The Creature of The Jungle

"What are you?" Jayden's eyes widened.

Hawkbone started walking toward the cave, Jayden followed him wherever he went, and when they reached, the light of the moon was bright enough for Jayden to watch Hawkbone's upper half body, until he fell on his knees "Are you okay?" Jayden asked getting close to him but he jerked back as he realized he wasn't sick, instead, he was turning into something.

"Are you a wolf?" Jayden asked with surprise.

Hawkbone started laughing and with his laughter, he was growling and moaning with pain, his bones were cracking and popping back with new joints and the sound could be heard across the woods.

He loosened his tie and removed his coat "I am an anthropophagus! a thaumaturge!" He grunted removing his shirt and pant one by one and within 5 minutes Jayden found himself standing in front of a beast, a 7 feet tall beast, his jaws wider than a wolf, his claws sharper than the edge of a knife.

Jayden couldn't move, it felt as if he became paralyzed.

Hawkbone opened his mouth as wide as he could and growled, blowing a large amount of breath on Jayden's face, Jayden could smell the scent of blood coming out of his mouth, he was about to attack Jayden when they heard a howl from a little distance.

Hawkbone stepped back, Jayden turned around, at first he saw two blue eyes glowing in the dark then as it got closer he saw a wolf coming out from the dark.

A beautiful wolf with golden and snowy white soft fur, a healthy wolf slowly approaching, grinding its teeth while grunting, when it got closer Hawkbone stepped back and started whimpering with fear and then started running away.

Jayden turned back and the wolf was gone "Hello!" He called out but there was no response, but before he could do anything a man came out from behind the trees, with long golden brown hair, not messed up, but pretty neat and combed, big eyes, long stubble. He was a few inches taller than Jayden, his wheatish skin was glittering under the moonlight.

He approached Jayden while buttoning his sky-blue shirt, his sleeves were rolled up all the way to his elbows, "Never seen one transform before eh?" As he spoke in his light yet heavy voice.

"What does it mean by anthropo…." Jayden stammered when the man laughed.

"Anthropophagus! Is a cannibal, a very old and rare, that feeds only on dead bodies of werewolves" He took out a leaf from inside his hair.

"And what was the second thing he said?" Jayden asked.

"A magician? A wizard or witch whatever you call it!" He shrugged and winked with a smirk "Oh I forgot to introduce myself, I am Emric River" He introduced himself.

"River?" Jayden raises an eyebrow.

"We are the sons of the River! The werewolves, bornt to protect innocent people like you from the wolves like the ones who turned you and other supernatural species such as Hawkbone!" Emric explained but it was still a lot to process, Jayden was curious he wanted to know more.

He wasn't even sure if there are any other wolves than himself and the one who turned him.

"I am sent to help you! You can ask as many questions as you want I wouldn't mind" He patted Jayden on his shoulder.

Jayden has been keeping all his emotions and questions to himself but now he finally had someone to talk to about it, he couldn't stop asking questions.

From there they went straight to the lake.

"Calm down…. When I said I will answer all your questions? I meant I will answer all those questions for which I have answers for." Emric smiled "That doesn't include weather predictions and the things done in secret" Emric patted Jayden on his shoulder again.

"I don't know who turned you… but this is why I'm here! To find out who turned you, and to make sure you, he or she never does that again" He added.

"He or she? Can a girl be an alpha?" Jayden sat beside Emric on the dock by the lake.

"It's never happened before but…." Before Emric could complete his sentence Jayden asked another question "Before? How long has it been happening?" It's like a child just found a teacher who was able to answer most of his questions.

Emric Smiled "Okay, let me tell you everything from the beginning!" He turned his face toward Jayden and crossed his legs "There was a man named Lucian, he was living his life peacefully with his wife and children, he was a lumberjack. He had 2 children both of them were boys, one was a teenager while the other one was 9 years old.

Lucian was growing old and getting tired quickly, but he was okay with that until one day when the rain was pouring with all its force, and a strange young girl named Marianne knocked on their door, she was wounded, she needed shelter so his wife took her in. When Lucian woke up the next morning and saw a young beautiful girl lying beside his wife.

When his eyes fell on her pretty face, he couldn't look away, her golden curls were enhancing her beauty we can explain it as 'The icing on the cake' Lucian fell in love with her, he started doing things for her, bringing her flowers, sometimes crafted things for her with wood.

Lucian's wife slowly began to understand that her husband is slipping away from her hands. Instead of confronting Lucian she decided to leave the house and she took her children with her.

Lucian didn't stop her, instead, he proposed to Marianne, without giving it a thought she rejected him, she told him he was too old for her.

Poor Lucian lost everything and decided to drown himself to death, so on another rainy day he reached the top of the mountain to jump into the deep river, but you can call it his luck or whatever you want, but there was another man standing nearby, he stopped him and asked him for the reason why he is committing such an act.

He didn't tell him the reason, but he told him he lost everything.

The other man told Lucian about a witch "She's the only one of her kind! Even though people call her cursed she has a solution for every problem, visit her for me please just this once, if you don't find your answer then I will push you down from here by myself" He insisted so Lucian decided to visit her.