"Again?" Luna muttered lazily while looking over the mass of feeble graffiti posted over her workspace. Insults, drawings of male genitalia, simple angry faces and cheap threats littered the surface of her desk. "They couldn't even come up with new terminology?" She reflected on the mockery that was often repeated time and time again and slowly looked from person to person in the crowded classroom. They all shot back with mischievous grins and snickered as though they had done something vile and impressive.

Luna let out a bored sigh, ignored any further corny attempts to cause irritation and placed her grey backpack down on the left side of her desk before sitting down herself. Other members of the class passed her by regularly as her seat was in the centre of the room. Some ignored her, others tried to make themselves known by attempting foolish pranks. Their efforts were often wasted when she was present and she had developed a reputation for having eyes in the back of her head, further worsening her standing amidst the student body.

She placed one hand inside the pocket of her snow-white hoodie and turned her ruby red eyes away from view. Behind her, she could hear a short series of heavy set footsteps approaching her slowly in an attempt to sneak. We're starting this already too? It's only Monday, deplorable twits. She thought to herself and closed her eyes. Listening to the footsteps, she waited for the moment where she was sure they were within arms reach. At that point, she got up very quickly, spun on her heel and shot a hand upwards. With her eyes still closed she felt her hand make contact with what was most likely another person's wrist just above where her head would have been had she kept sitting and rapidly put her other hand into their elbow, pressing into it with her fingers. She gave the wrist a forceful push as her other hand forced the elbow to bend and with a splash, the prankster cursed. Luna opened her eyes and found the class football player, the star of the team at that, coloured purple from the half-melted grape slushy dumped on him.

He was roughly a head taller than her and a little more than twice as wide. Brown curly hair escaped from below his faded black ball cap and his face was covered in patches of purple stubble. His light blue eyes danced with annoyance and embarrassment as his prank had backfired miserably. Drops of the slushy bled into his jersey and he started to wipe his hands on his blue jeans, putting light stains in them as well. Luna assumed he was about to start swinging in retaliation as he yelled, "You think you're funny crone?" but made no effort to bother preparing for a potential fight.

"That's enough." Someone called from the hallway and a man dressed in casual business attire entered the classroom holding flimsy folders, a large textbook, and a thin laptop. "Class is starting soon. Take your seats and get ready." He instructed though his tone made his orders sound more like a suggestion than a demand. At the teacher's request, the footballer gave Luna one more distasteful stare but reluctantly started walking towards the back of the classroom. "Ian, take off your hat. We're in school."

The football player then turned around and whipped a finger at Luna. "What about her? She's had her hood up every day for as long as I can remember. Why the hell does she never have to take off her hood or hat but I always do?"

"She has special circumstances for keeping her head covered at all times. That's all either of us are allowed to know." He stated emphasis on the word allowed, a hint of discontent in his voice. Luna guessed that he was also unhappy about her wearing her hood indoors and he was especially displeased with the fact that he wasn't allowed to make her put it down. "How many times are you going to ask me that same question that I don't even have a proper answer to?" The teacher mumbled under his breath as the bell rang noisily.

Luna, having lost interest in the conflict took her seat once more and brushed her silver hair away from one eye, letting her left eye remain hidden behind her bangs. She quickly looked over her own pale blue jeans, searching for any stray beads of grape slushy and searched as far as her white sneakers. Satisfied that none of her clothing had unwelcome blemishes she hid her hands away within her pockets once more.

She couldn't see through her hood to the people around her but she could still feel their cold stares piercing into her like daggers. She noted that even the school faculty would regularly give her funny looks. How could they not? What kind of conditions could warrant allowing a student to wear a hood or hat at all times? Not to mention her thick, very fluffy, grey fur belt that she wore even during physical education. She did not change with the other students either and often retreated to the stalls to put on clothes more suited for exercise then regularly being late to the following class as she waited for everyone else to leave before she took her turn in the showers.

"Maybe she has a huge, ugly birthmark that she's trying to hide?" A nearby girl suggested to a friend during the lecture.

"What about the belt then? Maybe to keep her shirt down for the same reason? It doesn't look like it's supporting her pants at all." Their conversation continued. It happened daily, students debating the reason for her having an unusual fashion and separate standard.

Ridiculous. Luna thought to herself and rested her head down on her desk, ignoring the gossip and the lecture alike.

* * *

"Ribeye maybe? Or perhaps t-bone?" Luna pondered aloud as she was wandering the bustling city street. She placed a hand on her chin, closed her eyes and tilted her head up slightly. "I can't decide. I guess I'll just take a look at the selection and see what matches my price range more."

"Look at her Denise. Even the children these days are wearing such abhorrent styles." Luna heard and opened one eye then lifted her hood slightly with the hand that was originally under her chin. She saw an elderly pair of women staring at her, both sporting jackets made of hemp. "Such insolence." They continued. "What monster of a parent allows their child to wear fur? The atrocity of it! Come, Denise, we should educate her before she buys another."

The pair started approaching her and calling out to her but Luna merely let her hood drop back down. When she did not respond to their calls, the one who had been doing all the talking grabbed Luna's shoulder. At the moment of contact, Luna turned swiftly, giving the old hag a murderous glare. The woman jumped away from her silently cursing to herself. "My word!" She exclaimed. "Where are your manners?" Luna didn't bother to respond and turned her back to them to continue on her way.

The unpleasant beldam continued crying out to Luna until Luna entered the butcher's shop where she was sure they would try to accuse her of slaughter. "Finally." She muttered to herself as she realized that they did not appear to be pursuing her any further. Taking a moment of reprieve, Luna approached the butcher's freshly cleaned counter.

The butcher himself, a middle-aged, balding man wearing a blood-stained apron greeted her. "Little Luna! I was starting to think you might not be coming today! You've set foot through that door at the same time every day for the past three years. I was getting worried."

"Sorry Boss, some nagging shrew held me up for a moment." Luna responded with an innocuous smirk and pushed her hood up just enough to reveal her eyes again.

"How's the sun allergy?" He asked her, his voice booming in the small shop.

"It's tolerable, as always." She responded, biting her tongue. He had just assumed after some time that she had an allergy and she figured it would be simpler just to never correct him.

"I've got a special deal for you today." He declared excitedly and brought out a package of six rather thick and rather circular steaks. "Filet Mignon!" He cried out and slammed the package down on the counter, making the glass top rattle. "I guarantee you'll fall in love with the texture. This type of steak is expensive and a bit on the rare side since it usually comes in such small quantities. As you are such a regular patron at this here shop, I'm giving you this first package for free and any more you buy after this I'll give to you for at least half off." He then placed both hands down on the counter and leaned in particularly close to Luna. "How's that? Does that tickle your fancy?"

Luna remained quiet for a moment, taken aback. She then smiled widely and said, "That would be much appreciated, thank you!"

The butcher leaned back with a hearty laugh. "I knew you'd like it!" He quickly put the expensive cuts into a bag and handed them to Luna gently. She quickly bade him farewell and he called out to her as she left, "I might have more deals for you in the future and tell Stella and Aileen that I said hello!"

Luna opened the bag and peered inside eagerly. I hope they enjoy this as much as I think they will. She thought to herself as she continued down the street. After her short stroll, she turned towards a black house that looked like a two-story cabin that sat just in front of the tree line. Instead of walking up to the front door though, she walked around the side of it and stopped just before the trees.

As though she had just called into the woods, she heard what sounded like a small stampede coming from deep within the forest. In seconds, three large, grey wolves emerged from within and began rubbing against her like they were young children welcoming their tired mother home from a long day at work.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I got held up." She told them as they pressed into her legs and she played with their ears. "Boss gave us some good steaks today though so I hope that makes up for it a little bit."

The wolves really did act like children. Any bystander wouldn't have any idea that they were vicious creatures capable of tearing any opponent's -suspecting or not- throat out. As they interacted with Luna they were more comparable to forty-kilogram lapdogs. They continued acting that way until Luna pulled her gift from the Butcher out of the bag and opened the seal. The wolves then sat in a line in front of her, waiting patiently for their serving. "They're a bit on the smaller side," she warned them as she pulled the first out of the package, "but Boss says that they're supposed to have a really good texture to them." She set the package down on the ground beside her with three of the cuts still in it. The remainder sat on her now blood-stained hands. She held them out to the giant lap dogs with a smile on her face and they began to eat them right out of her hands.

The slabs of meat were devoured within seconds and the three readopted their cuddly actions. Luna laughed as they tried to kiss her and tickled her in the process. "Oh, I almost forgot." She said quietly and looked from wolf to wolf. "Ossory," she started and one of them stopped what he was doing and sat in place. "Look in my bag." She instructed and turned her backpack towards him. He approached her calmly and grasped the zipper of her bag with his mouth, opening it as Luna held it still. "The apple inside." She said simply.

Ossory reached his head inside and emerged with a red and yellow apple in his mouth. He then took the fresh fruit to a pronounced mound of dirt and set it down, waiting for something. "Airitech, Morrigan." Luna called their names as well and they barked in reply. The three of them then started to wrestle for the apple-like it were a game of 'King of the Hill'. "I can't stay out and play today, Stella thinks that the neighbours would freak if they saw you. I hope that can tide you over until tomorrow when they work the later shift." Luna told them apologetically. "Take care now." She said and started to walk towards the house. The visitors stopped playing with the apple for a moment to bark in farewell, then took it and retreated back into the tree line.

Luna picked up the package with the remaining steaks inside and gave her hands a quick study. They still had blood on them from when she handed out the servings. I should have unlocked the door first. She thought to herself and tried knocking on the door with her elbow in hopes that someone was already home. "Stella? Aileen?" She called through the screen door.

It swung open after only a moment and an obsidian haired woman wearing a purple, button-up cotton shirt and black jeans who looked to only be in her twenties stood on the other side. She took a short glance at Luna's hands and snickered, "I guess I need to put a hose back there so that you can wash off before coming inside."

"Sorry, Stella." Luna apologized with a sheepish grin and stepped inside. The door opened up right into the kitchen which in turn also opened up into the living room, separated only by a half-wall that was often referred to as a make-shift tabletop. The floor appeared to be tiled but was only a decorative cover, much like wallpaper. The walls in the kitchen were white and the walls were hidden away by brown cupboards wrapping almost the full perimeter and a stove in the middle of the cupboards. A dining table just big enough for four people occupied the centre space leaving enough room for one person to walk comfortably around it provided the chairs were pushed in and a retro-style white fridge was pushed into the corner. The living room itself had a simple fabric couch against the back wall facing a small, thin TV. The wall opposite the kitchen held a love seat of the same material and only a single portrait of each household member was hanging above it. There was a separate half-wall along the wall behind the couch which looked as though there had once been additional pictures sitting on top of it but such pictures no longer remain. From the living room started another hallway that had a staircase leading to the upper floor and another leading to the basement branching out from it whereas the hallway itself leads to the front door.

Luna left her shoes at the back door on the mat immediately in front of it and went straight to the stainless steel sink to wash her hands, leaving the steaks on the counter and using her forearm to turn the tap. The sink itself was sat below a window looking behind the house where she had been playing with the wolves. She thought for a moment that she might've been able to still see them out there but concluded that they must be too far in by now for that to be true.

After having finished washing her hands Luna pointed at the steaks with a drying rag and told Stella, "Boss wanted me to say hi to you and Aileen for him after he gave me those."

Stella took a short glance at them, her eyes growing wide for a very brief moment. She turned her back to them and started peeling carrots on the opposite counter then asked, "How much did they cost?"

"He said these ones are free but they'll be at least half-off going forward."

Before Stella could comment further they heard the front door swing open but close lazily. Slow footsteps echoed in the narrow hallway and a mass of blonde messy hair and a body concealed by scrubs emerged around the corner. "Long day Aileen?" Stella inquired.

Aileen did not immediately answer. Instead, she flopped down onto the couch and spoke into the cushion, "We should've gone somewhere with fewer people." She then turned her face slightly away so that her voice wouldn't be muffled. "Or at least somewhere with more competent doctors so that I wouldn't be constantly having their patients transfer to me."

"It's tough being a miracle worker, isn't it?" Stella teased and stood in the centre of the living room with her hands on her hips and an apologetic smile on her face.

"It wasn't all bad." Aileen then turned over onto her back and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a red sucker and held it out above her at arm's length with her eyes closed. "One of the nurses was handing out the last couple candies from the front desk since they're restocking anyway and I happened to get one." Aileen then unwrapped it and plopped into her mouth before effectively melting into the soft couch.

Luna and Stella laughed at Aileen's laid back, childish innocence then Stella gave Luna a quick wave and retreated back into the kitchen. She began digging through the freezer at the bottom of their fridge and after shuffling a few things around, pulled out an orange Popsicle. Luna's eye immediately lit up and she dived for the frozen treat, greedily unwrapped it, took a small bite out of it and melted into the love seat in a similar fashion to Aileen. Stella entered the living room again and leaned her back against the half-wall watching the two of them enjoy themselves silently.

When both were just about finished their treats, Stella's expression turned gloomy and nervous but she tried to hold an optimistic smile. "How did things go at school today Luna?"

The moment the question left Stella's lips the thin Popsicle stick snapped in two. Aileen opened her eyes and watched Luna as well noticing the sudden rise in tension. The two noted that Luna's gaze was fixated at a single point on the floor and her excitement from before had disappeared without a trace. She reached one hand up towards her hood, letting it fall off her head and her belt slowly unwrapped itself and dangled off the love seat by her leg. With the hood down, two grey wolf ears perked up over her silver hair and the grey tail flicked violently. Luna then smiled, said, "It was just peachy." and stood up. She rapidly walked to the kitchen, threw what was left of the Popsicle stick into the garbage, wiped down the front of her sweater with her hands then put them in her pockets before marching for the stairs. "I'm going to study until dinner ready. Just give me a holler when you want me to come down."

Stella and Aileen sat in silence until they heard her bedroom door on the second floor open and close. "When she's excited she acts just like her mother." Stella said quietly.

"She acts like her father otherwise, especially when she's upset or feels threatened. Even the way she tries to hide her pain is the same." Aileen clarified and sat upright with a noticeable drop in her shoulders.

Stella briefly remembered a man dressed in all black, leaving a makeshift graveyard where no tombstones were to be seen, only piles of rocks. He turned to her when she called out to him but he only gave her a weak smile. At his side, his fist was clenched so tight, blood dripped from in between his fingers. "If only she hadn't inherited her father's curse, it may have been possible for her to get along with the humans. Even when they don't know she isn't human, they still don't accept her."

"I wonder how long we have until she awakens to the Ríastrad..." Aileen thought aloud.

"...And how much pain will she have to endure when she does?" Stella added then stood up in front of the window. "I thought we could defy the curse with enough effort but if even dormant it has this strong of an effect on the humans, what will happen when Luna discovers it?"

Aileen watched Stella from behind for a moment then quickly got up, approached her and put her arms around Stella, resting her head on Stella's shoulder. "Don't look so gloomy my dear. We don't know for certain yet whether or not she's doomed to share her parents' fate. Come now, I'll help you with dinner. The conroicht part of her she got from her father is bound to perk up when she has some nice, rare steak."

Stella nodded in silent agreement taking her partner's hand in her own. The pair then disappeared into the kitchen, their actions disguised by running water and noisy kitchen utensils as Luna waited at the top of the stairs, one hand on the doorknob to her room. She may as well have been burning a hole into the wall with her gaze. "My father's curse..." she muttered to herself and covered her left eye with her hand. She then slowly opened her door and let it slowly close behind her after she entered her private space, careful not to make a sound. She placed her backpack down in front of her desk which sat under her window and laid down on her bed at the corner of it.

Leaving one hand covering her eye, she placed the other under her head, resting it on her pillow. Whenever someone mentions 'curse' or my father, my eye throbs. When they mention my mother, my chest burns. She then held her tail out in front of her and rubbed one ear. "I know I'm not human, at least not completely. What other human has wolf ears and a tail?" Luna began scanning every corner of her room, examining the filled bookcase, the clutter of yesterday's clothes on the floor, a tall oak wood dresser with an assortment of junk resting on top of that had nowhere else to go, the rolling chair which had a pile of jackets and sweaters draped over the back and her littered desk where an old laptop sat on the surface centre.

Her tail flicked in brief excitement and she gave the portable computer a long, hard look. The Ríastrad they called it? She quickly got out of her bed and threw everything on the chair to the floor before rolling it up to the desk. She then started to type furiously, searching for a meaning. "A horrid battle-frenzy where the user becomes a turbulent monster who can recognize neither friend nor foe and attacks indiscriminately..." she read and leaned back in the chair. No other information seemed to be given and only references to Irish trope stories could be found. Annoyed at the lack of fruitful material, she sighed and laid down face first on her bed again.

Monster, huh?