And There Were Wolves

five | breathe

XYRRA

"Holy shite!" I stumbled backward and tripped. I groaned as my behind hit the ground, but my eyes never left the creature because I was too afraid that he might attack me if I looked away.

The black wolf moved towards me and I froze. Its face was so close to me that I could feel its breath fanning the side of my face. It opened its mouth and I could almost taste death knocking on my door before another strange thing happened. The giant wolf licked me. It actually licked one side of my face before taking a step back.

Almost as soon as he had turned into a gigantic wolf, he turned back into a human. A naked human. But I was in shock that I did not even bother to look away and continued to watch him as Ryker snatched his pants and put them on.

"I certainly hope that helps explain everything," he said, sparing one glance at me. "Because if it doesn't, I don't know what else would."

I was busy picking up my jaw off the ground before I could even form an audible response. "What are you?"

"A shape-shifter. Well, a werewolf." He looked down as he buttoned up his shirt.

"A werewolf?" I reiterated, trying to register that fact in my head. The only knowledge I had about werewolves was from movies and TV series, and even none of that could be considered as a solid fact because werewolves did not exist. They were just fickle of people's imaginations, a myth, lore. Some bedtime stories that parents told their children so that they would not wander around freely. "Did you just drug me?" I asked again, because that was the only logical explanation. Perhaps I was drugged, thus explaining the hallucinations because surely there was no way Ryker truly turned into a mythical beast, right?

"Oh, Moon Goddess, why do you have to throw this into my plate?!" He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers before he walked towards me and took a seat next to me on the ground. "I can assure you that I did not drug you. I truly am a werewolf. What you just witnessed was real, so for once, please do trust your own eyes or I could do it again, but it would be a hassle to have to take off my clothes and then put them on again."

"Okay, let's just say what you said was right and you are really a werewolf—"

"I truly am a werewolf," he corrected, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes impatiently, "let's just say that you are. What does that have anything to do with me?"

Ryker looked like he was about to lose it but his voice was gentle when he explained to me, "Every wolf has a mate, some are even blessed with two. A mate is someone that the Moon Goddess has chosen for them. And you are mine." The last sentence made me catch a breath, but I still maintained my poker face, looking at him as if I was completely unaffected by him.

"But I am not like you," I waved my hand at him. "I am not a werewolf." Gosh, even saying that word out loud seemed funny to me.

"I know, but although it is rare, sometimes a werewolf's mate does not necessarily have to be a werewolf too. On some occasions, it could be a human, a fae, or a witch, any living creature that walks planet Earth, basically."

My eyes widened in both amusement and surprise. Did he seriously say a witch? "Are you telling me that Hogwarts does exist?" I watched him in pure anticipation.

For the first time since we had met, he laughed, proving that he could exercise any emotion other than anger and grim. His laughter was deep, unrestrained, and heartfelt. Looking at him right now, I was no longer scared. I even felt the corners of my lips tug, forming a small smile.