•8• Revelations

"Sebastian" I whispered his name, hoping to draw his attention to the wolves, which started growling. I found him with his back to me, already staring their way. I gulped and wondered what I should do, but before I could give the question any thought one of the wolves lunged at him both falling to the ground. I was wide-eyed staring frozen in my place for only part of the second, when my mind started functioning again, I ran to the other side of the car, where they bot had fallen to the ground only to find Sebastian holding the black wolf by the neck, pushing its teeth away from their desire to bite him. Somehow he got a better hold of its neck and he twisted it in an awkward way snapping it with a sound, the body of the wolf fell to the ground, and I heard Sebastian growling, I was sure it did not come out of the wolves, then he glared at the other two wolves and they just took off running.

I blinked a few times; part of my mind denied the previous scene to be part of my reality. I saw Sebastian going around the car, coming to stand in front of me. However, I felt dizzy; my head was spinning and I started seeing black spots. I heard him call my name, "Lorraine" it floated in the air, but I did not know how to respond to that. I felt the weight of my body hitting the ground but there was no pain.

"This is all your fault Sebastian. You should have been more responsible; she's human for God's sake!" I heard the aggravated voice of a woman. I could not recognize the voice, but I knew the name of the person she was talking to. Sebastian. I was confused at the beginning, but then the pieces began to put themselves together in my head. I was out on a date with Sebastian and we were in the parking lot when three wolves appeared out of nowhere. They attacked us and then…

I opened my eyes immediately and all the voices were silences. I remembered how Sebastian snapped that wolf's neck. How could a human ever do that? From where did he get the strength? The second thing I came to realize was the fact that the wolves were actually huge; my mind played no tricks on me. I was not imagining the first time I saw them. I sat up carefully while my eyes were examining the people around me. The first one I came to see was a young woman; she looked no older than twenty-five, with short blonde hair, high cheek bones, and a muscular build. The next person I noticed was an older man, he looked in his early fifties with dirty blonde hair mixed with few silver hairs. He, also, was very muscular and well built. His face was stone cold with no expression whatsoever. When I turned to my right, I saw Sebastian, and it was only then that I noticed the similarity between the people in the room.

They were a family: Sebastian's family.

The room had dark blue walls with posters of different bands; the one that caught my eye was for Imagine Dragons. I have always been a fan of them. I could easily tell that most probably I was in a guy's room: in Sebastian's room. "Where am I?" My eyes caught those of Sebastian: the only familiar ones in the room. I hoped he would ease my nervousness and wash away my fears, even though he was part of them. A part of me recognized Sebastian as safe, I felt like I could trust him. Another part of me, the more logical one perhaps, reminded me that I saw him snap a giant wolf's neck in a restaurant parking lot!

"You're in my room Lorraine" He was the first to speak, walking few steps closer to the bed, "This is my sister Ava, and my dad Jackson" I turned to my left to see both his father and sister giving me assessing looks. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

I gulped while I was weighing my options. Would it be wise for me to lie? Maybe I can pretend that I remember nothing of what had happened? Or Was I to say the truth and face the consequences no matter what they were? I started to question my opinion of Sebastian, that maybe I was wrong about him. Everyone told me that throughout his whole life he only befriended few people and mainly their families were friends too. They told me how antisocial he could be and how he never gave anyone the chance to get to know him, but I never faced this problem with him. Things have always been smooth between us. Things did not add up in my mind.

"I remember" I mumbled in a barely audible sound with a soft nod.

I saw Sebastian's face contort as if he was in pain, his jaw clenched and in a very tight and low voice he inquired, "And what do you remember?" Something about his demeanor changed; it became rather threatening. It made me pull back in my place and I gulped once more.

"I…I remember the huge wolves" I licked my lips as I stuttered my words, "very similar to the ones which attacked me, right?" I paused at my question, because I wondered if maybe his sister and father would think that I'm crazy. But then I remembered the first thing I heard when I woke up: the woman's voice, how she blamed him for what had happened, and how she called me a human like it was something strange, like there was some other option I know nothing of. My eyes scanned their faces and I frightenedly asked, "What is going on here?"

The young woman with the blonde hair took few steps and sat at the edge of the bed, "What else do you remember?" She asked softly. Her voice is full of pure concern. She did not look like the stoic person she had been a second or two ago.

It was against my better judgment but I continued saying the truth, "I remember the giant wolf and I remember how it attacked Sebastian" I turned to look at him, "It almost looked like it was aiming for you, like it wanted to attack you" I let out a shaky breath, "But then you managed to somehow snap its neck" I shook my head in a state of disbelief, because honestly who in their right mind would believe seeing that.

"Look Lorraine, whatever we tell you today will have to remain a secret. Not a word of it can come out" Sebastian stated calmly, but I still could not help but notice how his character switched to something different. The intimidating air around him remained, but there was this commanding tone in his voice. It was not something I am used to see in him.

I felt a touch on my left hand and when I turned, I saw Ava holding it in hers, "you don't have to worry. I know all of this is very confusing, but we mean you no harm. We simply seek the protection of our family and the town of Secret Valley" I looked at the man who was standing beside her, watching the scene without saying a word.

I nodded my head and Sebastian continued, "the Addington family, like many others in Secret Valley, are gifted with the spirit of a wolf. It gives us the ability to shift, to change into a wolf form, a power that normal human beings know nothing of"

I blinked a couple of times and shook my head, trying to make sure that I heard him right, "I'm…I'm sorry. But are you talking about Lycanthropy? As in you're a werewolf?"

Sebastian nodded, then I heard a new voice, rather gruff, "It is exactly that. As Sebastian was telling you, we are gifted with the spirit of a wolf. Our family has been blessed with this power for generations upon generations. The power of the wolf is vast, great, beyond human understanding, and even us we don't know everything about it"

"Between the myth, legends, and reality there are gaps upon gaps. So many tangled facts" interjected Ava with a helpful smile.

"The wolves you saw today" Sebastian started, "They are not just normal wolves; they are also gifted with the spirit of the wolf"

"However, they turned it into a curse" the father continued.

I looked at the three of them and rubbed my temple slightly shaking my head. "Guys you're making her more confused" Ava stated, and I just wanted to go and hug her for noting that.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Sebastian asked.

"I'd rather hear all that you've got to say first" I mumbled with my eyes closed. I felt a headache was splitting my head from how strong it was.

"Currently Secret Valley is inhabited by two groups of wolves, or as we call them, packs. The first and the biggest is our pack. We call ourself the Valley Pack, because we were the first inhibitors of the town. The second pack is the Red Moon Pack, you can say they are the bad guys in the story. They have decided to use the gift of the spirit wolves for personal gains. They are a very small pack but very powerful as well" Ava started one weird tale. I felt like I was in some sort of a novel or a fantasy movie.

"These wolves, they let go of their human parts. They live only like animals and they drove the wolf part in them insane" Sebastian continued. "It is a war that we have with them. It is a war against the chaos and the mayhem they wish to spread upon the people. We usually stop them before they cause any actual harm to the people of the town"

"This time however, something different has happened. They have changed" The father, Mr. Addington, said with furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown, "They have become stronger, more fatal, and with a bigger hunger for blood"

"They never fed on humans before" Ava stated, "They used to hurt them, injure them, or even the rare case of a kill. However, they would never eat the human flesh. According to your tale and what our wolves saw, they have changed. Something altered them"

"Alright! So, you want me to believe that there are rabid werewolves out there and that you guys are werewolves too, but you're like in touch with your feelings?" I rubbed my head ruffling my hair in the process and grunting at how absurd that tale was. "Are you even being serious?"

Sebastian took a step back then his body trembled slightly and his bones started moving in a weird way. After than there were grunts and growls, the bones shifting from their place and hair, or rather fur growing on his body until he changed into a very big and very brown wolf and the remaining of his ripped clothes fell to the floor around him. I stared at the scene wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Mother of all that is holy and gracious"

"I believe this proves our words to be the truth" the father stated calmly, then nodded for Sebastian, or what used to be Sebastian, but now turned into one gigantic wolf. At the nod, the wolf left the room through the window and I just followed it with my eyes until it jumped and then I heard a howl echoing outside.

"We know it must be a lot to take in, but you have to keep the knowledge that you acquired to yourself" Ava clutched my hand tighter, "No one can know of what you know"

"I don't think anyone would believe this insanity even if I told them. Hell, if I hadn't just seen that I would not have believed it either" I shook my head, "but what are you going to do about those wolves? They are killing people. They killed Sally, and now there's another girl missing, Lucia Andrews, she works at my grandmother's bookshop"

"Do not worry Ms. Olsen" Stated Jackson sternly, "We will get them and end this as soon as possible"

I looked at him with narrowed eyes, "But you said they have become stronger and more lethal, and you don't even know how they have become that way" Ava nodded her head as a reply when suddenly the door to the room was opened softly. An African American girl who looked younger than myself, maybe fifteen or so. She was on the chubby side, with curly black hair, brown eyes, and full lips. She wore a knee-length dress with a floral pattern. Behind her was Sebastian, in his human form, dressed in new clothes.

"Thalia, I'm glad you're here" Mr. Addington said and the girl, Thalia, just gave him a polite nod.

"Once Sebastian told me of the situation I came" She stated calmly in a hypnotic voice.

"This is our guest Lorraine Olsen; she's the one who saw the incident" he said then turned to me, "Ms. Olsen, Thalia is here to make sure you keep your word. You are not to tell anyone of what happened today"

I raised an eyebrow. I was confused as of how she would ensure that I do not say anything. Thalia walked towards me and sat by the edge of the bed, she grabbed my hand and held it tightly then closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Lorraine, none of this should have happened" Sebastian muttered sadly.

I tired to pull my hand away but her grip was of iron. I looked at the three people in the room for help, but they just looked at me with determination on their faces. Thalia then began to mumble, "Adiuro vos sermonibes tuis. Adiuro vos promissionem. Custodite praecepta tua, verbo tuo interius comedent"

With every word she said I felt a burn starting at my mouth and descending down my lungs and deeper into my insides. I did not understand what was going on, I did not understand what was happening. I tried to raise my other hand, to open my mouth, to ask for help, or to even breath. However, I could do nothing at all. Suddenly it stopped, just like it started out of nowhere. I stopped my struggle with Thalia to pull my hand away, because she had already left it. She stood up, "It is done. None of what had happened will come out of her mouth" she then turned her gaze at me, "The first you felt was only a glimpse, so do not risk even talking about it"

"What have you don't to me?" I asked horrified.

"I simply bound you to your word" she stated from over her shoulder then left the room.

I felt my eyes well with tears, I really wanted to cry. I wanted to cry because I am angry for being distrusted, confused, sad, and scared. I was so very scared"