The Human Among Wolves

“ I am sorry …we tried all we could to save him but we lost him “

Those words shattered my heart more than a sword could , The doctors slowly started to leave the room but I was still in disbelief, there was no way …My dad was dead , I couldn’t believe it .

“ Daddy …” I called out slowly walking to his death bed , the nurse was covering him up, I rushed to stop her

“ No , No , No …You can’t do that …Don’t put that on him ! My Dad is not dead , Please …Let me talk to him “

I cried out , one of the nurses rushed to grab me but i shrugged her off .

“ We are so sorry for your loss …”

I was stiffened, they moved my dad from the room and i was left alone , it dawned on me that I was alone now , It was just me , all by myself, my dad was the only one I had and now he was gone , he was dead .

“ He can’t be dead …He can’t leave me here “ I whimpered scratching my fingers on the wall .

“ Lilly …” I heard my name from behind , it was Monica , My father’s best friend.

“ Oh my baby ….I am so sorry “ She burst into tears wrapping her hands around mine , I buried my face in her shoulders, screaming and crying in pains , My body was trembling, I couldn’t stop my heart from racing so fast , I was sweating so much , my clothes were soaked, i was more than devasted , I was broken , my life wasn’t making sense anymore .

“ We will figure this together…Trust me …We will figure it together” She tried calming me down but words alone couldn’t , I had just lost my father , there was no way I could figure that out .

It’s been two weeks since the only family I had left me , I haven’t slept since my Dad died , barely even ate , I just sat in his study, imagining he was sitted right there in his chair while I read my Anatomy text book but today I was staring at it one last time before I leave turns out Monica figured it out afterall , she was taking me to that woman’s place .

“ Lily we have to go now …”

“ Monica ! I don’t want to go , let me stay here …I will manage “

“ I wish I can but that’s not what your father wants , he gave me an instruction, I have to follow it “

“ My dad wants me to go and stay with that beast ? The same woman that left me the day I was born , she’s not even human , how do I manage ? We are two different species”

Technically my mother wasn’t human , she was a werewolf, it sounds crazy but it’s true , My mother and my father met years ago when humans and werewolf were allowed to cohabit, they fell in love and that’s how I came along but after the pandemic, Wolves were in extinct here and according to history , they left to stay far away and that’s how my mom left , she waited till when I was born and the moment I was placed on my father’s arms , she ran away , You might wonder why I have a good memory of it ? My father told me everything, he doesn’t stop talking about mother even I was tired of hearing about her but my father was so in love , he always made excuses for her .

“ She had a career “

“ It was a forbidden love story “

“ Humans and Wolves became sworn enemies “

“ It wasn’t meant to be “

“ I know she would have made it happen if she could “

I would have at least agreed to what he said even once if she had made an effort to see me but she never did ,i know what she looks like because of dad’s pictures of her but she doesn’t know what I look like “

This was the woman they wanted me to start a life with ?

“ You will manage , it’s just for a year untill you get accepted to medicine school…Just 365 days “ Monica said as she drove , I didn’t respond, My eyes were outside the window as i gaze upon the city I grew up in , I was leaving all of this behind to stay in a pack ? Isn’t that basically a village of wolves ?

“ Can’t i stay with you ? I will behave …I promise “

“ I wish you can sweetie but you know how my husband can be and I promised your dad to take you to her “

“ Yeah he’s a jerk “ I scoffed .

“ Raven Pack is no different from Centervile town , It’s better …it’s like a different world “

“ I have seen packs in movies , doesn’t look better than centervile if you ask me “ I shot back.

“ Well that’s in the movies , I have been there before back when humans were allowed in it “

“ Hold on ! Humans aren’t allowed? So why are you taking me there !” I asked , fixing my gaze at her now , she gave me a weak smile .

“ Your mother has a plan …”

“ She is not my mother “ I retired back to my position.

Monica didn’t respond , she was focused on driving , We have been driving for hours and since passed Centervile town and its neighborhood cities, She was driving pass lonely roads, bushes , trees , there were no sign of houses anywhere .

“ Why didn’t she pick me up herself ? How are you going to drive back ?”

“ Your mom is a really busy woman besides I am used to this road , we see each other once in a while …in a small house around …that’s where I am dropping you off , she will come pick you up from there “

“ She can see you but not me ? intresting …”

“ Your mom isn’t a bad person …it’s just hard to navigate being _”

“ You don’t have to explain! I am going to take a quick nap “ I leaned on the other side of the back seat , took a deep breath and I shot my eyes.

“ By the time you wake up , we’d be in our destination “ Monica said , I nodded and dozed off .

“ Lilly ….Lilly, Wake up …We’re here “

I slowly opened my eyes , the sun was shining directly into my eyes, I picked up my glasses , stretched and looked outside.

It didn’t look like anything I was expecting, just a small house and bushes around it , there was a small river by the backyard.

“ What the fuck ?”

“ It’s our meeting place …it’s still wolf territory…Here you should wear this”

She started bathing me with a perfume that smells really harsh but in a nice way .

“ What’s that?” I said coughing .

“ It’s to hide our human scent so the wolves don’t pick it up…Apparently we smell like one of them now “ She giggled but I didn’t find it funny .

“ Are you kidding me right now ? Is this a joke ? Please tell me it’s a prank and we can go home …”

“ I wish I can , I am gonna miss you kiddo , She promised you could come visiting once in six months , I am not greedy …that’s enough “ Monica laughed but I could see the sadness in her eyes , She raised me like I was her daughter and now she was giving me up for a woman who barely even knows what I looked like .

“ Monica …I don’t want to go “ I whimpered .

“ I don’t want you to go too but we have to respect your dad’s wish , he wants her to continue from where he stopped , She’s your mother …Promise me you won’t cause any trouble and you will get along with her “

“ I can’t promise you that “

“ I have to go now …I have an approximately four hours drive…You can wait for her in there , it’s safe …You will be fine “ Monica hugged me and we stayed like that for a while.

“ You should go now …it’s getting late” I faked a smiled and let go of her grip, she waved me untill she was in her car and i waved her till she was gone .

I was alone now accompanied by the sound of crickets, I walked inside the small house and it had just a bed , I looked around and it had some clinical items too,Was this an inn ?, It also had A kitchen with two chairs , there was a wash room too ,It looked like a camping house too.

I dragged one of the chair out and i sat down , I didn’t have much luggages , Just a travel bag, my self care kit, My favourite fictional and Medicine books and some stuffs , Monica said I wasn’t allowed to bring so much and that included my phone .

“ When is she coming ” I looked around and I found a clock , it was going to get dark anytime soon .

it was dark in here so I couldn’t read , I just sat there , confused .

“ This is what happens when you try to reconnect with a woman who abandoned you since she birth , how am I sure she hasn’t abandoned me here too ?”

Staying inside wasn’t going to help , so I took my book outside , there was a log of wood outside, It was perfect , there was some evening light outside, I could read my book .

Fifty pages in , the night was fast approaching but that woman wasn’t here .

“ Monica …this doesn’t look good “ I said to myself,the evening breeze was thick and heavy , My body hair was popping up, I doubt if it was the cold , I was scared .

As I was about to rush back inside , I heard noises from the bushes .

“ Who is there ? Mom? Is that you ?” I moved closer.

“ I don’t think it’s a perfect way to make an en_”

It happened like a flash of lightning before I could even complete my sentence, It jumped out of the bush and started howling, I couldn’t believe my eyes , Was I seeing an actual wolf ? It was a huge black wolf, Monica did say it was a wolf territory but she also said it was safe , It was moving closer to me , howling .

“ What the fuck ? What the fuck ? What the fuck ?” I fell to the ground, screaming in shock , I shut my eyes untill the howling was over and when I opened it , I couldn’t believe my eyes .

It was a boy about my age , he had a blonde hair with eyes that looked icy blue, he had a perfect beauty, I stared at him and it dawned on me , he had torn trousers, he was shirtless, he was breathing heavily, Was he the wolf? He had shifted back ?? I was stunned.