Chapter 1: Dead by Sundown

Helene never spoke with the humans; much less mate with them. That’s why she was still flustered by the accusations of townspeople after all these years.

I may be a bitch, but I am no whore, she thought to herself.

Her love of Selene was overwhelming that even during a full moon, her anger of the gossipmongers in town never manifested. She can’t make her daughter’s life harder than it is, after all it may be because of her that she was born without the power of the moon. She must do everything to keep her from being more miserable even if her life depends on it.

“Sel,” she called at her daughter dearly. “Your 18^th birthday is coming close; do you want something as a gift?”

Selene was at the dining table, eating breakfast before going to the library for her shift. She wore a plain long dress, considered modest for women her age. The dull color of the cloth enhanced the natural blush of her cheeks and skin. In Helene’s eyes, she was the most beautiful creature in the world.

“A gift?” sel smiled at her mother. “I don’t need anything besides you and father. I know that for werewolves, the 18^th is the most important age for a woman, but I am no werewolf, mom. The most important day for me is all the days our family is together.” She stood from her seat and hugged her mother firmly, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table.

“I am not imposing that you follow our tradition, Sel, but I really want you to feel normal as much as I could. Every werewolf your age went through their 18^th and went out to find their mates; now, you are not obliged to mate – and it’s not like I won’t let you have a partner – but it would make me and your father happy to see you celebrate it.”

Selene looked at her mother lovingly, still clutching her firm body. “Sure, mom. Whatever makes you happy.”

Helene hugged her back, and playfully tapped the small of her back. “Time to go, child. Miss Kaitlyn will be angry at you again when you came in late again for your shift.”

Selene hurriedly looked outside the window and saw that the sun has already rose high up in the sky and she was indeed late for her job as the assistant librarian in the Town Hall Library. She kissed her mother goodbye before running out the door.

Helene looked at her daughter’s back going farther, and smaller in the distance. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought of her loving daughter going away from the safety of her home, into an unwelcoming environment. If only she could transfer her powers, she would have had. Seeing her being shunned for being different was already painful for her; she can’t even imagine the pain her daughter feels. She never stopped hoping for something to change.

***

The weather was cool, and the air was chilly even at noon; it was the perfect time to forage for mushrooms. That’s why Mikhail, was out deep in the woods with his fellow foragers digging around for psychedelic mushrooms.

“I still don’t get it,” Georg Tempest said. “How is it that two werewolves managed to create a human baby?”

“Maybe Mike’s balls are not hairy enough to make a hairy baby,” jested Joshua. The trio laughed.  Unlike his wife, he was tolerant of the townspeople’s comments. He was offended the first times they mumbled around, but as time went by, he realized that nothing would happen from getting butthurt from their gossiping.

“Why didn’t you try again after you got a dud the first time?” Georg asked him playfully.

“We tried. Every day, every full moon, we mated until we’re sore all over. We broke many beds all these years of burrowing my seed deep into the wife; but we did not manage to create a pup, nor another one like… Selene.” He reminisced on the moment he saw his child for the first time, the time he held her in his arms. She was special, he knew it. She may be different, but she’s special.

“I do admire you, though,” said Georg. “I mean, if it was me in your situation, I would have had left my wife and kill the child. I really admire the love you have for your family.” Georg tapped Mikhail on the shoulder and nodded at him with respect. Mikhail nodded back, but his words hurt him. He can’t imagine hurting his family, no matter what the other people were saying about them. But he paid him no mind; Georg has always been a good friend to him.

“So, what will you do once you got home?” Joshua asked the two of them as he humped the air and wagging his tongue. They all looked at each other knowingly and laughed out loud.

***

“I’m home!” Mikhail announced as he entered their home.

Helene was seated on the rocking chair, writing on her journal. She promptly placed it down on the table and stood up. She ran graciously at him.

“Welcome home, dear!” she said as she reached out her hands at him for a hug. Mikhail embraced his loving wife. They held on to each other so tight that if a watermelon was to be placed in between them, it will explode and be turned into a pool of juice on their feet.

Helene placed her face in front of her husband’s and kissed him torridly, rabidly, ferociously. She hungrily licked at his face, while pulling him towards their bed. The woman surely was fiery. Even after 25 years of relentless love-making, she never lost her vigor.

You smell like the earth, she telepathically said to him.

And you smell like a delightful dessert I can’t wait to put my mouth on, he replied.

Helene ripped the shirt out of his body, revealing his firm muscles bulging out of his arms, shoulders and chest. She trailed her fingers on the sweaty form of her husband while seductively staring at his eyes.

Mine, she thought.

Yours, he added.

He smiled at her seductively as he held her by the hips. He kissed her lips and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Take me, wolf-man,” Helene whispered to his ear.

“Your wish,” he said as he threw her to the bed, then climbed on top of her. “Is granted.”

***

Their benefactor informed them well of the abilities a werewolf has. They have acute senses; they can hear and smell even from afar. That’s why they were given special ointments to mask their scent. But they must still contain any sounds to avoid detection. He signaled at his men to stay quiet. He slowly opened a window and carefully climbed inside.

They quickly tiptoed right outside the couple’s door. They all checked their rifles and confirmed they were loaded correctly with silver bullets. He ordered one of his men kneeled on one knee, pointing the rifle straight at the door, as he stood behind him, rifle facing the door. He then had the other one to knock loudly on the front door.

“Are you expecting someone?” a man’s voice groggily asked. He listened closely for footsteps but he heard none. So, he asked his man to knock again. “Who do you think is knocking?” he heard him ask.

“I don’t know,” a female voice said. “Just check it.”

“Wait a minute,” the man’s voice shouted. He then heard footsteps closing in onto the door, before stopping midway. After a while, the footsteps continued. As the doorknob turned and the door opened, he shot his rifle at the man, hitting him on the chest. His man also shot and hit him straight on the forehead. The man fell dead on the floor.

The naked woman inside screamed in anger and charged at them. He saw her body started to contort, but they managed to stop her from transforming thanks to their silver bullets. They shot her face and her chest, just like what they did to her husband. They were told specifically to target these areas to successfully kill werewolves.

“Check their pulse,” he ordered one of his men, just to be sure. His man quickly checked and confirmed their deaths. “Good,” he said.

He cut a square of cloth from a curtain on one of the windows. He then brought it to the pool of blood forming underneath the couple’s bodies. He soaked the cloth with the red liquid and walked towards the daughter’s room. On a clean wall, he wrote with the parents’ blood the words ‘Hunting Season’ just as he was told to.

As a mercenary, he learned not to ask too much about the job. He did many things that defy logic, and he managed not to let his curiosity kick in. This is one of those times. He was just doing his job, no matter how weird it was.

He threw the blood-soaked rag and wiped his hands on a curtain. “Let’s go,” he said to his men. They met at the door. “Oh, wait,” he said as he put a hand on of his men’s shoulder.

“What, boss?” he asked, confused.

“I forgot one other thing to do,” he said.

“Wha—”

He hit him swiftly on the back of the head, causing him to fall unconscious by the door. “Let’s go,” he repeated, beckoning his other man to follow. The bounty for the Edevanes was high enough that he could manage to lose one of his men. Having a rich client really pays off, regardless of their weird orders.