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Cries to the moon

Beneath the waning crescent

"Wolves. The apex predator. Pack animals by nature with strong spiritual ties to most any culture through guardianships, and blood slaughters. Legends of humans with the ability to become wolves are interspersed throughout history. Cursed by gods and unable to be killed easily these legends have been written off into fiction without a second thought."

Daniel sat with a National Geographic magazine lining his math book while his teacher prattled on about algorithms. "What a boring class." He thought. With an eruption of noise from a hanging speaker the class filed out of the room for the day and headed out of the school towards a fleet of buses. It truly was astonishing how set in their ways these children were. They came, they sat through lessons, they went home, they went to sleep and repeated the process the next day for years on end. Daniel stood at the top of the stairs, able to see most of the small mountain town. He was, without a doubt, un-notable. His blue eyes were usually hidden by long black hair. His school uniform, a white button-down shirt with a tie tucked into black pants, gave him a very professional look. He stood about six feet tall which came off average to those around him. Daniel walked down from the school and turned onto the boulevard toward his home with a heavy sigh. Lessons could be dealt with but the monotony of the routines day in and day out was maddening, to say the least. To top that all off he had begun to get horrible migraines that appeared without any explanation and disappeared the same way.

Grumbling about his homework, he neared his house and headed up the steps to the door. As he reached for the door knob a crackling noise pulled his attention to the nearby bushes. Not bothering to think much on it he entered the house and closed the door kicking his shoes off. "Hey Jane I'm home!" He called out heading up the stairs to his room. His step-mother called back a stern reminder that her name was Jennifer which caused Daniel to laugh quietly to himself. He hated her but there was no use fighting it since his father was hardly ever around for him to complain about her. If it wasn't hunting he had business trips to go to which drove Daniel up a wall since he usually disappeared without a word or even a good-bye. With an annoyed sigh he dropped his bag to his bed and settled onto his computer chair with a typical flop.

His room was a general disaster like most children his age with the exception of a wall covered in pictures of wolves. An obsession he had since he was little. He would still get lost occasionally in the beauty and majesty of a wolf's posture and behavior. Within minutes Daniel was on his computer doing his homework and instant messaging friends when he heard a familiar voice from outside. "Hey open the window." Rolling his eyes he walked to the window and opened it peering out into the oak tree growing beside the house. In the tree a classmate of his named Justin sat dangling his feet from a branch and smiling as if it was completely normal to meet people like this. "You know we have a door Justin." He called out the window. In a slight leap Justin pulled himself in the window and flopped onto Daniel's bed. "Where's the fun in taking the easy way mate?" he said propping himself up on his arms. Justin had the weirdest qualities to him. He was a track runner, for starters; the fastest runner and barely taller than Daniel. His constant running and exercise kept him in better shape than most in their class. His short sandy blonde hair even stayed spiky when it rained. To top it all off, he had the innate ability to find Daniel no matter where he was or what he was doing.

The hours passed and their homework was completed, subject by subject, without much excitement. Their night headed where it usually did with both of them passed out on Daniel's bed like a pair of pups too tired to move. At about 9:00 the doorbell rang and Jennifer called up the stairs to them. "Daniel there's some guys here to see Justin." Daniel nudged Justin awake just in time to here a scream and a crash from the door. Justin shot straight up in the bed and grabbed Daniel's arm. "We gotta go, now!" Daniel nodded, not quite awake enough to really think, as Justin dashed to then out the window onto the tree. As he began making his way down Daniel climbed out and down after him.

Daniel slid the last two feet to the ground and with both of them on the ground they tore off into the tree-covered hills behind Daniel's house. After a while Daniel finally worked the courage up to speak, "What the hell is going on?!" he shouted to Justin who was running just slightly ahead of him. "Rival pack, I mean gang." Justin was clearly on edge which made Daniel that much more confused by this. Aside from his poor choice of words Justin appeared to be running a lot quicker than Daniel would have thought he could have. Justin turned sharply to the left jumping and kicking a tree hard enough to strip the bark from it to change directions as an eerie loud howl came rolling across the forest floor. Chills raced along Daniel's spine as he made a mad dash after Justin into a cave he had found. Justin dashed through a decrepit door then slammed it shut after Daniel made it inside, where Daniel laid on the floor of the cave panting as Justin braced the door with a thick wooden post. "We gotta let the others know." Daniel's eyes caught Justin's in a threatening embrace broken only by another's voice. "What the hell got into you, mutt? And why is he here?" Justin immediately left Daniel on the floor to recuperate and pulled the man aside. "Shane, he doesn't know about it yet and you told me to watch him. Besides that, they found me." Shane seemed to come alive at this comment and gave Daniel a stare that would have sent a lion running with his tail between his legs. Daniel couldn't help but sit there unable to move or break the eye contact.

Shane walked over and pulled Daniel to his feet before shoving him towards Justin. "He's your mate, you deal with him." He muttered before turning to another corridor, "I'll go tell Ruby what's going on. Don't let him out of your sight. I mean it, mutt." With his last words, Shane disappeared into the darkness and Justin pulled Daniel's arm towards the main corridor. A few steps down the hall, Justin opened a door and pulled him inside before shutting and latching it. The second the door was latched Daniel pinned him to it pushing his arms to the wall and holding them there. "Start talking, Justin. I want to know what in the hell is going on. Is Jane alright? Who's chasing us and why are you living in this..." Justin cut him off suddenly. "Den?" Daniel paused and looked behind him. The room's only true furniture was a mattress laid out in the corner and a small lamp which dimly lit the whole room.

Justin wasted no effort pushing Daniel off of him then tackling him onto the mattress. "For now relax. When Ruby figures out what to do I'll tell you everything." Daniel frowned and punched Justin's chest lightly. "You didn't have to tackle me so hard you know?" Justin rolled off of Daniel and sighed staring at the ceiling. An eternity of boredom passed in the fifteen minutes before a knock came to the door.

"Mutt, Ruby says you got one hour, clue him in then we're moving to the other den for a while." Justin walked to the door and unlatched it before responding. "That bad huh?" he whispered. Shane's reply was too quiet for Daniel to make out before an unearthly howl was heard through the halls sending Daniel scrambling in fear. Justin sighed and re-latched the door. "Well you wanted to know, Danny boy." Daniel sat up and stared at Justin who began removing his shirt. "What's going on Just-" Daniel's question went unfinished as Justin's glare caught him. "You'll find out sooner or later so just shut up and watch." Justin's voice was stern and sharp as his pants and underwear fell to the ground. "I don't feel like ruining my clothes if I don't have to." He said in a hushed tone.

Daniel's eyes dashed from Justin's waist to his face before he caught sight of Justin's eyes again. In the second he had glanced away they had taken a piercing blue tone, which made Daniel to be unable to stop staring. To Daniel's horror the changes had not stopped there as Justin's right hand touched the ground. His skin began contorting in impossible ways as nauseating crunching sounds followed. Fur replaced hair as the changing ground to a halt. Daniel's eyes locked in sheer terror on Justin, who had become a wolf. Not simply a wolf, though he was enormous by any natural standard, still towering above Daniel while sittingby at least a foot.

Justin whined softly and sat down in front of him beginning to change back as terrifying thoughts ran through Daniel's head. Thoughts of what he read hours earlier entered his mind. In the blink of an eye Justin sat before him smiling as if nothing had happened. "Justin, what are you?" Daniel stammered, simply at a loss for words. Justin smirked and walked back to his clothes to begin redressing himself. "Come on mate, you should know by now. All the pictures of wolves on your wall and that word has yet to come into your head?"

"You're a werewolf?" he whispered. Justin walked back to him shirtless and sat next to him. "I'm a mutt. Youngest member of the pack for now and you don't have to whisper." Daniel's jaw would have fallen off if not for his skin. "There's more...of you? Shane?" Justin nodded, "Ruby?" Another nod came from Justin before he covered Daniel's mouth with his hand. "I only get one hour to explain so listen. You heard me and Shane back at the entrance. There is a rival pack in the area and they've had their eyes on you. So have we and I was supposed to watch you for the first turning signs." Justin explained. "What turning signs? Wait. God this is confusing." He muttered pressing a hand to his forehead and letting out a whine.

Justin resumed his explanation,"What we are runs in families. You're last name is Hemmingway. Back when the lore for Werewolves was established names were set in various areas by those who could change. Hemming is one of the oldest remaining lines and as the line dragged out it began to change with nobility and poverty until three branches of that line exist. Hemmington, Hemmingway and the original name, Hemming, which began as a nick-name for 'Shape-shifters' and Werewolves."

Daniel looked at Justin jaw gaping. "What happened to the D+ student I knew?" he asked in a worried tone. "You get to know this stuff when you hang around with these guys." Justin replied smiling again. "So wait, you're saying I'm a werewolf?" Justin shook his head before replying. "Werewolf is the wrong term. There are werewolves, yes. But the difference between Werewolves and us is the ability to control a transformation. Werewolves are created through bites. We are born with this."

Daniel nodded and asked the burning question in the fore-front of his mind. "And, what is this?" Justin sighed before speaking. "You already said it. It has many names but the one we prefer is Lycanthropy. It is the ability to shape-shift to a wolf form." Daniel ran his hand through his hair. This was making sense but it was too much for him.

Justin continued speaking though Daniel tuned him out for the most part until the words, "Nearing your first change" left Justin's mouth "What happens during the first change?" Daniel said trying beginning to worry. "It'll happen during the new moon. First after your sixteenth birthday." Justin stated. He looked to Daniel and sighed. "If it's going to happen it'll be two days from now. That is why we're changing dens." He explained. "But, what's it like?" Daniel asked. Justin sighed obviously bringing up bad memories.

"It'll hurt. I won't lie, you'll probably pass out. If you do your basest instincts will kick in." "And what is that like?" Justin smiled again. "Well I'll tell you how they found me. Shane's an animal control officer who got called out a few blocks from your house to a wolf trying to cover someone's dog." Daniel's eyes widened as Justin continued. "Don't worry it'll be different for you. You'll be watched and restrained. Once the new moon passes you'll go back to normal." Justin looked at Daniel and saw the fear in his eyes.

Laughing quietly he put his arms around Daniel and hugged him tightly. Another loud bang on the door snapped Justin back and he pulled Daniel to his feet. "Time's up mate, we gotta go. Oh and watch Ruby she's still in heat." Daniel gulped hard and Justin smirked while unlatching the door. As the door swung open Shane was seen leaning against the opposite wall. "Bout time, mutt. How'd he take it?" Shane nodded to Daniel who was busy staring at Shane clearly for the first time.

He was built like a lumberjack and could probably have tossed one around with ease. He wore tattered black jeans and an equally tattered shirt but was otherwise normal. Without knowing better he would have pegged Shane easily for a body builder or construction worker. "That well huh?" Daniel snapped back to reality meeting Shane's gaze and immediately returning to stare at the floor. Justin just shook his head and led Daniel through the winding corridor towards the entrance. He stepped out into the moonlight for the first time in what seemed like days. The cool, brisk air around him was tainted slightly by the smell of wet dog, which he traced to a pair of wolves standing off a ways. Daniel's first relief of the night was the thought that now when he knew why Justin behaved like a lost puppy.

Before him, however, stood a beast that was no laughing matter. Of a pack of five, excluding Daniel for the moment, this wolf was the largest. It stood at the height of a small horse, and, while postured up stood at the same height as Daniel's chest. It had dark red fur highlighting a silvery undertone. In the dim moonlight its eyes could have been mistaken for gem stones. The instant this realization dawned on him a single word escaped his lips, "Ruby?" Justin simply smirked and walked a short distance away leaving Daniel with Shane. He neared the other pair of wolves who Daniel could still just barely make out.

Once again Justin's form contorted and convulsed as he shifted from one body to another. Within a minute he stood tall again, magnificently white fur glistening in the moonlight. "Hey kid, you got two choices. One, walk or two, you can hitch a ride with the mutt." Shane walked just past Daniel and looked straight up into the clearing the trees had left. Daniel, finding himself put off by Shane, walked over to Justin and laid a hand on his shoulder. Justin turned his head around to Daniel and quirked his head before lying down to allow him to get on.

As soon as Daniel was on, Justin stood back up and looked to Shane and Ruby. All at once the pack turned up the mountain and began running with Daniel clinging tightly to Justin afraid even the slightest slack in his grip would leave him in the dirt behind the pack. Behind them an unearthly cry was loosed again and Justin sped his pace along. Daniel could make out the blurred forms of all four of the other Lycans which made his heart stop as it dawned on him. They were being chased.