His Hybrid's secret

The night Adrian turned twenty, it felt like his world had shrunk to the size of his worn-out shoes. He was out on the rusty balcony of his crummy apartment, hands clenched into fists, staring down at the quiet streets. The city lights blinked below, like little bugs blinking in the dark, but they didn't do a thing to warm the cold feeling inside him. He'd grown up without almost everything. No family to speak of, no history to look back on, and nobody ever told him anything useful about where he came from. All he had was a sealed envelope, plain brown. Inside? Just two things. First, there was a birth certificate, but the spot where his hometown should be was just blank. Second, there was a police report about his parents. It said they died in a car crash when he was five. He'd always felt like that report was a load of bull. Every time he brought up his parents, anyone who'd known them would suddenly look away, like they were trying to hide something. He had no idea what they were keeping from him. All he knew was the big empty ache it left inside. Tonight, that ache felt heavier than ever. He put a hand to his chest. It's happening again... This weird burning feeling had started a few months ago. His heart would pound, his spine would tighten up, and heat would rush through his body for no good reason. But tonight? Tonight was different. It was way worse. He stumbled back, hitting the wall as pain exploded all through him. It was sharp, like electricity, tearing through his bones like fire. His knees gave out, and he landed hard on the floor. His vision blurred, and his breath came in gasps. Then a scream ripped out of him. Only, it wasn't a scream. It was a howl. A deep, haunting, animal sound that made the windows shake. Adrian froze. What was that? Was that… me? His heart was hammering in his ears. His nails got sharp really fast. His teeth got longer. His skin was so hot, it felt like it was burning from the inside. He didn't have any idea what was going on. It felt like he was losing himself, his humanity slipping away like water. He crawled outside, gasping for air, dragging himself toward the mountain. It was the only place he ever felt drawn to. The mountain was at the heart of every strange dream, every scary nightmare, every weird feeling he couldn't explain. His feet hit the dirt path hard, like something old and strong was moving him. By the time he got to the rocky edge, he wasn't seeing things like a normal person anymore. His body ached, his spine felt like it was breaking, and his hands turned into claws. He fell forward, screaming and begging for the pain to stop. Then it came. The shift. His bones started to change shape, his skin melted into fur, and his mind split in two. It was man and animal fighting. The moonlight pulled him as he changed for the first time. When it was over, he was standing on four legs, scared, confused, and lost. A wolf. A big, silver wolf with eyes that glowed. No… no… His mind panicked. What am I? WHAT AM I?! He let out another howl, a long and sad cry that echoed across the valley. He for sure thought nobody heard it. But someone did. A girl. She had long dark hair, and her heartbeat was not normal like ordinary people. She was standing at the edge of the trees, watching him with wide eyes; like she already knew. Her name was Loretta. She whispered, You poor thing… you have no idea what you are. The wolf stopped. Her scent was like fate to him, warm and wild. She stepped closer, not scared at all, like something was pulling her in. I heard you howl, she said. I know what it means. He backed away, shaking uncontrollably But she didn't follow. Instead, she said something that would rewrite Adrian’s whole life: You're a werewolf… and you're not supposed to be alone.