BLOOD OF THE FIRST

CHAPTER 09

I had recently just found out about Rhea and Raya when the war broke out. I don’t know what it is about Rhea, but her being a weremage doesn’t sit right with me. She didn’t give off the pure aura I felt from her sister.

Moreover, she didn’t see anything concerning me. That was very concerning, because weremages of each clan see visions in relation to their leader. How we’ve managed to survive that long without a weremage was because I was a special wolf—or a cursed wolf, considering the past years have been nothing but horror. I needed to protect the identity of Raya; when she spoke, I felt something within me wanting to listen to her.

She mentioned something about a Luna. Now that I’m out of that poisoned cage, something within me suddenly prioritized finding the so-called Luna.

I should probably head home first, but I trust Rob to take charge; the people would be fine. He’s young but capable, and Kiara is there to guide him. I know she doesn’t fully trust Rob, but she loves that boy like she’d love a brother, so I have no doubt they will do great.

It’s been a month since that girl broke me out. The relics those weremages used on me had greatly weakened me; I'm no longer in control. I need to find a way to shift back to my human form before the full moon, which is in two days' time.

That girl.

What was she?

She was able to bring me control. I remember the fear in her eyes when she was first thrown into the cage. Something in her eyes made me drag her further into the cage, and I was right. Her eyes glowed in the darkness of the cage, and I didn’t know what pushed me, but I clawed her and she passed out. A silver-like liquid seeped out from her wound, and that was when I realized that she had been poisoned, but I have no idea what kind of poison it was.

The next minute, she produced claws—terrifying white claws—and she stood up as if in a trance, her features changing to a ghostlike kind. I can remember my wolf stirring, like she belonged to us. She made a mark on my paw, and images of my family, my clan, all came rushing back. I had become a beast already, but she made me regain my senses, and she immediately fell back down again. She was asleep for two days, and those two days were the first time since I’ve been caged that I didn’t howl nor feel the urge to kill.

The people outside were curious too. I could hear the cowards' voices from my cage.

“Is she dead?”

“Did he also die?”

“Do we need to check?”

I lost interest in them because I have better plans for them. Right there, my attention was just on the frail-looking human girl asleep peacefully in my cage.

When she came to, on the third day, all traces of fear in her were gone. She looked at me curiously, touched my fur, studied me, and I allowed her. I could remember the bruises on her; how I had the urge to kill whoever did those to her.

Whatever transition she underwent during her sleep really sharpened her features; she looked like she had aged two years. Her look was more mature and stubborn.

She didn’t speak to me, only circled me like she was memorizing my wolf. Her scent was the only thing registered in my head. Then, she walked out like she owned the cave. If I was still at home, I’d have definitely wanted her beside me.

My wolf tingled excitedly at the fear those cowards felt when she demanded the cage be opened and she stepped out, leaving only her scent.

I thought that would be the last day I would see her until the day she came to free me. Her scent was the first thing I felt, and I ran excitedly to the entrance, and there she was, tearing down the vines like they meant nothing. She had become prettier too. I did the first thing anyone who had been released from bondage would do: I charged for the woods, running away madly.

Thinking back, I should have followed her, because she looked like she was also escaping. It doesn’t matter anymore. I need to focus on finding the Luna, whoever she is. I’ve been following my heart for a month now and I am no longer sure if it’s steering me in the right direction.

I felt the presence of another wolf. I laid low, waiting and baiting. It was a grey wolf, average size… I was about to lunge at it when it shifted into a little boy.

Confusion settled in me. How is his wolf that big?

It might be a trap. I circled him threateningly, but he showed no fear, only curiosity and excitement.

Those eyes.

Where have I seen them before?

“Wowwww!” he exclaimed excitedly, looking up at me in wonder.

“You ARE the Demon Wolf,” he said in amazement.

It’s no news that everyone knows about me. I'm the first of my kind. The biggest wolf in history.

“Hello,” he said, stretching out his hand. “Oh, I'm sorry,” he said again, realizing I can’t shake him. So he shifted into his wolf and touched my paw with his—the way warriors do.

Who is this kid? Where are his parents? And most importantly, how old is he?

Boys turn earlier than girls, but this boy doesn’t look old enough to have found his wolf, and how on earth is his wolf this big? I could have sworn he was a man.

He shifted again and said with the cutest eyes I've ever seen, “Piggy ride?”

It somehow reminded me of Rob, so I grunted and bent for him to climb, and he giggled excitedly.

“I knew you weren’t a bad wolf,” he said.

The boy, whose name I've still not learned, is a talkative one. He’s from the Lancaster Clan. He’s an orphan; said his dad recently died, and went silent after that. He continued again with everything going on in his clan: his best friend Marlow, his crush Susan, his other crush Mel, his enemy Baz, the games he enjoys playing, the boys he’s scared of, the fighting skills he knows, how high he could jump… coupled with a lot of exaggeration. At intervals, he asks me questions, then goes ahead to answer them for himself.

A weird one, I must say, but I don’t mind the company. He’s a good storyteller.

He has been the one giving directions to a certain secret place he has been staying, and when we got there, I was stunned. How did he manage to do all this? He answered me, though, like he knew what I was thinking.

He literally packed everything in his house down here. Then, everything else was stolen. I gave a disapproving grunt when he showed me the stolen food.

“Come on, Demon Wolf, I'm a kid. I have a big appetite. How am I supposed to survive?” he said innocently.

I was about to retreat to a corner when I noticed his ears prickling. People are here. He sensed them before I did.

“Go there, quick. They must not find you,” he told me, and if I were in my human form I’d have scoffed. But just to amuse him, I moved into the corner he pointed to, hidden from view.

I saw two young boys, although very much bigger than him, come around.

“Well, well… who do we have here?” the orange-haired one said.

“It’s Rion’s little fucker,” the other one I couldn’t see properly responded.

“I’d go away if I were you,” my companion said.

“And why’s that?” the orange-haired boy asked.

“Because my uncle will soon be here and he doesn’t like strangers,” my companion responded.

“Oh yeah? What’s he gonna do?” the orange-haired boy asked again.

“I’ll show you,” my companion responded and moved away from my view. I didn’t know where he went, but he came back in his wolf form looking intimidating, and the boys ran away in fright.

He shifted back and started laughing uncontrollably. He came to me and said, “Did you see that? I scared them away.”

I knew he was looking for a compliment, so I ruffled his hair with my mouth.

He tried to run from my grip. “Nooo, not my hair,” he whined, but I knew he loved it.

It’s night and, after much talking, he slept off using my body as his cushion.

I looked at the bracelet he had put on me before he slept.

“It was my dad's. I’d love you to have it since we’re friends now,” he had said.

I moved out when he was deeply asleep to just look at the sky, when I felt a stinging pain on my paw. The bracelet was drawing energy from the moon and it stings badly. I was fighting to take it off when I felt my body changing painfully. My growling woke the boy up, and he came outside looking terrified.

I completely shifted back to my human form, and the bracelet adjusted like it was made for me.

I stood up fully, basking in the pleasure of being human again. I turned to look at my companion, whose fear had turned into fascination.

I moved closer to him and knelt down.

“Hello, friend. I’m Lord Xander, the Demon Wolf. What’s your name?” I asked him, stretching my hand toward him.

“My name is Luca,” he said, taking my hand.

“What are you really doing here, Luca?” I asked him.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked up at me.

“I'm looking for my sister, Freya.”