𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀 | 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐈

3. Moonwolves

I drive into the car park of the animal clinic and sit and wait in my car for a few seconds. I searched Deaton up online earlier and found out that this is his clinic. I'm going to talk to him because there's something going on in this town, and I want to know about it. I know, I know, I moved here to live a normal life and I know that moving on from the supernatural is for the best, but I can't move on.

I take my phone out and scroll down to Jeremy's number and call it. It obviously goes to voicemail.

"Hey, Jer. It's been over a week since you passed. Nothing's the same anymore. I miss you so so much." I take a shaky breath. "Life in Beacon Hills is good. It's fun. But there's supernaturals here, I can tell." I sigh. "Love you, Jer." I hang up.

I take a deep breath before getting out of my car and walking into the clinic. No one is out front so I ring the bell on the counter and wait.

The clinic looks pretty welcoming. There's a few plants dotted around the reception and a board up with all the adorable animals, that I assume, get treated here. Within a few seconds Deaton comes out and he pauses when he sees me.

"Hello, Ava." He greets before walking to the door and flipping the sign to 'closed'. He walks back behind the counter and gestures for me to follow him into the back of the clinic.

The back of the clinic looks like a normal local vet. So what is it with this guy and the supernatural?

"I've met your friend Caroline," Deaton begins as he organizes something in a drawer. I fold my arms as I wait for him to continue. "She told me that she doesn't want you involved with any of the supernatural goings on in this town." I knew it! I knew something funky was going on!

"Uh-huh." I nod. Deaton then closes the drawer and walks to the table in the middle of the room with a book. I move to the table and look at the cover. It's just a boring, brown, leather cover. "What's this?"

Deaton ignores my question, "It's clear now though that keeping you out of the supernatural is futile. I can see that you're in more danger not knowing now, so unfortunately for Caroline I'm going to have to clue you in. Not just for your own protection, but so you can protect others." He opens the book. I furrow my eyebrows at the last part. Why would I need to protect others? Deaton must be a mind reader or something because he answers just that, "Caroline informed me of your hunter training. That means you have an advantage against the supernatural." Deaton points at a page in his book which is handwritten. The page is split in half and it seems to be listing differences between two different werewolves. "There are two different types of werewolves in this world. The type you encountered in Mystic Falls are typically called 'moonwolves' as they completely shift on the full moon and it is involuntary, they also inherit the 'werewolf' gene and they cannot turn others." I nod along as I already know all this.

Deaton continues, "This is unlike the werewolves in Beacon Hills who also inherit the gene but the alphas, who have enhanced powers, can turn humans into werewolves through a bite, or a scratch if the claws go deep enough."

I look at Deaton completely gobsmacked. "The werewolves here can turn people? Like vampires?"

Deaton tilts his head from side to side. "Sort of. When a human is turned into a vampire they always survive into the transition. When a human is turned into a werewolf there is a chance their body rejects the transition and they die."

"Okay. So what about werewolf venom? Can the ones here kill vampires?"

Deaton nods his head. "Yes, but since vampires tend to converge to large towns and cities, I haven't seen a vampire, other than your friend Caroline, here in decades."