A werewolf
“Roxanne… You are a werewolf…”
As Melissa said those words Roxanne felt a loud bang in her head. Her ears became hot and a slight pain began to emanate from her chest. She was hearing the words directly from her mother, yet she didn’t want to accept it.
“N-No… That is… That’s not true! Grandma, that’s not true, is it?” Roxanne said, turning to Linda, desperate for answers.
“I’m sorry dear… But your mother speaks the truth.” Linda answered.
Hearing her grandmother say the same thing made her heart throb even more with a painful sensation that was foreign to her. This was crazy, it had to be. But, after everything she had seen… Was it actually all real? Was she truly a… A.. A Werewolf?!
“I’m sorry I kept it from you all this time. Your father and I decided on it several years ago after we had you. We decided to live our lives away from the pack, and just be a normal, happy couple. You see, Roxanne… Your father and I belonged to different packs at the time, and they were not unified. That’s why our union was not accepted by our respective packs. We decided to move to a different place to start over. And then when we had you… Our joy knew no bounds. But we knew, raising you as a human, without the environment of the pack, you had to be human.
“I’m sorry Roxanne. Your father and I lied to you all these years, but we did it because we just wanted you to be happy… To live your life without all the craziness of being who we are…” Melissa said as tears dripped from her eyes and her voice broke into sobs.
Roxanne was left speechless. All her life… She always knew she was different. Of course, not in the aspect of supernatural phenomena or anything of the sort, but she could feel it in her bones. Unlike other girls, she had an intense interest in sports and physical activities. Her strength, speed, stamina and concentration was just incomparable to others, even as a child. Her blue hair and eyes also made her stand out, but all those things didn’t bother her much. Her parents were there for her and they always made her feel special. On a few occasions, when her curiosity reached its limits, she would ask her father a question.
“Daddy, why am I different from others?”
Her father would smile at her every time and tell her that everyone was different from one another.
“See Jade? She has freckles all over her nose. Do you have freckles Roxanne?” Her father would ask.
“Oh, come on dad, don’t be silly. Of course I don’t ” She would answer.
“What about Paul? He has that huge build. Are you huge like he is?” He would ask again.
She would tell him, ‘obviously not’!
He would ask her strings of questions involving her classmates, her neighbours, her friends and ask the same questions. And every time, she would respond with ‘No’
“See, Roxanne? Everyone has something the other doesn’t have… That’s what makes us unique and special. You have something they don’t and they have something you don’t” He would say.
“But dad… Jade and Nina both have freckles, and a lot of people like Paul have huge bodies… But why am I the only one who doesn’t have anyone else like me?” She would ask again, unsure of her father’s words.
But he always had an answer for everything.
“Don’t worry Roxanne. I’m sure somewhere out in the world there are people like you… You just haven’t met them yet.” He always said,
And now, here she was… Standing in a place filled with them. She was a Werewolf and now she was surrounded by people like her. Her mother trembled as her hands shook on her shoulders. Roxanne watched as her mother sobbed in regret and pain. Did her mother think she was angry?
“Mom… It’s okay. I-I get it…” Roxanne said, holding her mother’s shaky hands as she brought them down from her shoulders.
Melissa looked at Roxanne with shock as she saw Roxanne smiling softly.
For some weird reason, Roxanne didn’t feel any sort of anger or bitterness toward her mother. She was even angrier when she saw her mother kissing another man, or her mother taking the last cheese sandwich in the fridge than she was now. Rather, it was the opposite that happened now.
“Thank you for telling me. I finally understand now… What dad meant…” She smiled with a relieved look.
Melissa was lost for words and tears busted for the even more as she cried uncontrollably in Roxanne’s arms.
It took a while to calm Melissa down, but after the entire drama, the next thing had to take place.
“You should know that Lord Asher doesn’t want you to remain in the pack. It pains me to say, but you’ll have to leave this place as soon as possible” Dax said.
Melissa and Linda nodded slowly. They knew this much already. Asher allowed them to see Roxanne, but his position remained unchanged. They couldn’t defy his order, and they also couldn’t escape with Roxanne. They could only strive to reach an agreement.
“W-We understand…” Linda said.
“But we have a condition!” Melissa said with a firm tone.
“Oh? Let’s hear it” Dax replied.
“Let us remain here, to help guide Roxanne, at least until she ‘Awakens’.” Melissa declared.
Dax sighed upon hearing this.
“I believe I already told you, Rita is an excellent guide and instructor. I assure you, your daughter is in capable hands” Dax reasoned.
“You are well aware of the customs, aren’t you, Young man?” Linda asked Dax..
Dax nodded affirmatively.
“Then you must understand what it means to undergo ‘Awakening’. It is not a role given to another, except one’s flesh and blood. It does not matter how good your wife is. Tradition demands that her family guide her on her transition.” Linda explained.
“I am well aware of that fact, but…” Dax argued.
“Roxanne needs us, as her family.” Melissa pressed further.
Dax looked uncomfortable upon hearing this and looked toward Rita for her opinion on the matter. She nodded in agreement and smiled confidently at him.
“Fine, but we also have one condition. Only one of you can remain here. You may choose among yourselves, but we can only allow one of you to stay” Dax started.
Linda and Melissa nodded with a sad smile. They expected this much, and they were already prepared for it.
“Then let my mother remain”
“Then let my daughter stay behind”
Melissa and Linda respectively stated their thoughts at the same time.
They both looked at each other, surprised by their answer.
“But mom, the agreement was for Roxanne to learn the truth from you.” Melissa said to Linda, her face demanding her explanation.
“The situation has changed Melissa. Besides… It is only proper for you to guide her, after all you’re her mother. This is how it should be, just as it has always been!” Linda said, giving her daughter a knowing look.
Melissa understood the gravity behind her grandmother’s words and sighed in defeat. There was no way she could win against Linda anyway. In the end, she just had to do it. However, this made her feel happy and excited. A secret she had to hide from her daughter was now open. She could finally reveal a whole lot of things to Roxanne.
“Alright mom. I accept this responsibility” She replied, looking determined.
“I assume you’ve all come to a consensus?” Dax asked in order to confirm their decision.
“Yes. I accept to remain behind and undertake my role as Roxanne’s instructor! I want to be the one to help her ‘Awaken’!” Melissa said with resolve.
Dax let out a slight smile and nodded.
“So be it. I’ll speak to Lord Asher on your behalf. In the meantime, you should all relax and make yourselves comfortable. I have other business to attend to, but my wife will make sure to entertain you properly” He said.
Dax took his leave, putting Rita in charge of the visitors in his stead. As he stepped out and embraced the cold winds of winter, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction in how the conversation progressed. If only Asher could be more diplomatic in his approach.
“Speaking of Asher, how do I tell him that one of them is staying behind? Ah… The thought of our conversation is already giving me the chills.” Dax thought to himself.
He was content with the results of the agreement though. Roxanne needed to be with her family during this period. After all, this would be a major turning point of her life and would determine everything for her in werewolf society.
To ‘Awaken’ meant to call out one’s inner wolf and become one with it. It is through this ritual that a werewolf finally becomes able to transform into their wolf alternates and obtain even greater prowess.
Dax couldn’t help but get excited about this new development.
“She was strong enough to bruise me and keep up with my speed without Awakening. I wonder… Just what kind of beast she’ll be once she becomes one with herself completely” He smiled to himself, dashing away from the front of his house with his superhuman speed, disappearing into the snow and wind.
“So… What now” Roxanne asked her mother and grandmother who smiled at her.
“There’s something you should know Roxanne… Your fate with that Alpha, Asher… It’s not possible to fight it” Linda said to her granddaughter.
“Oh, come on. Not you too!” Roxanne groaned as she heard those words from her.
“Listen to me Roxanne… The mate of a werewolf runs even deeper than ordinary ‘love’ in human terms. It is a connection between two, driven by destiny and made by fate. The more you struggle, the harder it will be for you.” Linda said with a concerned tone.
“Grandma, Mom, you’ve met Asher. Do you really think he’s the one for me? Really? Him?!” She said with a disgusted look.
“To be honest, I don’t like him one bit…” Linda smiled.
“Me neither…” Melissa agreed.
“…But…” They both said.
“You can’t fight destiny, Roxanne”
As they said those words, Roxanne couldn’t help but break out a wild laugh. She loved it when people gave her a challenge and told her she couldn’t do something. It only made her want to do it even more.
“Why don’t you watch me then?” She resolved within herself, ready to fight even the fate that seemed to tie her and Asher together.
“I won’t lose… Not even to destiny!”