Chapter 17

Love that was never meant to be. Yes, the source of the man-beasts is due to the wish of a human woman who wanted to become one with a wolf she grew to love so much. It was an abominable emotion, forbidden from imagination, nonetheless it was her deepest desire. As one who saved her from death countless times when others abandoned her, the wolf was kind to her, unlike other humans who shunned her even as a little girl. Initially she was afraid of the beast, like every other person. However, with time, as she saw it's kindness and gentle nature coupled with it's savagery, she grew to love him. So much so that she wished every night that she could be with it out in the open, enjoying the night air, rather than staying in the stuffy little settlement where she resided. Then suddenly, her desires were answered. No one knows whether her prayers were heard by the gods or the devil himself, all they knew was that this single person triggered the existence of something neither man nor beast. Her wish took the form of a curse, causing her to transform into a beast under a full moon. So, for every full moon, she became a wolf and was finally able to run together, eat together, and share many memories together with her wolf companion, which wasn't possible before. Every full moon she would howl together with her wolf lover as they shared the night together. She was truly in bliss and wished the moments she spent with him would last till eternity. However, as is the unfortunate reality of the world, not every happy moment lasts forever. This unholy union was found out by humans, and as was natural for them… They hunted her and the beast down. The girl, now a young woman, in human form, was no watch for the crowd of humans who pursued her and desired for her to be hanged or burned alive, both If it were possible. They closed in on them and it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before they caught up to them. 'Awooooooooo" The wolf howled. He nudged the woman to go on ahead and stayed behind to protect her, giving her a reassuring nod that he would return to her side to protect her. The wolf secured the woman's escape and fought off the human aggressors. Unknown to him, and even to her at the time… The woman was already pregnant with their child. The brave and noble wolf bought time for her and their unborn child to escape, sacrificing himself for his family before he met his inevitable end. Spears, swords and arrows all pierced the wolf's body as he whimpered. He throbbed and shook, losing blood yet struggling to fight. He didn't stop fighting until his last breath, and as he took his final breath, in his last moments… Memories of what could have been flashed before his eyes. Perhaps his animal instincts could not comprehend it, perhaps his primitive brain could not understand… But, right before his death, he let out one final howl filled with the last of his emotions. It was sad, it was painful… He couldn't express the right words since he wasn't human. The words he had heard countless times from the woman, he could not repeat them. However, he tried his best and gave out his final 'Awooooooooooo!!!!!" He died that day, not able to say the words, but able to pass across his message to the woman he cherished and protected even in his dying breath. As she heard his voice from the distance where she was, tears fell from her eyes. She understood his howl, she knew what he meant. The words he longed to tell her for so long, but constrained by his incompatible vocal chords and undeveloped brain. The words… 'I love you too" That day, her lover died to protect her, and she swore to live on for him… For his feelings. Months passed and that was when she realised it, she was with her child. A feeling of both fear and exhilaration filled her up as she felt the proof of their love blossom within her. After a while, she gave birth, not just to one, but four children. Thus, just like that, he mother, alongside her four children became the first Werewolf family. They grew up together, loved each other and cherished themselves, separate from the humans. They were happy, and once again, the woman wished the moment of bliss lasted till eternity. Once again, she would be proved wrong by the cruel workings of fate. As their mother raised them until they became grown, nearing maturity, the children became adventurous. Having the ability to freely alternate between their wolf and human forms, they started to visit the nearby human settlement without the knowledge of their mother. The thrill of interacting with humans was new to them and they enjoyed every moment of it, playing with children their age during the day, then retreating back to the mountains they lived in before dark. This continued for a while until… 'Where do those children come from?" 'Whose kids are they?" 'They ain't mine, that's for sure…" 'They feel weird" 'They talk strangely" 'Where are they from?" 'Let's find out" The adults became suspicious and so tracked them to a secluded place. That was when they witnessed it… The little and innocent children transforming into wolves. As these men saw this, a deep fear was planted in their hearts. Even more than fear… was bloodlust! 'Spawns of the devil, they are!" 'They are not human, I tell you" 'We must purge them… Immediately!" And thus began the crusade to once again eliminate the unholy abominations which roamed the wild. The humans tracked them down and began the hunt. Faced with yet a similar persecution as she had endured in the past, all for wanting to be happy, the mother fled with her children. However, they were small and weak, unable to match their mother's speed or keep up with her pace. Something about this reminded her of the last as the waves of nostalgia hit her. It was finally her turn… Her moment of sacrifice to protect the ones she loved, just like her lover did for her. The children have no choice but to separate from their mother as per her instructions. They kept running forward while she stayed behind to protect her loved ones. Their mother sacrificed herself for them, falling into the hands of their pursuers, unable to be seen again. The little kids did not have anyone. They were all alone, though they were together. They missed the warmth of their mother and the happy times they spent together. However, due to the features they inherited from their parents, they possessed the ruggedness to survive the harsh conditions of the weather. They possessed the instincts to hunt their prey so they never starved. Using the final gifts of their parents, they made sure to live on. But more important than survival, was their hate for the human race, the ones who took everything from them… The ones who hated them and betrayed them when they never did anything wrong. Their mere existence garnered the hate of the humans who sought to hurt and kill them. So, in order to survive in such a cruel world… They would also need to hurt and kill the humans. Such began the endless cycle of violence between the man-beasts and the man. After some time together, the siblings decided to part ways, bidding farewell to one another and journeying far and wide across the world to build their legacies and start their werewolf families there. These four became known as the pioneers of the four clans of werewolves that exist. One of the wolves settled in North America, and he became the patriarch of the North American Werewolves… The ancestor of their kind. Such ends the sad little tale of the love that was never meant to be, and the tragedy that came from wishing for more.