Neither Wolf Nor Man

Chapter Three

Michael was panting heavily. He couldn't get the image out of his head. He kept seeing the replay of the man in white slicing his friend into two halves. It was an extremely gruesome sight to behold. He had seen a lot of c*****e in his life, but none compared to that. He vomited on the ground, tears were welling up in his eyes.

"You insipid buffoon!" came a familiar voice. It belonged to the woman who had come to his rescue earlier.

He turned to face her but almost immediately he did. Someone appeared before him. It was the bus driver who had driven the school bus earlier. He slapped him aggressively on his face. Michael spat out a tooth, blood was smeared on his lips.

"Dennis!" The woman sighed. "Don't injure him. He has learned his lesson. He was shaken by the sight he saw."

"Marble," Dennis began. "If we don't instill discipline in him now. He will keep acting like an animal."

"If he can't grow after what he saw. Then there's no use trying to shape him up. He will be regarded as a mindless animal. Only mindless animals lack the ability to learn from their mistakes."

Michael heard what they were saying, he couldn't interject. He hated Goliath, he was angry.

"Michael," Marble sighed. "Why are you doing this? Your action has put the integrity of the entire pack at risk. We planned to produce an eligible candidate that could move into the highest echelons in the political world. Unfortunately, because of your senseless behavior, the human agency will become more alert and wary."

"That goes without saying," Dennis sighed. "Ren was sent against us." Ren is one of the strongest hunters in the agency. For them to send him against us means they must have gotten Intel about our base of operations. They knew we were here in Los Angeles."

"Are you suggesting there's a traitor in our midst?"

"I am only calling the recent events what they are. It all points to the possibility that we might have a bad wolf among us."

"Relax, Dennis," Marble wore a cautious look. "If there was indeed a spy among us. You would have been ambushed and killed. Humans have no idea how we operate. I saw the surprise on Ren's face when I approached him. He hid it well, but one can't underestimate the proficiency of an Alpha's smell. He wasn't expecting to see me. I am sure he also wasn't expecting to see Michael either."

"What are you saying?"

"He was around for another mission. I have a feeling it refers to that kid, Goliath. He holds the key to peace between humans and wolves."

"That's loose brat! I saw him, he was no different from an ordinary wolf. There was nothing special about him."

"For an omega, your senses are dull," Marble sighed. "I see you didn't notice."

"Notice what."

"His eyes were glowing, and he wasn't in his wolf state. The only time the eyes of our kind glow is when we transform into our primitive self. There's something unique about that kid, something that I can't place my hand around. He is the one mentioned in the prophecy; there's no doubt about it."

"He can't be!" Michael got to his feet. He was fuming heavily, he bared his teeth. "I fought with him, he's no different from a veteran wolf. There's nothing spectacular about his strength, speed, or stamina. He can't be the one in the prophecy; The shaman must have made a mistake!"

"That's an outrageous accusation!" Marble turned at him. "Are you saying the shaman isn't hearing from the moon goddess properly?!"

"If he was half of what was mentioned in the prophecy. There was no way he'd be that easy to beat whether he had training or not. Power is a universal concept, everyone can see it. It's not dependent on training or discipline, power is power..."

Before Michael could say another word, he found his feet above the ground. Marble raised him above the ground; She held his neck tightly. There was a murderous glint in her eyes, "Michael, son of Laxos. You will do well not to agitate me any further. You don't want a demonstration of power from me! You are the reason why the pack had to migrate for the last eighty years. We need to make peace with humans. It's the senseless war that caused the death of your parents!"

"Don't you dare..."

Marble tightened her arm against his neck, cutting off his oxygen supply. Michael found it impossible to utter another word. He struggled to breathe, his body was turning pale.

"I don't care what your opinions are. My responsibility is to the pack. I have to secure their welfare. I am tired of cleaning up after your messes. You are no longer a child. It's time you stop acting like one. You are going to leave Goliath and his human friend alone. He will get stronger, that much is certain. And when the time comes, he will be welcomed into this clan. If you aren't dead when that time arrives, you will do well to welcome him with open hands."

Marble released her arms. Michael dropped to the ground. He was panting heavily. He hated himself, he was responsible for the death of his twin brother.

Marble looked scary, there was an intimidating aura radiating around her. She looked down at Michael. Michael couldn't help but feel shivers as he met her gaze. "Inform the elders of the pack about the death of your brother. He shall be buried properly at the next full moon."

Michael grudgingly got to his feet. He hated Marble for how she handled things. He had lost his parents thanks to the brutality of humans. They sought to conquer several territories as they were ever-expanding with no regard for the surrounding life. They had chased them deep into the wild. His parents were one of the few to rebel against the leader's words. They wanted to take the fight to humans. Unfortunately for them, humans had improved weapons and accessories which gave them the edge. They had to repel them. There was a heated fight that once happened between humans and wolves. Michael and his twin brother watched as young boys. Michael saw his parents slaughtered by a human before his very eyes. The pain bad burnt deep within his skull. He hated humans, and he would do anything to ensure they were all destroyed. Michael bit his lower lip, he didn't talk back at Marble. He ran away like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Dennis," Marble turned towards him. Dennis was about six feet, eleven inches tall. He had long brown hair which reached his shoulders. His beards were long, untidy, and scruffy. He was muscular. He was like an ogre but with a defining jawline.

"Your liege," Dennis replied without looking in her direction. Marble walked towards him. She stopped when she was a few centimeters away from his position.

"My daughter is our last hope. She has to contact the child of prophecy, and it has to be soon. You have been with her the last few days. How do you think she will fare?"

"I can't say," Dennis answered.

''Things always happen unexpectedly. In this case, speculation is meaningless. The only thing we can do is hope."

"Hope," there was a resolved look on Marble's face. "That's something every sentient creature has in common. We all hope for a better world."

***********************************

The glow in Goliath's eyes had vanished. He knew what he smelled from the man in white. Bloodlust! But why had the smell vanished?! Was there something that eased him off?! Why was he no longer planning to kill him?! Was there some sort of test that he passed?!

"Is Gramps dead?" Goliath asked.

"The audacity," he gritted his teeth. "You have no right to refer to him as your guardian. "You belong to a group of primitive species, you are what I call a biological abomination."

Goliath couldn't deny it. His words were painful, but he couldn't let them get to him. "Gramps is the only thing that's important to me. I can't let my emotions determine my next course of action. I badly want to rip his head off but even if I lash at him. I am much too weak, he's trying to bait me to attack him. If he truly felt the way he was speaking. He would have killed me from the very start."

The glow in Goliath's eyes returned, and he turned away from the man in white. "I don't know what your plan is. To be honest, I don't give a f**k. The only thing that matters to me right now is Gramps. I have to attend to him."

"I watched you fight the werewolves before I stepped in," There was a wicked smile on his face. "You ran around aimlessly like a buffon before I stepped in. "You don't know the way to your house, do you?"

"I didn't," Goliath sighed. "But during my fight with the werewolf. An idea popped in my head."

"You call that a fight. That was a one-sided beat down, and I am not even sugar-coating."

Goliath ignored his words; He crouched to the ground and closed his eyes. "I just need to transfer some of the innermost force to my legs. If I attain the required amount of force, I should be able to leap off the ground."

Green light enveloped Goliath's legs. The man in white had a bewildered look on his face. There was something about Goliath: He wasn't just a werewolf. No werewolf could envelop themselves in green light! Who was this kid?!

Goliath leaped off the ground, leaving a crater in his wake. He ascended about sixty feet high in the air. He looked at the city. Every house appeared like a matchbox, they were all so small. His eyes kept darting from one corner to another, he knew what his house looked like. He aimed to find it, a malicious grin crept on his face. He had found his house. Briskly, he grabbed his phone from his pocket. He opened a painting application on his phone. As fast as he could, he drew the entire layout of the city. The glow vanished from his eyes. He dropped to the ground, and landed on the crater, further destroying the latter layers of the ground. "I have got it!" he said excitedly.

"You are such a dimwit," the man in white slapped his face disappointedly.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know the name of your street. "You could have just used Google Maps to locate your street, then from there, you'd easily find your house."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"There's no use fighting about that stuff," the man in white turned away from him. "Steven might be my father, but you took after him. I kept trying to enrage you throughout our conversation, but you didn't take the bait. If you had, I would have made sure to drive my spear inside your chest. Steven isn't dead, you will find him at home."

"Where are you going to?"

"A person in this school is a relative of mine. "He's been bugging me to come visit him," The man in white placed the spear at his back. There was an invisible girdle that held the spear in place. In a millisecond, the spear became invisible. "Truth be told, he was the reason I dropped by. I wasn't sent against the werewolves."

"Why did you say you were?"

"There's a war between humans and werewolves. The war had dragged on years before you were born. The government wanted to protect the interests of its people. They tried to keep every trace of their activities from the public eyes. There are many alien relics and magical artifacts which the government found were only compatible with humans. Only a minute percentage of the human race were chosen to use these tools and fight evil. It was done in secrecy, so the average individual could live his life in peace. We are called hunters. "When you see Steven, ask him about it." The man in white walked away. "He was going in the direction of the school. "Regarding the question you asked me earlier. I lied to deceive the enemy. A wise man once said deception is the art of victory. When a soldier is deceived, the squad is at a disadvantage. But when the leader is deceived, the squad is completely lost."

The man in white suddenly vanished. Goliath felt his heart beating faster, there was something breathtaking about him.

"Gramps had a child that cool," There was a cherry smile on Goliath's face. "It's hard to imagine it. Gramps is one old fucker, but his son is f*****g awesome. "Gramps was probably this awesome as a man," Goliath brought up his phone. "I need to find answers. I didn't even ask him what his name was. It's no matter, I'd just ask Gramps."

*******

Trevor was holding a tray. He bit his lower lip as he looked for a table. Other students were chatting excitedly at their tables as they ate their lunch. Trevor looked around; He couldn't find any trace of Goliath.

"I acted a bit harshly," Trevor muttered to himself. "I shouldn't have said what I said." Goliath was just trying to help. I wonder where he is? "I need to tell him I am sorry," Trevor thought to himself as his eyes kept darting from one corner to another.

There was a perspicuous astonishment on his face as he kept looking at the tables. Each of the tables had people sitting around it except one. The exception was a table at an extreme edge. The most beautiful girl that Trevor had ever seen was on that table. He knew her, it was Alicia. The girl who was holding a gift on the bus.

Alicia was curvaceous for a teenager. She had rosy pink lips, straight eyes which seemed to penetrate through a person's soul, a perfect nose, and long silky black hair.

"I can't embarrass myself," Trevor told himself. Lewd thoughts of Alicia popped into his head. "I'd just go outside and have my lunch."

Trevor was already turning away but in the next moment, he found himself sitting at a table. Facing him was Alicia. She wore a straight look. Trevor was astounded. "What happened?" He asked himself. "How did I get here?"

"Goliath, Michael, and Reacher ain't the only werewolves in this school," Alicia sighed. She had a lovely voice. Trevor could feel his cheeks going red. He was at a seat with his crush. His heart was beating faster, his brain had gone into overload. He tried to calm himself.

"Michael and Reacher? Am I supposed to know who they are? Also, werewolves? "I know you are a pretty face but come on, I didn't think that stereotype was true."

"I was on the bus with you two, remember," Alicia sighed. "I heard both of you talking."

"Even though we spoke in hushed tones, you were able to hear us because of your heightened senses."

"Bingo," Alicia answered. "I am curious."

"About what?"

"Your Dad. It's no coincidence that he was brought here as the next principal. Is he a hunter?"

"Hunter? What are you talking about?"

"The progression of your heartbeats is steady. "You aren't lying," Alicia relaxed in her seat. "You have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. I made a wrong judgment call. I shouldn't have exposed my identity to you. Jeez, Mom and Dennis will be pissed when they find one more human corpse, but I can live with that if it means protecting my identity."

"Wait!" Trevor's heart was pounding heavily. Alicia had just threatened to kill him without a shred of empathy on her face. There was no doubt it. She was a stone-cold killer who had probably murdered hundreds before him. "I can help you."

"How? You are no hunter, you are no different from a mere human. You serve no use for me. You easily die, I move at speeds your puny mind can't fathom."

"I don't like to brag, but I am very smart," Trevor tried to keep a straight face. He was frightened, there was a look in her eyes. One that inspired dread. He had a feeling she was even more dangerous than the boys who had threatened him earlier. He had to find a way to convince her to let him leave. "I can help you."

"What use can you serve? I have an idea. You said you are smart, give me a demonstration."

"You asked if I was a Hunter. I don't know what that is but for you to bring me to this seat when you could have easily killed me. It means hunters must be famous for killing your kind. If I am to take a guess, they are a faction established by the government. Their aim is to eradicate your kind."

"Mhmm," Alicia's face remained neutral. If she was impressed, it was impossible to know.

Trevor continued, he had to. "You didn't ask where Goliath is. In other words, you know where he is. If I am to take a guess, those two names you mentioned. Michael and Reacher were the names of the people who had threatened me earlier. They are with Goliath, aren't they?"

"You are not bad at deductions," Alicia leaned towards him, her gaze narrowed on him. "You might not be so useless. You will be useful for deciphering some of the intel that's been attained. Don't go home after school, we still have a lot to discuss."

"I can't," Trevor answered. He looked at his lunch. It consisted of a juice box and a sandwich. "My Dad has strict rules. If I come a minute late, he's going to ground me."

"If your father grounds you, I reckon you will still live but if I decide to ground you, the last thing you will see is me devouring your flesh. Those are the options before you. Choose wisely."

"Where should we meet?!" Trevor looked up, but Alicia was gone. He stood from his seat, he turned around. She was nowhere in sight, it was almost like she had vanished.

Trevor could feel his heart pounding heavily. He had narrowly escaped a death threat.

"She didn't mention Goliath," Trevor thought to himself. His face was enveloped with fear. "Did Michael and Reacher kill him?! I have to find out!"

Trevor stormed out of the dining hall. There was a frantic look on his face. His blood was pumping faster! His heartbeat had increased drastically! His mind kept racing!

He ran towards the exit, but he came to an abrupt stop. There was a surprised look on his face. A tall man stood at the entrance, his facial features indistinguishable as a result of the light behind him. Trevor was frozen in his steps, he couldn't move forward. The man came forward, and Trevor could make out his facial features. The man was over six feet tall. He was dressed in a long white detective coat which was complemented with white trousers. There were lacings of golden designs on his coat, he looked cool. It was the man who had saved Goliath earlier. It was the man in white!

**********************************

Goliath ran as fast as he could. Soon, he saw his house. A smile lit upon his face. He was excited.

He poured more on his speed as he approached the door. In a few milliseconds, he had gotten to the house. He pushed open the front door. There was an astonished look on his face. He saw Steven Reeves, but he couldn't believe his sight.

Steven Reeves was dressed in the same clothes that he had seen the man in white wearing.

Steven turned in his direction. Goliath staggered back instinctively. He was amazed. The old man could keep up with him.

"Gramps," Goliath said in disbelief. "How can you keep up?"

Steven had a kind smile on his face, he was sitting at the dining table. There was a brown jug beside him. The jug was accompanied by two small brown cups. "What have I taught you about manners?"

"Sorry gramps," Goliath walked slowly towards the table. He kept cleaning his eyes. Did he see a mirage?! Was all this an illusion?! He had lived with Gramps for fifteen years. Did Gramps have the capability all this time to keep up with his speed? Why then had the old man acted like it was impossible for him? Goliath made his way to the dining table. He sat down silently. There was a look of amazement on his face.

"Stop looking at me like that," Steven smiled warmly at him.

"I just can't believe it. You can interact with me when I am using super speed."

"There are many things you don't know about me," A burdened look surfaced on his face. "You must have seen my son. He's such a sweet kid, though he blames me for abandoning him."

"Why that look, grandpa?" Steven asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Ren was never the honest type. I don't know the reason he gave you for his arrival, but it's a lie. Ren didn't come here to visit anyone. The agency sent him here to do only one thing."

"What?"

"To kill you."