I woke to find myself in the hospital the next day with Mum and Dad hovering over my face as I awoke.
“Alice we’re so glad you’re okay,” Mums voice felt extremely loud on my ears.
“Ouch, it’s a hospital Mum, can you please be a little quieter,” I moaned as I put my hands over my ears.
“Oh sorry honey I forgot what it’s like to be 16,” Mum said her voice even lower then a whisper.
“What do you mean?” I asked sitting up straight.
“You’ll learn to control it within a week or so,” Dad said with his voice below a whisper.
“Let’s go home, we’ll explain everything on the car ride back,” Mum said, as she held out her hand to help me up.
I got up without her help, still in severe pain. Mum handed me some normal clothes from home to change into. Once I had finished changing and we left the hospital I asked, “where are the boys?”
“At school, why?” Mum said as she unlocked the car.
“I just needed reassurance that they are safe.”
“After last night, I can guess why,” Dad put on a fake smile.
Once we started driving I asked, “Yes, what the hell happened last night?”
“Language young lady,” Dad said trying to avoid my question.
“It was English. Now tell me what happened last night,” I put more power in my voice.
“Your mother and I are werewolves-”
I interrupted him, “really I hadn’t noticed,” I put an obvious amount of sarcasm in my voice.
“Alice, please just let your father talk,” Mum voice was both sad and annoyed.
“Fine,” I muted.
“As I was saying, it will of course mean you are also a werewolf and since it’s your 16th your transformation starts today,” he explained.
“What transformation?” I dared to ask.
“Well, when you hit 16 your 2 of your 5 sensors become a lot sharper, smell and hearing but you’ll learn how to control it within a week or so. Also on the night of your first full moon you will unwilling transform.”
“When can I willingly transform?” I asked.
“It’s just on your first full moon or if you haven’t transformed in a while and you see a full moon. Except for some reason we can’t transform at all when it’s a new moon and when it’s day,” Mum answered.
“And we are also strongest the closer it is to a full moon,” Dad added.
“And do the twins know about this?” I asked.
“No, so please don’t tell them until there 16,” Mum said sounding concerned that I might.
“Don’t worry I won’t.” I hesitated to ask, “why didn’t we learn growing up?”
“Sometimes it’s because kid’s gossip and also we wanted you to have a semi-normal childhood,” Mum said still trying to be delicate.
“Well apart from the fact you made as learn about mythology everyday afterschool.”
“Yeah but I thought it might cut down on the time we’ll have to explain to you about both your new life style and werewolves in general.”
“No, I sort of forgot everything but the basics,” I smiled hiding my shame and guilt.
Both Mum and Dad sighed, which made my heart sink a little.
“Anyway let’s start with what happened yesterday,” I suggested.
“Well one of the many enemies to the werewolf is the werebear, which is what you saw last night. In the wild bears and wolves try and avoid each other naturally and just like in the wild shape changers like us try and avoid each other. It’s mostly instinct though,” Dad poorly tried to explain.
“Then why did they attack yesterday?”
“That was a dominates thing, sometimes when a monster thinks it’s tougher then another they’ll try and kill another to go up a rank, or be a little higher on the food chain.”
“We have ranks?”
“Yup, the school system made a website for the whole underworld, so now we have ranks, can tell who else is a monster, if someone has a criminal record, you know that sort of thing,” Dad smiled proudly, “I also helped set it up but now witches run it.”
“Why do witches run it? And since when were witches real?”
“They have been for over 9000. And witches run the system because they know when a monster is born and can put them on the system. They also send you an email on you 16th so you can go online and you’ll get your password for it.”
“Why’s the email so important that only witches can do it?” I asked.
“It was just extra info your father thought he should tell you,” Mum answered.
“Okay then, how long do we live for?”
“7 times as long as a human,” Dad said smiling.
“So we’re the opposite of dog years?”
“Yup,” Mum smiled.
“Nice,” I smiled to, then asked, “so how long will it take me to heal do you think?”
“By tonight, our healing process isn’t as fast as some monsters but it’s still quick compared to humans,” Dad said with such enthusiasm.
“Stop calling us monsters!” Mum shouted at Dad, which put us both in shock. “Don’t make me find a new mate to have my next litter with.”
“Ouch my ears,” I muttered, hoping saying that won’t make it worse.
The rest of the car ride home was filled with an unpleasant silence.
Once we got home I saw that the house was cleaned up from the fight. That’s a quick clean up, I thought to myself, then I realised when I watched the fight not much got broken.
I quietly went up to my room to rest up more. When I opened the door I saw a boy sitting on my bed.
“Alice, are you okay?” He wrapped his arms around my neck.
In shock I pushed him away, “who the hell are you?”
“I’m Randal, I’m your cousin.”
I laughed, “what kind of name is Randal?”
“It means ‘A wolf-like shield.’”
“Do you know what my name means, smart guy.”
“The wise councillor or the truthful one, I win,” he smiled.
“Whatever can I go to sleep now?”
“One last thing mutt,” his smiled turned into a smirk.
“Mutt?” I asked.
“Do you know your purebred blemish?”
“I didn’t even know we had one?”
“Your mother’s great grandmother was not a werewolf but a female wizard, therefore tainting your family’s future generations forever. Which yes means you will be able to do things purebreds can’t, but it also means however people will lock down on you.”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re also a mutt?”
He has a crud laugh, “Hardly, I was born on your father’s side, we are purebreds. How your father and fell in love with you mangy mother I shall never know.”
I growled at him, then pushed him out the door and made sure it slammed his face.
I through myself on my bed and buried my face in my pillow, shedding silent tears.
“Rough 16th birthday?” A male’s voice asked.
I looked around the room but couldn’t see who the voice belonged to. I went to the window in hopes I could see the mysterious man. When I looked outside I saw a boy sitting on a nearby tree. When he saw me look his way he waved at me.
He was pale with smooth, black hair, just above shoulder length. He wore all black and hid well in the shadows of the trees.
“I’m speaking in your head stupid. Anyway my names Victor Black and don’t worry I all ready know yours, Alice Barker,” even from the distance I could see him smiling.
You knowing my name scares me more then not knowing, I thought to myself.
“You know purebred vampires can read thoughts?” He asked even though he knows the answer.
Enough with the purebreds and keep out my head, I shouted in my head at him.
“Well I want to keep talking so will you let me inside?”
Fine but hurry up. I opened the window for him.
Next thing I knew he stood beside me saying, “close the curtains, before I burn.”
I did as he said and closed the curtains, “so Victor why are you here?”
“Well on Creatures-of-the-Night.com, it has ads telling you about new creatures becoming 16 and because you were one of the people this area and will soon be coming to my school I, thought I could pay you a visit,”
“Is that the website witches run?” I asked.
“Yup, have you been on it?”
“No, I found out my parents are werewolves yesterday and then woke up in the hospital earlier today. It’s not like I’ve had the time. Anyway, you said something about me moving schools? As far as I’m aware, I am not changing schools.”
“Have you noticed no one at your school stays after 16?”
“Yeah so, that’s normal, some people leave at 16 years and others change school,” I replied losing confidence in myself.
“Not quite, they changed to the night the night class,” he started to explain.
“The night class? Is that a class for monsters so they can keep learning and can be in their true form?”
“Well that and so vampires don’t burn,” he smiled.
“Okay, then why haven’t my parents told me I’ll be changing schools?”
“You’ve gone through so much stuff lately, they don’t want to load it on you it all on you at the time,” he said delicately.
“Wait a minute, it just crossed my mind that vampires and werewolves aren’t meant to get along? Explain that,” I said harshly.
He hesitated and his skin became even whiter, not that I thought that was possible, “um...it’s hard to explain.”
“Tell me!” I shouted at him.
“Alice, what’s going on up there?” I hear Mum shout from the stairwell.
I glared at Victor then turned to the door and yelled back at Mum, “I’m just on my computer, don’t worry.” I turned to where Victor stood and saw he had vanished. Victor, you dick, if you’re reading my thoughts then know this, I will hunt you down and kill you.”
“Well aren’t you pleasant?” He said through my head.
I ignored him and walked over to my laptop. I went onto the internet and cheeked my emails. Dad was right, the witches had sent me an email that explained Creatures-of-the-night.com and that gave me my username and password. Once I had logged on, I searched up Victor and found out he just turned 16 a month ago, use to go to Nitron High school, now goes to Dark Seas High school, has never drunk human blood and wants to bring creatures of the underworld together with the humans.
Once I was done stalking Victor’s profile I researched Dark Seas High School. The important things it told me was, the school hours being between 9pm – 4am and the classes I could choose from.
I got off my laptop, walked down stairs and as I opened the door I saw my whole extended family in the kitchen. Once I walked through the door they all shouted at once, “Surprise! Happy Birthday!”
I dropped to my knees and covered my ears, shouting in pain.
Mum walked up to me and gently apologized.
“Mum why is everyone here? And why is our family so big?” I asked.
“It’s so we can celebrate your 16th, the day you become a werewolf. And because we don’t die until we are over 600 you usually get a big family.”
“Well, I think it’s safe to say the normality in my life is over.” I muttered, forgetting werewolves have sharp hearing.
“It’s going to be okay, me and your father will be left on earth for another few hundred human years, so you’ll get use to it and will be here for you.”
Great, I thought with much sarcasm. I’m so glad werewolves can’t read thoughts.
