Chapter Three: Please Don't Eat Me

As they emerged from the portal, they found themselves standing inside a dense forest. Claire was not impressed. "This is it? This is Earth?" she sneered, looking around with a look of disdain. Dave, on the other hand, was apprehensive. This place was not safe. If anything were to happen out here, no one in their pack would know.

"Are you scared of rogue attacks?" Claire taunted with a smirk on her delicate face, as she took a seat on the ground. "You do know how dangerous it is, right?"

"I do, Claire. And for the record, I came here to teach you, not to run away," Dave replied, scanning the area.

"Dad wants me to join the army. Do you know how persuasive he can be? I don't want to fight in the army," Claire explained. Dave looked at her. She was just a girl trying to break free from her father's clutches.

"Well, this is a great place to train. The air is just right," Dave said, his arm casually resting behind him. Dave had always been meticulous in his dealings, and although he seemed gentle, he was dangerous when he transformed. He was the only one who could let her go free on her adventures.

"So, are you going to help me?" Claire asked, putting on a wide smile.

Dave sighed slowly. "I didn't say I wouldn't. Since you're so interested in getting hurt, I'd gladly help you," he replied. Claire scoffed, then stood up, dusting her clothes.

"Transforming into a werewolf is similar to transforming hot chocolate into tea," Dave began to explain. Claire glanced at him, confusion etched on her face.

"Werewolves are triggered by one thing into transformation, and that is anger. Seeing that you have a bit of a temper, this stage should be easy for you," Dave continued, ignoring Claire's confusion. She had a bad temper and had been losing control lately, as her wolf was tired of being dormant.

"The first step is to free your mind and focus on the one thing that has to do with your transformation. After that, you'll suck in your energy from the inside out. At this stage, you'll immediately transform if you're over 18. Since you're not, it's not going to work, so quit trying, my lady," Dave instructed. Claire followed his directions, sucking in her energy and thinking about her father wanting her to serve him. Anger burst out, and the impossible happened. Her body twisted unnaturally as her bones reshaped and shifted to form a lycanthrope-humanoid skeleton, causing her immense pain.

"Ahhhh!" she groaned in pain. Dave stood still, stunned, as he watched her transform into a fierce beast. She grew excessive body hair, huge yellow-glowing eyes, and fangs. Within minutes, the werewolf that had been hidden within her emerged, hulking and wolf-like.

"My lady?" Dave called out, realizing too late that he had forgotten to tell her that werewolves remain in their werewolf phase from dusk till dawn. Upon completion, the werewolf loses its human mind and fully transforms into its wolf form.

Before he could do anything, she let out a long howl, alerting another soul in the forest of her presence. Nate, distracted by the howl, thought to himself, "Was that the howl of a werewolf?" If that was the case, then his family was right. He stood up from where he sat and ran through the trees, trying to locate the sound. This was his chance to prove to everyone that he could capture a supernatural being, just like his sister and brother.

He arrived at a location and concealed himself behind a cluster of trees. Peering through the foliage, he beheld the spectacle before him with awe-struck eyes. There she was, fully transformed into a lethal beast, just as his mother had described. It was not a pretty sight. She was accompanied by a man who uttered some words before opening a portal that led elsewhere and disappearing through it.

"No way," he gasped, his shock causing him to stumble and fall over a rock. The wolf immediately turned towards him, and he realized he had been spotted. "Shit!" he exclaimed, realizing he was not prepared for this encounter. Was he even trained for this? The best option was to flee.

As he ran, the beast pursued him relentlessly. He kicked a stone, causing it to fly and crash to the ground. Before he could get up, the wolf had caught up with him. "Please, don't eat me," he pleaded, closing his eyes and waiting for his imminent demise. But nothing happened.

"You're not just any human, are you?" a pleasant, feminine voice inquired. Was he hallucinating? Slowly, he opened his eyes to behold the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, dressed in tattered garments that exposed parts of her body. His gaze trailed downwards, examining her form. She quickly covered herself with her arms.

"You're the werewolf? I thought werewolves no longer existed," he remarked, completely unaware of the implications of his words. She could sense sorcery emanating from him and realized that he was not an ordinary human.

"You're a witch?" she asked, surprised. He widened his eyes in disbelief. "A witch? No, far from it," he replied, standing up.

"Hi, I'm Nate," he said, extending his hand toward her. She stared at it for a while before asking, "Are we friends?"

"We could be," he answered.

"You cannot divulge what you have seen to anyone, or else I and my pack will be in grave danger," she warned, immediately realizing that she had just revealed their existence to a stranger.

"So, there are more of you. Where are they?" he asked, scanning the area.

"Just promise me," she pleaded.

"Fine," he agreed. She examined him and concluded that he must have used sorcery to track her down.

"Yes, you caught me. I'm proficient in magic, sorcery to be precise. And I was supposed to capture you with it, but I am terrible at it," he confessed glumly.

"I don't think so. Your powers are more potent than I anticipated," she said, surveying the area.

"I could give you a tour if you want," he offered. She considered it but then remembered Dave, who had gone to seek help. She suppressed the thought and said, "Surprise me then."

With a flick of his hands, he twirled them thrice, opening a portal. They both walked into it.