Out of the ashes, a new people have arisen. They don't do packs but have an unspoken code that they will respect and help each other when needed. The werepanthers.
People just like the werewolves, with everything about them the same, minus an Alph...
Ryland, Boomer, Amos, and I stop follow E.V. and her brothers when we reach a brick wall which all six of them easily leapt over without even skimming it, or changing pace. Suddenly, E.V., in panther form leaps back on top of the wall. She suddenly changes back to a human, her hands on her hips. "What, can't make the jump?" she asks.
My friends and I shake out big wolf heads. She sighs, then leaps of the wall, shifting in mid-air before jumping back in in panther form, a rope-ladder in her mouth. But when she shifts back into a human, the rope ladder is in her hands. Then, a bag is thrown up from behind her and lands at her feet.
Looking inside, Amos pulls out four pairs of basketball shorts and T-shirts with his mouth. E.V. covers her eyes. The four of us shift and change quickly. "Um, you can look now," Boomer yells up to her.
"Thanks," she says before dropping half the ladder over our side of the wall, and the other half over the other side so we could get down. Then she does the jump-shift thing again. I let my friends climb up first before I pull the ladder up and toss it down to them and then we follow Racer, who was waiting for us, through the backyard which had a pool, a patch for what I assume is training, and a gardening shed. The yard is mostly the pool, though.
We walk up a few steps, then follow Racer inside. He leads us through a black-based style of home that is surprisingly homey and fancy at the same time.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He leads us into a lounge, and has my friends and I sit on a couch facing a television, before speaking for the first time since we entered his home. "Sorry about Leon, by the way." he says as he stands next to the ottoman.
"What?" I ask in confusion.
"He may be my twin, but I do know that he never knows when to shut up, surrender, or not be an asshole." He shakes his head with a chuckle.
"Ouch, that hurts, big bro," Leon says in a joking tone. He's changed out of his leotard thing and now wears a white v-neck and black skinny jeans. Also black converse. Racer rolls his eyes and leaves just as Teddy and Sonny enter the room where practically identical clothes to Racer except Teddy wears a maroon shirt and blue jeans, and Sonny's shirt is yellow.
Soon after, Blade enters. He wears khaki shorts and a dark green shirt. Then, Leon returns in a black T-shirt and dark grey basketball shorts. Then, a man and woman enter the room. Teddy is the one to introduce them. "Zayden and Zayden's friends, this is my father, Dan Skyluck, and my mother, Keiko Skyluck."
Dan looks at me in an intimidating way. And it's working. However, his wife is looking at us kindly and curiously.
"So. I am going to assume Leon's and my assumption is right. You are my daughter's mate." Dan asks. I nod and he scowls. Leon giggles from his place in front of the TV, like the rest of his brothers, but his mother's glare shuts him right up. Dan sits on the smaller couch and his wife sits on the arm rest.
Silence comes over the room when E.V. enters. She's changed into ripped black skinny jeans, a red cropped top with white words on it, ankle combat boots, and a black hat. "Don't stop on my account," she says, leaning against the far wall and crossing her ankles.
"Thanks for your permission." her father says dryly, his eyes never leaving me. I don't think he likes me very much.
"You're very welcome," E.V. says sarcastically. Her mother glares at her daughter, but her daughter is more interested in her silver-painted fingernails than the harsh look she's receiving. Keiko sighs, before looking at me with a sad smile.
"Do you know how...we'll call it mating. How mating works for us, Zayden?" she asks.
"I know a little," I shrug.
"Well, you see, we're only the sixth or seventh generation ever. So, we have been trying to make it certain that all werepanthers continue to grow. We've known that the werepanther gene is a dominant one. But so it the werewolf gene. Anyway, the werepanther, whether a female or male, can either mate with a human or other werepanther and be certain that their children will be werepanther as well. This may be the first case where a werepanther and werewolf have been placed together by whatever force matches you and your mates." Keiko says.
"So what does this mean?" I ask her.
"Well, if we do some science, the best thing to assume is that if my daughter decides to truly be your mate, your kids would either be a werewolf, a werepanther, or a werewolf-panther?" she says the last one in a not assuring tone.
"No, no, no, Ma," Leon says. "The term is werepanther."
"Werewolf?" Blade offers with a smile, a game brewing.
"Werewolfanther?" Teddy suggests. Dan, Keiko, and E.V. trying hard to suppress a smile. My friends and I gladly smile.
"Werewolfther?" Sonny tries.
"You're all wrong!" E.V. says, unable to control her smile and laughter. "It's a werepolf."
"Werepolf...I like it." Racer agrees.
"Okay, no more jokes and games." Keiko chuckles and turns to her daughter. "E.V., darling. This man is destined to be with you. You're his soulmate. And this happens with humans, too. They'll reject their werewolf mate and not be happpy in the marriage that they end up in later in their life. Honey, I don't know what our future is going to look like from here onwards. In fact, it might anger another clan to learn of this. But they'll just have to deal if you decide to go with him. Now you know we live on the territory, so if Zayden lets us, we're right here."
"Mama..." E.V. sighs.
"No, honey, your mother's right." Dan sighs. "I don't like that he's 18 and you're not quite 17 yet, but what can I do? This is nature I'd be fighting, and that'd be cruel seeing as nature lead me to your mother and after trying for a girl, we got you. Your brothers were just freebies."
"Hey!" the five men yell out while E.V. runs to her parents and hugs them. The hug lasts around 2 minutes, but I think the three of them needed it.
The hugs breaks and a silence follows. Then E.V. speaks, "I think I'll..."
~Please comment, vote, and or share my story! -Oliver~
