The Werelupe Saga, Chapter 1: Part Two

      "That jerk! I can't believe he thinks all Werelupes are evil! I haven't done anything to him!" I roared in anger as Maylas quickly closed the door. My fur began to grow darker. It was hard to control my transformation when I was angry.

      "Settle down Colbolt. You transforming and getting back at the guy only proves him more right. Just ignore him," Maylas said calmly.

      "Thanks Maylas," I said, "but that Eyrie...The town just began to settle down with all those strange happenings and the thought of a Werelupe being around was almost out of their minds. But now, its like starting over," I began to open up some boxes I had stacked behind my desk and restock my shelves. Maylas flipped my sign to open and helped.

      It was an hour later when I got my first customer in the morning. I turned from the shelf I was stocking of blue Lupe plushies and greeted the customer.

      "Good morn-" I stopped when I saw who it was. A yellow Chia walked in my shop. It was a plump Chia who must've eaten too many chocolates. I don't even think it heard me as it was interested in the shelves.

      My mind began to race. I could feel my Werelupe urges beginning to emerge and the temptation to attack. I immediately turned away and looked at the shelf. But I could still smell the Chia. Hear it breathing. My claws began to dig into the wood. Maylas saw me struggling and came over immediately.

      "Colbolt, what's wrong?" He whispered in my ear. I pushed him away and ran to the back room. I slammed the door behind and grabbed my head, feeling the transformation wanting to take place. I went over to the table where I kept track of my stock and sells of the day. I knocked away the glass lantern and fell to the floor moaning in pain.

      The urge to transform was so strong! I could feel my muscles bulging, my fur darkening, my teeth growing longer.

      "No!" I whispered in pain to myself.

      "Come."

      There was a voice. I opened my eyes and pass the tears to see no one in the room but me.

      "Come."

      This time the voice was louder, darker. I didn't want it to be near me.

      "Come to me now! Colbolt the Werelupe!"

      "Nooooowl!" My cry turned into a howl. I curled up on the floor holding myself, tears coming down my muzzle as the transformation subsided. I couldn't stop shaking. What was happening to me? Why had I lost control? And that voice. That voice was so dark and evil. It knew my name. Whoever that was knew my name.

      I didn't notice Maylas coming into the back. I didn't want to move. I was too scared that the voice was going to come back.

      "Colbolt? Are you okay?" He placed his hand on my shoulder.

      "Get away!" I flung my arm out, hitting him in the chest and knocking him against a shelf. The shelf shook and an iron Lupe sword fell and stab the wood right between Maylas' legs. His face look at the sword in fear as he backed away from it. I was in disbelief at what I had done.

      "Maylas, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," I said rushing over to him. I took two steps and fell my muscles give away. My body was weak from holding back the transformation. Maylas came back over.

      "What was going on back here Colbolt? You howled like you were dying or something," he said trying to stand me up.

      "Someone was talking to me. But I couldn't see them. Then I felt the transformation happening against my will. The pain was so much..." I put my paw around his shoulder shifting some of my weight on to him.

      "I'll take you home. You need rest." Maylas struggled a bit under my weight but steadied us out of the shop.

      Halfway home, Maylas and I stumbled upon our two friends, Moon_Light_Howler2 and Khellendros. We called them Moon and Khell for short.

      Moon use to be a starry Lupe, then got painted into a fire Lupe. Now she was a Darigan female Lupe. She had developed a little snip in her personality, but she was still a trusty Lupe that you could depend on when needed. She always looked after Khell and defended him.

      Khell was a male faerie Gelert. He wasn't really the brightest of Gelerts. Well, he was the bottom of the barrel I suppose (Of course Moon won't let anyone make fun of him for it). He knew how to keep secrets at least and had his moments of helpfulness.

      They were both there when I transformed into a Werelupe and had been helping through it for a long time. They kept the secret safe so I wouldn't become the most hated Neopet in the city.

      "Colbolt, what happened to you? You look like you caught the NeoFlu or something," Moon asked seeing us. Khell was busy scratching behind his ear.

      "It was nothing. Just had a hard and stressful day. I'm going home to rest. What is Khell doing!" I looked at Khell to see him lighting a blanket on fire at one of the street stands.

      "Khell!" Moon jumped on top of the flames and stomped the fire out. Moon turned back to Khell with her own fire in her eyes.

      "What were you thinking Khell?" She growled angrily.

      "But Moon, the Mootix told me to do it," Khell whined.

      "If the Mootix told you to jump of off the Mystery Island Volcano, would you do it?" Moon said sarcastically.

      "The Mootix want me to jump off of the volcano? I'm there!" Khell began to take off but Moon grabbed him by the tail and yanked him back.

      "We're going to the hospital and getting rid of those Mootix!" She said angrily.

      "I thought only Petpet's got Mootix," Maylas said.

      "That's what I thought too. But, well, its Khell, and he has them. He says they tell him to do the weirdest stuff. He already attacked the Mail Gelert, blew up the stereo system, and drank a whole glass of pure lemon juice." Moon recalled.

      "I couldn't open my mouth for two hours," Khell said proudly. Moon rolled her eyes and began to drag Khell forward.

      "C'mon Khell. Lets go. See you both later."

      Maylas and I shrugged and continued home.

      Once we entered our house, Maylas let me go. I stumbled a bit but managed to stay on my feet.

      "You should go to bed and rest Colbolt. I'll bring you something to drink that might make you feel better," Maylas said. I nodded and stumbled slowly to my room and crawled into bed. I was still worried about what had tried to force me to transform. I could feel my weariness start to take over. My eyelids became heavier and I was out like a light.

      I was running through the woods. Something was close behind me catching up. I had to get away. I ran and ran until I came to clearing. I looked up to see a clear sky with a full moon. I turned my head away and closed my eyes, waiting for the transformation into a Werelupe to begin, but it never did.

      I opened my eyes and looked around. Dozens of yellow eyes looked back at me from the shadows of the trees around the clearing. I was surrounded. Growls began to emit from the eyes until I couldn't bare it. I covered my ears with my paws and closed my eyes, but it didn't work.

      "Come."

      The dark voice was back. I opened my eyes but only saw the millions of yellow, bloodshot eyes staring back.

      "Come Colbolt. Come and be one of us!"

      I looked up at the moon to see it transform into a head of a Werelupe It turned and faced me with glowing red eyes of hatred. It opened its maw and came baring down on me. I couldn't move, couldn't escape. I was thrown into its throat and began falling down its until...

      "No!"

      I sat bolt right up in a panic. I was taking rapid gasps of breath trying to make the room stop spinning. I fell back on my bed with my paw on my forehead. It was just a dream. I looked toward my bed post where I hung my Lupe moon charm. Maylas had gotten it for me for my birthday. It was enchanted to tell the phases of the moon so I knew when I full moon was going to happen. It was only a bit bigger than a crescent moon now. I had nothing to fear.

      I was about to go back to sleep when I heard footprints outside. I pricked my ears forward and listened. My curtains on the winds fluttered showing it was open. Maylas must've opened it earlier to air out the room.

      The footprints stopped just outside my window. Someone jumped up on the ledge and looked in. Too bad they didn't bother looking down where my bed was located. I slowly reached under my pillow to retrieve my Lupe battle claw. The intruder cautiously placed one paw down on the mattress and then the other. His second paw landed on my leg. The intruder was about to pull back but it was too late. I sprung up from my bed and tackled the burglar before he had the chance to get away. We fell on the floor rolling around, kicking and growling. I was finally able to pin my opponent and tied him up with my battle claw.

      "Please let me go! All I wanted was some food!" a familiar voice cried. I got up and flicked on the lights revealing the same mutant Lupe who tried to rob me. His eyes went wide when he recognized me and began to panic.

To be continued...