Chapter 3-Born Anew

The status of hunters had changed a lot in the recent centuries. Originally, they were just men and women who were little more than bounty hunters, hunting and slaying lycanthropes that terrorized people in remote communities or large cities for money. In those days, lycanthropes were greatly feared, especially in the west. Of course, the life expectancy of hunters was short, even for veterans, who would either find themselves killed by their prey or turned into the very beasts they hunted in an ironic turn of events. The stronger the lycan, the higher the pay.

When the world became more modernized and interconnected, attitudes towards lycanthropes changed little, though many governments took a more proactive stance in handling lycanthropes. Namely in the creation of government sponsored groups like the Night Witches and the Silver Cross, though they did hire private hunters when the situation called for it. Things changed when some countries began legalizing lycans as citizens, beginning with Britannia and spreading to Osea, and then across Maztica and some countries in Western Eura.

There was a time you could kill lycanthropes on sight if you could prove what they were. Even in modern times there were still some countries that allowed people to kill lycanthropes on sight. But as lycanthropes came to be seen as legal citizens, hunters suddenly found themselves facing murder charges, being treated as criminals for breaking the law. Now you needed a license to properly hunt lycanthropes, and only convicted individuals at that. Being a private hunter didn’t make you more popular than the larger, more professional organizations like the CSA.

There were few hunter families like the Lancasters that survived into modern times. Mostly because many of them were wiped out in one way or another by a lycanthrope clan that got the better of them, or just stopped hunting entirely. The Lancasters were one of the few that maintained their ancient monster hunting profession. They didn’t fight the tide, they went with the flow, accepting the new status quo of hunters in a more civilized world. The adults passed on their fighting techniques to the next generation, training them until they were old enough to get their licenses before sending them out into the field.

Jason and Jane had already taken their registration test and became licensed hunters, but this was their first real hunt. They’ve never actually hunted convicted lycanthropes before, never been in the field against a real shapeshifter that could kill them at any moment. With the recent rise in werewolf attacks going on, Tybalt decided this was the perfect opportunity for them to earn their stripes.

Jason knew Jane was ready. She was the apple of their father’s eye, a born killer who took a little too much joy in training to kill the “monsters”. Her skills were precise and deadly, her abilities finely trained and honed. No reservations in the heat of battle, just like their father. Jason was a capable fighter too, but he knew he ranked lower than his older sister.

Tybalt drove them through downtown and to the section of Tranquility that was home to a group of abandoned factories slated to be demolished. The entire area had been isolated as a hideout by a pack of werewolves, but that was all Tybalt told his children. They pulled up beside three other vans, where Tybalt’s associates were waiting.

Standing in front of the factory were four people, all wearing the same black body armor as Tybalt—the standard combat uniform for hunters of the CSA. Jason recognized them from the one time they visited his house for dinner. Emmet Lee, Rosaline Mercer, Darien Jones and Lao Fan. They were the only four hunters that Tybalt trusted personally to help him on important missions like these.

“About time you got here, Tybalt.” Lao said. She was a slender woman of oriental descent, with short black hair cut just below her ears and piercing green eyes. Strapped to her forearms were two long sheaths, which hid her primary weapons. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there is no such thing as being stylishly late.”

“Your opinion matters little to me, Fan, I’m here and that’s what matters.” Tybalt said as he got out of the car.

“Jason! What’s up?” Emmet grinned at the boy. He was a large, broad shouldered man who looked more suited to being in a football game than in combat gear. Emmet had short brown hair and matching eyes, with an expressive face that just seemed naturally happy outside of his work environment. “Ready to do some wolf hunting?”

“You know it.” Jason smiled, trying to hide his nervousness. Jane saw through it immediately.

“Don’t lie to the man, Jason, you were sweating the entire ride here.” She smirked, taking out her crossbow and strapping her sword to her back.

“Shut it, Jane.” Jason hissed.

“Children, this is neither the time nor place.” Rosaline said. She had brown hair tied back into a bun and her cool blue eyes shined in the darkness. Her main weapon was a rather large hammer held in one hand with surprising ease, though no one called her out on it.

Once the Lancasters got their weapons, they joined up with the rest of the squad and began their planning phase. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get the operation started.” Tybalt said. “Darien, what are we dealing with?”

Darien was the team’s tactical officer, the man with the plan. He was an average looking man with short brown hair and grey eyes with a short, slender build. A double-bladed axe sat on his back, his main weapon of choice. He nodded to Tybalt and began the debriefing.

“We have a single group of werewolves inside the area, thermals show seven in all, three females and four males, though there may be more in hiding. Judging from the strengths of their auras, only two of them are strong enough to shift.” He said. “We’ll take out the weaker members first before going after the stronger lycans. We have to move in fast and hard, because they’ll hear us coming before they see us.”

“Emmet and I will take point.” Tybalt said. “Darien and Jason will take up the rear, Jane, you go with Rosaline and use your fire to drive them towards us for the kill.”

‘Of course I’m stuck watching the rear. Should’ve expected this.’ Jason thought, but he didn’t dare start an argument right now. It wasn’t the time, not with seven werewolves so close by. “Dad, do we capture or kill them?”

“Normally we’d kill them all and that’d be it, but we need at least one wolf alive to get some information out of them.” Tybalt said. “They are just a very small part of a larger group, so we must get as much information as we can from them. Is everyone ready?”

They all nodded, and Tybalt grunted before sliding his steel grey face mask into place. “Then let’s begin the hunt.”

XXXXXX

“A half-moon.” Mina whispered, gazing out the window of her study. “Wasn’t expecting to see you tonight, sweet moon.”

She was the only one awake aside from her personal assistant. It had been a long day, and an even longer night. Since Morgan returned to her with news of the boy, she had been feeling a sense of foreboding that made it hard for her to fully relax. Bad things were happening in and around Tranquility, and she knew it was only going to get worse from here.

“Mistress?” There was a knock on the door.

“Come in, Laura.” Mina said, still looking at the moon.

The door opened and Mina’s personal assistant and closest friend, Laura Iliana, entered. She was a beautiful and mature woman with pale skin and long black hair tied back into a tight bun. She wore a black dress that hugged her curvaceous form, with the skirt split at the sides to reveal her tight stockings underneath for better movement.

“Are you still worried, mistress? It’s not like you to get so hung up on issues like this.” Laura said, placing a tray carrying a glass bottle of red liquid onto the table and poured her mistress a glass.

“I know, but I’ve been listening to the news lately and none of it sounds very promising.” Mina sighed. “I don’t know where these rabid dogs came from, but they’re starting to get on my nerves. They’re already causing the CSA to move in on Tranquility, my territory. I don’t need government stooges going through my things.”

“I doubt the CSA will be looking in our direction unless we give them a reason to.” Laura noted.

“Please, Laura, those clowns will shoot at anything that turns into a creature with fur. The stark majority of those morons in the CSA aren’t the type to discern an innocent lycanthrope from a guilty one until everything’s said and done.” Mina frowned and took a sip from her drink. “Morgan managed to rescue one of the victims, a boy who goes to the same high school as her.”

“That’s fortunate.” Laura commented. “I take it we will be meeting with him tomorrow?”

“Of course. He looks like a smart boy, and knows when he has no other options that don’t involve eternal servitude or painful death.” She smiled. “It will be a long talk, though. Better make sure your schedule’s clear tomorrow.”

“My schedule is never clear when you’re involved, mistress.” Laura smiled back. Mina laughed and leaned back in her seat.

“True, true.” She replied and closed her eyes. “Things are going to get lively around here, Vera. Tranquility won’t be so tranquil anymore.”

Laura sighed and looked out the window at the dark forest beyond. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing, mistress.”

XXXXXX

Tybalt had always taught his children not to get caught up in the thrill of hunting something bigger and stronger than you, but Jane always broke that rule. Hunting and slaying another living creature that was by all rights weaker than you had its own little flare, but going after something that was strong enough to rip you in half was something else entirely. It was like giving the finger to Mother Nature, saying that even though you’re weaker and slower, you can still kill the hunter.

It was a mentality that Jane had cultivated over the course of her training. Hunters like her father were legendary because they proved that ordinary humans could beat down the monsters that treated them like prey. Jane wanted to be like that. She wanted to be feared, to be seen like an apex predator, and this was her chance.

She followed Rosaline deeper into the factory and as they got closer, she could hear the wolves down below talking loudly. They were holed up in the center of the factory, where the largest machinery lay broken and decayed from years of neglect. It was clear from the tones of their voices that they were panicking. Afraid of the big bad CSA that had cornered them.

‘Good.’ Jane thought with a grin. ‘Let them shit their pants in fear. That’s how it should be between us and them.’

She could hear them better now thanks to the earpiece she had. Just from the way they were walking to each other showed how little cooperation they had with each other.

“I hear them coming. We need to move now!”

“No, if we run they’ll just drive us into their guns. We need to fight them on our terms.”

“What terms? These guys are fucking professionals for Ruin’s sake! We’re dead!”

“Shit, where’s that bastard Brahe when you actually need him? I thought he was supposed to meet us today!”

Jane and Rosaline were right above the group now. At this range, they would’ve heard the two women approaching, but they never heard their footsteps. For instead of standing on the hard metal catwalk, they were standing on small, circular stepping stones made of energy generated from their own bodies.

Jane glanced at Rosaline, who had drawn her hammer and was holding it in a two-handed grip. Rosaline looked back at her and nodded, signaling for her to wait. Jane hung over the edge of the railing, waiting for the signal to strike. Rosaline looked over at the far corner of the room and saw Tybalt and Emmet edging closer to the werewolves.

Once they were in position, Tybalt gave the signal—a small flash of light in the dark corner. Rosaline looked to Jane and nodded. This time, Jane couldn’t keep her excitement down and a savage grin spread across her lips as she raised her hands and pointed them at the werewolves. She felt that familiar burning sensation in her chest, and it spread to her arms, and then to her hands. As the power built up within her, she unleashed it all at once.

And a large wave of fire burst from her hands.

The opening salvo was fast and strong. Only the designated stronger werewolves, a large, muscular black man and an equally muscular woman, were fast enough to escape the inferno. The woman grabbed one of the other females close to her, and the second male had stumbled back just out of range, but the last three women were completely engulfed in flames.

“William!” The older woman called out.

“I know!” The black man took something out of his pocket. Jane saw that it was a detonator.

“Shit!” Jane and Rosaline jumped from catwalk just as the entire left wing of the factory erupted into multiple explosions that shook the entire building. Both women landed on the ground and Jane shot a few fireballs at the man, who swiftly dodged them and went to protect his surviving comrades.

William looked at the two women, his fellow co-team leader Anise and one of the newer recruits, Sonya. He grimaced at the sight of the other women burning alive, but there was nothing that could be done for them now. Fire was one of a lycanthrope’s worst weaknesses, a direct counter to their awesome regenerative abilities. They were already dead.

“Anise, Sonya, I have the entire factory rigged to blow. Follow me out of the building and don’t stop running until you lose their scent.” William said. “Once you get the chance, call for backup. We won’t win against these people like this.”

Jane and Rosaline were already moving through the flames, which parted before them as Jane manipulated them to not burn. Rosaline spotted the three werewolves and sprinted at them, readying her war hammer. She skidded to a stop and waved her hand, manifesting a blue energy shield in front of her that blocked a rapid fire assault of bullets fired by the other male werewolf.

“Go!” He yelled, maintaining fire on Rosaline.

“James!” Sonya cried out, but Anise pulled her back.

“Come on.” She said and followed William to the secondary entrance to the room.

“Not so fast, doggy!” Emmet charged at them, a dark green energy drill forming around his right arm as he thrust his weapon forward.

William spun around the drill and threw a punch at Emmet, who leaned back just enough to let the lycan’s fist graze his nose before ramming his shoulder into his chest. William stumbled back only an inch before wrapping his arms around Emmet’s waist and lifting him off his feet, easily throwing the large man over his head and into the wall.

Anise pulled Sonya along, but she spotted a flash of light at the corner of her eye before her instincts took over and she ducked. It was fortunate she did, as a bright white lance flew over her head and shot straight through the wall behind her. She froze and looked to her left to see Tybalt walking out of the thick smoke with an assault rifle in hand.

“Stop resisting. It’s only going to end badly for you.” Tybalt said, keeping his gun trained on Anise. “Surrender and you will be fairly treated in accordance with the law—“

“Fuck off.” Anise spat. “I know exactly how the law treats our kind and there’s nothing fair about it. Save your breath old man, because you’re going to need it.”

“Stop acting brave, it makes you look stupid.” Tybalt said. He saw a large plume of flames erupt on the other side of the room and knew it was Jane. “My daughter just finished off one of your comrades. You can’t fight against her and you certainly can’t fight against me. Surrender now and no one else will have to die.”

Anise was about to curse at when she heard something behind her and quickly pulled Sonya out of the way. A large body flew past them and almost hit Tybalt had he not summoned an energy wall to block it. Tybalt let the bod drop to his feet and saw that it was Emmet, dazed and sporting a nasty bump on his forehead.

“You will get no weakness from us, Lancaster.” William said, marching up to him. In his hand was another detonator, which he pressed and the wall behind him was blown out with a loud bang. “Go, I will handle him.”

Anise didn’t try to argue. She took Sonya’s hand and ran out through the hole. Tybalt didn’t follow them, concentrating on William, who tore off his shirt and rolled his shoulders.

“Are you trying to be a martyr, werewolf?” Tybalt asked, taking a few steps back. “What do you hope to gain from continuing the fight?”

“Noting, but we’d be poor revolutionaries if we didn’t fight for our beliefs. Not that you’d know anything about that.” William taunted.

Tybalt opened fire at William, shooting silver bullets at the werewolf. He was only a little dismayed when a shield of bronze energy appeared to deflect the bullets, showing that the werewolf was stronger than he gave him credit for.

Protected, even momentarily, William underwent the change. His body rippled and convulsed before bones shifted and muscles rearranged themselves beneath his skin. Fur sprouted across his body and his head lengthened into a snout, his teeth sharpening into fangs. The transformation was fast and smooth, smother than the average lycan shift, which showed his skill. Within seconds, William now stood as a large brown furred wolf man, a hybrid form some lycans could achieve through years of proper training.

Tybalt raised his rifle, but discarded it, knowing that William could just dodge them. He reached back and drew his sword, a legendary blade he forged himself with silver and reinforced with his energy. William snarled and crouched low, his muscles tensing up like coiled springs. Tybalt raised his sword and got into a wide stance.

Both men waited for a hair’s breadth before lunging at each other, predator against predator.

XXXXXX

Anise and Sonya ran as fast as they could from the smoking factory, which was pretty fast. The two werewolves quickly gained some distance from the factory and the other hunters. They made it as far as the inner parts of the district before Anise just barely dodged a wall of silver bullets that blew holes into the wall inches from her.

“Stop right there!” Jason and Darien appeared, leaping down from their rooftop perch to land in front of the two women. Jason pointed his assault rifle at the two werewolves while Darien stood by him, already holding his battle axe ready. “Surrender peacefully and—“

Anise was already lunging at him, her hands shifting into claws and her lips pulled back in a snarl. Jason fired off a few rounds, but they bounced off her skin, which he just noticed was coated in a light energy field that deflected his bullets. Jason leapt back, but Darien rushed in to keep her off him, swinging his axe in a wide arc and forcing her to flip over it.

She kicked his gun out of his hand, smashing it apart in the process, and brought her claws down on him. Jason drew his sword and blocked her attack with the blade of his weapon, which just barely held up from her bestial strength. The silver burned at her flesh, similar to touching a hot metal pan that slowly got hotter, but Anise did not relent.

She heard the air shift behind her and ducked under an axe swing that would have beheaded her had it hit. She slashed at Darien, who deflected her claws with the shaft of his axe and kicked her in the back. Anise barely moved and launched a kick to Jason’s chest, sending him flying back a few feet. She dodged another axe swing from Darien and grabbed his arm, throwing him over her shoulder into the ground. Anise gripped his arm tightly and with great ease, twisted the limb until she heard a sickening crack.

Darien’s screams brought Jason out of his pained daze and he saw Anise twisting Darien’s arm like a corkscrew. “Darien!”

Pumping energy into his legs, Jason leapt forward and slammed his entire body into Anise, using his weight to throw her off balance. Anise grabbed him and threw him aside, and she followed up with a thrust of her claws at his chest, intending to gore out his heart in a single motion.

Jason was running on adrenaline at this point, so when he saw her going for a direct attack, he reacted almost immediately. With only inches to spare, Jason weaved his body out of the way of Anise’s claws, and spun around so that he was on her left. Too extended to properly avoid him, Anise wasn’t able to pull away when Jason brought his sword down on her outstretched arm, severing it just above the elbow.

The pain was immense, and Anise let out a howl so loud that it made Jason’s bones rattle. He stumbled back as she glared at him, her features shifting right before his eyes. Her bones cracked and shifted and she grew taller with grey fur sprouting all over her form. The transformation to her hybrid form was almost fluid and she stood before him as an enraged wolf woman, her clothes in tatters as she stalked towards him.

“Oh shit.” Jason panted and raised his sword to attack, but before he even took a step forward Anise charged into him, slamming her shoulder into his chest and sending him crashing into a tree. The breath was knocked from him and he slid to the ground coughing and wheezing as Anise marched up to him.

“And you call yourself the son of Tybalt Lancaster.” Anise spat, her voice deep and savage. “I’ll take your head as a trophy before showing it off to your daddy!”

Anise raised her large clawed hand and prepared to tear Jason’s face apart, but she never got the chance as a burning pain erupted in her throat. Jason looked up and saw a large blade sticking out of her throat from behind. The blade belonged to the sword of his father, Tybalt.

Tybalt looked no worse for wear as he pulled his sword free of Anise’s throat and slashed her across her neck, the silver blade smoothly cutting through flesh and bone and beheading her in one stroke. Jason jumped a bit when the head fell beside his foot. The wolf head slowly lost its fur and reverted back to human form, a sure sign that the werewolf was dead.

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“D-Dad.” Jason stammered.

“Never show hesitation when fighting a lycan, Jason. Never give them a chance to breath if you have them on the run.” Tybalt said. He looked over at Darien, who was being tended to by a very bruised and sore Emmet. “Still, you did well against a werewolf of her power, though there are other lycans that are far more powerful than she. What you saw tonight was just a small taste of the strength they can achieve.”

Jason nodded, though he felt a bit bitter that his father didn’t at least inquire as to whether he was hurt or not. There was just no pleasing this man.

“We’ve neutralized most of the werewolf terrorists, but as I recall, two women had escaped…and only one of them is dead.” Tybalt gave his son a hard look. “Where is the other werewolf, Jason?”

Jason froze. He had completely forgotten about the other girl! “I…I don’t know…”

Tybalt’s eyes narrowed, but he said no more on the subject. “The girl has had a large head start on us. Jane and Rosaline are searching the area for her, but she is probably long gone by now.” He sighed and sheathed his sword. “We’re returning to the station. Gather your gear and regroup with the others.”

Without another word Tybalt turned and walked away, answering a call on his radio as he passed a semi-conscious Darien and Emmet. Jason remained sitting against the tree, feeling worse than he did when this mission started. His first mission as a hunter and he didn’t even manage to kill a werewolf!

“Don’t let him get to ya, kid.” Emmet said, helping Darien to his feet. “No one expects you to kill an A-class werewolf on your first mission.”

‘My father does.’ Jason thought bitterly. ‘He expects his children to be powerful warriors just like him, and everyone else thinks that too. Unless I become a closet sociopath like Jane, I’m not getting any approval from him.’

Jason sighed and got to his feet. The mission was over for him at least, but now he’ll be stuck listening to Jane give snarky taunts about killing three werewolves in a single shot. Gods this night sucked so much.

XXXXXX

The next day, Heather and Sahira met up in front of the school, waiting for Daniel. Heather barely slept a wink because she was so worried at what Daniel might do when he was alone. She liked to think that he wasn’t that distraught enough to do anything drastic, but she wasn’t sure.

“You need to stop thinking the worst.” Sahira said. “As soon as you get a negative thought in your head, you start falling to pieces.”

“But this is our friend, Sahira. Aren’t you worried about him too?” heather said. “He looked like a mess yesterday.”

“Yeah, he did, but he just needed some time to process things.” Sahira replied. She reached over and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Have faith in him, Heather. He’s not going to go off the deep end because of this. He’s not that desperate.”

“I know, but…” Heather gave a helpless shrug. “There are tons of stories all over the internet about people committing suicide after learning they had lycanthropy. Normal, everyday people like us who just suddenly went off the edge and just…ended it. The possibility of having their entire lives ruined by the social stigma was too much for them.”

“But I don’t believe that Danny’s like that, and you shouldn’t either.” Sahira pressed on. “Am I right?”

Heather breathed a sigh and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you have a point. But I can’t help but worry, you know?”

“Worry about what?”

Heather squeaked and jumped in her seat before spinning around and glaring at Daniel, who stood behind her without a sound. “Daniel!”

“Morning, guys.” He said, giving them a lazy wave.

“Danny, what’s up?” Sahira asked. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling better now. Had some time to myself, thought on a few things.” Daniel said, trying not to go into details about his near kidnapping. “Um, sorry about blowing you guys off yesterday. I was getting hyper and panicking…”

“It’s okay, you were in a dark place before.” Sahira smiled and sent Heather a look. “Worried Heather something fierce though. She couldn’t sleep a wink last night.”

“T-That’s not true!” Heather stammered.

“Sorry for worrying you, Heather. Hopefully I won’t do it again.” Daniel promised.

“As long as you’re doing alright.” Heather said smiling.

“Yeah…alright.” He muttered, sending a glance over at Morgan, who was sitting by herself. He knew she was keeping an eye on him, probably to make sure he made good on his promise to keep her secret.

When school started, Daniel went about his morning in a mechanical fashion, not really putting too much effort or emotion into what he was doing. To the people who knew him best, it was clear that his mind was on something else, though no one thought to ask him what worried him so.

This pattern continued throughout the morning and into lunch, when Daniel sat at his table with Heather and Sahira. They too noticed his mood and wanted to know what was wrong.

“Seriously, Danny, we’re getting worried about you.” Sahira said. “Are you going to be like this all the way to the full moon? Sherman High really doesn’t need an angsty teenage werewolf right now. Got enough of those in the movies.”

“No, I’m…well, yeah I’m still a bit worried about the whole turning into a bloodthirsty monster at the full moon deal, but I think I’ve found a solution to that little problem.”

“Does it have something to do with Morgan?” Heather asked, crossing her arms. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been glancing at her whenever you two are in the same room together.”

“How did you even notice that?” Daniel asked perplexed.

“I notice a lot of things when it comes to you. We grew up together, remember?” Daniel was really not liking the icy look she was giving him. “So what’s going on between you two?”

‘Damn, girl, that wasn’t what I meant by being aggressive.’ Sahira thought with raised eyebrows.

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed several times before he thought of something to say. “I’m…it’s not what you’re thinking, for one. Second, it’s not something I can just tell you unless I’m given the OK.”

“What’s so important that you can’t tell us?” Sahira asked, now really curious.

“Guys, seriously, it’s not something I can talk about. Only that it might be a possible solution to my furry problem.” Daniel whispered.

“It’s not a problem if you don’t let it be one, Daniel.” Heather muttered.

Daniel sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off another headache again. “Look, just trust me on this, will you? I can handle it, and if things get dicey I’ll call for help. Is that cool?”

“…As long as you understand that.” Sahira said. “But can you at least tell us where you’re going?”

“Um, I’m not too sure. I was just going to meet up with someone and wing it from there.” He said sheepishly. The girls gave him deadpan looks and he raised his hands in exasperation. “Look, I’m just going with the flow while looking over my shoulder, okay? I’ll watch myself.”

Heather still looked a bit worried but a nudge from Sahira made her sigh and relent. “Okay, we won’t get into your business. At least when things do turn south you’ll be able to run faster than an Olympic athlete.”

Daniel looked at her with wide eyes. “Wait, I can do what?”

Sahira was nearly yanked out of her seat holding Heather back from strangling Daniel.

XXXXXX

The rest of the day went by in a flash, faster than Daniel expected or wanted. As soon as last period was over, he left the classroom to find Veronica, to see if she was doing alright considering she looked rather…tense the last time he saw her. Surprisingly she was nowhere to be found, and she wasn’t even in the book club room, which was a bit troubling. Not wanting to waste any more time, Daniel just left the school and met up with Heather in the schoolyard.

“Heather, for the last time, I’ll be fine.” Daniel sighed, but his exasperation did not curb the young woman’s worry.

“Don’t act like I’m being a bother, Daniel. I’m pestering you because I’m worried.” Heather said. She ran around him and stopped him from walking. “Don’t go all distant on us because of your condition. You were never one for the “lone wolf” routine.”

“Haha, lone wolf.” Daniel grinned. “I see what you did there.”

Heather made to punch him, making Daniel jump back and apologize profusely. After a minute they parted ways at the front gates, where Daniel said his goodbyes to Heather.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Heather. It’s a Friday, so we have Saturday all to ourselves.” Daniel said smiling. I’ll make it up to you and Sahira, promise.”

“I know, Daniel, you don’t have to promise anything.” Heather sighed. “Just take of yourself, alright?”

“Got it.” He nodded and walked away. Looking at his retreating back, Heather couldn’t help but pray that Daniel didn’t get himself into trouble trying to deal with his lycanthropy.

Daniel walked down the block and turned the corner, going out of sight. He nearly jumped when he saw Morgan there, leaning against a sign post, playing on her phone.

“You done flirting with your girlfriend?” Morgan asked.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Heather’s just worried about me, that’s all.” Daniel said.

“That’s what they all say.” Morgan said and walked past him. “Let’s go. We’re losing daylight.”

“Where are we going?” Daniel asked. “We going to see your pack or something?”

“Don’t say that so loudly, moron. And I’m not telling you anything until our ride gets here.” Morgan hissed. “And I don’t have a pack. It’s a bit hard to explain, but the clan I’m a part of is a bit different from the norm.”

When he saw that she wasn’t going to say anything more, Daniel wisely didn’t ask anything else and just followed after her. They walked down a couple of streets with no real destination in mind, though Daniel did notice they were entering the downtown area. Morgan didn’t say a word and Daniel was starting to feel a bit anxious at what she had planned for them. When he worked up the courage to say something, she spoke first.

“Calm down, idiot. I can smell your nervousness a mile away.” Morgan said.

“Smell? What do you mean by that?” He asked.

“Lycans can smell chemical reactions in the body related to certain emotions. We can tell when someone is lying, when someone is scared or anxious, or when they’re angry. It’s not foolproof, but it gets the job done.” Morgan said. “But it has its drawbacks when you’re near someone who’s losing his shit for no reason.”

“I’m going off alone to a secluded place with a werewolf. How can I not be a little nervous?” Daniel said.

“Don’t be. Showing weakness like that will get you killed, or worse, in our world. It is a sign of submission, and that could make you someone’s bitch.”

“How quaint.” He said dryly.

A black car pulled up beside them and Daniel paid it no attention until the driver lowered the window and grinned at them.

“Hey, kids. Sorry I’m late, but I had some errands to run.” The driver said. He was a large black man wearing a white button up shirt that looked a bit tight on his frame. “You threatened to kill the newbie yet?”

“I was getting to that.” Morgan replied. The man chuckled and nodded to Daniel.

“The name’s Leo, and I’m your ride for today. You’re Daniel, right? The mistress told me to keep an eye out for you.” He said.

“Mistress? What mistress?” Daniel asked, but Morgan just grabbed his arm and dragged him into the car. “Hey, wait! This is kidnapping! I need an adult!”

“I am an adult.” Leo retorted and sped down the street, kicking up smoke in his wake.

XXXXXX

“So how’d it go?”

Jason had been waiting for Damien to ask that question all day, but the boy had waited until he was well rested to ask. Damien was smart enough to know not to ask sensitive questions when he was just getting off a mission. You never know if you brought up bad feelings unintentionally by asking the wrong question.

The two brothers had the privacy of the training grounds in the small forest on their land. No judging stares from Tybalt, no sneers from Jane, just two brothers hanging out by their lonesome. The elder Lancaster was shooting silver tipped arrows at a target several feet away to both practice with the longbow and vent his frustration with his father.

“It went well, though we ran into two strong werewolves that stalled us. Dad took out one by himself, as usual, and I got the other one. I fought hard, got the shit kicked out of me, and dad had to come save me. All the while one of the criminals got away during my fight.” Jason said bitterly. “Of course Jane gets top billing for killing three werewolves in the opening attack. The psychotic bitch.”

“Don’t feel too bad. It was your first mission.” Damien said, skimming through his text book. “Besides, I think you did pretty well against her. A lycanthrope that can shifts parts of their bodies is pretty strong.”

“I guess. But try telling that to dad. We lost a potential witness.” Jason sighed.

“If you spend every waking moment of your life trying to please that man, you’re only going to end up wasting your time. Just do your job, learn from your mistakes, and move on.”

Jason lowered his bow and looked at his brother. “For a boy who hates dad, you certainly emulate him well enough.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Damien grinned. Jason smiled and shook his head.

“I try not to let it get to me, Damien, but it’s hard. I’d have a better chance fighting a werebear with my bare hands.” He said.

“If you practiced more on your aether training, you might actually be able to do that.” His brother said.

“I’m good on that front, Damien, stop trying to pressure me.” Jason groaned.

“It’s the only way to get you to do anything.” Damien replied.

Jason pulled the string back and inhaled before preparing to release the arrow. But as his grip on the bowstring loosened, a flaming bolt shot over his shoulder and burned a hole straight through the target. Jason spun around and pointed his bow at Jane, who stood off to the side with her smoking finger outstretched.

“Try it. Bet you that you’d miss at point blank range.” Jane smirked.

Jason frowned and lowered his bow. “What do you want, Jane?”

“Just wanted to see how my favorite brother is doing. Dad’s still looking for the werewolf that you let escape, but so far we’ve got no leads.” Jane finally noticed Damien and her face deformed into an ugly sneer. “Hello, Damien.”

“Sister, you’re looking lovely today. Shame your attitude doesn’t match your appearance.” Damien quipped.

“Go drown yourself, you little demon.” She growled.

“Very original, sis.” Damien drawled.

“Both of you stop it.” Jason snapped. “Jane, if you’re not here for anything, then please leave us alone.”

“Don’t worry, I do have a reason. Dad wants to speak to us about our next move. He wants you back at the house right now.”

“Wonderful.” Jason groaned. “Fine, I’ll be right there.”

“Good. Oh, and try to act cordial with him, okay? You’re not going to get anywhere by growling behind his back every second.”

“As opposed to kissing his ass like you, I’ll take the path of most resistance.” He replied.

Jane huffed and left the training grounds, leaving the boys alone. Damien watched her go with a smile and turned to Jason, who looked at him disapprovingly.

“You shouldn’t antagonize her like that. You’re only going to make it worse.” Jason said.

“Then tell her to back off and I’ll gladly lighten up.” Damien said. “I don’t start fights, I finish them.”

“Spoken like a true Lancaster.” Jason laughed. Damien smiled and nudged him along.

“Go see dad before he sends a hunter after you. It must be important.”

Jason nodded and they left the grounds, with Jason already dreading what his father might have planned for them.

XXXXXX

The car ride was quiet and a bit tense for Daniel. He was sitting really close to Morgan, and his nervousness was making his heart rate skyrocket. He wasn’t usually this nervous around people, but the idea of going into a den of lycanthropes alone and knowing he’d be the weakest dude there didn’t help his growing anxiety.

His flaring senses didn’t help either. Halfway through the ride, his hearing started growing again, and he could hear everything from Morgan’s heartbeat to the rumbling car engine and loud squeak of the leather seats. A passing motorcycle shooting past them made Daniel wince and almost cover his ears.

Just when he was getting sick of it, a soothing feeling came over him. A wave of some invisible…power washed over him and soothed is aching head while also calming him down. Daniel was nearly thrown off balance by it and he instinctively looked at Leo, from whom the power wave came from.

“What was that?” He breathed.

“Me using my power to calm you down. Power fluctuations for a newly turned lycan are hell, I know from personal experience.” Leo said. “That was a trick I learned as well, to keep someone calm during times of stress. It’s especially useful for lycanthropes with a bit of a temper.”

Daniel stared at him with wide eyes. “I didn’t know lycans could do that.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about us that doesn’t get shown on TV or on the internet.” Leo looked at Daniel through the rearview mirror. “Things that we can teach you if you’ll allow us”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Daniel said.

They drove out of town, down the main road and past a few houses that lived outside of the main part of town. Daniel remained silent the entire time, just enjoying the nice, peaceful ride, but just when he was about to ask how much longer it would take, Leo turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The road twisted like a serpent around the ancient trees, and you’d miss it if you didn’t know where to look.

And then, after a few miles, they came upon a small lawn, and not far from that was a house that was slightly shadowed by the towering trees that surrounded it.

The house looked old yet modern at the same time, and was very large. Something told Daniel that it was built by hand, and had a lot of time and money put into it. There was a parking lot just outside with two cars parked there, and he could hear the faint sound of a river nearby out of sight.

“Wow.”

Morgan smirked. “Not what you were expecting, huh?”

“No, it wasn’t.” Daniel breathed. “Holy crap, this place could pass for a mansion.”

“We aren’t that lucky, but the mistress is wealthy enough for one.” Leo said. “Let’s get going. I’m sure everyone else is waiting for us.”

‘Everyone else?’ Daniel thought curiously.

Once Leo parked the car in the driveway, he, Morgan and Daniel entered the house and Daniel was greeted by an opulent main hallway, with a staircase leading to a second floor, and another hallway to his right with a couple of rooms. On his left he could see what looked like a dining room too.

“You two live here?” Daniel asked in a whisper.

“Yup. This is where the magic happens.” Morgan said. Turning to Leo, she asked, “Where are Nathan and the twins?”

“Nathan’s working a shift at the bookstore and lord knows where the twins are.” Leo said. “I think Jacob is somewhere in the garage doing some work on the cars.”

“Good, the less people where, the less questions asked.” Morgan said.

“Stop acting like I’m some burden. I didn’t ask to get dragged into this.” Daniel frowned.

“None of us asked to be here, but you’re not the only one.” She shot back. Leo put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“Tone it down, Morgan. He’s not a punching bag.” He said softly.

“That could be called into question, Leo.” Someone said.

Daniel jumped and looked down the hall to see a young woman in a black dress walking towards them, her footsteps quiet on the soft carpet. She smiled at Daniel and nodded to him in greeting.

“Good afternoon, Daniel Blake. I’m Laura, Mistress Mina’s assistant and bodyguard.” Laura said. “Welcome to our home. I’m sure that you have a lot of questions at the moment, so we’ll get started right away.”

“No need to rush on my account.” Daniel said.

Laura just smiled and led him down the hallway, with Morgan and Leo following behind. Laura knocked on the door before opening it and allowing Daniel inside. His attention was immediately drawn to the large bookcases on both sides of the room, and then to the large oak desk sitting in front of the window. Then Daniel finally looked at the person sitting behind the desk, the person he was supposed to meet.

She was immediately recognizable to him. A teenage girl with long golden hair tied into two pigtails and wearing a maroon dress that ended at her knees with matching boots. The girl looked completely no different from when he last saw her, but there was one notable difference he had of her. There was an energy about her, a powerful force that came off her and filled the room, making him feel small. Was she a lycanthrope too?

“Hello, Daniel, it’s good to see you again.” The girl smiled. “My name is Mina Tepes, and I welcome you on behalf of the Crimson Moon clan.”

XXXXXX

When the introductions were done, Daniel was sitting in front of Mina’s desk. Leo and Laura stood by their mistress’s side, while Morgan hung back by the door, leaning against it. It all felt so surreal that Daniel felt like it was all a dream.

“Are you okay, Daniel?” Mina asked. “You look a bit dazed.”

“I’m just trying to process this.” Daniel said. “So you’re the clan leader?”

“That’s correct. I don’t look the part, I know, but rest assured, I’m the one calling the shots around here.” Mina said.

Daniel stared at her. “I don’t know what to say. So many things are happening at once since I got out of the hospital and I don’t know what to do.” He groaned. “Why me?”

“You were a victim of circumstance, Daniel. You were targeted by a werewolf who has a hand in the kidnapping and turning of hundreds of people across central Osea. This was only cemented by that ruffian who attacked you last night. If Morgan hadn’t saved you, you’d be another name on the missing person’s list.”

“What do you want from me?” Daniel asked.

“To help you.” She answered. “You are a newly turned werewolf with no teacher and there’s a full moon in a few weeks. I can’t have a rogue lycan go nuts on my turf, not to mention a victim in an ongoing crime spree.”

“I see.” He muttered. “So was that why you were in front of my house? To see how much of a danger was I?”

“Actually, it was to see if any bozo tries to ambush you and your aunt when you returned home from the hospital. This werewolf business is happening in my territory, and now that you’re involved, I couldn’t allow you to get dragged into it.” She said. “Which is why I had Morgan bring you here. We’re going to teach you how to control your abilities before your first shift. It’s an experience no lycan truly forgets, and can easily overwhelm you if you’re not prepared.”

“You’re going to teach me…” Daniel muttered, unable to believe it. “So you’re werewolf too?”

“No, Daniel, the mistress and I are werebats.” Laura said. “This is what separates our clan from most others. Our clan consists of more than one lycanthropes species.”

“A wereleopard, two werecats, and a weredog.” Leo listed. “Morgan and I are the only other werewolves here aside from you.”

“Quite the family you’ve got here.” Daniel remarked.

“They’re the best.” Mina smiled. It was a sweet smile that was completely genuine and Daniel didn’t feel as nervous as he was before this started.

“Look, I get you’re trying to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn’t attacked or I didn’t attack anyone in turn, but this is a lot to take in.” He said. “I’m still cautious enough about joining you guys after last night. For all I know, you guys could run things like the mafia.”

“Get real, Daniel. There is nowhere else to go for you.” Morgan spat, walking up to him. “You think you can handle the full moon by yourself? You’ll go insane from the pain and kill everyone in sight once you change. Unless you’re willing to go to the government and hole yourself up in a containment facility for the rest of your life.”

Daniel winced. He heard about containment facilities. They were government run buildings made to contain lycanthropes before their first shift during the full moon. These places were meant to provide a safe and stable environment for newly turned lycans to undergo their violent transformations far from innocent people, as well as help them train to control themselves, but in reality they were simply prisons. People who went in never came out, and no amount of training mental or physical seemed to be enough to grant them their freedom. There was a growing movement to have these facilities declared illegal for unlawful imprisonment and illegal practices, which was starting to gain ground across the country.

Morgan was right, of course, but that didn’t mean he had to take her clout. And he made sure she knew just that.

“Don’t make me out to be some coward!” Daniel yelled at her. “I’m just being cautious because someone tried to kidnap me yesterday. Sorry I’m not some badass werewolf warrior like you, but I have friends and family who might get dragged into this shit because of me. I’m the only living family my aunt has left. Did you think that maybe I’m tip-toeing around this issue because I don’t want her to go to my funeral or something?”

Morgan snarled, a growl coming from her throat, but a sharp glance from Mina made her back down. The werebat leader looked back to Daniel and nodded.

“You are right to be cautious, Daniel. I don’t blame you one bit for being so. But keep in mind you have no other options that don’t lead to you being imprisoned or hunted for being a danger to humans.” Mina said. “We can teach you how to control your bestial nature and guide you through your first shift when the full moon comes. We can protect you from anymore kidnappings, and if you want, I’ll even have some of my people watch your aunt and your friends to ensure that no one makes a move of them.”

Daniel sighed and sat back down in his seat. “Why are you trying so hard to get me into your clan? We just met each other.”

“You aren’t the only person who’s has their entire life upended by a lycanthrope attack. I have some friends who were made that way against their will and were frightened at harming their loved ones when they transform.” She told him. “The fact is that you were turned in my territory, and that means you are my responsibility, for no one else is willing to step up and fix their mess. I can’t have a rogue werewolf running around. It’s bad for business.”

“And you totally have a choice. Whether you join us or not is up to you.” Leo said.

“So will accept our help and guidance, Daniel Blake?” Mina asked softly.

Daniel stared into her red eyes, which were quite enchanting the longer he looked into them, and shifted in his seat. Taking a deep breath, he looked her in the eye and made his decision.

“Okay, if you can help me and keep my family safe on top of teaching me how to manage my condition, then I’ll join your clan.” He said confidently, or what he hoped came off as confident. “I’m, uh, at your service.”

Mina giggled and smiled sweetly at him. “Welcome to the Crimson Moon clan, Daniel Blake. I’m pretty sure once your training begins you’re going to hate every one of us by the end of next week.”

XXXXXX

Sonya didn’t stop running until she was safely within the main part of town. The hunters had long since lost her trail, but she didn’t stop looking over her shoulder for the entire day afterwards. She was a mess, her clothes dirty and in disarray, her hair shaggy, her eyes wide and terrified. It was an effort trying to look calm enough that someone didn’t call the cops on her out of concern.

Once she was sure that she was free, Sonya went to their secondary meeting place in the network of alleyways behind the stores and restaurants that were hidden from sight by the other humans. It was a backup plan in case their meeting location was compromised. Anise made sure Sonya knew where to go before letting her do anything else. It never hurt to be prepared.

Sonya turned down multiple alleys until she found herself behind an apartment complex, which was thankfully empty. She trudged over to a bench and slumped down onto it before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her cellphone.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Sonya froze and almost jumped up, but a slender hand pushed her back down with little effort. She panicked for a moment before recognizing the voice as one belonging to one of the group’s field commanders. “C-Commander, is that you?”

“Of course it is.” The woman said, walking around Sonya to stand in front of her. “I saw the news about the attack. What happened?”

“They just came out of nowhere. They killed Layla, Abigail and Lauren, William stayed behind and Anise and I escaped. Anise stayed behind as well to take care of the hunters that were chasing us.” Sonya whimpered. She kept her head down, the woman’s presence strong enough to make her almost cower in submission.

The woman exhaled through her nose and crossed her arms. “I can’t blame you. They were professionals being led by Tybalt Lancaster. At least we know who we’re dealing with now.”

She sighed and looked back down at Sonya. Rolling her eyes, she said, “Stop whimpering, you little fool. You didn’t fail. Things were just out of your control. I’ve already had to deal with someone failing me earlier, so you’re getting a free pass.”

Sonya nodded, feeling a little better, but only marginally. She dared to look up at the woman, idly noting her long lavender colored hair and pretty brown eyes for a moment before asking, “So what do we do now?”

“Lay low and wait and see what happens. That’s all I can do thanks to Johnny fucking everything up for me. And now I have that werebat’s little posse watching things in town.” She said. “You head over to our safehouse and wait for further orders. I will keep an eye on my little pup to see how he’s developing.”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you.” Sonya said gratefully before scurrying away.

Veronica watched the woman go with a blank look before sighing and rubbing her eyes. Pushing new recruits into the field was risky, but they were spread thin across the region, and her fellow commanders were busy handling their own divisions. Thanks to Johnny, not only did she lose control of Daniel, but she also caught the attention of the Crimson Moon clan. The last thing she needed was going up against an alpha’s clan.

“Oh well, the full moon is in a few weeks, so let’s see how Daniel turns out.” Veronica said to herself. “He might actually be a success in this long line of failures.”

Things were starting to kick off, but Veronica knew she still had some time before the other factions got involved. All she could do now is sit and wait while the world slowly burned around her.