The Quiet Terror
News from the television was blaring, and Marcus sipped his glass of water that morning.
News Anchor: "Police have discovered the body of a man in an alley near downtown. Authorities suspect an animal attack due to deep lacerations and torn tissue. An investigation is underway…"
Marcus froze. The description was too brutal to be anything human. His grip on the glass tightened until it almost cracked.
Marcus: (whispering) "Logan."
Logan was still coming to school every morning. He strutted down the halls like a king, smirking and brushing past students as though nothing could touch him. No one spoke about him, and no person met his gaze. The beast that had bullied him all this time now was back, at large and more powerful than ever.
He felt it deep within - an instinct that bubbled from the core of him. He didn't call Logan out, didn't confront him. Yet. Not until he was ready.
Awakenings of the Senses
Every night, as the moon waxed closer to full, Marcus felt himself changing. The hum of traffic was too loud. The faint whispers in the alley were sharp as a blade. His sight adjusted to the darkness like it was second nature. The sting of every scent on the wind spoke to him.
Marcus: (clutching the windowsill) "What is happening to me?"
He pulled out his phone and started searching. Not for the news. Not for anything about "animal attacks" — he already knew the truth. Instead, he searched for werewolves. Packs. Alphas. Betas. Omegas.
He read about normal wolves:
Alphas lead the pack.
Betas support the leaders.
Omegas are the lowest rank and get hunted and bullied even within their own pack.
Then he read about fictional werewolves:
Alphas dominate.
Until one of them kills the other and rises in rank, omegas are weaker, smaller, more feral.
This lone wolf, if it could defeat its rival, might rise to an alpha.
Marcus: (eyes narrowing) "Logan and I… we're both Omegas. The only way one of us becomes an Alpha is by beating the other."
His fists clenched, and a deep growl surged up from within him.
Marcus: "Then that's what it'll be. No more running. No more hiding. The next full moon… I'll be ready."
A Secret Ambition
Through the screen of anger and fear, another thought emerged. Not about the next brutal clash, it seemed, but the one afterwards. In this, the boy who'd been bullied daily felt something rise to the surface from deep within him — something long buried.
Marcus: (in a whispered manner) "An alpha doesn't just survive. An alpha leads. An alpha has a pack. Servants."
Images shimmered in his mind. Not friends. Not equals. But those who followed. Those who obeyed. And the boy who'd been broken for so long felt a spark of flame ignited deep inside. Marcus: "If I win… if I rise… I won't be alone anymore. Never again."