“I didn’t say that.” Ares stood in that same relaxed combat stance that was a signature of the werewolf. “Acharya may be right and your view of yourself may be what causes some to fail in the testing.” Ares said all of this as a matter of mere fact, nothing more. William couldn’t help but remember that Ares had lost a student to the beast that had threatened to engulf him, the reason the Elder Derceto had sent those grey wolves after him in the forest to kill him. “It may be that some people or wolves just cannot accept the fact that they are what they are.” Ares turned toward William. “For wolves, I can assure you from experience that the first transformation is not only painful but also terrifying.”
William nodded. “If you don’t know how or why it happens how can I prepare myself? How do I not become a beast?”
Ares looked down at the tired human sitting on his bed. “With heart, faith, and courage.” Ares turned away from William and headed for the door. On the way out he stopped and turned his head back towards William. “Get some sleep, William. Tomorrow is another day.” Ares left, leaving silence and a heavy air behind him.
Heart, faith, and courage.
The words rang through his head over and over. The only real advice Ares could give. He didn’t blame his teacher. If the Elders or the werewolf community had learned of how and why some werewolves turn into something less than the noble example of Ares and the Elders then wouldn’t they want to share that with every new pup that entered the city? If the werewolves were in fact at war with the shadows than wouldn’t they want every new recruit possible?
That was a sobering thought.
To them I may be nothing more than a soldier for their war. That was a little unfair. Hadn’t he sworn to himself inside the temple that he had found something worth fighting for? He nodded to himself. If the werewolves are at war than so am I. He had found something today that was worth protecting. If he was a soldier, then so be it.
William stood up with a vigor that he hadn’t felt in a long time. The decision had been made. This strengthened his mind and his emotional state calmed and was untroubled. He undressed himself and got ready for bed. The ceiling lights had already begun to dim and as he crawled under the furs on his bed the lights were almost completely dark. The beginning always came from the darkness and as the lights went out in his room his last thought before he drifted off to sleep was that his life was beginning all over again.
William woke up to see Ares standing in the center of his room. William took a heartbeat to clear away the cobwebs of sleep from his mind. He blinked hard twice to clear his vision and focused on his teacher. Ares said nothing, he stood there in that relaxed deadly stance that he preferred. William felt a little confusion but nothing that warned him of any danger. He threw the soft furs off himself and stood up in front of his teacher. William was wearing nothing but shorts, but he didn’t feel any more exposed or naked around his teacher than he felt when he was fully clothed.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Ares nodded. “Change.”
“Change? Like into my clothes?” Ares shook his head and seemed to glare down at his student. “Do you want me to change into my werewolf form?” William almost sputtered, “Now?”
Ares’ face darkened and he let some of his teeth slip below his closed lips. “Change,” he said, “now.”
William was not ready for this, not so soon after what had happened only a day ago. What did you think was going to happen today, William? What had he expected to be asked of him today? With that thought he drew inside himself and closed his eyes.
The darkness that he was swimming in coalesced and moved around him and he felt his body change and contort inside of himself. The sensation was not pleasant, and he had to fight the urge to scream. The pain of having his guts turned inside out was excruciating and he wondered how Jacob or Ares, or any of the other werewolves for that matter, had learned to change without this amount of pain. The swirling blackness ceased, and the pain ebbed. William opened his eyes and saw that Ares was less huge than he was a moment before. He was aware of every smell that was in the room, even the faintest smell of hair oil. It was rich and beautiful; how could he have missed it before? It was obvious to him that the smell had come from Ansuya. He was amazed that he could smell it at all. Ansuya had visited him yesterday, how was her scent still in the room? He became aware of the fact that the underwear that he had been wearing had, as usual, ripped and he was now completely naked of fabric. His tan fur was now the only protection he had or needed.
Ares stood with his arms crossed over his chest once more, his gold eyes still intent on his student. “Change back.”
William’s eyes must have grown about three sizes because Ares stare hardened and his teacher leaned toward him ever so slightly. If he was in human form, he doubted that he would have registered the slight movement from his teacher but with his enhanced wolf sight he was aware of every muscle twitch that the massive werewolf in front of him made. William knew that he would get no sympathy from his teacher and closed his eyes once more.
He tried to concentrate and get back to the place he had been when he had managed to change back to human form in the forest in front of the grey werewolves who had been sent to kill him. He tried to get back to the void where his other waited for him. He stood there in the quietness of his bedroom with his teacher looking over him. His eyes were closed but after several long minutes the black void where his other resided was no closer to William’s grasp than it had been moments ago. In failure William open his eyes.
Ares stood with a frown on his wolf snout and his arms were taught against his massive chest. “Did you not understand me, pup?” Ares took a more relaxed posture, allowing his arms to swing at his sides. William was aware that those arms were still tensed he could see the striations of the muscle tissue under the thick brown fur. Ares was now in a position to do real damage to William if he chose to do so. “Change.”