Pack2- Were'nation

Mingan walked across the sports field aimlessly. The dew from the grass sticking in contrast against the charcoal black of her shoes.

"Adriel," she yells aloud, in hopes he would hear, though doubtful she thought looking at seemingly endless green.

Adriel and Mingan had been friends, although still questioned whether they were even 'friends' at all, since they were toddlers. Their fathers were old-time buddies, and rekindled their friendship after meeting up again at the local supermarket in the neighbourhood. After the passing of her father, she never saw Adriel's father again.

Their fathers used to hang out at an abandoned apartment, and would take them along with them. Which was awkward for them to say the least. The apartment had been downtown, place they claimed to have rented together during varsity days. They were left to their own devices on one-side of the rickety room, while they played pool in the centre. They tried their best to get along, but quickly ran out of games to play.

The delicate age during puberty aggravated Adriel and Mingan and dad's meetings were always cut off by their fighting. At some point, they went their separate ways and then pretended to hang out when their dad's called them to leave. Mingan noted that it was not that she disliked like him, as she was the cause of their fights, but rather he was not much of a talker. His anti-social behaviour clashing with her need for attention.

The need slowly dissipating, entering high school with its unwanted attention. Her usual bombarding him of requests, "If you don't hang out with, I'll tell my papa!" soon turned to "If you tell my dad I ditched you to watch Vampire Secrets, I'll kill you."

His behaviour on the other hand had not changed much and made Mingan uncomfortable as back as and still presently he tries to accommodate her. "Fine, I'll play with you but leave me alone to sleep when we're done," to "I wouldn't tell a soul you watch some stupid show to appease your weird fetishes."

Mingan thought of Adriel as a neighbourhood street cat, one who enjoys you feeding it, but doesn't let you any closer than that no matter what you do. It keeps its distance, but always makes sure you leave first before disappearing again.

Tiring of walking about without a destination or seeing a single person in sight, she takes a chance to the gym lockers. Before reaching the one-side of the metal containers, the chance pays off as she hears a voice and then a groan.

In a panic, she slowly starts to turn on her heel to getaway, but the gruff voice of a familiar boy sheepishly says, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"I hope you're not running people over again, Addie" Mingan asks approaching the scene around the corner.

She sceptically eyes the floor, a boy holding his belly with a blood stained hand and Adriel, crouched down, unwrapping the black bandage roll from early. They look up at her with terror in their eyes, bewildered, she slowly picks up her hands in a surrender motion. They let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, we thought you were them," the boy with dusty blonde hair tells.

"Them?" she questions and crouches down next to them.

"The government's people" he says sharply. Mingan gives Adriel a quizzical look, and he shoots her his famous 'not now' look and returns to the wound. A sort of skill she delivered,

"What happened?" She asks the boy with furrowed brows in concern and taking in his features. His hair cut short in a buzz cut, and light blue eyes, which carried much pain.

"I got attacked by one of those people the government assigned to kill us," he says with a groan as Adriel wraps his wound in the black bandage.

"Us?" Mingan repeats, but already aware of what he could be referring to.

"Yeah, werewolf," he blankly states, forcing a weak grin, that reveals two high dimples on both sides of his cheeks.

"Yeah, obviously," uncertain of how to counsel him, she gives a sympathetic smile and pat on the arm instead.

"How did they discover you were one?" she asks, trying to make conversation.

"He was turning," replies Adriel for him and while helping him up.

"I needed my bag from the gym lockers and came across him transforming. He was cut off by a girl shooting him in the side," he added and continued to say, "The girl was a student wearing West Park's uniform," anger etched on his face.

The thought that students or even people around her may threaten her like, Mingan, light-headed stumbles back and Adriel rushes to comfort her.

While holding her back, he whispers an "Are you okay?" and she blushes, a reaction uncommon to her as the setting was a regular occurrence. 'His always been like this, a brother,' she thought to herself and a voice like water flooded into her mind, 'Mine.'

She backs away, dazed by the voice, her face flushed draws the boy's attention and awkwardly lets them know, "I would wobble off on my own if I could," chuckling.

Changing the subject, Mingan asks, "Why'd you stop transforming, don't you have like regeneration healing, like in the movies?"

He answers, "We do, but not against the infamous silver bullet."

"Well, that makes sense, I mean movies aren't necessarily wrong with this stuff, right?" she makes light.

He begins to explain, "We've been in hiding for years. After the extinction of the Were'nation, we went into hibernation for years. This forcing the werewolf transformation to stop."

"Were'nation?" I ask.

"Yes, that's what we called," he responds and motions for us to leave. In an unstable walk holding his wound, Adriel lifts an arm around his shoulder, and he continues,

"Thanks, yeah we lived in peace amongst the human nation, some even mated, had spawn of hybrids and for a thousand centuries we were left to be," shaking his head,

"but then one day the government's higher-ups from across the global came to an agreement to find and capture us and I don't know why actually"

"It's been years since they began to blend their military people amongst the masses to fool us. I'm not even sure why they decided to make this public now." They reach the end of the field and head straight for Adriel's car. The school was completely empty.

"I think it's easier to spot us nowadays because of the pure full moon, the turning has started again," he says, but soon drops to the ground. On his knees, his body shifts into an Alaskan Timber wolf, the light fades from his blue eyes and bright red blood trickles down his forehead as he falls face down. Mingan attempts to grab him, but Adriel pulls her and, forcing them to run away. Her heart shatters. A similar feeling of watching her father pass away in front of her, surfaces and teardrops one after the other fall from her eyes.

They make it to the car, he lets her in the backseat, as Adriel speeds away. She holds her head curled in a ball, in agony.