~ETHAN~
"Don't joke again, Ethan." Joan chuckled, his teeth flashing in the dull light of the cabin.
"I'm telling the truth, Joan," I snapped, sharper than I meant. "There are wolves—wolves that literally turn into humans."
"Yeah?" His brow arched, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Yes," I bit out. "I saw it with my own eyes."
He tilted his head like he was thinking, and for half a second, I thought maybe—just maybe—he believed me. But then he burst into laughter.
"Like Jacob from Twilight?" he snorted.
My jaw clenched. There was no use. Talking to him was like throwing stones at a brick wall.
That wolf—no, that woman. Her face burned in my memory. Pale skin streaked with dirt, eyes sharp as blades. And the wolf itself—light-grey fur, ashy, unlike anything I had seen in the forest. The way it moved—powerful, intelligent, lethal.
How could I even compare it to a normal animal? This wasn't a wolf. It was something else. A monster wearing two skins.
And if people didn't know, if they thought they were just humans? They'd fall into its trap. They'd die.
My boots tapped a restless rhythm against the floor. Something had to be done.
A hand clapped my shoulder. I jerked, heart leaping into my throat, only to see the Deputy Officer looming over me.
Joan and I both snapped to salute.
"At ease," he said. His sharp eyes flicked between us. "So what happened last night?"
"Magic, sir," Joan laughed.
The Deputy frowned. "What?"
"Yes, sir. Magic—wolf magic. Ethan here was the eyewitness." He winked at me.
My blood boiled.
"What happened, Ethan?" the Deputy asked.
I hesitated. The words felt heavy, dangerous. But keeping them in felt worse. Maybe he'll believe.
"Last night, I saw some wolves," I began slowly. "I tried to capture them. But one of them—one particular wolf—even after being shot, survived. Then it… changed. Into a woman."
The Deputy's face stayed unreadable. No laughter. No mockery. Hope stirred in my chest, fragile but alive.
"She even spoke," I pressed on. "Her words had a pull, sir. Like… like they reached inside your skull and dragged obedience out of you. They're dangerous. We have to take action immediately."
The Deputy's sigh crushed the flicker of hope. "Ethan, maybe you should go on a vacation."
"What? Vacation? Sir, I'm serious!" My voice rose. "They're dangerous out there!"
"Ethan—"
"No, you don't understand!" My hand slammed the table, the sound echoing like thunder. "Those things—they'll kill! Innocent people, families, children—they'll tear them apart like they tore my—"
The screams came back. The howls. The ripping of flesh. My parents' blood painting the ground.
"Ethan, calm down," Joan murmured, his hand on my arm. "We know what happened. That won't repeat."
"Yes. There hasn't been an accident in a decade," the Deputy said, voice even.
My breath rasped out. I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, sir. I lost control."
The Deputy clapped my back. "Take care of yourself." He walked away, footsteps fading.
I sagged into my chair, chest hollow. No one believed me. No one ever believed me.
But I knew the truth. They existed. Monsters hiding in human skin.
And I would prove it. Yes, that's the only way. I alone can't stand against them.
I need solid proof.
I yanked open my drawer, grabbed my phone, and typed with shaking fingers.
Werewolf history.
My screen flooded with myths and folklore. I skimmed until one word stopped me. Weakness.
Wolfsbane. Silver. Fire.
Wolfsbane? I had no idea what that was.
But silver and fire—I could use that.
Maybe it was folklore. But I thought werewolves were folklore too—until last night.
I would not let monsters roam free. Not again. Not while I breathed.
---
Once my duty was over, I rushed to the nearby stores, but all the shopkeepers looked at me as if I'd lost my brain when I asked for wolfsbane.
That left me with silver and fire.
Knives, matches, lighters, a button camera—all packed. The weight of the blades against my chest steadied me.
By the time I reached the forest, night had already bled across the sky. The pines stood like black sentinels. I ate quickly, washed down with water, then slipped into the trees.
Not the usual spot. The duty officers would patrol there. No—I'd follow the path the ashy wolf had taken.
Hours passed. My watch ticked past midnight. Cold air gnawed at my skin. The silence was unbearable.
"Ahhh!" The shout ripped from my throat, frustration and exhaustion mixing into one.
I'd failed. Nothing. No sign—
"Who's there?" A man's voice shattered the night.
My pulse spiked.
At this time? Damn fools, wandering the woods at night. They'd be slaughtered.
I pushed through the branches and found two men. "Don't panic," I said, flashing my badge. "Ethan Cross, Forest Officer. You need to leave. There are wolves here. Wolves that turn into humans. Don't trust anyone."
Their gazes snapped to me. Their eyes—God. Their eyes shifted. Exactly like hers.
My chest froze.
Werewolves.
Instinct moved faster than thought. I drew my silver knife and plunged it into the first one.
His scream split the forest. "Silver!"
Blood gushed hot over my hand. He lunged, wounded but lethal. I struck at vital points, but he dodged, impossibly fast. Only the injury slowed him.
"He's attacking! Has silver!" the other one yelled.
I dodged both of their attacks, my breath ragged, my grip slipping on the knife from sweat. Then—crack! A sharp blow landed against my skull. The uninjured one had vanished from in front of me and appeared behind. How did he move that quickly?
"Uhh," I groaned, staggering as claws raked across my back.
My knees buckled, vision swaying in a haze of blood and pain. Somewhere in the distance, I thought I heard it—the low, guttural murmur of their voices, and above it, the faint, chilling caw of ravens echoing through the trees.
"Yes, Alpha. We'll bring him to the pack."