Chapter 11

POV Eric

The last 24 hours have been excruciating, the doctors going back and forth. Disappearing into the windowless operating room with very few updates.

Braxton has calmed down which is a relief. Having had a major meltdown when he couldn't feel her anymore. I started reading up on the different kinds of wolf bonds in hopes of finding some answers for him.

One of the books Miss Evens gave me goes into elaborate detail on what's called a veil bond. Where two or more wolves trapped in the veil can feel each other. Shifting to early is often painful, causing the others still in the veil to share the pain.

Braxton seemed satisfied with that answer. Considering he could no longer feel her, and she was safe.

Fascinated by the lore and legends he pushed me to keep reading. Flipping through the most recent book she had given me "Rare and Mythical Werewolf breeds" a full-page drawing caught Braxton's attention. "What's that?" He asked.

The drawing depicted a wolf standing upright, looking half human but definitely wolf. The head of a wolf, body covered in hair. Hands and fingers elongated into claws. Massive muscles bulging.

"Lycan." I read aloud. "The first pack had a third form. It's believed this beast is the foundation of human werewolf myths. Unlike human and werewolf form the lycan is feral. Running on instinct alone to feed and mate. Lycan's are extremely dangerous having destroyed entire villages in a blood thirsty rage. The howl of a Lycan is said to have been able to force a werewolf to shift, trapping them in wolf form."

"That's what happened to her!" Braxton gasped.

"You're not serious." I started laughing. "Lycans aren't real, even if they were that's first pack ancient stuff. They died out when Abigail started pairing werewolves with humans to get rid of them. The ones that refused human mates started the betrothal ritual. Lycans are stories your parents tell you when you won't eat your vegetables or go to bed." I laughed harder.

"Whatever." Braxton huffed at me before laying down with a thud. "What's that one?" Obviously annoyed but giving up on the subject.

The next drawing of a massive wolf, all white except for a black crescent moon on the shoulder. The eyes blue but had faded over time to a pale powder blue color.

"The Lunar Wolf." I had learned all about her in Werewolf Studies, Miss Evens is infatuated with Lunar Wolf lore. "So, Abigail, the witch who used the curse that created all werewolves, pleaded with the fates to let her see her daughter. The fates agreed but they are assholes! So, they let her use her daughter Selova's spirit to make a wolf every 500 years. Abigail only gets to see her before it's time for Selova to go through the veil to her human counterpart and she has no memory of her mother. Abigail paired her with the daughter of an Alpha family, gave her command over all werewolves. Hoping she could restore balance and bring all werewolves together to live peacefully and find balance. That completely backfired, on her 18th birthday when she received the Lunar mark, and her human counterpart became greedy. Hungry for power, she had her father request a betrothal summons from the Alpha of the Black River pack. Black River is the largest pack in the world and at the time one of the few who supposedly still had Lycan bloodlines."

"See they are real." Braxton said excitedly.

"I said supposedly! Abigail was worried her daughter would be used and traded to the Lycans and as a deterrent choose a human counterpart for her who was infertile. Shortly after she was mated to the Alpha, he killed her in a fit of rage when he found out."

"That's not a very good story." Braxton whimpered.

"None of the stories of Abigail and Selova have happy endings." I replied closing the book.

"There's more?" Braxton's ears perked up.

"The story of our creation. Everyone knows that legend." I told him.

"I don't." He said as he sat up tilting his head and giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Alright." I laughed. "Legend has it Abigail was once a great leader of a flourishing tribe. She dabbled in dark magic to keep enemies away and the lands bountiful. Abigail and her husband were known to be fair but not to be trifled with. After years of trying, they couldn't conceive, and Abigail desperately wanted a child. Without her husband's knowledge Abigail went out on the night of the blood moon and preformed a spell. Summoning dark spirits and they offered her a deal. A life for a life, bathe in the blood of an innocent and they would grant her request. Abigail was repulsed and heartbroken. Weeks passed before she told her husband what had happened, the spirits had told her they would never bare a child of their own and what they had asked for. In the coming months Abigail became sick and her belly grew, she never questioned how as she had not granted the spirit's request. Only when their daughter was born did she realize what he had done."

Braxton gasped. "He killed a child!"

"While she was sleeping and rubbed it's blood upon her belly, begging the spirits to grant her wish." I said.

"How did she know?" He asked.

"Selova was kissed by the moon as they called it. Porcelain skin, powder blue eyes and light blonde almost white hair. Nothing like her parents or the rest of the tribe. Droughts plagued the lands the wildlife migrated to other areas. The neighboring tribes were starving to death and in their desperation one of them kidnapped Selova. Locking her in a cage inside a pen full of wolves."

"That seems like a bad life choice." Braxton joked.

"Oh yes it was." I said, continuing with the story. "Abigail was furious, summoning every dark spirit, demon and anything else sinister that would answer her call. She stormed to their lands and when she saw her daughter didn't even give them a chance. Abigail's eyes turned bitch black before black smoke billowed from them seeping to the ground. Cursing them to live as beasts. The black smoke surrounded the wolves, dragging them yelping and pawing towards the humans. Devouring them in darkness before falling away to reveal the Lycans."

"So, we are monsters." Braxton stated before lying down with a sigh.

"Descendants of monsters but there's more. Remember in the book, Lycans are feral wild beasts. The first thing they did was tare Selova to shreds." I told him.