared.
Both of them charged at each other.