To Become A Werewolf

II. To Meet A Gamma

"There's no swelling. Let's hope it's not a concussion," someone says.

"I'm so sorry," someone else says. "I didn't mean to spook her—"

"Hush, child. What's done is done. I know you tried your best. She is here in one piece. That's all that matters."

I shift groggily in my sleep, my foggy brain mistaking the unfamiliar voices as remnants of some strange dream.

"We should wake her," another voice murmurs. "It's getting close to midnight."

I frown, pulling the thick quilt higher on my body. Mom must have gone shopping. My blanket isn't nearly this heavy. Or comfortable. God, I really love my mom sometimes.

I just wish these voices would shut up— I'm trying to sleep here.

"You should go," the first voice commands gently. "We don't know how she'll react once she sees you."

Silence.

Time passes, although I'm not sure how much. I shift one more time, but can't seem to get comfortable no matter how I turn. Accepting defeat, I open my eyes, my gaze first latching onto a window cracked open the tiniest bit.

There's a light breeze that ruffles the room, lingering on the sage green curtains that adorn the rather large pane of glass.

It takes a minute for my brain to catch up to my eyes. It's dark out. This room is unfamiliar. The back of my head aches lightly, though not as much as I'd expect.

There's about a half-dozen or so people in the room, including an older woman with kind eyes and thick curly hair. I notice instantly how the room seems to follow her lead, waiting with bated breath to see how she'll react to my newly awakened state.

Wait a minute— it's dark out.

Oh no. I've missed dinner.

I sit up rapidly, my hands itching to throw the covers off of me. "My parents—"

"It's a tragedy what happened to them," the curly-haired woman says..

I freeze, my eyes burning into the older woman's. She's talking about my birth parents. How does she know I was adopted?

I shake my head— there's no time for this.

"No," I snap. "My adoptive parents—" my real parents— "They're probably freaking out right now. I should've been home hours ago."

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. "You may leave at any point, Violet. You are not a hostage. I only hope that you hear us out first."

I frown, my teeth pulling at my bottom lip as I debate my options. I've already missed dinner, so the damage is done. I can't possibly get into more trouble as it stands.

Something inside of me is gnawing at me to stay. I haven't forgotten about the wolf transformation. There's a growing need to know more about what I witnessed in the forest earlier.

Werewolves. That's what Hollywood would call them. But what do they call themselves?

The name doesn't matter, I reason as I glance around the room. These people are mythical beings. No, they are clearly real. They're supernatural. Maybe even magical.

A shiver runs up my spine as I recall Wrenly's transformation and just how fast she was able to change from beast to man.

I probably wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

"Where's Wrenly?" I ask, surprising even myself with the bold question. Her lack of presence in the room is slightly irritating. The woman exposed herself to me— in more ways than one— and now she doesn't even have the guts to face me it seems.