Purebred

~Fender~

I opened my locker and thanked God that I didn’t see any head anymore in my locker since the last time that terrible thing happened and made Norah almost killed me. Somehow, I figured where Ms. Eve Denver went after that occasion. I’d never seen her since then.

But I thought I didn’t really care about that. My life seemed miserable enough even without ghost or wandering spirit or whatever that was. Ino still scared me off. If I saw him, I felt like I saw a reaper that wanted to rip my heart out. Yeah, he was my reaper after all. It made my life like hell more than enough. Sometimes I wanted to move to another school. But I had no reason. I was popular and nothing made me worried but Ino. Just Ino! And I couldn’t tell my parents that Ino would kill me if he knew that I was a werewolf.

So, I decided to live my life no matter how miserable it was.

Moreover, I still got no chance to get back to the team. I still couldn’t get my wolf under control. Sometimes when I got angry, I really wanted to eat someone. Fortunately, Frank was always there to help me. He was really my savior. I didn’t know until when, and I really missed being in the field.

I picked my math book, and then I saw my watch. 15 minutes to go to have a math class, I thought. I closed my locker with my proud smile, turned back, and suddenly I didn’t really scream, but said ‘whoa’ loudly like almost yelling. It was not a ghost. It was Norah that smiled to me.

I smiled back at her and chuckled, “I hate when you do that, Norah. You know I can’t notice a hunter lurking at me,” I complained.

She laughed back, “That’s why I love teasing you. How are you, Tiger?” she then kissed me with so much passion and I kissed her back.

Yeah, she was already my girlfriend. After several dates, she finally agreed. I’m handsome after all even though I’m a werewolf. She just couldn’t resist my charm. God, thanks for making my life a little bit easier by having her.

We suddenly heard two male vampires laughed while passing through us.

“He’s not a tiger, Baby. He’s a dog,” one of them said, and their laughter was going louder.

We stared at them and felt so upset. But I never imagined that Norah suddenly grabbed my wooden pencil in my shirt’s pocket and threw at the one who said that to me. Bullseye! The wooden pencil pierced into his neck. He screamed a bit with pain. Quickly, his friend pulled the pencil off his neck. I saw him bleeding and he tried to cover it by his hand.

I was thrilled. Luckily, that was fast and no one noticed that.

“What are you doing, Norah?” the other vampire protested with low voice.

Norah stared at them with her scary look and whispered, “Don’t create problems, Vampires! Ino may hear what you said earlier. I don’t want your carelessness to bring us any trouble. You understand?”

They didn’t say anything and went away. Norah then grabbed my hand and brought me to go.

“You shouldn’t have to do that, Norah. What if anybody sees you doing that?” I said.

“No one did, right? Don’t worry too much. Sometimes those cocky vampires should be given a lesson to just leave you alone, that you have me with you now,” she said.

I smiled, thinking about how lucky I was to have Norah as my girlfriend.

“What I said was right, Fender,” she explained, “Any careless thing may let Ino knows about your secret. I’m pretty sure that I can’t help you if Ino really knows about you. If he wants to let you die, then you’ll die.” I saw her face was pretty serious.

I nodded, “I know that. Thanks for caring so much.”

She looked at me, “You’re my boyfriend after all.”

“Norah, about Ino…do you think he will leave the town someday?” I asked, more like sharing my wish.

“I don’t know, Fender. He is ordered to keep the town still in its peace. For me, it seems like the task will keep him in this town for a quite long time,” she explained.

I sighed, “Then, until when can I hide from him?” I thought desperately.

She stopped in front of me, the smiled widely. She held my face with her gentle touch, “Be patient. In few months you will graduate. You can find a college in Skyfall City. At least Ino is not around you.”

“But I’ll leave you,” I said.

She chuckled, “Don’t be stupid, Fender. A year later, I will catch you up.”

Then I smiled after she encouraged me that way, “You’re right,” then I kissed her and she kissed me back.

But suddenly, I stopped my kiss, making her rise her eyebrows. I began to sniff, and then my eyes started to wander around. She asked about what was going on.

I kept sniffing, focus on what I smelled. I didn’t answer Norah’s question. I just went to follow my instinct. Norah just followed me from behind and stopped asking. I kept walking until finally I stopped. Several meters away, there was a headmaster’s room. My heart suddenly beat fast. And when I heard the door was cracking and began to open, I was thrilled.

I saw a boy. He was tall with a brown hair. He looked so sturdy, but his eyes were soft. He looked at me and for a glimpse, I could see his eyes turned gold. He then put his finger on his lips, just like asking someone to be quiet. After that I knew…

He’s a werewolf, I told myself.

***

~Mystery Man~

There was no other thing that could make Frank so much worried but seeing Ino Rays had a secret conversation with his loyal friend, Sergey. They both seemed so serious, talking about something in the parking lot where Sergey’s Ferrari was parked. Frank and his two friends, Sam and Walter, were trying hard to eavesdrop from far away, but they gained nothing.

“They’re really whispering. I can’t hear their chat with all the crowded here,” Sam complained, while feeling afraid to get close enough to them.

“They’re smart, Sam. They know all vampires here can hear what they say if they talk loudly,” Frank said, his eyes kept staring at Ino and Sergey, studying their lips movement. “I know that Ino still has his suspicion on Fender,” he explained and sighed.

Walter leaned on the wall. His face looked so worried and terrible, “So what are we going to do, Frank? Recently, that Sergey guy often comes here. He often asks the other vampires about Fender and Angelica’s disappearing. They really do have suspicion on Fender,” he said.

Sam nodded quickly, “Of course they do. Is it because how Fender acts for this whole time? You know that his carelessness made Norah knew about his secret,” he tried to make a pattern.

“But Ino didn’t do anything. He may be suspicious but he keeps silent. I’m still wondering what’s in his mind anyway,” Frank said, “What does he really want?” he wondered.

Sam and Walter raised their shoulder together, and then they both began to look at each other.

Suddenly Sergey looked at the three of them. He smiled and waved his hand passionately. He then yelled, “Hello, Fellas!” Ino also looked at them, but without saying anything or showing some sort of expression. He was flat as ever. Sergey suddenly pulled Ino and walked toward them.

Sam and Walter held each other hand. Their body trembled.

“Should we run away, Frank?” Sam asked.

Frank stared at them, “No need. We don’t have to be afraid of them.”

“You don’t know the feeling to be thrown to the unknown dimension, Frank,” Walter said, remembering how terrible he was when that bad thing happened.

“You don’t know the feeling when Ino threw a shuriken right into your neck and tried to cut your throat with his sword!” Frank countered, and they both were in silence, realizing that what Frank faced was much more terrible than what they underwent.

Sergey waved his hand again when they already near the three of them. He didn’t stop smiling, “Hi, Old friends. How’s life?” he greeted.

“Still trying to get the clue about the alpha?” Frank asked, trying to create another attention among them.

“How about you, Damon?” Ino asked back, “Do you have something?”

Frank showed his know-nothing face, “Nothing particular,” he replied.

“By the way, where’s your friend Fender?” Ino asked again, made them suddenly felt a little more anxious while their eyes grew larger. But they could control themselves.

“I have no idea. Maybe he’s with Norah now,” Frank answered.

“What’s with the tense? We’re not going to eat you anyway,” Sergey chuckled with his boring joke for them. None of them laughed so he quickly stopped his laughter.

Ino smiled a bit and nodded, “See you later then. Please send my greeting to Fender.”

Both of them turned back and walked a bit fast away from those vampires. Several times Ino turned his head and looked back to Frank. They saw each other with an odd sight.

Sergey whispered again when he thought that they had already had a far gap between them, “That Fender…he’s close to your hunter friend Norah, right?”

“I heard they are dating,” Ino answered.

“Do you think perhaps Norah knows something?” Sergey wondered.

Ino raised his shoulders a bit, “Yeah, perhaps,” he said.

***

~Fender~

Meanwhile in the male locker room, that boy brought us and locked the door immediately while no other people in that room. He switched on all the showers, letting the water poured to the ground.

“You’re a…” I began to speak, but suddenly he asked me to stopped talking again.

“Lower your voice, please,” he asked politely, then he began to speak in a very low voice, “I know you know me. Every werewolf can recognize their own kind. I brought you here in a purpose, to not let those vampires know about me. My name is Ivan Jovanov,” he said.

“I’m Fe…”

But he cut my words right before I finished it, “I know. You’re Fender Luts, and she’s Norah Levin, a hunter. I already studied this town, including this school. I’m new student here,” he explained.

I winced, “But…I think that those vampires can recognize us?” I asked.

He shook his head, “No, my friend. They can’t. They don’t have the ability to recognize something by its smell just like we do. They can only smell blood, that’s all.”

So, it seems that Sam or Walter perhaps talked about me being a werewolf at the first time and so those vampires knew, I thought and sighed.

“You said you have studied this town, but I never saw you here before,” Norah asked with her wincing eyes.

Ivan nodded, the smiled a bit, “Yes, Ms. Levin. I used to live in another country to the east, a small one. The vampires dominate the city and they have zero tolerate for werewolves. My family has searched for a town where we can find peace. It’s been 10 years until my father find this town. Fortunately, my mother has a friend, a family of fairy that lives here. They gave us information. We heard that a werewolf can be best friend with a vampire. I think it’s you, Fender, since you are the only werewolf in this town,” he explained.

I nodded, “One thing you’re right and some things you’re wrong, Buddy. I am a werewolf and my best friend Frank is a vampire. But I used to be a human and we’ve been a best friend ever since. So, you’re first mistake is there’s no pure werewolf and vampire friendship, even in this peaceful town. They all actually hate werewolf. They, except Frank and his friends, even hate me when they knew I was a werewolf although they didn’t hate me when I was a human. They respect me just because of Frank. He’s a very noble vampire in this town since his father is a pureblood,” I explained, and I began to raise my two fingers when I tried to continue my explanation, “Second mistake,” I said, “There are more werewolves in this town beside me and they are evil. It’s because the evil alpha that also turned me into this misery,” I sighed, “Actually, I don’t know if there are still more betas in this town since the previous ones we encountered, they were slain by a necromancer and it relieved me somehow,” I said.

“Yes, I agree with that,” Ivan said, “And I have heard about the alpha recently. But still, this town is the most peaceful. I learned about history of this town.”

“But still, my friend, there were an occasion between werewolves and vampires, causing all werewolves to move out the town,” I said the contrary, “Probably, I can tell you a story or two about the dark side of this town, especially about werewolf. I don’t want to wash away your hope, your families, but I just want you to know for you to not put a very high hope.”

Norah suddenly cleared her throat, “By the way, Fender, I think Ivan and his family have already calculated everything so that they finally decided to move here.”

Ivan nodded quickly, “Ms. Levin is right. That’s why I asked you both to keep quiet because I don’t want every single vampire in this town knows about me,” he explained. “I just hope that this peaceful town can give us peace that my family seeks for a long time because no other place as peaceful as Moonlight Hills. That’s all.”

I imagined that it was hard to live as werewolf. As the rarest creature, we are often being bullied by others, especially vampires since they hate us the most. We feel insecure, wherever we are. Some chose to try to overpower the others just because of the insecurity, just like werewolves in Moonlight Hills did long ago. Some chose to keep searching for the peace, even though it was very hard to obtain. Sometimes I thought that I regretted being a werewolf. I just could hope, someday there would be true peace in Moonlight Hills, even between werewolves and vampires.

I sighed, thinking about my miserable life. I hated that since the beginning, I hadn’t found happiness. What I felt was fear, anxious, insecure, and else. I questioned myself, until when would I have to be like that.

“So, Mr. Jovanov…” Norah started the conversation.

But Ivan suddenly interrupted, “Please, call me Ivan.”

Norah smiled faintly, “I will do that if you just call me Norah,” she asked, and then her smile was wider when she saw Ivan nodded. “I just want to know about you and your family. Could you please share us your story?” she asked again.

Ivan nodded, “Of course,” he agreed, and then he began to speak, “My family is a purebred. You all know purebred, right?” he asked.

I nodded, “Yeah, just like Carter.”

“Yes, Carter Dale! His family is also a purebred. I have learned about werewolf families of this town,” he said.

“By the way, Ivan, I’m just curious about purebred. They said that purebreds are born with the curse. How could that happen?” I questioned. My curiosity began to overtake my mind, but I liked it.

“Actually, it’s forbidden for us to know about that ancient story. But sometimes I also felt so curious about how werewolves and purebreds existed in this world,” he explained and paused for a moment, “I heard…that it was a God’s wrath that curse the whole town into a man wolf. I don’t know exactly, it’s only a rumor.”

God’s wrath, I thought. It seemed so frightening that God turn every single man in one town into a werewolf.

Ivan chuckled a bit, “Can we please talk about other things? It makes me thrilled,” he said.

“I heard that werewolf is hardly to have a child. Do you have any brothers and sisters?” Norah asked again.

Ivan nodded, “You’re right. We werewolves are difficult to have children. It took 25 years of marriage for my parents to have me as their first kid. 10 years again just to have my little brother. And 15 years to have my youngest sister,” he said, “Don’t be amazed. We purebreds have a quite long life. My parents are lucky. Most purebreds have only a child for the rest of their lives, and it usually takes about 30 to 40 years,” he added.

Norah stepped toward him until they were close enough, made me felt weird about that. “How old are you?” she asked.

“If I were a human, I’m still 17 now. But actually, I have lived for 35 years,” he answered, “But every purebred’s growth is not the same.”

I cleared my throat, making Ivan suddenly stepped back, “What about me? I’m just a mutt werewolf?” I asked.

Somehow Ivan felt a bit nervous. Maybe it was because how Norah acted previously. I wondered why she did that in front of me, her own boyfriend.

He hummed, “For mutt werewolf? Normally…purebred’s life is longer. It takes time for mutt werewolf to age like a werewolf, depends on your body condition since you have to adapt the total changing of your whole body,” he explained. He then looked at Norah and chuckled, “Are you afraid that Fender can’t give you children when you marry?” he asked, I didn’t know whether he was joking or not.

He was actually right. Somehow it worried me if Norah was really thinking about that. But she didn’t answer.

Suddenly my cell phone vibrated. I quickly took it from my pants pocket then saw who had just texted me. I read that carefully and then I sighed.

“Who’s that, Fender?” Norah asked.

I looked at her then answered, “Frank. He reminds me that full moon is three days away. God, I totally forget about that.”

“Yes, I also forget,” Norah said.

I sighed desperately, “I hate full moon. It’s going to be my worst night ever. Actually, I have more concern about Angelica.”

“That girl,” Norah whispered, “Fender, you’d better stay out of this. Ino will be around and you know the reason why you shouldn’t be around,” she got her point.

“By the way,” Ivan spoke, made the two of us looked at them as he continued his words, “I can help you control your wolf. I can train you, Fender.”

“Really?” I sighed. Is it an enlightenment, I thought.

He nodded, “I can help you for sure. It’s not going to be easy, but…”

Suddenly I grasped his hands with tears of joy. I was too much. I didn’t cry. With a very wide smile and the happiest face I ever had of my werewolf life, I spoke, “I’ll take that, whatever it is.”

“So, you can come to my house at the dawn on the full moon day, three days away,” he said.

We were surprised by the sudden knocking on the locked door. Firstly, we just stayed still. But when the knocking sound was getting louder and more upset, Norah quickly unlocked the door and opened it.

A middle-aged guy with a green hat, training outfit, and an obvious red whistle frowned. Mr. Simpson, my football coach, stood with his arms akimbo, “What are you doing here? Having a threesome?” he asked and I just wanted to laugh hearing that.