My Friend, The Werewolf.

Chapter Thirteen

“Excuse me?” I said. Well more like murmured. I doubted that Mahar heard me. “You’re a werewolf, dear,” Mahar said obviously hearing me. “But-” my voice still barely audible. I sat back down in the plush armchair. My thoughts were racing a billion miles an hour and I felt like my head was going to explode. ‘How could I be a werewolf?’ I thought. ‘How could I be a werewolf and not know it?’ Mahar sipped the last of his tea and looked at me in a sympathetic but pay-attention-sort-of-way.

 “You are only fourteen so you may have not experienced the symptoms yet, but there is no doubt you’re a werewolf Erin.” Mahar tilted his head slightly. “I guess I should tell you that although we are werewolves, we are also called Lycanthropes or Lycans for short.” I guess I finally remembered how to talk because I managed a “why?” 

Mahar opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but changed his mind thought for a minute. “Well” he began, still in deep thought as if he was choosing his words carefully. “The wolves that led you to me-”, he paused again. “Let’s just say they were not in fully developed”. He nodded as if he was approving his own statement. It took me a minute to regain my confidence but I said, “so you mean to tell me that those five foot dogs aren’t even werewolves?” “No, no dear, they are Lycans, just not in full form.”

“What do you mean?” I say, forgetting that I was a werewolf. Does a normal person do that? Forget that they’re a werewolf? No, I don’t think so. “There are three stages of becoming a full Lycanthrope.” Mahar said. “If you don’t count the human form there are three that is. We Lycans don’t count that part. Anyway, the first stage is man-wolf, which looks like the olden-day, horror movie werewolf with the sideburns, fangs, claws and snout. Of course it looks less cheesy, in fact it’s pretty scary because at this stage you are still half human. The second stage is your typical wolf except times ten, like the ones that led you to me. Then there is the Lycanthrope stage. When you’re a werewolf you can still think and reason like a human, but when you’re a Lycanthrope all reasoning skills basically disappear.”

“How, though?” I ask, intrigued by all this werewolf, Lycan stuff. “What do you mean”? “How do you change into a werewolf?” “Erin, you don’t change into a werewolf. That would mean that once you’re in werewolf form you are no longer human and once you’re in human form you are no longer a werewolf. You will always be a werewolf, no matter what form you’re in. Once you’re in Lycan form though, this is when your judgment becomes impaired, but you will always be a human.”

“That’s all great, but still; how do you-” I tried to choose my next words carefully, “transform into a werewolf or Lycan?” Mahar smiled, “Well you can transform into a werewolf any time with practice.” Frustrated I raised my voice “what about a Lycan?” Mahar’s smile grew wider, “haven’t you ever heard of the stories? You become a Lycan on a Full Moon, Erin.”