Chapter 2
*“We are what!? What do you mean we are werewolves? How could you not tell me this beforehand!” I spluttered in complete shock before sinking on to a chair opposite my Mum and Dad. “How can I go to college now and be like my friends when I turn into a filthy beast every month!”
I glared across at my Mum who was holding her head in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably, while my Dad wrapped his arms around her carefully. Her long brown hair was now covering her face and hands, obscuring my view, before she slowly raised her head and looked across at me with big, sodden, brown eyes.
“We thought it would be for the best that we kept this a secret from you. We wanted to let you live a normal human childhood, without having to worry about pack life, rules, and your first transformation,” my Mum explained. “We felt that it was such a huge burden for a young girl to have to live with!”
“But what about now? What about my friends? My boyfriend? What about college and the life that I had planned out. I planned to travel the world with Sam, find my dream career, and then settle down and have babies!” I pointed out in earnest. “How can I continue to lead a normal human life and now keep this secret without people finding out. It makes me wonder, who even am I?”
“It's going to be okay. It really is!” my Dad began. “And we aren’t filthy beasts. We can turn into wolves at will, not just at the full moon. Werewolves kill and cause damage without knowing what they are doing. We know perfectly well what we are doing. We don’t kill people and we can control our abilities. See it as we are wolf people rather than just beasts.”
“Oh, and that makes it all okay does it? Don’t worry Rosalie, you won’t actually kill or eat anyone. You’ll just turn in to a cute fluffy wolf whenever you feel like it. Thanks a lot, you two!” I fumed, angrily.
I turned to look at my Dad, who was a tall, stocky man with a muscular physique. His skin had a slight tan to it from spending endless amounts of time in the garden, growing vegetables and fruits. An old faded tribal tattoo that ran down his left arm was visible from under his tee-shirt. He had grey stubble and his chocolatey brown hair that was shaved into a fashionable short style was now beginning to grey with age. His brown eyes twinkled warmly, while soft velvety lips were creased into a gentle but reassuring smile.
“And now you’ve had your first transformation, we can return to the pack and resume our normal wolf lives,” Mum continued. “IF you learn to control your wolf and your abilities, there's no reason why you can't see your friends and lead a somewhat normal life, as long as you keep our secret safe! Plus, we no longer have to hide our true selves from you anymore.”
“Yes, that is our number one rule. It’s absolutely paramount,” Dad nodded. “No one must know about our kind. Imagine what chaos would ensue with the humans. We would be hunted and shipped off to science labs for testing all over the world.”
“And what would happen if I told everyone that the girl, they’ve all been best friends with for the past god knows how many years can now change into a wolf whenever she likes?” I replied sarcastically and rolling my eyes.
Dad raised an eyebrow and replied in a matter-of-fact voice, “The werewolf council would find you and promptly destroy you. Once they have killed you, they would send their best warriors off to find and hunt down every last human that knew about us and make them disappear too!”
“I thought you said we didn’t kill humans,” I replied sarcastically, but also in shock at the thought of my friends being hunted down by a pack of hungry wolves.
“We don’t. Not intentionally or for fun like werewolves have been depicted. Werewolf laws state that if it’s to protect our secret then such exceptions can be allowed as long as the act is carried out swiftly and doesn’t cause alarm or suspicion to other humans,” Mum replied, sighing deeply. “But such an act is extremely rare, and it hasn’t been recorded in over 240 years!”
“Well, you still haven’t answered my original questions about Sam. You know, my boyfriend!? The guy that I have been seeing for the last 3 months?” I butted in. “What happens when I finish college? What do I do then and what is this pack and normal pack life you speak of?”
“Honey,” Mum began softly, before glancing nervously across at my Dad. “You won't be able to see Sam no more. You are a werewolf. You will need to find your Fated Mate within the wolf packs, as in our pack or another pack. It's against our wolf laws for a wolf to be in a relationship with a human. It's too dangerous, besides, you will be finishing college next week and then we shall be returning to the Red River pack, where you will have much to learn.”
“The Red River pack? But I don’t want to leave my home. This is my home! This is my life! I’m not wasting my life, running around the forests and mountains as a wolf. I’ve got goals and ambitions you know!” I protested, shaking my head, and standing up, walking abruptly to the window, and staring outside sadly.
“You don’t have to give up on your hopes and dreams and there will be certainly no running around the mountains and forests as a wolf. We don’t have to leave this house either. We can still live here. We just need to plead allegiance towards the pack leaders that’s all and attend pack meetings and gatherings when asked to do so by the Alpha,” Dad chuckled before walking beside me and putting his arm around my shoulders. “But first of all, you need to get through the selection process.”
“What do you mean the selection process?” I replied slowly, turning around, and glaring suspiciously towards my Dad.
Dad sighed and stared at the floor before clearing his throat and continuing, “Every year, all the new-born wolves, such as yourself, have to attend the selection process. It’s a large get together where all the new-borns from the five wolf packs all meet up at one venue and the Alpha’s of the five packs come and choose which wolves, they want to join their ranks.”
“For whatever reason!?” I answered in shock. “I'm not a piece of meat to be bought and sold on!”
“No, we know but it's just a thing that happens every year. It has been done for centuries. It’s tradition. It’s also a way of keeping our bloodlines clean and free of inbreeding between the members and keeps our numbers alive from dying out.” Dad blurted out quickly.
“So, it's been decided for me that I have to dump Sam and start a family with some guy I don’t even know.” I seethed. “Absolutely not! And what happens if I end up in a different pack to you guys. Surely that’s going to cause some conflict?”
“I’m sorry but you don’t have a choice. Anyway, you don’t have to make babies or get married right away. You may not even find your Mate right away. It doesn't matter what pack you get chosen by you will still have the freedom to come and go as you please and you can still live here with us unless you choose to live at your pack’s packhouse. It just means that if a battle or a fight were to come up, you’d be expected to fight against us and for your pack,” Mum reasoned, trying to make things sound better.
“Well let’s hope the Red River pack picks you to stay with us anyhow,” Dad hummed knowingly. “But if they didn’t, we would have the choice to follow you to your new pack. Members move around the packs all the time.”
“Why are you hoping that I get to stay at the Red River pack if being in a different pack doesn’t really matter?” I replied slowly, knowing that a bombshell was about to be dropped on me.
“The Moon Goddess’s prophecy says that you may be the Fated Mate for Jace Coles.” ……