Werewolves in the Mist

[officialratsgalore]

@BlazedSabre, thanks for help with editing!

Werewolves in the Mist an original story about a young girl named Clarity. She's a thoughtful young girl that's always being pressured to 'do the right thing', "but what is the right thing?" she might ask. Genre for this book might be a slightly romantic journey filled with suspense and a lot of real talk. Please do not comment. Bookmark and Subscribe! | Characters based off Myers Briggs

Prologue
Year 3000: Throughout the years, the difference between werewolves and humans became no different than a race and a gender. The term werewolf was becoming more and more common as the years go by. Fear was devoured by fascination, and though there were those who despised change (werewolves and human alike), they all kind of united to form one huge community.

Year 3050: The humans are beginning to realize that they're no longer top of the food chain. They welcomed these half-breeds into their homes and into their lives, but what happens if there's only room for one? Everything's more popular when a werewolf does it. Who are the real problem, the werewolves or the humans?

Year 3100: Werewolves are believed to overpopulate the humans now, and the remaining humans are becoming resistant. They have nothing to fear though they are making it hard for them all to live in peace. Maybe one day, the tables will revert back to the way it was before.

[officialratsgalore]

It was a quarter past seven, and the sky already darkened. I heard the neighboring school, Princeton Heights, howling at the cold blue moon. That school usually dismisses their kin and pupils later than mine. We are both Regal schools, but my school is more stale and strict than any other. We don't howl; we sing, but I cannot sing and would much rather howl. Though, our principles say, "Do not act like animals if we do not want to be treated like animals."

If I, the school's president and the whole pack's princess, were to howl at the moon, I would be most-likely shunned and exiled, in a more dramatic sense. Failure and disobedience is a big 'no no' in the school. We must be good and trained-doggies.

I sat at the edge of the river, looking down into the boggy green water. It almost seemed peaceful until footsteps approached, and the leaves and twigs snapped behind me.

"Clarity," my brother exclaims, "where have you been!?" I turn my head slightly to look him in the eyes. His green eyes resemble the river as the moon reflects off both, causing a glowing in his eyes. You could tell he had been running not just because he was panting, but his curly brown hair was slightly pushed back. He held a worried expression upon his face as he caught his breath.

I guess I put him through a lot these past few months. He still manages to deal with me, but what scares me the most is that I don't know what he's thinking. Why won't he just talk to me like my brother? When he lost a mate, I lost a friend. Still, I feel that nobody suffered more than he did. It was the first time I ever actually experienced something tragic before. Just the thought of-- "Clarity?" He repeats.

"Oh, I'm alright... I was just... thinking." I reply, discarding my emotions. He takes in a deep breath then slowly lets it out in relief. "The whole pack was wondering where you've been. I know I shouldn't worry, but--" "No, it's okay... I understand." I say, interrupting, and I pull off a smile for reassurance.

He calmly walks towards me and places himself on the ground. We both kind of sit there in the silence, wanting to say something but not knowing how to put it into words. The silence is nice for me, but I know that it makes Jacob feel uncomfortable. I know that the silence makes him think, and thinking makes him remember.

"We should probably get back." I say, cutting it short. After I pick myself up, I offer him my hand to lift him up.

"You know, Gabriel was especially worried about you." He teases, "He wanted to know why you left the camp so late at night."

I roll my eyes at him. "It's only like 7:20, and he needs to stop worrying. I'm not his to worry about." I say irritably.

I just saw Gabriel before I left camp. He always has questions for me like, "Where are you going and when will you be back?" I avoided the questions, knowing that he would only ask more, and I told him I'll see him in the morning.

page one

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Even when Gabriel and I were young, he used to follow me around and wondered why I, unlike the other kids, didn't follow him or his rules. Though the rules were justifying, I found them to be merciless. For instance, if you lost the game, you had to hand over something of value to the winner. I would say, "Why not just play for fun?"

I think the fact that we're so different is the reason we remain friends to this day, even if we don't understand each other's actions.

"Okay, okay, I just thought that you should know being the princess and all." Jacob says after consideration, yet again, cutting me off from my thoughts.

The word 'princess' caused shrills through my spine. "Princess..." I repeat, "I can't think of something else so vile and disgusting.
Do you actually understand what we're doing? We're waiting for our elders to die so that we can take over. The throne isn't all that great once you realise you'd have to go through your parent's death to get there. It's like I'm sitting on their graves..." I say, revealing my deep inner thoughts about the topic.

Jacob just shrugs. "Well, that's one way to think about it..."

To avoid the awkward silence again, he drags the conversation a bit more, "I understand where you're coming from, but try not to be so negative all the time. There are others dreaming of being in the position that you're in."

A growl escapes my lips. Jacob pleases and always says what others are wanting to hear when speaking to them. Why doesn't he do that with me? "Those who dream about being a princess would be crushed and disappointed if it actually came true. That's if they had at least a small bit of compassion or love for their family." I retort, "You wouldn't understand. You haven't been clueless-ly waiting for our parents to die so you can finally become a princess and take their throne."

Jacob kind of steps back a few steps. I feel bad for a second, knowing he doesn't like to argue. I can't bully my own brother, especially after all he's been through, and I'm too stubborn to apologize. I'll just keep quiet from now on and agree to everything he says.

"I think you're forgetting that in order for me to become Alpha, you'll have to be dead too.." He says, placing his hand on my shoulder and making me sink inside. I always forget that this curse of heirs is brought upon, not just me, but him too. Then he continues with, "But, if that's how you feel then so be it." I ponder at the statement. What's that supposed to mean? I feel like he's holding something back, maybe what he really wants to say? Or, is he just saying anything to avoid the silence?

I don't understand sometimes how he doesn't feel the way I do, and I wish that I could just hand over the throne to him. Right now, I feel like anybody would make a better leader than I. I feel so broken.

It becomes silent again. When examining his face, he seems almost emotionless. He didn't used to be this way, but I guess with everything that has happened, the world broke him too. I can't help but feel like I could have done something different. I was in so much shock at first that I put him through so much more unnecessary drama. I shut him out of my life after the incident, and that was when he needed me the most. But, really, I needed him too. I just needed someone to hold on to, and I wanted him to be that someone. How could he if I couldn't even let him come close to me?

page two

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As we are close to reaching the dorm rooms of the school, I reach out to pull Jacob in for a hug. He doesn't realise it and looks right past me. He doesn't speed up or slow down. He just sluggishly makes his way to his dorms, probably to announce to the pack that I've been found. As he goes, my stomach curls, and I die a little more inside.

I sigh, "This is all my fault..." and I look up to the stars for guidance.

"Beautiful?", asks a young boy appearing from the darkness of the forest. He's medium-height, a little tan, and like my brother, has green eyes and a very warm face. "Who are you?" I ask but with a friendly tone; signifying that I do indeed talk to cute strangers.

He chuckles, "That's embarrassing..." and I shy away. "What... What is it?" I squeak while imagining the worse. Is there something on my face? Do I have a weird scent besides that of a wet dog? "No, no, it's not your fault that you don't remember me. I mean, I probably could have tried harder to make an imprint on you." He continues. But, I pause, trying to understand what he means.

"Oh, by imprint I don't mean like soul mates! I mean like... You know... Get you to remember me..." He struggles for a second, and I have to admit that I enjoy watching him. But, I kind of jump back into the the conversation like a lifeboat.

"Actually, yes, I do remember you." I fib, "You were in my hunting class, correct?" I know that there's a 40% chance that I am wrong, but I decided to take the risk anyways. What's the worst that could happen?

"Not quite. I was in your identifying herbs class, you told me you once ate poison ivy on accident, and I laughed at all your jokes though I'm sure that everyone does..." He replies then retreats back, waiting for a reaction.

I take a moment to give in. Is he flirting? I wonder, not knowing what my next move will be. Have I run out of moves? "Uh..." I hesitate before saying, "I remember everything, but I don't recall you ever mentioning your name..."

He smirks, "Yeah, that wasn't one of my best moments. I must have been so caught up in your eyes that I forgot." His smirk revealed small dimples as cute as can be. I felt my knees weaken as I held onto the image. I didn't even really think about how corny that line was.

As he moves a little closer, I set a small boundary by stepping away. "Is that what you're doing now?" I ask wittingly. He slowed his pace, and revealed his dimples again.

He looks down at the ground and clears his throat before replying, "The name's Reuben... You don't need to tell me yours, I actually remember."

page three

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I see what he did there. Reuben, huh? That's not an ugly name... As I am about to speak again, I feel a presence behind me. Reuben's eyes shift away as Gabriel's hand turns me to face him; not even caring I was in a conversation. "Where were you, Clarity?" He asks with a slightly frustrated tone and troubled expression.

I looked upon his face, and there was no sign of genuine worry. I believe it was more like he was frustrated that I wasn't at his side when he called for me. Before answering him, I face back at Reuben and give him the 'okay', and he understands that it's his time to leave.

As he's walking away, I catch Gabriel giving him a dirty look. If we were wolves right now, he'd be obviously threatening him for coming too close to his 'property'.

I scoff, "Why do you feel so entitled to interrupt my conversations?"

"Who was that guy? Why were you talking to him?" He asks demandingly, "It's like you're purposely trying to rebel against me!"

"Why does it matter, Gabriel!? You're not my father!" I yell back at him while beginning to walk away, "You're not entitled to have to know who I'm talking to and where I'm at all the time." My back was facing him as I spoke, but like Gabriel always does, he follows me and continues to argue.

"Clarity, look, I just don't want to lose you. I care about you." He says, reaching his hand out to turn me around again.

I stop and turn myself around sassily before he gets the chance to do it himself, but as I look, he's towering over me like a tall masculine tree. His bright brown eyes glowed in the night as the moon reflected off of them, and his sincerity absorbed me in.

He placed his arms around me, pulling me in, and we ignored the fact that we were just arguing a few seconds ago. Instead, we both took a moment to calm. We've known each other for so long that eventhough we don't get eachother, we get each other. As he held me he practically said, "I missed you, and I'm glad you're safe." without saying a single word. As I kept my hands between our bodies, I was stating, "I apologize for hurting your feelings, but you don't own me." Sometimes, it gets a little blurry after the apology part.

In the moment of us being together, I thought about how many times this situation has happened before. His sincerity in being concerned always gets to me, but what he is lacking is his true emotions. I believe the problem might be that no matter what, we're both right. I do take advantage of the fact that he's always there for me, and he does always try to control me. But, doesn't that also make us both wrong at the same time?

page four

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I fell into his arms and rested my head upon his chest. We never apologize for what we say to each other. Things tend to go back to normal, and I believe that's why the situation keeps happening over again. It never gets resolved.

Gabriel looks down at me, and I avoid looking directly up at him. He leaned in for a kiss, and I almost went in for it, but at the last second, I pushed away. I try so hard not to fall head over heels for Gabriel, not because I feel like I could do better, but perhaps because I feel like he could.

I hardly wave him goodbye as I walk away. You would think him to be heartbroken, but instead, he's just standing there with a hopeful smile.

I tread lightly towards my regal dorm room so that I don't bother anyone else that's sleeping and so rumours don't spread about me being out late at night.

I noticed that my dorm room was re-painted as I opened the door. I guess Gabriel understood when I said, "Purple is for royalty." I meant, "My favorite color is purple, so paint my dorm purple!" See? We get each other.

The paint will be weathered down by tomorrow though, and it makes me feel almost bad for him like I did something wrong.

That changed when I opened the door though. Gabriel's scent was all over. He must have been searching for me in here. It angers me to know that he came in unwelcome. What gives him the right?

I lock the door behind me and walk into the closet to change into something else. The clothes I was currently wearing were covered in dirt and mud from the river. I grabbed my white nightgown and threw it over my head. While struggling to find the arm holes, I trip into the corner of the closet, dropping a shelf with old memories. It falls to the side of me, onto my hand. When I react, I knock it open for all the pictures and small paintings to fall out. After finally getting the gown on, I panic at the site of the box.

This is Rachel's box... This was her favorite box. She colored it green and yellow and she kept it on the shelf in Jacob's room. She said his room needed a little more color. After she passed away, I couldn't stand Jacob having it in his room. Everytime he looked at it, he broke down in tears. I had to pry it from his hands and hide it away. He acted as if he wasn't really happy about it, but I think he understood that I was doing him a favor.

I grab some of the belongings cautiously. I already know what's inside, but I still act as if it's going to be different. Just touching the items make me want to break down in tears, and as much as I try to hold them back, they just keep pouring down. I hold a picture in my hand of her. The sun reflected off of her light brown hair, and the river in the background resembled her light blue eyes. It was that same river I sat by today. Its water turns green this time of year, during fall, as if to match Jacob's eyes.

You could hardly notice she had freckles in the picture. I'd like to say it was because her smile was so bright, but even in person nobody saw them unless they came real close to her face. I saw he everyday, and it was believed that we were so close. I valued our relationship more than anything at times because she understood me like nobody else.

We knew each other since we were kids. It was Gabriel, Rachel, Jacob, and I. My brother and Rachel imprinted on each other at a young age. Imprinting used to be something that was very rare, but now that werewolves are populated all over the world, it's very common. Even though they imprinted, Jacob wanted to remain traditional and wait to marry...

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One day, I caught Rachel by the river, and she said to me, "What if one day, my paintings came to life?" I never knew when she was being serious or joking, so I replied with, "Then, you'd have to paint me a way out of this place." She just smiled and told me that if I wanted to leave, I could.

I was so stubborn at the time and tried to explain to her that it's not that simple, but she wouldn't hear it. She wasn't stubborn at all. She was sweet and fragile, delicately graceful, patient, and lastly, understanding; all of the things I've wanted people to see me as. I told her all the time that she'd make a better princess than I, but she said she couldn't and that I am what the people needed.

Most days, she caught my curiosity. She was so zen like she could just sit in a meadow for hours, just taking in the fresh air. I like to spend time alone and sometimes wander into the forest, but the way she just sat there and was able to find peace with that, I thought it was beautiful. The forest animals must have been catching on to her scent in the meadow. She told stories of how the deer would come up to her and didn't mind her presence.

As I hold onto the thought of her, a tear slides down my face and onto the box. The noise it made as it hit the box sounded as if there was a hollow space at the bottom. I used my nails to pull out the bottom. There was nothing there besides a small white thin sheet of paper that read, "An excuse for you..." Then, when I flipped the back, there was a sketch of Jacob's closet door. It's a splintery and chipped door with a crushed knob that looks almost like a demented heart shape. Rachel and I always noticed that little detail.

Jacob's first shape-shift took place in that closet. The door is broken because Gabriel was holding it still while Jacob's wolf tried to escape. Rachel and I were at the river together. We always used to go there to have conversations. We had no idea that it was Jacob's first shift. The first ones are always the most painful. The wolf could attack anyone at anytime! You're supposed to lock yourself up in the village's holding cells, but he said there was no time, and he wouldn't have made it. Luckily, Gabriel was with him. He's the one who accidentally crushed the knob by holding it too tight.

Why would there be a sketch of the door on the back of this paper, and what does it mean by an excuse? I'm so confused. I gather all of the items and place them back into the box. I fold the paper in half and stick it into the pocket of my nightgown before walking out of the closet. Rachel did admire that door, but why would she.... I don't... I become so dumbfounded that I can't even track my thoughts. Does this mean there's a mystery, or is there something she wanted to show me? If she really did stick this in the box, then doesn't that mean she knew something was going to happen?

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I decide to keep this information to myself before informing Jacob. I wouldn't want to worry him or anything while he's still in recovery. It's been almost two months after her death. It's not enough time for him to hear theories that she knew something was coming.

Rachel's death was a tragedy indeed. During a long day of compromising with other packs, Rachel and Jacob were spending time together in their cabin. Gabriel was said to be waiting for me outside of the meeting, and I was the one doing the compromising. The packs proposed new members they were willing to trade for more property and land. I said it didn't make sense to decrease their population while adding more property. I also said that we welcome all visitors, but to join our pack they must prove their loyalty. Saying this may have offended them for some reason, for they ended the meeting earlier than usual.

I walked out of the meeting cabin and immediately bumped into Gabriel. He suggested him and I get something to eat, so I wasn't so stressed out. But, the meeting went well though it was an odd proposal, and I didn't have to be aggressive at all. I told Gabriel I was fine and that we should just meet up with Rachel and Jacob.

By the time I got to Jacob's cabin, he said Rachel was already gone. She mentioned something about Fawns or someone named Fawna. Nobody thought anything of it. Rachel always talked about her friendly forest critters as if they were people. She told us stories she made up about the drama going on in the forest. She always had something new each day.

I planned on meeting her by the river after resting at Jacob's place. Communicating during meetings always tires me out. It was almost a tradition to sleep or ponder right away after a long meeting with the other packs. Rachel usually visited the forest daily and updated us on the woodland creatures. Jacob never really spent time with her there. His idea of a good time was more of a social event rather than spending time alone.

Even before Rachel's death, Jacob avoided spending time by himself because he felt that it sent him to a dark place. I think a person who can't spend time with themselves is a person who's insecure with no peace of mind.

Rachel didn't agree with me in that area. She says that Jacob and her were both different in all the right areas. I am very passive aggressive when it comes to other people sometimes. If they don't stomp on my values, then I don't take any opportunities to stomp on theirs. I just nod, smile, and agree even though I may not believe it's true. I came across her lifeless body after realising she stood me up at the river. My immediate thought was that she lost track of time, so I went into the meadow to look for her. The river is not far from the meadow. I walked into the forest and I could already see the bright yellow grass and flowers. I thought I saw her standing and so I called out to her, but in a split second what ever I saw was gone. I can't say for sure it was a person. All I know is that I saw the back of a head with what looked to be long hair. It could have just been the grass, or it could've just been my imagination. I didn't report this to the medicine wolves because they would've just said, "I saw what I wanted to see."

When I saw her laying there, in the meadow, I thought she was injured. I couldn't fathom the thought of her actually being dead. As I moved closer to the body, I noticed small details like stiff muscles and pale skin. Her hair was parted differently than usually, one side overlapped the other.

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Her eyes were open. I could see her bright yellow pupils and fangs stretched through her mouth. (This happens when a werewolf dies in human form.) The most important detail I noticed and couldn't take my eyes off was her nails dug into the ground like she was resisting something.

The medicine wolves said that she had taken a small portion of wolfs bane in the form of a flower on accident. They think that she mistook it for a natural, edible source of food. If I know anything about Rachel, it's that she had known what Wolfs bane looked like in all many forms. We had herbal essence class together, and though she found no motivation to get her work done, she passed with flying colors!

When Jacob was told the news, his reaction shocked even me, his own sister! I would have believed him to be in-denial like I was, but instead, he accepted it and fell to his knees. He didn't see the body like I did, but how could I convince him that I thought she was murdered?

I couldn't speak for a whole two days, and so Jacob couldn't listen to what I had to say. I looked for anyone to blame for my best friend's death. I wanted to know why she went into the forest that day, earlier than usual and in a rush. I wanted to know who would do something like that? Members from my pack know better than to kill another member. For, each member that dies, the pack weakens. All know that each individual resembles the pack's strength. There was no scent, footprint, or trail of blood.

It just doesn't make sense. What if this note was meant for Jacob not me? What if Jacob was suppose to be there to find the body? She placed the box in his room. It's his closet sketched on the back of this letter. I've trained to explain my theories and ideas to Jacob before. He never listens to me. I think if this was for Jacob, it's my responsibility now. I just need some rest. I have no idea what to think of this, but I'll investigate when I can. I knew there was more to the story than the medicine wolves led it on to be.

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