Werewolf Legend

Ace groaned and tied his hair with his handkerchief.

"Many years ago, there was a time when wolves were treated as slaves by humans. They used wolves to hunt food for them and to protect them from other wild animals. Though the wolves served their masters faithfully, humans never treated them in the right way.

As years passed, wolves started becoming jealous of humans as they could talk, walk on two legs, earn money, wear beautiful clothes and mainly, the wolves hated the human brain's ability to think. All the wolves secretly tried walking on two limbs and read like humans. Our forefather who saw his own kind struggling decided to pray to nature."

"His Kind? So...." Nina uttered but couldn't complete the sentence because she herself was confused. She didn't understand how that was possible as James was a human, sitting in front of her, but his ancestor wasn't.

Ignoring her question, James continued as he knew that she would know about it later on. "He prayed to the forest, mountains, sun, sky, rain, fire and almost pleaded every nature element asking why there was such difference in their creation. None of them responded, but the Moon Goddess, who acknowledged his struggle and perseverance to help his kind, showed up in front of him on a full moon day.

On listening to how they were turned as puppets by the humans, Moon Goddess gifted the wolves of that forest an ability to convert into humans on their wish, that is how we, werewolves came into existence."

Nina immediately ran to the corner of the room and looked at Ace. "So, So...you....you....are....werewolf.." uttering that she collapsed. Ace and James rushed to her and sprinkled water on her face. Though both of them knew about that kind of response from her, it was necessary and essential for her to know about them.

Nina slowly opened her eyes and backed off on seeing Ace. The reaction from her was like an arrow pierced in the heart. The girl who kissed, hugged and wanted to live with him was now terrified of his appearance. Deciding to go a little far from her, Ace stood up, but a hand caught his leg.

"Aaaaace.....help me stand up!" Nina whispered. Upon hearing that, his heart lightened, and he helped her as she asked.

After all, sat again in the same positions, James continued, "The werewolves enjoyed their ability to transform for a few years. Little did they realize that every gift has its price. Problems started arising one after the other. The main issue was money, as the children were born as humans. To take care of them, the parents stayed in the human form too.

Being human, they required money for food, clothing and shelter. Despite having many other problems such as forcefully transformation on a full moon day and the disappearance of strength as a human, money was the major issue as human food was necessary for children.

It was then werewolves started attacking humans for money. Stealing food from restaurants and money from houses, they gathered the wealth for survival. In the midst of this, some humans were killed, and a few were bitten by them.

But, it was on the next full moon day that werewolves understood that there was punishment for that as well. The people, who were bitten, turned into werewolves, and the werewolves, who killed the human race, were made to undergo a series of transformations. Though it seems like a night for the outsiders, the werewolf bearing the punishment would be in an illusion that every minute is a day. Basically, the person would be continuously converting from wolf to human and then from human to wolf for approximately four hundred days."

Nina was listening, keening to every word James uttered, while Ace was casually hearing as most of it was already known to him.

"Ace, you should also carefully listen to what I will be telling now, as you are also not aware of this. The next important thing that we are different from humans is marriage. All are werewolves have their destined partners. Both of them would be awakened on a fine full moon day when they are in wolf form."

"What if we don't want them as our partners?" Ace inquired immediately.

James grinned and sighed, "Kids of this generation! So, you love someone... Fine!! But, the moment you awake, you and your wolf partner will be in the wolf form, and the beast inside you starts heating up, urging for mating. Once both are marked, your hearts are connected and that bond will continue until one of them dies. You won't understand it now, but just know that it's a strong bond."

Ace's hands shivered to listen to that. He realized that not only Nina but he would also be destined to someone. Nina scratched her head, not understanding why a human-like her is involved in all these werewolf matters. She felt that if she wasn't sent to the damn village, she wouldn't have to bear a breakup. "Why am I involved in this?" she demanded, annoyed with the whole situation.

"You are destined to be Luna," James replied calmly.

"Luna?" Ace and Nina asked at that same time.

"The Alpha's bride is called Luna."

"What? I am a bride to whom? Alpha? Who is he?" she asked, confused with the naming convention.

"Czar's father, the village head and the leader of the pack." Ace answered without any expression.

"What? That old, fat, ugly and stubborn man. But wait, why is he trying to make his son marry me?"

"What? Andrew is trying to do that." James immediately stood and yelled, slamming the table hard.

Nina sighed loudly, fed up with the whole situation and chaos.

"What happened, uncle?"

Glancing at both of them, he sat down, controlling himself. "Nina, you aren't the bride of the present Alpha; You are the bride of the next Alpha, who will be awakened on the full moon day."

"Do you mean that he is sleeping now?" Nina questioned restlessly, grinning her teeth and flaring her nostrils.

James shrugged, discovering the arrogance in Nina's voice. However, he understood her feelings and replied calmly and smoothly, "I didn't mean that. Just as a werewolf realizes the partner, the blessed werewolf will realize that it's an Alpha. I, belonging to the Moonchild clan, bear the responsibility to make to agree to that marriage. However, I am giving that duty to Ace."

Ace and Nina's hearts dropped hearing that.

"What if I don't marry? I am not a werewolf to yearn to have sex."