Chapter 31.1 – Werewolves in Lisa’s house – part 2

While the others were whispering among themselves, the same man answered, “He did, but he also said that he couldn’t explain how he got that list, and that is kind of suspicious.”

Aniya shrugged, “Well, it was me that got that list, but it’s better if I explain some things before because if I tell you right now how I got my hands on such a secret, you will panic.”

“I can’t speak for the others, but I don’t panic that easily.”

“Yeah, I recently met four Hunters that were full of shit like you, and when they saw four Werewolves changing in front of them, they froze because of panic.”

The voices rose, asking why she met Hunters because they all knew that Hunters were deadly, regarding Werewolves. Aniya frowned, without knowing to whom she should respond first. She then glowed with such intensity that everyone in that room covered their eyes. Aniya shouted, making everyone freeze, “Silence! I will be the one asking all the questions here! Your only job is to hear me and then decide, understood?”

Lisa was among those who buried their heads in their shoulders and looked down. A glance around to be sure they were all quiet, and Aniya decreased the intensity of her light as she spoke. “I was told that a certain reporter named Adrian Gordon was here yesterday. Do any of you know him?”

One woman slowly raised her right arm, unable to face Aniya and her light, which, despite being diminished, was still strong enough to overpower her will. She spoke, in a trembling voice, “H-he came to my house some weeks a-ago. He didn’t stop looking at me and sniffing the air, and he then asked directly if I was a Werewolf. He wanted me to join his group. I refused because he looked suspicious. Something about him wasn’t right. My husband threw him out, but he didn’t seem thrilled, and he said I would be sorry for not accepting his help.”

More arms slowly went up, and Aniya frowned. “It seems he found you all. None of you accepted to join him?”

Since they were all slowly shaking their heads, Aniya dispersed her light and made a gentle smile. “I am also a Werewolf and I have a small group of Werewolves that joined me, but I won’t force or threaten any of you to join me. Instead, I will tell you what I found out. From what I could gather, Hunters kill Werewolves for millennia, because they are convinced that our blood mutation shouldn’t spread to the following generations if we have kids. What they don’t want people to know, and they even hide that fact from fellow Hunters, is that this blood mutation is not a disease and the number of Werewolves is increasing. There were already cases of Hunters that had kids that turned Werewolves when they reached sixteen. That Werewolf, the Hunter and his family, were all executed so that the mutation didn’t spread.”

Aniya waited for the sound of the voices asking for more information to diminish, and then continued, “I also found out that the number of pure bloodlines of Hunters is diminishing. That blue flower that all of you know so well, the wolf’s bane, is what the Hunters use to figure out if a person is a Werewolf or not. You all know what happens when you smell one, right? You lose control, become violent, and want to kill everyone near you. So now I want every one of you to focus on my voice and my light. Don’t think of anything else, just hear me and look at the light that surrounds me.”

While Aniya was speaking, she increased her light a little and signalled with her head to Lisa, who was at her side. She went to her father’s desk and took a blue flower from inside the plastic bag that was on top of the desk, and walked with that flower among the ones that were looking at Aniya. Lisa leisurely approached the flower from the nose of one woman who flinched a little, but calmed down while she was looking at Aniya’s light and hearing her say for them to breathe, and to focus on her voice, and that everything would be alright. Lisa continued to the next person, and in minutes, she finished and approached her friend again, this time with the blue flower behind her ear.

Aniya asked the puzzled group, as she was diminishing her light, “How do you feel? A slight and bearable pain, or do we need to do this again?”

They all smiled at her and said the pain was light, and that was impossible because they knew very well how painful it was to be near that flower. Aniya waved her hand to call for attention and explained, “If one day a Hunter comes to you and uses the wolf’s bane to see your reaction, you will only feel a slight pain, and even that pain, over time, will disappear.”

The man in the dark grey suit asked, still puzzled. “I am sorry for asking this after what you just did, but… What do you gain from this? For what purpose did you make us able to endure a flower that was always a danger to us?”

“You could say it was because I am kind, but it’s also because I am selfish. I want to be sure none of you is killed by a weird group that enjoys killing people way too much and hides that weirdness behind a sacred code. And I also hoped you would join me, because, you know what they say, strength lies in numbers. I also need to warn you that Adrian Gordon has a group of strange Werewolves that like to eat people when they are Human. I know that because I have a friend infiltrated there to check on them.”

They all gulped. Then, a young woman asked, “Why… Why do they do that? I know that when I change, I eat the flesh that is left behind. At least that’s what my parents told me because I can’t remember a thing, but the idea of eating people, that’s…”

Aniya saw her trembling, while the others seemed as disgusted with that thought as she was. Aniya nodded and explained, “That guy told his group that for them to change at will, they needed to eat people. Yes, you heard me right. Adrian has a group of Werewolves that can change whenever they want, but they don’t have any reasoning. They remain wild beasts that would kill anyone they meet.”

A young man came forward from the middle of the others and hesitated. “Miss Aniya... do the Hunters know about them? And if they do, won’t they think that everyone that could be a Werewolf, could also one day eat people to change at will? Using that excuse, they could find new supporters for their cause.”

“Yes, I also thought about that possibility. That is why I think I need more Werewolves near me for when that day comes. To give you something to think about, I didn’t change when I turned sixteen. I do not know why, but when I changed for the first time a few days ago, I was completely conscient, and I remained conscient and in control of my Werewolf body. I also managed that night to wake up my partner, and we went for a nice run in the woods. Now, besides me, there are four people in my group that I woke up, and we were all in control during our last change.”

The voices around almost shouted how that was possible, because they all passed out during the change, and for years, they were restrained in rooms or basements, always fearing that if they got free, they would kill their entire family.

Lisa faced Aniya and asked, “Do you think it’s better if I do a demonstration? I changed last night, and I was completely in control.”

Aniya tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking. “You did? Cool! I think that could work. Let me talk with them while you get ready.”

Lisa leisurely went to her father’s desk to get a plastic cover and some towels from under it while Aniya raised her arm, asking for silence. “I know all this seems impossible, but for the Hunters, it was also impossible that a person could change into a Werewolf at will, and that happened yesterday. I already helped you get used to the wolf’s bane, and if you don’t mind meeting me again on the next full moon, I will make sure that you also wake up, and like that, you won’t ever fear the change, or fear that you might one day kill someone because you will always be in control of your beast body.”

The man in the grey suit opened his mouth to say something, but Aniya spoke while looking straight at him, “Again, this is me being selfish. I hope that if I wake you up, you will join me, and together, we won’t fear a strange cannibal group or some crazy Hunters. They are used to killing mindless beasts, but if they ever face me or my friends when we are Werewolves, they won’t stand a chance.”

When everyone was in silence, thinking about Aniya’s words, Lisa went to an empty spot near the wall on Aniya’s right and spread the plastic cover on the floor, placing the towels in Aniya’s hands when she finished.

Lisa then faced the group and explained, “Aniya made me get used to the wolf’s bane, and then she woke me up on my last change after the full moon. Because her friend is infiltrated into that group, he realised that eating Human flesh is not needed to change at will. I changed last night in my room, without a full moon, and because I wanted to. It is actually very easy because since the pain of the change has decreased ever since I woke up, and I am in control of my beast side, I no longer fear the change.”

Lisa turned to the wall and quickly undressed. Everyone was looking at her, and besides her parents and Aniya, they all wondered what she was going to do. Then, they all heard her grumble a few indistinguishable words and saw her scratching her chest and back.
All the fifteen people gathered in that office saw in amazement that Lisa had her claws out, and she was ripping the flesh off her back, going to her butt next. Copper fur mixed with red blood appeared, and with a quick pull, she split her skull open to release her now increasing head. In mere seconds, Lisa’s Werewolf body was there, facing the wall and moving her tail. While some of them muffled a scream, others froze in shock, unable to believe their eyes. Lisa turned to face them and made a weird smile with her long snout full of sharp teeth while waving at them.
Aniya approached and gave her friend a towel that she used to clean her long snout and body, cleaning her copper-coloured fur from the blood. Lisa carefully got out of the plastic cover after cleaning her back paws and wrapped her Human flesh and blood in the cover, so that it didn’t ruin the floor. She then faced the crowd again and crossed her arms over her chest, making a low growl.

Aniya faced the group of dumbfounded people and said, “You may not know this because you were never in control after the change, but a Werewolf is almost five times stronger than a Human and has sharper senses, reflexes, and movements. This is what I offer to all of you. Full control of your Werewolf body, immunity to the wolf’s bane, and changes every time you want. Even with all of this, I won’t force or threaten any of you to join me, but I must warn you, the moment I find out you killed or ate a Human, you won’t need to worry about the Hunters, because I will track you down and kill you. I also don’t want any of you babbling about this, because you never know when there is a Hunter around. Remember, your name went on that list because someone told the Hunters something they heard or saw about you.”