The ground beneath my paws felt amazing, the rush from running bringing a feeling of joy throughout my entire body. As I ran, I could see everything as clear as day: the bark on the trees, every blade of grass. These were things I had never noticed before. I still had no idea what was going on. Instead, I was running on instinct. I could hear the others nearby. I could feel them as if they were a part of me.

(You see, my sweet pup, this  is why I had to wait to tell you anything.) I heard my aunt say. Hearing her in my head was still strange. The others were quiet, but I could feel them listening in. Every so often, I could see one of them come near me, but not close enough to really make them out.

(Where are Erin and Ally?) I asked, looking around me as I continued to run. It was only when I looked to my right that I realized that I was following the same stream that I had followed yesterday. I wondered if we were going to the lake. I could smell it even though it was still another mile away. As I jumped over the stream, I noticed something. One of the wolves was running towards me.

(We are here, little Michi) I heard Ally say. I could feel the warmth of her words brushing across my mind. Just knowing there she was out there made me feel less restless. I could feel Erin there as well, though she did not speak.

(You look so different than the others, Michala, even me.) Aunt Brenda. Looking at her, I was surprised. She was almost pure white. Her coat glimmered in the moonlight. Her irises had a golden glow. (I can understand your surprise. It isn’t often that anyone sees a wolf around Missouri, let alone a white wolf.) she said proudly.

(So, does this means that my mom and dad were also wolves?) I asked curiously. Aunt Brenda didn’t answer right away, but I could feel her thinking of how to respond. For just a moment, I saw a tear run down her snout. I could feel her despair.

(Your mom was yes, but your dad….was something else. I will tell you more about it later. Right now, you need to focus, use your senses. What do you smell? What do you hear?) she said, yet again avoiding answering my question directly. I wanted to argue, but at this moment, I listened, followed her orders. I took a moment to smell the air. I could smell the dirt, the grass, and the lake. There was also a small hint of honeysuckle.

As I was smelling the air, I caught the scent of something that made me stop in my tracks. It was a warm and inviting scent. It made me begin to feel very hungry. It was coming from my left side. Without warning, I started dashing in that direction, following the sweet scent, my body moving at a faster pace than I thought it could. Then I heard a small heartbeat. As I continued, I finally saw it.

In the middle of an opening, there was a rabbit. It was unusual for a rabbit to be out at this time of night. As I continued following the scent, I realized in horror what I was tracking. It was the rabbit. I couldn’t believe that I was hunting the rabbit. It must have heard me because it started sprinting away. Despite my disbelief, my instincts were in the drivers’ seat. The poor thing wasn’t fast enough for me. In one leap, I caught the rabbit in mid-jump. Without a second thought and before I could stop myself, I had begun eating it. I felt horrified at what I was doing. Why would I want to eat the rabbit? And then it hit me. I was a wolf, a hunter. What was I going to do around people? Did my aunt and cousins eat people?

I started crying, only what came out was the sound of a dog whimpering. I felt like a monster. This was when aunt Brenda came into my mind again. (We are not monsters, little one. I know there is a lot you don’t understand right now, but we will help you know in time. Now please come back, everyone is waiting near the lake.) Reluctantly I started heading back to the stream. I had no issues seeing in the dark.

After a few more minutes, I cleared the woods and saw the other wolves standing around near the lake. It was intimidating seeing all of them there. And then there was my aunt standing in the center. Slowly I walked up to them, unsure of what to do.

(Before we proceed, little one, please go look at your reflection in the lake.) Aunt Brenda said as she looked at the lake. I walked past the other wolves as I came to the water’s edge. The moonlight gave off a red glow on the surface of the water. Slowly I looked down at the water, and for the first time, I saw exactly what I looked like. Although I had the physical traits of a wolf, I noticed something very different. I did not have any fur, and my irises had a red glow to them. My skin was almost as black as night. It was like looking at a hellhound.

(What…..am…I?) I asked in disbelief. Why did I look so different? Not only was I a creature out of a fairytale, but I was also a freak even by fairytale standards.

(My child, you are more than a werewolf. As I said before, your mother was a wolf, but your father was a vampire. This is why your form is different than ours. However, fear not, the pack knew what to expect before you were even born.) Aunt Brenda said as she walked up next to me. The image in the water was like looking at good versus evil. Her words did not comfort me. It only showed that there were more secrets about my parents that I didn’t know.

(We felt the same way before we changed too. Mom threatened to lock us in our room until we were old because we hounded her so much.) Erin said. Another wolf walked up next to me. Their fur coat had patches of different colors. I could feel that this was Erin. As she looked at me, I could see her irises. They had a pink glow. It was very odd.

(Now, it is time. Please go to the center of the circle.) Aunt Brenda said that only she did not go to the center before walking back to the other wolves. Erin joined her, sending me warm, comforting feelings. Slowly I walked back towards the other wolves walking into the center of the circle. All the other wolves lowered their heads, including my aunt. This was not what I was expecting.

As everyone stood around, bowing their heads, the wind started to pick up. It began spinning around us like a tornado. Storm clouds covered the night sky, and lightning began to dart across the clouds. In a flash of light, someone appeared before us. It was a beautiful woman dressed in weird robes. Her body was covered in a bright glow. She looked like one of those angels that you saw in stained glass windows.

Everyone stayed quiet as the woman approached me, her eyes fixated on me like someone who had just found the last diamond in the entire world. Slowly she reached down and touched my head touch was warm. It felt like my insides were dancing. For just a moment, all the pain and anger inside me melted away.