Chapter 4

"Next time, Gabbie, please don't stay out late with Ammy and make sure to come home on time. Look at what happened now, your mom and I had to pick you up," said a male voice while admonishing the young girl as they walked. Alongside them was a woman in her thirties.

"Yes, Dad, Mom, I'm sorry, and it won't happen again," replied the young girl, who seemed to be around 10 years old.

The three continued walking in a dark and wooded area, a remote province far from any homes.

"Those three are a perfect target. Let's wait for them in that dense area, ensuring nobody passes by before we make our move," Jacob suggested.

"Jacob, what if we just decide not to push through? It's pitiful, especially with that young girl involved. Let's find another, please," pleaded Erica to her werewolf secret mate, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Not my moonlight, we're here, having traveled far for this, to taste and experience this blessing.

But can we choose someone else, someone more deserving to devour, not them?" Erica said, still crying.

It's perfect far from residential areas, so this people won't be discovered easily, and no one will uncover the bodies,We're here now. Don't pity them; they're just humans. Remember what they did to your mother; that's what you should think about." Jacob added

Erica remained silent after her partner's words.

She could still hear the laughter of the three as they continued walking home.

When the trio reached a dense area, Jacob immediately transformed into a fierce creature and attacked the older woman.

"Growlll," Jacob roared in his beastly form.

Following that were screams that Erica could clearly hear.

Following that were screams, cries, and the growls of the fierce beast echoing throughout the dense forest.

Erica witnessed how the stomach of one of the older women was torn open while the man brandished a knife, engaging in a confrontation with Jacob.

As the man was about to strike Jacob, Erica immediately transformed into her wolf form and rushed to help Jacob.

She attacked the elderly man, biting his hand, but quickly let go due to the strange, repulsive smell of the man's blood. Like humans not consuming animals with severe diseases, werewolves shared the same aversion.

When the man rose to attack her again, Jacob swiftly intervened, grabbing the man and tossing him, causing him to faint. Meanwhile, the young girl cowered by a tree, crying and watching them.

Erica stopped and looked at the young girl. She didn't feel the usual repulsion, for what prevailed in her now was the craving to taste and savor human flesh.

Just like the girl's father, the child's blood had an unpleasant smell, so Erica distanced herself and approached Jacob, who was thoroughly enjoying his feast on the woman victim. Jacob stopped and made way for her. They locked eyes, and upon seeing the blood, Erica couldn't resist. She devoured the remains of the fallen woman along with Jacob.

Growll, both Jacob and Erica growled as they enjoyed their dinner. For Erica, it seemed like this might be the most delicious meal she had ever tasted in her entire life.

Hah, Erica woke from her sleep, drenched in sweat. She glanced outside; it was midnight, and the only light came from the round moon illuminating the surroundings.

She couldn't escape it—a haunting memory persisted, tormenting her. Since that incident, many changes occurred in her body.

Growlll, she growled, tempted by the taste of human flesh, but she fought against herself. She headed to her backyard, feeling the transformation beginning once again.

Upon reaching the backyard, she immediately pounced on a large pig in the pen, tearing open its stomach and devouring the internal organs, drinking its blood.

After finishing her meal, she returned to her human form, sitting naked on the edge of their backyard. This time, she wept. Her body had been craving the taste of human flesh for ten years since that first experience. While she used to satisfy her hunger with Grayson's rare cooked animal meat, now the mere thought made her nauseous.

The only one privy to her secret is her father. He discovered her relationship with Jacob and the crimes committed by Jacob's family against humans after he noticed her unusual behavior. Faced with his disapproval, she was compelled to admit everything, leading to her father's anger.

She remembered how she begged her father to forgive Jacob's family, but her father remained resolute. He revealed that he had long noticed something unusual about Jacob's family, just waiting for the right time and evidence.

"Do you know how against the law it is to take the life of a mortal, Erica?

"In all our years, your mother, your uncles, and I have never entertained the thought of consuming human flesh," her father added,

Erica could do nothing but cry. She regretted revealing the truth to her father, knowing him to be steadfast in his decisions, regardless of her actions.

"Dad, I hope you considered whose side you should empathize with. People killed Mom, so they all deserve to die," she exclaimed in frustration.

Her father stared at her and took a deep breath before speaking, "Your mother wasn't killed by a mortal, Erica."

"What? But you and Uncle Kelvin said the hunters killed her."

"That was a lie, my child. The truth is, she was killed by our fellow werewolf, not a human."

"But why did you need to lie about her death?"

"Because I didn't want to cause chaos, Erica. If you remember a hundred years ago, there was a family we sentenced to death for breaking our laws. They had young children, similar to your age and Grayson's – 5 and 10. The parents were sentenced, and the children were left with other relatives. But after many years, we lost track of the children.

"It turns out, they were the ones who initiated the killings in various places. The children attempted to retaliate against us but failed many times. Until one day, your mother..."

Erica noticed her father's teary eyes as he began to speak about her mother.

"...until one day, your mother," he paused, his voice choked with emotion, "she sought to end the cycle of violence. She confronted our fellow werewolves, pleading for peace. But they, blinded by hatred, didn't listen. It was one of them who took her life."

Erica could only cry in astonishment. For years, she harbored resentment towards humans, thinking they were the ones responsible for her mother's death.

"Erica, my child," her father said with concern upon seeing her reaction. Erica paused in her reflections, hearing her father's voice that brought her back to the present.

"But why did you say that people were responsible for my mom's death? Don't you realize the significant impact it has on our feelings as mortals surrounded by them? Each one of them, I strongly desire to end, to strike down with my sharp claws," Erica's question was accompanied by tears welling up in her eyes.

"Because we don't want conflict between our races," her father replied.