A Renegade’s Jeremiad

Chapter 6: The Old Fight

April 27th. 9:03 PM

Moon: First Quarter

Henry, being in the arms of a greyback, remained still, thinking of a way out as he felt the twisted musculature in the wolf's arms contract around him, however, the surface was softer than a wool blanket. After checking the softness, Henry deduced that this might be Clarissa, though it was difficult for him to be certain. After all, the head of a war wolf form is that of a wolf, which is hard to differentiate from other wolf heads at a single glance unless they were different types of wolves. What helped Henry deduce that he could be in the arms of Clarissa was the body. Despite the wolf head, war wolf forms still have a humanoid body covered in fur with its form mutated and twisted into peak performance, though it will keep a male or female physique depending on the biological gender of the werewolf, and even if a war wolf's mind runs solely on instinct, war-based tactics and not much else, they can still identify their mate and treat that individual with sweet affection, something that Henry was also receiving. Henry had full knowledge of this behavior from his time learning of werewolves and their various states of transformation.

After a moment, Henry tried to wiggle around, causing the werewolves to pause and the one that had been carrying Henry transformed to wolfman, then to human, revealing that it was indeed Clarissa that was carrying Henry away. Clarissa held Henry close, trying to be as soothing as possible, her baby blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "There, there, Henry…" Clarissa cooed, "You're among your family now." Henry flinched, not entirely expecting Clarissa to say such things. "Erm…" Henry began, "What do you mean? I'm no wolf." Clarissa chuckled while the others kept watch. "Look around you, Henry. My brothers and sisters are protecting you. We all came to save you from those rude hunters who denied you the time to grieve," Clarissa explained. Henry noticed what Clarissa was referring to, noticing the other nine warwolves around him and Clarissa. 'Wow! Clarissa prepared for this. I underestimated the situation,' Henry thought. 'However,' Henry pondered, 'This could be a great opportunity to gather some inside information on werewolves that may improve my chances of avoiding capture a second time if I get out of this. Besides, getting Clarissa to talk will stall the time it takes for her to take me to her den. Werewolves aren't patient, especially with who they consider their mates, so I need to be quick!'

Henry turned to Clarissa, giving her direct eye contact. "Hey, Clarissa. I want to ask… Why did these werewolves take you in instead of finishing you off?" Henry asked. Clarissa perked up, her eyes shining in the moonlight. "Oh? You want to know?" Clarissa asked eagerly, a weighty pride in her tone. "Yes, I'd love to know, considering I've only known werewolves to be territorial and vicious," Henry explained. Clarissa whined like a wolf when she heard this. "Oh… Right… I forgot you only have the knowledge the hunters gave us as children," Clarissa muttered, "Allow me to explain." Henry remained still, listening to Clarissa's words.

Clarissa began, "Well, they got mad at first, but big brother Ralph realized that I was betrayed, doomed to die. So, in his honor, he granted me the gifts of the wolf and took me to safety to be raised amongst the pack." Henry interrupted, "Wait… Big brother?" The burly wolf that led the warwolves leaned towards Henry. "That be me," he said in a rough, gravel-like voice that was more beast than human. Clarissa giggled at Henry's widened eyes and how his hair stood on end. "Don't worry~" Clarissa cooed, "Ralph may be intimidating and a brutal fighter, but he has a warm, loving heart. Don't you, big brother?" Ralph nuzzled Clarissa with his snout before continuing to remain on watch.

Seizing the opportunity, Henry pressed on. "Wait… So, werewolves see each other as family?" Henry inquired. Clarissa gave a firm nod in response. "Yes!" Clarissa exclaimed excitedly, "We are all brothers and sisters in our packs. The Alphas, who are the leaders of our packs, are fathers and mothers to us. The reason they get the best of everything is to ensure they are always ready to make decisions and lead the pack to prosperity. Our elder is our grandparent who we protect and nurture so he can guide us all." "Wait," Henry interjected, "Isn't your pack the only known pack of Greybacks? How do you feel about that?" Clarissa sighed, "I don't care about how big we are. What matters is that everyone is happy and thriving in the pack." Henry continued, "I see. So, if your people see your packs as families, how do you all perceive the transformations you undertake under the moon?"

Clarissa's eyes dilated at the sound of this, leaning towards Henry with a wide smile. "That's a bit complicated, so please let me explain in full, ok?" Clarissa asked gently, trying to be as sweet and persuasive in her tone as possible. Henry took note of this reaction and steeled his nerves to resist any and all forms of questioning until Clarissa was done. "Ok," Henry answered, "Talk as much as you wish about this. I'll do my best not to interrupt." Clarissa bore into Henry's neck. "Thank you…" Clarissa whispered, "Believe me, this is for your own good." Clarissa took a deep whiff of Henry's scent, causing her body to shiver while nuzzling Henry's neck as her eyes shifted from baby blue to amber. Clarissa leaned back in this state and cleared her throat, as if ready to give a lecture or sermon. Clarissa then relaxed before she pulled Henry's head close to her lips possessively as she murmured, "Now Henry… Be a good mate and don't try to escape. Or else, I'll have to cut this short and take you home, ok?" Clarissa's voice was sweet, yet tense as she spoke. Henry nodded, making sure to lean into Clarissa's embrace so she could feel secure. Henry thought, 'That's it Henry. Nice and calm… Dealing with one wolf is a challenge even for seasoned hunters. A full squad is a death sentence!'

After letting out a contented sigh, Clarissa began, "In the first month, werewolves are stuck on a cycle of transformations according to the lunar cycle. After this month, the werewolf must master their form to gain control in that state. Meaning these pups transform every full moon to a state of their choice." Henry took note of this initial stage. Clarissa continued, "Control over when, where, and how one acts in a transformation depends on an individual's resonance with their emotions, the amount of self-awareness they possess, how keen their mental state is, and their relationship with their inner wolf. Those who bury their emotions gain little to no control over this whereas people who are in tune with their emotions have a greater sense of control over when they can activate their transformation. People who are not aware of their mental state or lack the ability to be critical of themselves will make them lose control over where they transform, whereas people who are very aware of themselves physically and mentally will be able to control where they transform. People who only see the wolf as a separate entity will not be able to control themselves in a transformation, whereas someone who makes an effort to integrate the wolf into their personality, mentality, and begins to bring the wolf into their being will have full control over themselves during the transformation as it is perceived by the individual to be a part of who they are, not a separate entity." Henry's head spun with the amount of information he took in. Clarissa asked, "I'm sorry, do you need a moment?" Henry answered, "That would be nice."

Meanwhile, Marcus lay unconscious on the ground, his legs bruised, his arms broken, and the remainder of his body covered in cuts and gashes. In the next moment, Marcus jolted awake when Duncan finally found him, shaking his shoulders furiously. "Marcus! Are you alright?" Duncan exclaimed hurriedly. Marcus groaned as he sat up. When Marcus spoke, a raspy, stretched sound came out. "Duncan… That vampire…" Marcus began, "It's too powerful. I'd be dead without my mastery of hunter energy... Where is Henry?" Duncan picked up Marcus' ailing body and he spoke, "I tried to hold onto him, but some greybacks intervened and now I don't know where he is." Marcus groaned, "Never mind! Just get me healed. We must get Henry to safety now. His childish rebellion can't be tolerated any longer. Not when the situation is this dire. The prophecy has begun." Duncan nodded before racing to the nearest healer on the field with Marcus in his arms to patch up the worst of Marcus' wounds.

Running parallel to these events, Clarissa had been scenting on Henry as he processed the information she gave him, covering him in her natural musk so that other Werewolves would leave him alone. After Henry had taken in the information Clarissa gave him, she continued, "Trauma can impact any aspect of the transformation by marking specific times and/or dates when it is more or less likely for an individual to transform and also link a transformation to a specific place regardless of the time." Clarissa then paused, waiting for Henry's reaction. "My goodness, that's complicated. Why would you go so deep into those details?" Clarissa chuckled, her amber eyes glowing in the moonlight. "Because, the more you understand how the transformation works, the easier it will be for you to adjust to the changes," Clarissa explained, before kissing the top of Henry's head. "I want you to have a happy start, not the cold, rough start I had to endure. I'll make sure you're fed, at peace, and ensure you're always warm and safe as you become my full mate, every bit as wolf as I am~" Clarissa cooed, "You're mine and I'll never let any mean hunters or filth-" "Clarissa," Ralph uttered, cutting off Clarissa's words, "Be still. Danger comes."

After a tense moment, Clarissa adjusted her body to move quickly while the other werewolves moved to a defensive formation. "Henry!" Vanessa shouted, rushing out of the northern underbrush, only to stop when she saw all of the warwolves surrounding Henry. Vanessa's muscles wound tight as she bared her fangs and channeled her vampiric power. A few small burns adorned Vanessa's torso and arms from Marcus' struggle, the wounds aggravated by his hunter energy while the crimson energy pumped through her veins. "Give me Henry, now. All of you!" Vanessa demanded. "Over my dead body," Clarissa snarled, in unison with the other warwolves. Vanessa smelled the air, causing her irises to turn red immediately when she smelled Clarissa's scent on Henry's body, her right eye twitching as she processed this information. "How dare you!" Vanessa yelled, "How dare you place that- That wretched, revolting stench on my mate!" Clarissa snarled again, her amber eyes glaring at Vanessa. "Your mate? Last I checked, corpses can't fall in love, you freak," Clarissa retorted venomously.

Vanessa scoffed, looking down on Clarissa and the group. "Give him to me. Now," Vanessa threatened. She was met with more snarls and growls while Clarissa tightened her grip on Henry. In response, with a flick of her wrist, crimson flooded over Vanessa's body, becoming armor as she flashed a wicked grin. "I can see you won't give him to me. Very well. I don't mind slaughtering a group of lowly dogs to get what I love," Vanessa crooned, smirking at the growls and glares from Clarissa and her packmates. Without warning, all nine warwolves rushed Vanessa while Clarissa continued to hold Henry tightly in a protective embrace. With airtight, almost invisible movements, Vanessa brutally bashed and slashed all nine warwolves, leaving them whimpering from the pain. Clarissa's eyes widened as she gasped, her heart racing as she saw her packmates, her family, laying on the ground mangled. Before Vannessa could finish them off, Clarissa entered her wolfman form and pinned her down with her shadows, piercing Vanessa's armor. "That's enough!" Clarissa yelled, her eyes teary as she glared at Vanessa. While Vanessa was pinned down, one of the warwolves howled, activating her ability as the howl called moonlight down onto the others, healing their wounds while leaving her wounded and exhausted. Another warwolf picked up the healer as Ralph ordered, "Retreat to pack! Clarissa defend mate!" The warwolves ran off, wishing Clarissa good luck as they knew they'd only hold her back.

Free to fight, Clarissa snarled, "Henry is mine, you parasite! Mine!" Clarissa drove the shadows further into Vanessa, trying to

stop her bloodflow. Vanessa hissed, unleashing pressurized blood at the shadows long enough to escape, her irises going from red to crimson. "I am your better you dull creature!" Vanessa bellowed, "And I will not be bullied by a mangy little mutt!" Clarissa charged in with a growl while Vanessa readied a defensive maneuver. Clarissa attempted to hit Vanessa in the face with her claws. At the second to last moment, Vanessa lifted her arms before the claws connected, allowing her to leave Clarissa wide open before kneeing her so hard, she flew into the air. Clarissa gave a wolfish grin in response, sending bolts of shadow down onto Vanessa, who promptly dodged. However, the shadow bolts homed in on Vanessa, piercing her armor two times while being disoriented by the unseen attacks.

Vanessa, feeling the pain, hissed with indignation and removed her blood armor to increase her speed while Clarissa landed on her feet with a smirk, then staggered and began to pant as the pain from Vanessa's attack began to settle in for her. Vanessa and Clarissa resorted to physical blows at that point, both exhausted, both only thinking of nothing other than destroying the other. After three minutes of punches, kicks, claws, and fangs, they entered a momentary clash where they struggled against each other. "Leave Henry alone!" Clarissa shouted. "Never! You leave Henry be!" Vanessa retorted. "Over my dead body, corpse woman!" Clarissa threatened. "Tch!" Vanessa snarled, "You pathetic mutts don't understand the beauty of evolution!" Clarissa growled, "Evolution? What are you babbling about? Are you insane too? You disgusting creatures are a perversion of human bodies, unable to understand the value of honor and the warmth of family!" Vanessa laughed and pushed against Clarissa harshly. Vanessa exclaimed, "Ha! I'm a perversion? How feeble is your mind? You dogs are weaklings who lick each other's wounds to feel strong! You pathetic lot have no ambition, no desire for anything outside of the lives you all lost to descend to this pitiful state. You cling to the weakness of humanity, twisting it with the crude instinct of animals! A pox on all you wolf worshipers!" Clarissa pushed back, tipping the scales against Vanessa as she roared with rage. "How dare you insult my family, you filthy snake!" Clarissa bellowed. The two of them continued to push against each other until Vanessa noticed a lack of input and smirked. "If you love Henry so much, then why has he left?" Vanessa asked.

Clarissa's eyes widened before she headbutted Vanessa and pivoted, realizing that Henry snuck away. Clarissa fell to her knees, whimpering as tears streaked down her face, her will to fight diminished. Vanessa fell to her knees as well, finally releasing the tears she held back. Clarissa noticed this and bared her razor-sharp teeth at Vanessa. "How dare you show crocodile tears in my moment of sorrow," Clarissa stated accusingly. Vanessa sniffled and wiped the tears off her face. "They're real, you heartless fiend!" Vanessa shouted, failing to hold back her sniffling. Clarissa wanted to tear Vanessa apart, but she was too tired to continue and Vanessa felt the same. So, without another word, Clarissa walked past Vanessa, growling, "I'll give you this one chance to give up, parasite. Leave Henry alone. Or I will give you your final death at my claws! Henry was always mine. We grew up together and became close. He was always meant to be my partner. He is my right to claim, never yours. Honor it or die." While Clarissa left, Vanessa muttered under her breath, "You think I didn't account for your history, wolf? I will make Henry mine. I will give him everything he desires and more. He will be my king, my lover, my companion. I will enjoy watching the despair on your face as I free you of your lifeblood. You will not be missed, mutt." After that, these two, both as rivals and as two opposing forces, became mortal enemies.