Chapter 3: Necklace

The moment I arrived home, I took a warm shower and changed into a pair of cuffed jeans and a T-shirt. I then sat at my study table, turned on my laptop, and began searching through the internet for topics related to black wolves.  

Black wolves were rare. We didn't have them in our pack. The only pack with black wolves around us was the Full Moon Pack. However, they hardly shift outside their park to avoid freaking others out.  

According to my research, black werewolves were the strongest and often the hot-blooded. Also, wounds or injuries caused by them can easily be infected if not treated in time with the appropriate antibiotics.  

They were known for attacking humans, tearing them apart, and feeding on them. When they see humans, they shift into their wolf form and attack or hunt them. Unlike other werewolf communities like the grey wolves who maintained a close relationship with humans.  

There was no specific reason behind black wolves' hostility towards humans but according to some sources, they were enemies since the beginning of time and had engaged in several battles in the past.  

I continued searching through the internet until eventually, I ended up falling asleep with my head on the table. I didn't even know it until later on I was awoken by an abrupt rapping sound, someone was knocking on my door.  

I yawned, walked over to the door, and pulled it open. "Dad?" I blurted the moment I saw my dad standing by the door. I wasn't expecting him, you know?  

"Were you sleeping?" he asked.  

"Yeah, but.." I said as he cut in,  

"I came to give you something," he said. 

"What's that?" I curiously asked.  

"It's…" he huffed, "I want you to have this" he took off his crescent necklace and put it around my neck.  

"But, dad, why? I thought it was only meant for Alphas" I uttered, confused. "If anybody deserves it, it's uncle Dolph because he's the second in command" I added. 

"The necklace is for people that deserve it, and at this moment you deserve it more. It will keep you safe, wherever you are. Don't let anybody take it from you" he said.  

"Okay. But how about you, dad? Don't you wanna be safe?" I said imagining why he'd given me such a sacred ornament when he, the Alpha, deserves it more.  

"Well, no claws match the Alpha's, right?" he laughed, "I can take care of myself" he assured me.  

"Okay dad, thanks for the necklace" I beamed at him.  

"You are welcome" he beamed back and left. 

When I returned to my room, I found a text message notification on my phone. The text message was from Rieka and it reads, "Mind asking about that new friend of yours? What's his department? Dave and I are arguing about something" 

"New friend? Which new friend? You know I don't make friends anyhow!" I texted back.  

"Come on, don't tell me you've forgotten about that handsome guy you… I mean, that bumped into you" she texted again.  

"He's not my friend, you can search for him tomorrow in school and ask him about his department" I replied to the text and dropped the phone. 

Verily, I wasn't the kind of person that loves making new friends and she knows that too. I was very cautious about the kind of people I mingled with. Apart from Dave and her, I had no friends in school.  

Whenever I meet new people, I would make sure we don't exchange contacts or even say our names because I believe the more people get to know about me, the more they wonder why I was different. 

I could remember when I was in high school, people often mock me for not being able to shift or mind-link. But Dave and Rieka would stand for me, they would always defend me. I was a few classes ahead of them.  

After high school, I told my parents I wasn't going to further my education again. Dad tried his best to convince me but I was adamant. However, when Rieka and Dave graduated from high school later they managed to convince me to enroll in Marina College together with them.  

I held the crescent in the necklace given to me and wondered how many Alphas had worn it before. The same necklace could be found around my grandfather's neck in his portrait, Alpha Fridolf.  

Talking about the necklace given to me, I was supposed to see our pack's doctor in the clinic. The last time we met, we had talked about checking on me. I wanted to know the scientific fact behind my inability to mind-link and shift despite being eighteen already. 

I also wanted to know why I wasn't having any special ability even though my father was the Alpha and my mother was the Luna, and both were powerful wolves, to begin with. How then was I different? Why didn't I inherit their genes?  

I believed there has to be a scientific explanation, a clue as to why I was born different. When Dave talked about Cathwulf earlier in school, I only scoffed because Cathwulf's story was far different from mine. 

According to some myths, Cathwulf would be sent to the sterile Luna of an unknown park by the moon goddess on a full moon. The goddess would make the Luna pregnant with Cathwulf and Cathwulf would be born special.  

It was believed that Cathwulf would not be able to shift in time until her 20th birthday. The whole pack would be amazed to see her wolf form, a very big and powerful grey wolf with the most venomous claws and fangs. 

Cathwulf would later become the first she-Alpha in her pack, leading them to war and conquering other packs until nearly all the surrounding packs became one and ruled by her alone, with no Beta nor council members or elders. 

Many, however, debunked the story of Cathwulf. They believed such can only exist in one's imagination and not in reality, while some believed she had already existed in the past and there wouldn't be any werewolf of her kind in the future. That was why I scoffed when Dave called me Cathwulf. 

Time to see Mrs. Haley, the pack's doctor!